$600 Kaveri Build

Here's another build guide, using one of the new AMD Kaveri APUs.

CPU: AMD A10-7850K
Cooler: Noctua NH-L9a
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H
RAM: 8GB Kingston Beast DDR3-2400
HDD: Seagate 1TB 3.5" Hybrid Drive
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0
PSU: Corsair Builder Series 430W
ODD: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD-RW

Total cost: $580.92 (as of 4/3/2014 via PCPartpicker.com)

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Metman2PSU/saved/4fZY

$1500 Build

This is a build using mainly Cooler Master and MSi parts, but you could easily build a similar system using ASUS, Gigabyte, Corsair, Fractal Design, etc.

The intent behind this would be for a very nice gaming system with a light overclock capability.

Here is a link showing the parts: http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Metman2PSU/saved/4am9

CPU: Intel 4770K
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming
Memory: Kingston Beast DDR3-2400 8GB
SSD: Corsair Neutron GTX 120GB
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 770 2GB
Case: Cooler Master HAF XB EVO
PSU: Cooler Master 650W
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

Feel free to comment on what you would use from these or other vendors or Tweet me suggestions @Metman2Tech

Cooler Master CM Storm Sentinel Advance II High Performance Gaming Mouse

I recently recieved a Cooler Master Sentinel Advance II gaming mouse and while the mouse is marketed as a gaming mouse, I took it into work to begin using it in an everyday manner, just as I had with the Razer Naga Hex that I reviewed previously.

Image Courtesy of CMStorm.com

Sentinel Advance II specifications:

Model Number                SGM-6010-KLLW1

Available Color               Grey

Form Factor                    Right Hand Ergonomic

Sensor                            Avago ADNS-9800 Laser Sensor

Programmable Button     8

Onboard Memory            128 KB

Polling Rate                    1000 Hz /1 ms

Velocity                          Up to 150 ips

Acceleration                    30 g

Dimensions                     83.6(L)x135(W)x40(H) mm

3.3(L)x5.3(W)x1.6(H) inch

Weight                           139 g / 0.31 lbs

I think initially the things that the Sentinel has over the Naga for everyday use would be a more conventional button layout, with the typical two buttons on the side and the fact that the DPI is adjustable on the fly.  The Sentinel is also easier to switch between profiles, each with it's own DPI, button layout, color scheme, and even logo on the LED.

The software is fairly intuitive to use to set the preferences for each of the profiles and the Sentinel does not require you to download software and log into an account to access your profiles, as they are all saved locally on the the devices 128KB of memory.

The profile that I am currently using has the DPI settings of 1600, 3200, 5400, and 6600, which can be scrolled through using buttons on the mouse.

While I have not had a chance to use the Sentinel with any games yet, I have no doubt that it will be similar to my experience with the Razer Naga Hex, minus having the six side buttons to switch my weapons on Fallout New Vegas.  I will be sure to experiment with the adjustable DPI levels during game play, which I think will be nice going from areas (or games) that have more fast paced action that require quicker movements to some that need more precision and speed is not as much of a factor.

That is all the thoughts I have for now, I am hoping to make a video soon comparing the Sentinel Advance II with my Razer Naga Hex and their software more in depth.

Until the next time...

Razer Naga Hex

Razer Naga Hex Green Review

I just received a Razer Naga Hex Green laser gaming mouse as part of a sweepstakes promotion from the NewEggFlash store.

The packaging presented the device nicely and included the standard quick start and user's manual, some product information and information on the RazerZone site, as well as a couple stickers with the Razer logo.

The mouse offers 11 programmable buttons that can be mapped to keyboard functions, mouse functions, Windows shortcuts, macros, and can be used to switch the mouse profile, control multimedia, launch programs, and sensitivity.  It connects via a gold-plate USB connection with a 7-foot braided cable.

When I first saw it, I was worried that is was going to feel too small for me to comfortably use, as it was much smaller than the Microsoft optical mouse I was used to using.  To my surprise, it is so far quite comfortable and definitely is more responsive than the older most.

While the mouse is optimize for MOBA/RPG games, I am currently using it work and have mapped some of the buttons to simple Windows functions, such as forward and back buttons, cut, copy, paste, and Switch Apps.

To get to this functionality, I did have to go to http://www.razerzone.com and sign-up and download the Razer Synapse 2.0 software.  Which allows you to make the Keymapping changes, alter sensitivity and acceleration, record and assign macros, and control the lighting effects on the mouse.

All in all, it did not take long to set up to mouse for my work environment and I will continue using it to see how having the shortcuts that use often on the mouse will make any difference to me.

Image from RazerZone.com

Image from PCCaseGear.com