[gallery include="21573,21577" size="medium" link="file" template="file-gallery" columns="2"]
Experience ASUS ROG @ PAX East 2013 from March 22-24, 2013
The ROG Experience Tour is back in Boston for another installment of PAX East, and we’re packing even more gaming goodness than you thought was possible into a 20’ x 30’.
1. Unprecedented Gaming – Two screens are better than one, especially when you can game on both. Experience the dual-screen ASUS TAICHI and play Super Street Fighter IV with a friend on either side of this ground-breaking notebook/tablet hybrid.
2. Unrivaled Gaming – Whether you prefer a 17” desktop replacement or 14” portable gaming notebook, ROG has the performance you need. Game on an ASUS ROG G Series notebook, and experience it for yourself.
3. Uncompromising Performance – It just wouldn’t be ROG without a no-holds-barred system. Experience triple monitor surround VG248QE’s on our Rampage IV Extreme-based system, featuring the new ASUS GeForce® GTX TITAN graphics card, with your choice of ROG Orion or ROG Vulcan headsets, all housed in the new Corsair 900D.
4. Tablet Gaming – Discover the versatility of ASUS tablets in our tablet arcade, featuring both Windows® 8 and Android tablets, complete with external monitors and game controllers.
Experience PAX East even if you can't make it to Boston. We will be hosting 6v6 HAWKEN matches throughout the day where 2 players in the booth join up with our online community to compete for prizes. If you would like to be a part of the action sign up HERE.
[gallery include="21573,21577" size="medium" link="file" template="file-gallery" columns="2"]
Experience ASUS ROG @ PAX East 2013 from March 22-24, 2013
The ROG Experience Tour is back in Boston for another installment of PAX East, and we’re packing even more gaming goodness than you thought was possible into a 20’ x 30’.
1. Unprecedented Gaming – Two screens are better than one, especially when you can game on both. Experience the dual-screen ASUS TAICHI and play Super Street Fighter IV with a friend on either side of this ground-breaking notebook/tablet hybrid.
2. Unrivaled Gaming – Whether you prefer a 17” desktop replacement or 14” portable gaming notebook, ROG has the performance you need. Game on an ASUS ROG G Series notebook, and experience it for yourself.
3. Uncompromising Performance – It just wouldn’t be ROG without a no-holds-barred system. Experience triple monitor surround VG248QE’s on our Rampage IV Extreme-based system, featuring the new ASUS GeForce® GTX TITAN graphics card, with your choice of ROG Orion or ROG Vulcan headsets, all housed in the new Corsair 900D.
4. Tablet Gaming – Discover the versatility of ASUS tablets in our tablet arcade, featuring both Windows® 8 and Android tablets, complete with external monitors and game controllers.
Experience PAX East even if you can't make it to Boston. We will be hosting 6v6 HAWKEN matches throughout the day where 2 players in the booth join up with our online community to compete for prizes. If you would like to be a part of the action sign up HERE.
Described as one of the scariest games of all time, as well as one of the best zombie and survival games of all time (Ed: By those who have never played early Resident Evil's or System Shock 2 no doubt..!), Day Z is a frankly epic game. The ARMA II mod, originally designed by New Zealander Dean Hall, aka Rocket, Day Z has clocked up 1.6 million unique players, 11 and a half million zombie kills and over 2 billion dead zombies. That's a lot of killing.
As the tag-line suggests, the original premise of Day Z is to scavenge, slay, survive through a zombie apocalypse and players do, though once they've gotten used to surviving, it becomes more about grouping up, fighting with other survivors, finding cars and vehicles, and generally having tons of fun. If you haven't played Day Z before, the huge shot of adrenalin that hits you when you hear a gunshot nearby jacks up your heart rate and puts all your senses utterly on edge, as you don't want to see the character you've spent hours, if not days building up, die. Because if that happens you to have to start all over again from nothing. If you're still unfamiliar with the premise, take a look at FRANKIEonPCin1080p's action packed and humorous Day Z series, which is also full of tips and thought processes.
As Day Z is a mod for Bohemia Interactive's ARMA II, it has its limitations, which is where the idea of Day Z standalone has come in. Thanks to the mods popularity, Bohemia hired Dean Hall to help them make an actual game, built from the ground up with a lot of time focused on implementing user suggested ideas from the Day Z forums and Reddit. The standalone is about to enter its Alpha phase, allowing some 100-200 selected users try it out and report back with suggestions.
[caption id="attachment_21145" align="aligncenter" width="521" caption="Original DayZ Mod User Interface - Courtesy of Kodabar"]
[/caption]
Confirmed so far, we have a complete redesign of the user interface, or UI. While nothing is concrete, we have heard rumors that the list and tile set-up from ARMA II is disappearing and being replaced with something entirely new. The scavenging, or loot, system is being changed, so that you actively have to hunt around a house for food or supplies, whether it be opening cabinets, looking behind sofas, or crawling under tables, making it feel more realistic and that you actually earn your supplies.
In terms of weapons, we've been told that there will be fewer weapons in the standalone than in the mod, but to supplement that, there will be more weapon customization, such as fitting different scopes or silencers. Weapons will now also jam, and receive damage, one example given was that if a player has night vision goggles on and is shot in the head, the goggles will end up badly damaged and require repair to make them functional again. Vehicles will be similar, with you being able to take parts, such as doors and engines, and put them into other chassis to make functional cars.
[caption id="attachment_21158" align="aligncenter" width="530" caption="DayZ standalone redoes the entire ARMA II Chernarus map"]
[/caption]
Clothing is now also going to make far more of an impact that in the mod, where you will actively have to way up how visible a piece of clothing against how it keeps you warm or how water proof they are. This leads into the discussion of disease and illness, which has been hinted at in various blog posts, such as spending too much time in big cities, where there would be a higher concentration of people would lead to a greater chance of picking up an illness. Finally, on the health front, there will now also be different broken bones, and a rumour of the ability to perform quick, on the fly fixes such as placing a splint, made from bandages and wood, on breaks to allow for a player to be able to walk or hold things.
[caption id="attachment_21160" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="A screenshot of the corrugated metal world we can expect"]
[/caption]
Finally, one big problem with Day Z mod, was hacking. It made the game borderline unplayable and downright irritating at times. Rocket and the Bohemia team have said that hacking is currently their main priority to get right. While we aren't yet sure exactly what is being implemented, rest assured that they're going to put every effort into a stable, fair playing environment. The game will be supplied via Steam, to allow Rocked and the team to update the game with new weapons and fixes on a weekly basis, this should put an end to having to hunt around to find out what revision of the mod you need to run.
[caption id="attachment_21159" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="He looks friendly"]
[/caption]
On top of this, there are many hundreds of tiny tiny changes that have been suggested or hinted at by the development team, but until we see alpha footage, nothing seems set in stone.
Are you excited for the impending zombie apocalypse? Let us know in the forums.]]>Described as one of the scariest games of all time, as well as one of the best zombie and survival games of all time (Ed: By those who have never played early Resident Evil's or System Shock 2 no doubt..!), Day Z is a frankly epic game. The ARMA II mod, originally designed by New Zealander Dean Hall, aka Rocket, Day Z has clocked up 1.6 million unique players, 11 and a half million zombie kills and over 2 billion dead zombies. That's a lot of killing.
As the tag-line suggests, the original premise of Day Z is to scavenge, slay, survive through a zombie apocalypse and players do, though once they've gotten used to surviving, it becomes more about grouping up, fighting with other survivors, finding cars and vehicles, and generally having tons of fun. If you haven't played Day Z before, the huge shot of adrenalin that hits you when you hear a gunshot nearby jacks up your heart rate and puts all your senses utterly on edge, as you don't want to see the character you've spent hours, if not days building up, die. Because if that happens you to have to start all over again from nothing. If you're still unfamiliar with the premise, take a look at FRANKIEonPCin1080p's action packed and humorous Day Z series, which is also full of tips and thought processes.
As Day Z is a mod for Bohemia Interactive's ARMA II, it has its limitations, which is where the idea of Day Z standalone has come in. Thanks to the mods popularity, Bohemia hired Dean Hall to help them make an actual game, built from the ground up with a lot of time focused on implementing user suggested ideas from the Day Z forums and Reddit. The standalone is about to enter its Alpha phase, allowing some 100-200 selected users try it out and report back with suggestions.
[caption id="attachment_21145" align="aligncenter" width="521" caption="Original DayZ Mod User Interface - Courtesy of Kodabar"][/caption]
Confirmed so far, we have a complete redesign of the user interface, or UI. While nothing is concrete, we have heard rumors that the list and tile set-up from ARMA II is disappearing and being replaced with something entirely new. The scavenging, or loot, system is being changed, so that you actively have to hunt around a house for food or supplies, whether it be opening cabinets, looking behind sofas, or crawling under tables, making it feel more realistic and that you actually earn your supplies.
In terms of weapons, we've been told that there will be fewer weapons in the standalone than in the mod, but to supplement that, there will be more weapon customization, such as fitting different scopes or silencers. Weapons will now also jam, and receive damage, one example given was that if a player has night vision goggles on and is shot in the head, the goggles will end up badly damaged and require repair to make them functional again. Vehicles will be similar, with you being able to take parts, such as doors and engines, and put them into other chassis to make functional cars.
[caption id="attachment_21158" align="aligncenter" width="530" caption="DayZ standalone redoes the entire ARMA II Chernarus map"][/caption]
Clothing is now also going to make far more of an impact that in the mod, where you will actively have to way up how visible a piece of clothing against how it keeps you warm or how water proof they are. This leads into the discussion of disease and illness, which has been hinted at in various blog posts, such as spending too much time in big cities, where there would be a higher concentration of people would lead to a greater chance of picking up an illness. Finally, on the health front, there will now also be different broken bones, and a rumour of the ability to perform quick, on the fly fixes such as placing a splint, made from bandages and wood, on breaks to allow for a player to be able to walk or hold things.
[caption id="attachment_21160" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="A screenshot of the corrugated metal world we can expect"][/caption]
Finally, one big problem with Day Z mod, was hacking. It made the game borderline unplayable and downright irritating at times. Rocket and the Bohemia team have said that hacking is currently their main priority to get right. While we aren't yet sure exactly what is being implemented, rest assured that they're going to put every effort into a stable, fair playing environment. The game will be supplied via Steam, to allow Rocked and the team to update the game with new weapons and fixes on a weekly basis, this should put an end to having to hunt around to find out what revision of the mod you need to run.
[caption id="attachment_21159" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="He looks friendly"][/caption]
On top of this, there are many hundreds of tiny tiny changes that have been suggested or hinted at by the development team, but until we see alpha footage, nothing seems set in stone.
Are you excited for the impending zombie apocalypse? Let us know in the forums.]]>
ROG has co-worked with Nvidia to produce this new GPU Analyzer for Hawken. For the mecha-nuts out there, it helps better understand how your current system will fair, and which graphics card is the upgrade path. Will your system run Hawken, or are you going to need a new graphics card? Let us know in the forums.
]]>
ROG has co-worked with Nvidia to produce this new GPU Analyzer for Hawken. For the mecha-nuts out there, it helps better understand how your current system will fair, and which graphics card is the upgrade path. Will your system run Hawken, or are you going to need a new graphics card? Let us know in the forums.
]]>
"..But can it play Crysis?"
In late 2007 gamers all over the world were scrambling to upgrade and buy new systems in order to meet the lofty requirements of Crysis. At the time, the recommended specifications were a Core 2 Duo running at 2.2GHz, 2GB of RAM and most expensively of all, an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB graphics card. To put things in context, those specs can still play Battlefield 3, and the forth coming ARMA III today.
There was no doubt that Crysis set the benchmark in graphics. Modern games are still often compared back to it today, so what better game to compare it to than the latest installment in the Crysis series, Crysis 3.
We'll look at a range of factors including screenshots from throughout the games, textures when zoomed in, memory usage and the thermal load on the graphics card when at a set fan speed.
Graphics Settings
Crysis originally came with a DirectX 10 option, but was primarily designed to run in DirectX 9 as few PC systems had both the minimum requirement of Windows Vista and a DirectX 10-enabled GPU. However, with newer versions it is now supplied in only a DirectX 10 guise.We ran both Crysis and Crysis 3 at a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 that is typical of most modern LCD monitors. [caption id="attachment_21340" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Advanced settings. Everything on Very High. Anti-aliasing was set to its maximum 8X."]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_21352" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Advanced settings. Everything on Very High. Anti-aliasing was set to its maximum MSAA 8X."]
[/caption]
You can see from the menus that the original Crysis contains more settings than its younger sibling, due to the inclusion of a sound quality and physics option. You can either set a general graphical specification (low, medium, high, very high) or tweak the individual settings as you want.
Screenshots -
Lets compare the graphics of both games at their highest settings. They have been JPG'd, but at a low compression ratio. The question is (without looking at the alt text), can you guess which is which?
Zoomed-in Textures
[caption id="attachment_21376" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Crysis DX10 300% Zoom"]
[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_21377" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Crysis3 DX11 300% Zoom"]
[/caption]
With the images zoomed in 3x and cropped to an appropriate size, we can see the difference in textures, lighting and anti-alasing between the two games. Crysis is beginning to show its age, as the textures of the palm leaves show, with a quite clunky rendering over distance. In contrast, Crysis 3's beams and windows look far crisper. The lighting appears far more fluid and realistic in Crysis 3 than in the original, where it is possible to see the individual beams lighting the objects beneath them. The anti-aliasing is also improved, due to the inclusion of MSAA 8X, and 16X AA in Crysis 3.
Thermal Load & GPU Memory Usage
Does Crysis 3 actually work the card harder than its older brother does in game? Using a factory overclocked GeForce GTX 670 2GB card running at 1,045 MHz core boost clock and 6,008 MHz memory clock,with the games set to their highest settings and running at 1920 x 1080 (Full HD), a screenshot of GPU temperature, GPU usage and frame buffer usage was taken after 15 minutes of gameplay. In order to keep the fan speeds the same throughout, the card's cooler was manually set to run at a constant 50% speed using the ASUS GPU Tweak utility. The system used included an Intel Core i7-3570k running at 4GHz, 16GB of DDR3 memory, and an ASUS Sabertooth Z77 motherboard and the aforementioned GeForce GTX 670.
- Crysis DX10, 1080p, Very High Settings, 8x AA
- Crysis 3, 1080p, Very High Settings, 8x MSAA
Thoughts and Conclusion
Crysis has been the benchmark for graphics for the last 6 years now, it's reassuring that its third outing has definitely surpassed it in terms of visual quality, without melting modern graphics cards at its highest settings. Given that Crysis 3's GPU use is less - or at least less consistently maxed out - yet yields a better result, Crytek has put plenty of effort into optimization for our benefit! However, it's clear that each stage of bettering graphics is getting tougher. If we were to compare Crysis to a game manufactured in the same space of time: 6 years previous to it in 2001, then we'd be comparing to the original Half-Life engine in Blue Shift or the Quake III engine in Return to Castle Wolfenstein. To these, Crysis simply appears other-worldly. Thankfully we're in 2013 and for PC gaming fans, Crysis 3 is a visually gorgeous first person shooter. Which Crysis do you prefer? Have you played through Crysis 3 yet and how does it run on your ROG rig? Let us know in the forums.]]>"..But can it play Crysis?"
In late 2007 gamers all over the world were scrambling to upgrade and buy new systems in order to meet the lofty requirements of Crysis. At the time, the recommended specifications were a Core 2 Duo running at 2.2GHz, 2GB of RAM and most expensively of all, an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB graphics card. To put things in context, those specs can still play Battlefield 3, and the forth coming ARMA III today.
There was no doubt that Crysis set the benchmark in graphics. Modern games are still often compared back to it today, so what better game to compare it to than the latest installment in the Crysis series, Crysis 3.
We'll look at a range of factors including screenshots from throughout the games, textures when zoomed in, memory usage and the thermal load on the graphics card when at a set fan speed.
Graphics Settings
Crysis originally came with a DirectX 10 option, but was primarily designed to run in DirectX 9 as few PC systems had both the minimum requirement of Windows Vista and a DirectX 10-enabled GPU. However, with newer versions it is now supplied in only a DirectX 10 guise.We ran both Crysis and Crysis 3 at a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 that is typical of most modern LCD monitors. [caption id="attachment_21340" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Advanced settings. Everything on Very High. Anti-aliasing was set to its maximum 8X."][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_21352" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Advanced settings. Everything on Very High. Anti-aliasing was set to its maximum MSAA 8X."][/caption]
You can see from the menus that the original Crysis contains more settings than its younger sibling, due to the inclusion of a sound quality and physics option. You can either set a general graphical specification (low, medium, high, very high) or tweak the individual settings as you want.
Screenshots -
Lets compare the graphics of both games at their highest settings. They have been JPG'd, but at a low compression ratio. The question is (without looking at the alt text), can you guess which is which?
Zoomed-in Textures
[caption id="attachment_21376" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Crysis DX10 300% Zoom"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_21377" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Crysis3 DX11 300% Zoom"][/caption]
With the images zoomed in 3x and cropped to an appropriate size, we can see the difference in textures, lighting and anti-alasing between the two games. Crysis is beginning to show its age, as the textures of the palm leaves show, with a quite clunky rendering over distance. In contrast, Crysis 3's beams and windows look far crisper. The lighting appears far more fluid and realistic in Crysis 3 than in the original, where it is possible to see the individual beams lighting the objects beneath them. The anti-aliasing is also improved, due to the inclusion of MSAA 8X, and 16X AA in Crysis 3.
Thermal Load & GPU Memory Usage
Does Crysis 3 actually work the card harder than its older brother does in game? Using a factory overclocked GeForce GTX 670 2GB card running at 1,045 MHz core boost clock and 6,008 MHz memory clock,with the games set to their highest settings and running at 1920 x 1080 (Full HD), a screenshot of GPU temperature, GPU usage and frame buffer usage was taken after 15 minutes of gameplay. In order to keep the fan speeds the same throughout, the card's cooler was manually set to run at a constant 50% speed using the ASUS GPU Tweak utility. The system used included an Intel Core i7-3570k running at 4GHz, 16GB of DDR3 memory, and an ASUS Sabertooth Z77 motherboard and the aforementioned GeForce GTX 670.- Crysis DX10, 1080p, Very High Settings, 8x AA
- Crysis 3, 1080p, Very High Settings, 8x MSAA
Thoughts and Conclusion
Crysis has been the benchmark for graphics for the last 6 years now, it's reassuring that its third outing has definitely surpassed it in terms of visual quality, without melting modern graphics cards at its highest settings. Given that Crysis 3's GPU use is less - or at least less consistently maxed out - yet yields a better result, Crytek has put plenty of effort into optimization for our benefit! However, it's clear that each stage of bettering graphics is getting tougher. If we were to compare Crysis to a game manufactured in the same space of time: 6 years previous to it in 2001, then we'd be comparing to the original Half-Life engine in Blue Shift or the Quake III engine in Return to Castle Wolfenstein. To these, Crysis simply appears other-worldly. Thankfully we're in 2013 and for PC gaming fans, Crysis 3 is a visually gorgeous first person shooter. Which Crysis do you prefer? Have you played through Crysis 3 yet and how does it run on your ROG rig? Let us know in the forums.]]>
Small form-factor PCs are back in Vogue. Specifically, mini-ITX, which was first developed by VIA in the late 2001, but has really taken off in popularity in the last couple of years.
While motherboards remain the backbone of a PC, and thus its principle size direction, a supporting eco-system of smaller size components needs to accompany it for everything to fit. Where high-performance CPUs have dropped in power consumption; from 100+W to 95W, then 77/65W or even lower, graphics cards mostly have shown the opposite trend, with the fastest parts hitting near 300W. They accommodate physically larger cores, additional memory, power circuitry and enlarged coolers, to the point that they often dwarf mini-ITX motherboards, making it difficult to find cases to accommodate them.
While Nvidia's GTX 670 tries to buck the trend with a small 6.75" (~17cm) PCB, it's always fitted with a far larger cooler. ASUS has instead matched the cooler to its 17cm PCB length, which is ideal for the smallest gaming builds. Here's a first look at ASUS' new GTX 670 DirectCU Mini.
[gallery include="21481,21482" size="medium" link="file" template="file-gallery" columns="2"]
The GTX 670 DirectCU Mini features all the same game crushing power as a full-fat GTX 670, but squeezed into a dual-slot width card only 17cm long. That's the same width of a mini-ITX board. This reduction in size makes it perfect where portability is key, such as a LAN system, or small size such as a home theater PC.
[caption id="attachment_21485" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="This is our one and only testing sample! Keep in mind it might not fully represent the final version."]
[/caption]The GTX 670 DirectCU Mini features an all new DirectCU cooler with patent-pending fan design and vapor chamber, enabling the full DirectCU cooling potential in a smaller space. The new fan design angles airflow over key components on the card, and when coupled with ASUS's Super Alloy Power components, which last up to 2.5X longer than reference parts, results in a perfectly stable and long lasting user experience as good or better than larger GTX 670's. Finally testing and design tweaks are still ongoing however, so full specifications will be made available at launch.
[caption id="attachment_21484" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Dual DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort"]
[/caption]Is the GTX 670 DirectCU Mini the ideal graphics card for your mini-ITX system, or is it the card that'll make you dump the PC and move to small form factor? Let us know in the forums.
]]>Small form-factor PCs are back in Vogue. Specifically, mini-ITX, which was first developed by VIA in the late 2001, but has really taken off in popularity in the last couple of years.
While motherboards remain the backbone of a PC, and thus its principle size direction, a supporting eco-system of smaller size components needs to accompany it for everything to fit. Where high-performance CPUs have dropped in power consumption; from 100+W to 95W, then 77/65W or even lower, graphics cards mostly have shown the opposite trend, with the fastest parts hitting near 300W. They accommodate physically larger cores, additional memory, power circuitry and enlarged coolers, to the point that they often dwarf mini-ITX motherboards, making it difficult to find cases to accommodate them.
While Nvidia's GTX 670 tries to buck the trend with a small 6.75" (~17cm) PCB, it's always fitted with a far larger cooler. ASUS has instead matched the cooler to its 17cm PCB length, which is ideal for the smallest gaming builds. Here's a first look at ASUS' new GTX 670 DirectCU Mini.
[gallery include="21481,21482" size="medium" link="file" template="file-gallery" columns="2"]
The GTX 670 DirectCU Mini features all the same game crushing power as a full-fat GTX 670, but squeezed into a dual-slot width card only 17cm long. That's the same width of a mini-ITX board. This reduction in size makes it perfect where portability is key, such as a LAN system, or small size such as a home theater PC.
[caption id="attachment_21485" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="This is our one and only testing sample! Keep in mind it might not fully represent the final version."][/caption]The GTX 670 DirectCU Mini features an all new DirectCU cooler with patent-pending fan design and vapor chamber, enabling the full DirectCU cooling potential in a smaller space. The new fan design angles airflow over key components on the card, and when coupled with ASUS's Super Alloy Power components, which last up to 2.5X longer than reference parts, results in a perfectly stable and long lasting user experience as good or better than larger GTX 670's. Finally testing and design tweaks are still ongoing however, so full specifications will be made available at launch.
[caption id="attachment_21484" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Dual DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort"][/caption]Is the GTX 670 DirectCU Mini the ideal graphics card for your mini-ITX system, or is it the card that'll make you dump the PC and move to small form factor? Let us know in the forums.
]]>
It's still too early to reveal all,
But we had to let you know a little.
There's more than just a new socket,
Intel 4th Generation Core CPUs
And a new Z87 chipset.
It's time for the brand new Gryphon
New, true ROG innovations
And the tastiest Deluxe we've ever made!
Prepare your upgrades for mid 2013.
Let us know your thoughts and guesses in the forums!
]]>It's still too early to reveal all,
But we had to let you know a little.
There's more than just a new socket,
Intel 4th Generation Core CPUs
And a new Z87 chipset.
It's time for the brand new Gryphon
New, true ROG innovations
And the tastiest Deluxe we've ever made!
Prepare your upgrades for mid 2013.
Let us know your thoughts and guesses in the forums!
]]>
Russian modder do}{tor (no, we can't say it either) had been planning a themed case on the film 300 for a while. Originally destined for a an ample Cooler Master Cosmos, but instead he was lucky enough to his hands on the vast CaseLabs M10 with an extended top and pedestal.
The externals of do}{tor's M10 are covered with one of the most expansive and detailed airbrush paint jobs we've ever seen, featuring King Leonidas fighting a Persian. Its utterly stunning! Keeping with the 300 theme, blood spatter and the 300 logo adorn the case internals, the waterblocks have white tops and white fillings, while the fans have 300 stickers and the power supply has been taken apart, painted and sleeved in accompanying red and white colors.
[gallery include="21411,21412,21413,21414" size="medium" link="file" template="file-gallery" columns="2"]
[gallery include="21416,21417,21418,21419" size="medium" link="file" template="file-gallery" columns="2"]
To follow the rest of the project, head over to the log on bit-tech, it's sure to be epic when finished.
]]>Russian modder do}{tor (no, we can't say it either) had been planning a themed case on the film 300 for a while. Originally destined for a an ample Cooler Master Cosmos, but instead he was lucky enough to his hands on the vast CaseLabs M10 with an extended top and pedestal.
The externals of do}{tor's M10 are covered with one of the most expansive and detailed airbrush paint jobs we've ever seen, featuring King Leonidas fighting a Persian. Its utterly stunning! Keeping with the 300 theme, blood spatter and the 300 logo adorn the case internals, the waterblocks have white tops and white fillings, while the fans have 300 stickers and the power supply has been taken apart, painted and sleeved in accompanying red and white colors.
[gallery include="21411,21412,21413,21414" size="medium" link="file" template="file-gallery" columns="2"]
[gallery include="21416,21417,21418,21419" size="medium" link="file" template="file-gallery" columns="2"]
To follow the rest of the project, head over to the log on bit-tech, it's sure to be epic when finished.
]]>
DanK from our Australian team has owned his own G75VW since launch - the last 10 months now - and gives us his thoughts on the long-term use of a G75 notebook and how he uses it for gaming and video rendering, having always been a 'big PC' guy before.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTn_nuAF6AM[/video]
Have you been using your G75VW for a while now? Let us know how its getting on, and whether one could tempt you away from your PC by posting in the forums.
]]>DanK from our Australian team has owned his own G75VW since launch - the last 10 months now - and gives us his thoughts on the long-term use of a G75 notebook and how he uses it for gaming and video rendering, having always been a 'big PC' guy before.
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTn_nuAF6AM[/video]
Have you been using your G75VW for a while now? Let us know how its getting on, and whether one could tempt you away from your PC by posting in the forums.
]]>
If you've been diving into recent releases like Crysis 3, Dead Space 3 or even if you're still playing FarCry 3, there's one recently released title that never did make its third iteration: System Shock 2.
After a decade in IP limbo - which also explains where there was no Shock 3 - the awesome guys are GOG.com have managed to secure the rights to a re-release of System Shock 2. Not only that, but the download is packed with extras and it's DRM free. All credit to their huge efforts!
If you haven't heard of it, don't worry, since it first hit the market in 1999. Yep, pre-millennia vintage. Even if you are a member of our younger audience whose gaming history extends back only as far as Call of Duty, definitely keep reading. Why? Because Shock 2 is a landmark action-RPG game that has arguably never been surpassed. Come shout at me in the forums if you disagree!
With legendary Creative Director, Ken Levine, at the helm of the equally-legendary (and short-lived) Looking Glass Studios, these guys were also responsible for the equally-awesome Thief series in 1998, while Ken was more recently involved with Bioshock in 2007.
[caption id="attachment_21272" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Is.. is someone there?"]
[/caption]System Shock 2 is 22nd century cyberpunk space futurism to Bioshock's 1920's Art Deco underwater world. Where Bioshock's RPG elements manifested in plasmids, System Shock works with cybernetic modules that upgrade your augmented body. In that respect, it actually has more in common with Deus Ex, although released a year earlier.
You are part of an interstellar mission on the Earth's first faster-than-light starship, the Von Braun. It's accompanied by the UNN Rickenbacker, a smaller military ship that piggybacks a ride. After waking suddenly from a coma and amnesia with unexpected, military-grade cybernetic implants, you find the onboard AI has gone rampant, everyone has either been infected or experimented on, and that your new implants can see even see ghosts of those who once inhabited the ship. Just another day in deep space.
It's compelling story unfolds as you collect user logs around the ship, but what makes Shock 2 really great is the fact that it's dripping with atmosphere. The continual drone of the engines and emptiness of the ship is a constant companion.
Was that a door opening?
Is.. is that a monkey screaming?
Who's there? What gun do I need? Does it still work?
Yep, it's brown trousers time.
[caption id="attachment_21324" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="SHOOOOOOT IT!"]
[/caption]Depending on your expectations, 14 years has been quite modest. Sure, the character models are low polygon, the textures are fuzzy and things like tessellation or even bump mapping are foreign variables to the Dark Engine, but it does not detract from the stress of playing. Beneath the surface the game mechanisms still feel current and it will push even the most seasoned players to their limits on Hard and Impossible. For example, where other games lean on the fun side of any upgrade system, Shock 2 is brutal in its demand for you to make hard choices on limited cyber module upgrades, which are as rare as rocking horse poop.
Do you spend it all on guns, increase your personal stats, focus on hacking or go in for PSI abilities? Do you become unstoppable in one discipline, but hope you never require hacking or stat increases. Or, are you the all-rounded, non-specialized center of mediocrity? All the variables require extreme management of resources and adjusting of your game style to survive. It's certainly not a case of applying your well-honed run-and-gun FPS skills to the next title in the series.
[caption id="attachment_21271" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Are you OK buddy? Guy? Friend?"]
[/caption]In addition to upgrading yourself, you have to hack, upgrade and simply maintain your own weaponry, plus, choose and hoard the appropriate bullet type for each new enemy in your limited inventory space. Even then that's not all though - there's research which requires chemical acquisitions to complete it! You're one man on a ship with a lot to do!
[caption id="attachment_21270" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Now, which one did I need again?"]
[/caption]All this is exactly what makes it one of my favorite games. It's replayability and difficulty keep me coming back. Shock 2 is progressive but it's not linear. If you left a security box or your chemicals are back in Deck 2, you can nip down in the lift to go get them.
On my current play-through I'm trying to forgo as much weaponry as possible on Hard, but I'm also finding there's a distinct lack of PSI hypo's so my PSI-heavy Cybernetic Module spending has left me unable to weld the shotguns and assault rifle, much to my teeth grinding stress. In that respect I must grudging admit Shock 2 could be better balanced. There could be more PSI attacks and methods to replenish PSI by other means or more effective exotic weaponry. Plus, in the interim 14 years of game design and development Shock 2 most evidently lacks the advances in HUD design these years have given us.
When I first played it was as a teenager on my GeForce 256 SDR/AMD K6-2 Socket 7 PC, so my current GTX 580 MATRIX, Maximus IV GENE-Z and Core-i5 2500K hardly notices it running. Like Deus Ex, it's become a great travel game for notebooks! But even despite not nearly breaking a TeraFLOP-capable, ROG PC into sweat, System Shock 2 is still a must play for any gaming enthusiast!
Have you picked up System Shock 2 from GOG? Let us know if you've enjoyed it as much as we have in the forums.
]]>
If you've been diving into recent releases like Crysis 3, Dead Space 3 or even if you're still playing FarCry 3, there's one recently released title that never did make its third iteration: System Shock 2.
After a decade in IP limbo - which also explains where there was no Shock 3 - the awesome guys are GOG.com have managed to secure the rights to a re-release of System Shock 2. Not only that, but the download is packed with extras and it's DRM free. All credit to their huge efforts!
If you haven't heard of it, don't worry, since it first hit the market in 1999. Yep, pre-millennia vintage. Even if you are a member of our younger audience whose gaming history extends back only as far as Call of Duty, definitely keep reading. Why? Because Shock 2 is a landmark action-RPG game that has arguably never been surpassed. Come shout at me in the forums if you disagree!
With legendary Creative Director, Ken Levine, at the helm of the equally-legendary (and short-lived) Looking Glass Studios, these guys were also responsible for the equally-awesome Thief series in 1998, while Ken was more recently involved with Bioshock in 2007.
[caption id="attachment_21272" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Is.. is someone there?"][/caption]System Shock 2 is 22nd century cyberpunk space futurism to Bioshock's 1920's Art Deco underwater world. Where Bioshock's RPG elements manifested in plasmids, System Shock works with cybernetic modules that upgrade your augmented body. In that respect, it actually has more in common with Deus Ex, although released a year earlier.
You are part of an interstellar mission on the Earth's first faster-than-light starship, the Von Braun. It's accompanied by the UNN Rickenbacker, a smaller military ship that piggybacks a ride. After waking suddenly from a coma and amnesia with unexpected, military-grade cybernetic implants, you find the onboard AI has gone rampant, everyone has either been infected or experimented on, and that your new implants can see even see ghosts of those who once inhabited the ship. Just another day in deep space.
It's compelling story unfolds as you collect user logs around the ship, but what makes Shock 2 really great is the fact that it's dripping with atmosphere. The continual drone of the engines and emptiness of the ship is a constant companion.
Was that a door opening?
Is.. is that a monkey screaming?
Who's there? What gun do I need? Does it still work?
Yep, it's brown trousers time.
[caption id="attachment_21324" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="SHOOOOOOT IT!"][/caption]Depending on your expectations, 14 years has been quite modest. Sure, the character models are low polygon, the textures are fuzzy and things like tessellation or even bump mapping are foreign variables to the Dark Engine, but it does not detract from the stress of playing. Beneath the surface the game mechanisms still feel current and it will push even the most seasoned players to their limits on Hard and Impossible. For example, where other games lean on the fun side of any upgrade system, Shock 2 is brutal in its demand for you to make hard choices on limited cyber module upgrades, which are as rare as rocking horse poop.
Do you spend it all on guns, increase your personal stats, focus on hacking or go in for PSI abilities? Do you become unstoppable in one discipline, but hope you never require hacking or stat increases. Or, are you the all-rounded, non-specialized center of mediocrity? All the variables require extreme management of resources and adjusting of your game style to survive. It's certainly not a case of applying your well-honed run-and-gun FPS skills to the next title in the series.
[caption id="attachment_21271" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Are you OK buddy? Guy? Friend?"][/caption]In addition to upgrading yourself, you have to hack, upgrade and simply maintain your own weaponry, plus, choose and hoard the appropriate bullet type for each new enemy in your limited inventory space. Even then that's not all though - there's research which requires chemical acquisitions to complete it! You're one man on a ship with a lot to do!
[caption id="attachment_21270" align="aligncenter" width="595" caption="Now, which one did I need again?"][/caption]All this is exactly what makes it one of my favorite games. It's replayability and difficulty keep me coming back. Shock 2 is progressive but it's not linear. If you left a security box or your chemicals are back in Deck 2, you can nip down in the lift to go get them.
On my current play-through I'm trying to forgo as much weaponry as possible on Hard, but I'm also finding there's a distinct lack of PSI hypo's so my PSI-heavy Cybernetic Module spending has left me unable to weld the shotguns and assault rifle, much to my teeth grinding stress. In that respect I must grudging admit Shock 2 could be better balanced. There could be more PSI attacks and methods to replenish PSI by other means or more effective exotic weaponry. Plus, in the interim 14 years of game design and development Shock 2 most evidently lacks the advances in HUD design these years have given us.
When I first played it was as a teenager on my GeForce 256 SDR/AMD K6-2 Socket 7 PC, so my current GTX 580 MATRIX, Maximus IV GENE-Z and Core-i5 2500K hardly notices it running. Like Deus Ex, it's become a great travel game for notebooks! But even despite not nearly breaking a TeraFLOP-capable, ROG PC into sweat, System Shock 2 is still a must play for any gaming enthusiast!
Have you picked up System Shock 2 from GOG? Let us know if you've enjoyed it as much as we have in the forums.
]]>
Here are the projects from the ROG modding forum in the last month. If any other projects have caught your eye – drop us a line – or if you are planning your own, make sure to put it up in the forums too!
1. Bel Air by alain-s
Bel Air by alain-s is a dual loop CoolerMaster Cosmos II case modded to within an inch of its life. The front and top panels have been replaced with polished aluminium bars, the entire PSU mount removed and redesigned and a complicated internal framework added to support the various watercooling radiators and pumps. As if this wasn't enough, alain-s is using bent copper piping instead of the traditional clear, flexible tubing. This is definitely one worth following for the future.
2. SILVERSTONE TEMJIN TJ11 ENTER_PRISE mod
Casemoder Mviana, from Brasil, is putting his efforts into an expensive TJ11. Buried in the depths is a Rampage IV Extreme, while the main modding materials are adorned in orange. With some great dremel skills, the efforts are definitely worth it given the beautiful construction so far.
3. L3p - Parvum
L3p, the creater of the epic D3sk and L4N projects (check out our interview with him) is back with another build, this time with the brand new, all acrylic m-ATX Parvum case. The system features an ASUS Maximus V Gene and an ASUS GTX 690 graphics card, fully watercooled with EK CSQ blocks. The graphics card is mounted on a PCI-E extender so the underside can be seen through the case window, very cool!
As always, there is a meticulous eye for detail, L3p has taken the heatsinks from the RAM apart, in order to add the aluminium bars onto the RAM waterblock
Not content with just one project, L3p has also been busy updating the Cross by Red Harbinger desk, adding not one, not two, but three ASUS Designo MX239 thin bezel-ed monitors, complete with custom manufactured aluminium mounts. Color us very jealous!
[gallery include="21288,21291,21289" size="medium" link="file" template="file-gallery"]
Did we miss any projects that have got you hooked? Or have you started your own log? Drop us a line in the forums and let us know!]]>Here are the projects from the ROG modding forum in the last month. If any other projects have caught your eye – drop us a line – or if you are planning your own, make sure to put it up in the forums too!
1. Bel Air by alain-s
Bel Air by alain-s is a dual loop CoolerMaster Cosmos II case modded to within an inch of its life. The front and top panels have been replaced with polished aluminium bars, the entire PSU mount removed and redesigned and a complicated internal framework added to support the various watercooling radiators and pumps. As if this wasn't enough, alain-s is using bent copper piping instead of the traditional clear, flexible tubing. This is definitely one worth following for the future.
2. SILVERSTONE TEMJIN TJ11 ENTER_PRISE mod
Casemoder Mviana, from Brasil, is putting his efforts into an expensive TJ11. Buried in the depths is a Rampage IV Extreme, while the main modding materials are adorned in orange. With some great dremel skills, the efforts are definitely worth it given the beautiful construction so far.
3. L3p - Parvum
L3p, the creater of the epic D3sk and L4N projects (check out our interview with him) is back with another build, this time with the brand new, all acrylic m-ATX Parvum case. The system features an ASUS Maximus V Gene and an ASUS GTX 690 graphics card, fully watercooled with EK CSQ blocks. The graphics card is mounted on a PCI-E extender so the underside can be seen through the case window, very cool!
As always, there is a meticulous eye for detail, L3p has taken the heatsinks from the RAM apart, in order to add the aluminium bars onto the RAM waterblock
Not content with just one project, L3p has also been busy updating the Cross by Red Harbinger desk, adding not one, not two, but three ASUS Designo MX239 thin bezel-ed monitors, complete with custom manufactured aluminium mounts. Color us very jealous!
[gallery include="21288,21291,21289" size="medium" link="file" template="file-gallery"]
Did we miss any projects that have got you hooked? Or have you started your own log? Drop us a line in the forums and let us know!]]>