Today many of us are faced with an ever escalating amount of personal data that can at times seem like a major hassle to manage and maintain. Sure, the cloud is becoming an increasingly convenient way to store messages, emails, photos and even your lowly mp3 collection, but when it comes to the larger file sizes involved with maintaining your HD media collection, the emergence of the Home Cloud and Network Attached Storage takes on much more significance.

Storage device manufacturers are wise to the dilemmas that consumers face, and the fact is that not all of us are geeks that are willing to build our own storage device from the ground up using old PC parts as we perhaps were in the past. And why would you when there are some many great options out there from a wide variety of vendors?

Today we have a chance to hone in on a Home Cloud solution from renowned storage device vendor Thecus with a review of the company’s N2560 NAS (Network Attached Storage).

The Thecus N2560 Network Attached Storage

In the broader NAS world of 2015 you can identify two distinct categories of NAS; those based on the proprietary Windows Home Server OS and those based on a Linux (usually Debian) derived OS. The Thecus N2560 belongs in the latter category and is positioned as a the ideal solution for Small or Home Office environments. It features two SATA 3.5 inch hard drive bays, an Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, lots of connectivity options, all housed in a compact sleek design that is optimized to look the part in your living room as well as your home office.

The Thecus N2560 can be found for retail at a price point of around $230-$240 USD which means that it is by no means the cheapest two-bay NAS option out there. Thecus are not aiming for the entry-level however, bringing together a storm of advanced features that includes low power and low noise operation, a HDMI output so it can be used as a straight up media streaming device, plus a plethora of apps and utilities designed to help you get the most out of your NAS.

Thecus N2560 NAS: Full Specifications

• Intel Atom CE5335 processor (1.6GHz Dual-core)
• 2GB DDR3
• 2 x SATA 3.0
• Supports RAID 0,1 and JBOD
• Hot-swappable HDD support
• Gigabit LAN 10/100/1000 Base-TX
• Wake-on-LAN Support
• 2 x USB 2.0 host port (rear)
• 1 x USB 3.0 host port (front)
• HDMI Port (rear)
• SPDIF (rear)
• Power, USB Copy and Reset Buttons
• 166mm x 114mm x 210mm

The retail package contains an Ethernet cable, power adapter plus power cord, quick installation guide, warranty card and the ubiquitous All in One Driver DVD. There are also four white plastic strips which you use to mount the hard drives.

If we consider the basic specification list of the N2560 we can immediately see that the device actually has a reasonable amount of performance packed into a small form factor device. Intel Atom processors used to be regarded as offering the bare minimum when it came raw horsepower, but the newer CE5335 is a low power multi-media processor that packs a PowerVR Graphics Processor from Imagination Technologies. The platform delivers solid playback of Full HD video streaming content and enough grunt to keep things snappy. The Dual-core Intel Atom chip is backed by a reasonably solid 2GB of DDR3 and manages to offer read and write speeds that are well within our expectations. In terms of pure hardware components, it’s difficult to find fault.

The post Thecus Can Do Better: N2560 NAS Review appeared first on VR World.

The Define Mini from Fractal Design is in some ways a fairly rare beast, bringing high-end styling, materials and design ethos to the often under-served micro ATX segment. The Define Mini puts the emphasis on offering simple but attractive styling in-line with other cases in the Define series including the Define Xl and R4 which basically bring an identical looking design serving three form factors; mATX, ATX and E-ATX. The end result is a stunning chassis that we would heartily recommend to anyone looking for a minimalistic, classy looking and silent mATX build.

Fractal Design- Define Mini: In focus

Before we go ahead and assess the Define Mini in detail lets define (excuse the pun) exactly what you are getting for your money. The Define Mini retails for something in the region of $120 which means that it sits at the upper branch of an mATX chassis scale where the lower reaches see plenty of options for around the 50 buck mark. The Define Mini sits above cheaper options to bring you a case that screams quality.

The first time you pick it up you will notice its more substantial weight of almost 10kg, a clue as to the quality of the steel used in its construction. Thicker steel is used in an effort to make your system as quiet as possible, a feature that is enhanced with plenty of insulation on the sides panels with a dense noise absorbing material used throughout.

The front panel has been designed with a modern system builder in mind with a clean front face that is actually a door behind which you can access two 5.25 disk drive bays. I haven’t installed a DVD ROM of any kind of system for some time now, so I really like the idea that these (empty) bays can be hidden from view. The door also has a very pro design with magnets that hold it in place and the totally clean front face is finished with brushed aluminum that reeks of class. No gaudy teenage transformer-inspired aesthetics… this is a case for the mature and discerning PC builder.

If silent operation is not your thing and your system is going to need optimal cooling, have no fear. The Define Mini uses Fractal’s ModuVent technology, a fairly fancy way to say that you can modify the case to make it optimized for cooling rather than silence. The insulation panels that cover the side and top cooling fan positions can be removed and replaced by your own choice of 120mm or 140mm cooling fans. This is nice touch from Fractal Design as most chassis that specialize in silent operation usually lack any recourse for enthusiast builds that need the additional air flow.

There is also a custom fan controller included in the package that is designed to be fitted on the rear at a perpendicular angle to the PCIe slots. It is easy to install and gives you more hands on control over your system fan speeds, allowing you to control up to three fans with a single dial. This is a handy way of adjusting fan speeds for sure, and I like that it is on the rear. On-the-fly fan speed adjustment is a great feature, but I don’t want to get involved with the look of the front face of the rig. Also interesting to note that the slot used for the fan controller can also be handy for installing non-input expansion cards.

In terms of USB connectivity however, the front panel is now showing the Define Mini’s age just a bit. The chassis has been on the market for a year or two and it would be great to have the full complement of USB 3.0 ports on the front. Instead you get two USB 2.0 ports and just a single USB 3.0 port. This is a tad disappointing as the connector provided is the standard external USB 3.0 connector supporting two USB 3.0 ports by default. If you can only find room for three slots (a bizarre outcome as there is ample space on the panel for four) let’s have dual USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0. A small gripe, but a gripe nonetheless.

The post Define Mini mATX Case From Fractal Design: The Review appeared first on VR World.

Designed with pride in Sweden, Fractal-Design are all about producing good looking, well designed DIY PC components that are also quite competitively priced. They sell a range of PC cases, power supplies and cooling accessories and recently sent us an interesting new addition to their PC power supply product offerings with a 650 watt Tesla R2 White. The Tesla series is the company’s mid-range PSU range, sitting neatly between top-end Newton and Edison series products and the more affordable Integra series. Let’s take a look at what the Tesla R2 White is all about.

The Tesla R2 can be found retailing for around $125 USD. This is a fair chunk of change for a 650 Watt PSU, but upon consideration we find the Tesla R2 actually stands out from the multitude of cheaper options with Scandinavian inspired good looks, solid performance and impressively silent operation.

With an emphasis on slick design you might expect a decent retail package. The Tesla R2 doesn’t disappoint and arrives in a box that contains the PSU itself bundled away in a protective static proof bag. This is joined by an AC power cord, a small bag of ATX mounting screws and a user manual with easy to understand instructions on how to replace your PSU and advice for trouble-shooting problems etc.

Fractal also include a small plastic bag which contains cable ties, zip ties and a larger Velcro cable. Note: the PSU also arrives with the cables secured by a Velcro cable, so in fact you get two of those – all handy when attempting to tidy the cables within a busy chassis.

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