Jeremy and Morry
Morry's Picks
Swiftech Apogee SKF Heirloom Series CPU Waterblock: $94.95 @ PerformancePCs.com
Courtesy of Swiftech
Courtesy of Swiftech
The foundation of any good DIY water cooling system is the CPU water block. With their latest block, Swiftech has introduced a stunningly customizable unit in the Apogee AKF Heirloom edition. Constructed of nickel-plate copper with an integrated acrylic window on top, the block is built to perform well and look good doing it. It that's not enough, the block offers five different top plate colors with six insert colors and eight logo colors, offering enough customization for anyone. The block is fully compatible with all current CPUs and motherboards as well. It's price may seem a bit daunting, but is equal to many of the other high end all metal water blocks on the market. Keep posted to PC Perspective for our review on this block in the near future. Detailed specs on the block can be found at Swiftech's product site.
XSPC Razor Neo GTX 1080 / 1080 Ti GPU Waterblock: $129.99 @ FrozenCPU.com
Courtesy of XSPC
The next step in building a DIY loop is getting that perfect block for your prized video card. Look no further than XSPC if you happen to have a reference-compatible GTX 1080 or GTX 1080 Ti video card. Their Razor Neo GPU water block features an all metal construction (nickel-plated copper) with a tempered glass window to show of the block's innards. Further, XSPC bundles it with RGB LEDs and a controller to match your case aesthetics perfectly. The micro-finned section sitting over the GPU promises unparalleled performance, while its full cover-nature gives active cooling to all the hot spots on the card (read memory and VRMs). For detailed specs on the Razor Neo, please visit XSPC's product page.
PrimoChill Vue Coolant: $24.95 @ PrimoChill.com
Courtesy of PrimoChill
Courtesy of PrimoChill
The pièce de résistance for your DIY loop is in your choice of coolant. Do you want to go clear to show of the sparkling interiors of your blocks, or do you have something flashier in mind with some colored coolant variant? If you in the mind of colored coolant, look no further than PrimoChill and their newest entry – Vue. PrimoChill Vue coolant looks like a solid color at rest, but contains non-clogging particulates that create fractal patterns when in motion. According the PrimoChill, the particulates used will not settle out of solution nor clog your you pump or the microfins in your blocks over time. Further, Primochill offers 19 different colored variants of Vue at present (with more colors being added regularly). I'm thinking of trying out the Steel Blue color in my next build. While it is a new product and does not have much longevity studies/reviews out on it, the Vue coolant does look very neat when in motion and will make for an eye-catching delight in any DIY loop.
Jeremy's Picks (Canadian Pricing)
Roku Premiere 4K Streaming Media Player: $69.55 @ Amazon
The Roku is a great device to pick up for yourself or anyone who has become hooked on YouTube, Netflix or other streaming services. It is inexpensive and requires almost no configuration whatsoever, which is good when you are buying a gift for a less technically inclined relation. The new models feature upgraded hardware with full support for 4K resolutions.
Logitech Webcam HD Pro C920: $69.31 @ Amazon
This camera, and the previous C910 model, are the reason you have to look at us on the podcast. They have been going strong for years and offer great video, decent controls and a distinct lack of silly add-ons to make our faces look any odder than they already are. The microphones on the C920 are decent enough for casual usage in gaming and chatting, which can be quite convenient.
Parrot Mambo FPV: $149.99 @ Parrot
You can't spend your entire life sitting inside staring at a screen, but that doesn't mean you can't bring a screen with you outside. Parrot's Mambo FPV kit contains the drone, controller and a VR headset so you can head outside to have some fun flying your drone in first person. The 720p video camera will give you some very interesting views as you fly, or you can control it via your smartphone if you so prefer.
I really like the streaming
I really like the streaming devices like the roku that Jeremy listed. HOWEVER, ATT blatantly throttles video streams and I have to use vpn.
Any recommendations for a
Any recommendations for a wireless headset? Wired ones haven’t been surviving my kids lately.
I use these wire pair and
I use these wire pair and they are built like a tank. (metal construction) and if they do break out side of the warranty, they will give you %50 of the value of the headphone as a discount if you buy another.
V-Moda Lp Crossfade with boom mic add on.
I am pleased with the JBL
I am pleased with the JBL E-Series. Not too expensive, quality sound, easy setup.
On the other hand, I’m on the fence to jump on to the AirPods bandwagon.
I wish that CyberPower
I wish that CyberPower Sinewave UPS 1500VA/900W UPS was 119 and not actually 214 🙁
No love for the low end
No love for the low end gamers?
I think it is strange for
I think it is strange for anyone to recommend the ROG Zenith Extreme. Other options may not be as flashy, but greatly better value.
It’s probably the best board
It’s probably the best board available for X399, with a lot of value add. It was available for $379 on Black Friday. Too bad that price wasn’t extended through the end of November.
have u guys tried idrive?
have u guys tried idrive?
I’ve used them before, it’s
I've used them before, it's pretty good.
Hmm I was just looking at
Hmm I was just looking at iDrive's pricing and it seems they don't offer a 10TB tier anymore? Maybe that was a special thing for Crashplan converters, not sure but it is what i had for a year. I did see that they have a 50% off discount for students though and if you need less than 5TB of data it actually comes out cheaper than Backblaze, if you need more than 5TB of data Backblaze would be cheaper. One neat thing about IDrive is that it is almost one click easy to backup your social media stuff like Facebook.
Are they having production
Are they having production issues with the 8700k, or did they just rush it out without stockpiling enough before release. It was a relatively quick response to Ryzen. I would be curious as to whether it is a separate die or a repurposed Xeon of some kind. Are the six core Xeons a separate die or salvaged from production of an 8 or more core die?
i think it was a rush to
i think it was a rush to compete. AMD has outsold them since the release of the ryzen.
I use the MS ergonomic
I use the MS ergonomic keyboard at work and it’s hysterical when someone asks if they can drive at my desk. The look on their faces when they see the keyboard!
I had a secretary who has been typing for more years than I’ve been alive look lost as she tried typing on the keyboard. She reverted to hunting & pecking.
Couple that with an ergonomic mouse and co-workers think I’m from the future. Yeah, like 2005!
I had the predecessor at home and used it until I started gaming more. There were just a few too many keys on the right side of the keyboard for me to make the reach.