SilverStone Sugo SG09 review

SilverStone Sugo SG09 Review

Manufacturer: SilverStone
UK Price (as reviewed): £87.12 (inc VAT)
US Price (as reviewed): $120.84 (ex Tax)

It's been a long time since we last looked at a micro-ATX chassis, over a year in fact. More recently we've been focussed on mini-ITX cases for our small form factor needs, as it's now possible to build powerful computers in cases as small as the BitFenix Prodigy, or even the Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced. With a bit more room to play with, micro-ATX still has its place, however, and with us today is another SilverStone chassis. At just under £90, the Sugo SG09 is a tad more expensive than our current micro-ATX favourite, SilverStone's own TJ08-E, so will need to work hard to impress us.

 

Part of the Sugo range, in many ways the SG09 is similar to its mini-ITX brother, the SG08. It features a roof mounted 180mm Air Penetrator fan, along with a single slimline optical drive and is designed to house front-mounted PSUs. Though the case claims support for ATX PSUs up to 180mm in length, SilverStone does not guarantee that every one on the market is supported, and recommends its own Strider series of PSUs. As such, we'll be installing both a Strider series PSU along with our regular testing PSU to assess the difference.

The thing that struck us most when we first laid eyes upon the SG09 is just how small it is for a micro-ATX case. It's actually a smaller than the Prodigy (without its top and bottom extended bits), so the fact that it can house a full micro-ATX system with two dual slot graphics cards is impressive. The build quality of the steel is good, although we would have preferred if the SG09 featured real brushed aluminium at the front like the SG08, as opposed to the faux effect.

 

The plastic front fascia features a slimline optical drive bay, a smart design decision that retains support for optical media without wasting space on something that is becoming increasingly irrelevant. Below this is the grill covered PSU intake area, protected by a removable dust filter which is simple to clip in and out. Completing the front are the power and reset buttons, alongside audio and USB 3 ports, a combination which is quickly becoming the standard for front panel connectivity.

The left side panel sports a small meshed section for exhausted PSU air, as well as a massive removable dust filter which covers the three fan slots, the front most one of which is filled with a 120mm intake fan. The dust filter on the roof also clips off in the same way, revealing the 180mm AP181 Air Penetrator that's proved so successful in previous SilverStone cases. Both filters are easy to get off, and secure for the most part when attached.

Some venting on the right side panel gives clearance for another 80mm fan to exhaust air (no dust filter is provided here), but other than that this side is void of any features. Moving down underneath the case, we were initially worried about the lack of any case feet, until we found them in the accessories pack, ready to be stuck on wherever you like. They attach very tightly, and give the case excellent grip and stability.

Despite the front-mounted PSU, the power plug is still on the rear of the case, as expected, and this is wired internally to the PSU. Round the back you'll also find the four expansion slots and the 120mm rear exhaust fan. Finally, there's a dual-speed fan controller switch too, although this is only for the roof intake, and cannot be connected to any additional fans.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 220 x 354 x 295 (W x D x H)
• Material Steel, plastic
• Available colours Black
• Weight 5.3kg
• Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3.0, stereo, microphone
• Drive bays 1 x external slim optical, 2 x internal 3.5in, 4 x internal 2.5in
• Form factor(s) Micro-ATX, DTX, mini-ITX
• Cooling 1 x 120mm/92mm and 2 x 92mm/80mm left side fan mounts (1 x 120mm fan supplied), 1 x 180mm/140mm roof fan mount (1 x 180mm fan supplied), 1 x 120mm rear fan mount (fan supplied), 1 x 80mm right side fan mount (fan not supplied)
• CPU cooler clearance 165mm
• Maximum graphics card length 338mm
• Extras Removable dust filters

Different Types of PC Motherboards

PC Motherboards

The motherboard inside the pc is sometimes called the main board, or the system board. It is made up from several components including the central processing unit (CPU), the memory slots, a video section, and some others but these ones are the main parts to be able to get the pc working. Every component on the motherboard deals with a specific activity. Motherboards are divided into the following two main categories.                                               

Integrated motherboards

Integrated motherboards come with all the essential components built in to them. The major advantage of this type of motherboard is that all major functions This means that all the functions that your pc needs are all ready from the getgo on a single circuit board. As the price of pc technoligy has dropped over the years, there has been a big push towards intergrating allmost every aspect of a pc onto the motherboard. Although the only drawback is that if one of the components breaks you will have to replace the whole motherboard. However, this rarely happens. Another drawback i have found though than can be a challenge is that sometimes the expansion slots for future upgrades of the motherboard or new components can be limited.

Non-integrated motherboards

Non-integrated motherboards don't have most of the main components built into them, but they normally have more expansion slots to allow you to add your own. This can be preferable for high performance PC users. They may want a more advanced soundcard, or a top of the range network card, or video card if you are a serious pc gamer. The downside of this type of motherboard is that you need a larger case, and experiance pluggin components into the mainboard.

Designs of the Motherboard

Form Factors are the design of the motherboard. It is how the components of the mainboard are laid out, and especially what what type of case they fit into, and so what power supply they will be using.

ATX

ATX stands for Advanced Technology Extended. ATX was designed by Intel to allow easier expansion, and a higher degree of compatability amoung component manufacturers, while still allowing the main components of a pc intergrated into the motherboard. Its like the best of both intergrated and non intergrated motherboards. There is specific design changes that have taken place over the yearws in motherboards and since the ATX is one of the most recent, you can see that the journey of motherboards has sometimes been drastic difficulties, including where the expansion slots are in relationship to the processor. It used to be that some motherboards couldn't have new components added to them, as there was no room becuase of other parts of the board. The power supply connector for an ATX board is a 20-pin, and can support soft power off.

Micro ATX

The Micro ATX Form Factor motherboard is much smaller than ATX. The maximum motherboard size is 9.6" × 9.6". Micro ATX uses a compact design, which is favoured by pc manufacturers, who like to focus on space saving pc's and designs for their customers. Typically their custoemrs are not pc enthuasats who prefer to get their hands dirty. This is the reason and shift from a few years ago when a pc was an enourmous tower, to the slimline versions that you see now. Normally the board will have more USB peripherial slots to allow external devices to be connected. There is also an even smaller version of the Micro ATX which is called the flex atx. This is a motherboard at the size of 9.6" × 7.5". Don't expect to be able to add a pumping hot hardcore graphics card to motherboards like this.

BTX

The BTX Form Factor is the smoothest and quietiest of motherboard designs. It was designed to make sure that heat that is generated from the components is not concentrated in one place, and the motherboard can be kept cool by the primary airflow from the pc power supply.

NLX

NLX or New Low Profile Extended Form Factor, was the first effort of motherboard manufacturers at fitting slimline cases. The way they done this was to add riser exapnsion slots, which meant that the components would be parrarell against the motherboard. This style was not popular amoungst consumer of manufacturers, and quickly became replaced. Thats the reason you have probably never heard of it. However the concept may return in the future, once the issues of heat, and expansion are solved. It certainly is a good way to compact components into a small amount of space.

Lian Li PC-A76 review

Lian Li PC-A76 Review

Manufacturer: Lian Li
UK Price (as reviewed): £164.99 (inc VAT)
US Price (as reviewed): $219.99 (ex Tax)


Lian Li's commitment to aluminium for building its cases lends its products an elegance that other cases struggle to match. This comes at a cost however, given the price premium aluminium has over steel, and the PC-A76 is no exception. £165 may seem like a lot to pay for a case, but in actuality it's fairly good value for a full size aluminium Lian Li tower case. It's cheaper than the steel and plastic NZXT Phantom 820 and comes in at way less than the excellent PC-V1020 too. and you do get a lot of case for your money. Put simply, the big black fridge-like PC-A76 is a massive chassis, although it's not quite as big as the super expensive PC-V2120 we looked at last year.



In terms of styling, the monolithic PC-A76 is about as minimalist as you can get, with flat, black aluminium faces on the sides, front and roof of the case. The material used is lovely, and gives the PC-A76 a real touch of class about it, although you'll need to be careful when handling it as it attracts finger marks all too easily. On the front is a lockable door, lined with foam on either side where it meets the case to prevent metal on metal contact. Slits along each side of the door provide breathing room for the three 140mm front intake fans. 
The sleek exterior is maintained thanks to a sliding cover for the top-mounted front panel. The cover itself can be a bit stiff to open and close, but it's firmly in place. As for connectivity, a fairly standard array of connections is provided, although there's no e-Sata port. We did like the inclusion of a downstepping USB cable, which allows you to run the two USB 3 ports as USB 2 ports should your motherboard lack USB 3 headers. Next to the front panel are the power and reset buttons, but annoyingly no fan control is included with the PC-A76.




Along with the three 140mm front fans, a single rear 120mm fan is supplied for exhaust duties. However, Lian Li has also left room for two more 120mm fans on the roof, in which it's possible to house a full height dual water-cooling radiator, but in a case this size we were really hoping to see support for triple rads. External water-cooling loops are also possible thanks to the holes on the rear panel, though the grommets on these were very stiff. Finally, there's space for two more 140mm fans on the left side panel.

In the interest of preserving the smooth finish of the PC-A76, Lian Li have used aluminium blanking plates to cover the empty fan mounts, which have the added advantage of keeping noise in and dust out when they're not in use. Dust filtering mesh is provided for the top 120mm fan mounts, but annoyingly none are provided for the 140mm side mounts. Unless you have your own or buy one of Lian Li's own optional 140mm fan kits (with included dust filter), side fans on the PC-A76 will be left unguarded. This is a big oversight - not only does it look bad, but it's a hazard for stray hands or feet and would promptly result in a layer of dust being sprayed over your components.



The case feet are fully rubber, although the case is still wobblier than we would like. The door too, is quite loosely attached, and consequently rattly and a bit squeaky, which is very disappointing and detracts from the sense of elegance that usually accompanies Lian Li cases. The removable PSU dust filter is handy, but as it cannot be slid out, it must be clipped off by tilting or laying the case on its side, which is not ideal with any chassis, especially not one so large and heavy. The three front fans include their own removable filters, however, which we liked as they can be clipped off for cleaning simply by turning them.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 220 x 615 x 585 (W X D x H)
• Material Aluminium
• Available colours Black
• Weight 9.5kg
• Front panel Power, reset, 2 x USB 3, 2 x USB 2, stereo, microphone
• Drive bays 2 x external 5.25in, 12 x internal 3.5in, 3 x internal 2.5in (using 3.5in bays)
• Form factor(s) E-ATX, ATX, micro-ATX, HPTX
• Cooling 3 x 140mm front fan mounts (fans supplied), 1 x 120mm rear fan mount (fan supplied), 2 x 140mm side fan mounts, 2 x 120mm roof fan mounts (fans not supplied)
• CPU cooler clearance 170mm
• Maximum graphics card length 360mm
• Extras removable PSU dust filter, removable fan dust filters, USB 3 downstepping cable

Epic Gear Meduza HDST Gaming Mouse Review

Manufacturer: Epic Gear
UK price (as reviewed): £39.95 (inc VAT)


Epic Gear is a new startup brand from Taiwanese firm Golden Emperor International Limited, best known for its memory products. With a focus on gaming equipment, it currently offers a couple of mouse pads and a mouse bungee, along with the Meduza mouse. Entering the mouse market is a brave decision, as it's highly competitive and thus hard to stand out in. With sensor technology now at a stage where most mice are very competent trackers, the need for features, comfort and price to be precisely balanced is even more important.

£40 is a reasonable enough price for a mouse, although there are certainly cheaper options. It's a seven button affair, six of which are programmable to functions or macros. Under the hood is an ARM 32-bit Cortex-M3 CPU and 128KB of onboard memory, allowing the mouse to make use of algorithms to reduce jitter, skip and drift. It also houses two sensors on its underside – one 3,200 dpi optical sensor and a 6,000 dpi laser one. These can be used independently or together in HDST (Hybrid Dual Sensor Technology) mode. 




The USB 2.0 connection sits at the end of a two metre braided cable, which despite being a little stiff is not intrusive. The top of the Meduza has a hard matte black surface, whereas the left and right side feature a black rubber coating that provides good grip for both your thumb and little finger (although we did find the tip of our pinkie dragging slightly in use). Overall the mouse feels well made and durable.

The forward and back buttons are right where you'd expect them to be – just above the thumb and easy to reach quickly. Just below the scroll wheel is another button, which by default changes the current dpi level between one of four settings, indicated by four easily visible LEDs just in front of where your thumb rests. Finally, ahead of the forward button is the profile switch button, which is non-programmable. The scroll wheel is a particular highlight, with well defined scroll points that aren't too clicky.

The underside is clad in a bright orange-red, which thanks to the dual sensors makes the Meduza look always happy to see you. The switch is used to flick between the three sensor modes. With the mouse connected, the scroll wheel and the logos are illuminated by red LEDs, which makes for a pretty cool look in our opinion. We only wish that all of the LEDs changed colour along with the scroll wheel to indicate the current profile in use.

The mouse weighs in at 170g, which cannot be adjusted. We would have preferred it slightly heavier, but this is a personal choice, and the weight is generally fine and more importantly is well balanced. The right handed mouse is wonderfully comfortable, especially for gamers employing a palm grip. Small grooves for your two main fingers are complemented by a well-shaped hump, and the groove for your ring finer is especially nice.

Thanks to the two large Teflon feet of the Meduza, it provides a low friction and smooth experience in use. The differences between the three sensor modes aren't hugely pronounced. As such, the dual sensor feature is basically an unnecessary cost increasing feature, as single sensor mice work just as well.

The bundled software is incredibly irritating in many regards. It's full screen only, and very flash-heavy with silly animations and sound effects. As a result, although it is generally well laid out and functional, it's pointlessly over the top and cumbersome for a simple piece of mouse profiling software.



Up to five profiles can be saved at one time, and the ability to switch between them on the fly is always welcome. Within each one you can adjust dpi settings, program buttons, and configure other settings like double click speed, USB polling rate and pointer acceleration. The built in macro editor is simple to use and can store up to fifteen macros. The mouse LEDs can also be turned off if desired.

Conclusion

The Meduza is a very respectable entry into an already crowded market. It looks pretty cool with its red LEDs, and it's a very comfortable mouse to use, especially for right handed palm grippers. With its seven buttons and downloadable software it provides better functionality than the SteelSeries Kana, which also also goes for around £40 now. Serious MMO and RTS gamers who might make need of masses of buttons and macros might be better suited with the Corsair Vengeance M90, for example, but otherwise the Meduza is a fine choice.

Types of slots

PCI-e slot (x16)

AGP slot

PCI slot

How a motherboard works inside your computer

The main circuit board inside your computer is called a motherboard. The motherboard contains the connectors for attaching additional boards, such as theCPU, BIOS, memory, mass storage interfaces, serial and parallel ports, expansion slots and all the controllers that are required to control standard peripheral devicessuch as the display screen, keyboard, and hard drive. Collectively, all these chips that reside on the motherboard are known as the motherboard's chipset.

Example of what a physical motherboard
looks like that is inside your computer..

There are different types of motherboards depending on the type of CPU is was deigned to use. Motherboards are divided into categories based on what type of socket it has. Socket 478, for example, is used for Intel Pentium 4 and the Celeron series CPUs. Socket 939 is used for the AMD64 range of processors. It's important to ensure any motherboard you buy will support the type of CPU you want to use in the system. If you already have a CPU you'll need to purchase a motherboard that will accept that same processor. For those building or upgrading a system, you can also invest in a motherboard & CPU combo, which is often cheaper than buying the two components separately and it also ensures compatibility.

It's important to remember that all of the system components must be supported by the motherboard itself. So, if you were to upgrade your memory you can't just search online for "system memory" and buy whatever falls into your price range. You must make sure the type of memory you buy (SDRAM, DDR-SDRAM, RDRAM) and the size (512-MB, 1-GB) is supported by the motherboard.