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Lian Li Spinoff Ssupd’s Meshlicious Is a Versatile, Compact ITX Case

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In recent years, several representatives from PC case companies have told us that mini-ITX cases are a niche, without enough interest to be worth heavily investing in. Yet oddly, over that same period, more and more companies seem to be churning out these compact small form-factor (SFF) chassis.

The latest entry into the mini-ITX case space is the Meshlcious, from Ssupd (Sunny side up design), a new spinoff brand from Lian Li. As you might guess by the name, the Meshlicious is all about mesh–or nearly, as the case ships with one tempered-glass side panel, which can be attached to either the GPU or CPU side of the case. It will also be available in either black or white. Our review unit arrived dressed in black.

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At 14.17 x 9.65 x 6.55 inches, the Meshlicious is similar in size to the Jonsbo A4 case we used for the

RGBaby build

last year (the A4 is 13.39 x 10.75 x 6.65 inches), and much smaller than the last ITX case I built in,

Asus’ ROG Z11

(20.9 x 7.6 x 15.2 inches) pictured above. At $119 (MSRP) the Meshlicious is also much cheaper than either of those cases, while offering up lots of versatility (within the confines of its 14.67 liter volume), as well as a riser cable for showing off your graphics card. To help keep your components cool, it has mesh covering four of its six sides (or five if you spend $30 on a second mesh side panel to replace the glass side that ships in the box). As I found during testing, though, you’ll probably want to add at least one front intake fan.

Despite its small size, the Meshlicious supports graphics cards up to 12.6 inches and four-slots thick, thanks to a motherboard tray that can be slid forward or back to make room for thick cards. Just note that, as with all cases this small, there are a whole lot of limitations due to space constraints. Installing a long graphics card limits space for SATA storage, for instance. And while you can use a full-size ATX power supply, you may want to opt for a modular SFX PSU just so that there’s less excess cabling to hide. There’s really nowhere to hide excess bulky power cables.

Specifications

Type	Mid-ITX Tower
Motherboard Support	Mini-ITX
Dimensions (HxWxD, vertical orientation)	14.17 x 9.65 x 6.55 inches (360 x 245 x 166.4mm)
Max GPU Length	12.6 inches (320 mm)
CPU Cooler Height	2.87 inches (73mm) with 3-slot GPU, 2.09 inches (53 mm) with 4-slot GPU
External Bays	✗
Internal Bays	Up to 2x 3.5-inch and 3x 2.5-inch with SFF GPU, or 3x 2.5-inch with full-length GPU
Expansion Slots	1x
Front I/O	1x USB 3 Type-A, 1x USB-C
Other	Tempered Glass Side Panel
Front Fans	None (2x 120/140mm supported)
Rear Fans	None
Top Fans	None
Bottom Fans	None
Weight	8.16 pounds (3.7 kg)
Warranty	?

Panels Galore

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Working in the Meshlicious is fairly easy for an SFF chassis, thanks to its easily removable panels. Every side save for the bottom has one, and by default, all are mesh except for one side which is tempered glass with a moderate tint. As noted earlier, you can pop that glass side on either the motherboard side or the graphics card side, depending on which you want to show off.

Metal push pins hold all the sides on, and they stay on snugly and pop off with ease. This is a mechanism I wish more case makers would use, though I’m sure it works much better with small panels than it would with large full-ATX towers. The case and side panels are all steel (save for the glass panel) and reasonably thick and rigid. Nothing feels cheap or flimsy, which is nice given the case’s relatively low price for an ITX chassis.

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With the side panels off, the Meshlicious becomes a minimal shell, housing a PCIe 3.0/4.0 riser cable for vertically mounting your graphics card, and a few cables for the top-panel connections. (The $119 version we tested has a PCIe 3.0 cable, but a $159 version with a PCIe 4.0 cable will also be available.)

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Speaking of the top ports, things are fairly minimal (like the rest of the case’s design), with one USB 3 Type-A port and one Type-C. There’s no real need for an audio jack in a case this small, given that the audio ports around back are inches away from the front, and will generally deliver better audio than external ports would anyway.

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The included accessories are also minimal, and include a bracket for mounting SATA drives, which you’ll need to leave in the box if using a long graphics card — as I did for this build. Also included is an angled HDMI cable, which you’ll need if using a full-size graphics card, as the Graphics card ports are at the bottom in this layout. The cable I got was quite short at just over three feet (not quite enough to make it to my arm-mounted test monitor), but a company rep told me Ssupd would make a change to include a longer cable (and larger zip ties) on future shipments, although initial versions will likely include what you see above. The zip ties included aren’t nearly big enough to wrangle the excess mess of power cables I encountered with my ATX power supply.

The silver aluminum bar above is a shorter mount for the motherboard tray. You’ll use this if installing a four-slot graphics card, to shift the tray more toward the motherboard side. Keep in mind that doing this also minimizes the cooler clearance, which is also quite limited to begin with. You get 2.87 inches of CPU cooler clearance as standard, which shrinks to 2.09 inches if you make room for a thicker card. That means if you’re using a 4-slot card, there will even be some AIO coolers you’ll need to avoid. As I used a slim Noctua air cooler (more on this below), the limited space here wasn’t an issue.

The 2.5-slot Zotac RTX 2080 Amp Extreme I used fit without adjusting the motherboard tray, but left little room between the side panel and the case fans. So I’d recommend either opting for the mesh panel on the GPU side or moving the motherboard back. 240 or 280 mm radiators (or just 120/140mm fans) are supported in the front for cooling your CPU. But note if adding a fan and radiator, things will likely get very tight, since this is also where your excess power cable slack also needs to go. Even if you just install intake fans here, you may have issues with cables pushing up against your fan blades. So you’ll need to take extra care to keep this from happening.

The case supports either SFX or larger ATX power supplies, although the bracket of an SFX power supply comes pre-installed. And I’d recommend using one of these smaller supplies if at all possible, since it will give you extra space and you’ll likely have less cable slack. I used a modular ATX Seasonic Focus PSU and wound up with a big ugly bundle of cables zip-tied together and no place to hide them.

The Meshlcious supports basically two distinct component layouts, each with a mini-ITX motherboard. You can either use a small-form-factor graphics card mounted horizontally, up to 8.3 inches (or less with a front radiator), or a longer full-sized GPU up to 12.6 inches mounted vertically (which is what I installed). With the former, you can also install a drive rail system for 3.5 or 2.5-inch drives. With averically mounted longer GPU you’re limited to mounting two 2.5-inch drives on the bottom of the case. Rather than go over the full details of possible layouts, here are a couple of diagrams, direct from Ssupd.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

The build scenario I went with was a combination of these two, using an air cooler like in the image above, left with a long GPU (below, right).

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Building in the Ssupd Meshlicious

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With the four sides popped off in a matter of seconds, building in the Ssupd Meshlicious was fairly straightforward, at least at first.

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For the sake of simplicity, I carried over the core components from the Asus ROG Z11 case story, including an ROG Strix B550-I Gaming motherboard, an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU, a low-profile Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 chromax.Black CPU cooler, and the aforementioned Zotac RTX 2080 graphics card. We would have loved to upgrade to a Rzyen 5 CPU and a 30-series graphics card. But in case you haven’t noticed, both have been extremely scarce since launch, and for our purposes here, the existing parts work just fine.

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I dropped the motherboard in first, complete with the cooler and RAM. Next I tried to jam the ATX power supply in before realizing the SFX bracket comes pre-installed. I removed that via four screws, then slotted in the Seasonic ATX PSU in the area to the right in the image above. That went without issue, until I realized the GPU riser cable wasn’t fully extended on the other side, and was stuck behind my power supply. So I had to remove the PSU momentarily and secure the PCIe slot near the bottom of the case for the vertical RTX 2080. For smaller cards mounted horizontally, the cable gets mounted near the top.

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That done, I was ready to install the graphics card and the sole SATA SSD for this build, an attractive Team Group T-Force Delta Max RGB model that added some extra RGB to this case that ships without lighting or fans. In this configuration, another 2.5 inch drive can be mounted on the bottom, in a tight spot below the power supply. But for that you’ll need remove the PSU, or install it and connect the cables before installing the power supply. Again, for those who want to install more than two 2.5-inch drives here, you’ll need to use the drive bracket, which necessitates you also use a much shorter graphics card, mounted horizontally. But given many ITX motherboards include two M.2 slots (one often hidden on the back like with our Asus board), plus the ability to install two 2.5 inch drives on the floor of the Meshlicous, that should suffice for most setups. If you’re looking to install lots of storage drives, you probably aren’t also looking for a super compact case.

With everything installed in the Meshlicious,it was instantly clear that I had a bunch of excess cabling, mostly from the power supply, but some from the SATA drive (which also requires a USB cable for its light show). And given that the case is so small, there was no place to effectively hide the mess. Had I installed a radiator and fans in the front and used an SFX PSU with shorter cables, perhaps I could have hidden the cables along the back edge of the radiator. But of course the radiator, pump and fans would have introduced more cabling and taken up a fair amount of space itself.

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For the sake of hitting the launch day on this case, I bunched the cables together hastily with a few zip ties and velcro straps and called it a day. I clearly could have been a bit neater, but with the cables near the CPU/motherboard side of the case, they aren’t all that visible with either the tinted tempered-glass side over the GPU area, and even less so if you opt for using the mesh panel here.

Gaming and Conclusion

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Given that most of the sides on the Meshlicious are mesh, you could get away without adding intake fans for plenty of builds, as I did here. But adding at least one in the front would be a good idea. Either that, or if you’re using a large and powerful GPU, you might want to consider buying a second mesh side panel to replace the glass one — even if just during long gaming sessions. The panel can be popped off and replaced in just a few seconds.

After about a half hour of playing Borderlands 3 at high settings with the glass panel on, the panel got surprisingly hot, which isn’t exactly surprising given how close the fans are to the un-vented side panel. And while you could swap the side panels and put mesh in front of the graphics card, that would mean your glass panel is going to sit right up against the intake of your power supply. I don’t have to tell you that restricted airflow like that — at the very least — isn’t great for the longevity of your PSU.

Moving the motherboard tray back nearly an inch, as noted earlier, could alleviate this issue somewhat, but not if you’re using a graphics card that’s 3 slots or more thick. It would have been nice if Ssupd had included at least one fan to mount in the front, but I can also see why the company didn’t. Most people will likely either want to install a front radiator (which will come with a pair of fans on its own) or use specific fans, be they RGB or, say, quiet and efficient Noctua spinners.

And again, for many more modest builds with graphics card TDPs south of 200 watts, you could likely get by without any added fans. After all, the Meshlicious gets its name from the fact that three of its sides are all mesh by default. Opt for a fourth mesh side panel for an extra $30 and your CPU and GPU coolers shouldn’t have an issue dissipating heat themselves.

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Just don’t expect the Meshlicious to be any quieter than your components of choice, especially if you opt to put the mesh panel in front of your graphics card. Just as small cases like this involve tradeoffs in terms of component support, a mesh-covered case is going to trade some noise for better thermal dissipation. You should always choose your components wisely. But if building in this Ssupd case is your aim, you’ll want to spend extra time making sure your parts will … mesh well with the Meshlicious.

3D audio could be the next big podcast trend

Companies looking to make a name in podcasting have mostly done so by spending lots of money on flashy names, big acquisitions, and valuable content libraries. But increasingly, the audio itself, and the recording techniques used to capture it, are becoming the selling point.

Today, iHeart Media announced that it’s investing in binaural audio, also known as 3D audio, which effectively places listeners in the room of a recording and makes them feel like it’s happening around them. Listening to a show in 3D audio sounds like you’re in the scene and hearing things exactly as you would in real life because the microphones are often shaped like a human head or a pair of ears. This means the sounds hit your ears as they would normally, a zooming car, for example, might be louder in your right ear and then move to your left as it passes, slowly fading from your right. (The Verge’s audio director Andrew Marino published a ton of 3D audio clips here if you want some examples.)

iHeart is launching an entire slate of shows dedicated to the technique, under the name iHeart 3D Audio. It will feature programs made with Blumhouse Television as well as podcast creator and producer Aaron Mahnke.

The company has built three studios specifically equipped to handle 3D audio recording and employs a team of 12 producers who are trained in capturing binaural audio. By the end of 2021, iHeart plans to have 10 to 12 series produced with the technology, says Conal Byrne, president of the iHeartPodcast Network. The team also plans to host live radio events because iHeart owns hundreds of US radio stations, during which it’ll encourage listeners to don a pair of headphones to enjoy the binaural experience.

“I think a lot more should be in 3D audio than is,” Byrne says. “And so as we look across the slate of shows we have from A-to-Z, across 2021, most of those, there’s a 3D audio version that’s probably better than what [we’re] doing normally.”

Byrne sees the form as a tool for storytelling, sure, but also as a new way for sponsors to send a message — and another way for iHeart to differentiate itself from all the companies looking for brand partners.

“I think 3D audio to make a new kind of a 30-60-two minute ad could really kind of — I’m not going to suggest will reinvent podcast advertising — but could definitely push it further toward immersion,” he says. “So we’re going to offer that.”

iHeart isn’t the only network to harness 3D audio, and creators have been doing so for years. Indie network Paragon Collective has used the technology for some of its narrative shows as well, including The Oyster and Darkest Night.

“What I really like about 3D audio is it just sucks people in, so where I’ll use it a lot now is when a character’s whispering to another one, so you can get in their head, or it makes a huge difference when you’re using these sound effects on 3D audio and the user’s in the middle of the room,” says Alex Aldea, founder and CEO of Paragon.

Binaural could become more popular than ever for a few reasons. For one, it’s more immersive, which is good for getting people to listen and stick through a podcast. It’s also compatible with any pair of headphones, meaning listeners don’t need special equipment or software to enjoy it. And finally, narrative podcasts are booming with many networks looking to gain an audience for their shows and a way to differentiate themselves. If you try 3D audio and love it, you might look for more shows like it.

Another network, QCODE, which makes narrative shows with big-name stars, is looking to take the next step in podcast audio and create surround-sound experiences. The company tells The Verge it’s been mixing its shows in Dolby Atmos. Crucially, no major podcast apps support the standard yet, despite companies like Apple supporting it on their hardware devices, like the AirPods Pro, the HomePod, and Apple TV 4K. QCODE is essentially preparing for a day when podcast app makers are ready to support the standard.

“Creating these environments and this experience is going to be a really new thing, and a really positive one for this type of storytelling,” says Rob Herting, CEO at QCODE. “It’s not to say that it’s a replacement for good storytelling, and you can’t think of it like a gimmick, but I think when used well, it can be really, really impactful.”

Podcasts are increasingly becoming IP machines, or a way to make a story come to life and sell a potential film or TV adaptation. Surround sound and 3D audio are just the next steps in that journey to keep listeners tuned in and make podcasts seem even closer to the experience of watching something on the big screen.

HP Spectre x360 13-inch (2021) Review: Slim Machine, Squat Screen

Our Verdict

The HP Spectre x360 has an attractive design and long battery life, though the 16:9 display feels dated. Its only performance downside is in bursty workloads, which we saw some issues with.

For

Sliim, attractive chassis
Solid speakers for a laptop
Long battery life
Still squeezes in a USB Type-A port

Against

16:9 display is dated, especially as a tablet
Not great with bursty performance
Difficult to upgrade

Sure, the

best ultrabooks and premium laptops

are tools, but you also want your computing device to look good. Design is important, after all.

The HP Spectre 360 13t ($949.99 to start, $1,249.99 as tested) continues to be one of the best-looking Windows devices out there, with a refined, thin design and clever port placement with both Thunderbolt 4 and USB Type-A.

But a tool also has to do the job well. With a 16:9 screen, the Spectre x360 can still, well, compute, but it doesn’t show as much as some others. And then there’s the question of whether or not this laptop can tame Intel’s latest Tiger Lake processors.

Design of the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

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HP’s Spectre lineup has had an aesthetic that would make a jeweler proud for the last few years. The Spectre x360 13t is no different there. The laptop, made from silver aluminum (it comes in black or blue for an extra cost), and has a reflective, modernized HP logo that I think the company should really start using on all of its products. But what makes it stand out are the cut-off corners near the back hinge, one of which has the power button while the other houses a Thunderbolt 4 port.

Those corners are always accessible, and easy enough to reach whether the laptop is being used as a notebook or a tablet.

The 13.3-inch display has very thin bezels, but looks short and squat with a 16:9 aspect ratio. As more notebooks move to taller 16:10 displays, like the

Dell XPS 13

and

MacBook Pro

or a 3:2 display like the

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3

, it makes the whole design here, not just the screen, seem a little cramped and dated. (HP does have a 3:2 Spectre x360 with the 14-inch version of this laptop, which we hope to be able to test soon.)

HP has packed in a full-size keyboard, including a row for home, page up, page down and end keys, and the rest of the construction is aluminum. This thing is built solid.

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While thicker notebooks may have more ports, HP hasn’t given up on USB Type-A here, which I really appreciate. The left side of the notebook has a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A with a drop-jaw hinge to squeeze it into the chassis, as well as a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The right side has two Thunderbolt 4 ports (one in the top-right corner), a kill switch for the camera, and a microSD card reader.

The Spectre x360 13 measures 12.08 x 7.66 x 0.67 inches and weighs 2.8 pounds. That makes it ever so slightly lighter than the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 9310, which is 2.9 pounds and 11.6 x 8.15 x 0.56 inches. The Asus ZenBook Flip S UX371 is a slighter 2.7 pounds and 12 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches. Apple’s MacBook Pro, a clamshell, is 3 pounds and 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.61 inches.

HP Spectre x360 13-inch Specifications

CPU	Intel Core i7-1165G7
Graphics	Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory	16GB LPDDR4X-4266
Storage	512GB PCIe NVMe SSD with 32GB Intel Optane
Display	13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 IPS touchscreen
Networking	Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX 201 (2×2) and Bluetooth 5
Ports	2x Thunderbolt 4, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, Headphone/microphone jack, microSD card reader
Camera	720p IR
Battery	60 WHr
Power Adapter	65 W
Operating System	Windows 10 Home
Dimensions(WxDxH)	12.08 x 7.66 x 0.67 inches / 306.83 x 194.56 x 17.01 mm
Weight	2.8 pounds / 1.27 kg
Price (as configured)	$1,249.99

Productivity Performance HP Spectre x360 13-inch

The Spectre is the latest machine we’ve tested with Intel’s Core i7-1165G7 “Tiger Lake” mobile processors. Our configuration of the 2-in-1 has paired that with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB Intel SSD and 32GB of Intel Optane memory.

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On comparable versions of Geekbench 5, an overall performance benchmark, the Spectre had a single core-score of 1,574 and a multi-core score of 4,749. The ZenBook Flip S had a higher multi-core score (4,952) but a lower single-core score (1,512) with the same CPU. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, also with the same Core i7, has a far higher multi-core score (5,639) but a lower single-core score (1,532). On the same test, the MacBook Pro had a multi-core score of 5,925 and a single-core score of 1,316, and that was through Rosetta emulation that can decrease performance.

The Spectre transferred 25GB of files at a rate of 452.62 MBps, edging out the XPS 13 2-in-1. But the ZenBook Flip S out-performed here at 979.37

It took the Spectre x360 18 minutes and 39 seconds to complete our Handbrake test, which transcodes a 4K video to 1080p. That’s faster than the ZenBook, though the XPS 13 2-in-1 had it beat, while the MacBook Pro was more than five minutes faster than the Spectre, even through Rosetta 2 emulation.

We also ran the Spectre through our stress test, which runs Cinebench R23 twenty times on a loop. The results were largely in the high 3,000’s, occasionally peaking over 4,000. Towards the end, it was a bit erratic. The CPU ran at an average of 2.52 GHz and an average temperature of 64.88 degrees Celsius (148.78 degrees Fahrenheit). HWInfo’s monitoring software detected several instances of cores’ power limits being exceeded.

Display on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch Specifications

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Our review unit has a 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 touchscreen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. That seems a bit squat, even outdated, compared to some competitors, which have moved on to 16:10 or 3:2 displays that are taller and show more of your work at once. It’s also more natural for tablet mode.

Part of my testing included watching the trailer for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Some explosions early in the trailer showed some intense burst of orange, though some scenes on a football field had fireworks that didn’t pop against the night sky as much as I would have liked to see. It’s usable, but not the best I’ve seen.

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The Spectre’s IPS display covered 67.7% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, in the range of the XPS 13 2-in-1 (70%). We reviewed the ZenBook Flip S with an OLED display that hit 113.1% (you can get the Spectre with OLED; see configurations below). Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro reached 78.3%.

HP’s display measured an average of 391 nits of brightness, beating the ZenBook, but falling short of the MacBook Pro and the XPS 13 2-in-1.

Keyboard and Touchpad on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

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The keyboard on the Spectre x360 is comfortable, with a satisfying click (at least, as far as membranes go), that bounces up in a responsive fashion.

My bigger issue was the wristrest. The deck is a bit short, so my hands hung off it while I typed. I hit 88 words per minute on the 10fastfingers.com typing test, which is a bit low for me; I’m generally in the high 90’s. It wasn’t because of the keyboard, but because I was floating my wrists in the air. A taller screen would require a longer deck, which could help solve this.

I would prefer that the 4.4 x 2.2 inch touchpad be a bit taller, but there’s also not any room for that on the device. Still, the vertical height was slightly limiting, and I often hit the edge of it. That said, the precision touchpad is sensitive enough that I was able to perform gestures, even with four fingers, without any issues.

Audio on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

For such a trim device, HP is offering up decent quality sound. The bottom-firing speakers, tuned by Bang & Olufsen, were clear with detailed sound. In Yellowcard’s “City of Devils,” the mix of violins, guitars, cymbals and drums were well leveled and textured, though, like many laptops, the bass wasn’t particularly perceptible.

The included Bang & Olufsen Audio control app helped that a bit when I switched to the Bass equalizer preset, but I preferred the overall mix of the default settings, which better highlighted the violins and vocals.

Upgradeability of the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

There are only two visible screws (a pair of Torx) on the bottom of the Spectre x360. If only things were that easy.

There are four additional Phillips-head screws beneath one of the laptop’s two adhesive-backed rubber feet. Removing the foot could potentially rip or tear it, making it difficult to replace later, so the average person probably shouldn’t attempt to open the laptop up.

Per HP’s maintenance manual for this laptop, the battery, Wi-Fi card and SSD are all replaceable if you do get in there, though the RAM is soldered down.

For most people, we recommend ensuring you get the configuration with enough storage and RAM to future proof it for you. Enthusiasts who can risk that rubber foot will find some upgradeable and repairable parts inside.

Battery Life on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

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This 2-in-1 has some endurance. While it comes with a nice USB Type-C charger with a braided cable, you should be able to go quite a while without it. The Spectre ran for 12 hours and 32 minutes on our battery test, which continuously browses the web, runs OpenGL tests and streams video over Wi-Fi, all at 150 nits of brightness.

It outlased both the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, which ran for 10:52, and the Asus ZenBook Flip S, which lasted 8:11. But Apple’s MacBook Pro, powered by its incredibly-efficient M1 processor, lasted four hours longer at 16:32.

Heat on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

Beyond internal temperatures, we took skin temperatures while we ran our Cinebench R23 stress test.

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The center of the keyboard, between the G andH keys, measured 36.2 degrees Celsius (97.16 degrees Fahrenheit), though the keyboard was a cooler 29 degrees Celsius.

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The hottest point on the bottom of the laptop hit 41.7 degrees Celsius (107.06 degrees Fahrenheit).

Webcam on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

The 720p camera in the Spectre x360’s bezel produces blurry images and doesn’t capture color well. In a shot at my desk, My blue eyes looked dark, my orange shirt muted, and the whole image was covered in visual noise.

Is it usable? Sure. But you may also want to consider buying best webcams for improved image quality. There’s a kill switch on the right side of the laptop for extra privacy when you’re not using the webcam.

Software and Warranty on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

Most of the software preinstalled on the Spectre is from HP itself. The most important is HP Command Center, a one-stop-shop to choose between performance presets, network prioritization for applications and system information. The others include HP Support Assistant (which I think could be rolled into Command Center), HP Privacy Settings and a link to the user manual for the laptop. There’s also MyHP, which gives you easy access to your serial numbers and a bunch of short tutorials for Windows and Microsoft Office.

Of course, there’s still the bloat that comes with most Windows 10 installs, like Spotify, Hulu, Roblox and Hidden City: Hidden Object Adventure.

HP sells the 13-inch Spectre x360 with a 1-year warranty that can be extended at an additional cost.

HP Spectre x360 13-inch Configurations

We tested the Spectre x360 with an Intel Core i7-1165G7, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage with 32GB of Intel Optane memory and a 1920 x 1080 IPS touchscreen. All of that comes for $1,249.99.

The base model is $949.99, with an Intel Core i5-1135G7, 8GB of RAM, a 1080p screen and a 256GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD.

Many of the components are configurable. You can go up to a

UHD OLED touch screen (add $180), or opt for FHD

OLED

(add $30) or even WLED with Sure View Privacy (a $60 extra.) Storage goes up to a 2TB PCIe SSD. If you don’t want the silver color, you can pay $10 for black or $20 extra for blue.

The most expensive version, with a “Poseidon blue” chassis, Windows 10 Pro and the maximum specs runs $1,869.99.

Bottom Line

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

In its latest iteration, the 13-inch HP Spectre x360 continues to be an attractive choice, quite literally. The Spectre remains one of the best-looking notebooks on the market, and it’s sleek and trim. Its battery life is impressive, and the Bang & Olufsen audio is pretty good for a 2-in-1 laptop.

While many ultrabook owners may not use their laptops for the most intense workloads, those who do may notice the issues we saw in our Cinebench gauntlet. That’s not a huge issue for day-to-day use, but enthusiasts or power users may seek other options.

If you’re looking for a convertible 2-in-1, the go-to continues to be the

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

, which offers strong performance and a taller, 16:10 display that works better as a tablet. You will, however, give up the full-sized USB Type-A port. HP also offers a comfier keyboard, in this author’s opinion, though a short wrist rest mars the typing experience.

But if a mix of style and endurace strikes your fancy, the Spectre x360 should be under consideration, though I’m hoping we can check out the 14-inch, 3:2 version soon.

Razer launches Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma

João Silva
3 days ago
Accessories, Featured Tech News

Razer is about to launch the Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma, a universal dock with 10x ports and RGB lighting to greatly expand and centralise connectivity for your setup.

Featuring Thunderbolt 4 interfaces, the Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma allows users to transfer data at blazing fast speeds, connect to multiple displays and devices, and charge a laptop through a single cable. The USB-C port is capable of delivering up to 90W of power to charge a laptop, while also delivering power to all other connected devices. The dock supports up to two video outputs at 4K with a 60Hz refresh rate or a single output at 8K with a 30Hz refresh rate.

With four Thunderbolt 4x ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a 3.5mm audio combo jack, a UHS-II SD card slot, and 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen2 ports, this docking solution is ready for every scenario. The Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma, as the name suggests, includes Razer Chroma RGB, capable of displaying 16.8 million colours and multiple lighting effects. Users can synchronise the Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma with other Chroma RGB-compatible devices through Razer Synapse. This docking solution works with both Windows and Mac devices with Thunderbolt 3/4 interfaces and is USB4 compliant, but it also supports legacy Thunderbolt devices.

The Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma is now available for pre-order, priced at $329.99.

KitGuru says: Are any of you in need of a dock like this? What do you make of the Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma?

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darkFlash releases the DLH21 “Luxury” mini-ITX case

João Silva
3 days ago
Cases

darkFlash has released a new mini-ITX case with RGB lighting for compact DIY PC builds. Despite its small size, this case supports 240mm radiators and 320mm long graphics cards without sacrificing airflow thanks to the meshed panels of the case.

Available in pink, black, white, and neomint, the darkFlash DLH21 is made of 0.8mm SECC metal. The case consists of 5x meshed panels with pre-installed magnetic dust filters to prevent dust from getting into the system. Moreover, this case was designed to offer a trouble-free disassembly of the case through easily detachable side panels and a magnetically connected top panel.

The RGB LED strip on the bottom of the case has 13x different lighting effects to cycle between using the LED button on the top I/O panel, but users can also synchronise it with other components through motherboard RGB software.

The DLH21 case features 2x expansion slots and supports mini-ITX motherboards, up to 2x 2.5-inch drives or a single 3.5-inch drive, and SFX/SFX-L power supplies (125mm long). CPU tower coolers can’t be more than 134mm tall and GPUs can’t exceed 320mm in length and 147mm in width. Radiator and fan support is a bit limited, allowing users to mount a 120m/240mm radiator on the side, a 92mm fan on the back, and 2x 120mm fans on the side. The top I/O panel has 2x USB-A ports, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The darkFlash DLH21 ITX chassis is available now starting at $189.99.

KitGuru says: Have you ever built a mini-ITX system? What’s your opinion on the darkFlash DLH21 case?

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iFi reworks Zen DAC and Zen Can headphone amps for enhanced Signature versions

(Image credit: iFi)

The iFi Zen series of affordable hi-fi components has proven a huge success, with the trio we’ve tested all garnering positive reviews. Now, two of the models in the range – the five-star Zen DAC/headphone amp and the Zen Can analogue-only headphone amp – have been treated to enhanced circuitry to spawn Signature versions.

The Zen DAC Signature (pictured below) and Zen Can Signature 6XX (top) were initially made in a limited-edition capacity to be sold by a US crowd-shopping site, but now that stock has sold out the British audio brand is launching a proper run of the Signature models worldwide. They both sport a deep Space Blue finish, as opposed to the dark grey colour of the standard models – but that is by no means the only adaptation justifying their existence.

(Image credit: iFi)

The Zen DAC Signature is actually positioned as a slightly different beast to the regular model, sacrificing the Zen DAC’s headphone amplifier and getting upgraded fully balanced circuitry instead – namely improved capacitors and shorter, more direct signal paths – in the name of enhanced sound quality. File support and inputs match the exhaustive tally of the original model, though: it’s compatible with PCM (up to 32-bit/384kHz), native DSD (up to DSD256), DXD and MQA tracks and boasts USB Type B and RCA sockets, plus a balanced Pentaconn 4.4mm output. For those who value headphones listening, the idea here is that the Zen DAC Signature is paired with the Can Signature 6XX headphone amplifier.

Speaking of which, the all-new Signature variant of the Zen Can also largely mirrors the versatile functionality of its legacy model (namely four gain settings and RCA, 3.5mm, 6.3mm and balanced 4.4mm connections) but too benefits from superior balanced circuit design.

iFi Zen DAC Signature (rear) (Image credit: iFi)

iFi ZEN CAN Signature 6XX (rear) (Image credit: iFi)

There’s a new custom EQ setting called ActivEQ, and in the Zen Can Signature 6XX it has been specifically tailored to the Massdrop x Sennheiser HD 6XX headphones (based on Sennheiser’s HD 650, which iFi says can also benefit from this specific EQ curve). A second Zen Can Signature model with ActivEQ tailored to another pair of headphones is on the cards, with iFi having opened a vote for which model it should be.

iFi’s Zen DAC Signature and Zen Can Signature 6XX are available now for £249 each, however two can be bought together for £499 with a 4.4mm Pentaconn cable (worth £69) chucked in, allowing the two to be connected together over their balanced connections. For a limited time, both models come with iFi’s iPower X AC/DC power adapter (normally £99), too.

MORE:

Best DACs 2021: USB, portable and desktop DACs

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iDSD Diablo is iFi’s new flagship portable DAC/headphone amp

Our Verdict

HyperX delivers a headset that’s meant to roll out of the box and into service. The Cloud Revolver offers 7.1 surround sound for gaming and wide soundscape, and listening to music is a great experience. But the price tag is a stumbling block for what you get in the box.

For

Great audio clarity
Steel lends it fantastic build quality
Solid sound out-of-the-box

Against

Very few audio tweaking options
Can make ears a little warm
Expensive for the offering

The HyperX Cloud Revolver + 7.1 gets some things right in its quest to compete among the best gaming headsets. Compared to some of its other offerings, like the HyperX Cloud II Wireless, the Cloud Revolver + 7.1 offers more and higher quality memory foam, as well as firm steel. And despite the smaller drivers, HyperX promises a stronger, more robust sound scape on the Cloud Revolver 7.1 than some of its other offerings.

But at $150, this is an odd product. Although it’s wired, it’s the same price as the Cloud II Wireless, which offers similar features, like virtual 7.1 surround sound and a detachable noise-cancelling microphone.

The Cloud Revolver + 7.1 comes with an audio-boosting digital signal processor (DSP) via a handy USB sound card that also provides audio controls and virtual 7.1 surround sound. But it’s surround sound and audio in general isn’t tweak-friendly, keeping the package simple but hard to perfect.

HyperX Cloud Revolver + 7.1 Specs

Driver Type	50mm neodymium
Impedance	32 Ohms
Frequency Response	10 Hz-23.2 KHz
Microphone Type	Detachable condenser noise-cancelling
Connectivity	USB Type-A or 3.5mm
Weight	Headset-only: 0.83 pounds (375g)
	Headset, mic, cable: 1 pound (452g)
Cords	6.67 feet (2.03m) USB-A cable and 7.1 dongle
	3.33 feet (1m) 3.5mm
Lighting	None
Software	HyperX Ngenuity (Beta)

Design and Comfort

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The HyperX Cloud Revolver + 7.1 is an update of an older design: the original HyperX Cloud Revolver released in 2016. The general build remains the same, though HyperX has removed all the color from the overall design. While the original was black matte plastic and steel with red HyperX red highlights, the 2021 edition saps all the color. Instead, the highlights are in a simple, understated white. There’s no RGB on this headset, just crisp, clean black and white.

A single piece of steel runs across the entire headband from ear cup to ear cup. Not only is that the most striking part of the design, it also provides stability. Underneath that steel band is an adjustable smaller band that sits on top of your head. That band is made of leatherette and memory foam, providing a smooth cushion for the Cloud Revolver + 7.1 to rest upon.

The ear cups themselves are pretty hefty, with a design that looks like speakers on the outside flanked by the steel fins of the headband. On the inside of the ear cups, you’ll find more leatherette and memory foam. There’s more foam here than in some of HyperX’s cheaper headset models. There are no controls on the ear cups—no volume roller or mute button here—but there is a 3.5mm jack for the detachable microphone. The mic itself is flexible but can’t be slid into a position where it’s out of your face and lacks any indicator for when it’s muted.

All told, while it’s not the lightest headset I’ve tested, the Cloud Revolver + 7.1 feels pretty good. The headset itself is 0.83 pounds (375g), but the distribution of weight is fantastic. It sits light on the top of your head, and any clamping pressure around the ears is lessened by the memory foam pads. I have a pretty big head though, and I get the feeling it might be too roomy for those with tiny heads—the metal band is around 9 inches across, and the gap between the earcup pads is around 6-6.5 inches. There’s also not a ton of twist in ear cups, and for long sessions I could feel the insides getting a little warm.

The Cloud Revolver is a fully-wired headset. There’s a braided cable that runs from the left ear cup that cannot be detached. It’s around 3.33 feet (1m) in length, ending in a 3.5mm jack. HyperX only specs the headset to work with PC and PS4, but with the 3.5mm connection it should work with an Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4 (PS4) and PlayStation 5 (PS5).

Then there’s the USB sound card. It has a 3.5mm jack for plugging in the headset and ends in a USB Type-A connector for use with your PC. With the box, you get boosted audio via a digital signal processing sound card, as well as the ability to use virtual 7.1 surround sound. This plugs into your PC, PS4, or PS5. On the sound card dongle, you’ll find volume controls for the headset and microphone, a mute button on the side and a big button for activating the 7.1 surround sound capabilities. The mute button and 7.1 button both light up, letting you know which mode you’re in for each feature. The dongle also has a clip on the back for attaching to your shirt or pants to keep it in handy.

Cloud Revolver + 7.1 Audio Performance

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

HyperX markets the Cloud Revolver + 7.1 as a “studio-grade” headset. It has 50mm drivers, in line with most of its competition, but sports a larger frequency range than most. The can stretches from 10 Hz to 23.2 kHz, giving it an edge on both ends against some in this price range. That means a relatively wide soundscape.

There is one problem though. This headset utilizes HyperX’s own version of virtual 7.1 surround sound. There’s no tweaking and no equalizer available in HyperX’s software suite. And there’s no support for something like DTS Headphone:X or Dolby surround. HyperX’s 7.1 utilizes Windows Sonic on PC for any tweaks; the problem I have is that while Windows Sonic is great for positioning, I find the overall audio quality and available settings are far better on DTS Headphone:X or Dolby. The company did have a version of this headset that had Dolby support, the Cloud Revolver S, but that product doesn’t look like it’s being produced anymore. The headset we’re reviewing is essentially a non-Dolby rebrand of the S.

I loaded up Hitman 3; One of the new levels in this entry in the series, Berlin, is an excellent test with 7.1 on. The level takes place in an underground club hidden in a derelict power plant. Voices came through on the headset clearly, from the correct virtual channels with no distortion. The real test was below though. As you round the stairs into the club proper, there’s loud, booming techno music playing, with a good meaty bass beat to it. Even among the cacophony, Hitman 3 is still great about allowing you to hear audio dialog that may point to future assassinations. It’s a pretty chaotic scene in terms of sound, especially with the ebb and flow of the techno as you move around the environment, and the Cloud Revolver + 7.1 handled it well.

The Cloud Revolver + 7.1 is only guaranteed to work with PC and PS4, as per HyperX. But my PS5 recognized it immediately in sound devices when I plugged it in via USB. I didn’t have any sound initially, leading me to assume it didn’t work, but the trick with the Cloud Revolver + 7.1 is the audio controls on the dongle work independently of the system volume. You can have the system volume up, but the dongle volume down, and hear nothing.

Playing Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, I found the system’s 3D audio worked well with the Cloud Revolver + 7.1. Walking around the city to get a feel of the directional sound, I could walk around a running car and clearly hear the engine humming along from the correct direction.

In terms of clarity, I could hear every thwip of the web-shooters alongside the whipping winds, the low bass beat of the soundtrack and even J. Jonah Jameson’s annoying radio broadcast. However, I did notice a little loss of clarity in the highs, with strings in the ambient soundtrack blending a bit with some of the city’s sounds.

The first music track I tried on the headset was Jason Derulo’s “Lifestyle.” It works well as a test case because of the transition from the early parts of the song. You have the thrumming of the bass guitar contrasted with Derulo’s vocals, which are then joined by accompaniment and staccato claps. Once the chunky bass in the chorus comes in, the song is playing on nearly every level. It’s got a little bit of everything.

Listening to the track on the Cloud Revolver + 7.1 allowed me to test the difference in the standard stereo versus the 7.1 surround. In stereo, there was wonderful differentiation and clarity between the different parts of the song. The wider soundscape really showed up to play. Switching to surround sound, it was clear that HyperX’s solution pushes the mids back, really playing up the highs and lows.

Across few other tracks, I actually found aspects of the music that was missing in my day-to-day headset. Gfriend’s “Labyrinth” had a sort of alternating high xylophone-style sound in the background of the chorus I never noticed before. And the understated low piano in the bridge of Clean Bandit’s “Higher” was suddenly apparent. There’s just an excellent amount of separation and clarity to the overall sound on this headset. It’s probably one of the better music listening experiences at this price point.

Microphone

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The microphone on the Cloud Revolver + 7.1 is a unidirectional condenser mic that you can detach from the headset. My recordings sounded pretty good, though they came across a little warm overall. Vocal clarity was pretty good, but there was still audible popping.

Noise cancellation, meanwhile, was decent. The headset took care of a good amount of environmental sound. There was someone mowing the lawn outside of my apartment, for example, and that wasn’t in the recording much. My local television noise also didn’t come through on recordings.

The boom mic is flexible, allowing for decent placement in front of your mouth. I also actually prefer having the mic mute on the dongle because it means you’re not getting a noise in your recording trying to mute your mic.

HyperX specs the Cloud Revolver + 7.1’s mic for a frequency response of 50 Hz – 7.7 kHz.

Software

HyperX has beta software, NGenuity, that works with many of its gaming peripherals, including some headsets. The Cloud Revolver + 7.1, however, is not meant to work with any software. Instead, HyperX targets this at users who want a simple plug-and-play package. But those who like to tweak their audio or want to address any perceived weaknesses in the Cloud Revolver + 7.1’s performance is out of luck.

If you want to do any virtual speaker positioning regarding the 7.1 surround sound, you can use the standard Windows menus via Windows Sonic.

Bottom Line

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

With the Cloud Revolver + 7.1, HyperX has crafted cans with great build quality, effective virtual 7.1 surround sound support, a nice wide soundscape and versatility through its two connection options (3.5mm or USB Type-A).It also delivers one of the better music-listening experiences I’ve had in the $150 price range.

However, the virtual 7.1 surround sound here is a step down from the immersive feel and customization options premium competitors, like Dolby, offer. And HyperX’s lack of audio tweaking options means you’re essentially stuck with what you get out of the box. The company could gain some ground simply by fixing that.

There are more customizable options with advanced surround sound for less. As of writing, Logitech Pro X is about $20 cheaper than our review focus, and you get DTS Headphone X 2.0 support, an extensive audio equalizer and Blue microphone audio tweaks via Logitech software. The Razer BlackShark V2 offers THX Spatial Audio for a whopping $50 less. And that’s all before you even get into wireless headset options, which are pretty price-competitive these days.

Sure, I might love listening to music on the Cloud Revolver + 7.1, but a gaming headset is more than that. And frankly, HyperX is still behind the competition in terms of bells-and-whistles.

But if you’re not into tweaking and just want something that offers decent virtual surround sound and covers a wide range of frequencies out of the box while sitting comfortably on your noggin, the Cloud Revolver + 7.1 is worth a look.

Panel Type / Backlight	IPS / W-LED, edge array
Screen Size / Aspect Ratio	24.5 inches / 16:9
Max Resolution & Refresh Rate	1920 x 1080 @ 144 Hz
	FreeSync: 48-144 Hz
Native Color Depth & Gamut	8-bit / sRGB; HDR10
Response Time (GTG)	2ms
Brightness	400 nits
Contrast	1,000:1
Speakers	2x 2.5w treVolo audio w/DSP
Video Inputs	1x DisplayPort 1.2
	2x HDMI 2.0
Audio	3.5mm headphone output
USB 3.0	None
Power Consumption	15.8w, brightness @ 200 nits
Panel Dimensions WxHxD w/base	22 x 15.5-20.5 x 8.5 inches (559 x 394-521 x 216mm)
Panel Thickness	2 inches (51mm)
Bezel Width	Top/sides: 0.3 inch (7mm)
	Bottom: 0.8 inch (21mm)
Weight	12.4 pounds (5.6kg)
Warranty	3 years

Picture Mode	Standard
Brightness 200 nits	56
Brightness 120 nits	25
Brightness 100 nits	18
Brightness 80 nits	10 (min. 53 nits)
Contrast	50
Gamma	3
Color Temp User	Red 97, Green 99, Blue 100

Driver Type	40mm neodymium magnet
Impedance	32 Ohms
Frequency Response	20 Hz – 40 kHz
Microphone Type	Unidirectional, retractable
Connectivity	Dual 3.5mm (Consoles)
	USB Type-A (PC)
Weight	0.6 pounds (300g)
Cord Length	USB Type-A cable: 3.9 feet (1.2m)
	3.5mm cable: 3.2 feet (1m)
Lighting	None
Software	Nahimic for Headset

Specifications

Panels Galore

Building in the Ssupd Meshlicious

Gaming and Conclusion

Our Verdict

For

Against

Design of the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

HP Spectre x360 13-inch Specifications

Productivity Performance HP Spectre x360 13-inch

Display on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch Specifications

Keyboard and Touchpad on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

Audio on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

Upgradeability of the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

Battery Life on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

Heat on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

Webcam on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

Software and Warranty on the HP Spectre x360 13-inch

HP Spectre x360 13-inch Configurations

Bottom Line

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Our Verdict

For

Against

HyperX Cloud Revolver + 7.1 Specs

Design and Comfort

Cloud Revolver + 7.1 Audio Performance

Microphone

Software

Bottom Line

Our Verdict

For

Against

MSI Immerse GH61 Specs

Design and Comfort of MSI Immerse GH61

Audio Performance of MSI Immerse GH61

Microphone on MSI Immerse GH61

Features and Software of MSI Immerse GH61

Bottom Line

Design

Performance, features and voice calls

Sound quality

Also consider

Jabra Elite 75t

Sony WF-SP800N

Our Verdict

For

Against

Features and Specifications

BenQ Mobiuz EX2510 Specs

Assembly and Accessories of BenQ Mobiuz EX2510

BenQ Mobiuz EX2510: Product 360

OSD Features of BenQ Mobiuz EX2510

BenQ Mobiuz EX2510 Calibration Settings

Gaming and Hands-on with BenQ Mobiuz EX2510