This sequel, at first glance, is a slightly odd beast. While in the first game demonic powers complemented first-person shooter mechanics as auxiliary gameplay mechanics, in The Darkness II your supernatural abilities are pushed right into the foreground from the word go. In the first game, you might remember, the Darkness was something you had to charge up and use judiciously. Here, it’s something you’re encouraged to use as much as possible, with Digital Extremes even going so far as to offer points for more elaborate kills, a la Bulletstorm.

Innards include Intel Core i7-2600K processor cooled by SCYTHE APSALUS2 120 closed-loop water cooler, ASRock Z68 Pro3 motherboard, 8 GB (4 GB x2) DDR3-1333 MHz memory, ELSA Gladiac GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1 GB graphics, Intel SSD 320 Series 80 GB holding the OS and Program Files, 2 TB storage HDD holding Users and Documents folders, Pioneer DVD writer, Antec Earthwatts Green 650W PSU, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OS. All this, for 129,780 JPY or US $1,685.

Avexir’s newest memory kit introduction is their Core Series setup – which by Computex reviews 2011 caused quite a stir amongst enthusiasts and overclockers alike. Sitting in front of us today is a sample of their Core Series DDR3 1333MHz 32GB (8GB x 4) Quad Channel kit. Reading over the features/specifications for this actual kit, it’s no wonder there are whispers and much anticipation over it’s release.

Product Description taken from Caseking reegarding the Core Series memory kit:

As a customer-oriented company has Avexir Technologies Corporation always willing to listen to their growing fan base worldwide and take their wishes and needs very seriously. From cheap budget and standard series of netbook storage to delivering high-performance components for serious gamers extends the multi-faceted range of 2006 founded company. The Core series has already caused at the Computex trade show in Taipei for a sensation. Attention is to take it literally, because the core modules include a performance monitoring indicator in the form of blue LEDs. Price-conscious hardware enthusiasts, overclockers and modders are, therefore, the intended target group of the Core series.

Sporting a rather minimalist appearance, the Core Series kit could be described as having hidden depths – and rightfully so!!! Design wise the Core Series has everything that will appeals to it’s targeted market. Featuring matching PCB and Heatspreader colourings, the Core Series looks every bit the part and would complement any gaming/enthusiast PC. The ‘tiger’ striped cut-out sections running along the top of the heatspreader not only serve for design functionality but also hold a little secret that is very visible when installed.

Enhancing heat conductivity, the slick black coloured Core Series heatspreader has been massively improved, and feature 2oz copper and 8 layer PCB. Running along the top of the PCB (and are viewable through the cleverly designed heatspreaders) are various LEDs that serve as visual indicators when in certain ‘clocked’ states. The LEDs are programmed to emit a green light when in underclocked state and using voltages below 1.35V (energy saving mode) while a blue light is emitted when the machine is put in a overclocked state with voltages set above 1.65V. Memory ICs from AVEXIR Core series are pre-sorted to ensure high performance and stability in various conditions – making it an ideal choice for those who like to push their system’s boundaries!!

In addition the the LED’s serving as a visual aid in ‘clocked’ scenario’s, they also serve in their design strategy – when in use, the carefully cut-out Avexir logo in the spreader is also illuminated a nice shade of green/blue – a nice touch by Avexir.

In terms of actual speed, there is very little documented information for this – the only information i could find was that their 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB (1333MHz -1600MHz) kits all run under the recommended timings/voltages of CL9-9-9-24 -1.5-1.65V. Obviously as no real information to clarify this has been documented, this information is a ‘guide’ only (and therefore should not be taken as being 100% accurate) – when more precise information is provided we will update this review. Likewise, retail stockists of this particular memory kit are sparse and i could find no information of exactly where this exact kit can be purchased and at what price – again we will endeavour to update this review with more precise information once it becomes available.

**Wednesday 25th January UPDATE:**

After much research we have been able to locate a european stockist for the Core Series memory kits. At the time of this update caseking.de are stocking the Avexir Core Series 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB DDR3 1333MHz kits. Prices for this are shown in euro’s but as a guide (and using a currency converter) 2GB is available for around £24, 4GB costing around £25, while the 8GB kit (2 x 4GB) will set you back around £52 (minus postage and packaging charges).

And just to show the pretty coloured LED lights – a video from YouTube (This video file is owned by and remains the responsibility of the uploader – news and reviews are not responsible for it’s content).

Company Summary:

While Avexir is a virtually unknown presence in the UK, it’s clear from their Computex reviews that they are set to take the memory world by storm and grant themselves an all-exclusive pass to being among the best memory manufacturers around. Describing themselves as being a customer-orientated company, with their vision being that of the fulfillment and contentment of their customers, they are certainly taking all the right steps to please the very people who are important to them: the consumer!!! My own personal dealings with their sales team have been faultless, every email was dealt with promptly and all their correspondence has been polite and efficient. Even after a few hiccups with customs holding on to then subsequently returning the first package, a second kit was sent promptly and without our need to ask 10 out of 10 for customer service!!!

Product Summary:

Avexir has placed itself in the middle of a bustling market and is steam-rolling the competition with the Core Series ram additions. Designed to work alongside the newer X79 platforms and targeted towards the hardcore enthusiast, the Core Series is set to be a massive hit. Avexir have not only produced a feature packed memory kit that will astound with it’s simplicity but have produced a memory kit that offers design functionality at it’s very best. Once availability becomes much more widespread, im in no doubt Avexir and the Core Series will become a trusted, household name in the computing world.

We would like to thank Avexir for providing us with a sample kit to take a look at.

The U180 also features a 10.1-inch (1024 x 600) LED-backlit display, 1 GB of RAM, a 320 GB hard drive, Intel GMA 3650 graphics, 10/100 LAN, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, a 0.3-megapixel webcam, a 2-in-1 card reader, and a 6-cell battery. MSI’s incoming Cedar Trail netbook runs Windows 7 Starter and is available for pre-order priced as low as 325.90 Euro.

“We set out to develop the best sounding earphones at a price the average consumer could afford without sacrificing sound quality,” said Jason Lim, CEO of NuForce. “We’ve pushed the limits and created the NE-600X and NE-770X, where we’ve managed to develop outstanding products that hit a wide price range with products that will please even the most astute music enthusiast.”

Dubbed Predator Technology, the core wrestling experience has been beefed up with a host of new features. The new Breaking Point submission system, improved controller layouts and tweaks to the momentum and stamina of each brawler helps balance everything out while providing a more immersive experience.

Clearly there have been enough enhancements in WWE ’12’s interactivity for THQ to call it the WWE Universe 2.0. Rivalries, alliances, matches and spontaneous canvas action will take place on a whim and at unpredictable moments in your career, and these will all be hinged on the decisions that you make throughout the game.

Add to this the dynamic presentation – which features new camera positions, lighting arrangements and improved rendering – a more involved Road to Wrestlemania story mode, an extensive catalogue of WWE superstars such as John Cena, Randy Orton, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio, and the customisation options you’re used to in past titles, and WWE ’12 looks to be the most extensive iteration of the wrestling series yet.

I’ve Seen It:

Modern Warfare is back. On November 8th, the best-selling first-person action series of all-time returns with the epic sequel to the multiple Game of the Year award winner Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Enjoy HD movie files with DTS-HD Master Audio nad Dolby TrueHD, directly from your Home Theater, or downmix to stereo for TV watching. You can even play BD-ISO files! And thanks to the scaled-down form factor of the MediaMatchBox, you can take it with you anywhere!