Today, Western Digital has announced the release of the new WD Blue SN550 NVMe SSD. The new drive will be the successor/replacement of the existing SN500 SSD. It will provide several noticeable improvements over the old one.
The WD Blue SN550 is upgraded with better in-house memory controller and the latest 96-Layer 3D TLC NAND flash. All data is now transferred through a PCIe 3.0×4 interface, instead of x2. The maximum sequential read/write speeds can now reach 2400 MB/s and 1950 MB/s. Random performance can achieve up to 410,000 IOPS in read and 405,000 IOPS in write.
Three capacities are available, from 250 GB to 1 TB, only in M.2 2280 form factor. All of them are claimed to last for 1.7 million hours (MTBF) and have a 5-year warranty. They also have endurance rating from 150 TBW to 600 TBW.
You can purchase the SN550 SSD now via various online resellers, including the WD Store. The 250 GB model is priced at $54.99 USD, 500 GB for $64.99 USD and 1 TB for $99.99 USD.
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We are hosting a giveaway to our readers for supporting the website, and as a gift for Christmas. We will be giving away the Corsair M55 RGB Pro gaming mouse (its review here) review unit.
Terms and Conditions:
There will be ONE winner in this giveaway. The winner will be randomly chosen, using Gleam.
The winner will get one Corsair M55 RGB Pro gaming mouse.
We are using Gleam to host this giveaway, which Gleam has a separate and independent privacy policy. We hold no responsibility and liability for content and actions of any third-party websites.
This giveaway starts from 10-12-2019 12:00:00 AM to 22-12-2019 11:59:59 PM in Pacific Time. (~12 Days)
This will be a worldwide giveaway, which is open to participants from any countries, where legal, with no age restrictions.
Shipping costs will be covered by the shipper, but any duties/taxes/other fees upon delivery will be the sole responsibility of the winner.
No purchase is necessary.
The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the E-mail ([email protected]) sent from us. A new winner will be drawn, if the original one does not respond within that time.
We, the Unboxing Treatment, will hold the final decision.
The winners will be announced at this post, our social media, and our Newsletter after the prizes are shipped to the winner.
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Patriot Memory is expanding its NVMe SSD lineup under the VIPER Gaming brand. They are releasing a new RGB-enabled SSD, called the VPR100.
Unlike their previously-launched VP4100 with a PCIe 4.0 interface, the VPR100 remains to use the slower PCIe 3.0 standard. The internals of the VPR100 look to be identical with the existing VPN100, without the RGB LEDs. It is equipped with the same Phison PS5012-E12 memory controller. It is advertised to reach maximum read/write speeds at up to 3300 MB/s and 2900 MB/s. Random performance can achieve up to 750,000 IOPS in read and 650,000 IOPS in write.
For durability, the VPR100 SSDs are rated for 380 TBW to 3115 TBW. They have a slightly better warranty for 5 years, instead of the VPN100’s 3-year.
The VPR100 is priced at $94.99 USD for the 256 GB model, $134.99 USD for 512 GB, $229.99 USD for 1 TB and $399.99 USD (MSRP). You can now purchased the SSD on Patriot’s online store and later in other resellers.
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If your PC/server case is too tiny to fit a standard 120 mm CPU cooler, like the Noctua NH-U12S, the NH-U9S we are reviewing in this article may be a great alternative. It is a more compact single-tower cooler with a 92 mm cooling fan.
Unboxing
The NH-U9S remains the same packaging design as other Noctua coolers, with the same signature brown color. The model name, Noctua logo and key features are printed on the front, while there are descriptions in 8 different languages on the back.
You can find two specification lists about the cooler heatsink and included fan, with information like dimensions and weight. The NH-U9S is advertised to be 100% compatible with RAM and PCIe expansion cards on mini-ITX motherboards.
Noctua uses cardboard boxes to securely pack and protect the CPU cooler and its accessories during shipping.
The Noctua NH-U9S supports most modern CPU sockets from both AMD and Intel with the SecuFirm 2 mounting system. It will work on AMD AM2 to AM4 and FM1 to FM2+, Intel LGA115x, LGA2011 and LGA2066 sockets. Three separate user manuals are provided with a long screwdriver.
The NT-H1 thermal compound and a Noctua case badge are included. There is also an extra set of fan clips to allow users to add another 92 mm cooling fan.
Noctua NH-U9S CPU Cooler
The NH-U9S cooler has a height of 125 mm, width of 95 mm and depth of 68 mm without the fan. It is 33 mm shorter and 30 mm narrower than the NH-U12S (its review here), which should not interfere with most RAM and PCIe expansion card installations. The whole heatsink is also shifted to one side for increased compatibility.
The five 6 mm nickel-plated copper heatpipes are spread across the aluminium fin stack to better transfer heat from the base plate to the heatsink. A “Noctua” logo is embossed on the top of the heatsink.
The CPU contact base is nickel-plated and further polished to a mirror-like finish.
Noctua includes the NF-A9 PWM as the cooling fan for the NH-U9S. It is a 92 mm fan with a standard thickness of 25 mm. It is capable of running from 400 RPM to 2000 RPM, controlled via a 4-pin PWM connector. Anti-vibration rubber pads are located on each corner to reduce noises. The NF-A9 PWM has the same rated MTBF as all Noctua fans, at over 150,000 hours.
Review
We have updated our CPU cooler tests to more reflect real-world cooling performance of coolers.
Testing Methodology
To find out how the cooler performs, a total of three benchmarks are included. AIDA64 is used to run a CPU stress test. CPU, FPU and system cache are all stressed to create as much heat output as possible. Also, Cinebench R15 and Cinebench R20 are used to simulate real-world CPU load (like video-editing or rendering). It will be run continuously for three times. The highest CPU package temperatures are recorded. Ambient temperature is around 25°C.
Results will be taken at a 50% fan speed and 100% speed, controlled via the motherboard CPU PWM fan header. Both single-fan and dual-fan configuration of the cooler will be tested.
The CPU sat at around 28°C to 33°C at idle, with ambient temperature at around 25°C. In AIDA64 stress test, the NH-U9S managed to keep the temp under 62°C with 50% speed on its 92 mm fan. Pushing the fan to its maximum RPM, the load temperature decreased to 54°C, which is a 12.9% improvement.
The difference in temperature shrunk by 2°C in Cinebench R15, which the highest CPU package temperature dropped to 58°C. It reduced further to 52°C when the fan was spinning faster.
Cinebench R20 produces more heat than the older R15. CPU temperature rose up to 63°C under load.
Comparison
[visualizer id=”2873″]
The NH-U9S’s performance sits in the middle of the chart, slightly worse than the larger NH-U12S and GELID Phantom. The cooler did reasonably well in both AIDA64 and Cinebench R15, with temperature delta of around 27°C to 29°C. Due to the smaller 92 mm cooling fan and heatsink, the NH-U9S could not compete with 120 mm and 140 mm coolers as expected.
Conclusion
The NH-U9S is another great CPU cooler from Noctua, which is solidly built and designed. It performed decently as a 92-mm grade air cooler. The smaller size makes it fit in small PC cases and 4U server chassis, perfect for mini-ITX PC builds. The RAM and PCIe expansion cards compatibility is outstanding as well.
The included NF-A9 PWM fan ran smoothly with acceptable noise level at most RPM ranges. The smaller diameter does slightly limit its cooling capability. It will have to spin a bit faster to produce similar airflow.
The NH-U9S is provided with a reputable 6-year warranty, and costs $64.99 USD (MSRP). At the moment of this review, it is on sale for $59.95 USD, identical to the Noctua NH-U12S. If you need a premium compact cooler and not planning on overclocking the CPU, the NH-U9S is still an awesome choice to consider.
You can purchase the cooler from your local/online resellers or the links below from Amazon and Newegg.
Thanks Noctua for providing us the NH-U9S for review. (Review Sample)
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Past HyperX keyboards have been using mechanical switches from Cherry MX and Kailh. Now, the new Alloy Origins keyboard, which first introduced in Computex 2019, features their very own branded switches. It is released with minimalistic design and per-key RGB lighting.
Unboxing
The Alloy Origins is shipped with a long cardboard packaging, with the signature HyperX red and white color scheme. The front of the box has the product name, the equipped switches and a photo of the keyboard. A few key features, like the detachable USB Type-C cable and full metal body, are highlighted at the back.
The keyboard is compatible with Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. You are required to be on Windows 10 to use the new NGENUITY beta software.
Inside the packaging, you get the usual HyperX Thank you and support cards, as well as a quick start guide. A braided 1.8 meters USB Type-C to Type-A cable is also included to connect the keyboard to the PC.
HyperX Alloy Origins Mechanical Keyboard
The Alloy Origins is a full-sized 104 keys keyboard, with a width of 44.25 cm and a depth of 13.25 cm. There are a full row of function keys and a number pad besides the arrow keys. No dedicated media control keys can be found. It weighs in at around 1075 grams.
A sticker at the back shows the model number, serial number and power consumption (5V/500mA) of the keyboard.
The reversible USB Type-C port is located on the top right corner, which is also recessed to securely hold the cable in place. Unlike the Alloy FPS and Alloy FPS RGB, there is no USB pass-through port on the Alloy Origins.
Four anti-slip rubber pads can be found on each corner with the keyboard feet folded. The feet can also be extended to provide up to three total keyboard angles for typing (3°, 7°, or 11°).
For the Alloy Origins, HyperX chooses to use their new custom switches, which will at least have three different types. At the moment, only the keyboard is only available in the Red switches, while the Aqua switch variant is expected to come in the first quarter of 2020.
The HyperX Red switches are fitted with a transparent plastic housing to allow more RGB lighting to shine through. Each switch has the LED installed on the top, instead of inside and behind the switch, which should provide much brighter lighting. The stem design is similar to Cherry MX’s, and keycaps should be cross-compatible.
All the keycaps are swappable like other mechanical keyboards. They are made out of ABS plastic. The legends on top are laser-etched, which would wear off slightly easier than double-shot injection.
Review
Design
The Alloy Origins uses the popular bezel-less, floating-key design with no aggressive gamer-looking edges and lines. It is also one of the most sturdy keyboard I have ever tried, which has a full aluminium metal body, instead of only a metal top plate. Although every switch is pimped with its own individual RGB LED, there is no extra light bar for a more “colorful” experience.
Custom HyperX Red Switches
All HyperX switches are rated to have a lifespan of about 80 million keystrokes, which is 30 million more than what Cherry MX offers. The Red switch provides a linear key press with no noticeable tactile bump or click, similar to Cherry MX Red. The actuation distance is at 1.8 mm with a total travel distance of 3.8 mm. The spring will require about 45 grams of actuation force. The switches feel very responsive and smooth, and are especially suitable for gaming.
HyperX Red: Linear (45 grams @ 1.8 mm)
HyperX Aqua: Tactile (45 grams @ 1.8 mm)
RGB Lighting and Software
The RGB lighting effects of the Alloy Origins keyboard is controlled via the new NGENUITY (Beta) software, which can only be downloaded from the Microsoft Store. It would be nice if HyperX can make the software available in separate locations and in .exe format. Microsoft Store can sometimes be too buggy and slow.
In the new NGENUITY software, the user interface is greatly improved from previous versions, with a clearer and more intuitive design. The left sidebar shows all connected and compatible HyperX products. The sub-menus are simplified to two categorizes, Lights and Keys. You can change or add different lighting effects, as well as adjusting its brightness, speed, colors and direction/angle. You can also customize each key’s colors and effects by selecting the desired key on the top preview.
Apart from the RGB lighting, you can use the software to re-assign functions to every key on the Alloy Origins. You can set the key to perform as a right mouse click, or open a specific file/program, or do a series of macro actions. The keyboard has up to three profiles, that will be stored in the onboard memory.
The RGB lighting of the Alloy Origins looks really bright and vibrant. Transitions between different effects are smooth and fluent. Because of the exposed LED on the switches, the RGB light will bleed around the keycaps. You can watch the RGB lighting effects, as well as the how the keyboard sound (HyperX Red) when typing in the above video.
Extra Features
There is no dedicated media control or macro key on the Alloy Origins, but some of the existing keys will have secondary functions by default. You can also activate Game Mode to disable the Windows key, to prevent accidental presses in games.
Conclusion
The Alloy Origins keyboard is an awesome first entry for HyperX to use their own mechanical switches. The build quality is superb with the full metal body. It may not have special features from higher-end keyboards, but it gets most of the fundamentals right. The Red switches perform amazingly with quick, consistent and quiet actuation.
The new NGEUNITY software has hugely improved from previous versions, albeit still in beta. There are a lot of customization for both the RGB lighting and key programming in the software.
The Alloy Origins costs $109.99 USD (MSRP) at launch, which is the same as the existing Alloy FPS RGB with Kailh switches. You can consider the Alloy Origins as an upgrade with more durable HyperX Red switches and solid construction. The price is rather competitive in the market, compared to other mechanical keyboards from bigger brands (Logitech and Corsair). It would be a great addition if a wrist rest is included in the accessories. Though, HyperX sells a memory foam one for $19.99 USD (MSRP).
You can purchase the keyboard from your local/online resellers or the links below from Amazon and Newegg.
Thanks HyperX for providing us the keyboard for review. (Review Sample)
Feel free to leave comments below, if you have any opinion about this website. Share the website around if you enjoy reading it. Subscribe to our Newsletter or follow our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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