ASUS Prime X299-Deluxe Motherboard Review

Motherboard reviews

<![CDATA[This review will be about the ASUS X299-Deluxe motherboard. This motherboard is a great high-end motherboard option. On Newegg, you can purchase this gaming option for $479.99. The motherboard is designed for 7th generation LGA2066 socket Intel Core X-Series processors to maximize connectivity and speed (ASUS). The ASUS Prime X299- Deluxe has an ATX form factor.
The ASUS Prime X299-Deluxe motherboard is made by the number one motherboard brand in the world. ASUS was founded in 1989 and has since has made over 500 million motherboards, and been named the best motherboard brand for 6 consecutive years (Wikipedia). Because the motherboard is coming from a high-end company, you can assure that it is reliable and working to the best of your needs.

Specifications:

  • Native motherboard speed of 2666 MHz
  • Video (Supported only by CPU with integrated graphic)
  • Integrated Audio (Realtek ALC S1220A, 8 channels)
  • Integrated LAN (Intel I219-V)/ Second LAN (Intel I211-AT)
  • 3 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16, x16/x16, x16/x16/x8)
  • 2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (max at x4 mode) *1
  • 3 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 ( x16, x16/x8, x16/x8/x4)
  • 2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (max at x4 mode) *1
  • 3 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16, x8/x8, x8/x8/x1)
  • 2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (max at x4 mode) *1
  • DDR4 memory that supports up to 128GB

The ASUS Prime X299-deluxe motherboard is not only a great option for a high-end gaming system, but it could also work as a business motherboard if you needed it to. I recommend this option not because of the price but because of all of the high-end components this motherboard has to offer. The ASUS Prime X299-Deluxe has metal framing for a stronger and more reliable structure. It also has the industry leading audio and video (Newegg). ASUS has led me to believe that this motherboard has no cons. Although the price of this motherboard is pretty steep, it is hard to find one that does and has as much as the ASUS Prime X299-Deluxe for cheaper. If you want a high-end gaming motherboard, then the ASUS Prime X299-Deluxe is the motherboard for you!
Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.
Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asus                                                                                 ASUS <https://www.asus.com/About_ASUS/Company-Introduction                                  Newegg <https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=n82e16813132990&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleKWLess&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleKWLess-_-DSAFeed-All-Products-_-motherboards-intel-_-NA&ignorebbr&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI09ydkrCr1wIVXLjACh0XDgDXEAAYASAAEgLYNvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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Gigabyte Motherboard Review

Motherboard reviews

<![CDATA[

Gigabyte is an international manufacturer and distributed of computer hardware parts.  What Gigabyte is most famous for is their wide varieties of motherboards. This manufacture is one of the largest motherboard manufacturers in the world producing about 400,000 motherboards per month. If I had to choose, the type of motherboard that I would choose is a Gigabyte motherboard.

I would not choose any ordinary motherboard though. The gigabyte motherboard that I would choose is the Gigabyte Aorus GA-Z270X-Gaming K7 motherboard.

  • ATX Form Factor
  • Highest speed O.C: 4133(O.C.)
  • Highest Speed: 2400 MHz
  • Onboard Audio: Channels: 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel
  • Onboard Video: Integrated Graphics Processor-Intel HD Graphics support
  •  Onboard LAN: Max LAN Speed is Dual 10/100/1000Mbps
  • 3 x PCI Express x16 slot
  • 3 x PCI Express x1 slots
  • 6 x SATA 6Gb/s
  • 3 x SATA Express connectors

I would choose this motherboard because it is a good high end gaming motherboard and it is also a decently cheap one as well. This motherboard speed ranges from 2666 O.C to 4133 O.C which is a very good range of speeds for a gaming PC.
Another reason why I would choose this motherboard is because of all of the expansion slots. There are a total of six different PCIe expansion slots. These slots will allow the user to add additional hardware parts to make your PC run even faster or other things.
The Gigabyte Aorus GA-Z270X-Gaming K7 motherboard is the one motherboard that I would choose for my PC if I was building my own PC. All because of how well it will perform with such a low price.

Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.
http://www.gigabyte.us/?utm_expid=.r8QB2tk4Re-xLtA1CApXdQ.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128964
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MSI X399 SLI PLUS Review: Gaming Motherboard

Motherboard reviews

<![CDATA[MSI is a world leading gaming brand, MSI is the most trusted name in gaming and eSports. They’ve dedicated countless hours and committed numerous resources to the eSports community to support the world’s most aspiring and best gamers and use their knowledge and expertise in our products in return. Dedicated to gamer-driven innovation, MSI leverages its remarkable R&D strengths to craft top-notch, well-acclaimed notebook PCs, graphics cards, motherboards, and desktop PCs
(Micro-Star International) is a Taiwanese multinational information technology corporation headquartered in New Taipei City, Taiwan. It designs, develops and provides computer hardware, related products and services, including laptops, desktops, motherboards, graphics cards, All-in-One PCs, servers, industrial computers, PC peripherals, car infotainment products, etc. (MSI Wikipedia)
 
Specifications

  • ATX Form Factor
  • Supports Ryzen ThreadRipper (TR4) Series Processors
  • 8 DDR4 slots that support up to 128GB in quad channel
  • 4 PCI-Ex16 slots
  • 2 PCI-Ex1
  • 8 SATAIII Ports
  • 3 M.2 Slots
  •  Supports SLI & Crossfire
  • Integrated Realtek ALC122 Codec Audio

In testing the motherboard I found that it is extremely fast, and better than most motherboards at this price range ($349). It supports a beastly cpu, large amount of ram, lots of storage options, and even a few M.2 slots. This motherboard is a great option if you are looking to get into the Ryzen Threadripper scene for a lower price. As this is an expensive motherboard, higher-end Threadripper boards can cost you anywhere from $500-$600. In conclusion, the X399 SLI PLUS motherboard is a great, well rounded, motherboard that gives you a lot more, for the little price that you are paying to get into the Threadripper scene.

  • NOT THIS IS PART OF A CLASSROOM PROJECT

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813144118&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleKWLess&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleKWLess-_-IM-PC-_-MB%20%3E%20Motherboards%20-%20AMD-_-N82E16813144118&gclid=Cj0KCQjwm9vPBRCQARIsABAIQYdfFBnkzj_7MFRCeEyjfP2dx2ftvowisQ0ugHrtE-fR4bIkzu6LwqsaAq_1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-Star_International
https://us.msi.com/]]>

ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming Motherboard Review

Motherboard reviews, NT IT Reviews

<![CDATA[ASUS offers a very large variety of motherboards, from efficient but basic home PCs to high-end but costly gaming PCs. In this review, I will be talking about the ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming motherboard. This motherboard costs $209.99 (£206.99).

Click photo to enlarge

AsusTek Computer Inc. is a Taiwanese multinational computer and phone hardware and electronics company headquartered in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. Its products include desktops, laptops, netbooks, mobile phones, networking equipment, monitors, WIFI routers, projectors, motherboards, graphics cards, optical storage, multimedia products, peripherals, wearables, servers, workstations, and tablet PCs (Asus Wikipedia).
There are many aspects to consider when reviewing a motherboard that has been made for gaming. Especially one that will cost you almost $210. The  ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming motherboard in question today has a very mixed blend of pros and cons to it, according to many reviews from sites including PC TeK Reviews, KitGuru, and Bit-Tech.
Click photo to enlarge

The Z370-E motherboard is the newest product from Intel‘s “Coffee Lake” family of CPUs. With RGB LED lighting complimenting silver heatsinks, the style and aesthetics of this motherboard are definitely there. According to Bit-Tech, this style is much different from the dark grey/black colors we have been seeing in boards.
However, the most important part is the performance. A review by PC TeK Reviews led me to believe that this motherboard had no cons. It is a very well performing board for gamers and mainstream users. It has good overclocking performance and is perfect for user- customization. Although, another review by Bit-Tech disagreed. They argued that the main issue for this motherboard was that it didn’t offer much for its price. There are much cheaper options by ASUS, but at the same time there’s very little for this price option that offer more (Bit-Tech).
Specifications:
Chipset Intel Z370
Form factor ATX
CPU support Intel Socket LGA 1151-V2
Memory support Dual-channel, four slots, max 64GB
Sound Eight-channel SupremeFX S1120A
Networking 1 x Intel Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2
Ports 2 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 32Gbps (1 x PCIe/SATA 6Gbps up to 2280, 1 x PCIe/SATA 6Gbps up to 22110) , 6 x SATA 6Gbps, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.1 header, 4 x USB 3.0 (2 via headers), 6 x USB 2.0 (4 via headers), 1 x LAN, audio out, line in, mic, Optical S/PDIF out
Dimensions (mm) 305 x 244
Extras Wi-Fi aerials, RGB LED extension cable, 40/60mm fan mount (Bit-Tech).
Overall, the ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming Motherboard is a solid contender when looking at high-performance motherboards with solid gaming compatibility. Although the price may seem pretty steep for what you’re getting, there’s really not much more you can get for the same price. All in all I would recommend this motherboard for anyone looking for a high-end gaming experience.
Note: This review is part of a classroom project.
References:
bit-tech.net.   https://www.bit-tech.net/reviews/tech/motherboards/asus-rog-strix-z370-e-gaming/8/
pctekreviews.com. http://www.pctekreviews.com/Reviews/STRIX_Z370E.aspx
kitguru.net. https://www.kitguru.net/components/motherboard/ryan-martin/asus-rog-strix-z370-e-gaming-motherboard-review/
wikipedia.org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
asus.com. https://www.asus.com/sg/
Newegg.com. https://www.newegg.com
 
 
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MSI Z370 SLI PLUS Review: High-End Gaming Use

Motherboard reviews, NT IT Reviews

<![CDATA[

This is a review of the MSI Z370 SLI PLUS motherboard for high-end gaming use. A review by AnAndTech is what spurred my interest in the MSI Z370 SLI Plus. On Newegg, you can find this motherboard for $149.99. The  motherboard’s purpose is to fully utilize the Intel® Coffee Lake 6 core processors, ready to deliver world class performance when gaming (MSI). The MSI Z370 SLI PLUS is 12.0″ by 9.6″ with a form factor of ATX.
The MSI Z370 SLI PLUS motherboard is made by Micro-Star International, a Taiwanese multinational information technology corporation. MSI’s current global success can be credited to their computer motherboards, which made their company popular when it was established in the late 1980s (Wikipedia).
    Specifications:
  • Supports 8th Generation Intel Core Processors, and Intel Pentium and Celeron Processors for Socket LGA1151, *Not backward compatible with older generation of LGA 1151 CPUs
  • Four DDR4 slots that can support a maximum of 64GB
  • Native motherboard speed of 2667 MHz
  • Video (supported by CPU with graphics)
  • Supports NVIDIA 2-Way SLI & AMD 3-Way Crossfire
  • Integrated Audio (Realtek ALC1220, 7.1 channels)
  • Integrated LAN (Intel l219-V)
  • 3 x PCI Express 3.0 x16
  • 3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slots
  • 6 x SATA III ports (6Gb/s)
  • 2 x M.2 slots, can reach speeds up to 32GB/s
  • 8 USB Ports

The MSI Z370 SLI PLUS is a great motherboard for gaming; in the game Fire Strike, overclocked, the MSI motherboard hit a high score of 23902, winning first place. The two Steel Armor PCle 3.0 x16 slots ensure that the motherboard will be able to physically support the high-end graphics cards needed for a gaming PC. Not only can you use this MSI Z370 for gaming, but you can also personalize it. With the click of a mouse, you can change the variety of color schemes to one of your liking adding a flare of colors to your gaming rig. Overall, the MSI Z370 SLI Plus is an excellent choice for a quality gaming motherboard at a price that will not empty your savings.
Note:  This review is part of a classroom project.

AnAndTech <https://www.anandtech.com/show/11860/z370-motherboards-asus-asrock-    ecs-evga-biostar-msi-gigabyte/28>.                                                                                                     eTeknix <https://www.eteknix.com/msi-z370-sli-plus-motherboard-review/>.                       MSI <https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/Z370-SLI-PLUS.html>.                                             Newegg <https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813144111>.    Steel Armor <https://www.eteknix.com/msi-z370-sli-plus-motherboard-review/2/>.                Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-Star_International>.
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Can you remove the swap file?

NT IT Reviews, Tech Administration

<![CDATA[As we migrated to a 1:1 environment at our school I knew from experience that the only way to do it well was with all SSDs in our laptops.  My experiences have told me that users rarely put away laptops  correctly.  This leads to many problems with windows loads, ruined drives, and a lot of headache.  SSDs are a great way to save yourself a lot of headaches, as well as making your users very happy.    We had an one issue, the original laptops only had 2Gb of RAM and we were seeing SSDs last only 3 years as the use of the swap files overused the SSDs with countless writes.
This year we decided to upgrade the RAM to 4Gb and take away the swap file.  The increased RAM would theoretically reduce the need for the swap file while also eliminating thousands of possible swap file writes.  The idea could possible increase SSD lifetime many fold.

Our research on the subject always warned against removing the swap file.  But all the warnings (on a myriad of websites) seemed to be repeating the same concerns, with no actual testing.  So we decided to take the leap.
Tested systems.

  1. Dell E6500 Latitude laptops with 4Gb of RAM, 64Gb SSDs, Windows 10 LTSB (32 bit,) Office 2016, and a variety of other programs .
  2. Dell E6520  Latitude laptops with 8Gb of RAM, 128Gb SSDs, Windows 10 LTSB (64 bit,) Office 2016, and a variety of other programs .

We started with a couple dozen systems and asked students to complete a google form and let us know How things were going.  2 months in and we are up to 100+ laptops with the swap file removed.
So far our students have reported 0 system hangups and 0 blue screens.  These were the two common reasons most people said it was a bad idea.  Only time will tell if this actually extends the life of our SSDs, but to those out there saying it doesn’t work, I think your should try it before you actually advise against it.]]>

Google Chromebook Enrollment

Ed Tech Teach, Tech Administration

<![CDATA[Enrolling a chromebook into your Google for Education management console is a fairly easy undertaking. 
Step 1:  Have “Place device in user organization during auto enrollment” enabled in your domain’s device management prior to enrolling the Chromebook.  The Chromebook will automatically be placed in the organizational unit that the account you use to enroll with is in.  
Step 2:  Connect the Chromebook to the proper wireless network.
Step 3:  At the login screen you will press CTRL+ALT+E to enroll the device.  
Note:  If the Chromebook is signed into before enrollment, you will need to wipe the device and restart the setup process.  To wipe the device, simply hold down the ESC, Refresh, and Power buttons down as the Chromebook is starting up.
Step 4: Sign in with your Google Apps domain and click the “Sign in” button.  Use a generic account  that is in the OU for the appropriate student group.  We made an account for each grade level and used it so all the devices would propagate to the correct OU.
Thank you to Brian Dittfeld (Technology Director, Indian Valley Local Schools).  All this in formation originally came from his presentation at OETC.
 
 
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Ubuntu 16.04 Server Setup

Tech Administration

<![CDATA[Okay, I am am a rogue.  My instructions are for those admins that want to use Ubuntu 16.04 as a server, but want to be able to use root when I want and the GUI when I want.  Both of these are not recommended, but in the first sentence I did say I was a rogue.  For the following, italics items are command line commands that can be copied directly into the terminal.

  1.  Install Ubuntu 16.04 desktop.
  2. Logon as your admin user.
  3. Open a Terminal.
  4. Enable root access.
    • sudo -i passwd root
    • sudo passwd -u root
  5. Enable command line login.
    • gpedit /etc/default/grub
    • Change appropriate lines to
      • GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=”text”
      • GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=”text”
      • GRUB_TERMINAL=console
    • sudo update-grub
    • sudo systemctl set-default multi-user.target
    • shutdown -r now
  6. You will now be starting into command line like a normal server.  This minimizes background processes and maximizes server utilizaiton.  But you might want to use the GUI.  So logon and…
    • startx
    • You will need a new terminal window to start unity by right clicking and starting a terminal, then.
    • setsid unity
    • To log out you can use the collowing command.
    • gnome-session-quit

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Reliable Graphics card for 659.99

Video Card Reviews

<![CDATA[With the market of graphics cards growing immensely and can be a hard choice on that perfect graphics card for the best quality. with a budget of $659.99 for a quality graphics card that can provide the gaming you need for your PC.
The MSI GeForce GTX 970 GAMING  graphics card is a excellent place to start with the budget chosen. The GTX 970 porvides more than what is paid for. With the programs that comes with the graphics card, and the extrodinary specifications that gives clear and smooth gaming frames, Guaranteed.

To eliminate some confusion for the specs, the GTX 970 is provided a Easy setup program to adjust settings of the graphics with ease. With a button push away to overclock or change gamma and saturation setting with more setting to customize your visual experience. The GTX 970 comes in three graphics processsing setting which changes the GPU speeds. It comes in: Silent mode, Gaming Mode, and Overclocked mode.
Interface -PCI Express 3.0 x16
Core Clock
1140 MHz (OC Mode)
1114 MHz (Gaming Mode)
1051 MHz (Silent Mode)
Boost Clock
1279 MHz (OC Mode)
1253 MHz (Gaming Mode)
1178 MHz (Silent Mode)
CUDA Cores – 1664
Effective Memory Clock – 7010 MHz
Memory Size – 4GB
Memory Interface – 256-Bit
Memory Type – GDDR5
The 970 GTX runs on Quad SLI Capabilities,  and has two cooling fans installed into the graphics card, the program with the purchase of the graphics card which can change the speed of the coiling dependent of the output of the graphics card.
 
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The Best Graphics Card For You!!

Video Card Reviews

<![CDATA[If you're looking for a great video card, while trying to save money, then this card is the one for you! The MSI GeForce GT 730 is the best graphics card for your games, while also keeping the price low!

SPECS!
This video card has a GeForce GT 730 GPU and has a core clock speed of 700MHz. The memory clock speed of 1000MHz with a memory size of 4GB and will work with DDR3 memory. The card will also consume 49 watts of power. The Interface is a PCI Express 2.0 x 16. The card supports DirectX 12 and OpenGL v4.4 . It has 1 x HDMI, 1 x D-SUB, and 1 x DL-DVI-I ports on the back. The maximum resolution is 2560 x 1600 and it also comes with a fan as a cooling system.
The price of the card is only $79.99, and for the price, this video card would be a great choice for gamer’s who want to start out, but not spend a fortune on a high end video card.
Works Cited:
“DisplayPort to D-Sub: The Full Range of LCD Monitor Video Input Interfaces | EIZO.” DisplayPort to D-Sub: The Full Range of LCD Monitor Video Input Interfaces | EIZO. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.
Klein, Matt. “What Is Direct X 12 and Why Is It Important?” How-To Geek. How-To Geek, 30 June 2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.
“MSI GeForce GT 730 DirectX 12 N730-4GD3V2 4GB 128-Bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 X16 HDCP Ready ATX Video Card.” Newegg.com- Computer Parts, Laptops, Electronics, HDTVs, Digital Cameras and More! N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.
“OpenGL.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Mar. 2017. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.
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