2014: Year in Review

December

Samsung SSD 850 EVO

Having taken the SSD world by storm again with the SSD 850 PRO earlier in the year, Samsung last month brought 3D V-NAND to a lower price point with the SSD 850 EVO before any other NAND manufacturer had released any 3D NAND-based products. The SSD 850 EVO does fall into the dangerous middle class of SSDs, where it can't compete on performance with the top dogs or on cost per GB with the value drives, and this will likely leave it at a disadvantage. However, Samsung's continual innovation in the SSD space is worthy of recognition, and the SSD 850 EVO range is undeniably great, with TurboWrite, RAPID Mode and the Magician software suite being particular highlights.

SilverStone Fortress FT05

Our final product highlight of 2014 is this great little chassis from SilverStone. With its sleek, all-aluminium exterior and a design remniscient of the excellent FT02, the FT05 scores big points in the design department. It's not all show though, as the FT05 continues the tradition of Fortress cases being fantastic when it comes to air cooling. It uses a rotated design with a bottom-to-top, positive pressure airflow design that will do wonders for your temperatures. If you don't have too much hardware inside, it's a solid choice for a premium ATX build.

News

• Next-gen Google Glass to get Intel inside
  
• Asus teases GeForce GTX 970 DirectCu Mini
  
• Mionix launches world's first Smart Gaming Mouse on Kickstarter
  
• AMD Launches Catalyst Omega Driver
  
• Fractal Design unveils Kelvin T12, S24, S36 AIO coolers
  
• Intel announces Internet of Things Platform
  
• Hex Gear enters enthusiast case market with modder-inspired R40
  
• LG announces 21:9 monitors, including FreeSync model

That's it for our 2014 year in review. Think we've missed anything vital? Let us know! Be sure to let us also know what you're most looking forward to in 2015.