heise + | Photography in winter: mastering the times of day and white balance

Winter creates amazing plays of color. The camera often cannot capture these automatically. Photographers therefore have to take action themselves.

In the polar night above the 64 ° latitude reached the direct light of the sun in December even at noon only higher cloud formations, such as this disintegrated storm system off the coast of Lofoten. Nikon D 800 | 16 mm | ISO 100 | f / 11 | 1.3 s

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Nicolas Alexander Otto For landscape photographers, the winter months sometimes have a decelerating character. A big plus is the late sunrises and early sunsets. While in summer the sun peeps over the horizon around a quarter past five in Munich and does not sink again until after nine in the evening, the day is shortened by a few hours until the winter solstice. Then the sun doesn’t rise until eight o’clock and sets again at four-thirty in the afternoon. This is especially great for those who don’t like the morning and those who want to take a nice picture of the roadside in the evening light on the way from work. Of course, this effect increases the further north you live: For comparison, the new day breaks on Rügen on 21. December only at eight thirty. If you dare to go further north, you will come from the 64. Latitude (roughly in the middle of Sweden) in the polar night, where the sun no longer shows itself.

Just as important is the fact that the course of the sun is flatter in winter. This means that the light is also softer when the sun is at its highest point than in summer, where the sun, depending on where you are in Germany, is good 40 ° is higher in the sky. I really enjoy going to the far north of Scandinavia in winter and photographing the arctic light there. In January the sun rises there only so far that sunrise and sunset merge directly into one another. If you add the blue hour, we can photograph through about eight hours in excellent light.

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heise + | Sony KD-65A8: 65-inch OLED television creates a cinema atmosphere

Sony KD – 65 A8: OLED -TV with 65 – Customs creates a cinema atmosphere Color edges and jitter Conclusion and test table Read article in c’t 2 / 2021 Sony’s 65 – imperial Like all televisions from the Japanese entertainment specialist, Topmodell uses Android TV as the operating system. You can quickly get lost in its extensive setting menus. Fortunately, Sony has provided a quick launch bar that opens with a click on the gear. The most frequently used settings can be brought forward in it. If you also fix the preferred apps on the home screen and remove the others, the operation becomes much clearer.

The Smart TV offers all the essential streaming apps, Chromecast is built in as well as Apple AirPlay. The station search takes what feels like an eternity, the stations found can be sorted, creating a favorites list requires a certain amount of suffering. You can record TV programs on a memory connected via USB, there is no timeshift option for time-shifted TV viewing.

Sony provides useful image presets, when streaming content in HDR format Dolby Vision, image parameters can be adjusted manually if necessary – this is not possible with all manufacturers. We have taken the contrast plate back a little and increased the black level a little. Then the presentation looks very natural and very well resolved. The top luminance of the KD – 65 A8 reached in HDR mode 750 cd / m 2 , which is good for a large OLED TV. The rich black of the OLED TV is just as pleasing as the viewing angle-independent display.

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Show of force? – Google is blocking media in Australia for testing purposes

Some news sites currently do not appear in Google search for certain users in Australia. They are blocked for testing purposes, explains Google when asked by the Australian Financial Review. Accordingly, “a few experiments, each affecting one percent of Google search users in Australia, to measure the interactions between the news business and Google search.” That goes on until the beginning of February.

As the Guardian reports, the move is also referred to by publishers as a “demonstration of power”. Google, on the other hand, says it’s just one of tens of thousands of experiments that run every year. The background to this is the new media law planned in Australia, according to which Google, as well as Facebook and other services, have to pay publishers for the use of its content. “We still want to find a working agreement and look forward to working with the Senate, political decision-makers and publishers in order to achieve a fair result for all in the interests of all Australians.”

Google calls for criticism According to Google, the current version of the law cannot be implemented. This stipulates that Google pays all news sites a kind of license fee and negotiates this with the publishers. Should no agreement be reached, an arbitration procedure is planned that does not negotiate a compromise, but instead should take the side of a negotiating partner. Above all, the search engine giant finds this impracticable. The different ideas are too big, the equivalent value is too little clear.

The fact that searching users on the pages of the publishers has also been disregarded and so advertising revenue is generated. The Australian government has meanwhile made concessions to Google and Facebook – the forwarding is to flow into the negotiations.

However, Google is apparently hoping for more concessions. In a recent blog post, critics of the media law are quoted and a call from Google follows to send concerns to the Senate. For example, Sheet Music Boss, a content creator at YouTube, writes that it is not fair that only news sites should be paid for and not all content creators.

(emw )

heise + | The quadrocopter DJI Mini 2 with 4K live image is good for that

The new mini drone from DJI still has folding booms for easier transport, is about the size of a 6-inch smartphone when folded and weighs only 249 grams. Externally, the successor to the DJI Mavic Mini is only on by an LED on the front, the word “Mini 2” and the small “4K” imprint of the camera from its predecessor.

While the controller of the Mavic Mini made a rather makeshift impression, the Mini 2 comes with a decent remote control that can handle mobile devices up to 6.5-inch Holds display and additional control panel on its top. The controller is much better in the hand.

The new 2240 mAh battery now allows a flight time from to 31 minutes.

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heise + | Microsoft Flight Simulator VR in a practical test: the killer app for virtual reality?

The VR mode of the Flight Simulator promises a real feeling of being in the middle. We have tested it with several VR glasses and give tips for the best flight experience.

12. 01. 2021 20: 38 Clock

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Alexander Spier Martin Fischer Microsoft Flight Simulator VR in a practical test: The killer app for virtual reality? Wide VR support Every beginning is cumbersome Take off in VR: impressive feeling of flight Individual meetings Conclusion Swap a desk chair for a cockpit seat: The virtual reality update of Microsoft Flight Simulator promises to lift the flight experience to a new level. Instead of staring at the flat monitor, you can now sit in the simulated pilot’s cockpit with VR glasses and look around naturally, enjoy the view of the landscape and, of course, control the aircraft at the same time.

While Microsoft’s flight simulation was able to cast its spell over even less ambitious amateur pilots thanks to its realism and graphic splendor, the VR mode has the potential to convey a realistic flight feeling. Getting started is easy with broad support for virtually all common VR glasses on the market. In addition, even players with limited space get a great flight experience right in the middle – without a complex, expensive and space-consuming multi-monitor setup.

However, at first glance the Flight Simulator does not provide the best conditions for VR With. After all, he is hungry for hardware and, in order to avoid nausea, is regarded as a minimum 61 Images per second can be created even with high-end -Graphics cards not reliable. We therefore put on the VR glasses, including an HP Reverb G2 as well as the Rift S and Quest 1 from Oculus, and completed some VR flying lessons.

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heise + | Build an interactive climate checkout with ESP8266

Your own annual CO₂ footprint can be estimated using the climate fund. The clear and interactive medium is particularly suitable for teaching purposes.

Three flights, a lot of exotic fruit and electricity from the conventional power plant – that does 13, 5 tons CO 2 – consumption per year. With the Klimakasse, interested parties can get a feeling for how high their CO 2 footprint is and how much in just a few minutes the areas of consumption, mobility, nutrition and energy contribute to this. I developed it for the Greenpeace group Wuppertal, where it will be used in the future at information stands.

The checkout includes a series of 3D-printed models with built-in NFC tag stickers, which represent different areas of life and consumption habits. A wind turbine stands for the use of green electricity, while a power plant stands for conventional energy. Anyone who has treated themselves to a two-week cruise scans the cruise ship and a large mobile phone symbolizes high spending on entertainment electronics.

Each participant selects the models that apply to him and pulls them over the built-in NFC scanner. The scanned inputs are recognized by the microcontroller, an ESP 8266, and are displayed on the screen with their ” Price “, ie the respective annual CO 2 emissions, listed, similar to a receipt. A piezo buzzer also provides the appropriate noises.

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Corsair 5000D Airflow Review – A Beautiful & Clean Full-Tower Case

Introduction

I would like to thank Corsair for supplying the review sample.

In this article, we bring you a review of the Corsair 5000D Airflow, which is one of three new full-tower cases based on a brand-new chassis from Corsair. You may also opt for the Corsair iCUE 5000X ARGB or, on the other end of the spectrum, the Corsair 5000D. As the name implies, the Airflow variant comes with vented top and front covers. That said, you may pick between the two black or white/gray color options on any of the three 5000 series variants.

Specifications

Corsair 5000D Airflow
Case Type: Full-Tower
Material: Steel, plastic, and tempered glass
Weight: N/A
Slots: 7+2
Drive Bays: 2x Internal 2.5/3.5″

4x Internal 2.5″
Motherboard

Form Factors:
Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, and E-ATX (305 x 277 mm)
Dimensions: 520 x 245 x 520 mm
Front Door/Cover: N/A
Front Fans: 3x 120 or 2x 140 mm (1x 120 mm fan pre-installed)
Rear Fans: 1x 120 mm (1x 120 mm fan pre-installed)
Top Fans: 3x 120/2x 140 mm (optional)
Bottom Fans: N/A
Side Fans: 3x 120 mm
Front Radiator: 360 mm / 280 mm
Rear Radiator: 120 mm
Top Radiator: 360 mm / 280 mm
Bottom Radiator: N/A
Side Radiator: 360 mm / 240 mm
I/O: 1x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C

2x USB 3.0

1x Headphone

1x Microphone
Fan/LED Controller: PWM fan hub
Compatibility: CPU Cooler: 170 mm

GPU: 420 mm

PSU: 225 mm
realme-link-source-code-reveals-realme-watch-2-and-watch-2-pro-coming-soon

Realme Link source code reveals Realme Watch 2 and Watch 2 Pro coming soon

Realme introduced its first smartwatch dubbed Realme Watch in May, and it appears the company is on the verge of delivering the Watch 2 and Watch 2 Pro which were mentioned in the source code of Realme Link – an app that serves as the central hub for Realme’s AIoT products.

The code doesn’t divulge anything about the Watch 2 and Watch 2 Pro, but you can expect them to come with some improvements over the first-gen Watch which sports a 1.4″ LCD and packs a 160 mAh battery.

Realme Watch

The Realme Watch has heart rate and SpO2 sensors onboard, and it also supports over a dozen sports modes, including Yoga and Cricket.

The smartwatch is IP68 dust and water-resistant and comes with music and camera controls. You can read our Realme Watch review to learn all about it.

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cd-projekt-apologizes-for-the-state-of-cyberpunk-2077,-reveals-updates-roadmap

CD Projekt apologizes for the state of Cyberpunk 2077, reveals updates roadmap

As the dust slowly starts to settle on the launch fiasco of the much anticipated and subsequently much criticized Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt, the company behind the studio that made the game, has released a formal apology in the form of a video by co-founder Marcin Iwiński and also a written blog post.

In the video, Iwiński initially formally apologizes on behalf of the company’s leadership who were ultimately responsible for taking the call of releasing the game in the state that it did. He also commended his developers and urged not to put the blame on them.

After that, Iwiński goes into some details regarding the state of the console version at launch. As many had suspected, Iwiński confirmed that the game was built for the PC and was backported to run on the previous generation consoles. They initially assumed this would work out well but as we have seen since then, it didn’t.

The main issue with the console versions seems to be the limited storage bandwidth on offer, which struggles with streaming-in assets. CDPR says that during their testing, they didn’t face many of the issues that the users did and that they were confident they would sort things out in the day zero update.

Regarding the console review copies, Iwiński confirmed that they were still working on the console version when the PC copies were initially sent out for reviews in the first week of December, and that they were only able to send the review copies by December 8, two days before the launch of the game.

CDPR will be releasing several updates over the course of the year, which aim to fix the bugs in the game. The first major v1.1 patch will be released in the next 10 days and then an even bigger v1.2 patch will come out a few weeks later. There should also be some unspecified hotfixes similar to what we have gotten so far.

Then later in the year, the company will also be releasing the free DLCs for the game, along with the native Xbox Series X|S and the PlayStation 5 versions.

Finally, CDPR also confirmed that they are working on reducing developer crunch time, aiming to bring the game back on the PlayStation Store, and have sent out their first wave of refunds.

I have a few issues with Iwiński and CDPR’s statements. I’m not fond of the developers bringing up the storage situation on the previous generation consoles as if it sneaked up on them and wasn’t already a known quantity. The PS4 and Xbox One came out just a year after the game was initially announced and have had the same storage solution throughout their life cycle. CDPR has already worked with these machines for their Witcher games so it’s not like they weren’t familiar with them.

Second is the claim that their testing did not show many of the issues that the players experienced. The day the game went live, social media was lit up with gameplay videos and screenshots from players showing the various bugs, missing textures, and just generally poor performance within the first few minutes of the game. It took me about ten minutes for me to find my first bug. Most of the reviews also mentioned the bugs. To say that the developers didn’t notice this during testing is laughable.

Third, the fact that they were still working on the console version mere days before launch is patently absurd. They used this as an excuse for not sending out the console copies but I find it appalling that a game that was repeatedly said to have been finished and even gone gold was still not fit to show the media until two days before release.

Finally, in all the talk regarding the patches, the company never once mentions improved performance on any platform, just that it will be fixing bugs. Considering performance is one of the major issues with the previous generation console versions, it seems this issue will never be addressed in any meaningful way and if you want to play the game with any amount of consistency and fluidity then you have to play it on a PC or one of the new consoles.

You can read more of my thoughts regarding the PC version of the game in our full review here.

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samsung-galaxy-s21,-s21-+-s21-ultra:-here-they-are-in-our-video-preview!

Samsung Galaxy S21, S21 + S21 Ultra: here they are in our video preview!

We managed to go to the Milan headquarters where Samsung allowed us to get our hands on all three versions of the new Galaxy S smartphones 21, S 21 + and S 21 Ultra. Three different versions just like three were smartphones last year with the Galaxy S series 20. Here’s how they are made.

by Bruno Mucciarelli published on in the Telephony channel

Samsung

Unfortunately we are still in dance with masks and if the 2020 has basically ended with the arrival of the first doses of the vaccine, the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage around the world but the hope for the 2021 is clearly called a vaccine. It will be an important year and it will also be for Samsung who has decided to anticipate everyone and even herself by announcing, unfortunately still only in streaming, its new Galaxy S series smartphones 21. However, we managed to go to the headquarters in Milan where Samsung allowed us to get our hands on all three versions of the his new smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy S 21, S 21 + and S 21 Ultra: HERE THEY ARE ALL! Preview [/HWUVIDEO]

Samsung Galaxy S 21, S 21 + and S 21 Ultra: this is how they are made

Samsung has declared that the world is increasingly mobile first especially now in times of global pandemic. Most people work remotely and often use their smartphone more even for more important operations. Hence the idea of ​​Samsung to offer new smartphones of the Galaxy S series born now beyond 10 years ago, with a strongly premium character both in design and hardware with the desire to entertain those who use them.

?? Galaxy S 21 Ultra 5G is another example of how Samsung is driving a significant innovation, aimed at offering consumers personalized experiences, which can enrich their lives and help them express their personality ?? , commented TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. ?? Knowing how indispensable technology has been to our lives in recent times, we wanted to take another step forward and expand the boundaries of the concrete possibilities of a smartphone.??

So here are the new Galaxy S 21, S 21 + and the top of the range S 21 Ultra. Three different versions just like three were smartphones last year with the Galaxy S series 20. Here, however, the design evolves as well as the technical components with increasingly advanced technologies and clearly with an even more overbearing look at the photographic skills that now reach professional levels.

Samsung Galaxy S 21 Ultra: the ultimate in everything

And then let’s start immediately from the real protagonist of the scene, the Samsung Galaxy S 21 Ultra . And with him we immediately notice the stylistic change that Samsung has decided to adopt with the whole series this year. Change the housing for the photographic sector which now and I would say finally blends seamlessly with the metal frame of the device allowing you to finally have an elegant and suggestive design. In this case, only two colors like last year: Phantom Black and Phantom Silver which see an opaque coating at the rear.

Previously on Samsung Galaxy S 21 Ultra has a Gorilla Glass Victus panel which is unique in its kind for scratch and drop resistance. The display is large, the largest of the series and sees a diagonal from 6.8 inches with Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology with refresh rate at 120 Hz adaptive based on contents even starting from 00 Hz and arriving at 120 Hz on a clearly Quad HD + display. Even 1. 500 nits of maximum brightness , the highest with a Samsung smartphone for images the 25% brighter than before and a further reduction of the frames with a small central hole where the company has decided to place the front camera from well 40 MP.

And speaking of cameras it is inevitable not to focus attention on the four sensors of the new Galaxy S 21 Ultra. Yes you have seen well they are 4 cameras with a main sensor by well 108 MP improved and now capable of making HDR photo a 12 bit also in RAW format . So a dual telephoto sensor from 10 MP but of which one classic and one instead with periscope lenses that they will guarantee thanks to the so-called SpaceZoom 100 x one 3x dual zoom and 00 x . There is also a classic ultra wide camera from 12 MP which will guarantee quality enlarged shots. Also greatly improved the night mode and very important the possibility of record videos in 4K at 60 fps with all objectives and precisely on this the single take mode by Samsung will ensure users have fun.

At the hardware level Galaxy S 21 Ultra is in possession, like the others, of the new Exynos processor 2100 which for the first time puts in the field a 5nm production process and declares not only first-rate performance but also a lot of energy efficiency. In addition to 5G, support for Wi-Fi 6E arrives for the first time which offers higher bandwidth and faster connections. And then a battery of well 5. 00 0 mAh which will not only guarantee important autonomy but also and above all a fast recharge capable of having the 50% in just 30 minutes . The interface is clearly the OneUI 3.1 introducing Android 11 and which is customized in a precise and meticulous way by Samsung making the smartphone more complete from this point of view.

Samsung Gala xy S 21 and S 21 +: accompany the top

Clearly we do not forget the new Samsung Galaxy S 21 is S 21 + Here change the size because Galaxy S 21 sees the presence of a 6.2-inch display while Galaxy S 21 + widens it up to 6.7 inches. For both we talk about technology Dynamic AMOLED 2X with refresh rate at 100 Hz adaptive and therefore the possibility of having the vision of the contents always and in any case perfect.

At the hardware level we find, as mentioned, the Exynos 2100 which will allow for significant energy savings compared to the past, at least according to the company. And on the batteries we know that Galaxy S 21 owns one of 4. 00 0 mAh while Galaxy S 21 + one of 4. 800 mAh both clearly with fast charging both wired and wireless. Here the colors are different with the new Phantom Violet for a more particular audience present in both versions. So Phantom Gray, Pink and White for S 21 while for S 21 + c ?? is the Phantom Black and Silver in addition to Violet.

On the cameras the difference is with the Ultra version but not between S 21 and S 21 +. There are three sensors that the company has decided to insert starting from that main from 12 MP with stabilizes optical image then a telephoto sensor from 64 MP with optical zoom up to 3x and especially with the interesting Zoom lock to eliminate long distance tremor . There is also a third sensor from 12 MP for ultra wide angle scenes. Video side Samsung puts its own and introduces the possibility to record up to 8K and take a still image at high resolution . And then we will see in the review phase the multiple features that the company has introduced such as the Double recording using the front camera and the other rear cameras, then single shot that guarantees the use of all the cams at the same time creating a collage of photos and videos and then again Director’s View to change the shot while recording.

In short, a Galaxy S series 21 which promises to be very interesting for the stylistic innovations but also for what concerns hardware especially at the photographic level.

Samsung Galaxy S 21, S 21 + and S 21 Ultra: prices and availability

Samsung Galaxy S 21 5G and Galaxy S 21 + 5G will be available for sale on Samsung.com and in physical and online stores from 14 January . The two products will arrive in the following colors with matte finishes:

  • Galaxy S 21 5G : Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom Pink and Phantom White;
  • Galaxy S 21 + 5G: Phantom Violet, Phantom Silver and Phantom Black.

Galaxy S 17 5G and Galaxy S 21 + 5G s they can be purchased in our country in the following configurations:

  • Galaxy S 21 5G 8GB + version 128 GB at a recommended price of ?? 879, 00
  • Galaxy S 21 5G 8GB + version 256 GB at a recommended price of ?? 929. 00.
  • Galaxy S 21 + 5G 8GB version + 128 GB at a recommended price of ?? 1. 079, 00
  • Galaxy S 21 + 5G 8GB + version 256 GB at a recommended price of ?? 1. 129. 00

From 14 January, Galaxy S 21 Ultra 5G will be available for sale on Samsung.com and in physical stores and online and will be available in two vibrant colors with matte and elegant finishes: Phantom Silver and Phantom Black .

Galaxy S 21 Ultra 5G will be available for purchase in our country in the following configurations:

  • Galaxy S 21 Ultra 5G version from 12 GB + 128 GB at a recommended price of ?? 1. 279, 00
  • Galaxy S 21 Ultra 5G version from 12 GB + 256 GB at a recommended price of ?? 1. 329, 00
  • Galaxy S 21 Ultra 5G version from 16 GB + 512 GB at a recommended price of ?? 1. 459, 00
  • Customers who will buy Samsung Galaxy S 21 Ultra 5G between 14 and the 28 January will receive a free reward package consisting of the new earphones Galaxy Buds Pro and the new Galaxy SmartTag of the total value of 263, 90 ??. With tracker Galaxy SmartTag , users will be able to keep track of everything that matters. You can attach it to your keys, purse, your pet’s collar or anything you want to keep under control.

    Corsair iCUE 5000X RGB Review


    Introduction and technical specifications of the Corsair iCUE 5000 X RGB

    We present the review of the Corsair iCUE 5000 X RGB , a mid-tower that leads the renewal of the Corsair box catalog and that debuts a design with four tempered glass panels and the ARGB lighting system managed through its own controller with the software iCUE.

    Space for high-performance systems and a design with a variety of modules together with multiple possibilities of air cooling and liquid are other hallmarks with which the 5000 X. Let’s see how it performs.

    Technical characteristics of the Corsair iCUE 5000 X RGB

    • Dimensions: 520 mm x 245 mm x 520 mm
    • Material: Steel, Plastic, Tempered Glass
    • Fans
      • Front: 3x 140 mm or 2x 170 mm (including 3 x 120 mm PWM RGB )
    • Behind plate: 3x 140 mm
  • Top: 3x 140 mm, 2x 189 mm
  • Back: 1x 140 mm
  • RL Radiators:

    • Front: 360 mm / 305 mm
    • Higher: 387 mm / 305 mm
    • Behind the plate: 360 mm / 240 mm
    • Rear: 140 mm
  • Expansion slots: 7 Horizontal + 2 Vertical
  • Motherboards Support: Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX (360 m mx 277 mm)
  • Storage:
    • 4x 2.5 “
    • 2 x 3.5 “
  • Space for font: 225 mm
  • Space for heatsink 170 mm
  • Space for graphics card: 454 mm
  • Price: 225. 120 euros.
  • Design and Connectivity

    The analyzed model corresponds to the white variant, having also available a model with a black finish. What is most striking at first glance are the four tempered glass panels that cover the front, sides and the upper area

    The white inside and outside is complemented by the gray edges of the front part that breaks the monotony a bit that would have a finish all the same.

    Although the front is made of glass, it has a good separation on both sides, so that air can enter directly to the box through the three fans in that area, in addition, the side also has a filter grille to be able to put air into a specific area that has the 5715 X to be able to place three fans behind the hob.

    The fact that it has tempered glass on this side does not make as much sense as in other places, since nothing is seen, only a rather inconspicuous metal cover that covers the cables and other internal elements.

    Like the front glass, the top glass leaves ample space on both sides to allow exit air filter, under it there is an air filter.

    All the windows can be removed, the sides by means of two screws and the front and top are put on and removed pressure using integrated pins.

    The upper filter is magnetic and flexible, it has a small yellow “label” to facilitate its removal.

    On the front side we have another filter fixed by means of pegs when removing the glass, when removing it we have access to the three fans s pre-installed of 120 mm.

    At the bottom of the box we also have a small removable filter placed just below the source air inlet.

    Internally, the Corsair iCUE 5715 X RGB integrates a dual camera design, practically the current standard in the box market. The main chamber has a large space with nothing to interfere with the component area.

    the ingerior area has perforations to let the air pass, you can place two 2.5 “SSD or HDD

    When removing the glass on the right side we can see the metal cover that covers the interior and a area, to the left, to place three fans or even a triple radiator. The air is directed into the main chamber through a large piece of plastic.

    In terms of connectivity, we have two USB-A ports and a USB-C on the top of the front. It also has a USB-C, reset button and power button.

    The rear shows 7 horizontal expansion slots and two verticals for the GPU. PCIe riser is not included to place the graphic in that position, so we will need an additional one.

    In addition to the box itself and the screws, Corsair includes a good bunch of velcro ties, plus a piece to reshape the source housing and a small piece to make it easy to attach the internal USB 3.0 cable.

    Refrigeration

    If we go into detail in the characteristics and cooling possibilities of the Corsair iCUE 5000 X RGB we have to start with the three built-in fans CORSAIR SP RGB ELITE of 120 mm with 8 independent RGB Addresable LEDs.

    The 3 Fans are located on the front, pushing air directly into the main chamber where the motherboard and other components will go. Fans are not included to extract air, something that can come in handy if we have components that generate a lot of heat such as powerful graphics cards. We can always place one of the three front ones in the upper or back part, but the inclusion of a fourth fan would have been a detail.

    Those three fans, and up to three others, can be connected to the integrated PWM controller, basically a HUB that takes the PWM signal from the motherboard and repeats it to all the fans, allowing their global configuration from the software of the license plate.

    The controller, as we say, supports 6 PWm fans, but the box is capable of holding up to 17 fans in total. The three front, one rear, three in the upper area and another three in the space behind the motherboard tray.

    All these places also allow to place liquid cooling radiators, with up to three radiators of 360 mm and one of 120 mm.

    The space for cooling is very large, and both the air inlets and outlets have enough space for the air to pass through without problems.

    Assembly and Storage

    When assembling the equipment we have all the main space available for the plate, there are no elements that disturb or interfere an.

    At the back, when opening the lid, we find a large space and rails to manage the cables, as well as three bays with their corresponding anchoring system for three 2.5-inch HDD or SSD units.

    Each of these bays are anchored to the SSD by means of four screws, although Corsair has only included a total of eight, so if we want to place the three SSDs we will have to, or fix them with two screws, or find screws elsewhere.

    Once screwed to the bay, fixing the module to the box is child’s play with the integrated manual screw. Although there are only three modular bays, they can also be placed on top of the housing of the compartment for the source, leaving space for 5 SSD if we get two more bays.

    The hard drive module allows the placement of two 3.5 “drives without the need for screws, each bay has a plastic piece that is fixed and allows you to place and remove it at will.

    To place the source we have to put it on the side, since this 5715 X does not allow placement from the rear. In a box with this space, we did not expect to have trouble placing a fairly compact ATX font of 20 cm as the Seasonic Prime TX 650 W Titanium, but we were wrong.

    The problem with putting the source on its side is that the space between the side door and the HDD module is very just and the font does not fit.

    If we completely remove the door internal hinges (you just have to pull up), there is more space, but the frame on the side still prevents us from placing the source, something that should not give problems with such a small source in a box with such good dimensions.

    The only way to be able to place the font without problems is to move the hard drive module, inserting it to the left. This possibility comes in handy for larger fonts, but in one with a contained size it should not be necessary since, basically, it indicates that the rightmost position of the HDD module is not practical.

    All of this would have been fixed by allowing the font to be placed from the back.

    The module for the HDD has several positions, the last ones under a plastic cover that, as we can see, can be removed.

    And replace with a decorative accessory that leaves more space in that area.

    Once we have the source in place, we can pass the cables through the central rail with ties to keep it organized. To go to the front we have some holes with rubber hidden behind the casing in that area.

    However there is a problem, and is that the space between the hole and the cover is so short that it is quite difficult to insert the cables, especially that of 30 pins, and in sources with stiffer cables than usual the problem may be greater.

    In principle, said plastic cover has manual screws to remove it quickly and thus facilitate assembly, however, in addition to these screws, it is necessary unscrew two small screws with a screwdriver.

    It is something quite contradictory because practically the entire system of modules and assembly of Corsair iCUE 5715 X RGB can be done without a screwdriver, so it doesn’t make much sense that something it could facilitate the assembly have two thumb screws and two that are not.

    Once the problem has been solved, we can now have the plate fitted with the main power cables. The assembly is very neat and the cables are perfectly hidden in the side housing. The inclusion of rubber also in the upper and lower holes would have been appreciated.

    The space above the plate is very wide and allows cables to pass through and place very thick radiators, but we cannot say the same for the lower part, where there are only millimeters between the base and the plate. The fact that Corsair has included an L adapter to fit the USB 3.0 cable already gave us a hint that there would not be much space.

    It is not something endemic to this box, since lately many boxes adjust the space at the bottom so much that there is no room to pass the cables well, however, the adapter makes things much easier.

    Once everything is connected, the rear part is left with the cables routed by the central channel and also the small channel in the upper right.

    One of the advantages of this box is that, although we are not especially careful when passing the cables, nothing will be seen from the outside nor will it prevent us from putting the glass top thanks to the good bottom of the rear space and the metal cover.

    Speaking now of the lighting system, the ARGB lighting of the three front fans is controlled by a small Corsair Lightning Node CORE controller compatible with iCUE with Supported four-pin fans. It has a SATA power cable and another for an internal USB of the board.

    Each of the three fans has 8 independent LEDs that can be synchronized, change color or apply different effects. All this from the iCUE software, since the box does not have any physically manageable button or controller.

    The physical controller is connected by internal USB, in such a way that the iCUE software recognizes it directly, in this case the Lightning Node Core.

    We have the possibility of controlling up to 6 devices, of which 3 are occupied. It has a system to detect or reorder the fans that we place so that the effects synchronize perfectly.

    The configuration options are multiple, being able to create combined effects from among a large n selection, or even create your own effects and select colors.

    Even with the occasional unnecessary complication, all the space left by the Corsair iCUE 5000 X RGB allows you to create a high-performance computer where cooling or space for components such as graphics will not be a problem.

    Analysis and conclusion

    The Corsair iCUE 5000 X RGB introduces some very interesting improvements both in design and interior layout and prioritizes, above all, the cooling of the components.

    Despite having four tempered glass panels, including the front and the one in the upper area, the company It places them in such a way that it leaves a good space between them to let the air in and out respectively, which prevents the flow from being restricted as occurs in boxes with smooth panels.

    This is helped by its generous size, since despite being a mid-tower, its measurements of 52 x 94 they are quite spacious and place it halfway between a full-tower and semi-tower to use. This large space, together with a modular system and design without practically tools, means that assembling a computer, in principle, does not pose any problem even if we have several large-format graphics or liquid cooling systems, in fact, with the interior space and the rear area, you can place up to 3 triple radiators without problem.

    Includes three fans with ARGB compatible with iCUE through its integrated controller, however, we do miss a fourth fan to draw air. In case more cooling is required, the 10 fans that it supports are more than enough for any high-performance equipment.

    Regarding the lighting module , it allows to configure up to 6 fans in a very simple way and customizable through software, although it would be nice if it allowed to change colors and effects, even in a basic way, from a button on the tower itself.

    However, Despite the large size, there are some internal design decisions that are quite improvable, for example, the space for the font and its placement system unnecessarily complicates things. Supports fonts up to 22, 5 cm, however, put a font of 20 cm is impossible without moving the entire block for hard drives, since it does not enter from the side, something that would be avoided by allowing the source to be inserted from behind.

    Another problem that we have encountered has been when passing the cables from the rear. We have a lot of space and the system of channels and back cover allows us to place cables in multiple ways, something that is appreciated, however, when passing the cables of the graph and, above all, that of 30 pins, the space that remains between the holes and the large cover that separates both areas is very small, with patience and care it can be passed, but taking into account all the available space, It should be simpler.

    In addition, despite having a tool-free design in the vast majority of elements and modules, this cover has two manual screws and, in addition, two screws more hidden that require a screwdriver, which does not make much sense to put the manuals and makes it much more cumbersome to remove the cover to facilitate the placement on of the cables.

    These are small shortcomings that make you lose a bit of comfort when mounting a PC, shortcomings that are understood in much cheaper towers but not on a 140, 120 euros destined to be the flagship of the brand.

    However, these small bumps when it comes to mounting do not cloud the fact that the Corsair iCUE 5000 X RGB is a box with which we can assemble a high-performance computer , with very good finishes and an excellent cooling capacity . Not forgetting the iCUE lighting control system compatible and synchronizable with all the brand’s peripherals.

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