We’ve only got a couple of items for this week’s release roundup. Computex is drawing nigh, and most hardware makers seem to be holding off on major releases for now. Still, we have news from NZXT and PSU maker Be Quiet:
- NZXT unveils Aperture M advanced media reader with mesh design. This isn’t a huge launch, but it’s kind of neat anyway, especially now that optical drives are starting to become less and less useful. The Aperture M slots into a 5.25" drive bay and lets you read just about every type of flash card under the sun. (NZXT mentions CF, MD, SM, XD, SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC, MS, M2, and MSD formats.) As icing on the cake, there’s a pair of USB 3.0 ports next to the card slots. Not bad for $34.99.
- Be quiet! introduces new flagship: Dark Power Pro 10. Be quiet! isn’t very well known on this side of the pond, but its new line of power supplies looks pretty slick. The units, which the company touts as its "quietest and most energy efficient" ever, have 80 Plus Platinum certification with efficiency as high as 94%. They feature modular cabling and 135-mm fluid-dynamic-bearing fans, which Be quiet! says are "virtually inaudible." (The firm quotes a noise level of less than 12 dB for the 850W model under a 90% load.) The units even allow you to "choose between multi- or single-rail 12 V mode." They’re not cheap, though: the 550W model will set you back €135 ($167), and the 1200W flagship costs €279 ($346). At least you get five years of warranty coverage.
Those PSUs do look nice. Too bad I can’t seem to find them for sale stateside. Newegg has a handful of listings, but they’re all marked as "unavailable."