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Saturday, January 31st 2009
Intel Scraps 45 nm Nehalem Dual-Core Chips, Plans Replacement
Grappling with a deteriorating world economy, and overstocked inventories with current-generation Core 2 platforms, Intel seems to have had a change of plans with regards to its dual-core Nehalem-derivatives. Company roadmaps originally pointed at two chips, codenamed Havendale and Auburndale to be the dual-core MCM implementations of the Nehalem architecture, for desktops and notebooks respectively. The "MCM" (multi-chip module) part comes to light in the way the chips were originally conceived: two dice on a package, one holding the CPU complex and the other holding the northbridge, consisting of a memory controller, PCI-Express root complex, and a graphics controller.
Theo Valich, noted industry commentator, in his latest blog post in Theo's Bright Side of IT, mentions that Intel scrapped Havendale and Auburndale in its conceived form. The two were set to make possible Intel Core i4 and i3 SKUs. Instead, Intel is working to push forward the launch of their common successor by six months: the Arandale core. Arandale features in the future series of Nehalem-derived processors to be built on the 32nm high-K silicon process, slated for 2010. Arandale from all that is known thus far is the dual-core Nehalem implementation on 32nm lithography, apart from speculation of it holding a higher amount of L3 cache: possibly 6 MB against 4 MB on the Havendale/Auburndale. The Arandale core was originally slated for "back to school" season, 2010 (around September~October). After rescheduling the launch, it could arrive by March.
Theo Valich, noted industry commentator, in his latest blog post in Theo's Bright Side of IT, mentions that Intel scrapped Havendale and Auburndale in its conceived form. The two were set to make possible Intel Core i4 and i3 SKUs. Instead, Intel is working to push forward the launch of their common successor by six months: the Arandale core. Arandale features in the future series of Nehalem-derived processors to be built on the 32nm high-K silicon process, slated for 2010. Arandale from all that is known thus far is the dual-core Nehalem implementation on 32nm lithography, apart from speculation of it holding a higher amount of L3 cache: possibly 6 MB against 4 MB on the Havendale/Auburndale. The Arandale core was originally slated for "back to school" season, 2010 (around September~October). After rescheduling the launch, it could arrive by March.
Scythe Preparing Katana III Cooler
After a host of new CPU coolers rolling out of Scythe's stables, the latest one in the making is the Katana III. The cooler seems to have been designed keeping the latest Core i7 and Phenom II processors in mind. It sports a strange, audacious yet familiar design: an aluminum-fin array propagating diagonally. A CPU contact block that doubles up as a small heatsink, forms are a starting-point, rather than mid-point of six copper heatpipes. These heatpipes convey heat to the fin array. This design is somewhat similar to that of the Gelid Silent-Spirit except for that the latter makes a more acute angle with the plane of the motherboard.
The cooler measures 143mm × 108mm × 94mm and weighs 495g (1.09 lbs). It makes use of a single 92mm PWM-controlled fan that rotates at speeds between 300 and 2,500 rpm to push 6.7 to 55.5 CFM of air. Accordingly, its noise levels range between 7.2 and 31.07 dBA. The Katana III is compatible with all standard desktop sockets including Intel LGA-1366, LGA-775 and AMD AM2(+)/AM3. Scythe is expected to announce this cooler soon.
The cooler measures 143mm × 108mm × 94mm and weighs 495g (1.09 lbs). It makes use of a single 92mm PWM-controlled fan that rotates at speeds between 300 and 2,500 rpm to push 6.7 to 55.5 CFM of air. Accordingly, its noise levels range between 7.2 and 31.07 dBA. The Katana III is compatible with all standard desktop sockets including Intel LGA-1366, LGA-775 and AMD AM2(+)/AM3. Scythe is expected to announce this cooler soon.
Friday, January 30th 2009
Today's Reviews
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Jays c-Jays Headphones Review
Swedish headphone manufacturer Jays recently released the much anticipated c-Jays supra-aural headphones. Their slim design together with a customizable sound signature has made quite a stir amongst the headphone crowd.
AMD To Crank Up Phenom II Clock-Speeds Upto 3.50 GHz, Planning New Models
Beating its chest on the "massive headroom" (read: clock speed increment potential) its newest line of processors, the Phenom II have, it was about time the company utilized the said headroom to carve out new SKUs. With the AM2+ exclusive Phenom II X4 940 already showing impressive overclocking potential, while shipping with a clock speed of 3.00 GHz, the company is planning to increase stock clock speeds in increments of 100 MHz (0.5x multiplier) with a string of SKUs post Phenom II X4 950. This according to the insider sources a German website called AMD News caught up with.
All the upcoming processors will be built on the AM3 package, making them compatible with DDR3 and DDR2 memory standards. With the Phenom II X4 950 being clocked at 3.10 GHz, succeeding SKUs take 100 MHz steps, starting from a Phenom II X4 960 at 3.20 GHz to a Phenom II X4 990 at 3.50 GHz. Despite the high clock speeds, the chips will continue to maintain rated TDPs of 125W. At some point within the succession, AMD will crank up the HyperTransport interconnect speed from 1,800 MHz to 2,000 MHz. The launch-schedule for these processors will be spread throughout 2009.
All the upcoming processors will be built on the AM3 package, making them compatible with DDR3 and DDR2 memory standards. With the Phenom II X4 950 being clocked at 3.10 GHz, succeeding SKUs take 100 MHz steps, starting from a Phenom II X4 960 at 3.20 GHz to a Phenom II X4 990 at 3.50 GHz. Despite the high clock speeds, the chips will continue to maintain rated TDPs of 125W. At some point within the succession, AMD will crank up the HyperTransport interconnect speed from 1,800 MHz to 2,000 MHz. The launch-schedule for these processors will be spread throughout 2009.
NVIDIA Slips-In PhysX 9.09.0121 System Software
NVIDIA made its latest version of the PhysX system software available today, version 9.09.0121. The update aims to fix several issues with the older 9.09.0010, relating to its installation, runtime environment, game-specific and graphics accelerator-specific. To begin with, this version of the software resolves issues noted during installation on some non-English versions of Windows. It resolves issues relating to the PhysX SDK runtime with multi-GPU configurations. It fixes an issue with the game Mirror's Edge where occasional crashes were seen. Performance increments are in store for users of GeForce GTX 285 and GeForce GTX 295 accelerators.
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA PhysX System Software 9.09.0121 WHQL
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA PhysX System Software 9.09.0121 WHQL
RV790 Makes Radeon HD 4900 Series, Led by HD 4995 X2?
After RV740, the next AMD venture on the 40nm silicon process will be the company's next flagship GPU: the RV790. With this core AMD hopes to reclaim the performance and value crowns, more importantly, energy efficiency the newer fab process hopes to bring to the current-generation GPU.
Quite obviously, AMD will assign new SKUs to the products based on the RV790. The safest guess would be the formation of a new sub-series under Radeon 4000, the Radeon HD 4900 series. German website ATi Forum has learned that indeed AMD planning on a new sub-series based on the new GPU, following scoops on RV740 making the Radeon HD 4700 series. Once again, AMD might create two products based on a single GPU and one flagship dual-GPU accelerator, to begin with. The company's lackluster optimism in the R700 Pro (Radeon HD 4850 X2), has shown on the upcoming series with no mention of a second-inline dual GPU accelerator. In ATi Forum's theory, the RV790XT gets HD 4970, RV790Pro gets HD 4950 and the dual-GPU flagship SKU could be named Radeon HD 4995 X2. Talk about competitive naming.
Quite obviously, AMD will assign new SKUs to the products based on the RV790. The safest guess would be the formation of a new sub-series under Radeon 4000, the Radeon HD 4900 series. German website ATi Forum has learned that indeed AMD planning on a new sub-series based on the new GPU, following scoops on RV740 making the Radeon HD 4700 series. Once again, AMD might create two products based on a single GPU and one flagship dual-GPU accelerator, to begin with. The company's lackluster optimism in the R700 Pro (Radeon HD 4850 X2), has shown on the upcoming series with no mention of a second-inline dual GPU accelerator. In ATi Forum's theory, the RV790XT gets HD 4970, RV790Pro gets HD 4950 and the dual-GPU flagship SKU could be named Radeon HD 4995 X2. Talk about competitive naming.
Intel SSD Roadmap Leaked
The guys over at VRZone have got their hands on the roadmap for Intel's SSD products. It has been said that Intel will be moving to a smaller fabrication process from 50 nm to 34 nm by Q4 2009 with capacities available up to 320 GB. The successor to Intel Turbo Memory has also been detailed, known as Braidwood and set for release in Q1 2010, it is said to, "provide SSD-like performance on second generation Ibex Peak chipsets like Q57, P57 and H57." Though to use Braidwood you will need, "Firmware support, Intel Rapid Storage Technology as well as the Braidwood module." These come in smaller capacities ranging from 4 GB to 16 GB, and will also be based on Intel's new 34 nm fabrication process. There is no official word on pricing as yet, but these new products are not expected to be cheap.
Acer Presents the New Aspire One with a 10-inch Form Factor
Acer, today presented an all-new 10" Aspire One netbook, complete with a 10-inch screen, Windows XP and integrated Bluetooth, and designed for a fast, simple and utterly cool online life.
Only one year after first appearing on the market, netbooks have totally revolutionized the PC market, helping to form an entirely new market segment that users themselves created through a real need to be online all the time and to socialize around the clock.
Acer, thanks to its unique ability to read market trends and anticipate user needs, rapidly introduced the Aspire One, the world's most popular netbook.
Only one year after first appearing on the market, netbooks have totally revolutionized the PC market, helping to form an entirely new market segment that users themselves created through a real need to be online all the time and to socialize around the clock.
Acer, thanks to its unique ability to read market trends and anticipate user needs, rapidly introduced the Aspire One, the world's most popular netbook.
Acer Presents the Ferrari 1200
Acer, today presented the new Ferrari 1200, an all-new notebook series designed to deliver mobile computing superiority in an exclusive style.
In the true spirit of the Ferrari racing team, the Acer Ferrari 1200 notebook combines powerful performance and extreme portability with the excellence of design. From the choice of materials to the smallest detail, the Ferrari 1200 conveys the look and feel of a F1 racecar. The carbon-fibre cover, a material actually used in racecars, is lighter yet stronger than magnesium alloy, making the Ferrari 1200 the perfect travel companion. Unique ventilation design echoes the exhaust pipes of F1 cars and the anodized-metal touchpad resembles the brake and acceleration pedals of a Ferrari car. A tasteful wave pattern embellishes the cover, while the soft-touch coating and the velvety texture of the interior ensure ergonomic comfort.
In the true spirit of the Ferrari racing team, the Acer Ferrari 1200 notebook combines powerful performance and extreme portability with the excellence of design. From the choice of materials to the smallest detail, the Ferrari 1200 conveys the look and feel of a F1 racecar. The carbon-fibre cover, a material actually used in racecars, is lighter yet stronger than magnesium alloy, making the Ferrari 1200 the perfect travel companion. Unique ventilation design echoes the exhaust pipes of F1 cars and the anodized-metal touchpad resembles the brake and acceleration pedals of a Ferrari car. A tasteful wave pattern embellishes the cover, while the soft-touch coating and the velvety texture of the interior ensure ergonomic comfort.
Apple Takes Down NVIDIA Graphics Update 2009
A few days ago, we covered the release of an NVIDIA graphics update from Apple, which was intended to address issues when using the Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter on MacBook Air, MacBook and MacBook Pro and improve cursor movement and playback of HD videos running on systems with NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT or GeForce 9600M graphics. Within just two days of the update being posted, the page and downloads were removed from Apple's site, for initially unknown reasons. It seems that not long after the update was released, the Apple discussion forums started filling up with people having either the same, or in some cases, worse problems following the graphics update. According to CNET, "This issue only affects those with the MacBooks, MacBook Airs or MacBook Pros redesigned in October, and it seems to only be a problem when running the integrated graphics on those machines."
Campaign Calls for Early Windows 7 Release
A website has emerged campaigning for Microsoft to step up development of Windows 7 and launch it earlier than planned. The beta released in the last month has created much excitement across the tech world, and many people are eager for the release of Microsoft's new OS, currently slated for Q4 2009 to Q1 2010. Many websites are posting positive reviews of the public beta, a reason behind this movement. The founder of the site, Kelly Poe has said,
I'm a BIG Windows fan and have been loving what Microsoft has done with the recent Beta Release of Windows 7. There have been so many great reviews from people like Leo Laporte (twit.tv, TWIT Podcast) and Paul Thurrott (www.winsupersite.com, Windows Weekly podcast), needless to say I'm jones'n for the release of Windows 7.At the time of writing the site had a backing of 646 votes, which was constantly growing. You can find the website and join the campaign at releasewindows7.com
So here we are...let's join together and get Microsoft to release Windows 7...enough with this Beta stuff...release it already!!! Let the beautiful little birdy (with the odd name) fly!!!
Intel to Unveil Octo-Core Xeon Next Month
Sitting tight on the desktop and server performance thrones with the Core i7 and Xeon Dunnington series procesors, Intel is looking to carry on with its product launch-cycle with the introduction of octo-core (8 cores) enterprise processors later this year. The company is expected to detail the industry about this upcoming processor series as early as next month at the Solid State Circuits conference in San Fransisco between February 8 and 12.
The processor in question will be based on the Intel Nehalem architecture and will consist of eight x86 processing cores, a massive transistor-count of 2.3 billion, and will be built on the company's current 45nm manufacturing process. It will hold 24 MB of L3 cache, a quad-channel memory interface and QuickPath Interconnect system interface. Furthermore, it is aimed at quad-socket server platforms. Intel will keep this only upto a presentation level at the conference and not a launch. It is expected to start off with quad-core Xeon processors based on the new architecture later in this quarter.
The processor in question will be based on the Intel Nehalem architecture and will consist of eight x86 processing cores, a massive transistor-count of 2.3 billion, and will be built on the company's current 45nm manufacturing process. It will hold 24 MB of L3 cache, a quad-channel memory interface and QuickPath Interconnect system interface. Furthermore, it is aimed at quad-socket server platforms. Intel will keep this only upto a presentation level at the conference and not a launch. It is expected to start off with quad-core Xeon processors based on the new architecture later in this quarter.
Razer and Raptr Join Forces
Razer, the world's leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, today announced a new partnership with Raptr, the first social platform that allows users to know, in real-time, what games they and their friends are playing across multiple platforms. When combined with Razer's precision keyboards and mice, the joint offering provides Razer's millions of customers the opportunity to seamlessly join Raptr's community and build friendships, compete and connect while gaming.
AMD Releases Special Catalyst 9.1 for Sapphire HD 4850 X2
Although the Radeon HD 4850 X2 is an official SKU by AMD, launched (rather paper-launched) by the company along with the HD 4870 X2, Sapphire ended up being the only company to come up with an HD 4850 X2 series product line, since AMD didn't specify a reference design of its own. Sapphire went on to launch 1GB (2x 512MB) and 2GB (2x 1GB) variants of the said accelerator.
In AMD's latest release of the Catalyst driver suite (version 9.1), the HD 4850 X2 was excluded from the supported hardware list. Instead the company now released a special release of Catalyst 9.1 for the Radeon HD 4850 X2 series. The driver provides the same feature-set and list of fixes as described in the original release notes document for Catalyst 9.1, albeit being specific for the said accelerator. The WHQL-signed drivers are available for Windows Vista and Windows XP operating systems from the AMD website here.
In AMD's latest release of the Catalyst driver suite (version 9.1), the HD 4850 X2 was excluded from the supported hardware list. Instead the company now released a special release of Catalyst 9.1 for the Radeon HD 4850 X2 series. The driver provides the same feature-set and list of fixes as described in the original release notes document for Catalyst 9.1, albeit being specific for the said accelerator. The WHQL-signed drivers are available for Windows Vista and Windows XP operating systems from the AMD website here.
Scythe Prepares KillerWhale CPU Cooler
After introducing some of the most efficient CPU coolers, the Japanese cooling specialist, Scythe, is now planning to launch a new cooler named KillerWhale, designed and manufactured originally by DeepCool, distributed by Scythe. This cooler is specifically designed keeping the Intel LGA-1366 socket in mind, where a slightly bigger, rectangular base serves the application better.
The most characteristic feature of this cooler is its large, rather thick fan and sweep area. Its construction seems fairly simple: six heatpipes arise from a rectangular copper CPU contact block, which convey heat to an aluminum fin array that propagates along the plane of the motherboard. The entire cooler measures 54.5 x 143 x 143.5 mm, and weighs 900g (around 2 lbs). The 120mm fan rotates at speeds between 800 and 1800 rpm to dole out up to 78.32 CFM of air. The KillerWhale supports Intel LGA-1366, LGA-775, AMD AM3, AM2+, AM2, 940 and 939 sockets. It will hit stores soon.
The most characteristic feature of this cooler is its large, rather thick fan and sweep area. Its construction seems fairly simple: six heatpipes arise from a rectangular copper CPU contact block, which convey heat to an aluminum fin array that propagates along the plane of the motherboard. The entire cooler measures 54.5 x 143 x 143.5 mm, and weighs 900g (around 2 lbs). The 120mm fan rotates at speeds between 800 and 1800 rpm to dole out up to 78.32 CFM of air. The KillerWhale supports Intel LGA-1366, LGA-775, AMD AM3, AM2+, AM2, 940 and 939 sockets. It will hit stores soon.
Thursday, January 29th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Monitors
Motherboards
Unreal Tournament 3 With Steamworks
In preparation for the massive update coming for Unreal Tournament 3, those who own a retail copy may now register it with Steam, free of charge.
The latest installment in the legendary online action series from Epic will be updated automatically via Steam and introduce support for Steamworks Achievements (with over 50 Achievements), plus a host of new features and enhancements in AI, Server Browsing, Demo Recording, Mod Support, and more.
For more information or to register your copy of UT3 with Steam, please visit steamgames.com
The latest installment in the legendary online action series from Epic will be updated automatically via Steam and introduce support for Steamworks Achievements (with over 50 Achievements), plus a host of new features and enhancements in AI, Server Browsing, Demo Recording, Mod Support, and more.
For more information or to register your copy of UT3 with Steam, please visit steamgames.com
iZ3D Announces a Demo Day at Fry’s Electronics and MicroCenter
iZ3D, Inc., designer, developer and pioneer of advanced stereoscopic 3D visualization systems, is pleased to announce that a hands on demonstration of it's popular 22-inch switchable 3D/2D monitor display system will be featured at all Fry's Electronics and MicroCenter stores this Saturday, January 31, 2009.
The iZ3D display is the only true full resolution 3D display with a 170-degree 3D viewing angle so the whole family can play together. The only thing you need is a pair of iZ3D passive polarized glasses that virtually eliminate headaches, fatigue, or eye-strain common with other 3D displays. Three pairs of glasses are included with each monitor and additional pairs are available for $9.99. The company's industry-leading 3D software display drivers are also included and offer users more software control over the 3D effect and the ability to toggle between 2D and 3D on the iZ3D monitor making it the ideal overall display solution for the home.
The iZ3D display is the only true full resolution 3D display with a 170-degree 3D viewing angle so the whole family can play together. The only thing you need is a pair of iZ3D passive polarized glasses that virtually eliminate headaches, fatigue, or eye-strain common with other 3D displays. Three pairs of glasses are included with each monitor and additional pairs are available for $9.99. The company's industry-leading 3D software display drivers are also included and offer users more software control over the 3D effect and the ability to toggle between 2D and 3D on the iZ3D monitor making it the ideal overall display solution for the home.
AMD Releases ATI Catalyst 9.1 Driver Suite
AMD today released its timely update to the ATI Catalyst system drivers package that provides drivers driver support for ATI Radeon graphics accelerators, AMD 7-series chipset with integrated graphics. The drivers are effictive for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Linux operating systems.
The new release expands the feature-set of the ATI Catalyst, along with a set of fixes as described in the release notes (PDF). The fixes mostly revolve around Catalyst Control Center and the video acceleration features of the driver. To begin with, the new driver provides full OpenGL 3.0 support, including a few new GL extensions. The release also favours Linux by providing support for Hybrid CrossFireX. More importantly, the Linux version of the driver, provides MultiView support, that enables using independent display-heads on setups with multiple ATI GPUs. It is supported by any combination of ATI Radeon GPUs, Radeon HD 2000 series and later.
DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst 9.1 for Windows XP (32bit) | Windows XP (64bit) | Windows Vista (32bit) | Windows Vista (64bit)
The new release expands the feature-set of the ATI Catalyst, along with a set of fixes as described in the release notes (PDF). The fixes mostly revolve around Catalyst Control Center and the video acceleration features of the driver. To begin with, the new driver provides full OpenGL 3.0 support, including a few new GL extensions. The release also favours Linux by providing support for Hybrid CrossFireX. More importantly, the Linux version of the driver, provides MultiView support, that enables using independent display-heads on setups with multiple ATI GPUs. It is supported by any combination of ATI Radeon GPUs, Radeon HD 2000 series and later.
DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst 9.1 for Windows XP (32bit) | Windows XP (64bit) | Windows Vista (32bit) | Windows Vista (64bit)
RV740 to Make Radeon HD 4730, HD 4750 SKUs?
AMD is on course of releasing the industry's first GPU built on the 40nm silicon process: the RV740. Its specifications make it a cheap yet powerful GPU for the segment it is about to cater to. With the earliest pointers hinting at 640 stream processors and a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. The GPU also marks the industry's first mainstream implementation of the GDDR5 standard.
Fresh details emerging out of the inspection of the driver information files of ATI Catalyst version 9.1, as German website ATI Forum finds out, hints at the possibility of the RV740 being implemented in two SKUs: the Radeon HD 4730 and Radeon HD 4750. While in the driver file, the device string lists with "RV630", it can be seen throughout the file that several strings are assigned to the same RV630, and is merely a means to identifying a whole class or generation of graphics processors to the driver. Additionally, the string bears the device ID of the RV670, again, that's not relevant. The strings are what matter. The RV740 is not very far away from large scale production. It should become a reality by the upcoming CeBIT event, in March. From the view of being a mere postulation, RV740 being the GPU that goes into making the new SKUs, does end up sounding plausible. When released, these cards are intended to further strengthen AMD's market position in the sub-US $150 market.
Fresh details emerging out of the inspection of the driver information files of ATI Catalyst version 9.1, as German website ATI Forum finds out, hints at the possibility of the RV740 being implemented in two SKUs: the Radeon HD 4730 and Radeon HD 4750. While in the driver file, the device string lists with "RV630", it can be seen throughout the file that several strings are assigned to the same RV630, and is merely a means to identifying a whole class or generation of graphics processors to the driver. Additionally, the string bears the device ID of the RV670, again, that's not relevant. The strings are what matter. The RV740 is not very far away from large scale production. It should become a reality by the upcoming CeBIT event, in March. From the view of being a mere postulation, RV740 being the GPU that goes into making the new SKUs, does end up sounding plausible. When released, these cards are intended to further strengthen AMD's market position in the sub-US $150 market.
Toshiba Adds Elegant StorE Steel and StorE Art to its External Hard Disk Drive Family
Toshiba Europe expands its external hard disk drive family with the addition of two new devices that have a strong focus on design. StorE steel has a minimalist and elegant design that comes in three glossy metallic colours. StorE art brings personalisation to the market with a range of different colours and patterns. The new products in the StorE family will be available during the first quarter of 2009 throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Water-Cooled GTX 295 in Works by EVGA, Zotac
January 8 saw NVIDIA reclaim the performance crown from arch-rival AMD/ATI with the introduction of its dual-GPU GeForce GTX 295 graphics accelerator. The company used two of its 55nm G200 graphics cores is building this accelerator. Maintaining a dual-slot construction with its reference design, the card provides a fair bit of overclocking on its stock cooler. EVGA and Zotac, two of NVIDIA's largest add-in card partners, are reportedly planning water-cooled versions of this accelerator.
It is not clear at this point if the accelerators come in the form of merely cards with factory-fitted water-blocks, or if they come equipped with dedicated water-cooling loops. The two manufacturers will take advantage of the superior cooling system to provide high, non-reference clock-speeds to the cards' GPUs and memory. The new SKUs are likely to surface at the upcoming CeBIT event held in Hannover, Germany.
It is not clear at this point if the accelerators come in the form of merely cards with factory-fitted water-blocks, or if they come equipped with dedicated water-cooling loops. The two manufacturers will take advantage of the superior cooling system to provide high, non-reference clock-speeds to the cards' GPUs and memory. The new SKUs are likely to surface at the upcoming CeBIT event held in Hannover, Germany.
Mushkin Launches New 1866 MHz DDR3 Triple-Channel Kit: 998686
Mushkin Enhanced, one of the leading manufacturers for High Performance Computer Parts announced today the release of its XP3-15000 DDR3 modules. Rated for 933MHz (1866MT/s data rate) and 8-9-8-24 latencies, the XP3-15000 modules provide astonishing performance on Intel X58 platforms while using a safe 1.65V supply voltage.
"Following our tradition of innovation in the high performance memory market, the new XP3-15000 brings Core i7 triple-channel kits to an elevated standard", said Brian Flood, Mushkin's director of product development. "Enthusiasts and gamers alike will enjoy the flexibility and stability of this new product while overclocking their machines."
"Following our tradition of innovation in the high performance memory market, the new XP3-15000 brings Core i7 triple-channel kits to an elevated standard", said Brian Flood, Mushkin's director of product development. "Enthusiasts and gamers alike will enjoy the flexibility and stability of this new product while overclocking their machines."
Samsung Doubles Memory Capacity Using 4Gb DDR3 Chips
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced today that it has made a significant advancement in the push for higher volume memory chips by developing the world's first four gigabit (Gb) DDR3 DRAM chip, using 50 nanometer (nm) process technology.
With more and more data centers seeking a reduction in the number of servers they use, the development of low-power 4Gb DDR3 has become critical in reducing data center costs, improving server time management and increasing overall efficiency.
With more and more data centers seeking a reduction in the number of servers they use, the development of low-power 4Gb DDR3 has become critical in reducing data center costs, improving server time management and increasing overall efficiency.
Wednesday, January 28th 2009
Today's Reviews
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Motherboards
Processors
Tagan SuperRock 680W TG680-U33II Review
The Tagan SuperRock 680W is a great power supply for budget aware users who are looking for a cost effective way to power their system. With 680W it should be good for almost everything you can throw at it. During our testing we found out that the PSU is running very quiet which makes it a good candidate for a silent media PC system, too.
NVIDIA Names Stanford's Bill Dally Chief Scientist, VP of Research
NVIDIA Corporation today announced that Bill Dally, the chairman of Stanford University's computer science department, will join the company as Chief Scientist and Vice President of NVIDIA Research. The company also announced that longtime Chief Scientist David Kirk has been appointed "NVIDIA Fellow."
"I am thrilled to welcome Bill to NVIDIA at such a pivotal time for our company," said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO, NVIDIA. "His pioneering work in stream processors at Stanford greatly influenced the work we are doing at NVIDIA today. As one of the world's founding visionaries in parallel computing, he shares our passion for the GPU's evolution into a general purpose parallel processor and how it is increasingly becoming the soul of the new PC. His reputation as an innovator in our industry is unrivaled. It is truly an honor to have a legend like Bill in our company."
"I am thrilled to welcome Bill to NVIDIA at such a pivotal time for our company," said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and CEO, NVIDIA. "His pioneering work in stream processors at Stanford greatly influenced the work we are doing at NVIDIA today. As one of the world's founding visionaries in parallel computing, he shares our passion for the GPU's evolution into a general purpose parallel processor and how it is increasingly becoming the soul of the new PC. His reputation as an innovator in our industry is unrivaled. It is truly an honor to have a legend like Bill in our company."
NVIDIA Likely to Start 40nm GPU Conquest with GT218
As the industry moves closer to implementation of the 40nm silicon technology on graphics processors, some of the most complex electronic devices, both AMD and NVIDIA have their offerings in the works. While AMD already has prototypes taped out, NVIDIA seems to be taking its time, perhaps to perfect its products.
The green camp, as Hardware-Infos finds out, is likely to start its 40nm lineup with the GT218 graphics processor. With NVIDIA's internal coding scheme, the GT218 is an entry-level GPU. In its generation hierarchy, would be the GT215, GT216 (mainstream) and GT212 (high-end). The GT218 will succeed the G98 GPU that went into making the GeForce 9300 series. It will have 32 stream processors, 8 texture memory units, and 4 raster operations pipelines. It will continue to have a 64-bit wide memory bus. Despite the increase in transistor counts, the GPU ends up with a lower TDP, expected to be around 22W, as against the roughly 30W for the G98. The GT218 is slated for April, later this year.
The green camp, as Hardware-Infos finds out, is likely to start its 40nm lineup with the GT218 graphics processor. With NVIDIA's internal coding scheme, the GT218 is an entry-level GPU. In its generation hierarchy, would be the GT215, GT216 (mainstream) and GT212 (high-end). The GT218 will succeed the G98 GPU that went into making the GeForce 9300 series. It will have 32 stream processors, 8 texture memory units, and 4 raster operations pipelines. It will continue to have a 64-bit wide memory bus. Despite the increase in transistor counts, the GPU ends up with a lower TDP, expected to be around 22W, as against the roughly 30W for the G98. The GT218 is slated for April, later this year.
I-O Data Out With New Netbook-Friendly DVD Burner
Specialists with external data storage, I-O Data has come up with a new ultra-slim external DVD-burner it claims to be netbook friendly, given that most netbooks rely on external optical drives. The new drive (model: DVRP-U8XLE2) is 21mm thick and comes with a square profile. The drive roughly measures up to be the size of a portable CD player. It burns dual-layer DVDs at 6X speeds, DVD-R, DVD+R at 8X speeds. It sports a standard USB 2.0 interface. Interestingly, its makers claim this drive to perform identically, an in at its full operational write speeds on any netbook.
Samsung EcoGreen F2 1.5TB HDD Tested
Korean silicon giant Samsung is ready with its 1.5TB high-capacity desktop hard drive, under the EcoGreen F2 series. The drive is labeled HD154UI. With this drive Samsung looks to focus on storage rather than performance, giving this drive a spindle speed of 5400 rpm, aided by a 32MB cache. This is where the company gets to brandish energy-efficiency, thus living up to its EcoGreen brand name.
Despite these specifications, the drive manages a decent set of scores on the HD Tune benchmark, churning out read/write speeds of around 105 MB/s sequential, and around 48/72 MB/s random access. It has a rated average seek-time of 8.9ms. This Samsung drive comes in the standard 3.5" form-factor. It uses the standard SATA II interface. The drive features some proprietary acoustic management features such as SilentSeek and NoiseGuard. It will be available in Japan later this week at a price of ¥11,580 (around US $130).
Despite these specifications, the drive manages a decent set of scores on the HD Tune benchmark, churning out read/write speeds of around 105 MB/s sequential, and around 48/72 MB/s random access. It has a rated average seek-time of 8.9ms. This Samsung drive comes in the standard 3.5" form-factor. It uses the standard SATA II interface. The drive features some proprietary acoustic management features such as SilentSeek and NoiseGuard. It will be available in Japan later this week at a price of ¥11,580 (around US $130).
XFX Preparing GeForce 9400 GT Fatal1ty Edition
The GeForce 9400 GT graphics processor was originally conceived by the company to serve as an upgrade over the IGP, to provide multi-head HD video connectivity, video acceleration and a reasonable bit of GPU acceleration for CUDA-driven applications. It facilitates only some very casual gaming at low settings. XFX however, is looking to give it a gamer feel with a new Fatal1ty-branded SKU. Brand Fatal1ty represents a range of gamer-oriented hardware carrying the brand-marks of one of the most successful and popular professional gamers of our time: Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel.
The XFX GeForce 9400 GT Fatal1ty takes on the same XFX-design and adds Fatal1ty branding. Featuring 512 MB of DDR2 memory, this card uses clock speeds of 550 MHz core and 800 MHz memory. The features are pretty standard: 16 stream processors, a 128-bit wide DDR2 memory bus, DVI and D-Sub connectors for output, and a low-profile PCB design that makes it slim form-factor friendly. The product will be announced shortly, so we could know its price.
The XFX GeForce 9400 GT Fatal1ty takes on the same XFX-design and adds Fatal1ty branding. Featuring 512 MB of DDR2 memory, this card uses clock speeds of 550 MHz core and 800 MHz memory. The features are pretty standard: 16 stream processors, a 128-bit wide DDR2 memory bus, DVI and D-Sub connectors for output, and a low-profile PCB design that makes it slim form-factor friendly. The product will be announced shortly, so we could know its price.
Antec Intros NSK 4480 II Mini Tower Case
After releasing the gamer-oriented Nine Hundred Two earlier this month, Antec made the NSK 4480 II official. This case serves as a standards-compliant mini-tower case that uses a simple, professional outlook. It includes the Antec EarthWatts 380W 80-Plus certified PSU. Measuring 420 (H) x 195 (W) x 420 (D) mm, this case provides three 5.25" and two 3.5" drive bays. Internally there are three additional bays for hard drives. The side-panel of this case has three rectangular ventilators. A single rear 120mm Tri-Cool fan provides active ventilation. Along with the PSU, the case weighs around 9 kgs (around 19.8 lbs) and is mostly composed of SECC steel. Backed by a 3-year warranty, the NSK 4480 II comes at a recommended price of US $109.95.
ASUS M4A79T Deluxe Pictured
Keeping up with the standards, ASUS is introducing its fleet of motherboards for the AMD AM3 socket. Following the introduction of the M4A79 Deluxe, the company has topped up the M4A series with a new DDR3-supportive model: the M4A79T Deluxe. The "T" in the model name indicates DDR3, and is the only pointer on the product package indicating DDR3 support. It is based on the AMD 790FX + SB750 chipset. It supports the upcoming AM3 socket processors.
The board itself has an identical layout to the M4A79 Deluxe, except for the four DDR3 DIMM slots colour-coded in orange and black, to keep up with the coding scheme used by ASUS in several of its motherboards with DDR3 support. It supports up to 16 GB of DDR3-1333 MHz memory (DDR3-1600 by overclocking). Featuring as many as four PCI-Express x16 (electrically x8 with all slots populated), it supports 4-way ATI CrossFireX. The SB750 provides six SATAII internal ports and an eSATA port. Other features are standard issues for this motherboard: 8-channel audio with optical and co-axial SPDIF connectivity, gigabit Ethernet, and Firewire. With the M4A79 Deluxe selling for US $199 in the US, one can expect this motherboard to be priced in that range, with a little premium charged for its DDR3 support.
The board itself has an identical layout to the M4A79 Deluxe, except for the four DDR3 DIMM slots colour-coded in orange and black, to keep up with the coding scheme used by ASUS in several of its motherboards with DDR3 support. It supports up to 16 GB of DDR3-1333 MHz memory (DDR3-1600 by overclocking). Featuring as many as four PCI-Express x16 (electrically x8 with all slots populated), it supports 4-way ATI CrossFireX. The SB750 provides six SATAII internal ports and an eSATA port. Other features are standard issues for this motherboard: 8-channel audio with optical and co-axial SPDIF connectivity, gigabit Ethernet, and Firewire. With the M4A79 Deluxe selling for US $199 in the US, one can expect this motherboard to be priced in that range, with a little premium charged for its DDR3 support.
Super Talent Releases SSD Upgrade for Asus S101 Eee PC
Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today launched an SSD, offered in capacities up to 64GB, that was specially designed as an upgrade for the Asus S101 Eee PC.
The Windows model of the S101 includes only 16GB of local storage, so Super Talent's upgrade SSD offers the S101 user the opportunity to double or quadruple the storage capacity in his netbook.
The Windows model of the S101 includes only 16GB of local storage, so Super Talent's upgrade SSD offers the S101 user the opportunity to double or quadruple the storage capacity in his netbook.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II Multiplayer Beta Open To All
The Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II multiplayer beta is now open to all gamers via Steam. To join the beta and/or pre-purchase the full title, please visit steamgames.com
EVGA Announces the EVGA GTX 285 FTW
EVGA Corporation, the leading-edge 3D processor graphics cards and motherboard manufacturer, announces the fastest single GPU graphics card on the market today, the EVGA GeForce GTX 285 FTW. The powerful 3D processor features the NVIDIA GeForce 285 GPU and 1GB of the fastest 0.8ns DDR 3 memory. Running at an impressive 720MHz core clock, 2,772MHz memory clock and 1620MHz shader clock, the EVGA GeForce GTX 285 FTW outperforms all other competitive products in all the three clock setting resulting in impressive performance advantages. The EVGA GeForce GTX 285 FTW will be immediately available in e-tail and retail at a recommended end user price of $449.99.
Tuesday, January 27th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Monitors
Motherboards
Processors
PSUs
Apple NVIDIA Graphics Update 2009 Released
Apple on Monday released a software update that addresses issues when using the Apple Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI adapter on MacBook Air, MacBook and MacBook Pro. More concrete, this update improves cursor movement and playback of HD videos running on systems with NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT or GeForce 9600M graphics. Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later is required to apply the update.
DOWNLOAD: Apple NVIDIA Graphics Update 2009
DOWNLOAD: Apple NVIDIA Graphics Update 2009
Nexus Launches 850W Tranquillity RX-8500 PSU
Nexus Technology, provider of authentic silent components for PC noise reduction and cooling, has introduced today its most powerful power supply unit - Nexus Tranquillity RX-8500. The 850W power supply is suitable for people that are looking for extremely quiet unit with modular cable design, Active Power Factor Correction and guaranteed 80% efficiency under load. Full specs follow below.
Zalman VF2000 LED in Pretty Pixels
First spotted at the recent CES 2009 event, the Zalman VF2000 LED is incing towards launch. The Korean cooling specialist added a smart bit of innovation to this GPU cooler: it can also be used to cool a CPU. The VF2000 LED is a simplistic looking GPU cooler that is compatible with most GPUs such as the NVIDIA G9x and ATI RV700 series. Designed primarily for graphics cards, the VF2000 LED maintains a short profile. It measures 126x110x45 mm and weighs 290 g. Its construction is fairly simple, consisting of a contact block from which four heatpipes emerge, conveying heat to a dense aluminum fin array. The 90mm PWM-controlled, blue LED-lit fan is embedded into a circular cavity atop the array.
The provision of additional retention modules makes this cooler compatible with the Intel LGA-775 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3 sockets. However, the catch is that this cooler is recommended only for CPUs with rated TDPs below 110W, and hence can't be used for overclocking adventures on air-cooling, however, its slim construction sets it up as an ideal cooler for low-profile PCs. For the same reasons, this cooler is not provided with support for the LGA-1366. Matbe sourced some pictures from the cooler's official photo shoot. For more pictures, visit this page.
The provision of additional retention modules makes this cooler compatible with the Intel LGA-775 and AMD AM2/AM2+/AM3 sockets. However, the catch is that this cooler is recommended only for CPUs with rated TDPs below 110W, and hence can't be used for overclocking adventures on air-cooling, however, its slim construction sets it up as an ideal cooler for low-profile PCs. For the same reasons, this cooler is not provided with support for the LGA-1366. Matbe sourced some pictures from the cooler's official photo shoot. For more pictures, visit this page.
Apple iLife ’09 Shipping Tomorrow
Apple announced today that iLife '09, which was unveiled earlier this year at Macworld in San Francisco, begins shipping tomorrow - January 27, 2009. iLife '09 offers many of the eagerly awaited updates to programs like iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb and GarageBand, that all Mac users are waiting for. iLife '09 adds new ways to organize and manage photos in iPhoto. It also helps to create and enhance movies using iMovie, or learn to sing or play a musical instrument using GarageBand and its downloadable video tutorials. Starting tomorrow iLife '09 will be included with every new Mac. Mac users hoping to upgrade to iLife 09 will need to be using an Apple computer running Mac OS X 10.5.6 operating system or later. Upgrading to iLife '09 will cost $79 for a single license, or $99 for the Family Pack that allows the software to be loaded on up to five computers. Learn more about iLife '09 here.
Mushkin Announces New PCGH DDR2 Special-Edition
Mushkin announces the availability of a new DDR2 Special-Edition: the 4GB Kit called "996580PCGH" is the continuation of the successful co-operation with the PC Games Hardware print magazine.
"The teamwork with the PCGH is fantastic!" says Steffen Eisenstein, CEO of Mushkin Logistic GmbH very glad. "So it makes perfect sense for us to do another Special-Edition. The new kit is perfect for performance demanding beginners who wants fast timings and rock-bottom prices."
"The teamwork with the PCGH is fantastic!" says Steffen Eisenstein, CEO of Mushkin Logistic GmbH very glad. "So it makes perfect sense for us to do another Special-Edition. The new kit is perfect for performance demanding beginners who wants fast timings and rock-bottom prices."
WD Officially Launches Industry's First 2 TB 3.5-inch Hard Drive
WD today announced the first 2 terabyte (TB) hard drive - the world's highest capacity drive and the latest addition to WD's popular, environmentally friendly, cool and quiet, WD Caviar Green hard drive family. This new 3.5-inch platform is based on WD's industry-leading 500 GB/platter technology (with 400 Gb/in2 areal density) with 32MB cache, producing drives with capacities of up to 2TB.
Jetway Working on DDR2 and DDR3 Supportive ''Combo'' AM3 Motherboard
After AMD embraced the DDR3 memory standard, the eventuality always existed where motherboard vendors could release motherboards that supported both DDR2 and DDR3 memory standards, to support the complete spectrum of processors built for the AM2, AM2+ and AM3 sockets with appropriate memory modules installed. The Jetway MA3-79GDG COMBO will be one of the first in its kind.
Based on the AMD 790GX + SB750 chipset, the MA3-79GDG COMBO holds two DDR2 DIMM slots for DDR2-1066 MHz memory, and two slots to support DDR3-1066 MHz memory. Memory support is subject to the processor being used. The motherboard comes in the micro-ATX form-factor and goes ahead with providing support for the ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU standard apart from its Radeon HD 3300-class IGP. The rest of this motherboard consists of a standard feature-set, with single PCI and PCI-Express x1 slots, 8-channel audio with optical and co-axial SPDIF audio connectivity, IGP video output through DVI, HDMI and D-Sub connectors, gigabit Ethernet and eSATA. This motherboard will reach stores next month and hopes to cash-in on its biggest USP: upgrade-friendliness. Its price isn't known at this point.
Based on the AMD 790GX + SB750 chipset, the MA3-79GDG COMBO holds two DDR2 DIMM slots for DDR2-1066 MHz memory, and two slots to support DDR3-1066 MHz memory. Memory support is subject to the processor being used. The motherboard comes in the micro-ATX form-factor and goes ahead with providing support for the ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU standard apart from its Radeon HD 3300-class IGP. The rest of this motherboard consists of a standard feature-set, with single PCI and PCI-Express x1 slots, 8-channel audio with optical and co-axial SPDIF audio connectivity, IGP video output through DVI, HDMI and D-Sub connectors, gigabit Ethernet and eSATA. This motherboard will reach stores next month and hopes to cash-in on its biggest USP: upgrade-friendliness. Its price isn't known at this point.
Fujitsu Stops HDD Head Production
Japanese electronics firm Fujitsu has decided to closed down its hard disk drive (HDD) head production, to consolidate losses incurred by the business over the recent red quarters. Fujitsu produces HDD heads for both the components industry and its own HDDs. The company said it would book a loss of 5 billion Yen (US $55.8 M) in its investment in a manufacturing facility at Nagano, north-west of Tokyo.
The said facility will continue manufacturing other drive components such as circuit boards, while employees working for drive-head production will be moved to other jobs. While production of drive-heads will stop in March, the company is in talks with several companies over selling off its entire HDD business, according to company spokesperson Takashi Koto, without disclosing the names of the companies on table. Toshiba comes up as a prospective buyer. It has confirmed that it is in talks with Fujitsu over the sale of a business.
The said facility will continue manufacturing other drive components such as circuit boards, while employees working for drive-head production will be moved to other jobs. While production of drive-heads will stop in March, the company is in talks with several companies over selling off its entire HDD business, according to company spokesperson Takashi Koto, without disclosing the names of the companies on table. Toshiba comes up as a prospective buyer. It has confirmed that it is in talks with Fujitsu over the sale of a business.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 RC1 Released
Microsoft made public today, the first release candidate of Internet Explorer 8. Internet Explorer 8 RC 1, build number 8.0.06001.18372 is the latest version of the familiar web browser that is said to be faster, better and more secure than its predecessors. This release is compatible with both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008. There is still no official release for Windows 7. For more information, please read the release notes.
DOWNLOAD: Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1
DOWNLOAD: Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1
Monday, January 26th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cooling
Gaming PC
Mousepads
Multimedia
ASRock nForce 3 Motherboard Supports Phenom II
With the AMD K8 architecture, AMD had made it very simple for CPUs and motherboards to get along. Memory support being purely subjective to the memory controller on the CPU, the only thing the motherboard chipset was left to do was to connect the rest of the system to the CPU using the HyperTransport interface. With the introduction of the DDR2 supportive AM2 socket that was mostly pin-compatible with socket 939, motherboard vendors took to cost-cutting using older s939 and s754-"supportive" chipsets such as the NVIDIA nForce 3. ASRock is one of them. The company used the nForce 3 in the AM2NF3-VSTA motherboard.
Having bought that motherboard in its time, might just pay off now, with the company including it in its latest socket AM3 CPU compatibility list. The motherboard might go on to support the latest Phenom II X4, X3 series; Athlon X4, X3 series, and other processors in AMD's 45nm desktop CPU lineup. That will also add to the reputation of the NVIDIA nForce 3 chipset being the only platform core-logic to span across three generations of CPU sockets: socket 754, socket 939, and socket AM2. And supporting AMD processors from three generations of sockets: AM2, AM2+ and AM3. This is what AMD originally conceived when designing its socket model. Unfortunately, vested commercial interests and "sandbagging" have plagued many a motherboard manufacturer who continue to discriminate CPU support within the AM2/3 socket series, to create new product lines, and to keep their sales up.
Having bought that motherboard in its time, might just pay off now, with the company including it in its latest socket AM3 CPU compatibility list. The motherboard might go on to support the latest Phenom II X4, X3 series; Athlon X4, X3 series, and other processors in AMD's 45nm desktop CPU lineup. That will also add to the reputation of the NVIDIA nForce 3 chipset being the only platform core-logic to span across three generations of CPU sockets: socket 754, socket 939, and socket AM2. And supporting AMD processors from three generations of sockets: AM2, AM2+ and AM3. This is what AMD originally conceived when designing its socket model. Unfortunately, vested commercial interests and "sandbagging" have plagued many a motherboard manufacturer who continue to discriminate CPU support within the AM2/3 socket series, to create new product lines, and to keep their sales up.
Patriot Memory Announces Participation in CeBIT 2009
Patriot Memory, a global provider of premium memory module and flash memory solutions, today announced it will be showcasing its award-winning products at CeBIT, which will be held in Hannover, Germany March 3-8, 2009. CeBIT attendees can expect to see Patriot's full line of DRAM and flash memory solutions.
"Europe was our second largest market in the world in 2008 and continues to show incredible growth potential," says Johnny Van Esch, General Manager for Patriot Memory, B.V. "CeBIT gives us the opportunity to meet with new and existing customers and to showcase our newest products for 2009 and beyond."
"Europe was our second largest market in the world in 2008 and continues to show incredible growth potential," says Johnny Van Esch, General Manager for Patriot Memory, B.V. "CeBIT gives us the opportunity to meet with new and existing customers and to showcase our newest products for 2009 and beyond."
MSI Unveils GT627 Gaming Notebook Featuring NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS Video Card
MSI Computer, a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, is pleased to announce the newest addition to its Gaming Notebook Series - GT627. The new GT627 is the first in the MSI Gaming Notebook series to feature the NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GS graphics processing unit (GPU). This revolutionary GPU delivers blazing-fast mobile gaming and supports NVIDIA CUDA technology enabling MSI customers to experience the wide range of CUDA-based applications-such as heart-stopping GPU-accelerated game physics and video conversion. The GeForce 9800M GS also saves power and increases computing efficiently by handling video decoding, allowing the CPU to focus on other tasks.
AMD Foundation and Games for Change Unveil Online Toolkit for Social Games
AMD today announced the availability of Let the Games Begin: A Toolkit 4 Making Social Issue Games, which helps nonprofit organizations to create social issue games on such topics as the environment, energy consumption, poverty and health. Produced by Games for Change with support from the AMD Foundation's AMD Changing the Game initiative, the toolkit includes examples of successful games with social content as well as in-depth presentations by key game-design experts. The toolkit is free of charge and available here.
Foxconn Preparing BloodRage GTI Edition
Famed for creating one of the most well-presented Core i7-supportive motherboards with the original BloodRage X58, Foxconn is preparing a new variant of the said motherboard: the BloodRage X58 GTI. This variant is identical to the original design, for the most of the part. It even provides a near-identical feature-set and bundled accessories, except for a few minor changes: the digital PWM-based CPU power circuit has been replaced with a 14-phase hybrid PWM. In simpler terms, the CPU power circuit will consist of a portion of digital PWM circuitry, plus a portion consisting of standard chokes. From the picture (below) one can see the dark heatsink right above the CPU socket and chokes next to it. Apart from that, the standard feature set remains: support for ATI CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI multi-GPU technologies, up to 12 GB of DDR3 memory (3 DIMM slots in all), an expansive set of overclocker-friendly features such as Force-Reset, that restores the last known working BIOS state, and finally the SONAR X-Fi sound card. The BloodRage X58 GTI is expected to hit stores soon. A lot more is yet to be known about this SKU before predicting its price.
RV790 Samples Carry Faster Memory
Having taped out late last year, samples based on the new RV790 graphics processor have been doing rounds in the industry. A few more details have surfaced about it. Earlier noted to have identical clock speeds to that of the RV770XT (Radeon HD 4870), the RV790 samples are now known to have higher memory clock speeds. While the Radeon HD 4870 has its memory frequency at 900 MHz GDDR5 (effective 3.60 GHz), the samples carry memory clocked at 975 MHz (effective 3.90 GHz). Interestingly the memory chips on the sample, labeled IDGV1G-05A1F1C-40X, made by Qimonda, are specified to run at 1.00 GHz, reaching the 4 GHz effective memory speed mark. The samples feature 1 GB of memory. The RV790 is AMD's new current-generation graphics processor built on the newer 40nm silicon fabrication process. The new process is expected to reduce the GPU's power consumption and thermal footprint. The RV790 is conceived to be an immediate successor to the RV770 GPU.
Intel Launches Core 2 Duo E8700
Intel has launched a new flagship dual-core processor under its Core 2 Duo series: the E8700. As the number suggests, the new chip will have its FSB multiplier value increased by 0.5x. Based on the Wolfdale core, the new model has already made it to Intel's ARK information system on its official webpage (found here).
The new chip comes with a clock-speed of 3.50 GHz, with an FSB of 1,333 MHz. The FSB multiplier value on this chip is 10.5, which gives it a 167 MHz increment over the E8600. Despite the high clock speed, it continues to hold a rated TDP of 65W. It features 6 MB of L2 cache and supports all features listed for the Core 2 Duo E8000 series processors. Intel claims that the chip will be available from its end for at least the next two years. It is yet to be listed by popular computer hardware stores, so we could know its availability and pricing. In most likelihood, it could displace the E8600 from its price-point, looking at the way Intel has been dealing with its lineup lately.
The new chip comes with a clock-speed of 3.50 GHz, with an FSB of 1,333 MHz. The FSB multiplier value on this chip is 10.5, which gives it a 167 MHz increment over the E8600. Despite the high clock speed, it continues to hold a rated TDP of 65W. It features 6 MB of L2 cache and supports all features listed for the Core 2 Duo E8000 series processors. Intel claims that the chip will be available from its end for at least the next two years. It is yet to be listed by popular computer hardware stores, so we could know its availability and pricing. In most likelihood, it could displace the E8600 from its price-point, looking at the way Intel has been dealing with its lineup lately.
Danamics Retires LM10 Liquid-metal Processor Cooler
Danish company Danamics has officially given up on its liquid-metal LM10 processor cooler. Labeled as the world's first to use liquid-metal as cooling agent, and hoped to be better than many watercooling systems, the LM10 became nothing but a super overpriced piece of metal that's falling behind current top air coolers. No one saw it coming exactly because of these two things - its high price tag of 280 Euro for the base model and somewhat doubtful performance. Released two months ago, it is now history.
Danamics said that after LM10 it will focus on new products featuring liquid metal technology. These products will also be for the high-end computing market and will launch later this year.
Although it is not in production anymore, current owners of LM10 will be supplied by Dinamics with socket 1366 mounting kit free of charge.
Danamics said that after LM10 it will focus on new products featuring liquid metal technology. These products will also be for the high-end computing market and will launch later this year.
Although it is not in production anymore, current owners of LM10 will be supplied by Dinamics with socket 1366 mounting kit free of charge.
Intel Readies R0 Revision of Core 2 Quad Q8200
TC Magazine reports that Intel is preparing a little upgrade on its modest 2.33GHz 45nm Core 2 Quad Q8200 processors. The Q8200 CPUs will pass from M1 to R0 stepping next month. The revised R0 processors will begin to be supplied from February 23rd through April 20, 2009. As reported Q8200 R0 will feature a halide free package, new S-spec and MM numbers, a CPUID changed from 10677 to 1067A, and Power State Indicator (PSI) support with Intel 4 series chipsets. To decrease energy consumption and update monitoring functions, the R0 quad-core processors will bring in three new low power states (Extended Stop Grant State, Deep Sleep State and Deeper Sleep State) and new XSAVE/XRSTOR instructions. A BIOS update for your motherboard will likely be needed if you happen to own a R0 quad-core.
TSMC Reports Fourth Quarter Financial Results, Reports Losses
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's largest independent semiconductor foundry and chip maker for ATI, Altera, Broadcom, Conexant, Marvell, NVIDIA, and VIA products, recently posted its fourth-quarter financial results. TSMC reported revenue of NT$64.56 billion, net income of NT$12.45 billion, and earnings per share of NT$0.48 (US$0.07 per ADS unit) for the fourth-quarter that ended December 31, 2008. Year-over-year, the company's fourth-quarter revenue decreased 31.2% while net income and EPS decreased 63.9% and 62.3%, respectively. Compared to third-quarter of 2008, fourth-quarter results of TSMC represent a 30.6% decrease in revenue, a decrease of 59.3% in net income, and a decrease of 59% in EPS. That sharp decline in TSMC's finances is triggered by the contageous economic recession worldwide. Unfortunately it is taking money from literally everything and everyone.
"The global economic recession continues to worsen. Fourth quarter end-market sell-through was much below the already conservative expectations, and consumer demand remains very weak. This has led to a rising DOI for our customers, who continue to pare their inventories aggressively, resulting in a further significant cut back of wafer demand," said Lora Ho, VP and Chief Financial Officer of TSMC.
"The global economic recession continues to worsen. Fourth quarter end-market sell-through was much below the already conservative expectations, and consumer demand remains very weak. This has led to a rising DOI for our customers, who continue to pare their inventories aggressively, resulting in a further significant cut back of wafer demand," said Lora Ho, VP and Chief Financial Officer of TSMC.
Sony Adds New Carnival Colors to PlayStation Portable
Sony has now made its PlayStation Portable console more colerfull than ever, by adding four new colors. The lovely PSP-3000 is now available in "carnival" Blue, Red, Yellow and Green colors. All models are expected to ship sometime in March and sell as starter kit for ¥19,800 (about $223), or with a 4GB Memory Stick and a 2200mAh battery for ¥24,800 (about $279). Sony is also going to release special PSP cases that match your PSP's desired color.
AMD Brings New Highly Efficient 45nm Quad-Core AMD Opteron HE Processors
Addressing the number one challenge for data center managers, AMD today announced widespread availability of five new low-power 45nm Quad-Core AMD Opteron HE processors. At 55-watt ACP, these new highly efficient processors help meet the industry's rising demand for low power, cost-saving data center technology. Now available in eight server systems from HP, the new processors can help customers immediately recognize power savings and increased virtualization performance. Rackable Systems will also have Quad-Core AMD Opteron HE processor-based servers available immediately and additional systems from global OEMs including Dell, Sun, and other solution providers are expected later this quarter.
Saturday, January 24th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Processors
First AMD Benchmarks With DDR3 Memory Posted
Better late than never, AMD is embracing the DDR3 memory standard. Its newest desktop CPU socket, the AM3, connects the processor to dual-channel DDR3 memory. Initial specifications about AMD's processors on the new socket suggest that DDR3 1333MHz (PC3-10600) will be held as the memory standard the integrated memory controllers on AMD's processors support. The far-east team of Tom's Hardware posted the first series of benchmarks of a Phenom II AM3 processor, when paired with DDR3-1333. The benchmarks featured Gigabyte's MA790FXT-UD5P motherboard along with Corsair's dual-channel DDR3-1333 kit running at DRAM timings of 9-9-9-24. The CPU-Z window also shows that the memory modules are running unganged, meaning that the two memory controllers of the Deneb core are independent, with each controller handling a 64-bit wide memory channel. This state is somewhat comparable to that of single-channel memory, except that multi-threaded applications will still be able to independently address memory on each channel, utilizing all the bandwidth on offer.
At the center of the test-bench was the AMD Phenom II X4 910, the company's first flagship quad-core AM3 processor. The X4 910 features a default clock speed of 2.60 GHz. The same chip was tested in two settings: default clock-speeds, and overclocked to 3.12 GHz (240 x 13.0 @ default vCore). The screenshots below show the test results for WPrime. The overclocked chip scored a crunch-time of 46.613 s (1M). The overclock did not affect SuperPi at all, with insignificant differences in the scores between the two. PC Mark 05 got a decent boost, while 3DMark06 didn't. Memory bandwidth and latency tests showed something strange, with the overclocked CPU (in effect memory) turning up with lesser latency (while normally, increase in clock speeds tend to step up latencies). The tests show that there are increments in performance with the use of DDR3 memory, though they are merely proportional to the clock speeds the memory is running at.
At the center of the test-bench was the AMD Phenom II X4 910, the company's first flagship quad-core AM3 processor. The X4 910 features a default clock speed of 2.60 GHz. The same chip was tested in two settings: default clock-speeds, and overclocked to 3.12 GHz (240 x 13.0 @ default vCore). The screenshots below show the test results for WPrime. The overclocked chip scored a crunch-time of 46.613 s (1M). The overclock did not affect SuperPi at all, with insignificant differences in the scores between the two. PC Mark 05 got a decent boost, while 3DMark06 didn't. Memory bandwidth and latency tests showed something strange, with the overclocked CPU (in effect memory) turning up with lesser latency (while normally, increase in clock speeds tend to step up latencies). The tests show that there are increments in performance with the use of DDR3 memory, though they are merely proportional to the clock speeds the memory is running at.
Seagate Techie Speaks Out, Explains Firmware Debacle
Earlier this week, reports emerged of a simple firmware update going wrong for Seagate, rendering some batches of the company's Barracuda 7200.11 hard-drives useless. The flaw in the said firmware update (version SD1A) locked the drive's microcode, preventing the system BIOS from even detecting the drive, in case the user wanted to restore a drive damaged from the update. SD1A was released to fix stuttering problems caused as a result of a bad implementation of the drives' SATA micro-controllers, the earliest diagnosis of the problem the drives were facing. An employee of Seagate working in its engineering, attempted to explain the SD1A firmware debacle, from the perspective of someone who doesn't work with the company's public-relations.
The SD1A firmware, according to the employee, wasn't given out as a singular release, but rather in several revisions to individual customers on a support-customer level, rather than an all-out public download. That was to address customers quickly, when the issue first surfaced as a flaw with the firmware. The problem actually existed where errors during drive operation was written to the drive's firmware to build on a log. When that log reached 320 entries, it would cause errors during initialization of the drive, when it is powered on, when the drive's firmware micro-code is read by the system BIOS. Errors in that process would cause the drive not to be detected / improperly initialized by the system. In a Tom's Hardware report, the employee explains that normally, a customer would go through the usual process of contacting tech-support for the preventative update and "this firmware had to go through five different checks to make sure it applies to the specific conditions to qualify sending to a customer, before now. 5 chances for us to go 'your drive needs the other (or none) firmware update'." However, management, in order to quell the possibility of liability for drive failures, pushed a general public release of the firmware. "Suddenly, it's down to one check, and even that was more designed for a contingency just in case the wrong firmware was sent out." The SD1A firmware mostly affected 500 GB versions of the Barracuda 7200.11 series, after it was released last week. Seagate pulled back the SD1A firmware after the issue of the firmware damaging hard-drives became chronic. The company later released a newer firmware update that can be found here.
The SD1A firmware, according to the employee, wasn't given out as a singular release, but rather in several revisions to individual customers on a support-customer level, rather than an all-out public download. That was to address customers quickly, when the issue first surfaced as a flaw with the firmware. The problem actually existed where errors during drive operation was written to the drive's firmware to build on a log. When that log reached 320 entries, it would cause errors during initialization of the drive, when it is powered on, when the drive's firmware micro-code is read by the system BIOS. Errors in that process would cause the drive not to be detected / improperly initialized by the system. In a Tom's Hardware report, the employee explains that normally, a customer would go through the usual process of contacting tech-support for the preventative update and "this firmware had to go through five different checks to make sure it applies to the specific conditions to qualify sending to a customer, before now. 5 chances for us to go 'your drive needs the other (or none) firmware update'." However, management, in order to quell the possibility of liability for drive failures, pushed a general public release of the firmware. "Suddenly, it's down to one check, and even that was more designed for a contingency just in case the wrong firmware was sent out." The SD1A firmware mostly affected 500 GB versions of the Barracuda 7200.11 series, after it was released last week. Seagate pulled back the SD1A firmware after the issue of the firmware damaging hard-drives became chronic. The company later released a newer firmware update that can be found here.
Friday, January 23rd 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Motherboards
Nettops
Notebooks
Speakers
Intel Planning Low-Power Lynnfield Processors
Earlier this month, Intel released a series of its Core 2 Quad processors with low power ratings, rated TDPs at 65W. This move served two purposes: to bring down the energy footprints of the CPUs, and to propagate quad-core chips to even those platforms whose electrical components are built for CPUs in that 65W power range. An example of that would be small form-factor PCs, mini-ITX motherboards with LGA-775 sockets, and some variants that might make it to notebooks. Intel now has plans to bring in a low-power Lynnfield processor sometime in Q1 2010. Given the amount of machinery the Lynnfield processors hold: four x86 processing cores, a dual-channel IMC, internal QPI and PCI-Express root complexes, in some cases even an IGP, a low-power variant sounds like a great engineering feat. We don't exactly know as to what low-power in context of Lynnfield is, at this point, but we can tell it will bring down platform power consumptions, given that the processor could end up being the single largest power consumer on a motherboard, and its power consumption affects that of the entire platform significantly.
MSI WindBOX Atom Pictured
With the state of the world economy, conditions are becoming increasingly favourable for good sales of ULPCs, with several IT giants taking netbooks and nettops seriously. The surge started post Intel's introduction of the Atom processor. MSI is preparing a slim form-factor nettop that is fan-less and light enough to be mounted on the back of an LCD monitor that supports the VESA wall-mount standard.
The WindBOX measures 180 x 255 x 19 mm and weighs a little over two pounds (1.08 kg to be precise). It is driven by an Intel Atom running at 1.60 GHz, and features 1GB of memory. It supports a SATA drive to handle storage, and provides basic connectivity that includes: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports, a 3-in-1 memory card reader, audio and WiFi. The WindBOX will be available later this quarter.
The WindBOX measures 180 x 255 x 19 mm and weighs a little over two pounds (1.08 kg to be precise). It is driven by an Intel Atom running at 1.60 GHz, and features 1GB of memory. It supports a SATA drive to handle storage, and provides basic connectivity that includes: 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, three USB 2.0 ports, a 3-in-1 memory card reader, audio and WiFi. The WindBOX will be available later this quarter.
IKONIK 'Kick Start' Competition Drawing to a Close
IKONIK initiated the 'Kick Start' competition, which started on October 1st and is ending on January 31st 2009. This means these are the final few days to enter the competition, so don't miss your chance to win super performance IKONIK top-of-the-range products. Such as IKONIK's high-end Ra X10 SIM case or upper-mainstream Zaria A20 case; also known as the 'Kick Start'. Entries can also win the Vulcan 850 Watt and Gaia 500 Watt power supply.
With many exciting products and so many chances to win, you are almost guaranteed a prize just by entering. So take a chance and join the competition by registering yourself on the website before January 31st, 2009. This competition is open to anyone.
With many exciting products and so many chances to win, you are almost guaranteed a prize just by entering. So take a chance and join the competition by registering yourself on the website before January 31st, 2009. This competition is open to anyone.
Scythe Partnering up With CoreTemp Development Team
The Japanese cooling specialist Scythe Co. Ltd. is partnering up with CoreTemp, a small but very useful freeware-tool for measuring temperatures of all common CPUs.
Core Temp is a compact program to monitor CPU temperature and is compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista 32bit and 64bit. Unique for Core Temp is its capability to measure the temperatures of every single core when using multicore-CPUs. The temperature readings are very accurate because the data is read out from a Digital Thermal Sensor of the CPU which is located in each individual core, near the hottest part of this unit. Because of this, the Software is completely mainboard independent.
Core Temp is a compact program to monitor CPU temperature and is compatible with Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista 32bit and 64bit. Unique for Core Temp is its capability to measure the temperatures of every single core when using multicore-CPUs. The temperature readings are very accurate because the data is read out from a Digital Thermal Sensor of the CPU which is located in each individual core, near the hottest part of this unit. Because of this, the Software is completely mainboard independent.
Palit Launches GeForce GTX 260 SONIC 216SP
Palit Microsystems, leading graphics card manufacturer, introduces the 55nm graphics processor: Palit GeForce GTX260 Sonic 216SP. The overclocked edition Palit GTX260 Sonic 216SP is the first custom designed graphics card that combines the innovative DUAL FAN cooling system with the high performance ad power efficiency of 55nm GPU to deliver the perfect solution for the gaming enthusiast.
Qimonda petitions for the opening of insolvency proceedings
Qimonda AG (NYSE: QI) and Qimonda Dresden OHG have filed an application with the local court in Munich today to open insolvency proceedings. Their goal is to reorganize the companies as part of the ongoing restructuring program. The court will now appoint a preliminary insolvency administrator.
The Qimonda Management Board intends to restructure key business units within the context of the insolvency regime. "German insolvency law offers the opportunity to accelerate the restructuring process that has already been started in order to reposition the company back onto a solid base," said Kin Wah Loh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Qimonda AG. Qimonda possesses established products and, with its Buried Wordline technology, is currently bringing a promising future technology to the market.
The Qimonda Management Board intends to restructure key business units within the context of the insolvency regime. "German insolvency law offers the opportunity to accelerate the restructuring process that has already been started in order to reposition the company back onto a solid base," said Kin Wah Loh, President and Chief Executive Officer of Qimonda AG. Qimonda possesses established products and, with its Buried Wordline technology, is currently bringing a promising future technology to the market.
EVGA Prepares Software-Control For GPU Voltages
Overclocking video cards has become a child's play these days, thanks to helpful software utilities that feature simple sliders to adjust clock speeds, test and apply overclocked parameters. Those serious about overclocking take to high-end cooling, and volt-modding. EVGA picked on a gray-area, where users should be given a level of control over the GPU's voltage. The company is known for taking initiatives in making performance control accessible to most users by providing easy to use utilities such as the EVGA Precision.
Now, the company is coming up with a nifty utility called the EVGA Voltage Tuner. Exclusive for registered users of EVGA GeForce GTX 200 series graphics cards, the utility allows a decent level of control over the GPU's voltage settings, within a range permissible by the GPU's BIOS. While this utility isn't an all out substitute to volt-modding, it allows for all the voltage tuning the default state of the graphics card's electrical components allow. A simple slider allows for adjusting the GPU core voltage with a resolution of milli-Volts. The results of using this utility are impressive, with a small voltage adjustment sending the maximum core overclock up by 100 MHz, a significant amount when it comes to GPUs. The first version of this utility is said to support GeForce GTX 260 (65nm), GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX 295. Suceeding versions may expand the compatibility list to include some important graphics cards, namely GeForce GTX 285 and GTX 260 (55nm). The second and third screenshots below show a before&after scene of adjusting voltages using this utility.
Now, the company is coming up with a nifty utility called the EVGA Voltage Tuner. Exclusive for registered users of EVGA GeForce GTX 200 series graphics cards, the utility allows a decent level of control over the GPU's voltage settings, within a range permissible by the GPU's BIOS. While this utility isn't an all out substitute to volt-modding, it allows for all the voltage tuning the default state of the graphics card's electrical components allow. A simple slider allows for adjusting the GPU core voltage with a resolution of milli-Volts. The results of using this utility are impressive, with a small voltage adjustment sending the maximum core overclock up by 100 MHz, a significant amount when it comes to GPUs. The first version of this utility is said to support GeForce GTX 260 (65nm), GeForce GTX 280 and GeForce GTX 295. Suceeding versions may expand the compatibility list to include some important graphics cards, namely GeForce GTX 285 and GTX 260 (55nm). The second and third screenshots below show a before&after scene of adjusting voltages using this utility.
Further Details of DFI CPU Cooler Turn Up - Prolimatech Megahalems
Some of you may have read the news post about the DFI CPU cooler, spotted on one of their boards. Not a lot of information has been made available, but we got the specifications right here for you. The cooler is made by Prolimatech, a firm established in 2008. This means that the cooler is not from Thermalright, as previously believed. It could also be possible, that the image of the DFI board with the cooler used means nothing and that DFI will not be entering the CPU cooler business after all. The "Megahalems" cooler comes with the following features:
The unit is already listed at various shops for just under 60€ and should be available at the beginnging of March. Read on for the coolers full specifications.
- Minimal air resistance between fins allowing best balance between noise and performance in range of 800-1200RPM
- Heatpipes are lined up in a straight line to prevent air back draft allowing air to easily pass through the heatsink body
- Wide fins with mathematically calculated thickness to maximize best air-to-surface cooling rate
- Uniquely designed, easy-to-install socket 775 and 1366 retention mechanism to increase cooling ability.
- Easy to apply, high grade thermal compound, a perfect sidekick to all Prolimatech heatsinks
Thermaltake Introduces Element S Chassis
Thermaltake is a well-known brand for producing high performance, premium quality and superior design product and widely recognizable by media around the world. In the beginning of a new 2009, Thermaltake presenting a whole new line of chassis "Element S" as the year featured chassis. The profound appearance and structure design, "Element S" will the most stylist and unique of the year. Element S will first release exclusively in North America, and absolutely fulfills PC professionals demands.
Element S is entirely different from the chassis Thermaltake made especially for gamers and enthusiasts in the past. It is masterpiece focus on upper level of consumers' satisfaction by satisfy the creative professionals like 3D modeler, music composer, graphic designer, video editor and gamer themselves. The "S" for Element S represents Silence, Sophisticated, Spacious, Stream, Speedy and Substantial. With the six core design concepts, every surface, curve, line and crease has a function, expressing its potency and performance. With a seductive flow that incorporates profound detailing and powerful stance, the Element S delivers breathtaking beauty with performance.
Element S is entirely different from the chassis Thermaltake made especially for gamers and enthusiasts in the past. It is masterpiece focus on upper level of consumers' satisfaction by satisfy the creative professionals like 3D modeler, music composer, graphic designer, video editor and gamer themselves. The "S" for Element S represents Silence, Sophisticated, Spacious, Stream, Speedy and Substantial. With the six core design concepts, every surface, curve, line and crease has a function, expressing its potency and performance. With a seductive flow that incorporates profound detailing and powerful stance, the Element S delivers breathtaking beauty with performance.
Thermaltake Unveils the New Generation of PSU – Toughpower XT
Thermaltake Technology, the leading brand of computer components, today announced the next generation of its high-performance Toughpower family - Toughpower XT. Toughpower XT features a number of cutting-edge innovations that set it above the competition. New features such as FanDelayCool for thorough cooling, S.P.T. Indicator for real-time monitoring, and 12Vin1 for the best compatibility have never been offered in most of the current PSUs. Toughpower XT is currently available in three models: 850W, 750W, 650W.
Since its successful launch in 2006, Thermaltake's top of the line PSU-Toughpower Series- has gained a great reputation for its high-performance and excellent quality in the past years. To maintain and even surpass its own leading position in the industry, Thermaltake's R&D engineers have redesigned the inner structure to upgrade the current Toughpower PSU.
Since its successful launch in 2006, Thermaltake's top of the line PSU-Toughpower Series- has gained a great reputation for its high-performance and excellent quality in the past years. To maintain and even surpass its own leading position in the industry, Thermaltake's R&D engineers have redesigned the inner structure to upgrade the current Toughpower PSU.
Intel to Call on AMD, to Discuss Possible License Violations
Silicon giant Intel flexed its IPR muscle by reportedly calling rival AMD to discussions on possible violations of past license agreements. AMD and Intel share license agreements dating back to 1976, which eventually transformed into the agreement of letting AMD use Intel's x86 micro-architecture in making its own products. Later in 2001, the two companies met again to share x86-related technologies. Such agreements bind licensees of the x86 architecture to confining their technologies to themselves as the license is non-transferable.
The two companies are expected to meet to discuss on how the past two major events in the recent history of AMD: the acquisition of ATI Technologies, and the spin-off of the manufacturing division to The Foundry Company respect the terms of the agreements. Earlier, AMD stated that the ATI acquisition does not violate any of its cross-agreements with Intel, while the company sounds optimistic about getting The Foundry Company to existence smoothly through one of its big hurdles: a clean-chit from Intel, after having crossed bigger hurdles such as government approvals and support from the various countries it holds its facilities in.
The two companies are expected to meet to discuss on how the past two major events in the recent history of AMD: the acquisition of ATI Technologies, and the spin-off of the manufacturing division to The Foundry Company respect the terms of the agreements. Earlier, AMD stated that the ATI acquisition does not violate any of its cross-agreements with Intel, while the company sounds optimistic about getting The Foundry Company to existence smoothly through one of its big hurdles: a clean-chit from Intel, after having crossed bigger hurdles such as government approvals and support from the various countries it holds its facilities in.
New Wireless 60 GHz Standard Promises Ultra-Fast Short Distance Transfer
The Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology has produced a CMOS chip capable of transmitting 60 GHz digital RF signals. This short-range new technology, if finalized, could offer many benefits, such as extremely fast wireless peer-to-peer connectivity in short ranges between virtually any device. That chip can even make the cables used nowadays for connection obsolete. Among the many potential 60 GHz applications are virtually wireless desktop-computer setups and data centers, wireless home DVD systems, in-store kiosks that transfer movies to handheld devices in seconds, and the potential to move gigabytes of photos or video from a camera to a PC almost instantly without cables. The single-chip CMOS component integrates a low-power radio with an embedded antenna, that draws only 100 milliwatts of power when operating, making it not only very small but extremely efficient too. GEDC researchers have already achieved very high data transfer rates that promise unprecedented short-range wireless speeds - 15 Gbps at a distance of 1 meter, 10 Gbps at 2 meters and 5 Gbps at 5 meters, enough for transmitting uncompressed 720p or 1080i video.
"We believe this new standard represents a major step forward," said Joy Laskar, a member of the Ecma 60 GHz standards committee and director of the Georgia Electronic Design Center ( GEDC ) at Georgia Tech. "Consumers could see products capable of ultra-fast short-range data transfer within two or three years." The specifications for this technology, which involves chips capable of sending RF signals in the 60 GHz range, are expected to be published as an ISO standard in 2009.
"We believe this new standard represents a major step forward," said Joy Laskar, a member of the Ecma 60 GHz standards committee and director of the Georgia Electronic Design Center ( GEDC ) at Georgia Tech. "Consumers could see products capable of ultra-fast short-range data transfer within two or three years." The specifications for this technology, which involves chips capable of sending RF signals in the 60 GHz range, are expected to be published as an ISO standard in 2009.
Seagate Technology Reports $496 Million Net Loss
Seagate Technology today reported preliminary results for the quarter ended January 2, 2009 of 37 million disk drive unit shipments, revenue of $2.3 billion, a net loss of $496 million, and net loss per share of $1.02 for the quarter ended January 2, 2009. Net loss and net loss per share for the quarter include $18 million of purchased intangibles amortization and other charges associated with acquisitions, restructuring and related accelerated depreciation charges of $94 million, and a charge of $271 million that reflects an unfavorable adjustment to the valuation allowance related to the company's deferred tax assets. The aggregate impact of these items is a $383 million loss or approximately $0.79 per share loss. Of the $94 million restructuring and related charges, $16 million was for accelerated depreciation charges recorded in cost of revenue ($2 million) and product development expense ($14 million) with the majority of the balance related to the recently disclosed global headcount reduction.
EVGA to Offer Optional Backplate for GeForce GTX 295
Trying to offer the best service for the customer, EVGA is now offering an optional backplate (model number: 401-EV-1234-01) for its GeForce GTX 295 dual-GPU cards. Although not yet priced, this backplate is said to help EVGA GeForce GTX 295 owners to lower their overall card temperature by a few degrees.
AMD Reports Fourth Quarter and Annual Results
AMD today reported fourth quarter 2008 revenue from continuing operations1 of $1.162 billion. Fourth quarter 2008 revenue decreased 35 percent compared to the third quarter of 2008 and 33 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2007. Fourth quarter 2008 revenue was down 28 percent sequentially, excluding third quarter 2008 process technology license revenue of $191 million.
In the fourth quarter of 2008, AMD reported a net loss of $1.424 billion, or $2.34 per share. For continuing operations, fourth quarter 2008 loss was $1.414 billion, or $2.32 per share, and the operating loss was $1.274 billion. The results for continuing operations include an unfavorable impact of $996 million, or $1.64 per share as described in the table below. Loss from discontinued operations was $10 million, or $0.02 a share.
For the year ended December 27, 2008, AMD achieved revenue of $5.808 billion. Fiscal 2008 net loss was $3.098 billion. AMD reported revenue of $5.858 billion and a net loss of $3.379 billion for fiscal 2007.
In the fourth quarter of 2008, AMD reported a net loss of $1.424 billion, or $2.34 per share. For continuing operations, fourth quarter 2008 loss was $1.414 billion, or $2.32 per share, and the operating loss was $1.274 billion. The results for continuing operations include an unfavorable impact of $996 million, or $1.64 per share as described in the table below. Loss from discontinued operations was $10 million, or $0.02 a share.
For the year ended December 27, 2008, AMD achieved revenue of $5.808 billion. Fiscal 2008 net loss was $3.098 billion. AMD reported revenue of $5.858 billion and a net loss of $3.379 billion for fiscal 2007.
Thursday, January 22nd 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Mousepads
Multimedia
Netbooks
Notebooks
PSUs
Spire Introduces Spectrum II Portable and Handy Backup Device
Spire, manufacturer of pc components and world famous for its quality and affordable thermal products today officially announced the Spectrum II. This upgraded version is a great little back-up tool to transfer and back up your valuable data from any IDE/SATA Hard Drive at speeds of up to 480 Mbps. At home, in the office or on the go, simply plug and play and secure your data by utilizing the one touch backup (OTB:optional) on the Spire Spectrum II.
The Spectrum II supports any 2.5" / 3.5" and 5.25" IDE/SATA Hard drive or other applicable device with the support for both PC and MAC Desktops or notebooks. If you want the most versatile back-up device on the market, choose Spectrum II. Don't settle for 1-year warranty as offered by others. Trust the brand with the industry experience and 3-year warranty, Spire - Powered by Innovation.
The Spectrum II supports any 2.5" / 3.5" and 5.25" IDE/SATA Hard drive or other applicable device with the support for both PC and MAC Desktops or notebooks. If you want the most versatile back-up device on the market, choose Spectrum II. Don't settle for 1-year warranty as offered by others. Trust the brand with the industry experience and 3-year warranty, Spire - Powered by Innovation.
Microsoft Reports Second-Quarter Results
Microsoft Corp. today announced revenue of $16.63 billion for the second quarter ended Dec. 31, 2008, a 2% increase over the same period of the prior year. Operating income, net income and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were $5.94 billion, $4.17 billion and $0.47, declines of 8%, 11% and 6%, respectively, compared with the prior year.
Client revenue declined 8% as a result of PC market weakness and a continued shift to lower priced netbooks. However, strong annuity licensing drove Server & Tools revenue growth of 15%. Entertainment and Devices revenue grew 3% driven by strong holiday demand for Xbox 360 consoles with a record 6 million units sold in the quarter.
Client revenue declined 8% as a result of PC market weakness and a continued shift to lower priced netbooks. However, strong annuity licensing drove Server & Tools revenue growth of 15%. Entertainment and Devices revenue grew 3% driven by strong holiday demand for Xbox 360 consoles with a record 6 million units sold in the quarter.
NVIDIA Releases Forceware 181.22 WHQL GeForce Driver Suite
NVIDIA made its latest GeForce driver suite official, version 181.22 WHQL. The driver comes nearly a week after its introduction as a beta. It reportedly brings in PhysX optimizations specific to Mirror's Edge. Attempting not to be merely a vehicle for PhysX system software version 9.09.0010, the driver promises certain fixes specific to Windows XP that include an SLI profile for STALKER: Clear Sky and Windows Vista-specific fixes that include an SLI profile for STALKER: Clear Sky benchmark, along with some stability issues being addressed for Fallout 3 and the GeForce GTX 295 accelerator, where only one of the two GPUs on the card was being recognized as CUDA/PhysX-supportive in some cases. Head over to NVIDIA's driver page for the downloads.
DOWNLOAD NVIDIA Forceware 181.22 WHQL for Windows XP 32-bit | Windows Vista 32-bit | Windows XP 64-bit | Windows Vista 64-bit
DOWNLOAD NVIDIA Forceware 181.22 WHQL for Windows XP 32-bit | Windows Vista 32-bit | Windows XP 64-bit | Windows Vista 64-bit
Gigabyte Introduces Next Generation AMD AM3 Dragon Motherboard
GIGABYTE, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards today is pleased to announce the GA-MA790FXT-UD5P, their first AMD "Dragon Platform" qualified motherboard with next generation AMD AM3 Phenom II processors support, enabling the very latest in definitive high performance platforms for work, home and play.
Sportting the new AMD AM3 socket, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P allows users to elevate their rig beyond the standard limits with support for support the highest performing ever 45nm AMD Phenom II processors featuring HyperTransport 3.0 and integrated DDR3 memory controller. The first motherboard to provide DDR3 memory support for the AMD platform, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P is able to reach memory speeds up to 1666+MHz (OC) for blazing fast memory access for today's latest applications and games with greater energy efficiency. Build with top-notch high performance engineering, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P features the highest quality 8+2 CPU VRM power phase design, able to handle the power demands from 140W CPUs with ease.
Sportting the new AMD AM3 socket, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P allows users to elevate their rig beyond the standard limits with support for support the highest performing ever 45nm AMD Phenom II processors featuring HyperTransport 3.0 and integrated DDR3 memory controller. The first motherboard to provide DDR3 memory support for the AMD platform, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P is able to reach memory speeds up to 1666+MHz (OC) for blazing fast memory access for today's latest applications and games with greater energy efficiency. Build with top-notch high performance engineering, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P features the highest quality 8+2 CPU VRM power phase design, able to handle the power demands from 140W CPUs with ease.
A-DATA XPG DDR3 Memory Breaks A New World Record
A-DATA Technology Co. Ltd., a worldwide leading manufacturer in high performance memory products, announced today that its XPG DDR3 memory modules have broken a new world record on SuperPi 32m. The record was set by utilizing the DFI Lanparty UT X58 motherboard and XPG X Series v2.0 memory, the DDR3-2133X v2.0 2GBx3 triple-channel kit.
The SuperPi 32m record of 6min 40sec 360ms was achieved at a speed of 2237 MHz and latency settings of 8-7-7-21 using DDR3-2133X v2.0 2GBx3 triple-channel kit.
The SuperPi 32m record of 6min 40sec 360ms was achieved at a speed of 2237 MHz and latency settings of 8-7-7-21 using DDR3-2133X v2.0 2GBx3 triple-channel kit.
MSI Unveils New AM3 Socket 790FX and 790GX Motherboards
MSI, the world's leading motherboard manufacturer, today unveils its AMD AM3 motherboard 790FX-GD70 and 790GX-G65. MSI AM3 motherboard fully supports AMD latest 45nm Phenom II processor and DDR3 memory. In addition, it comes with the AM3 processor which is optimized for the "second-generation DrMOS technology" and "APS (Active Phase Switching) technology", both in high and low loading, MSI AM3 series motherboard offers the highest power conversion efficiency and effectively reduces the heat. Not only that, Gaming series motherboard even comes with OC Dial and MAX FSB advanced overclocking technologies, as well as M-Flash BIOS update mechanism protection. OC Dial and MAX FSB overclocking enable users to overclock easily and become an expert in a short period of time; M-Flash enables user to load the BIOS files from USB drive to boot up. In addition, the full range products feature full support for multimedia applications, Blu-ray high-definition hardware audio, eSATA/USB combo port, and complete display output interface to provide Full HD and high-performance 3D display capabilities. This motherboard is simply one of the best solutions for gamers and multimedia users.
Lian Li Launches the All New PC-A05N Mid-Tower Chassis
Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd has launched the PC-A05N Mini-Tower chassis. The all aluminum design features an innovative front mounted power supply (PSU) bay that enables the unique shorter and smaller profile. This is the ideal chassis for those seeking a conveniently sized unit that can comfortably contain leading edge hardware. The beautifully crafted chassis has the traditional Lian Li brushed aluminum finish while the dimensions stand at 210mm x 381mm x 490mm (W,H,D), featuring all the functional and user friendly design aspects users have come to expect in a Lian Li case.
Wednesday, January 21st 2009
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Cooling
Graphics Cards
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Sleek-Audio W1 Wireless Kit Review
Sleek-Audio's much anticipated wireless kit has finally arrived, dubbed the W1 it brings Kleer wireless technology to all Sleek-Audio earphones currently in production. With the promise of uncompromised sound quality and wireless operation this product is sure to meet the demands of many customers worldwide.
Intel to Issue 5,000 Pink Slips, Close Manufacturing Plants
Intel seems to have finally taken its economic future seriously in wake of the company anticipating a red quarter, which is the first in 22 years. This announcement comes following CEO Paul Otellini's statements pointing towards the company seeing red in Q1 2009, this merely a month into the quarter. In the latest statement issued, the company pointed out that around 5,000 of its employees (around 6,000 when combined with associated support functions) will be affected as part of the company's workforce reduction plans. The employees are from across various positions and divisions of the company.
Additionally, terming it as corporate restructuring, Intel will cease operations in as many as four facilities at: Santa Clara in California, Hillsboro in Oregon, Penang in Malaysia and Cavite in Philippines. The company attributes this to severe drops in profits. For example, Intel's least week's earnings saw a 90 percent drop in profits from the same point in 2008. Craig Berger of FBR Capital Markets was among several analysts Wednesday who said he wouldn't be surprised if Intel falls in red this quarter. "We have seen pretty significant deterioration in demand" for computer chips, he said, though he added that no one , including probably Intel's top executives, can predict where the company is heading in the coming months, due to a great deal of uncertainty with the world economy. If Intel does suffer a loss this quarter, it's still in a lot better shape than most other chip makers and should have no trouble surviving the recession, said Nathan Brookwood, a research fellow at the Saratoga market consulting firm Insight 64. "If Intel can't do OK in the longer term," he said, "then the United States economy and the world economy are in one heck of a lot of trouble."
Additionally, terming it as corporate restructuring, Intel will cease operations in as many as four facilities at: Santa Clara in California, Hillsboro in Oregon, Penang in Malaysia and Cavite in Philippines. The company attributes this to severe drops in profits. For example, Intel's least week's earnings saw a 90 percent drop in profits from the same point in 2008. Craig Berger of FBR Capital Markets was among several analysts Wednesday who said he wouldn't be surprised if Intel falls in red this quarter. "We have seen pretty significant deterioration in demand" for computer chips, he said, though he added that no one , including probably Intel's top executives, can predict where the company is heading in the coming months, due to a great deal of uncertainty with the world economy. If Intel does suffer a loss this quarter, it's still in a lot better shape than most other chip makers and should have no trouble surviving the recession, said Nathan Brookwood, a research fellow at the Saratoga market consulting firm Insight 64. "If Intel can't do OK in the longer term," he said, "then the United States economy and the world economy are in one heck of a lot of trouble."
CES 2009: CoolIT Systems
One device, which I forgot to take a picture off, is their Domino ALC CPU cooler. It is a pre-filled and ready to go liquid cooling solution. But fear not, we will have a review of the system shortly.
IBM Faces Monopoly and Anti-Competition Charges
IBM has been accused of monopoly and anti-competition practices with the mainframe market. A complaint of the same has been filed with the European Commission on Tuesday. T3, a small American supplier of mainframes who, in the past, dealt in IBM products, alleges the company the company to have abused its market-position and monopoly power in the industry.
IBM is accused of engaging in several anti-competitive offenses, that include the prevention of the sales of competing mainframe hardware products by making its operating system exclusive to its mainframe hardware. IBM is further accused of withholding patent licenses and certain intellectual property to the detriment of mainframe customers, according to a statement by T3. In the same statement, T3 says that it dealt with IBM mainframes in the past, but it took to selling its own products developed by Amdahl (now part of Fujitsu). An IBM spokesperson responded saying that the company is yet to see a complaint, and that it was inappropriate to comment on specifics relating thereto.
IBM is accused of engaging in several anti-competitive offenses, that include the prevention of the sales of competing mainframe hardware products by making its operating system exclusive to its mainframe hardware. IBM is further accused of withholding patent licenses and certain intellectual property to the detriment of mainframe customers, according to a statement by T3. In the same statement, T3 says that it dealt with IBM mainframes in the past, but it took to selling its own products developed by Amdahl (now part of Fujitsu). An IBM spokesperson responded saying that the company is yet to see a complaint, and that it was inappropriate to comment on specifics relating thereto.
Spire Takes the Retention Clip Route with LGA-1366 Cooler Support
Spire today released its two new retention module kits that provide support for Intel's Core i7 LGA-1366 socket, using existing Spire coolers. The two kits: Core i7 Clip (model: SB-03MK092) and Core i7 Clip II (model: SB-03MK091) consist of metal clip(s) with screws. The Core i7 Clip II, with its two split clips support Spire's SP604,SP605,SP607,SP608 CPU coolers, while the Core i7 clip is built exclusively for the SP602B3 cooler. Both kits are made of nickel-plated metal are are backed by Spire's 2 year warranty. As for its pricing, they are expected to be nominal as with similar retention module kits from several other companies.
QNAP Turbo NAS Supports XDove All-in-one Mail Server
QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the availability of XDove an all-in-one feature rich mail server for its TS-109/ 209/ 409/ 509/ 639 Turbo NAS series, providing the business users the most competitive option for setting up their mail server on their Linux-embedded network attached storage. By the simple web-based QPKG software package expansion, the users can turn their Turbo NAS into a powerful mail server which provides SMTP, POP3 and IMAP services, multiple virtual domains and accounts, AJAX webmail with extended functionalities including personal folders, address book, calendar and real-time chat among users under the same mail server, schedule backup and restore mailboxes from multiple domains.
Radeon HD 4870 X2, HD 4850 X2 Faster and Better Than GeForce GTX 295, 285: AMD
AMD started its marketing offensive against NVIDIA's new dual-GPU GeForce GTX 295, and single-GPU GeForce GTX 285 accelerators, in an attempt to put the Radeon HD 4800 X2 series accelerators ahead of its competition in terms of performance on a "broad scale", and used the cards' availability in non-reference designs as a USP against NVIDIA's offerings using a uniform company-specified design. All this, in an internal presentation leaked to Donanim Haber. As for those wondering why, ATI and NVIDIA have a history of picking on each others' flagship products by means of such presentations, with which they intend to influence OEMs and channel vendors, though it always happens so, that these presentations reach public domains. Viral marketing or something plausible? Find out for yourself:
New Seagate Firmware Turns Sour, Dangerous
You might want to think again before flashing your Seagate hard drive with whatever firmware the company provides as a 'fix' to pending firmware issues with some of its Barracuda 7200.11 series hard drives. The latest firmware by the company, version SD1A turned many hard drives to paperweights. After flashing the drives with the new firmware, users reported receiving disk failure messages, and systems not being able to access - let alone boot from - the drives. Users claimed to have lost data and backups stored on the hard drive, since the drive is rendered inaccessible from any machine.
Following these reports, the company removed the firmware update pending validation. It is not known at this point as to how the company plans to address its disgruntled customers, whether it creates a window for hard drives failed as a result of upgrading to this firmware to be replaced under the company warranty or free of charge. The SD1A firmware update was released by the company to address stability issues certain models of the Barracuda 7200.11 series were diagnosed with.
Following these reports, the company removed the firmware update pending validation. It is not known at this point as to how the company plans to address its disgruntled customers, whether it creates a window for hard drives failed as a result of upgrading to this firmware to be replaced under the company warranty or free of charge. The SD1A firmware update was released by the company to address stability issues certain models of the Barracuda 7200.11 series were diagnosed with.
Intel May See Red in Q1, First Time in 87 Quarter FYs
Microprocessor mogul Intel, has been fairly invincible to the ups and downs of world economy, in its 40+ years of existence, owing to the market position it has been holding since the success of its microprocessor technologies. For the first time in 87 quarter fiscal years, the company is bracing itself for a red-quarter, meaning losses.
Intel's CEO Paul Otellini thinks that with the company seeing profits go down by as much as 19% in Q4 2008, one can expect only the worse of Q1, with an ailing world economy coupled with the expected fall in sales post the winter shopping season. The company is exercising all means to cut operational costs while attempting to meet sales targets, though it is not looking at workforce reductions as an option just as yet.
Intel's CEO Paul Otellini thinks that with the company seeing profits go down by as much as 19% in Q4 2008, one can expect only the worse of Q1, with an ailing world economy coupled with the expected fall in sales post the winter shopping season. The company is exercising all means to cut operational costs while attempting to meet sales targets, though it is not looking at workforce reductions as an option just as yet.
Details of the 9600 GT Green Edition Leaked
Expreview, has got hold of information which details NVIDIA's new 9600GT Green Edition GPU. It appears to be nothing more than a BIOS tweak, but as such has resulted in a 37W (39%) drop in power consumption, allowing the card to function without the need of an external power connector. This has resulted in a new board revision number P562. The memory clocks remain the same at 900 MHz, but the core drops to 600 MHz, with 1500 MHz on the shaders. By doing this, NVIDIA have been able to drop the core voltage from 1.1V to 1.0V, most likely providing the biggest saving in power.
More Details Trickle in on Intel's New Atom Platform, the Pine Trial-D Based Nettop
More Details Trickle in on Intel's New Atom Platform, the Pine Trail-D Based Nettop
Following the story which we covered just a few days ago, Expreview has got more information on the new Intel Atom platform, codenamed Pine Trail-D. From the new information, we see that the CPU, IGP and MCH will in fact all be integrated into one chip, as opposed to just being moved onto the same die. The CPU has also been listed as at least 1.6Ghz, double that of the current entry level Atom processor. Despite the platform having no need for a northbridge, with it all moved into the CPU, Intel have managed to keep the die size at 484 sq. mm. On that note however, it seems that the IGP is still DirectX 9 based, though further details on the graphical capabilities are still not yet known. We also see, that the new Tigerpoint southbridge, will support 8 USB devices, 4 PCI-E x1 lanes, 2 PCI ports, 2 SATA ports and HD audio.
Following the story which we covered just a few days ago, Expreview has got more information on the new Intel Atom platform, codenamed Pine Trail-D. From the new information, we see that the CPU, IGP and MCH will in fact all be integrated into one chip, as opposed to just being moved onto the same die. The CPU has also been listed as at least 1.6Ghz, double that of the current entry level Atom processor. Despite the platform having no need for a northbridge, with it all moved into the CPU, Intel have managed to keep the die size at 484 sq. mm. On that note however, it seems that the IGP is still DirectX 9 based, though further details on the graphical capabilities are still not yet known. We also see, that the new Tigerpoint southbridge, will support 8 USB devices, 4 PCI-E x1 lanes, 2 PCI ports, 2 SATA ports and HD audio.
Corsair 128GB SSD Shows up on UK Online Retailer
With no official word from Corsair and no leaked information before now, a 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD) has appeared on the UK Online Retailer Scan.co.uk. Named simply, the Corsair S128, with a product code of CMFSSD-128GBG1D, Corsair's product description reads, "Corsair solid state disk drives set a new standard for reliability in desktop and notebook storage solutions. Corsair solid state disk drives utilize specially selected Samsung components to enable a life expectancy of over 100 years and OEM level compatibility and performance consistency." With the mention of Samsung components, could these simply be rebranded units? Or has Corsair branched off into yet another section of the industry?
Microsoft Sells All its Shares from Comcast
Microsoft has sold its stake in Comcast Corp., the largest cable television company, the second largest Internet service provider and the fourth largest telephone service provider in the United States. In a filing Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Microsoft announced it no longer held any shares in Philadelphia-based Comcast. The exact date of the share sale was not given, neither who's now behind the wheel of Microsoft's 7.26% stake. Back in 2002, Microsoft bought 115 million shares of Comcast, and until the moment of its retirement from the company's board it owned 150.9 million Class A shares. Representatives of Microsoft and Comcast declined to comment on the share sale, but according to third party financial advisors Microsoft's Comcast shares could have been valued at as little as $1.97 billion or as much as $3.4 billion. The amount of money whatever it is now goes back to Microsoft. I guess in time of recession it's better to have your money under the pillow, rather than investing them in something.
Playstation 3 Firmware 2.60 Coming Soon, Adds Photo Gallery and DivX 3.11 Support
Playstation 3 Firmware 2.60 Released, Adds Photo Gallery and DivX 3.11 Support
News of the latest update to Sony's Playstation 3 console emerged yesterday on the official Playstation Blog and according to Engadget, the update is around 140MB. The update also adds guest store access, to allow users who do not have a Playstation Network account, to browse through the online store. A video walkthrough of the new features in the update can be found here. An extract from the blog follows:
News of the latest update to Sony's Playstation 3 console emerged yesterday on the official Playstation Blog and according to Engadget, the update is around 140MB. The update also adds guest store access, to allow users who do not have a Playstation Network account, to browse through the online store. A video walkthrough of the new features in the update can be found here. An extract from the blog follows:
The PS3 firmware update (v2.60) is designed primarily to enhance the system's media capabilities. The key feature is a new Photo Gallery application, which delivers a suite of tools for sorting through and displaying your digital photo collection. Digital pictures can be organized in groups according to various criteria, including the camera used to take the photos, the event date and time, colors in the photos, as well as the number, ages, or facial expressions of the people pictured. You can also create slideshows set to music and build photo playlists with an easy-to-use interface. The Photo Gallery application will need to be installed separately from the XMB after you update your PS3's firmware. To install the Photo Gallery application, go to the Photo section on the XMB, select Photo Gallery and press the X button.
Phoenix Technologies Announces Agreement With ASUS to Accelerate HyperSpace Adoption
Phoenix Technologies Ltd., the leader in PC 3.0 products, services and embedded technologies, today announced a partnership with ASUS to accelerate the adoption of its award-winning HyperSpace product by consumers worldwide. HyperSpace is a revolutionary new instant-on and always-connected application environment that makes operating a mobile PC as easy and efficient as operating a cell phone.
Based on the partnership agreement, ASUS will incorporate HyperSpace into its next generation notebooks. With HyperSpace-installed notebooks, users can instantly launch important web-based applications (before Windows ever boots), automatically connect to the best available network, dramatically extend battery life and achieve new levels of uptime and security protection. HyperSpace is available for download at hyperspace.com
Based on the partnership agreement, ASUS will incorporate HyperSpace into its next generation notebooks. With HyperSpace-installed notebooks, users can instantly launch important web-based applications (before Windows ever boots), automatically connect to the best available network, dramatically extend battery life and achieve new levels of uptime and security protection. HyperSpace is available for download at hyperspace.com
NVIDIA Intros the Quadro NVS 420 Low-Profile Professional Graphics Card
The ability to drive big displays now comes in a small package with the release of the NVIDIA Quadro NVS 420, the industry's only low profile professional graphics solution designed for maximum display real estate with a small form factor (SFF) computer. Featuring NVIDIA nView display software and support for four 30-inch displays at 2560x1600 high resolutions, business professionals can maximize productivity through increased desktop real estate and easy to use display management tools.
Built to meet the needs of today's most demanding business professional, the Quadro NVS 420 professional graphics solution offers stability, ease-of-use and wide compatibility. In addition it has been thoroughly tested to ensure compatibility with the leading business applications.
Built to meet the needs of today's most demanding business professional, the Quadro NVS 420 professional graphics solution offers stability, ease-of-use and wide compatibility. In addition it has been thoroughly tested to ensure compatibility with the leading business applications.
Futuremark Launches Mirada, World’s First Benchmark for In-Car Graphical Displays
Futuremark today launched Mirada, a new benchmark to measure the performance of 3D graphical display systems used in the automotive industry. With Mirada, car manufacturers, tier-1 suppliers, application developers and integrated chip companies have a common standard for impartial performance measurement and comparison of different OpenGL ES 2.0 solutions using realistic automotive scenarios and workloads.
"Automotive manufacturers and their suppliers recognize that rich, context sensitive, graphical displays offer many advantages over the analogue dials that have been used for the last 100 years," said Tero Sarkkinen, CEO of Futuremark. "Futuremark is providing the tools to design, measure and deliver this new technology within the fast paced timeframes required to meet the needs of today's consumers."
"Automotive manufacturers and their suppliers recognize that rich, context sensitive, graphical displays offer many advantages over the analogue dials that have been used for the last 100 years," said Tero Sarkkinen, CEO of Futuremark. "Futuremark is providing the tools to design, measure and deliver this new technology within the fast paced timeframes required to meet the needs of today's consumers."
Auzentech's Low-Profile X-Fi Forte 7.1 Soundcard Now on Sale, Yours for $150
Auzentech, provider of high-quality consumer sound products, is pleased to announce the retail availability of its Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 soundcard. The Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 is the first low profile native PCI Express audio card that Auzentech has designed especially for gamers and audiophiles. Compared to the X-Fi chipset reference design, the Auzen X-Fi Forte 7.1 has improved circuitry and components. It also marks the first time a Creative 20K2 PCI Express audio processor has been available in a low-profile board, as well as the first time it has been available in a third-party soundcard. The X-Fi Forte is equipped with 64MB X-RAM, supports EAX 5.0, and most of the latest standards in processing sound from audio and video files. Please click here for more information. The card's retail price is $149.99.
Tuesday, January 20th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Processors
PSUs
Speakers
New Warhammer Series Deals Reach Steam
In celebration of THQ and Relic Entertainment's highly anticipated Warhammer 40,000T: Dawn of War II multiplayer beta, Steam is now offering Warhammer 40,000T: Dawn of War - SoulstormT for 75% off the suggested price. Anyone with an electronic or retail copy of Dawn of War - Soulstorm and a valid CD key may register their game with Steam and join the early access to the Dawn of War II beta today.
Also beginning today, the full version of Dawn of War II may be pre-purchased via Steam. And on January 28, the beta is scheduled to open to gamers around the world (free of charge via Steam).
Also beginning today, the full version of Dawn of War II may be pre-purchased via Steam. And on January 28, the beta is scheduled to open to gamers around the world (free of charge via Steam).
BFG Announces New GeForce 9800 GT ThermoIntelligence Graphics Cards
BFG Technologies announced two new graphics cards, the company's non-reference versions of the GeForce 9800 GT accelerators, using the company's own PCB design and the ThermoIntelligence cooling system. The cooling system consists of a central Zerotherm-made GPU cooler and heatsinks over the cards' memory and VRM areas. The GPU cooler as claimed by the company, drops the operational temperatures of the GPU by as much as 30 °C in comparison to the reference NVIDIA cooler. The black PCB holds a 4+1 phase power circuit for the GPU and memory.
These cards come in the OC2 and OCX variants. OC2 represents a level-2 overclock of 650 MHz (core), 1,620 MHz (shader) and 1,926 MHz (memory), and OCX represents a level-3 (top) overclock of 680 MHz (core), 1,674 MHz (shader) and 2,000 MHz (memory). Both graphics cards provide features standard to the GeForce 9800 GT graphics processors, with 112 shader cores and CUDA support for GPU PhysX API acceleration.
These cards come in the OC2 and OCX variants. OC2 represents a level-2 overclock of 650 MHz (core), 1,620 MHz (shader) and 1,926 MHz (memory), and OCX represents a level-3 (top) overclock of 680 MHz (core), 1,674 MHz (shader) and 2,000 MHz (memory). Both graphics cards provide features standard to the GeForce 9800 GT graphics processors, with 112 shader cores and CUDA support for GPU PhysX API acceleration.
Biostar Rolls-Out First AMD 760G Motherboards
Following the launch of AMD's newest value northbridge, the AMD 760G, and the SB710 southbridge, Biostar prepared its first offerings based on the 760G + SB710 chipset: the TA760G M2+ and A760G M2+. Both motherboards are built in the Micro-ATX form factor, measuring 24.4cm X 20cm. Both models are essentially the same, except for the TA760G M2+ featuring four DDR2 DIMM slots, instead of two on the A760G M2+.
The motherboards feature AM2+ sockets, supporting Athlon, and Phenom series processors with TDP ratings of up to 95W. For the Phenom and Athlon X2 7000 series chips, the DDR2-1066 memory standard is supported. Featuring the new SB710 southbridge, up to six SATA II drives are supported. The rest of the feature set takes care of the essentials, with the onboard ATI Radeon HD 3200-class IGP running at 350 MHz, supporting Hybrid CrossFire, with dual-head outputs that include a DVI connector. A gigabit LAN and six-channel audio makes for the rest of it. Prelimnary reviews of the AMD 760G show it to outclass the Intel G41 chipset (priced in the same range) both in IGP performance and video acceleration. These motherboards will be priced well under US $100 to cater to its segment.
The motherboards feature AM2+ sockets, supporting Athlon, and Phenom series processors with TDP ratings of up to 95W. For the Phenom and Athlon X2 7000 series chips, the DDR2-1066 memory standard is supported. Featuring the new SB710 southbridge, up to six SATA II drives are supported. The rest of the feature set takes care of the essentials, with the onboard ATI Radeon HD 3200-class IGP running at 350 MHz, supporting Hybrid CrossFire, with dual-head outputs that include a DVI connector. A gigabit LAN and six-channel audio makes for the rest of it. Prelimnary reviews of the AMD 760G show it to outclass the Intel G41 chipset (priced in the same range) both in IGP performance and video acceleration. These motherboards will be priced well under US $100 to cater to its segment.
BenQ Launches Full Line-up of G-Series 16:9 LCD Monitors
BenQ, a world-leading display provider and pioneer in the 16:9 aspect ratio, launched today their new G Series of Full HD 1080p LCD monitors, with 10 models ranging from 15.6" wide to 24" wide. Blending solid reliability with must-have features, the G Series specifically aims to make 16:9 Full HD/HD viewing more affordable than ever for consumers. This new series joins BenQ's already extensive offerings under the M and E Series, and reaffirms BenQ as the ultimate 16:9 Full HD/HD solution provider for high-end multimedia to value performance needs.
Intel to Release Three New Quad Core LGA775 CPUs with a 65W TDP
The guys over at Hexus.net, have got hold of information that shows details of three new quad core processors with a thermal design power (TDP) of only 65W. The interesting thing is that it seems Intel have still not yet given up the LGA775 socket despite it being superceded. These are the lowest TDP quad cores from Intel to date, based on a 45nm manufacturing process, and in theory using up to 30W less power than current quad core processors, it shows a step in the right direction. Unfortunately it cannot be all good news, as it seems that the expected prices for these are approximatly $100 more than the similarly clocked 95W counterparts.
Kaspersky Lab Releases Technical Prototype of Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows 7
Kaspersky Lab, a leading producer of secure content management solutions, announces the release of a technical prototype of Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Windows 7. The prototype is based on the new antivirus engine which provides complex antivirus protection from all types of Internet threats.
The new technical prototype of Kaspersky Anti-Virus is designed to secure computers running under Windows 7. The beta test version of Microsoft Windows 7 operating system was released at the beginning of January 2009. Kaspersky Lab simultaneously released its technical prototype providing greater efficiency and complex antivirus protection for the new operating system.
The new technical prototype of Kaspersky Anti-Virus is designed to secure computers running under Windows 7. The beta test version of Microsoft Windows 7 operating system was released at the beginning of January 2009. Kaspersky Lab simultaneously released its technical prototype providing greater efficiency and complex antivirus protection for the new operating system.
DFI LanParty CPU Cooler in the Works
Clunk.org.uk have got hold of some photos of what appears to be a DFI LanParty branded CPU Cooler. The design is something new, featuring 6 heatpipes, effectively acting as 12 and with two independant heatsinks. No details such as pricing or availability accompany the images, but it is believed DFI are in collaboration with Thermalright and as such this could be a joint venture between them. The cooler seems to be held on with a prototype bolt on kit, which one would expect to change before the product reaches retail.
Qualcomm Acquires Handheld Graphics and Multimedia Assets from AMD
Qualcomm Incorporated and AMD today announced that Qualcomm has acquired certain graphics and multimedia technology assets, intellectual property and resources that were formerly the basis of AMD's handheld business. The acquisition enhances Qualcomm's multimedia capabilities, allowing Qualcomm to strengthen its leadership position in delivering more advanced products that redefine next-generation mobile user experiences.
"This acquisition of assets from AMD's handheld business brings us strong multimedia technologies, including graphics cores that we have been licensing for several years," said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "Bringing this technology in-house creates even greater synergy as we seamlessly integrate the best-in-class multimedia performance AMD offers into our system-on-chip (SoC) products."
"This acquisition of assets from AMD's handheld business brings us strong multimedia technologies, including graphics cores that we have been licensing for several years," said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. "Bringing this technology in-house creates even greater synergy as we seamlessly integrate the best-in-class multimedia performance AMD offers into our system-on-chip (SoC) products."
Thermaltake Launches New HTPC Computer Cases - SD100 Mini and SD200
Thermaltake has just launched two new HTPC (Home theater PC) cases that may be of a great value for your multimedia PC station. I'm not really in a good mood to tell you how wonderful and perfect these cases are, because they are not. I think full specs and some pictures will be enough to give you the general idea and to let you know everything you need to. Read this information after the "Read full story" marker.
Intel Plans to Release 320GB Solid-state Drives in Q4 2009
Bloomberg reports that Intel is planning on releasing a new, higher-capacity solid state drive, which will provide users with up to 320GB of storage capacity. In Q4 this year, the company will begin selling a total of eight new drives with capacity of 320GB, that will be part of Intel's Extreme and Mainstream SSD series. The chips used for these drives will be build using 32-nanometer production technology, Intel's most advanced manufacturing method for the time being. The source also clamins that Intel has already contacted its partners and informed them for the new drives.
The world's largest chipmaker also plans to introduce a new product called "Braidwood" that's slated for Q4 2009 too. It will include as much as 16GB of flash memory that will create "better responsiveness and boot-up time." Though it's unclear whether this solution will be integrated into Intel based motherboards or it will stand for an optional separate storage drive, made only for installing operating systems.
The world's largest chipmaker also plans to introduce a new product called "Braidwood" that's slated for Q4 2009 too. It will include as much as 16GB of flash memory that will create "better responsiveness and boot-up time." Though it's unclear whether this solution will be integrated into Intel based motherboards or it will stand for an optional separate storage drive, made only for installing operating systems.
Elpida Introduces Industry's First x32-bit 1-Gigabit XDR DRAM
Elpida Memory (Elpida), Japan's leading global supplier of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), today introduced the industry's first 1-Gigabit XDR DRAM based on a x32-bit configuration. The new XDR product features the industry's fastest ultra-high speed of 7.2GHz, which is faster than any GDDR5 memory chip, and provides a data transfer rate of 28.8 Gigabytes per second with a single device, making it an ideal choice for such high-bandwidth, high-performance full HD-capable applications as game consoles, digital televisions and Blu-ray disc recorders.
Monday, January 19th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Netbooks
Networking
Leadtek GeForce GTX 285 1024 MB Review
NVIDIA's latest addition to their graphics card lineup is based around the 55 nanometer GT200b. The new card offers more performance, consumes less power and is quieter than the previous model. Yet these improvements cost you a premium of about $70 over the GTX 280. Is that price justified?
Antec Nine Hundred Two Computer Case Announced
Antec, the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets, has announced that it is launching the Nine Hundred Two, the latest update to Antec's line of high-performance gaming cases. The Nine Hundred Two includes new enhancements designed specifically for hardcore gamers, such as increased cooling and maximized airflow. The Nine Hundred Two is designed to provide maximum cooling for gaming systems, which are known for exuding greater amounts of heat. Cooling features of the Nine Hundred Two include a perforated front bezel for superior air intake, and a massive top-mounted 200mm Big Boy 200(tm) exhaust fan with blue LED illumination. The Nine Hundred Two is also designed with power supply mounts located at the bottom of the case to improve thermal performance, along with HDD cages that act as air ducts for additional air intake.
Intel Plans to Integrate Graphics onto New Atom CPU
According to VRZone, Intel is planning to launch the next generation of Atom CPU's in Q4 2009 with a 45nm single core version, codenamed Pineview, a dual core CPU will shortly follow in Q1 2010. It seems Intel are gearing up to a single chip solution and with this particular generation of Atom, the CPU will be joined by the IGP and memory controller and is based on Lincroft Architecture. There also appears to be a new southbridge in the works to accompany this new chip. No longer do we have ICH-XX variants, but instead this new piece of silicon has been called Tiger Point. Between the two the platform will be known as the Pine Trail-D and will support memory speeds of upto 800Mhz DDR2. Intel claims there will be a 70% reduction in total kit package size and a 50% reduction in total kit TDP.
Microsoft's Official Statement Following EU Commission Objections on IE with Windows
It is not the first time that Microsoft has had run-ins with the European Commission. The problem that keeps coming up is what the commission believes to be anti-competitive practices, being that Microsoft is bundling its own software with Windows instead of offering them separately. As has been seen with Windows 7, Microsoft has tried to keep them happy this time, by only including Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer. The rest can be downloaded free of charge, by what Microsoft has named the Windows Live Suite. It seems that this is not enough however, despite Internet Explorer being included in Microsoft's operating systems for over ten years, they have decided that this is an anti-competitive move by Microsoft, and as such have issued a Statement of Objections. The commission has given Microsoft approximately two months to respond, the official statement from Microsoft follows:
AMD Fusion Gaming Utility Version 1.0 Released
AMD today launched the first official version of its Fusion Gaming Utility. Working on AMD systems only, the Fusion Gaming Utility turns off various Windows processes and thus gains some additional performance when needed. AMD Fusion works with both Microsoft Windows XP 32/64-bit and Windows Vista 32/64-bit.
DOWNLOAD: AMD Fusion Gaming Utility Version 1.0
DOWNLOAD: AMD Fusion Gaming Utility Version 1.0
Englide Launches New 80mm and 120mm Low-Noise Case Fans
Hungarian Englide Technologies has released new 80mm and 120mm cooling fans. Englide's main strength lies in designing fans and the company, although completely new for many of us, has been on the market for 10 years. Now back to the new fans, they are designed primary for low RPM and low noise operation. Englide separates its fans into two series - n.zero and n.zero classic. The n.zero classic fans come with blades constructed of normal non-transperant plastic, while n.zero fans use semi-transparent material for the blades and the frame. N.Zero fans also ship with silicone anti-vibration mounts. Except the different plastic used, both series perform equally. The smaller 80x80x25mm models weight in 77 grams, spin at 1500 rpm @ 17 dBA and are rated at 19.2 CFM airflow. The bigger 120x120x25mm fans with overall weight of 122 grams spin at 980 rpm with the same noise output of 17 dBA and 36 CFM airflow. Englide gives 3 year warranty for its case fans.
Phenom II X4 In For Price-Cuts?
Barely a month into its launch, AMD's newest processors, the Phenom II X4 920 and Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition, are already in for global price-cuts, of as much as 20%, in the days to come. Sources close to the company indicate that the price-cuts are in view of the recent announcement by Intel to significantly lower the prices of certain models of its Core 2 Quad lineup, which pose direct competition to AMD's new chips.
Once implemented, the Phenom II X4 920 would sell for US $195, down from its launch-price of $235, and a whole $50 would be waived off the $275 price-tag of the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition, sending it down to $225. These price-cuts are not yet officially confirmed or announced by AMD, and so it isn't known as to when exactly they get officially implemented. All prices in 1000 unit tray quantities.
Once implemented, the Phenom II X4 920 would sell for US $195, down from its launch-price of $235, and a whole $50 would be waived off the $275 price-tag of the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition, sending it down to $225. These price-cuts are not yet officially confirmed or announced by AMD, and so it isn't known as to when exactly they get officially implemented. All prices in 1000 unit tray quantities.
Acer Introduces Sleek 23-Inch Display and Enhanced Aspire Desktop PC Line-up
Acer, the third largest vendor in the PC market, today announced the slick new Acer 23-inch widescreen display and Acer Aspire desktop PC line-up for customers in the United States. The Aspire desktops range from several compact models to an aggressively designed, power-packed gaming system.
Featuring a new form factor, the Acer H233H bmid 23-inch display offers cinematic quality with sleek styling. This new display provides excellent picture quality, boasting a 16:9 aspect ratio for maximum HD support, a high contrast ratio and fast response time. The glossy black bezel adds an extra design element that looks attractive in any home or office.
The desktop PC line features the compact, yet powerful Acer Aspire X3200, X1700 and X1200 small form factor (SFF) PCs outfitted with 3 to 4GB of memory. The newest member is the Aspire X1700, which boasts an Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor and 4GB DDR2 memory, for extremely fast system response.
Featuring a new form factor, the Acer H233H bmid 23-inch display offers cinematic quality with sleek styling. This new display provides excellent picture quality, boasting a 16:9 aspect ratio for maximum HD support, a high contrast ratio and fast response time. The glossy black bezel adds an extra design element that looks attractive in any home or office.
The desktop PC line features the compact, yet powerful Acer Aspire X3200, X1700 and X1200 small form factor (SFF) PCs outfitted with 3 to 4GB of memory. The newest member is the Aspire X1700, which boasts an Intel Pentium Dual-Core processor and 4GB DDR2 memory, for extremely fast system response.
Kingston Digital Debuts SSDNow E and M series SSDs
Kingston Digital, Inc., the Flash memory affiliate of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., announced today it is shipping the first two products in its SSDNow line of solid-state drives (SSD) with the SSDNow E Series and SSDNow M Series. Kingston is targeting its SSDs to Fortune 1000 companies and select vertical markets. The SSDNow E Series is specifically designed for the enterprise server environment while the SSDNow M Series is built for the road warrior who demands ultimate performance from a notebook PC. The Kingston SSDNow E and M Series use Intel's solid-state drives, which are the best-performing drives on the market.
"We are thrilled to enter the solid-state drive market with our SSDNow E and M Series SSDs. The combination of the fastest SSDs in the world along with Kingston's tremendous distribution capabilities and legendary customer service will position us to succeed in this arena," said Mark Leathem, director of Flash business development, Kingston Digital. "The performance capabilities of these first two offerings are off the charts and our enterprise customers will be very pleased to use them in servers and corporate laptop computers."
"We are thrilled to enter the solid-state drive market with our SSDNow E and M Series SSDs. The combination of the fastest SSDs in the world along with Kingston's tremendous distribution capabilities and legendary customer service will position us to succeed in this arena," said Mark Leathem, director of Flash business development, Kingston Digital. "The performance capabilities of these first two offerings are off the charts and our enterprise customers will be very pleased to use them in servers and corporate laptop computers."
Thermaltake Introduces MeOrb CPU Cooler for HTPCs
Thermaltake releases a new low profile cooler, MeOrb. It is only 47mm in height and can fit in your HTPC chassis. Users now don't need to worry about the overheat problem will happen to their lovely chassis and CPU.
MeOrb is designed to solve the thermal problem of HTPC. HTPC is very popular in the PC world because it is smaller and it is more stylish to display in a living room. However, the thermal problem can be a headache because the limited space. MeOrb's low height and good performance can help you to solve this problem.
MeOrb is designed to solve the thermal problem of HTPC. HTPC is very popular in the PC world because it is smaller and it is more stylish to display in a living room. However, the thermal problem can be a headache because the limited space. MeOrb's low height and good performance can help you to solve this problem.
Intel Planning New Budget Quad-Core CPU Lineup
The the coming months, AMD is planning to launch a series of quad-core and triple-core processors to strengthen the company's hold on the sub-$200, even sub-$150 market segment. Intel is reportedly planning a rival lineup of quad-core processors to counter AMD in the segmet. While the Core 2 Quad Q8000 series from Intel makes for its current low-end quad-core CPU lineup, the new lineup will be categorized under the Q7000 series.
Characteristics of the Q7000 series include a total L2 cache size of 2 MB (1 + 1 MB), which is half of that of the Q8000 and a sixth of that of the Q9000 series. The processors will use a narrower 800 MHz FSB and will be built on the 45nm manufacturing process. They will come with rated TDPs of 65W. The first model in this series will be the Core 2 Quad Q7500, which comes with a clock speed of 2.60 GHz. The chip will be priced under US $150, straying into AMD's budget quad-core chip territory.
Characteristics of the Q7000 series include a total L2 cache size of 2 MB (1 + 1 MB), which is half of that of the Q8000 and a sixth of that of the Q9000 series. The processors will use a narrower 800 MHz FSB and will be built on the 45nm manufacturing process. They will come with rated TDPs of 65W. The first model in this series will be the Core 2 Quad Q7500, which comes with a clock speed of 2.60 GHz. The chip will be priced under US $150, straying into AMD's budget quad-core chip territory.
Intel January Core 2 Series and Xeon Price Cuts Announced
Intel has officially announced the January price reductions for its Core 2 processors. Below are all processors that have their prices changed after January 18th. For the full list of Intel processors and their MSRPs, please click here.
Samsung Electronics Splits Into Two Divisions
Samsung Electronics Co. on Friday said it will undergo a massive reorginization and split into two big operating divisions, one focused on consumer products like television sets and cellphones and the other on components such as memory chips and displays. For the past two years, Samsung operated four main divisions - chips, liquid crystal displays, consumer electronics and cellphones. Now it will join its subdivisions into two organizations. Samsung Electronics' current CEO Lee Yoon-woo will retain his position and become the CEO of the Device Solution devision, that will handle the company's component, semiconductor and LCD businesses. At the age of 57, Mr. Choi Gee-sung, current president of Samsung's cellphone unit, will lead the Digital Media and Communications division.
Samsung Electronics is the world's biggest manufacturer of memory chips, liquid crystal displays and flat screen televisions. It ranks second behind Finland's Nokia Corp. in mobile phones. However, like most giant company names in time of recession, it has been struggling of late amid the global downturn and falling prices. Samsung is scheduled to announce its Q4 2008 earning on January 23rd.
Samsung Electronics is the world's biggest manufacturer of memory chips, liquid crystal displays and flat screen televisions. It ranks second behind Finland's Nokia Corp. in mobile phones. However, like most giant company names in time of recession, it has been struggling of late amid the global downturn and falling prices. Samsung is scheduled to announce its Q4 2008 earning on January 23rd.
Sunday, January 18th 2009
Today's Reviews
Memory
Motherboards
Speakers
Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital Review
While many are satisfied with having a single screen, imagine gaming across 3 displays with 180° vision. The Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital overcomes the shortcoming of a single or dual display setup and gives you the possiblity to connect up to three DVI based LCD screens with a total resolution of up to 5040 x 1050 for real surround gaming.
CES 2009: Evga
CES 2009: Qnap
Phenom II X4 950 On The Cards
In all past roadmaps, AMD told us that its DDR3-supportive CPU lineup would begin with the Phenom II X4 945. Evidently that is not the case. From a recent DigiTimes report, there was hint given that all's not well with AMD's DDR3 plans, with the company toiling hard to get DDR3 memory run smooth and stable on AM3 socket CPUs, with integrated DDR3 memory controllers. The same report also highlighted the larger issue of both AMD and Intel being reluctant in orchestrating an industry-wide transition to the newer DDR3 memory standard across all market-segments. Amidst all this, AMD seems to have a small change of plans with its entire Phenom II lineup, with several processors earlier thought to be based on AM2+, emerging now as DDR3-supportive AM3. Also, it is known that AMD's first DDR3-supportive flagship quad-core chip will be the Phenom II X4 925, which arrives before the 945 and the newer SKU that has come to light.
Seagate Offers Firmware Fix for All Problematic Barracuda 7200.11 Hard Drives
Seagate has issued an official statement today, acknowledging all recent problems with some Barracuda 7200.11 drives. Based on the information posted in the company's forums here, select Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB 3.5-inch hard drives made in Thailand, suffer from a firmware issue that bricks the HDDs after a short period of time. After three to five months of normal operation these defective hard drives will suddenly lock-up as a protective measure and prevent the system from recognizing the drive from then onwards. In most cases the information won't be lost, but the drive will be completely useless, changing the drive's electronics won't help much either. This problem occurs not only to the 1TB Barracuda models, but to Seagate 1.5TB, 640GB, 500GB, 320GB and 160GB Barracuda 7200.11 drives, along with some Maxtor and ES.2 models. That's pretty disturbing, but now Seagate will provide its customers with an updated firmware if their drive is problematic.
XFX Loads 1.5 GB of Memory Onto Special GeForce 9600 GSO
XFX released a special FarCry 2 themed graphics card based on the GeForce 9600 GSO graphics processor. The bundle includes a copy of the popular first-person-shooter title, FarCry 2. Its specifications are spiced-up by its memory: 1.5 GB. The memory however is DDR2 and is clocked at 800 MHz, with a bus width of 192-bits. This G92-based graphics card features 96 shader units clocked at 1,450 MHz, with the core running at 580 MHz. It sports a distinct XFX design with black-coloured PCB and single-slot cooling.
GT300 A Leap Forward for NVIDIA GPU Architecture
Every once in a while, comes a GPU by NVIDIA that marks the evolution of GPU architecture for NVIDIA. A good example of this would be the G80, which was a distinct evolution of the GPU architecture for the company. Sources tell Hardware-Infos that the GT300 is on course of being one such GPU that comes with distinct architectural changes. To begin with, GT300 will start the company's DirectX 11 conquest the way its ancestor, the G80 did for DirectX 10, which turned out to be largely a successful one.
The GT300's architecture will be based on a new form of number-crunching machinery. While today's NVIDIA GPUs feature a SIMD (single instruction multiple data) computation mechanism, the GT300 will introduce the GPU to MIMD (multiple instructions multiple data) mechanism. This is expected to boost the computational efficiency of the GPU many-fold. The ALU cluster organization will be dynamic, pooled, and driven by a crossbar switch. Once again, NVIDIA gets to drop clock-speeds and power consumptions, while achieving greater levels of performance than current-generation GPUs. With GT300, NVIDIA will introduce the next major update to CUDA. With the new GPUs being built on the 40nm silicon fabrication process, transistor counts are expected to spiral-up. NVIDIA's GT300 is expected to go to office in Q4 2009, with its launch schedule more or less dependent on that of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system that brings in DirectX 11 support.
The GT300's architecture will be based on a new form of number-crunching machinery. While today's NVIDIA GPUs feature a SIMD (single instruction multiple data) computation mechanism, the GT300 will introduce the GPU to MIMD (multiple instructions multiple data) mechanism. This is expected to boost the computational efficiency of the GPU many-fold. The ALU cluster organization will be dynamic, pooled, and driven by a crossbar switch. Once again, NVIDIA gets to drop clock-speeds and power consumptions, while achieving greater levels of performance than current-generation GPUs. With GT300, NVIDIA will introduce the next major update to CUDA. With the new GPUs being built on the 40nm silicon fabrication process, transistor counts are expected to spiral-up. NVIDIA's GT300 is expected to go to office in Q4 2009, with its launch schedule more or less dependent on that of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system that brings in DirectX 11 support.
Intel 5-Series Chipset Lineup Detailed
Now faced with delays, Intel's upcoming Ibex-Peak platform, a next-generation mainstream implementation of the Nehalem architecture, is an interesting mix of technologies, where Intel seeks to minimise the platform and energy footprints while delivering value and performance through a clever bit of rearrangement of system components. HKEPC has learned that Intel's 5-Series mainstream chipsets consists of five models: P57, Q57, H57, P55, and H55. The P57 and P55 are built for the consumer PC with discrete graphics. The H57 and H55 chipsets are built for processors with integrated graphics, with support for the Intel FDI. The Q57 is built for the business / enterprise-client PC, it supports a host of exclusive Intel technologies that make the machine easier to manage.
Saturday, January 17th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Monitors
Motherboards
AMD to Slash its Workforce by 9 Percent, Initiate Temporary Pay Cuts
The Sunnyvale, California-based Advanced Micro Devices said on Friday that it plans to layoff 1100 of its workers on a global scale and reduce the month payments for the remaining employees of the company. This is the third round of major layoffs in the last year and represents a reduction of the working personal by 9 percent. AMD cut 600 workers last month, and earlier in 2008 jettisoned 1600 employees of the company. Payments of the workers and the head-staff will also be temporary reduced. AMD's CEO Dirk Meyer and executive chairman Hector Ruiz, the former CEO, will see their salaries slashed by 20 percent. Vice presidents and other top management will have their pay cut 15 percent, other salaried workers will go down 10 percent, and pay for hourly workers will fall 5 percent. After it bought ATI, AMD is in the middle of a big company restructuring that in some ways leads to all these unfortunate events. Additionaly, the world financial crisis makes everything even worst. Yesterday, Intel also reported a drop in its forth-quarter financial results.
Stealth Introduces the Extremely Fast LPC-650 Mini PC
Stealth Computer, a leading manufacturer of industrial rugged computers and peripherals recently released the LPC-650 Series LittlePC, an extremely fast and little home-entertainment PC. The new Stealth LPC-650 small form factor PC offers tremendous power in a tiny package that measures 6.5" x 6" and less than 2" tall, or about the size of a normal human hand. It is enginnered with the latest 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8300 or 2.6GHz T9500 processors, up to 4GB of SO-DIMM DDR2 memory, and up to 500GB of hard disk space (accommodates 2.5-inch SATA mobile HDDs) or even SSD option. The LPC-650 mini PC features a multitude of I/O connectivity options built into its impressively small design such as: Gigabit LAN, Wi-Fi 802.11g, 4x USB 2.0, integrated Intel GMA X3100 video controller with 2x VGA inputs and single HDMI port, Realtec ALC662 5.1 channel sound, and a slim combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW or DVD-RW optical drive. Unfortunately, the standard LPC-650 costs $1595, not the best price for such a hardware configuration, but still we have to admit it is very cool and will definitely impress everyone who sees it. Please visit Stealth.com for more information.
Sapphire HD 4670 Ultimate Radeon Pictured
Sapphire looks to continue bringing out new graphics cards based on the Radeon HD 4670, to cater to the sub-$100 segment, this time with the Ultimate Radeon HD 4670. This one is Sapphire's silent-cooled card that takes advantage of the RV730 core and its favourable thermal properties. The card uses a blue PCB that draws all its power from the PCI-Express interface.
The cooler consists of a central GPU block that doubles up as a heatsink. From this block, arise two heatpipes that convey heat to an aluminum fin array that extends to the back of the card. The card features 512 MB of memory across a 128-bit GDDR3 bus. Outputs provided include an HDMI connector along with DVI-D and D-Sub connectors. There are no CrossFire bridge connectors on the PCB, leaving the option of internal-CrossFire. The card is said to use reference AMD clock speeds. It is priced at 73€.
The cooler consists of a central GPU block that doubles up as a heatsink. From this block, arise two heatpipes that convey heat to an aluminum fin array that extends to the back of the card. The card features 512 MB of memory across a 128-bit GDDR3 bus. Outputs provided include an HDMI connector along with DVI-D and D-Sub connectors. There are no CrossFire bridge connectors on the PCB, leaving the option of internal-CrossFire. The card is said to use reference AMD clock speeds. It is priced at 73€.
ASUS Launches New 16-inch F50 and 17.3-inch F70 Notebooks
Stylishly Entertaining - the ASUS F50 and F70 range of notebooks combine cutting-edge design with equally innovative multimedia features tailored specifically for users who desire both high definition audio visual entertainment and extensive multitasking capabilities on the move. Each notebook is quintessentially trendy, imbued with Infusion styling that sets it apart from conventional notebook design. The F50GX features graphics prowess in the form of an integrated graphics solution imbedded in the chipset, providing users with graphical performance likened to a dedicated graphics card. The F70SL features 1TB of storage for massive storage capability, enabling users to do more anytime, anywhere.
Groundbreaking MMO Library from Sony Online Entertainment Arrives on Steam
Valve Corporation and Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announce the availability of many SOE Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) titles on Steam, a leading platform for the delivery and management of PC games and digital content with over 15 million accounts around the world.
The SOE developed and/or published titles now available include the complete EverQuest (EQ) and EverQuest II (EQII) collections, as well as Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and Pirates of the Burning Sea. To kick off this monumental event, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, EQ Secrets of Faydwer and EQII Rise of Kunark are being offered via Steam for a special introductory price during the first 10 days the games are available for purchase. New SOE game accounts for the game purchased will also receive 30 days of gameplay (this offer excludes existing game and Station Access accounts).
The SOE developed and/or published titles now available include the complete EverQuest (EQ) and EverQuest II (EQII) collections, as well as Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and Pirates of the Burning Sea. To kick off this monumental event, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, EQ Secrets of Faydwer and EQII Rise of Kunark are being offered via Steam for a special introductory price during the first 10 days the games are available for purchase. New SOE game accounts for the game purchased will also receive 30 days of gameplay (this offer excludes existing game and Station Access accounts).
Friday, January 16th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
- ASUS ENGTX285 Elite Bastards
- GTX 285 3-way SLI Guru3D
- EVGA GTX 285 SSC HardOCP
- Zotac GTX 285 HardwareZone
- Gigabyte GTX 285 Hexus
- Nvidia GTX 285 HotHardware
- PoV GTX 285 HT4U.net (de)
- Asus EN GTX285 Overclock3D.net
- Asus ENGTX285 Overclockers Club
- Nvidia GTX 285 & 295 Tech Report
- Inno3D GTX 285 Tweaktown
- NVIDIA GTX 295 MadBoxPC (es)
Motherboards
Speakers
Zalman CNPS9900 LED CPU Cooler Review
Zalman's CNPS9900 LED is their newest all copper model in the CNPS series. A silent 120 mm blue LED fan has been placed between two arrays of pure copper fins. With exceptional performance and amazing looks, the CNPS9900 LED is a great CPU cooler if you can justify spending $79 for a CPU cooler.
New Windows Worm-Attack Most Severe in Recent Times
Some of the most severe worm attacks in memory include the infamous w32.nimda, w32.sasser and w32.blaster: all pieces of software affecting Windows PCs, and their ever-fragile defenses against new-forms of malware. Enter Downadup aka Conficker worm. This worm targets Windows PCs and servers. Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at anti-virus firm F-Secure points out to the possibility of this new worm originating from Ukraine, after the security software firm reverse-engineered the virus. It is said to have a unique "phone back home" property that makes it potentially dangerous to let stay on an infected machine, as it could steal and send back vital/confidential data. The worm transmits itself across local networks and the wide-area networks over internet, scanning for and infecting as many machines as it finds. Microsoft on its part had dispatched a security update for all its current Windows operating systems (MS08-067) that fixes the vulnerability the worm takes advantage of, available via Microsoft Update.
The infection rate of this worm is severe to very-severe. Corporate networks are the worst hit despite them - usually - having the best security measures in place. "On Tuesday there were 2.5 million, on Wednesday 3.5 million and today [Friday], eight million, It's getting worse, not better." said F-Secure's Hypponen. The makers of the worm have put in a great deal of work to ensure it is difficult to detect and remove. Not much more is known about the purpose of this worm, except that it steals data and replicates itself at phenomenal rates. While the worm doesn't send itself stray over the internet or by e-mail, for home and corporate networks, it immediately scans and discovers new machines to infect. The worm also has the intelligence to guess passwords for password-locked shares. The best way to counter this worm is by securing your networks, downloading and applying Microsoft's patch to all machines of the network, and setting tough, long alphanumeric passwords for your network resources such as routers and shares. Individual machines are easy to disinfect, but not large corporate networks with layers of security. The problem is for companies with thousands of infected machines, which can become re-infected from just one computer even as they are being cleared.
The infection rate of this worm is severe to very-severe. Corporate networks are the worst hit despite them - usually - having the best security measures in place. "On Tuesday there were 2.5 million, on Wednesday 3.5 million and today [Friday], eight million, It's getting worse, not better." said F-Secure's Hypponen. The makers of the worm have put in a great deal of work to ensure it is difficult to detect and remove. Not much more is known about the purpose of this worm, except that it steals data and replicates itself at phenomenal rates. While the worm doesn't send itself stray over the internet or by e-mail, for home and corporate networks, it immediately scans and discovers new machines to infect. The worm also has the intelligence to guess passwords for password-locked shares. The best way to counter this worm is by securing your networks, downloading and applying Microsoft's patch to all machines of the network, and setting tough, long alphanumeric passwords for your network resources such as routers and shares. Individual machines are easy to disinfect, but not large corporate networks with layers of security. The problem is for companies with thousands of infected machines, which can become re-infected from just one computer even as they are being cleared.
CES 2009: In Win
CES 2009: Sennheiser
CES 2009: Silverstone
CES 2009: Razer
Intel Postpones the Launch Schedule of Lynnfield CPUs and P55 Chipset
I'm afraid that what's to be told here, is hard to be categorized as good news. Industry observer DigiTimes reports that Intel is about to postpone the initiation of Lynnfield processors and P55 chipset. Chips based on the quad-core Lynnfield design, are supposed to bring Nehalem to more people, because they'll represent the budget line of Core i7 processors.
Intel has recently decided to postpone its next-generation mainstream CPU Lynnfield along with the P55 chipset to the end of August or the beginning of September this year, and may postpone them to an even later time depending on the market situation, according to sources at motherboard makers. Both Lynnfield and P55 were originally scheduled to launch by the end of July. The economic decline which has caused motherboard makers to suffer overstocked chipset inventory is the major reason for the pull back, according to the sources. After the P55 launches, Intel plans to phase out non-IGP P45 and P43 chipsets and will transition its 4-series IGP chipsets to the entry-level.
Albatron Ushers-Forth Optical Touch Monitor Technology
Albatron Technology has announced its new Optical Touch Monitor (OTM), on course with a new era of Multi Touch Panel monitors. At NVISION '08, multi-touch panels were lauded by Jen-Hsun Huang in his keynote speech as being one of the most exciting emerging technologies. Multi-Touch was demonstrated last year by Bill Gates using beta versions of Windows 7. And who could forget Tom Cruise dragging, wiping, and tapping away in Spielberg's Sci-Fi classic, Minority Report. Introduced as a development version at the most recent Computex, the Albatron OTM has since been fine-tuned with improved technology to bolster performance and prepare it for the consumer market.
Scythe Introduces Thermal Elixer High-Performance Thermal Grease
The Japanese cooling specialist Scythe Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) expands its product portfolio with a high performance thermal grease with the name "Thermal Elixer". Scythe Thermal Elixer thermal grease is delivered in a practical tube which allows ideal apportioning. The viscosity of the paste has been optimized to ensure extra thin application. By this, Scythe Thermal Elixer allows an optimal heat transfer between the CPU / GPU to the heatsink.
Compared to standard Scythe thermal grease, a performance increase by 5% can be measured at a TDP of 180 W. Therefore, Thermal Elixer is the ideal selection to give some extra performance to all Scythe CPU and GPU coolers. Scythe Thermal Elixer is commercially available for 6.50 Euro excl. VAT. For more information, please visit this page.
Compared to standard Scythe thermal grease, a performance increase by 5% can be measured at a TDP of 180 W. Therefore, Thermal Elixer is the ideal selection to give some extra performance to all Scythe CPU and GPU coolers. Scythe Thermal Elixer is commercially available for 6.50 Euro excl. VAT. For more information, please visit this page.
Gigabyte's AMD 790X-Based MA790X-UD4 Pictured, Detailed
Gigabyte has a complete range of AM2+/AM2 socket-based motherboard range lined up for launch, based on the company's Ultra-Durable 3 construction. Among its range, Gigabyte has resurrected the AMD 790X chipset and given it a go with in its upcoming GA-MA790X-UD4 motherboard. The AMD 790X is a scaled-down version of the AMD 790FX, based on the RD780 core. While lacking integrated graphics, it provides ATI CrossFireX support, with a maximum of 16 PCI-Express 2.0 lanes to spare for graphics, which usually split into electrically dual PCI-Express 2.0 x8 when used with CrossFire setups. The 790X chipset was largely unpopular when it launched along with the 790FX and 770. It couldn't stand firm as the middle-ground between performance and value. This, along with competition from NVIDIA's nForce 750a SLI forced AMD to work on the 790GX chipset that offers all the features of the 790X, plus the integrated graphics.
In Gigabyte's latest work, the 790X is accompanied by the overclocker-friendly SB750 southbridge chip. The motherboard supports all AM2/AM2+ processors including the latest AM2+ Phenom II series. It advertises DDR2-1200 as its memory standard. In the mix, are two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots that operate electrically (x8, x8) in CrossFire, a high-grade onboard audio CODEC, Firewire, and a single gigabit Ethernet connection. It is expected to release in February, with a price-tag of 135€.
In Gigabyte's latest work, the 790X is accompanied by the overclocker-friendly SB750 southbridge chip. The motherboard supports all AM2/AM2+ processors including the latest AM2+ Phenom II series. It advertises DDR2-1200 as its memory standard. In the mix, are two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots that operate electrically (x8, x8) in CrossFire, a high-grade onboard audio CODEC, Firewire, and a single gigabit Ethernet connection. It is expected to release in February, with a price-tag of 135€.
Thermaltake Offers New Litepower Series PSUs
Thermaltake Technology launched today three new power supply units - the 350W, 450W and 500W Litepower PSUs. All three models are certified by the 80 PLUS Program and the 450W model is even certified as 80plus Bronze ready. The latest Litepower series come with a single ultra-silent 120mm fan, dual independent and dedicated +12V rails, Multi-Core GPU and NVIDIA SLI certificates. They also have a MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) of over 100,000 hours and Active power factor correction. To support all of today's PC requirements, Litepower series power supply units comply with the latest ATX 12V V2.3 specification. You can find out more about the PSU's here.
NVIDIA GeForce Release 181.22 BETA Driver for Mirror's Edge Released
NVIDIA has released new BETA GeForce 181.22 driver for GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, and 200-series desktop GPUs. This particular release is recommended for optimal GPU PhysX experience in EA's hot PC title Mirror's Edge. This driver package automatically installs PhysX System Software version 9.09.0010.
DOWNLOAD: GeForce Release 182.22 BETA
DOWNLOAD: GeForce Release 182.22 BETA
AMD Adds DDR2 Support for Embedded Geode Platform
Fairly invisible to the retail buyer, the Geode processor platform has been AMD's embedded computing product for several years in continuity. The Geode chip still finds use in embedded machines. Although the processor isn't in shortage and is available in both new-old stock or available on order by the chip-maker itself, the dated DDR memory it supports seems to be in short supply. To maintain memory compatibility with current memory standards, AMD added support for DDR2 memory.
The compatibility is brought about by a memory adapter and a new BIOS. The newer DDR2 memory will not enhance performance. It will make DDR2 memory operate at the data-rates of the older DDR standard, but will certainly keep the platform alive with support for the memory standard that's easily available in the market presently. The use of DDR2 memory is also expected to marginally reduce power consumption.
The compatibility is brought about by a memory adapter and a new BIOS. The newer DDR2 memory will not enhance performance. It will make DDR2 memory operate at the data-rates of the older DDR standard, but will certainly keep the platform alive with support for the memory standard that's easily available in the market presently. The use of DDR2 memory is also expected to marginally reduce power consumption.
Transcend Releases Stylish 1.8-inch eSATA / USB Solid State Drive
Transcend Information, Inc., the leading manufacturer of memory products, proudly announces the release of its stylish new 1.8-inch portable solid state drive (SSD) - the SSD18M. Combining the speed and durability advantages solid-state technology with the versatility of eSATA and USB connection interfaces, Transcend's SSD18M is an innovative new type of storage device that offers fashionable good looks and high-capacity mobile storage convenience. Unlike traditional hard disk drives, this handy device is made of reliable NAND flash memory that contains no moving parts, which not only eliminates the possibility of mechanical failure resulting from vibration and shock, but also provides substantial weight savings and reduced power consumption. With both eSATA and USB2.0 interface options, this portable SSD features the ultimate in connection flexibility, offering guaranteed speed along with multi-platform compatibility. Its new high-speed eSATA interface provides a maximum read speed of 90MB/s and write speeds of 50MB/s, while its USB2.0 interface assures maximum compatibility with all types of notebook and desktop PCs.
Transcend Announces StoreJet 25F Stylish Hard Drive
Transcend Information, Inc., a global leader in the digital storage industry, proudly announces its new 2.5" portable hard drive, the elegant and sleek StoreJet 25F. Measuring only 113.8mm long by 80.9mm wide and just 15.9mm thick, the StoreJet 25F is designed for business travelers and people who prefer an elegant way to carry their data. Combining its huge storage capacity with designer gloss diamond pattern and lustrous metallic finish, the StoreJet 25F is truly a marriage of technology and style. Moreover, its useful anti-slip rubber feet provide a stable base for resting on a table or computer case. Despite its compact size, the StoreJet 25F has up to 500GB of storage space so users can easily transfer, store, and share important files and data.
Acer Announces New B Series Ergonomic Monitors
Acer, the third largest vendor in the PC market today announced two new models in its Business Series (B Series) monitor line for professionals. The new Acer B Series monitors - B233HU bmidhz and B273HU bmidhz - feature a stylish ergonomic design and state-of-the-art features, making them perfect for the office.
"With these new monitors, Acer is continuing to provide our business customers with products that offer advanced technology, assure dependability and offer a positive return-on-investment," said Chris White, Director of Product Marketing - Peripherals, Acer Group. "The flexible adjustment and ergonomic design of the monitors maximize productivity and increase overall user satisfaction."
"With these new monitors, Acer is continuing to provide our business customers with products that offer advanced technology, assure dependability and offer a positive return-on-investment," said Chris White, Director of Product Marketing - Peripherals, Acer Group. "The flexible adjustment and ergonomic design of the monitors maximize productivity and increase overall user satisfaction."
IKONIK Launches Taran Cases
IKONIK officially launches the Taran cases. With the current economic situation, real value, durability and quality are what people need above all else. The new TARAN series from IKONIK delivers precisely that. Built to the same high standards as the award winning Zaria, the TARAN is focused on providing unparalleled quality at an affordable price.
Designed by one of the most experienced design teams in the industry, the TARAN offers incredible strength at an exceptional weight. Its "featherweight, heavy duty" motto holds true as it provides a sturdy computing platform without resulting in a cumbersome case.
Designed by one of the most experienced design teams in the industry, the TARAN offers incredible strength at an exceptional weight. Its "featherweight, heavy duty" motto holds true as it provides a sturdy computing platform without resulting in a cumbersome case.
Intel January Price Cuts Update
On Monday we informed you here that Intel intends to cut the prices on some of its processors. Well, it looks that HKEPC's information wasn't exactly precise as some of our readers pointed out. Now thanks to The Tech Report we have some new info, the new prices will hit on Monday, January 19 and primarily affect Intel's 45nm quad-core processors:
- Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.00GHz 12MB 1333MHz $530 -> ~$322
- Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz 12MB 1333MHz $316 -> ~$267
- Core 2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz 6MB 1333MHz $266 -> ~$217
- Core 2 Quad Q8300 2.50GHz 4MB 1333MHz $224 -> ~$194
- Core 2 Quad Q8200 2.33GHz 4MB 1333MHz $193 -> ~$163
Arctic-Cooling Accelero XTREME Now Compatible with Most GeForce GTX 200 Video Cards
Swiss Arctic-Cooling just said its Accelero XTREME cooling for graphics cards is now compatible with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 260, GTX 280 and GTX 285 boards (not compatible with the latest GeForce GTX 295 though). The Accelero XTREME GTX 280 is equipped with three fluid bearing 92mm PWM fans that run from 1,000 to 2,000 rpm. Together with five heatpipes and a total weight of 680g, the Accelero XTREME GTX 280 is said to cool up to 250 watt. The Accelero XTREME GTX 280 is offered with a 6-year limited warranty. It will be available in March 2009. The MSRP is US $54.95 or 42.95€ (excl. VAT). Please click here for more information.
EIZO Debuts New 22-inch Widescreen LCD Monitors for Professionals
EIZO last night launched the FlexScan S2242W-H and FlexScan S2232W-E, both 22-inch displays with EIZO's state of the art quality. The FlexScan S2232W-E has 1680x1050 wide resolution while the S2242W-H boasts 1920x1200 WUXGA resolution, typical for 24-inch displays. Both panels cover 95 percent of the Adobe RGB color space and 92 percent of the NTSC space, making them suitable for professional work such as audio and video editing or CAD. EIZO will start shipping both monitors simultaneously on February 5th. The lower-resolution S2232W-E should sell for ¥62,800 yen or the equivalent of $705, while the S2242W-H will cost ¥69,800 yen ($784).
Futuremark's 3DMark and PCMark Online Database Reaches 30 Million Results
Futuremark Corporation today announced that its online database of 3DMark and PCMark benchmark results has now topped 30 million records making it the world's largest source of PC system comparison data. Futuremark benchmarks are used by millions of gamers and hardware enthusiasts from all around the world. The ORB, Futuremark's online database of benchmark results, has been collecting scores since March 2001, and currently sees a new result added every 4 seconds on average.
For ten years, 3DMark has been an important part of PC performance testing for consumers, press, OEMs and semiconductor companies allowing architects, designers, gamers and overclockers to explore the limits of hardware and software.
For ten years, 3DMark has been an important part of PC performance testing for consumers, press, OEMs and semiconductor companies allowing architects, designers, gamers and overclockers to explore the limits of hardware and software.
Intel Reports Fourth-Quarter and Annual Results
Intel Corporation today reported fourth-quarter revenue of $8.2 billion, operating income of $1.5 billion, net income of $234 million and earnings per share (EPS) of 4 cents. The results included a billion-dollar negative impact from the previously announced reduction in the carrying value of the company's Clearwire investments.
For 2008, Intel posted revenue of $37.6 billion, operating income of $9 billion, net income of $5.3 billion and EPS of 92 cents. Intel generated approximately $11 billion in cash from operations, paid cash dividends of $3.1 billion and used $7.1 billion to repurchase 324 million shares of common stock.
For 2008, Intel posted revenue of $37.6 billion, operating income of $9 billion, net income of $5.3 billion and EPS of 92 cents. Intel generated approximately $11 billion in cash from operations, paid cash dividends of $3.1 billion and used $7.1 billion to repurchase 324 million shares of common stock.
Thursday, January 15th 2009
Today's Reviews
Accessories
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Motherboards
Mouse
Notebooks
RV790 and RV740 Samples Surface, Specifications Gain Clarity
Some of the first batches, rather iterations, of RV790 and RV740 engineering samples have begun surfacing. Sources reveal bits and pieces of the new GPUs' specifications to Hardware-Infos. Being some of the first samples, these are merely iterations en route the development of the final product, though trend has it that preliminary information about AMD GPUs have a tendency of turning out true. We will exempt the RV770's final stream processor count from these.
The RV740, a mainstream GPU from AMD, is on course of becoming the first GPU in production, to be built on the 40nm manufacturing node. It carries 640 stream processors and a core clock speed of 700 MHz. It features a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory bus, churning out bandwidth that rivals equally clocked GDDR3 with double the bus width. The memory bus will be clocked at speeds between 800 and 900 MHz (3.2 GT/s and 3.6 GT/s). Products will carry 512 to 1024 MB of memory. The GPU houses 32 texture memory units (TMUs) and 8 raster operations pipelines (ROPs).
The RV740, a mainstream GPU from AMD, is on course of becoming the first GPU in production, to be built on the 40nm manufacturing node. It carries 640 stream processors and a core clock speed of 700 MHz. It features a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory bus, churning out bandwidth that rivals equally clocked GDDR3 with double the bus width. The memory bus will be clocked at speeds between 800 and 900 MHz (3.2 GT/s and 3.6 GT/s). Products will carry 512 to 1024 MB of memory. The GPU houses 32 texture memory units (TMUs) and 8 raster operations pipelines (ROPs).
OCZ Announces Partnership with Mouse Computer, a top System Integrator in Japan
OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, components, and system, is pleased to announce the partnership of OCZ products with renowned system integrator Mouse Computer, to further strengthen the availability of OCZ products throughout Asia. Japan based Mouse Computer is a top name in system builds within the Asia region, and will include the all-new OCZ Apex Solid State Drives as part of their high-performance system offerings.
S3 Graphics Lops 25% of Its US Workforce
The state of the world economy has become a soft-target, an easy excuse, for several companies in pessimism, or simply in a wilt, to plan and execute large-scale layoffs, better termed workforce reductions. S3 Graphics, a company that once showed signs of growth post acquisition by VIA with the introduction of entry-level, yet current-generation graphics accelerators, has reduced its United States workforce by as much as 25%. While the figure appears to be a large number of jobs, it counts in hundreds, which still includes a sizable amount of S3 Graphics employees across various divisions of the company, including some sections of the parent company.
As expected the most likely cause is the company's reaction to the global economic slowdown, with depleting market-share and profitability. While normally companies look to sustain operations post such workforce reductions in pursuit of growth, in the case of S3 Graphics, this instead puts the development of the company's next-generation graphics processor (GPU) in uncertainty, as portions of the engineering departments weren't immune to the reductions either. Currently, S3 Graphics with its Chrome 500 series graphics accelerators are eying its share of the entry-level discrete graphics market, with its products designed for HD entertainment, GPGPU and 3D acceleration. The graphics technologies of S3 have been in use by its parent company for years, with its chipset products. S3's next-generation graphics processor is expected to incorporate newer manufacturing technologies from Taiwan-based foundry companies.
As expected the most likely cause is the company's reaction to the global economic slowdown, with depleting market-share and profitability. While normally companies look to sustain operations post such workforce reductions in pursuit of growth, in the case of S3 Graphics, this instead puts the development of the company's next-generation graphics processor (GPU) in uncertainty, as portions of the engineering departments weren't immune to the reductions either. Currently, S3 Graphics with its Chrome 500 series graphics accelerators are eying its share of the entry-level discrete graphics market, with its products designed for HD entertainment, GPGPU and 3D acceleration. The graphics technologies of S3 have been in use by its parent company for years, with its chipset products. S3's next-generation graphics processor is expected to incorporate newer manufacturing technologies from Taiwan-based foundry companies.
BFG Technologies Announces Full Line of Factory-Overclocked GeForce GTX 285 Graphics
BFG Technologies, Inc., the leading North American and European supplier of advanced NVIDIA-based 3D graphics cards, power supplies, and the Phobos High-Performance Gaming/Home Theater System, announced today the BFG GeForce GTX 285 line of graphics cards in four factory overclocked versions; OC, OC+, OC2, and OCX.
BFG's GeForce GTX 285 factory overclocked graphics cards provide 240 processing cores and over 50% more performance than prior generations. These superfast cards tear through complex DirectX 10 environments and cinematic effects at ultra fast frame rates. This extra processing power combined with BFG's rock-solid factory overclocking provides end users with enthusiast-class performance and the protection of a lifetime warranty.
BFG's GeForce GTX 285 factory overclocked graphics cards provide 240 processing cores and over 50% more performance than prior generations. These superfast cards tear through complex DirectX 10 environments and cinematic effects at ultra fast frame rates. This extra processing power combined with BFG's rock-solid factory overclocking provides end users with enthusiast-class performance and the protection of a lifetime warranty.
ASUS Shows Off ROG G-Panel at CES
ASUS' iconic Republic of Gamers series motherboards have a new member in its series: the G-Panel. This is an overclocking panel, a diagnostics display, and a fan-controller rolled into one. The device can be used outside a case, on a test-bench, or even its 2U design for fitting into cases, where it occupies two 5.25 inch drive-bays. French website Matbe caught a few glimpses of it at the CES event.
The G-Panel provides an extensive feature set. To begin with, every diagnostic reading otherwise found in the system BIOS or high-level OC software is shown, that include clock-speeds, voltages and temperatures, all updated in real-time. The user can manage system overclocking using the panel's controls. Using the same controls, fan-speeds can be managed, as the device gives out four fan connections for case fans, in addition to all the fan-connections the motherboard provides. The G-Panel is compatible with select ASUS ROG series motherboards, though the exact compatibility list, availability and pricing are not known at this point.
The G-Panel provides an extensive feature set. To begin with, every diagnostic reading otherwise found in the system BIOS or high-level OC software is shown, that include clock-speeds, voltages and temperatures, all updated in real-time. The user can manage system overclocking using the panel's controls. Using the same controls, fan-speeds can be managed, as the device gives out four fan connections for case fans, in addition to all the fan-connections the motherboard provides. The G-Panel is compatible with select ASUS ROG series motherboards, though the exact compatibility list, availability and pricing are not known at this point.
Sapphire Intros GDDR4 Memory-Equipped Radeon HD 4670
The Radeon HD 4670 graphics processor made itself some place in the sub-$100 graphics market. AMD's partners maintained profitability as the production costs of this accelerator remained low. Its opponent, the GeForce 9600 GSO, though available in its price-range makes it difficult for its manufacturers to sell at low price-points owing to it being based on the G92 graphics processor. Eventually, NVIDIA found a way around with releasing the GeForce 9600 GSO+ SKU, where the G94 GPU with reduced shader core count was employed. This made sure NVIDIA's partners brought in aggressive pricing to counter the Radeon HD 4670.
Sapphire on its part, put innovation to the table and attempted to spice-up the specifications sheets using the "GDDR4" moniker. The company released the first Radeon HD 4670 accelerator that uses 512 MB of GDDR4 memory across a 128-bit memory bus. The new graphics card features a shorter than usual PCB. It uses a central aluminum-based GPU cooler, with memory chips being cooled by heatsinks. The GPU is clocked at 750 MHz, with the memory clocked at 2200 MHz, a 200 MHz increment over the reference specs. It provides outputs in the form of a D-Sub, a DVI and a HDMI connector. It is priced as low as 75€.
Sapphire on its part, put innovation to the table and attempted to spice-up the specifications sheets using the "GDDR4" moniker. The company released the first Radeon HD 4670 accelerator that uses 512 MB of GDDR4 memory across a 128-bit memory bus. The new graphics card features a shorter than usual PCB. It uses a central aluminum-based GPU cooler, with memory chips being cooled by heatsinks. The GPU is clocked at 750 MHz, with the memory clocked at 2200 MHz, a 200 MHz increment over the reference specs. It provides outputs in the form of a D-Sub, a DVI and a HDMI connector. It is priced as low as 75€.
GeForce GTX 285 Hits Stores Today
NVIDIA's newest release, the GeForce GTX 285 goes on sale starting today. The graphics card was announced earlier this month along with NVIDIA's flagship GeForce GTX 295 graphics card, choosing CES as an ideal launch platform. Leading NVIDIA add-in card partners such as ASUS, BFGTech, EVGA, Gigabyte, MSI, XFX and Zotac, etc., put their base-model and factory-overclocked cards on sale, starting from US $379.99 for the XFX base-model, all the way up to $429.99 for the EVGA SSC model, in the US.
The GeForce GTX 285 replaces GeForce GTX 280 as the fastest single-GPU graphics card. It is NVIDIA's second-fastest graphics accelerator, sporting 240 shader cores and 1 GB of GDDR3 memory across a 512-bit wide memory bus. Essentially it resembles the GeForce GTX 280, except for the newer 55nm manufacturing process it's built on, the higher reference clock-speeds, and reduced power-consumption.
The GeForce GTX 285 replaces GeForce GTX 280 as the fastest single-GPU graphics card. It is NVIDIA's second-fastest graphics accelerator, sporting 240 shader cores and 1 GB of GDDR3 memory across a 512-bit wide memory bus. Essentially it resembles the GeForce GTX 280, except for the newer 55nm manufacturing process it's built on, the higher reference clock-speeds, and reduced power-consumption.
Sharkoon Introduces Furious mid-ATX PC Case
Following in the footsteps of the popular new Venga and Desperado models, comes a third new case from Sharkoon: The sturdy new Sharkoon Furious in matte black has room for five optical drives, one external 3.5" device, four hard drives and eight expansion cards.
The Sharkoon Furious' stability comes from panels made with 1mm SECC steel and fold-out feet, while included installation rails simplify assembly inside the case. Hard drive installation is particularly easy as the Furious' hard drive cage is rotated 90 degrees so that hard drives slide into the cage perpendicular to the case. The hinged front door as well as the side panel can be locked as needed. Efficient and quiet cooling is provided by vibration-free 120mm fans in the front and rear. The front fan features a filter for dust-free incoming air. Extra cooling is provided by a mesh covered side opening, which also gives users a view of the installed components.
The Sharkoon Furious' stability comes from panels made with 1mm SECC steel and fold-out feet, while included installation rails simplify assembly inside the case. Hard drive installation is particularly easy as the Furious' hard drive cage is rotated 90 degrees so that hard drives slide into the cage perpendicular to the case. The hinged front door as well as the side panel can be locked as needed. Efficient and quiet cooling is provided by vibration-free 120mm fans in the front and rear. The front fan features a filter for dust-free incoming air. Extra cooling is provided by a mesh covered side opening, which also gives users a view of the installed components.
AMD Offers New Package Features for Embedded Markets
AMD today announced immediate availability of the AMD Sempron 210U and 200U processors for embedded systems. These new processors are available with five year longevity that is standard for AMD embedded components and feature lidless Ball Grid Array (BGA) packaging with the low power and high performance of AMD's Direct Connect Architecture.
"These new lidless BGA packaged processors can help customers significantly shrink their embedded design into new smaller, flatter form factors without having to sacrifice any computing performance," said Buddy Broeker, director, Embedded Product Marketing, AMD. "Retail touch screens, self-service kiosks and digital signage are a growing part of the consumer experience and thin client computing continues to play a strong role in helping businesses become more efficient. These new processor features will help our customers stay on the cutting edge of embedded system design."
"These new lidless BGA packaged processors can help customers significantly shrink their embedded design into new smaller, flatter form factors without having to sacrifice any computing performance," said Buddy Broeker, director, Embedded Product Marketing, AMD. "Retail touch screens, self-service kiosks and digital signage are a growing part of the consumer experience and thin client computing continues to play a strong role in helping businesses become more efficient. These new processor features will help our customers stay on the cutting edge of embedded system design."
Intel and AMD Postpone 100% DDR3 Transition
Leading CPU makers Intel and AMD have adopted memory standards in fairly quick succession in the past. This however, doesn't seem to be the case with DDR3. AMD is yet to release a CPU that supports DDR3 memory, and is two years behind Intel with its DDR3 implementation plans. Intel on the other hand has managed 100% DDR3 dependency with only its premium Core i7 platform, with DDR3 not completely replacing DDR2 in any of its mainstream or value lineups.
Market factors, namely the DRAM manufacturing industry, are increasingly posing difficulties to CPU makers to bring DDR3 memory at a consumer-friendly price point. With manufacturing costs refusing to come down and the Core i7 not able generate the expected demand that justifies selling triple channel kits at sub-$100 price-points, CPU makers are rethinking their large-scale DDR3 standard transition plans for their entire lineups. Intel on its part is contemplating on postponing its 5-series mainstream platform for the Intel Core i5 series processors. AMD on the other hand, is still struggling with technical difficulties in achieving stability and compatibility with DDR3 memory on its DDR3-supportive memory controllers the upcoming AM3-socket CPUs come with. So the company is also unlikely to transition to DDR3 until it is able to come out with a workable BIOS, sources add. It could be as long as 2010 by when a 100% industry-wide implementation of DDR3 can take place.
Market factors, namely the DRAM manufacturing industry, are increasingly posing difficulties to CPU makers to bring DDR3 memory at a consumer-friendly price point. With manufacturing costs refusing to come down and the Core i7 not able generate the expected demand that justifies selling triple channel kits at sub-$100 price-points, CPU makers are rethinking their large-scale DDR3 standard transition plans for their entire lineups. Intel on its part is contemplating on postponing its 5-series mainstream platform for the Intel Core i5 series processors. AMD on the other hand, is still struggling with technical difficulties in achieving stability and compatibility with DDR3 memory on its DDR3-supportive memory controllers the upcoming AM3-socket CPUs come with. So the company is also unlikely to transition to DDR3 until it is able to come out with a workable BIOS, sources add. It could be as long as 2010 by when a 100% industry-wide implementation of DDR3 can take place.
Wednesday, January 14th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Memory
Monitors
Networking
Notebooks
PSUs
Sound Cards
SSD
Intel Atom N280 Details Surface
Back in June 2008, when Intel Introduced the Atom N270, reviewers found its level of performance sufficient for ULPC applications back then. Over a period of six months, it became evident that ULPCs require to deliver a little more than just internet applications. With Intel being reluctant on porting the dual-core Atom to ULPC, owing to its thermal characteristics, there is a need for stepping up the performance level of its relatively cooler single-core Atom.
Therefore, Atom N280. Earlier speculations pointed out that this chip would merely come with a multiplier boost sending its clock speed to 1.86 GHz against 1.60 GHz of its predecessor, but it turns out that Intel was looking to expand the FSB of the existing N270, with a minor clock speed increase. The Atom N280 features a broader 667 MHz FSB against the 533 MHz the N270 comes with. It ends up with a clock speed of 1.66 GHz. While N270 achieved its 1.60 GHz with (12 x 133 MHz), N280 does it with (10 x 166 MHz). Hypothetically, a future model with a 12x FSB multiplier could set the clock speed at 2.00 GHz. What's more, Intel gets rid of the i945GSE chipset infamous for thermal characteristics increasingly unsuitable for ULPCs. It has been replaced with the supposedly cooler GN40 chipset. The N280 has begun surfacing on specification sheets of upcoming ASUS Eee PC models, but it will be only by 2Q, 2009 by the time we start seeing products based on it. Paired with the GN40, the Atom N280 is expected to be priced at US $60-65.
Therefore, Atom N280. Earlier speculations pointed out that this chip would merely come with a multiplier boost sending its clock speed to 1.86 GHz against 1.60 GHz of its predecessor, but it turns out that Intel was looking to expand the FSB of the existing N270, with a minor clock speed increase. The Atom N280 features a broader 667 MHz FSB against the 533 MHz the N270 comes with. It ends up with a clock speed of 1.66 GHz. While N270 achieved its 1.60 GHz with (12 x 133 MHz), N280 does it with (10 x 166 MHz). Hypothetically, a future model with a 12x FSB multiplier could set the clock speed at 2.00 GHz. What's more, Intel gets rid of the i945GSE chipset infamous for thermal characteristics increasingly unsuitable for ULPCs. It has been replaced with the supposedly cooler GN40 chipset. The N280 has begun surfacing on specification sheets of upcoming ASUS Eee PC models, but it will be only by 2Q, 2009 by the time we start seeing products based on it. Paired with the GN40, the Atom N280 is expected to be priced at US $60-65.
Xigmatek Launches Thor's Hammer Heat-Pipe Processor Cooler
Cooling company Xigmatek has released Thor's Hammer - a new high-end processor cooler. Aside from its unusual name, Thor's Hammer covers all the basics of today's heat-pipe coolers. It measures 120 x 50 x 159 mm, weights exactly half a kilo, and can be equipped with up to two 120mm fans. It is constructed out of many aluminum fins attached to four 8mm and three 6mm U-shaped heatpipes that are in direct contact with the CPU. The Xigmatek Thor's Hammer is designed for Socket 754, 939, AM2/AM2+, LGA 775 and Core i7 1366. It is priced at 56.90 Euro.
AMD Lone Star Campus Receives LEED Gold Certification
AMD today announced its Lone Star campus in Austin, TX has achieved a gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. Based on current certified projects, this is the largest gold certified LEED commercial building in Texas.
The LEED Green Building Rating System is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The gold rating is the second highest rating obtainable in the system, and recognizes performance in dozens of design metrics including site selection and organized around six key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and innovative design.
The LEED Green Building Rating System is a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The gold rating is the second highest rating obtainable in the system, and recognizes performance in dozens of design metrics including site selection and organized around six key areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality and innovative design.
Cisco, Intel and Microsoft Lead Collaboration to Improve Global Education Assessments
Three leading technology companies announced today a collaboration aimed at transforming global educational assessment and improving learning outcomes. At the Learning and Technology World Forum in London, Cisco, Intel and Microsoft unveiled plans to underwrite a multi-sector research project to develop new assessment approaches, methods and technologies for measuring the success of 21st-century teaching and learning in classrooms around the world. During the session, the three companies called upon educational leaders, governments and other corporations to join in the effort.
The three companies also announced the appointment of Barry McGaw PhD, currently the director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, as executive director of the project. McGaw will oversee an executive committee, project lead team, and up to 50 leading experts and innovators in academia and government, to collaborate on the research and assist in influencing the development of future international and national assessments.
The three companies also announced the appointment of Barry McGaw PhD, currently the director of the Melbourne Education Research Institute at the University of Melbourne, as executive director of the project. McGaw will oversee an executive committee, project lead team, and up to 50 leading experts and innovators in academia and government, to collaborate on the research and assist in influencing the development of future international and national assessments.
Acer Introduces New TravelMate Notebook PCs
Acer America, part of the world's third largest PC company, today introduced two new notebook PC platforms - TravelMate 6593 and TravelMate 6493 - designed for the mobile professional. The new TravelMate notebook series, available now in the U.S. commercial channel, offers robust, secure and powerful PC solutions for corporate and small-to-medium (SMB) business customers. The TravelMate notebook PC platforms are ideal productivity tools for efficient connectivity and smart portability. The 15.4-inch TravelMate 6593 and the 14.1-inch TravelMate 6493 notebook PCs offer the superior performance, fast and reliable internet connectivity, videoconferencing and robust security features that mobile professionals require.
NVIDIA Prepares GeForce 9600 GT Green Edition
NVIDIA is preparing to release soon a special edition of the GeForce 9600 GT card with lower power consumption. Code named GeForce 9600 GT Green Edition, it will be based on the new 55nm G94-350-B1 core and work with core voltage that is 0.1V lower than the current 55nm G94 cores. This suggests reduced power consumption, and from there the name - Green Edition. Other specs of this new card remain the same as on current 9600 GTs with 650MHz core speed and 900MHz memory clock. The Green GeForce 9600 GT will come with a new device ID 0x0624, and that's the only way to distinguish it from actual GeForce 9600 GT cards that have device ID 0x0622.
MSI Introduces Wind D130 Nettop
MSI launches the first Dual-Core Atom System, MSI Wind Nettop D130. This NetTop is equipped with the latest Intel Atom 330 dual-core processor and 2GB DDR2 memory. MSI Wind Nettop D130 has onboard DVD Super-Multi and 7.1 Channel Surround Sound, providing the user all functions of a multimedia center. On top of that, MSI Wind NetTop D130 can easily run high-definition video applications, while maintaining low power consumption. This makes MSI Wind Nettop D130 very suitable as a 24H computer system such as an e-mail server and file server.
The compact MSI Wind Nettop D130 features a Super-Multi DVD burner to back up data, install software or play a movie. The MSI Wind Nettop D130 is designed for the living room and can be connected to any LCD TV. The built-in Super-Multi DVD burner can play a variety of video and music file formats.
The compact MSI Wind Nettop D130 features a Super-Multi DVD burner to back up data, install software or play a movie. The MSI Wind Nettop D130 is designed for the living room and can be connected to any LCD TV. The built-in Super-Multi DVD burner can play a variety of video and music file formats.
AMD Justifies Use of Large L3 Cache on Phenom II, Opteron
AMD's introduction of the Phenom II series processors served several purposes and goals for the company, mainly porting the processor technology to the newer 45nm SOI manufacturing node, to attempt to bring down manufacturing cost. This also meant that AMD could trade-off bringing down manufacturing cost with stepping up transistor counts on a die that is nearly the size of that of the 65nm Barcelona/Agena. The 45nm Shanghai/Deneb has a distinct feature over its predecessor: three times the amount of L3 cache. The larger cache significantly adds to the transistor count of the die: 758 million as against the 468 million on Barcelona/Agena. Replying to an inquiry of Hardware-Infos, AMD attempts to explain its motive behind incorporating the large L3 cache, while trading-off with savings of die-size and alleged latencies the L3 cache brings in.
AMD points out that expanding the L3 cache was important to the architecture in more ways than one. On the desktop/client PC front, the additional L3 cache was expected to provide a 5% performance increment over its predecessor. The reviews later backed AMD's assertion. Secondly, AMD likes to maintain an essentially common die design for both its client (Phenom II/Deneb) and enterprise or server (Opteron/Shanghai), to make sure manufacturing costs aren't wasted in setting up a separate manufacturing node. With the enterprise-grade Opteron processors, the 6 MB L3 cache has proven to benefit the processor in dealing with large server workloads. Finally, AMD claims that despite the larger cache, the overall die-area of the 45nm die remains lesser than that of the 65nm Stars die, so cost-cutting remains to an extant.
AMD points out that expanding the L3 cache was important to the architecture in more ways than one. On the desktop/client PC front, the additional L3 cache was expected to provide a 5% performance increment over its predecessor. The reviews later backed AMD's assertion. Secondly, AMD likes to maintain an essentially common die design for both its client (Phenom II/Deneb) and enterprise or server (Opteron/Shanghai), to make sure manufacturing costs aren't wasted in setting up a separate manufacturing node. With the enterprise-grade Opteron processors, the 6 MB L3 cache has proven to benefit the processor in dealing with large server workloads. Finally, AMD claims that despite the larger cache, the overall die-area of the 45nm die remains lesser than that of the 65nm Stars die, so cost-cutting remains to an extant.
Sony's PlayStation 2 Reaches Sales Milestone
Announced nine years ago back in 2000, Sony's PlayStation 2 is without a doubt a major success for the company. The console is so good in fact, that today Sony said it has sold 50 million PlayStation 2 units in North America alone, a new milestone. Sales of the iconic console still remain strong, although now we have new consoles like PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. According to the most recently available figures from the NPD Group, which tracks U.S. sales only, in November Americans bought 206,000 units of the PlayStation 2. These are some remarkable numbers. In comparison, Microsoft's original Xbox console sold a total of 14.5 million units and is already long gone. Nintendo's GameCube, another PS2 competitor, sold 12 million units in North America, not even close to PS2 numbers. Today PlayStation 2 costs roughly $130, down from its original $300 price tag from nine years ago, and still offers the latest game titles, emulation of some PS1 titles, video and audio DVD playback, and a numerous hacks that allow installing desktop hard drives, playing of DivX movies, running spare copies of games and so on.
Scythe Introduces Bar Rafter 3.5-inch to 5.25-inch Hard Drive Cooler/Adapter
Scythe has launched today the Scythe Bay Rafter 3.5, an useful adapter that allows users to mount a 3.5-inch hard disk drive into a 5.25-inch drive bay of a PC chassis. Optionally, users can attach either a 80mm, 92mm or a 120 mm fan to Scythe Bay Rafter 3.5 for additional cooling of the mounted drive. The Bay Rafter 3.5 is made out of plastic and takes one 5.25-inch drive bay when used without fan or two 5.25-inch drive bays when an additional fan is used.
Toshiba and Fujitsu May Combine Hard-Disk Drive Units
Toshiba Corp., Japan's biggest chipmaker, may buy the majority of Fujitsu's hard-disk drive business, according to information leaked over the net. A possible deal between the two companies will be possitive for them both. Fujitsu will sell its money-losing subdivision, while Toshiba will strengthen its position in the hard drive business and probably lower production costs of its storage goods. Unfortunately, when such a deal is ongoing and not yet finalized, there's not much information to share. Fujitsu's spokesman Etsuro Yamada said that his company is currently in discussions with several other companies about its hard-disk drive business, but did not say anything specific about Toshiba. On the other side Keisuke Ohmori, a spokesman at Toshiba in Tokyo, said: "It's true that we are in talks with Fujitsu on the matter, but nothing has been decided at the moment,"
An agreement may be reached by the end of this month, according to Bloomberg.com.
An agreement may be reached by the end of this month, according to Bloomberg.com.
Intel Core i7 Makes it Past 4.61 GHz with Water-Cooling
In a move that asserts Intel's undisputed leadership over the PC microprocessor market, Intel senior performance analyst François Piednoel conducted a special exhibition at the CES 2009 event, where he demonstrated the Core i7's overclocking and resulting performance potential employing water cooling. The water-cooled Intel Core i7 reached speeds in excess of 4.60 GHz, proving it has better overclocking potential than AMD's Phenom II X4 when water-cooled.
The setup included an Intel Core i7 sample seated on an Intel "Smackover" DX58SO motherboard. The motherboard was backed by Intel's own desktop control-center software that provides software-level performance management and monitoring. The processor's vCore was set at 1.44V, with the northbridge set at 1.21V. The clock speed of 4.61 GHz was achieved with a bus speed of 144 MHz with a multiplier value of 32x. Temperatures recoded showed the CPU chugging along at 61 °C, with the CPU VRM at 31 °C and the X58 chipset at 41 °C. The feat shows Core i7 to be the better CPU to overclock when water-cooling is used, while an Intel Core i7 is yet to reach 6.2+ GHz speeds, just for the kicks.
The setup included an Intel Core i7 sample seated on an Intel "Smackover" DX58SO motherboard. The motherboard was backed by Intel's own desktop control-center software that provides software-level performance management and monitoring. The processor's vCore was set at 1.44V, with the northbridge set at 1.21V. The clock speed of 4.61 GHz was achieved with a bus speed of 144 MHz with a multiplier value of 32x. Temperatures recoded showed the CPU chugging along at 61 °C, with the CPU VRM at 31 °C and the X58 chipset at 41 °C. The feat shows Core i7 to be the better CPU to overclock when water-cooling is used, while an Intel Core i7 is yet to reach 6.2+ GHz speeds, just for the kicks.
Rep. Baca Introduces Legislation to Make Violent Video Games Sold With Health Warning
Today, Congressman Joe Baca (D-Rialto) introduced legislation that mandates all video games with an Electronics Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rating of Teen (T) or higher be sold with a health warning label. The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2009 creates a new rule within the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which forces games with a T rating or higher to be sold with a simple warning label, reading: "WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior."
"The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers - to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products," said Rep. Baca. "They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people. American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products."
"The video game industry has a responsibility to parents, families, and to consumers - to inform them of the potentially damaging content that is often found in their products," said Rep. Baca. "They have repeatedly failed to live up to this responsibility. Meanwhile research continues to show a proven link between playing violent games and increased aggression in young people. American families deserve to know the truth about these potentially dangerous products."
Samsung Launches the Super-Thin LED P2370L Monitor
Samsung Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, the number one monitor brand in the world, announced today the addition of a super-thin LED monitor to its "Touch of Color" (ToC) family - the P2370L. This new high-end, model has a Light Emitting Diode Back Light Unit (LED BLU), instead of the cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL) found in standard LCD displays, and reproduces more vibrant color and higher contrast ratios than other monitors. With its sophistication-meets-high technology form factor, the P2370L display will ship in late first quarter with an MSRP of $399.
Tuesday, January 13th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Input Devices
Keyboards
Motherboards
Processors
OCZ Technology Introduces New Apex Series Solid State Drives
OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and computer components, today unveiled the OCZ Apex SATA II 2.5" Solid State Drive (SSD) Series, the affordable midrange offering for enthusiasts, system builders, and mainstream computer users demanding the latest technology in this fast-developing sector of the storage market. This cost-efficient SSD offers a reliable upgrade from traditional hard disc storage while maintaining a price point that is truly within the reach of a wide range of consumers.
"As the adoption of SSD drives continues to ramp, it is our goal to enable everyday consumers to take advantage of the benefits of solid state drives," said Eugene Chang, Director of Product Management at OCZ Technology Group. "The new Apex Series is positioned at the center of our lineup and features an updated controller and internal RAID design to deliver superior performance to mainstream consumers at a very aggressive price."
"As the adoption of SSD drives continues to ramp, it is our goal to enable everyday consumers to take advantage of the benefits of solid state drives," said Eugene Chang, Director of Product Management at OCZ Technology Group. "The new Apex Series is positioned at the center of our lineup and features an updated controller and internal RAID design to deliver superior performance to mainstream consumers at a very aggressive price."
Intel Xeon In for Price-Cuts
Following periodic price-cuts for its Core 2 series desktop CPUs, Intel could be planning significant price-cuts for its Xeon series enterprise CPUs. This, according to Pacific Crest analyst Michael McConnell. The price-cuts are model-specific. According to McConnel, they are expected to range between 15 and 40% for quad-core Xeon processors and around 13% for dual-core models.
McConnel sees the price cuts as a response to excess inventories of Xeon processors, which is up 13% in Q4, worth up to US $3.85 billion. Another significant factor is AMD, which seems to be gaining market-share through HP, a major player with enterprise-computing. The new prices could be implemented by 18th of January.
McConnel sees the price cuts as a response to excess inventories of Xeon processors, which is up 13% in Q4, worth up to US $3.85 billion. Another significant factor is AMD, which seems to be gaining market-share through HP, a major player with enterprise-computing. The new prices could be implemented by 18th of January.
ASUS and Gigabyte Overstocked with Intel 4-series Chipset Inventories
Weak market demand, a market saturated with low-cost PCs, and intra-brand competition has reportedly led to first-tier motherboard vendors such as ASUS and Gigabyte to suffer overstock of their Intel 4-series chipset motherboard inventories. The Intel 4-series chipset is the fourth generation of desktop chipsets for LGA-775 processors. It includes popular models such as P45, P43, the mainstream G45, G43 and G41, and others that include Q45, B45 and B43. Motherboards made by leading companies have had less than expected market demand. Earlier in September last year, when ASUS announced price-cuts for its 4-series motherboards, reported back then to make them "competitive", sources tell DigiTimes that the company was already facing swelling inventories.
As a result of this, the biggest loser seems to be ASUS, with a swelling inventory of 6~7 million units, valued at around $180 million, followed by Gigabyte holding an inventory worth around $130 million, which are quickly depreciating in value as the market gets closer to the launch of Intel's 5-series chipsets and the Ibex-Peak platform. With Intel planning to stick to its launch-schedule for its newest platform, motherboard vendors can only hope for Intel to reconsider its plans, delay its launch, and allow the inventories to get digested.
As a result of this, the biggest loser seems to be ASUS, with a swelling inventory of 6~7 million units, valued at around $180 million, followed by Gigabyte holding an inventory worth around $130 million, which are quickly depreciating in value as the market gets closer to the launch of Intel's 5-series chipsets and the Ibex-Peak platform. With Intel planning to stick to its launch-schedule for its newest platform, motherboard vendors can only hope for Intel to reconsider its plans, delay its launch, and allow the inventories to get digested.
NVIDIA PhysX Driver Version 9.09.0010 Released
NVIDIA has released a new version of their PhysX System Software. This driver supports all GeForce PhysX compatible video cards.
- Supports NVIDIA PhysX acceleration on all GeForce 8-series, 9-series and 200-series GPUs with a minimum of 256MB dedicated graphics memory.
- Experience GPU PhysX acceleration in many games and demos, some of which are highlighted in PowerPack downloads on www.geforce.com.
- Resolves PhysX SDK runtime issues with multi-GPU configurations in Hybrid environments.
- Improves performance of some PhysX enabled games on GeForce GTX 285 and GTX 295 products.
- Resolves occasional system crashes when PhysX is enabled on some systems when running on EA's Mirrors Edge.
- Runtime upgrade ONLY for AGEIA PhysX processors users. (New installations should install older PhysX system software such as version 8.09.04 - prior to installing this update).
- Includes the latest PhysX runtimes used in the latest game titles.
- Supports NVIDIA PhysX acceleration on GeForce via CUDA 2.0 for SDK versions 2.7.3, 2.7.2, 2.7.5, 2.8.0 and 2.8.1 (requires graphics driver v177.81 or later).
- Includes all the latest PhysX SDK Runtimes.
- Supports latest combines PhysX and SLI control panel featured in the latest GeForce drivers.
Seagate Announces New Cheetah 15K.7 and Cheetah NS.2 Hard Drives
Seagate today announced two new members of its award-winning Cheetah enterprise-class hard drive family: the Cheetah 15K.7 hard drive and the Cheetah NS.2 hard drive. Current economic challenges have put even more focus on reducing spending to ensure long-term business sustainability. For businesses that have an existing investment based on a standard 3.5-inch enterprise infrastructure, the new Cheetah drives bolster sustainability through easy drive/system integration, and provide improved levels of system performance, capacity, reliability, and lower power consumption.
Phenom II X4 at 6.30 GHz, Runs 3DMark-Stable
AMD finally seems to have put a realistic assessment of its processors, with its claims of the Phenom II X4 having "massive headroom" with its overclocking potential being validated once again, this time by Team Finland, at a CES overclocking event. Team Finland was able to overclock a Phenom II X4 940 processor at its highest stable clock speed of 6.30 GHz using extreme cooling. Earlier attempts to overclock the chip beyond the 6 GHz mark only yielded in test-beds that were able to POST, boot and display the clock speed using CPU-Z. This attempt however, was a benchmark-stable overclocking feat.
The bench consisted of a Phenom II X4 engineering sample, DFI LANParty Dark 790FXB-M2RS, OCZ DDR2-1066 memory, two Radeon HD 4870 X2 graphics cards in CrossfireX and Windows XP. The CPU cooling employed was liquid helium, which dropped the temperature to -242 degrees Celsius. To achieve a clock speed of 6.30 GHz, the processor's vCore was set at 1.84V, its bus speed at 280 MHz and a multiplier of 22.5 was set. The HyperTransport frequency multiplier was set at 8. The Radeon HD 4870 X2 accelerators were set at 800 MHz (core) and 950 MHz (memory). The machine was put through 3DMark05, where it ended with a world-record score of 45,474.
The bench consisted of a Phenom II X4 engineering sample, DFI LANParty Dark 790FXB-M2RS, OCZ DDR2-1066 memory, two Radeon HD 4870 X2 graphics cards in CrossfireX and Windows XP. The CPU cooling employed was liquid helium, which dropped the temperature to -242 degrees Celsius. To achieve a clock speed of 6.30 GHz, the processor's vCore was set at 1.84V, its bus speed at 280 MHz and a multiplier of 22.5 was set. The HyperTransport frequency multiplier was set at 8. The Radeon HD 4870 X2 accelerators were set at 800 MHz (core) and 950 MHz (memory). The machine was put through 3DMark05, where it ended with a world-record score of 45,474.
MSI Will Focus More on All-in-One Computer Market This Year
In response to the trend towards increased integration and lower power consumption in the global computer market, MSI released an all-new "Wind NetOn" product line and officially announced its intention to focus its efforts on the All-in-One computer market in 2009. The new Wind NetOn lineup emphasizes on an integrated one-piece design, environmentally friendly energy-saving features and a stylish exterior that deliver satisfactory performance at reasonable prices without taking up extra space.
NVIDIA Revenues for Q4 Significantly Lower Than Expected
Graphics maker NVIDIA has issued a brief statement today, informing us that its revenue for the forth quarter of 2008 which ends on January 29, 2009 has significantly dropped. Back in November of last year Jen-Hsun Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, said in a conference call that he expected Q4 revenues to be down around five percent, but those digits won't look right when the official report appears, because the real decline is far greater at 40 to 50 percent. NVIDIA's response of the situation:
as a result of further weakness in end-user demand and inventory reductions by NVIDIA's channel partners in the global PC supply chain.NVIDIA added that there would be no further comment until the Q4 earnings announcement on 10th February.
Intel Reveals New In-Store Concept Technologies at Retail's Big Show
Taking advantage of a high-performing and energy-efficient chip the company already sells to computer makers, Intel Corporation today unveiled a retail point-of-sale (POS) proof-of-concept system that could lower a store's total cost of ownership while improving customer satisfaction. Revealed at the National Retail Federation Convention (NRF) in New York, Intel's proof-of-concept exhibits the latest in digital signage and point-of-sale technology in a kiosk form factor, and demonstrates how technology can enhance the retail shopping experience.
Intel Core i7 and GeForce GTX 295 Break the 3DMark Vantage 40k Performance Barrier
You know we always try to share with you all these crazy world records and overclocking attempts that happen in a global scale, and today we have one more to show. Overclockers Vince "k|ngp|n" Lucido and Peter Tan "Shamino" have united to break the 40k barrier in 3DMark Vantage, an astonishing accomplishment. Except these two man, behind this record hides an Intel X58 platform. The motherboard used was a standard EVGA X58 SLI running BIOS SZ1C combined with an LN2 cooled Core i7 965 at 5110MHz (even running on higher core speeds as you'll see down below). Memory used was a Kingston 3GB HyperX DDR3 2000MHz CL9 kit clocked at 1080MHz with timings of CL8-7-7-21. Finally, the GPUs of choice were two volt-modded EVGA GTX 295+ working in Quad-SLI, cooled by LN2 again. The new official 3DMark Vantage world record was set for the Performance segment with a properly calculated score of P40398 marks. To find more about the whole overclocking process and the hardware used, please click here.
GIGABYTE Introduces Latest AMD Ultra Durable 3 Classic Motherboard Technology
GIGABYTE Technologies INC., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards today is pleased to introduce their revolutionary Ultra Durable 3 Classic technology, featuring ounces of copper for both the Power and Ground layers to a dramatically lower system temperature, improved energy efficiency and enhanced stability for overclocking on a wide range of current AMD motherboards.
Monday, January 12th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Motherboards
Western Digital Ups Platter Density, to Launch 2 TB HDD
Western Digital (WD), seems to have matched rival Seagate's per-platter storage density mark, with its 500GB platter technology. What's more, WD is planning to release a quad-platter hard drive totaling two terabytes of unformatted capacity before Seagate could achieve that feat with its Barracuda 7200.12 series. Seagate was the first to come out with a 1.5TB hard drive with four 375GB platters.
The 2TB hard drive by WD (model: WD20EADS) lists under the company's Caviar Green series. It makes use of a 32 MB cache. Its access time is rated at 8.9ms, though its spindle speed is variable, between 5400 and 7200 rpm. The variable speed brings in power savings. It uses the standard SATA II interface. European online retailer Czech Computer started listing the drive, though its price isn't announced just as yet.
The 2TB hard drive by WD (model: WD20EADS) lists under the company's Caviar Green series. It makes use of a 32 MB cache. Its access time is rated at 8.9ms, though its spindle speed is variable, between 5400 and 7200 rpm. The variable speed brings in power savings. It uses the standard SATA II interface. European online retailer Czech Computer started listing the drive, though its price isn't announced just as yet.
Intel to Take on Athlon Neo with New Low-Power Mobile CPUs
Currently leading AMD in every market-segment of CPUs, Intel is planning to take on the Athlon Neo series CPUs, a set of low-wattage CPUs specifically designed for the ultrathin form-factor notebooks. Intel's Athlon Neo competitor would take shape from its current ultra low-voltage (ULV) processors that feature in products such as the Apple Macbook Air.
The processors will use the 22 sq mm packaging. Intel's lineup is expected to include ULV chips with rated TDPs as low as 10W, against AMD's Athlon Neo chips offering rated TDPs as low as 15W. There is no word on the availability of these chips, although with Athlon Neo based products coming out only in Q2 2009, that still leaves Intel at least three months to prepare its new ULV chips.
The processors will use the 22 sq mm packaging. Intel's lineup is expected to include ULV chips with rated TDPs as low as 10W, against AMD's Athlon Neo chips offering rated TDPs as low as 15W. There is no word on the availability of these chips, although with Athlon Neo based products coming out only in Q2 2009, that still leaves Intel at least three months to prepare its new ULV chips.
Scythe Preparing an Entire Fleet of PSUs
Better known for their cooling products and case accessories, the Japanese hardware manufacturer Scythe, seems to have prepared an entire range of power supplies (PSUs) using the manufacturing technology of Enhance Electronics, a Taiwan-based company that specializes in OEM and enterprise segment PC power supplies. Scythe will name its PSU lineup as "ChouRiki".
The range starts off with a 400W model and extends all the way up to a 1000W model, including 500W, 600W, 700W, and 850W boxes. All PSUs on offer, are 80 Plus certified to show that they offer 80+ percent efficiency at any level of load. The PSUs come with single 120mm fan-based cooling with model-specific speeds and noise-levels. Scythe will begin introducing its ChouRiki range of power supplies across global markets within Q1 2009.
Model-specific power distribution charts follow:
The range starts off with a 400W model and extends all the way up to a 1000W model, including 500W, 600W, 700W, and 850W boxes. All PSUs on offer, are 80 Plus certified to show that they offer 80+ percent efficiency at any level of load. The PSUs come with single 120mm fan-based cooling with model-specific speeds and noise-levels. Scythe will begin introducing its ChouRiki range of power supplies across global markets within Q1 2009.
LG Display to Supply Flat Panels to Apple for the Next Five Years
LG Display has reached a long-term deal with Apple to supply flat panels to the iMac creator. The contract is for five years and as part of the agreement terms LG will receive payment of $500 million in advance from Apple sometime this month.
Although LG Display already had a relationship with Apple, the deal's duration and the size of the advance show that the two companies are involved in a long-term, strategic alliance,company spokesman Son Young-jun says. Currently, LG Display supplies about 70% of the displays used in all Apple products. LG Display declined to provide further details, and say if this number will grow in the future.
ASRock Core i7 ''SuperComputer'' Motherboard Announced
Intel January Price Cuts Announced, New Processors Priced
If the Chinese HKEPC is to be believed, Intel is planning on slashing the prices of six Core 2 Duo processors, including the Core 2 Quad Q8200 (down from $193 to $183), the Core 2 Duo E7400 (down from $133 to $113), E5300 (down from $86 to $74), E5200 (down from $84 to $64), E2220 (down from $74 to $64) and E1400 (down from $53 to $43). On January 18th, Intel will also come out with two low-cost dual-core processors - the Core 2 Duo E7500 (2.93GHz@1066MHz FSB, 3MB L2 cache, 65W TDP) and E5400 (2.70GHz@1066MHz FSB, 2MB L2 cache, 65W TDP). This month will see the release of several energy efficient Intel Core 2 Quads as well. Here are their models and specs:
- Core 2 Quad Q9550s - 2.83GHz@1333MHz FSB, 12MB L2 cache, 65W TDP, $369
- Core 2 Quad Q9400s - 2.66GHz@1333MHz FSB, 6MB L2 cache, 65W TDP, $320
- Core 2 Quad Q8200s - 2.33GHz@1333MHz FSB, 4MB L2 cache, 65W TDP, $245
Microsoft Opens Retail Experience Center
Showcasing new and emerging technologies that create connected and differentiated experiences for consumers throughout the retail environment, Microsoft Corp. today announced its new Retail Experience Center, which serves as a center of innovation for how Microsoft and the retail industry can address rising consumer expectations and competitive pressures during today's challenging economic conditions.
Located at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the Retail Experience Center is a private, 20,000-square-foot facility housing a fully functioning, interactive store environment, from point of service to receiving dock. Representing a blend of Microsoft's merchandising efforts as a consumer goods company and its solution capabilities as a technology provider for the retail industry, the center is part of Microsoft's ongoing investments in exploring how technology-driven innovations can enhance consumers' lives and shopping experiences.
Located at Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Wash., the Retail Experience Center is a private, 20,000-square-foot facility housing a fully functioning, interactive store environment, from point of service to receiving dock. Representing a blend of Microsoft's merchandising efforts as a consumer goods company and its solution capabilities as a technology provider for the retail industry, the center is part of Microsoft's ongoing investments in exploring how technology-driven innovations can enhance consumers' lives and shopping experiences.
EVGA X58 SLI Classified Launch Pushed till CeBIT, Gets Premium Pricing
EVGA's newest flagship Core i7 supportive motherboard, the X58 SLI Classified, captured the attention of many, when pictures followed by a preview surfaced last week (covered here). Filled to the brim with features and top-notch components, it became obvious that the new motherboard will carry a hefty price tag, putting it in the price-range of the likes of the ASUS Rampage II Extreme, MSI X58 Eclipse Plus, etc., but EVGA reportedly is adding to its exclusiveness with an even higher price tag of around US $450, a price point at which several enterprise computing companies such as TYAN and SuperMicro offer workstation and server motherboards. As for its launch, the X58 SLI Classified is on course for a Spring 2009 launch, which is expected to coincide with CeBIT, give or take a couple of weeks.
OCZ Preparing New 910W Silencer PSU
OCZ is preparing a new power supply under its PC Power & Cooling brand. This PSU is part of a series of products lined-up for launch from the PC Power & Cooling subsidiary of OCZ. It provides 910W of continuous output. It boasts a massive 74A +12V rail and an 80-Plus Silver rating, which keeps its efficiency above 85%, a remarkable feat for a PSU with a heavy-duty 74A circuit. The Silencer 910W was pictured as a part of the Tech Report's CES coverage of OCZ's booth.
The PSU uses the standard PC Power & Cooling design, black in colour, no modular connections, and an 80mm fan to cool the unit. The PSU is NVIDIA SLI certified for use in multi-GPU systems. The Silencer 910W will reach stores soon with a price tag of US $199. It will be backed by a 5-year warranty.
The PSU uses the standard PC Power & Cooling design, black in colour, no modular connections, and an 80mm fan to cool the unit. The PSU is NVIDIA SLI certified for use in multi-GPU systems. The Silencer 910W will reach stores soon with a price tag of US $199. It will be backed by a 5-year warranty.
QNAP Unveils Enterprise-grade TS-639 Pro Turbo NAS
QNAP Systems, Inc. today unveils the 6-bay TS-639 Pro Turbo NAS featuring low power Intel 1.6GHz CPU, 1GB DDRII memory, and striking new industrial design. It is stylish yet powerful and reliable, supports dual Giga LAN, RAID 0/1/5/6/5+spare configurations, Online RAID Capacity Expansion and Online RAID Level Migration, and offers advanced functions such as iSCSI target service with Thin Provisioning, AES 256-bit volume-based encryption, automatic policy-based IP blocking, instant SMS alert, and SSL secure certificate etc. The NAS is also able to deliver outstanding performance for intensive simultaneous data access in the business environment.
"The TS-639 Pro is a business-class Turbo NAS with complete new industrial design," commented Zack Huang, Product Manager from QNAP. "It adopts vertical hard drive mounting which allows vertical air convection for excellent heat dissipation as less air is trapped beneath compared to horizontal hard drive mounting. Moreover, the TS-639 Pro uses an energy-saving Intel processor which guarantees low power consumption and allows 24x7 operation. It is an ideal storage solution for businesses."
"The TS-639 Pro is a business-class Turbo NAS with complete new industrial design," commented Zack Huang, Product Manager from QNAP. "It adopts vertical hard drive mounting which allows vertical air convection for excellent heat dissipation as less air is trapped beneath compared to horizontal hard drive mounting. Moreover, the TS-639 Pro uses an energy-saving Intel processor which guarantees low power consumption and allows 24x7 operation. It is an ideal storage solution for businesses."
Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P AM3 Motherboard Pictured
Following announcements by most motherboard manufacturers about their AM3 CPU compatibility lists, plans of motherboards based on the new DDR3-supportive platform socket have been coming to surface. After a list of eight motherboards by ASUS under the M4A and M4N series, Gigabyte's first motherboard based on the AM3 socket has been pictured. The GA-MA790FXT-UD5P is the company's first AMD motherboard that uses the Ultra Durable 3 construction, with 2-oz copper layered PCB, high-grade conductive polymer capacitors, and MOSFETs with lower RDS.
As the name suggests, this motherboard is based on the AMD 790FX chipset. It features two full-bandwidth PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots supporting ATI CrossfireX, four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting DDR3-1600+ MHz memory. The motherboard supports AM3 socket processors with TDP of up to 140W. A total of 10 SATA II ports are provided, six of which are routed to the SB750 southbridge, four to an additional SATA II controller. Other features are common with Gigabyte motherboards in its class, with high-quality 7.1 ch audio, two gigabit Ethernet connections, twelve USB 2.0 ports (8 external), and FireWire. Gigabyte is planning two more AM3 socket models: GA-MA770T-UD3P and GA-MA790X-UD4P based on the AMD 770 and 790X chipsets respectively.
As the name suggests, this motherboard is based on the AMD 790FX chipset. It features two full-bandwidth PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots supporting ATI CrossfireX, four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting DDR3-1600+ MHz memory. The motherboard supports AM3 socket processors with TDP of up to 140W. A total of 10 SATA II ports are provided, six of which are routed to the SB750 southbridge, four to an additional SATA II controller. Other features are common with Gigabyte motherboards in its class, with high-quality 7.1 ch audio, two gigabit Ethernet connections, twelve USB 2.0 ports (8 external), and FireWire. Gigabyte is planning two more AM3 socket models: GA-MA770T-UD3P and GA-MA790X-UD4P based on the AMD 770 and 790X chipsets respectively.
Microsoft Scraps Windows 7 Beta 1 Download Cap
Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows 7, though in an unreleased beta stage, has been grabbing a lot of attention lately. After the beta went online last week, Microsoft's servers seem to have been bombarded with hits. At least this seems to have worked in building up hype around Windows 7. In the latest move, Microsoft scrapped the official limit it set to give away "only" 2.5 million keys to be able to install and use the OS.
Microsoft will give away as many copies of the OS as it can, till the 24th of January. Till the 24th, people will have access to the download as well as procurement of the legal Windows 7 Beta 1 key.
Microsoft will give away as many copies of the OS as it can, till the 24th of January. Till the 24th, people will have access to the download as well as procurement of the legal Windows 7 Beta 1 key.
Shuttle Launches Mini-PC Barebone with Intel P45 Express Chipset
Shuttle Inc., the market leader in the mini-PC segment and the manufacturer of Multi-Form-Factor solutions, today announced the availability of a new, extra powerful Mini-PC barebone with the Intel P45 Express chipset. The model opens up new vistas for highly demanding users looking for compact PC systems with impressive performance stats. The XPC Barebone SP45H7 takes full advantage of the Intel P45 Express chipset at the core of its compact aluminium chassis (32.5 x 20.8 x 18.9 cm). It can handle quad-core Intel Core 2 processors with 1600 MHz FSB as well as 16 GB of DDR2 RAM. The PCI Express 2.0 slot accepts current dual slot graphics cards, making top 3D performance a reality.
VIA Launches 8-drive NSD7800 Data Storage Server for Home Use
VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA NSD7800 home server, supporting up to 8 full sized hard drives with a fraction of the hassle associated with larger servers, enabling system integrators to offer the ideal solution for SOHO and family storage needs. Measuring only 13.4" x 13.4" x 5.9" (34cm x 34cm x 15cm) and powered by an energy-efficient 1.5GHz VIA C7-D processor, the VIA NSD7800 offers substantial storage space through its eight easy access 3.5" drive bays. The VIA NSD7800 server is fully compatible with Microsoft Windows Home Server so that users can now securely store their personal data and enjoy peace of mind with automatic data mirroring, as well as easy access to documents while away from home.
Sunday, January 11th 2009
Today's Reviews
Graphics Cards
Motherboards
AMD's Response to G200b Slated for March
NVIDIA snatched the performance crown from ATI with the introduction of the GeForce GTX 295 accelerator, and its launch itinerary for CES 2009 includes the GeForce 285, NVIDIA's second fastest graphics accelerator. NVIDIA's campaign to regain the performance crown was spearheaded by the G200b graphics processor, that, while not offering anything new, helped cut manufacturing costs and reduced the thermal envelope of the GPU, making conditions favourable for a dual-GPU accelerator, the GeForce GTX 295.
AMD on the other hand, has announced price-cuts to respond to the GeForce GTX 295, by lowering the prices of its Radeon HD 4870 X2 accelerator. The G200b is likely to get a competitor from AMD by March, when the company is looking to release the industry's first GPU built on the 40nm manufacturing process, the RV740. But wait, there seems to be something larger on the cards, according to the various sources Hardware-Infos got in touch with. AMD is planning the RV790 graphics processor. It will be a current-generation GPU built on the next generation 40nm manufacturing technology. There is a lot of speculation surrounding the RV790's specifications, with some of the more plausible ones hinting it has two additional SIMD clusters (960 SPs) and a total 48 texture memory units (TMUs). Both the RV740 and RV790 are slated for March, there's also a little indication of AMD using the occasion of CeBIT for its announcements and product launches.
AMD on the other hand, has announced price-cuts to respond to the GeForce GTX 295, by lowering the prices of its Radeon HD 4870 X2 accelerator. The G200b is likely to get a competitor from AMD by March, when the company is looking to release the industry's first GPU built on the 40nm manufacturing process, the RV740. But wait, there seems to be something larger on the cards, according to the various sources Hardware-Infos got in touch with. AMD is planning the RV790 graphics processor. It will be a current-generation GPU built on the next generation 40nm manufacturing technology. There is a lot of speculation surrounding the RV790's specifications, with some of the more plausible ones hinting it has two additional SIMD clusters (960 SPs) and a total 48 texture memory units (TMUs). Both the RV740 and RV790 are slated for March, there's also a little indication of AMD using the occasion of CeBIT for its announcements and product launches.
Dell Prepares 22-inch UltraSharp 2209WA LCD Monitor
In a week or two, Dell is supposed to ship a new UltraSharp 2209WA 22-inch widescreen LCD monitor. Dell Canada has already posted the full specs of the monitor here. It will eventually arrive with a 1680x1050 wide resolution, 300 nits of brightness, a 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 178-degree viewing angles (that suggest a non-TN panel will be used) and a 5 ms response time. The 2209WA will also feature four USB 2.0 ports, one analog and one DVI-D (Digital) inputs.
ASUS Announces Halogen-free Product Processes Across its Major Product Lines
ASUS, a world-leading company in the new digital era, has been a staunch supporter of environmentally-friendly computing. Staring from 2000, ASUS has initiated the GreenASUS project, which focuses on four Green Home Runs-Green Design, Green Procurement, Green Manufacturing, and Green Service and Marketing. Since then, ASUS has constantly strived to in its efforts to be more environmentally-friendly. In 2004, ASUS launched the world first lead-free motherboard, and phased in lead-free manufacturing process to all product lines. This year, ASUS will be the first in the IT industry to launch Halogen-free product processes across its major product lines.
AMD Slashes the Price of ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 Down to $449
Advanced Micro Devices has slashed the manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of its ATI flagship graphics board, X-bit Labs reports. The new prices come as no surprise to everyone, now that NVIDIA has launched GeForce GTX 295, ATI has to withstand its position, so slashing the prices of ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 is the first logical move. From now on, ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 with 2GB GDDR5 costs $449, down $100 from the previous price of $549. Moreover, some partners of ATI such as Newegg now offer $50 mail-in rebate for select Radeon HD 4870 X2 models, which immediately precalculates the card's price down to $399. If you're looking for a cheap ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 dual-GPU monster, now is the time.
Saturday, January 10th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cooling
Multimedia
Processors
pureSilicon Debuts World's First 1TB 2.5-Inch SSD
pureSilicon is demonstrating the highest-density SSD available today: the 1TB Nitro Series. This represents a major advance for the storage industry since it combines maximum density with high performance and low power demand. Four of these drives deliver 4TB in the same space as a standard 3.5-inch HDD, so server footprint requirements and energy consumption in data-intensive applications can be considerably reduced.
TRENDnet Demonstrates the First 450Mbps Wireless N Router at CES
TRENDnet, a best-in-class wired and wireless networking hardware brand, today announces the first demonstration of its 450Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router, model TEW-773GR, at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 450Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router is built for never-before seen extreme performance. The router's performance backbone is driven by a chipset that supports 3 high performance external antennas and 3 spatial streams per antenna. This wireless architecture offers a 50% increase in speed and an estimated 30% increase in coverage as compared to current wireless n solutions.
The 450Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router is built for never-before seen extreme performance. The router's performance backbone is driven by a chipset that supports 3 high performance external antennas and 3 spatial streams per antenna. This wireless architecture offers a 50% increase in speed and an estimated 30% increase in coverage as compared to current wireless n solutions.
CES 2009: Asus
CES 2009: Crucial & Lexar
CES 2009: Logitech
S3 Graphics Intros Hacker-proof Multimedia Platform for IP based HD Video on Demand
S3 Graphics will participate in the annual Lunch@Piero's press event, held during CES in Las Vegas on January 8th and 9th. Attendees at Lunch@Piero's can experience the latest HD IP-based media-on-demand based on a unique and innovative hardware-level IP protection mechanism showcased on the S3 Graphics Chrome 400 Series Hi-Def multimedia processor using a Content Protection LSI from Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited.
With the market transition to IP-based HD multimedia, movie studios and content creators canuse this new, secure multimedia platform to protect and control precious HD video IP distribution from source to display, while overcoming the inherent vulnerabilities of today's widely used software-based security methods.
With the market transition to IP-based HD multimedia, movie studios and content creators canuse this new, secure multimedia platform to protect and control precious HD video IP distribution from source to display, while overcoming the inherent vulnerabilities of today's widely used software-based security methods.
CES 2009: Super Talent
CES 2009: A-Data
Friday, January 9th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cooling
Graphics Cards
- GTX 260 vs. HD 4870 InsideHW
- Evercool Formula 2 HardwareZone
- GeForce 3D Vision NVNews
- GeForce 3D Vision Bjorn3D
- GeForce 3D Vision Elite Bastards
- GeForce 3D Vision HotHardware
- GeForce 3D Vision Overclockers Club
- GTX280 vs. GTX260² Core 216 HardwareOC (de)
- NVIDIA GTX 295 and Quad SLI Bit-Tech
- Asus GTX 295 Bjorn3D
- BFG GTX 295 Guru3D
- NVIDIA GTX 295 Quad SLI Guru3D
- BFG GTX 295 HardOCP
- NVIDIA GTX 295 HardwareZone
- Asus GTX 295 Hartware (de)
- BFG GTX 295 Hexus
- NVIDIA GTX 295 HotHardware
- EVGA GTX 295 Legit Reviews
- BFG GTX 295 NeoSeeker
- Gigabyte GTX 295 OC workbench
- NVIDIA GTX 295 Overclockers Club
- NVIDIA GTX 295 TechARP
- Zotac GTX 295 Technic3D (de)
- Gainward GTX 295 Tweaktown
- Gigabyte GTX 295 Tweaktown
- NVIDIA GTX 295 Quad SLI Tweaktown
Processors
- AMD Phenom II HardwareZone
- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition DriverHeaven
- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition HardOCP
- AMD Phenom II X4 940 and 920 HT4U.net (de)
- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition Icrontic
- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition ModReactor
- AMD Phenom II X4 920 and 940 OverClocked Inside (de)
- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition Technic3D (de)
- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition TrustedReviews
Intel Shows off Alternative OLPC Design
Local computer manufacturers unveiled the Intel-powered convertible classmate PC designs, joining the existing clamshell design to meet the variety of elementary school students' needs worldwide. The new flexible design, based on Intel Corporation technologies, converts instantly from a clamshell to a tablet mode with a touch screen to allow for a more intuitive classroom experience. According to research with students and teachers, the 180-degree swivel design, rotational camera and touch screen encourage flexible classroom interaction and natural collaboration. Both the convertible and the clamshell classmate PC designs are based on ethnographic studies and feedback from pilot programs conducted in both mature and emerging markets.
OCZ Prototype Case Spotted at CES
OCZ has been on a roll with diversifying its product range, with memory, data storage, power supplies, gaming peripherals, cooling, graphics cards, and now cases. French website Matbe took a few snaps of a certain prototype full ATX case by OCZ. This case looks like it has drawn inspiration from several popular designs: the Thermaltake Xaser, Armor Plus, and Cooler Master Stacker 830. The prototype is made of steel. It features a control and utility cluster at its top, providing USB, eSATA and FireWire ports. Behind the door are seven 5.25 inch drive bays. By the looks of it, the case will feature several ventilation points for fans. Its availability isn't known at this point. It is expected to be priced around 100 Euro.
Windows 7 Beta Public Release Gets Delayed Due to Heavy Traffic
Just under an hour after the public release of the Windows 7 beta was expected to launch, there has been an update on the Windows 7 Blog, as to why the beta has not been made available yet:
Due to very heavy traffic we're seeing as a result of interest in the Windows 7 Beta, we are adding some additional infrastructure support to the Microsoft.com properties before we post the public beta. We want to ensure customers have the best possible experience when downloading the beta, and I'll be posting here again soon once the beta goes live. Stay tuned! We are excited that you are excited!So far as we know, the beta was scheduled to be released to the public at 12pm PST (Pacific Standard Time) on the official Windows 7 website. For now though, we wait.
Dell Unveils Adamo Ultra-Thin Luxury Laptop
This morning, Dell's Michael Tatelman, VP of consumer sales & marketing, officially exposed to daylight for the first time the company's much-rumored Adamo ultra-thin luxury laptop. A pre-production sample was shown in front of the public at CES 2009. During the presentation and after that there where no details, specs, prices or what so ever disclosed. Dell only unveiled that anodized aluminum and glass are used in the laptop's chassis. When ready Adamo will come in two color options: black and white/silver. Have a look at the first Adamo pictures:
Aqua Computer Announces Waterblocks for the GTX295 and GT200b
Today we present to you the aquafrax GTX295 watercooler just in time with the release of the GTX 295 graphics card. The cooler is built in a sandwich style to cool both of the cards. The intermediate level is made of Delrin, the cooling blocks are 99.9% electrolyte copper. As a special feature, one will be able to choose if water runs parallel or in series through the blocks. So you can choose between high flow and low restriction or better cooling with high flow velocity. In parallel mode you need an additional T-Connector.
GPU's are cooled with high efficiency microstructure. Focus was also on low restriction. The threads are G 1/4 and the cooler will be available as of next week. Materials are copper and delrin.
GPU's are cooled with high efficiency microstructure. Focus was also on low restriction. The threads are G 1/4 and the cooler will be available as of next week. Materials are copper and delrin.
Team Group Launches 256GB 2.5-inch Combo Solid-State Drives
Team Group has just launched new more roomy and refined 256GB Combo solid-state drives. These MLC drives deliver a super read and write speeds of 170MB/Sec and 100MB/Sec respectively. They use the latest SATA 3gbps interface for internal use in computers or mini-USB when an external connection is necessary. The 2.5-inch Combo SSDs also come in a number of different capacities - 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. All drives ship backed by a 2-year warranty.
Zotac Releases New GeForce 9300 ITX Platform
ZOTAC International, a leading manufacturer of NVIDIA-based motherboards and graphics cards, kicks off day two of the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show with a early preview of the next-generation mini-ITX platform for Intel processors powered by NVIDIA's GeForce 9300 graphics processor - the ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi. The new ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi combines the powerful GeForce 9300 graphics processor with Intel processors for an unchained high-performance platform that's big on performance but miniature in size.
The powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9300 graphics processor that forms the heart of the ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi packs 16 high-speed stream processors that are configurable for DirectX 10, OpenGL 2.1 and CUDA-enabled applications. The ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi also features a high-performance NVIDIA PureVideo HD video processor that decodes Blu-ray high-definition video formats in hardware and enhances standard-definition content to near-high-definition quality levels.
The powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9300 graphics processor that forms the heart of the ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi packs 16 high-speed stream processors that are configurable for DirectX 10, OpenGL 2.1 and CUDA-enabled applications. The ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi also features a high-performance NVIDIA PureVideo HD video processor that decodes Blu-ray high-definition video formats in hardware and enhances standard-definition content to near-high-definition quality levels.
Windows 7 Beta Suffers from MP3 Corruption Bug Before it Even Reaches the Public
The first official public beta of Windows 7 launches today (Build 7000), but already there is a serious bug which can corrupt your mp3 files. Although it will not render them unplayable, it has the potential to cut off the first 2 or 3 seconds of the mp3 recording. According to a poster on the Neowin.net forums:
You can download the 32-bit (x86) version here and the 64-bit (x64) version here.
The problem only happens when you edit metadata on a certain class of MP3 file (a file with a header larger than 16KB). When the new metadata is written, it corrupts the beginning of the file. This can happen either when you edit the metadata from inside WMP or Explorer, or it can happen if you have WMP set to automatically fill in missing metadata using the online service and add the MP3 to your library. This problem is only present in the recently leaked build (7000)This same problem has been noted on Microsofts MSDN and TechNet websites when you click to download the beta:
To protect your MP3 filesAlthough there is no official support page for KB961367 yet, Microsoft have the updates ready for download.
1. Before you install this Beta release, back up all MP3 files that might be accessed by the computer, including those on removable media or network shares.
2. Install the Beta release of Windows 7; download and install the Update to Windows 7 Beta (KB961367) located on this page.
You can download the 32-bit (x86) version here and the 64-bit (x64) version here.
Viewsonic Introduces Netbook, All-In-One PC and Attachable PC
ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of visual display products, today unveiled its new computing line, which includes its first netbook, the VieBook, an all-in-one PC, the VPC100 ViePC, and an attachable PC, the ViePC.
ViewSonic's netbook is an ideal solution to fulfill the growing need for an ultra portable, daily use computer. At 2.6 pounds, the VieBook is highly-mobile, Internet-centric and offers users a lightweight yet powerful option for their on-the-go needs.
ViewSonic's netbook is an ideal solution to fulfill the growing need for an ultra portable, daily use computer. At 2.6 pounds, the VieBook is highly-mobile, Internet-centric and offers users a lightweight yet powerful option for their on-the-go needs.
Creative Intros HS-1100 Tournament Gaming Headset
Following Creative's announcement of its big release for this year, the Zii, the company went back to product launches of what's it's known for the most: consumer electronics. Enter HS-1100 Tournament Gaming headset. This piece will lead Creative's fleet of gaming headset.
Although the "X-Fi" term is out of its product name, the headset does incorporate native X-Fi logic. While the headset connects to the audio source using standard 3.5mm jacks, the local X-Fi logic provides X-Fi Crystalizer and VoiceFX (a voice morphing feature). This eradicates the need for any related software to be installed on the PC. The heatset features active noise cancellation to help gamers in rather noisy environments such as LAN parties and competitions. It features 40mm neodymium drivers for sharp and accurate sound effects. The HS-1100 will hit the shelves around April this year, at an expected price of over US $160.
Although the "X-Fi" term is out of its product name, the headset does incorporate native X-Fi logic. While the headset connects to the audio source using standard 3.5mm jacks, the local X-Fi logic provides X-Fi Crystalizer and VoiceFX (a voice morphing feature). This eradicates the need for any related software to be installed on the PC. The heatset features active noise cancellation to help gamers in rather noisy environments such as LAN parties and competitions. It features 40mm neodymium drivers for sharp and accurate sound effects. The HS-1100 will hit the shelves around April this year, at an expected price of over US $160.
Seagate Powers High Definition Video Recording With New Pipeline HDDs
Seagate today announced at the 2009 Consumer Electronics show two new additions to the Seagate Pipeline HD family of purpose-built hard drives for Digital Video Recorders - the Pipeline HD Mini and Pipeline HD.2. The Pipeline HD Mini hard drive is the world's first 2.5-inch drive engineered specifically for use in digital video recorders (DVRs). With 160GB and 250GB capacities now available, DVR manufacturers can benefit from the lower-power performance and slim form factor of these new, smaller hard drives without sacrificing capacity for their content-hungry customers. The Pipeline HD.2 is Seagate's second generation of the Pipeline HD drive built in a 3.5-inch form factor. These new Pipeline HD.2 hard drives, available in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacities, give home entertainment device manufacturers one and two disk, cost-optimized solutions for today's high definition video recording applications.
Seagate Introduces FreeAgent Theater HD Media Player
Seagate, the world's leading provider of storage solutions, today unveiled the new Seagate FreeAgent Theater HD media player, a complete home theater solution designed to enhance the experience of enjoying digital media by providing an easy way to play your favorite videos, movies and photos on your TV. The Seagate FreeAgent Theater media player is a new accessory designed to work with the company's award-winning FreeAgent Go portable hard drive, enabling people to easily enjoy stored digital media on their TV screens rather than their computer monitors. Just tuck the media player next to your TV, pop in your FreeAgent Go hard drive, point, click, and enjoy as your personal memories and favorite movies come to life before your eyes in HD quality video with surround sound. The announcement was made at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show, taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Available in March, the Seagate FreeAgent Theater HD media player can be purchased as a stand-alone unit for use with any USB storage device, or a complete solution with a FreeAgent Go portable drive included, starting at just $129.99.
Available in March, the Seagate FreeAgent Theater HD media player can be purchased as a stand-alone unit for use with any USB storage device, or a complete solution with a FreeAgent Go portable drive included, starting at just $129.99.
Samsung Introduces World’s First PC-over-IP LCD Desktop Display
Samsung Electronics America, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, today introduced an innovative PC-over-IP (PCoIP) display solution in conjunction with Teradici Corporation. Teradici's PCoIP technology is incorporated into the Samsung SyncMaster 930ND 19-inch display, which delivers a true integrated desktop computing experience over standard IP networks. Such a solution allows users to operate a remote host PC and use the 930ND as a local desktop monitor. The integrated PCoIP display features a 1000:1 contrast ratio, 5ms response time and a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels. The monitor also has four USB connectors, 2-way HD audio and DVI-out for a second display, and supports both PCoIP and RDP modes. The 930ND is currently compatible with Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows XP operating systems.
Microsoft Makes First Windows 7 Beta Public
Microsoft made the first beta release of its upcoming client operating system, Windows 7 (officially) public. While the OS has been open for downloads for MSDN and TechNet subscribers for the past two days, the company made it public in essence making it open for everyone to download it starting today.
Users will be able to download the Windows 7 Beta 1 DVD image file (.iso) from the official Windows 7 page on the company website here. The disk image file weighs 2.7 GB (3.15 GB for the 64-bit version). Unlike with earlier beta versions of Windows Vista, Windows 7 beta isn't available in a CD image format. "I really believe that Windows 7 is the best operating system we've ever developed," said Steve Ballmer, chief executive of Microsoft. "I encourage you all to get out and download it" he added.
Users will be able to download the Windows 7 Beta 1 DVD image file (.iso) from the official Windows 7 page on the company website here. The disk image file weighs 2.7 GB (3.15 GB for the 64-bit version). Unlike with earlier beta versions of Windows Vista, Windows 7 beta isn't available in a CD image format. "I really believe that Windows 7 is the best operating system we've ever developed," said Steve Ballmer, chief executive of Microsoft. "I encourage you all to get out and download it" he added.
ZOTAC Unveils Next-Generation GTX 200 Series Video Cards
ZOTAC International, a leading manufacturer of NVIDIA-based motherboards and graphics cards, today announces the latest series of GeForce GTX 200 graphics cards - the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 285 and GTX 285 AMP! Edition. The new ZOTAC GeForce GTX 285 and GTX 285 AMP! Edition are the epitome of single GPU performance, delivering greater performance efficiency than the last generation.
AMD Launches ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4000 Series Graphics for Notebooks
AMD today announced ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4000 series graphics, its next generation series of notebook graphics processors, bringing leading gaming and multimedia technology from the desktop to notebooks. These feature-rich graphics processors redefine mobile gaming with advanced capabilities including support for the latest Microsoft DirectX 10.1 games, a home theatre-quality HD multimedia experience, and energy-efficient features for long battery life to help users get the most out of their notebook at work, at home or at play.
The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4800 series redefines HD gaming performance with support for ATI CrossFireX technology to deliver up to one teraFLOP of performance power. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4600 series offers a superb balance of performance and energy efficiency. Optimal for thin and light notebooks, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4300 and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4500 series provide exceptional battery life for anyone on the go.
The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4800 series redefines HD gaming performance with support for ATI CrossFireX technology to deliver up to one teraFLOP of performance power. ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4600 series offers a superb balance of performance and energy efficiency. Optimal for thin and light notebooks, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4300 and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4500 series provide exceptional battery life for anyone on the go.
Inno3D Unleashes GeForce GTX 295 and GTX 285 Graphics Cards
Inno3D are excited to launch 2 unrivaled graphics cards, the Inno3D GeForce GTX 295 and Inno3D GeForce GTX 285 that are built with the 2nd Generation NVIDIA Unified Architecture and ready for all the advance features of Graphics Plus.
Take your DirectX 10 gaming beyond HD, with the power of Inno3D GeForce GTX 285. Place yourself in the center of the action and experience true gaming cinema in extreme HD (2560x1600) resolutions - all enabled by GeForce 200 series second generation unified architecture, NVIDIA SLI technology, and incredible out-of-the-box performance for the latest games including Far Cry 2, Mirror's Edge, and Call of Duty: World at War. With over 50% more performance than prior generation GPUs, Inno3D GeForce GTX 285 tear through complex DirectX 10 environments and cinematic effects at blazing frame rates in beyond HD resolutions.
Take your DirectX 10 gaming beyond HD, with the power of Inno3D GeForce GTX 285. Place yourself in the center of the action and experience true gaming cinema in extreme HD (2560x1600) resolutions - all enabled by GeForce 200 series second generation unified architecture, NVIDIA SLI technology, and incredible out-of-the-box performance for the latest games including Far Cry 2, Mirror's Edge, and Call of Duty: World at War. With over 50% more performance than prior generation GPUs, Inno3D GeForce GTX 285 tear through complex DirectX 10 environments and cinematic effects at blazing frame rates in beyond HD resolutions.
Thursday, January 8th 2009
Today's Reviews
Processors
- AMD Phenom II Bit-Tech
- AMD Phenom II Bjorn3D
- AMD Phenom II Club Overclocker
- AMD Phenom II Elite Bastards
- AMD Phenom II Hexus
- AMD Phenom II HotHardware
- AMD Phenom II NeoSeeker
- AMD Phenom II Overclockers Club
- AMD Phenom II Planet 3DNow! (de)
- AMD Phenom II Tech Report
- AMD Phenom II Tweaktown
- AMD Phenom II X4 Guru3D
Storage
Sparkle Adds 1GB GeForce 9600 GSO to its Lineup
As NVIDIA celebrates the launch of its two new flagship products: the GeForce GTX 295 and GeForce GTX 285, Sparkle made an addition to its mainstream graphics lineup with a 1 GB variant its GeForce 9600 GSO accelerator (model: SX96SO1024D3-HM). Traditionally, the G92 graphics processor in the 8800 GS, 9600 GSO should have a 192-bit memory bus, but with this particular card, Sparkle chose a 128-bit memory bus and added 1 GB of GDDR3 memory.
The card features a dual-slot cooler for the GPU. Its core is clocked at 550 MHz. Its 96 stream processors are clocked at 1375 MHz. The memory runs at 800 MHz (1600 MHz DDR). It supports NVIDIA CUDA and PhysX technologies and is SLI capable. It will be priced around US $100.
The card features a dual-slot cooler for the GPU. Its core is clocked at 550 MHz. Its 96 stream processors are clocked at 1375 MHz. The memory runs at 800 MHz (1600 MHz DDR). It supports NVIDIA CUDA and PhysX technologies and is SLI capable. It will be priced around US $100.
MSI U120 Netbook Web-Ready with 3.5G or WiMAX
Do you ever think of dropping MSI U120 in your backpack and easily biking around the island? This dream can come true because the U120 is light enough, slim enough, thin enough and has the manageable keyboard and monitor as well as optional 3.5G network card to enable you to make short work of your business and go on your journey.
In addition to the optional 3.5G network card enabling you to easily surf the internet, MSI U120 is even "WiMAX Ready". Presented at CES, MSI built up a WiMAX wireless environment to allow people to experience the outstanding WiMAX wireless performance with U120 at the show. U120 is the outcome of MSI's constant efforts in technology research and development for its endless progress.
In addition to the optional 3.5G network card enabling you to easily surf the internet, MSI U120 is even "WiMAX Ready". Presented at CES, MSI built up a WiMAX wireless environment to allow people to experience the outstanding WiMAX wireless performance with U120 at the show. U120 is the outcome of MSI's constant efforts in technology research and development for its endless progress.
ASUS Launches W90 – The Company's Ultimate Multimedia Notebook
The ASUS W90 represents a shift in the manufacturing and designing of the notebooks of today, where style plays an equally important role as performance. In blending the two elements together, the ASUS W90 can be likened to a high performance sports car-providing users with exhilarating performance and immaculate charm. Be it for entertainment or for work, the ASUS W90 is the definitive notebook for the modern, discerning consumer with an eye for design and attention to performance.
Samsung Brings Two More DisplayLink Enabled LCD Displays
Two more Samsung monitors will be making it easy for notebook and netbook consumers to enjoy the entertainment and productivity benefits of an additional display, thanks to integrated USB graphics technology from DisplayLink Corp. Demonstrated for the first time at 2009 International CES, the new Samsung SyncMaster D190SU and D220SU monitors were announced soon after the launch of Samsung's first DisplayLink enabled SyncMaster 2243QW display. As already mentioned, thanks to DisplayLink's USB graphics hardware inside the monitors, users can connect their portable computer to them with the simple snap of a USB connection, without the need of a discrete graphics card. Both SyncMaster configurations - the 19-inch D190SU and 22-inch D220SU will be demonstrated at CES in the USB TechZone in DisplayLink's booth in South Hall 3, 30368. Additional details are unknown at the moment of this publication.
Kingston Technology Boosts Speed, Capacity on 2GHz HyperX DDR3 Triple Channel Memory
Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the release of an ultra-low latency (ULL) version of its 2GHz HyperX DDR3 triple channel memory. Shipping immediately in 6GB and 3GB kits, the HyperX 2GHz memory carries a lower CAS latency of 8, for increased performance in the Core i7 and X58 platforms.
"Kingston is following up its first-to-market 2GHz triple-channel kits released in October 2008 with a second generation 2GHz HyperX kit that gives gaming enthusiasts and benchmarking teams even more headroom to go further," said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston. "The new ultra low latency triple channel kits take maximum advantage of the T1 heatspreaders' HyperX Thermal Xchange (HTX) technology to optimize system functionality at 1.65 volts in Core i7 based motherboards designed for extreme performance."
"Kingston is following up its first-to-market 2GHz triple-channel kits released in October 2008 with a second generation 2GHz HyperX kit that gives gaming enthusiasts and benchmarking teams even more headroom to go further," said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston. "The new ultra low latency triple channel kits take maximum advantage of the T1 heatspreaders' HyperX Thermal Xchange (HTX) technology to optimize system functionality at 1.65 volts in Core i7 based motherboards designed for extreme performance."
ASUS Introduces First Notebook Solutions with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4600 Series GPUs
ASUS is proud to announce the world's first notebooks equipped with the AMD ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4600 Series GPU-the ASUS N81Vp and N51Tp. These notebooks will leverage the new GPU technology to deliver astounding multimedia experiences for discerning consumers. Furthermore, each N Series notebook also comes with innovative technological developments such as the highly-efficient Super Hybrid Engine (SHE), the built-in Express Gate operating system and the SmartLogon facial recognition system.
AMD Supercomputer To Deliver Next-Gen Games and Applications Entirely via Cloud
Today at CES, AMD President and Chief Executive Officer Dirk Meyer and OTOY Chief Executive Officer Jules Urbach unveiled a plan to revolutionize the deployment, development and delivery of HD content through the "AMD Fusion Render Cloud", a massively-parallel supercomputer. The announcement took place during AMD's Industry Insider Series keynote at the Las Vegas Hilton Theater, where AMD was joined on stage by industry luminaries such as Lucasfilm, Dell, HP and Electronic Arts.
"AMD has a long track record in the supercomputing world. Seven out of 10 of the world's fastest machines, including the fastest two computers on the planet, are powered by AMD hardware," said Meyer. "Today, AMD is pleased to announce a new kind of supercomputer unlike any other ever built. It is being designed to break the one petaFLOPS barrier, and to process a million compute threads across more than 1,000 graphics processors. We anticipate it to be the fastest graphics supercomputer ever. And it will be powered by OTOY's software for a singular purpose: to make HD cloud computing a reality. We plan to have this system ready by the second half of 2009."
"AMD has a long track record in the supercomputing world. Seven out of 10 of the world's fastest machines, including the fastest two computers on the planet, are powered by AMD hardware," said Meyer. "Today, AMD is pleased to announce a new kind of supercomputer unlike any other ever built. It is being designed to break the one petaFLOPS barrier, and to process a million compute threads across more than 1,000 graphics processors. We anticipate it to be the fastest graphics supercomputer ever. And it will be powered by OTOY's software for a singular purpose: to make HD cloud computing a reality. We plan to have this system ready by the second half of 2009."
MSI Starts off With Overclocked GeForce GTX 285
Graphics card manufacturers either release entire lineups of products based on a particular GPU on one go, comprising of a base-model sticking to the GPU vendors' reference specifications, all the way up to factory-overclocked cards, or they release base-models first and follow it up with overclocked variants later. MSI did the opposite, with starting its GeForce GTX 285 lineup with a "base-model" that doesn't adhere to reference clock speeds by NVIDIA, but instead, comes slightly overclocked.
The MSI GeForce GTX 285 (model: N285GTX-T2D1G-OC), the company's first entry to its N285GTX series, comes with clock speeds of 680 MHz (core), 1476 MHz (shader) and 2484 MHz (memory). These, against the NVIDIA reference clock speeds of 680/1476/1998 MHz. The GeForce GTX 285, as we know, is based on the G200b graphics processor. It is built on the 55nm manufacturing node of TSMC. It features 240 stream processors and 1 GB of GDDR3 memory across a 512-bit wide memory bus. The MSI N285GTX-T2D1G-OC should make it by January 15.
The MSI GeForce GTX 285 (model: N285GTX-T2D1G-OC), the company's first entry to its N285GTX series, comes with clock speeds of 680 MHz (core), 1476 MHz (shader) and 2484 MHz (memory). These, against the NVIDIA reference clock speeds of 680/1476/1998 MHz. The GeForce GTX 285, as we know, is based on the G200b graphics processor. It is built on the 55nm manufacturing node of TSMC. It features 240 stream processors and 1 GB of GDDR3 memory across a 512-bit wide memory bus. The MSI N285GTX-T2D1G-OC should make it by January 15.
ASUS Preparing Eight New AMD Motherboards Under the M4A, M4N Series
ASUS is reportedly preparing eight new motherboards based on the AM3/AM2+ sockets, ready for AMD's 45nm desktop CPUs. While two of these have already caught the media's attention, there are more. Tabled below are the eight motherboards based on the AMD 7-series chipsets, the ASUS M4A series, and NVIDIA nForce 700 series (and 900 series chipsets, if the "980a SLI" reference in the table isn't a typo), the ASUS M4N series.
Getting into some details, the M4A79-T is the high-end AMD CrossFireX supportive platform based on the AMD 790FX + SB750 chipset, that supports dual-channel DDR3-1600 (OC) memory. It will feature four PCI-Express x16 slots. The M4A79 Deluxe supports DDR2 memory. It is known that the upcoming AM3 socket Phenom II processors will be backwards compatible with AM2+ (DDR2) platforms. The M4A78T-E is the based on the AMD 790GX + SB750 chipset, it supports DDR3. The M4A78-E supports DDR2, while being based on the same chipset. The M4N series motherboards, start from the 3-way SLI supportive M4N82 Deluxe based on the 780a/980a SLI chipset, again it isn't known if the chart sourced has a typo. There is the M4N72-E based on the nForce 750a SLI, and finally the M4N78 Pro. All the M4N motherboards support DDR2 memory.
Getting into some details, the M4A79-T is the high-end AMD CrossFireX supportive platform based on the AMD 790FX + SB750 chipset, that supports dual-channel DDR3-1600 (OC) memory. It will feature four PCI-Express x16 slots. The M4A79 Deluxe supports DDR2 memory. It is known that the upcoming AM3 socket Phenom II processors will be backwards compatible with AM2+ (DDR2) platforms. The M4A78T-E is the based on the AMD 790GX + SB750 chipset, it supports DDR3. The M4A78-E supports DDR2, while being based on the same chipset. The M4N series motherboards, start from the 3-way SLI supportive M4N82 Deluxe based on the 780a/980a SLI chipset, again it isn't known if the chart sourced has a typo. There is the M4N72-E based on the nForce 750a SLI, and finally the M4N78 Pro. All the M4N motherboards support DDR2 memory.
NVIDIA Doubles Down In Vegas With Two New High-End GPUs
NVIDIA today launched two new graphics solutions for the enthusiast gamer, the GeForce GTX 295 and the GeForce GTX 285. The GeForce GTX 295 is the world's fastest dual GPU solution. Featuring the power of two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 200 GPUs on a single card, the GeForce GTX 295 delivers unrivaled graphics performance in the hottest games including Far Cry 2, Mirror's Edge, and Call of Duty 5: World at War.
The GeForce GTX 285 is the world's most powerful single GPU, delivering 30% faster performance than competing single GPU solutions, and tearing through complex DirectX 10 environments at blazing frame rates in extreme HD resolutions.
The GeForce GTX 285 is the world's most powerful single GPU, delivering 30% faster performance than competing single GPU solutions, and tearing through complex DirectX 10 environments at blazing frame rates in extreme HD resolutions.
ViewSonic Comes up with 3D FuHzion 22-inch LCD Monitor and Portable Projector
Briefly mentioned in the NVIDIA 3D Vision news here was the name of ViewSonic, and that it has got 3D monitors running. That's exactly how things are and ViewSonic is not only launching a 22-inch 3D display today, but it is also presenting a portable 3D projector. Both products are part of ViewSonic's new and oddly spelled FuHzion line-up for three dimensional display devices. More information follows below.
Dell Integrates AMD's Dragon Platform into XPS 625 Desktop PC
Unleashed earlier today AMD's Dragon platform has now been integrated into Dell's latest XPS 625 desktop PC. Starting at $999, the system is powered by a 3.0GHz AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition processor, two ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics cards in CrossFire mode, 8GB memory, and a 10,000 rpm hard drive. All that hardware is placed carefully in a special Dell aluminum chassis with a choice of either black or red accents, plus the AlienFX customizable lighting system inside it. For more information on the XPS 625 system, please click here.
Dell Previews New G-Series of 22-inch and 24-inch LED Monitors
Dell today announced its G-Series of LED widescreen flat panel monitors with the introduction of the G2210 22-inch and G2410 24-inch models. G-Series high-performance EPEAT Gold and ENERGY STAR-compliant monitors are distinguished by a design approach that combines energy efficiency, LED technology, recycled materials and other environmentally preferable components. Availability of the G2210 and G2410 monitors through Dell.com is planned for late February, with prices starting at $279 and $359 respectively.
NVIDIA Raises The Graphics Performance Bar For Mainstream Notebooks
NVIDIA is pushing the pace for graphics performance in mainstream notebooks with the announcement of the GeForce 100M Series of graphics processing units (GPUs). The NVIDIA GeForce 100M Series, which includes the GeForce G105M, the GeForce G110M and the GeForce GT 130M GPUs, meets the performance demands of today's visual computing applications. Whether you're viewing or editing photos, finding directions, playing a game, or watching a high definition movie, an NVIDIA GeForce 100M Series GPU makes your notebook run silky smooth, with amazing visuals.
The three new GeForce 100M Series GPUs each represent a significant performance increase in their respective segments. The GeForce G105M is over 55% faster than the previous NVDIA product in its segment, while the GeForce G110M is 35% faster than NVIDIA's previous mainstream GPU. The GeForce GT 130M is around 17% faster than its predecessor.
The three new GeForce 100M Series GPUs each represent a significant performance increase in their respective segments. The GeForce G105M is over 55% faster than the previous NVDIA product in its segment, while the GeForce G110M is 35% faster than NVIDIA's previous mainstream GPU. The GeForce GT 130M is around 17% faster than its predecessor.
NVIDIA Announces 3D Vision-The World’s First High-Definition 3D Stereo Solution
NVIDIA Corporation, in conjunction with the world's leading content developers, display manufacturers, and PC OEMs and system builders, is pleased to announce NVIDIA 3D Vision for GeForce, the world's first high-definition 3D stereo solution for the home. Forming the foundation for a new consumer 3D stereo ecosystem for gaming and home entertainment PCs, 3D Vision is a combination of high-tech wireless glasses, a high-power IR emitter and advanced software that automatically transforms hundreds of PC games into full stereoscopic 3D experiences. Designed to work with the new pure Samsung and ViewSonic 120Hz LCD monitors, Mitsubishi DLP HDTVs, and the DepthQ HD 3D Projector by Lightspeed Design, Inc, 3D Vision unlocks crystal-clear, flicker-free 3D stereo imagery perfect for driving new experiences in 3D gaming, 3D movies, and 3D photography.
Mamba and Carcharias - New Gaming Mouse and Circumaural Audio Headset from Razer
Today, at the Consumer Electronics Show, Razer unveiled a cutting edge of gaming peripherals including the Razer Mamba, a high precision wireless laser gaming mouse, and the Razer Carcharias, a circumaural audio headset. Product demonstrations will be held at the South Hall, meeting room 35166. This new suite of Razer products will give gamers the competitive edge and allow for enhanced game play for longer periods of time. With an emphasis on product design and a focus on proprietary Razer technologies, these latest products will help gamers amplify performance levels with faster response times, increased precision and offer unique design features.
SanDisk Unleashes World’s Fastest MLC Solid-State Drive Family
SanDisk Corporation today also unveiled its third-generation family of solid-state drives (SSDs). Using multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory technology, SanDisk's G3 Series establishes new benchmarks in performance and price-performance leadership in the SSD industry. Designed as drop-in replacements for hard-disk drives (HDDs) in notebook PCs, the initial members in the SanDisk G3 family are SSD C25-G3 and SSD C18-G3 in the standard 2.5" and 1.8" form factors, respectively, each available with a SATA-II interface. Available in capacities of 60, 120 and 240GB, the unit MSRPs are $149, $249 and $499, respectively.
SanDisk and Sony to Expand Memory Stick PRO and Memory Stick Micro Formats
SanDisk Corporation and Sony Corporation today announced the joint development of two expanded formats that will shape the flash memory landscape for years to come. "Memory Stick format for Extended High Capacity (Tentative name)" expands the "Memory Stick PRO" format series to achieve a maximum storage capacity of 2-terabytes (TB), while the "Memory Stick HG Micro" format enables a maximum data-transfer speed of 60 megabytes per second (MB/s), making it one of the fastest-smallest memory card formats to date. Format licensing corresponding to the "Memory Stick format for Extended High Capacity" and the "Memory Stick HG Micro" is scheduled to start in 2009.
NVIDIA GeForce 181.20 WHQL Released - Adds Support for GeForce GTX 295 and GTX 285
With new cards always comes a new driver. NVIDIA has just released GeForce Release 181.20 WHQL for GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, and 200-series desktop GPUs. Here's what is new in this release and what has been added:
- Added support for GeForce GTX 295 and GeForce GTX 285
- Enables NVIDIA SLI technology on SLI-certified Intel X58-based motherboards with all SLI-certified GPUs.
- Enables NVIDIA SLI Multi-monitor support, giving you the ability to use two monitors with your GeForce graphics cards in SLI mode. Now you can easily switch between multi-monitor desktop mode and full screen 3D gaming mode. Learn more here.
- Enables NVIDIA PhysX acceleration on a dedicated GeForce graphics card. Use one card for graphics and dedicate a different card for PhysX processing for game-changing physical effects. Learn more here. (Note: GPU PhysX is supported on all GeForce 8-series, 9-series and 200-series GPUs with a minimum of 256MB dedicated graphics memory. This driver package automatically installs PhysX System Software version 8.10.13).
- Supports GeForce Plus Power Pack #2.
- Added support for the new NVIDIA CUDA Video Encoder with H.264 optimization
MSI GeForce GTX 295 Pictured, Almost Ready to Ship
Micro Star International (MSI) is the next bug computer company that launches own branded GeForce GTX 295 video card. The N295GTX-M2D1792 is standard in all ways, it follows NVIDIA's dual-GPU reference design, cooling and clock speeds. The two GPUs are set to 576MHz, the shaders work at 1242MHz and the 1792MB of GDDR3 memory is clocked at 1998MHz. The card hasn't reached the stores just yet, but that's about to change very soon.
Zii: A Supercomputer the Size of a Postage Stamp
Zii has taken us by surprise for sure. It's not affiliated with life-science, it's certainly not a PC audio processor. It's a multi-core processor the size of a postage stamp, that its makers claim to possess raw computational power to rival that of a supercomputer. Zii stands for "Zen Two" or Z II, it is a combination of the ZMS-05 processor, a system board, middleware and an optimised OS. Soon to be announced at CES, Zii might well turn out to be Creative's most important product, even more so than SoundBlaster. VR-Zone provided some details ahead of Creative's announcement.
Dell Releases New Studio XPS Laptops
Dell has just launched its new Studio XPS notebook family. The first members of this family are the Studio XPS 13 (1340) and Studio XPS 16 (1640), boasting a 13-inch and a 16-inch LED backlit displays respectively. Both laptops share the same chassis design that combines magnesium alloy, plastic, brushed aluminum, and leather. They only distinguish from each other from the different display sizes and internal hardware specs. Both systems start at a base price of $1,199 and can be completely customized. If you are interested, you might want to check Dell's online configurator here. It will give you all the information you need. Also, our friends at NotebookReview have posted a complete professional first look on the Dell Studio XPS 1640 here.
Manli Unveils GeForce GTX 295 and GTX 285 Graphics Cards
Manli Technology, a leading manufacturer of Graphics cards and Motherboards in Hong Kong today launched their next generation graphics cards, the Manli GeForce GTX 295 and GeForce GTX 285. The Manli GeForce GTX 295 is equipped with a whopping 480 stream processors. It also comes with 1792 MB GDDR3 memory and a 896-bit memory interface at a GPU clock speed of 576 MHz while the Manli GTX 285 is equipped with 240 stream processors, comes with 1 GB GDDR3 memory and a 512-bit memory interface at a GPU clock speed of 648 MHz. Furthermore, to deliver the Graphics Plus idea, both graphics cards offer world-class graphics performance plus GPU-accelerated NVIDIA CUDA, PhysX gaming effects, and stereoscopic 3D support, along with PureVideoHD for video and image processing.
LaCie LaCinema Classic Hard Disk Connects to Your HDTV for Instant Playback
Today LaCie announced the LaCinema Classic Hard Disk, suited for all fans of digital movies, music, and photography. Designed by award-winning industrial designer Neil Poulton, this attractive multimedia storage device can pack more than 1,000 movies, or 250,000 songs, or 1 million photographs with up to 1 TB (terabyte) of capacity. Weighing a mere 33 ounces, LaCinema Classic is extremely compact - a perfect storage device for entertainment in the home. Customers simply load content from their PC or Mac on the Classic drive and connect it to their TV for instant playback. No configuration required. Users will also enjoy HDMI 1080p upscaling of movies and photos.
ATI Releases Windows 7 Preview Driver and ATI Catalyst 8.12 Hotfix
Yesterday ATI released two updates to its Catalyst driver package, the one is actually being a whole new driver for Windows 7. The ATI Catalyst preview driver for Windows 7 includes drivers for all Radeon HD 2000, 3000 and 4000 series GPUs plus the ATI Catalyst Control Center with limited features support.
The ATI Catalyst release 8.12 hotfix is said to improve DirectX10 performance in various applications in multi-core CPU systems. It also resolves the BSOD issues using dual ATI Radeon HD 4850 in CrossFire mode.
DOWNLOAD: Windows 7 Preview Driver | ATI Catalyst release 8.12 HOTFIX
The ATI Catalyst release 8.12 hotfix is said to improve DirectX10 performance in various applications in multi-core CPU systems. It also resolves the BSOD issues using dual ATI Radeon HD 4850 in CrossFire mode.
DOWNLOAD: Windows 7 Preview Driver | ATI Catalyst release 8.12 HOTFIX
Sony Uncovers the World's Lightest 8-inch VAIO P Netbook
Sony today took the wraps off of the world's lightest 8-inch notebook- the new VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC. About the size of a business envelope and roughly as thin as a cell phone, the VAIO Lifestyle PC weighs just 1.4 pounds and is small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or handbag while integrating full-PC features. We already know a little something for VAIO P, but let's do the specs again. It's little, but has a high-resolution, 1600x768, LED backlit 8-inch ultra-wide display with Sony's XBRITE-ECO LCD technology. The foundation of VAIO P is its Intel Atom 1.33GHz processor, 2x1GB DDR2 memory, and a 60GB HDD or up to 128GB worth of SSD storage. The VAIO P also has built-in WAN 3G, Atheros 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, webcam, two USB 2.0 ports, one SD slot, one Memory Stick Duo media slot and a lot more. It includes a real-time GPS, and comes standard with Microsoft Windows Vista Home 32-bit pre-installed. The VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC will retail for about $900. It will be available for pre-order in four different colors tomorrow online at Sony, and later next month at all major Sony retailers. The full fact sheet can be viewed here.
Hiper Introduces New S-Series 80 PLUS Bronze Power Supply Units
Hiper introduces its brand new S-Series with the first model: S625. This 625 Watts power supply has been certified 80 PLUS Bronze by 80 PLUS Program. The Hiper S625 performs extremely well and exceeds the 80PLUS requirements by far. The new S Series will offer a range of highly reliable and stable performing PSUs with the well-known excellent built quality by Hiper. It comes in Gun Metal with a new logo and packaging design. The Hiper S625 will be available soon and represents best price/performance ratio at probably the lowest RRP of all A-brand 625W PSUs with 80 PLUS Bronze certification: US$ 95 / € 72 / £ 65 (excl. VAT). The new model has also been approved for NVIDIA SLi and comes with a 3 years RTB warranty.
Lian-Li Launches the PC-A03 Micro-ATX Chassis
Lian Li Industrial launched today the PC-A03, a Micro-ATX chassis featuring a functional and user friendly design. Standing at 190 x 380 x 450 ( W, H, D), with a removable 120mm blue LED fan in the front and a 80mm blue LED extraction fan in the rear, this is yet another great Lian-Li case. Like its brothers its handcrafted and build with the highest standards. Read the full press release below for more information.
GeCube Warns Against Counterfeit Graphics Cards
You read it. There are elements in Asia using the GeCube brand name to sell counterfeit graphics cards based on the ATI Radeon HD 4000 series graphics processors. Large inventories of counterfeit GeCube graphics cards have reportedly made it to the market and threten to dilute GeCube's market position and its image as a reputed AMD add-in board partner.
GeCube has released a few guidelines to help consumers spot these counterfeits and report them to the authorities. In the picture below, GeCube points out distict features found on genuine GeCube graphics cards that consumers should inspect at the time of purchase. A list of GeCube graphics cards certified by AMD can be found here. The press statement GeCube issued can be read here.
GeCube has released a few guidelines to help consumers spot these counterfeits and report them to the authorities. In the picture below, GeCube points out distict features found on genuine GeCube graphics cards that consumers should inspect at the time of purchase. A list of GeCube graphics cards certified by AMD can be found here. The press statement GeCube issued can be read here.
EVGA's New Flagship X58 Platform Previewed
EVGA, having launched its X58 3X SLI motherboard which received raving reviews for its features, performance and price-point, looks to up the ante with a new flagship motherboard based on the Intel X58 platform for the Core i7 processors. While X58 motherboards start at the US $200 point, over a period, there has been a faint seggregation of the motherboards based on the prices and features, starting with a $200~240 range sans SLI support, $250~300 with SLI and >$300 enthusiast-grade range.
EVGA's upcoming motherboard fits into the top-range of motherboards, which finds competition in the likes of ASUS Rampage II Extreme and MSI X58 Eclipse Plus. VR-Zone conducted a detailed preview of this upcoming motherboard dubbed "X58 SLI Classified", with "classified" meaning that its brand name is yet to be announced. Looking at the way EVGA has been branding its flagship motherboards in the past, it could be safe to speculate it that it could be something along the lines of "FTW".
EVGA's upcoming motherboard fits into the top-range of motherboards, which finds competition in the likes of ASUS Rampage II Extreme and MSI X58 Eclipse Plus. VR-Zone conducted a detailed preview of this upcoming motherboard dubbed "X58 SLI Classified", with "classified" meaning that its brand name is yet to be announced. Looking at the way EVGA has been branding its flagship motherboards in the past, it could be safe to speculate it that it could be something along the lines of "FTW".
Phenom II X4 Reviewed
With the official launch of the AMD Dragon platform, AMD lifed whatever NDA restrictions it had over the media to publish reviews of its Phenom II X4 processor, letting proper and final reviews make to the internet. Several tech-enthusiast websites have taken the opportunity. Reviewers put the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition to test.
The Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition is AMD's flagship desktop CPU. With four processing cores clocked at 3.00 GHz, it embeds 2 MB L2 and 6 MB of L3 cache. Based on the AM2+ socket, it supports the DDR2-1066 standard. This processor is especially overclocker friendly with its unlocked FSB multiplier and the overall positive response from the reviewers on its overclocking headroom. Here are some of the reviews at:
bit-tech | Elite Bastards | ExtremeTech | [H] Enthusiast | Hexus | HotHardware | NeoSeeker | TechReport | TweakTown | The Guru of 3D | Tom's Hardware
The Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition is AMD's flagship desktop CPU. With four processing cores clocked at 3.00 GHz, it embeds 2 MB L2 and 6 MB of L3 cache. Based on the AM2+ socket, it supports the DDR2-1066 standard. This processor is especially overclocker friendly with its unlocked FSB multiplier and the overall positive response from the reviewers on its overclocking headroom. Here are some of the reviews at:
bit-tech | Elite Bastards | ExtremeTech | [H] Enthusiast | Hexus | HotHardware | NeoSeeker | TechReport | TweakTown | The Guru of 3D | Tom's Hardware
AMD Releases the Dragon Desktop Platform
Empowering consumers to get elite-level computing performance for under $900 U.S. dollars, AMD today launched "Dragon" platform technology for desktop PCs featuring the new AMD Phenom II X4 processor. Even the most demanding users such as enthusiasts and high-end gamers desire affordable systems capable of delivering HD entertainment, graphic-intensive game play at the highest settings their monitors can handle, as well as quick and easy transfer of video entertainment to and from mobile devices. Dragon platform technology provides the power to do it all by combining AMD's highest-performing CPU, the AMD Phenom II X4 processor, with award winning ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series graphics and AMD 7-Series chipsets. And it's offered at an incredible value with Dragon-based systems available for up to $1,200 U.S. dollars less than competing systems that deliver comparable performance.
Leading global PC manufacturers HP, Dell and Alienware plan to offer Dragon platform technology-based desktop systems in the first quarter of 2009, with Dell offering immediate availability in its Dell XPS desktop line. "The XPS 625 desktop powered by AMD's Dragon platform technology features new AMD Phenom II processors to enable a significant boost in speed for enhanced gaming, as well as the flexibility to enable multi-tasking and HD video capabilities free from delays, stalls and lags," said Arthur Lewis, general manager of Dell Gaming Group. "The XPS 625 gives gamers the unbelievable experience they expect at a price point that won't break the bank."
Leading global PC manufacturers HP, Dell and Alienware plan to offer Dragon platform technology-based desktop systems in the first quarter of 2009, with Dell offering immediate availability in its Dell XPS desktop line. "The XPS 625 desktop powered by AMD's Dragon platform technology features new AMD Phenom II processors to enable a significant boost in speed for enhanced gaming, as well as the flexibility to enable multi-tasking and HD video capabilities free from delays, stalls and lags," said Arthur Lewis, general manager of Dell Gaming Group. "The XPS 625 gives gamers the unbelievable experience they expect at a price point that won't break the bank."
OCZ Readies New Apex Series SSDs
OCZ now has a formidable lineup of solid state drives (SSDs) based on the multi-level cell (MLC) design, top to bottom with the Vertex series on the top with read/write speeds of 200 MB/s and 160 MB/s respectively, aided by a large 64 MB cache; along with the entry-level Solid series offering speeds of 155 MB/s, 90 MB/s.
The company is now looking to fill the price/performance gap between Vertex and Solid series with the introduction of the Apex series SSDs. The new set of SSDs will replace the Core series on the shelves bringing better performance at similar price-points. DailyTech took a few quick snaps of these SSDs in its preliminary coverage of the CES. The Apex series SSDs will come in capacities of 30GB, 60GB, 120GB and 250GB, and will offer read/write speeds of up to 230 MB/s (read) and 160 MB/s (write). The come with the standard SATA 3.0 Gbps interface. OCZ might be, as with most companies, choosing CES as the occasion to launch these products. The pricing and availability isn't known as of now.
The company is now looking to fill the price/performance gap between Vertex and Solid series with the introduction of the Apex series SSDs. The new set of SSDs will replace the Core series on the shelves bringing better performance at similar price-points. DailyTech took a few quick snaps of these SSDs in its preliminary coverage of the CES. The Apex series SSDs will come in capacities of 30GB, 60GB, 120GB and 250GB, and will offer read/write speeds of up to 230 MB/s (read) and 160 MB/s (write). The come with the standard SATA 3.0 Gbps interface. OCZ might be, as with most companies, choosing CES as the occasion to launch these products. The pricing and availability isn't known as of now.
Wednesday, January 7th 2009
Today's Reviews
Accessories
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Monitors
Motherboards
Networking
Mad Catz Launches New Saitek Joysticks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3
Mad Catz Interactive, a leading third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider, announced today the expansion of the Aviator line of flight sticks to include two new models - the Saitek Aviator Flight Stick for Xbox 360 and the Saitek Aviator Flight Stick for PLAYSTATION 3.
Samsung Uncovers the 22-inch 3D SyncMaster 2233RZ LCD Display for Gamers
Samsung Electronics America, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, made official today the launch of their first 22-inch 3D LCD monitor. The SyncMaster 2233RZ comes with special high-tech active shutter glasses that make over 350 games to appear in three dimensions for your eyes. The 3D glasses are also designed so that users can simultaneously wear prescription glasses comfortably. Planned for April launch, the $399 22-inch widescreen 3D LCD boasts 1680x1050 native resolution, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 170/160 (CR>10) horizontal/vertical viewing angles, 3ms GTG response time and Samsung's 120Hz Dual Engine. The Samsung 2233RZ will be compatible with NVIDIA's new GeForce 3D Vision graphics cards.
"More users are enjoying higher performance games and movies using high-performance graphic boards," said R.A Atanus, Vice President of Product Marketing at Samsung Electronics' Information Technology Division. "As entertainment content becomes more available, the need for hardware technology to maintain increasing volumes of software content becomes more important. Combining this new 3D technology with Samsung's LCD monitor creates an optimal viewing tool - for uses ranging from teaching and using 3D modeling to playing the latest video games."
"More users are enjoying higher performance games and movies using high-performance graphic boards," said R.A Atanus, Vice President of Product Marketing at Samsung Electronics' Information Technology Division. "As entertainment content becomes more available, the need for hardware technology to maintain increasing volumes of software content becomes more important. Combining this new 3D technology with Samsung's LCD monitor creates an optimal viewing tool - for uses ranging from teaching and using 3D modeling to playing the latest video games."
Xbox 360 Records Its Biggest Year Ever
Despite a tough economy, the gaming industry held strong in 2008 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system recorded the biggest year in Xbox history, with more consoles, games and online entertainment experiences sold than any previous year. It was a year in which life-to-date unit sales of Xbox 360 systems climbed to 28 million consoles worldwide - expanding the product's lead over Sony PlayStation 3 to more than 8 million units. The Xbox LIVE community also grew to more than 17 million active members, as online consumer spending increased 84 percent from last year. Since the launch of the Xbox 360 three years ago, more than $1 billion has been spent on Xbox LIVE. This amazing growth was fueled by the launch of the New Xbox Experience; the broadest selection of hit games, TV shows, and movies available; and mass-market price points, starting at $199.
6 Gbps SATA Drives Could Arrive as Early as Q2 2009
According to reports by TechConnect Magazine, the third generation of the SATA interface could be introduced as early as the second quarter of this year. The Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO), who have developed the technology, are expected to finalize specifications, with the launch of products sporting the new interface at the same time. The first backwards compatible drives to feature the new interface are expected to be solid state drives (SSD), followed by hard disk drives (HDD) shortly after. The main advancement is doubling the bandwidth from 3Gbps to 6Gbps, but until the official announcement of the final specifications are released, we will not know what further changes are in store.
MSI Eclipse Plus Ready for Take-off
Now that the market for Intel Core i7 supportive motherboards is well laid out, starting with a ~$200 Gigabyte EX58-UD3R all the way up to a ~$400 ASUS Rampage II Extreme, MSI finds the time ripe to introduce its flagship motherboard based on the Intel X58 chipset with the new LGA 1366 socket, the Eclipse Plus. Featured on MSI's product roadmaps as a then undisclosed model, the Eclipse Plus is a notch above the Eclipse SLI with greater expansion options, with components and features packed with keeping the serious performance enthusiast in mind. The Eclipse Plus will be releasing shortly.
To begin with, the Eclipse Plus features four PCI-Express x16 slots for 4-way ATI CrossfireX or 3-way SLI. Unlike with the Eclipse SLI, where the three PCI-E x16 slots which are directly routed to the X58 northbridge and get arranged as x16, x8, x8 electrically when all three slots are populated, the Eclipse Plus uses NVIDIA BR-03 multiplex chips to provide full-bandwidth x16 connections to the installed graphics cards. The BR-03 not just routes data to the graphics cards but as noted with nForce 780a motherboards, the nForce 200/BR-03 chips perform broadcast functions so the same pieces of data which are meant to be supplied to all member graphics cards of a SLI system are "broadcast" by the BR-03, easing congestions on the PCI-E x16 link that connects it to the Intel X58. The rest of the features are similar to those of the Eclipse SLI as listed in the roadmap slide.
To begin with, the Eclipse Plus features four PCI-Express x16 slots for 4-way ATI CrossfireX or 3-way SLI. Unlike with the Eclipse SLI, where the three PCI-E x16 slots which are directly routed to the X58 northbridge and get arranged as x16, x8, x8 electrically when all three slots are populated, the Eclipse Plus uses NVIDIA BR-03 multiplex chips to provide full-bandwidth x16 connections to the installed graphics cards. The BR-03 not just routes data to the graphics cards but as noted with nForce 780a motherboards, the nForce 200/BR-03 chips perform broadcast functions so the same pieces of data which are meant to be supplied to all member graphics cards of a SLI system are "broadcast" by the BR-03, easing congestions on the PCI-E x16 link that connects it to the Intel X58. The rest of the features are similar to those of the Eclipse SLI as listed in the roadmap slide.
Toshiba Unveils Tricked Out Qosmio X305 Gaming Laptop
Toshiba is taking gaming on the go one step further with the unveiling of its Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q725 laptop. A technically advanced multimedia platform for the gaming and entertainment enthusiast, the Qosmio X305-Q725 blends features built for fidelity and speed, including: a 17-inch diagonal widescreen TruBrite display (1680x1050 resolution), high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTX graphics 1GB GDDR3, a variety of Intel Core 2 processors including the 2GHz Core 2 Quad Q9000 quad-core CPU, 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM, premium Harman Kardon stereo speakers and much more. Qosmio X305-Q725 also includes hybrid storage option that consists of a primary 64GB solid state drive and a secondary 320GB 7200 rpm SATA HDD. The Qosmio X305-Q725 is available now at a variety of major consumer electronics and computer stores nationwide or directly at Toshiba Direct. The laptop is available in a range of configurations starting from $1,449 and going all the way up to $2,699.99.
DivX 7 Standard Announced
DivX marked the introduction and rise to popularity of high-quality video compression standards based around H.264 and MPEG-4. DivX played an important role in propagating MPEG-4 derived standard as licences to not only PC video players but also to DTH TV, and importantly consumer video players with the introduction of DivX CD/DVDs where generic data-CDs holding the .avi files of the actual video could be played back just like standard VCDs and DVDs.
DivX Inc. announced its seventh installment of the DivX software. Based on the H.264 video compression standard DivX 7 offers playback and creation of compressed video at resolutions of up to HD 1080p. DivX software is available free (for playback and consumption of content based on the DivX and generic MPEG-4 CODECs, while a premium Pro version allows content creation by providing conversion tools. "The release of DivX 7 for Windows marks a true milestone for digital video users everywhere," said Kevin Hell, CEO of DivX, Inc. "Eight years ago, the first DivX video software helped create the market for high-quality video on the PC. We then worked with a global ecosystem of licensees to extend that support beyond the PC to a variety of devices so that consumers all over the world could enjoy their videos anytime and anywhere."
DivX Inc. announced its seventh installment of the DivX software. Based on the H.264 video compression standard DivX 7 offers playback and creation of compressed video at resolutions of up to HD 1080p. DivX software is available free (for playback and consumption of content based on the DivX and generic MPEG-4 CODECs, while a premium Pro version allows content creation by providing conversion tools. "The release of DivX 7 for Windows marks a true milestone for digital video users everywhere," said Kevin Hell, CEO of DivX, Inc. "Eight years ago, the first DivX video software helped create the market for high-quality video on the PC. We then worked with a global ecosystem of licensees to extend that support beyond the PC to a variety of devices so that consumers all over the world could enjoy their videos anytime and anywhere."
Mushkin releases new Gold Series kit - 996593X2
Mushkin Enhanced, one of the leading manufacturer for High Performance Computer Parts announces the availability of a new son for the "Gold-Series" - the 1000MHz 4GB dual-channel DDR2 kit "996593X2".
"Our customer and friends were fascinated about our 800MHz Gold-Kit." Is Steffen Eisenstein, CEO of Mushkin Logistic GmbH pleased. "So we had to come up with something even better, the 1000MHz kit is the logical consequence."
"Our customer and friends were fascinated about our 800MHz Gold-Kit." Is Steffen Eisenstein, CEO of Mushkin Logistic GmbH pleased. "So we had to come up with something even better, the 1000MHz kit is the logical consequence."
Intel Announces Preliminary Fourth-Quarter Financial Information
Intel Corporation today announced preliminary fourth-quarter financial information with revenue of approximately $8.2 billion, down 20 percent sequentially and down 23 percent year over year. Revenue will be lower than the company's previous expectation, provided on Nov. 12, 2008, as a result of further weakness in end demand and inventory reductions by its customers in the global PC supply chain. The preliminary estimate of gross margin for the fourth quarter is at the bottom of the previous expectation of 55 percent, plus or minus a couple of points.
Linksys Intros Multiroom Wireless-N Home Audio System
Cisco today announced the Linksys by Cisco Wireless Home Audio system at the 2009 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. From the world leaders in networking, the Wireless Home Audio system utilizes Wireless-N technology to deliver a rich audio experience to any room in the home. Users can create a party atmosphere with immaculate synchronization when listening to the same song throughout the entire home, or send different music to customized "zones". The Wireless Home Audio solution also puts millions of songs at your fingertips through integrated Internet services such as Rhapsody, AudioLounge, and RadioTime. An optional Docking Station for iPod enables your content on Apple iPods, including Podcasts, Audio Books, and purchased iTunes content, to be played through any Wireless Home Audio device on the network. Wireless Home Audio products also work great with the newly announced Linksys by Cisco Media Hub that gathers and presents the available media on a network.
Toshiba Adds Half-Terabyte USB 2.0 Portable External HDD to its Portfolio
Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD) is yet another manufacturer that is enhancing its storage line-up, by releasing a new half-terabyte external hard drive, after the start of Consumer Electronics Show 2009. The new 500GB Toshiba USB 2.0 portable external hard drive (model number HDDR500E03X) comes with a glossy black finish and frost white contemporary graphics that will appeal to most customers. Inside the case is a new 500GB ultra-quiet hard drive, with 8MB buffer size and improved acoustics. The drive also ships with NTI Shadow real-time backup software pre-installed. Toshiba's new 500GB USB 2.0 external HDD is priced at $179.99 (MSRP) and available now at Toshiba Direct and through major retailers and online outlets.
All-New Crucial.com Netbook Upgrade Center Announced
Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the immediate availability of the new Crucial.com Netbook Upgrade Center for purchasing DRAM memory, Solid-State Drives (SSDs) and flash memory cards suitable for most netbook products now available in the market. Netbooks, simplified notebooks designed to be affordable, energy efficient, and smaller in size, are growing in popularity with consumers because of their practical price point and no-nonsense capabilities. The Crucial.com Netbook Upgrade Center will help customers optimize the performance of their netbooks with the right upgrades and accessories. The complete line of DRAM, SSD, and flash memory netbook upgrades are now available at Crucial.com, Crucial.UK, or Crucial.EU.
ASUS Launches New Range Of GeForce GTX 295 & GTX 285 Graphics Cards
ASUS, world-leading producer of top quality graphic solutions, has today introduced the world's fastest dual and single GPU graphics cards incorporating the latest generation of NVIDIA GPUs-the GeForce GTX 295 and GeForce GTX 285 chipsets; with the ASUS ENGTX295, ENGTX285 ULTIMATE, and ENGTX285 TOP graphics cards. With an outstanding 3DMark Vantage Extreme Preset score of 9126, the ENGTX295 leads the pack as the world's fastest graphics card; while the ASUS ENGTX285 ULTIMATE and ENGTX285 TOP deliver 10% and 5% improvements respectively in gaming experiences when compared to reference designed boards. Furthermore, in order to show that ASUS cares for all gamers, both the ASUS ENGTX295 and ENGTX285 Series graphics cards will come bundled with a special coupon to obtain up to $25 or 10% off on a total of 5 games or CUDA applications at the NZONE webpage.
Pioneer Subsidiary Technical Audio Devices Demonstrates New High-Res Audio Format
To the excitement of audiophiles and music enthusiasts worldwide, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. is hosting world famous recording legends Bill Schnee and Doug Sax at its Technical Audio Devices (TAD) suite in the Venetian Sands during the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), January 8 ' 11, 2009. Longtime collaborators, Schnee and Sax are showcasing their new high resolution recordings to be issued on a music-only format utilizing Blu-ray Disc technology, giving consumers an unprecedented opportunity to experience digital music that rivals 2-channel analog sound. With this unique partnership, Pioneer demonstrates its commitment to consistently offer consumers high performance entertainment that replicates the true intentions of creative professionals.
Cooler Master Readying V10 for Gala CES Launch
Cooler Master has a new flagship CPU air-cooler in the making: the V10. This V8 successor with its peculiar design and size is sure to catch some attention. With the way in which the V8 was designed, it became clear than Cooler Master has a new direction with its product design, and that they looked to give their CPU coolers a somewhat industrial look. Measuring 236.5 x 129 x 161.3mm, this definitely is a large cooler and could have problems fitting in all cases.
Its peculiarity lies in its aluminum fin arrays, three in number. While two of them propagate vertically, the third one propagates horizontally, along the plane of the motherboard. A 120mm fan pushes air through two of those arrays, while a second 120mm fan blows air onto the third array. Ideally, this third array should hang above the memory modules to provide active cooling, that is, if the modules aren't tall enough. A total of four heat-pipes convey heat to the fins. The two PWM-controlled fans spin at speeds between 800 and 2400 rpm, while the noise levels are maintained around 17 dBA. The V10 will be announced during the ongoing CES event, and will be priced around 100~150€ according to French website Case&Cooling.
Its peculiarity lies in its aluminum fin arrays, three in number. While two of them propagate vertically, the third one propagates horizontally, along the plane of the motherboard. A 120mm fan pushes air through two of those arrays, while a second 120mm fan blows air onto the third array. Ideally, this third array should hang above the memory modules to provide active cooling, that is, if the modules aren't tall enough. A total of four heat-pipes convey heat to the fins. The two PWM-controlled fans spin at speeds between 800 and 2400 rpm, while the noise levels are maintained around 17 dBA. The V10 will be announced during the ongoing CES event, and will be priced around 100~150€ according to French website Case&Cooling.
Buffalo Launches New LinkStation Pro NAS, Gives iPhone Users More Access to Content
Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking, storage and memory solutions today announced the new, fully redesigned LinkStation Pro. As the answer to all your storage and sharing needs, this high performance NAS device allows iPhone owners to access their photos, videos, files, etc., via Buffalo's unique Web Access 2.0 feature. Web Access allows users to access data via a web browser from any computer.
As the latest addition to the award-winning LinkStation line of consumer NAS devices, the new LinkStation Pro comes equipped with a new, stylish chassis and faster processor for quick and easy file transfers and backups. With Web Access 2.0, iPhone users can conveniently download content stored on their home or office LinkStation Pro right to their iPhone, anytime, anywhere.
As the latest addition to the award-winning LinkStation line of consumer NAS devices, the new LinkStation Pro comes equipped with a new, stylish chassis and faster processor for quick and easy file transfers and backups. With Web Access 2.0, iPhone users can conveniently download content stored on their home or office LinkStation Pro right to their iPhone, anytime, anywhere.
Buffalo Technology Unveils the Stylish New MiniStation Cobalt
Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking, storage and memory solutions today unveiled a chic new design for the MiniStation Cobalt. Offering a feature-rich storage solution in a stylish, lightweight package, the MiniStation Cobalt is designed for mobility. With a simple, easy-to-use user interface, storing, protecting and transporting digital images, music and other files becomes a snap! Offered in three distinct colors, Blue Onyx, Pearl White and Ruby Red, the MiniStation Cobalt safeguards your digital assets and provides the peace of mind that only Buffalo's years of engineering excellence can provide.
Designed for the active professional, Buffalo's new portable storage solutions for PC and Macs includes easy-to-use backup and sync software, a robust shock resistant design as well as Buffalo's SecureLockMobile software to prevent unauthorized access in the event the drive is lost or stolen.
Designed for the active professional, Buffalo's new portable storage solutions for PC and Macs includes easy-to-use backup and sync software, a robust shock resistant design as well as Buffalo's SecureLockMobile software to prevent unauthorized access in the event the drive is lost or stolen.
Samsung SyncMaster 2243QW Becomes the Next DisplayLink Enabled LCD Monitor
DisplayLink unviled today that Samsung's new 22-inch Samsung SyncMaster 2243QW monitor is the third model to feature the company's proprietary technology. The new monitor makes it possible for busy office workers and business professionals to use a simple USB cable to extend their desktop and visual workspace, boosting usability and flexibility. Up to six displays can be easily connected and powered off of one PC. There's no need for additional graphics cards or complex software installation. The Samsung 2243QW has a 1680x1050 16:10 resolution, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, and 5-millisecond response time. In addition to the built-in USB hub used for DisplayLink-enabled connections, the 2243QW features traditional VGA (15-pin D-sub) and DVI-D inputs. The monitor is compatible with both Mac and Windows systems, and comes with a pivot function that allows it to operate in either portrait or landscape mode. The Samsung SyncMaster 2243QW is available now through Samsung's official resellers and distribution channels for $399.99 USD.
AMD Adds Low-Power Athlons to Retail
AMD added two new low-power Athlons introduced primarily to gain leverage with the nettop segment Intel has been dominating in. The two models, Athlon 2650e and dual-core Athlon 3250e are derived from the K8 micro-architecture which still holds certain technological advantages over competitive platforms from Intel in that segment.
The Athlon 2650e is comes with a clock-speed of 1.60 GHz, 512KB of cache and a rated TDP of 15W, while the dual-core Athlon 3250e ends up with better power efficincy being clocked at 1.50 GHz, with a TDP of 22W. Both processors use the AM2 socket and support DDR2 memory. They are expected to be priced under $50.
The Athlon 2650e is comes with a clock-speed of 1.60 GHz, 512KB of cache and a rated TDP of 15W, while the dual-core Athlon 3250e ends up with better power efficincy being clocked at 1.50 GHz, with a TDP of 22W. Both processors use the AM2 socket and support DDR2 memory. They are expected to be priced under $50.
LaCie 2big Quadra: Two Bays for Custom Performance and Protection
Today LaCie unveils the 2big Quadra, a new two-bay RAID solution with up to 3TB of capacity for high speed-demanding applications, as well as for backup and storage use. With four RAID modes including RAID 0 and RAID 1, and a convenient hot-swap feature, it offers optimal performance and data protection. Developed for maximum speed, the 2big's native RAID controller preserves computer resources and provides professional workstations with lightning-fast data transfers, which reach up to 165MB/s through eSATA 3Gbits/s in RAID 0. It also integrates perfectly with most applications that demand high speed, such as photo and pre-press processing or audio/video projects, including HDV post-production.
ASUS Loads Up Notebook with Massive 512 GB SSD
ASUS is preparing the industry's first notebook with a 512 GB solid-state drive (SSD). The ASUS S121 comes in an ultrathin form-factor while carrying hardware that puts it in the grey-area between netbooks and UMPCs.
The S121 comes with a 12-inch LCD screen with a compact yet rugged chassis. It is powered by an Intel Atom processor running at 1.33 GHz and 512 MB of RAM. Its storage is care of a rather massive 512 GB SSD. Its availability and price isn't known at this point, though we suspect that with the exclusiveness built around this product coupled with ASUS categorizing it outside its ULPC/netbook lineup, it will carry a rather high price tag.
The S121 comes with a 12-inch LCD screen with a compact yet rugged chassis. It is powered by an Intel Atom processor running at 1.33 GHz and 512 MB of RAM. Its storage is care of a rather massive 512 GB SSD. Its availability and price isn't known at this point, though we suspect that with the exclusiveness built around this product coupled with ASUS categorizing it outside its ULPC/netbook lineup, it will carry a rather high price tag.
The Foundry Company Gets Nod from CFIUS
The Foundry Company (TFC), AMD's manufacturing division spun-off along with investment from the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) had to go through a series of negotiations to acquire clearence from the investors and the governments under whom AMD operates, to get the new company operational. It is a complicated process since it involes a lot of foreign investment.
A major milestone for TFC is the clearence it got from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a US Government body that studies the possible implications of foreign investment on national security. TFC will control all of AMD's manufacturing assets including upcoming facilities in the US. AMD officially becomes fab-less though TFC will have commitments towards serving AMD as its foundry partner. AMD will hold a 34.2% stake in TFC while 65.8% of it will be held by ATIC.
A major milestone for TFC is the clearence it got from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a US Government body that studies the possible implications of foreign investment on national security. TFC will control all of AMD's manufacturing assets including upcoming facilities in the US. AMD officially becomes fab-less though TFC will have commitments towards serving AMD as its foundry partner. AMD will hold a 34.2% stake in TFC while 65.8% of it will be held by ATIC.
MSI Unveils EX625 Performance Notebook
MSI today unveiled the EX625 performance notebook. MSI EX625 features Cinema Pro Technology, which offers consumers the finest movie viewing experience. With a simple touch of the exclusive Cinema Pro button; you may immediately switch to Movie Mode. The quality on screen will be more detailed, the richness in sound and the subwoofer as well as Dolby sound will be activated, providing the finest sensory of the theaters. Furthermore, the embedded high performance subwoofer design can create shocking effects.
Combing Color Film Print Technology with ocean wave patterns in design, the EX625 has been injected with a brand new texture to personal notebook computers. The most advanced ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 graphics card with GDDR3 512MB VRAM, for a more fluid, more detailed, more realistic 3D high-definition viewing experience. In the other hand, EX625 selects the brand new ECO Engine Technology, the outstanding and unique power saving function by MSI Notebook, as the power management function to extend the battery running time while performing different tasks.
Combing Color Film Print Technology with ocean wave patterns in design, the EX625 has been injected with a brand new texture to personal notebook computers. The most advanced ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 graphics card with GDDR3 512MB VRAM, for a more fluid, more detailed, more realistic 3D high-definition viewing experience. In the other hand, EX625 selects the brand new ECO Engine Technology, the outstanding and unique power saving function by MSI Notebook, as the power management function to extend the battery running time while performing different tasks.
Tuesday, January 6th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Motherboards
Multimedia
PSUs
ASUS Reveals Eee Keyboard Concept PC
Even though the EeePC is selling like hot cakes, nothing is stopping ASUS from developing more and more Eee-branded products. Their latest creation is called Eee Keyboard - a full-sized keyboard with built-in computer that includes wireless and Ethernet network, single speaker, built-in mic, and a 5-inch touchscreen display. The whole system weighs in less than 2 pounds and can connect to an external display. ASUS Eee Keyboard is still only a prototype, but who knows.
Samsung Prepares 100GB “Green” SSD for Enterprise Market
Samsung Electronics announced today at the Storage Visions 2009 Conference that it has developed a 100GB single-level cell (SLC) solid state drive for use in servers for applications such as video on demand, streaming media content delivery, internet data centers, virtualization and on-line transaction processing. As an alternative to traditional 15K rpm hard disk drives (HDDs), the new performance-optimized 100GB Enterprise SSD can process IOPS (input/output per second) more than 10 times faster than the fastest 15K rpm SAS HDD available. Designed to remove the system performance bottleneck in enterprise storage applications, the high-performance 2.5-inch enterprise drive reads data sequentially at 230 megabytes per second and writes sequentially at 180 MB/s. The 100GB SSD's advanced performance is attributed to a sophisticated 8-channel controller, improved NAND flash and special drive firmware, all developed by Samsung. The drive also consumes only 1.9 watts of power in seek mode and 0.6 watts in idle mode, reducing power and heat loads to minimum. Samsung intends to start mass producing the 100GB SS805 drive in the first quarter of 2009.
BFG Technologies Unveils Phobos - The Ultimate Gaming System
BFG Technologies, known as a leading supplier of premium power supplies and 3D graphics cards, is excited to announce its first line of complete gaming and multimedia PCs, called Phobos. These sleek hand-built, high performance machines were designed with the "Graduated Gamer" in mind. This audience is looking for all the performance associated with a high-end gaming system, but none of the hassle related to building and servicing such a system. As a result, Phobos is sold with complementary Concierge Service which includes expert in-home installation and a six month follow up maintenance visit.
Apple Releases iLife '09
Apple today unveiled iLife '09, which includes major upgrades to iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand and an updated version of iWeb. iPhoto '09 introduces Faces and Places, breakthrough ways to easily organize and manage photos based on who appears in them and where they were taken. In iMovie '09, you'll find powerful, yet easy-to-use new features that let you create a movie quickly or add refinements and special effects if you have more time. And GarageBand '09 now offers a fun new way to learn to play piano and guitar with Basic Lessons, which teach fundamentals, and Artist Lessons (sold separately), in which original artists teach you how to play the songs they made famous. At last, iWeb '09 lets you design a website to share your photos, movies, and music just by dragging and dropping. Add new dynamic widgets and publish and share with a single click. Find out more about iLife '09 here.
Lian-Li Innovates PC-888 System Case
The first shape that comes to your mind when you think of a system case probarbly is a cuboidal tower with a little decoration thrown in, with essentially the same internal locations for installing your parts to build a PC. Lian-Li sought to break the mould with the introduction of the PC-888 at the 2009 CES event. The PC-888 sports a whacky design, that is inspired quite seriously by the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, just that the pearl white decked with glass makes way for ocean-blue. Bit-Tech published the first pictures of this rather interesting looking "case".
Given its shape, the interiors have been compartmentalised accordingly to distinct areas holding the system board, hard drives, power supply and space for even a water cooling system to creep in. There is a generous amount of ventilation and cable management features provided. For more pictures, head over to Bit-Tech here.
Given its shape, the interiors have been compartmentalised accordingly to distinct areas holding the system board, hard drives, power supply and space for even a water cooling system to creep in. There is a generous amount of ventilation and cable management features provided. For more pictures, head over to Bit-Tech here.
Imation Introduces M-Class and S-Class Solid State Drives
Joining the string of product launches that coincide with the 2009 CES event, is Imation's solid state drive (SSD) offerings under two distinct product classes: M-Class and S-Class. Both these product lines are available in the 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch form factors and use the standard SATA interfaces. While the M-Class SSDs use SATA-150, the S-Class use SATA-300 interface. They come in unformatted capacities of 32, 64 and 128 GB.
These drives have company-rated data transfer speeds of around 150 MB/s (read) and 90 MB/s (write) for the M-Class, and 130 MB/s (read) and 120 MB/s (write) for the S-Class. Apart from these drives, Imation also announced "upgrade kits" that include necessary tools to migrate an image of the older hard drive to these newer ones, saving the task of reinstalling software. The M-Class SSDs hit the stores in February with prices of $179.99 and above, while the S-Class series are slated for March.
These drives have company-rated data transfer speeds of around 150 MB/s (read) and 90 MB/s (write) for the M-Class, and 130 MB/s (read) and 120 MB/s (write) for the S-Class. Apart from these drives, Imation also announced "upgrade kits" that include necessary tools to migrate an image of the older hard drive to these newer ones, saving the task of reinstalling software. The M-Class SSDs hit the stores in February with prices of $179.99 and above, while the S-Class series are slated for March.
Imation Unveils Apollo Series External Hard Drives
Imation Corp. today announced the availability of two new products in its Apollo family of external hard drives (EHD). For laptop users, the 2.5-inch Apollo Expert UX is a pocket-sized, portable hard drive sheathed in a protective skin with up to 500GB of capacity, and for desktop users, the Apollo Pro UX is a 3.5-inch hard drive that will offer up to 1.5 TB of capacity. Each stylish drive features an integrated patent-pending stand and unique benefits for backup and storage of data, video, music and photos.
"We designed the Apollo external hard drives to be functional and sleek, with distinctive features and benefits for both discerning mobile and desktop users," said Subodh Kulkarni, vice president, Global Commercial Business, Imation. "These drives push the envelope with capacities that are among the highest available while still embodying great design. Our Apollo Expert UX drive delivers iconic portability with the pure data storage performance that on-the-go users need, while the Apollo Pro UX drive is a perfect match for heavy data users, as well as digital pack rats and video junkies."
"We designed the Apollo external hard drives to be functional and sleek, with distinctive features and benefits for both discerning mobile and desktop users," said Subodh Kulkarni, vice president, Global Commercial Business, Imation. "These drives push the envelope with capacities that are among the highest available while still embodying great design. Our Apollo Expert UX drive delivers iconic portability with the pure data storage performance that on-the-go users need, while the Apollo Pro UX drive is a perfect match for heavy data users, as well as digital pack rats and video junkies."
Macworld 2009: Apple's 17-inch Unibody MacBook Pro Officially Unveiled
Not long after the start of Macworld 2009, Apple officially unveiled the new MacBook Pro, that was confirmed by AppleInsider on Monday. During the demonstration Apple uncovered that the 17-inch display of the unibody MacBook Pro will feature LED backlight, 1920x1200 fullHD resolution, 700:1 contrast ratio and will come with gloss or mate surface (the mate option will cost additional $50). The remaining specs pretty much match the specs of the older 15-inch MacBook Pro model. Apple also said that the addition of non-removable battery will lead to bigger battery installed and longer battery life, which is now claimed to be up to 8 hours.
Acer Ships 22-inch DisplayLink Enabled P224W LCD Monitor
DisplayLink Corp. and Acer have collaborated to introduce the 22-inch DisplayLink enabled Acer P224 monitor. What this means is that you can add Acer P224 as an external monitor to any USB-equipped desktop PC or laptop, using only a single USB 2.0 port without the need to install discrete graphics cards.
"Acer's integrated monitor-and-dock design is a smart solution for laptop owners who want a cool, all-in-one upgrade," said Dennis Crespo, executive vice president of marketing and business development for DisplayLink. "And DisplayLink technology ensures that video and graphics applications will play smoothly on any additional monitors linked up to the PC via USB."
The Acer P224W widescreen display features a contrast ratio of up to 10,000:1, a resolution of 1680x1050 pixels, and a response time of 5 milliseconds. The Acer P224W is also equipped with an analog VGA input. The Acer P224W is currently shipping in the United States and Europe. More information can be found on the Acer's website here.
"Acer's integrated monitor-and-dock design is a smart solution for laptop owners who want a cool, all-in-one upgrade," said Dennis Crespo, executive vice president of marketing and business development for DisplayLink. "And DisplayLink technology ensures that video and graphics applications will play smoothly on any additional monitors linked up to the PC via USB."
The Acer P224W widescreen display features a contrast ratio of up to 10,000:1, a resolution of 1680x1050 pixels, and a response time of 5 milliseconds. The Acer P224W is also equipped with an analog VGA input. The Acer P224W is currently shipping in the United States and Europe. More information can be found on the Acer's website here.
Scythe Unveils Mugen 2 CPU Cooler
After more than one year of development time the Japanese cooling specialist Scythe Co., Ltd. releases the new Scythe Mugen 2 CPU cooler. The name Mugen comes from the Japanese for "infiniteness" and stands already for the highest cooling capacity at low noise level. To fulfill this image, a great value was laid on improving the already established features of the former Scythe Mugen Cooler.
The successful concept of Mugen CPU cooler was further developed for Scythe Mugen 2 in a very consistent way. For this, the experience of Scythe engineers was a great influence as well as improvement suggestions from users of the former Scythe Mugen. Compared with the old Mugen, the number of cooling fins has been increased and at the same time, the weight was decreased by 50 g. To ensure optimal fitting of the cooler on the mainboard, Scythe Mugen 2 uses a novel Back Plate/Screws solution with the name Flip Mount Super Back-Plate (F.M.S.B.). This mounting system is compatible with all current sockets including the new Intel LGA1366.
The successful concept of Mugen CPU cooler was further developed for Scythe Mugen 2 in a very consistent way. For this, the experience of Scythe engineers was a great influence as well as improvement suggestions from users of the former Scythe Mugen. Compared with the old Mugen, the number of cooling fins has been increased and at the same time, the weight was decreased by 50 g. To ensure optimal fitting of the cooler on the mainboard, Scythe Mugen 2 uses a novel Back Plate/Screws solution with the name Flip Mount Super Back-Plate (F.M.S.B.). This mounting system is compatible with all current sockets including the new Intel LGA1366.
Blizzard Issues New Starcraft II Teaser Screens
RTS giant Blizzard let loose a few new teaser screens of its much anticipated title, Starcraft II, sourced by SK Gaming. The screens include stills of ongoing campaigns demonstrating the visuals and graphic design of the game. One of those hype building measures from a company that has so far stood and delivered to all its hype. Starcraft II is on course for launch later this year. Enjoy the screens. A larger archive of Starcraft II images sourced from Blizzard so far can be found here.
WD Extends its line of MAC Compatible External Hard Drives
Broadening its storage solutions for Mac, WD today introduced two new external hard drives - the My Passport for Mac portable drive and the My Book Mac Edition external hard drive. Pre-formatted for Mac and offering a simple USB interface, these drives offer the ever-growing Mac community reliable, easy-to-use storage. WD's latest Mac-ready drives work seamlessly with Apple Time Machine or other popular Mac backup software to provide protection for consumers' valuable digital photos and media.
D-Link Debuts All-in-One 802.11n Router With Built-In Photo Frame
D-Link, the end-to-end network solutions provider for consumers and business, today unveiled an all-in-one home network router with all the features of a fast, far-reaching 802.11n Wi-Fi router combined with network attached storage (NAS), SharePort technology for sharing printers and scanners, along with a bright 3.2-inch LCD monitor on the face for displaying photos, desktop applications and network performance.
G.Skill Titan SSDs Ship in 128GB and 256GB Capacities
G.Skill has also expanded its solid-state offerings, by introducing the new Titan SSDs. Available in 128GB and 256GB models, the 2.5-inch Titan drives make use of MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash chips, have a second generation SATA 3.0 interface and a MTBF (mean time between failure) of 1.5 million hours. The drives also have built-in EDC/ECC data protection. The manufacturer claims sequential read and write speeds of up to 218MB/s and 162MB/s respectively. The G.Skill SSDs are covered in a strong metal alloy housing and ship with a 2 year warranty.
NEC Display Solutions Launches New 30-Inch MultiSync LCD3090W-BK-SV Display
NEC Display Solutions of America today introduced LCD3090W-BK-SV - the big brother of the freshly released 26-inch MultiSync LCD2690WUXi² that we covered yesterday here. The 30-inch MultiSync LCD3090W-BK-SV is a wide-gamut display designed for users in the graphic design, digital animation, photography, print production, image analysis and CAD/CAM industries, as well as soft-copy clinical viewing in the medical field. It benefits from the company's ColorComp technology, which reduces LCD uniformity errors, in-plane switching (IPS) matrix and advanced backlight technology that enable the monitor to cover 107% of AdobeRGB color gamut. In addition, this display comes with a SpectraViewII color calibration sensor and software for precise calibration. The 30-inch MultiSync 3090 has a native resolution of 2560x1600 pixels, a G-T-G response time of 6ms (12ms typical), a brightness of 350 cd/m2, and 1000:1 contrast ratio. Input connection include single DVI-D (HDCP), and a DVI-I (digital/analog). The LCD3090W-BK-SV, which is backed by a 4-year parts and labor warranty, will be available this month with estimated street prices of $2,449. The new display can also be seen at the 2009 Macworld Conference and Expo that started today. For more detailed information, please click here.
SanDisk Intros Second Generation pSSD Solid State Drives for Netbooks
SanDisk Corporation today unveiled its next-generation of flash memory-based solid-state drives for adoption in various netbooks. Dubbed SanDisk pSSD-P2 and SanDisk pSSD-S2, the new flash drives feature SATA interface and come in capacities of 8, 16, 32 and 64-gigabytes. They are made using SanDisk's reliable 43-nanometer Multi-Level Cell (MLC) flash memory. SanDisk also claims that its new pSSDs are going to be very cheap when released, but unfortunately there's no exact information to confirm their words.
"Netbooks represent the fastest growing PC segment in 2009 and 2010 yet widespread adoption of SSDs in netbooks has been limited by speed, capacity and cost constraints," said Rich Heye, senior vice president and general manager, Solid-State Drives (SSD), SanDisk. "With the significant improvements in performance, capacity and low pricing, these SSDs are a perfect fit for the exploding netbook market."
SanDisk's second generation pSSD drives are slated to be available in February 2009.
"Netbooks represent the fastest growing PC segment in 2009 and 2010 yet widespread adoption of SSDs in netbooks has been limited by speed, capacity and cost constraints," said Rich Heye, senior vice president and general manager, Solid-State Drives (SSD), SanDisk. "With the significant improvements in performance, capacity and low pricing, these SSDs are a perfect fit for the exploding netbook market."
SanDisk's second generation pSSD drives are slated to be available in February 2009.
Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR3 Modules Now Available in Three Brilliant Colors
Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the immediate availability of Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR3-1333 (PC3-10600) memory modules in three vibrant new colors - green, blue and red. Performance memory enthusiasts and system modders can choose from a variety of Crucial Ballistix Tracer module colors to match their case color scheme or to suit their individual style. The new color modules are available in 3GB and 6GB kits through select resellers worldwide and directly from Crucial's website here.
QNAP to Unveil Next-Gen Intel-based iSCSI NAS Series in 2009 CES
QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced a series of next generation iSCSI network-attached storage (NAS) products based on Intel architecture to deliver the performance and enterprise-grade features that customers are looking for in 2009.
The new Turbo NAS family consists of 4-bay, 5-bay, 6-bay, and 8-bay (with redundant power supply) models which are well suited for small and midsize businesses (SMB) and enterprises. The powerful all-in-one feature is designed for businesses that require storage solutions of performance, features, capacity, and manageability.
The new Turbo NAS family consists of 4-bay, 5-bay, 6-bay, and 8-bay (with redundant power supply) models which are well suited for small and midsize businesses (SMB) and enterprises. The powerful all-in-one feature is designed for businesses that require storage solutions of performance, features, capacity, and manageability.
GELID Offers LGA 1366 Mounting Kit for Silent Spirit
GELID today announced the availability of an optional mounting kit for its flagship Silent Spirit CPU cooler. The mounting kit provides compatibility for Intel's new LGA 1366 socket for the Core i7 series processors. The kit consists of two retention brackets with push-pins. The brackets are attached to the cooler in the same way in which the LGA 775 brackets are. While upcoming stocks of the Silent Spirit could optionally bundle these brackets, existing users could purchase these brackets if they wish to retain the cooler when upgrading to the newer socket. The GELID LGA 1366 mounting kit is priced at US $4.99 or €3.99.
New Logitech G-series Peripherals Unveiled
The G-series line of gaming peripherals from Logitech gives gamers what they want: complete control. Today, Logitech unveiled an extension of its award-winning G-series by introducing three new products that deliver precision, high performance and customization: the Logitech G19 keyboard for gaming, the Logitech G35 surround sound headset and the Logitech G9x laser mouse. Delivering everything gamers need for a competitive edge - from programmable buttons to 7.1-channel surround sound and 5000 dpi laser sensors to backlit keys - Logitech's best-in-class gaming peripherals are engineered to deliver everything you have always wanted.
SanDisk Showcases New Line-up of Backup USB Flash Drives
SanDisk Corporation today introduced an innovative new family of SanDisk USB flash drives, including the world's first backup USB flash drive with simple backup software activation at the touch of a button. The SanDisk Ultra Backup USB portable flash drive is the first offering of the company's new SanDisk Ultra USB product line. With capacities up to 64 gigabytes(GB), the SanDisk Ultra Backup USB flash drive is designed to protect computer users' photos, music, videos, personal and business documents, and other types of digital files, with the simple touch of a button. No software installation is needed. The drive protects onboard digital content with a dual layer of security, including password-protected access control and ultra-secure AES hardware-based encryption.
New LaCie FireWire and USB 2.0 External DVD±RW Drive with LightScribe Launched
Today LaCie announced its new LaCie d2 DVD±RW 22x with LightScribe and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and/or FireWire disc burners. The new products let customers backup large multimedia files on strikingly original-looking DVDs or CDs. With the LightScribe labeling tools available from LaCie on the 22x rewritable DVD drive, users can customize their content easily and quickly for professional and personal use. And it works with the three major personal computer operating systems.
HP Launches Firebird with Voodoo DNA Desktop System
In addition to the several new notebooks, HP today released the successor of the award-winning HP Blackbird 002, called HP Firebird. Designed for photo and video editing, music creation, gaming and other demanding tasks, the HP Firebird comes in an extremely sleek and original chassis, but that's not all. Inside this beautiful shell HP has integrated a complete watercooling system that cools the CPU, the two graphics cores and the motherboard's chipset. Speaking of CPUs and VGAs, the Firebird is partly customizable. It supports the latest Core 2 Quad processors (Q9400 - 2.66GHz or Q9550 - 2.83GHz), up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, and comes with dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800S small form factor graphics cards in SLI configuration and two hot-swappable 320GB hard drives. Also, the Firebird ships with a 350W external power supply, to help keeping the system as cool as possible. The HP Firebird with Voodoo DNA will be available online at VoodooPC.com on January 9th starting at $1,799. Customers also can purchase the product in select retail stores nationwide starting on February 1st. Find more information here.
AMD Delivers Groundbreaking Platform for Ultrathin Notebooks
AMD today announced the availability of the AMD platform for ultrathin notebooks, enabling exceedingly thin and light OEM designs with rich entertainment capabilities at an affordable price. Previously codenamed "Yukon," the platform is based on the new AMD Athlon Neo processor, ATI Radeon X1250 integrated graphics and optional ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3410 discrete graphics and brings true HD entertainment1 to a new category of stylish notebook PCs. The AMD platform debuts within the HP Pavilion dv2 Entertainment Notebook PC ultrathin notebook, which measures less than one-inch thick and weighs less than four pounds. The HP Pavilion dv2 also comes equipped with a 12.1-inch diagonal LED BrightView display, nearly full-size keyboard, and optional external optical disc drive with Blu-ray capability.
Logitech Withdraws Fiscal Year 2009 Targets, Plans Restructuring too
Logitech International today announced that it has withdrawn its Fiscal Year 2009 growth targets for sales and operating income due to the deepening global recession. The Company did not provide revised targets and plans to update investors on business conditions and performance during its briefing on third-quarter results on Jan. 20, 2009.
"During the December quarter, the retail environment deteriorated significantly," said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and chief executive officer. "We experienced varying degrees of weakness across all geographies and channels as our customers reduced inventory levels in the face of weaker consumer demand. Moreover, we expect the economic environment to worsen in the coming months and we are therefore taking significant actions to align our cost structure with what is likely to be an extended downturn."
"During the December quarter, the retail environment deteriorated significantly," said Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and chief executive officer. "We experienced varying degrees of weakness across all geographies and channels as our customers reduced inventory levels in the face of weaker consumer demand. Moreover, we expect the economic environment to worsen in the coming months and we are therefore taking significant actions to align our cost structure with what is likely to be an extended downturn."
Lian Li launches the all new PC-B70 & PC-B71 Tower Chassis
Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd has launched the PC-B70 and PC-B71 full tower chassis. Both cases are made from aluminum sheet metal, and have plenty of room for large numbers of hard drives (HDD) while still incorporating the classic brushed aluminum style and functional design for ease of use and stunning good looks. The PC-B70 has a left side access HDD cage that can accept seven (7) full 3.5 inch hard disk drives. The Hard drives are secured by means of a removable HDD bracket with patented vibration reduction system. While the five Optical bays are an added bonus (the last ODD can be used as 3.5"disk reader). Both towers stand at 220 x 595 x 590mm (W,H,D). The PC-B71 is different via the lower part of the front bezel which has an integrated HDD Hot swappable SATA cage with a front facing securely lockable door. The HDD Cage is cooled via two (2) 140mm blue lit LED fans. The fans are filtered with removable, washable nylon filters. The easy access to the hot swap Raid HDD backplate via the front lockable door makes the PC-B71 convenient while still retaining the good looks found in every Lian Li chassis.
GeForce GTX 280 in For Landslide Price-Cuts?
The GeForce GTX 280 served as NVIDIA's flagship graphics accelerator for long enough. While it may not have retained the performance crown for too long, it certainly did offer a great product for its price and thermal characteristics post R700. With two new avant-grade accelerators in the form of GeForce GTX 295 and GeForce GTX 285, NVIDIA seems to have sensed that it needs to let the market digest current inventories of the GeForce GTX 280 to create favourable shelf-space for the new products.
It has been noted on Newegg.com, a leading online retailer, that price-cuts have been injected across brands for the GeForce GTX 280. The card is now available for as low as US $314.99 for the MSI N280GTX-T2D1G OC (a factory overclocked card) with prices of reference-design cards staying below $360 for most of the available products. Leading vendors such as BFGTech, EVGA, and Zotac have placed their base models around the $320 range with factory overclocked models ranging around the $350 mark. The GeForce GTX 280 will be suceeded by the GeForce GTX 285 that is expected to launch on 15th January, which sports a refreshed G200b graphics processor built on the 55nm manufacturing process and running at higher clock speeds. NVIDIA has resorted to similar price-cuts for its GeForce GTX 260 graphics accelerator to serve two purposes: making the product attractive during the crucial Christmas shopping season, and to digest inventories for the 55nm GeForce GTX 260 launch.
It has been noted on Newegg.com, a leading online retailer, that price-cuts have been injected across brands for the GeForce GTX 280. The card is now available for as low as US $314.99 for the MSI N280GTX-T2D1G OC (a factory overclocked card) with prices of reference-design cards staying below $360 for most of the available products. Leading vendors such as BFGTech, EVGA, and Zotac have placed their base models around the $320 range with factory overclocked models ranging around the $350 mark. The GeForce GTX 280 will be suceeded by the GeForce GTX 285 that is expected to launch on 15th January, which sports a refreshed G200b graphics processor built on the 55nm manufacturing process and running at higher clock speeds. NVIDIA has resorted to similar price-cuts for its GeForce GTX 260 graphics accelerator to serve two purposes: making the product attractive during the crucial Christmas shopping season, and to digest inventories for the 55nm GeForce GTX 260 launch.
Leadtek Launches New WinFast GTX260 55nm EXTREME+
LEADTEK Research Inc., world acclaimed for its extremevisual graphics leading brand technology, proudly announces its latest WinFast GTX 260 EXTREME+ with a new graphics card packaging design. Based on the Best-in-class NVIDIA GTX 260 chipsets, this thoroughbred graphics card delivers advanced performance with the best cooling silent fansink. Its overclocking capability is sure to bring users a fantasy visual effect. Together with the launch of the graphics card, Leadtek debuts a new packaging design. The latter replaces the former robots with a series of top speed cars as the key visual. This original concept aims to vaunt Leadtek's corporate spirit of "high quality & speedy performance" that gives users an altogether new visual impression.
WinFast GTX 260 EXTREME+ is powered up with 2nd Generation NVIDIA Unified Architecture and enables the rendering of multiple, true-to-life characters in complex and dynamic virtual worlds. In addition, the latest parallel computing architecture with massive independent processing cores enables GTX 260 EXTREME+ to execute the most intricate non-gaming applications via CUDA language. This includes acceleration of the art design application - science simulation application or transcoding of video to a personal video player up to 7X faster than the CPU.
WinFast GTX 260 EXTREME+ is powered up with 2nd Generation NVIDIA Unified Architecture and enables the rendering of multiple, true-to-life characters in complex and dynamic virtual worlds. In addition, the latest parallel computing architecture with massive independent processing cores enables GTX 260 EXTREME+ to execute the most intricate non-gaming applications via CUDA language. This includes acceleration of the art design application - science simulation application or transcoding of video to a personal video player up to 7X faster than the CPU.
HP Unveils First AMD Neo-based Notebook
In a surprise move, HP announced the industry's first notebook based on AMD's upcoming Neo series processor. This is the first product to be based on the AMD Yukon mobile platform. It features an AMD Neo processor clocked at 1.60, which is a single-core CPU code-named Huron. HP seems to have tried hard to push this into the full-fledged notebook segment, keeping it away from the ULPC tag, to serve as a proper "launch vehicle" for the Yukon platform.
Talking about the notebook itself, called HP Pavilion dV2, it features a 12-inch LCD screen with a native resolution of 1280 x 800 px with LED backlit illumination. Apart from the AMD Neo, it features up to 4 GB of RAM, AMD discrete graphics and storage space of up to 500 GB (depending on the variant). Other features include gigabit Ethernet and WiFi connectivity, an external BluRay drive (optional) and an ExpressCard slot. All this enclosed in a durable magnesium-alloy based chassis. The Pavilion dV2 Neo will reach shelves only later this year in April, and will be priced at US $699.
Talking about the notebook itself, called HP Pavilion dV2, it features a 12-inch LCD screen with a native resolution of 1280 x 800 px with LED backlit illumination. Apart from the AMD Neo, it features up to 4 GB of RAM, AMD discrete graphics and storage space of up to 500 GB (depending on the variant). Other features include gigabit Ethernet and WiFi connectivity, an external BluRay drive (optional) and an ExpressCard slot. All this enclosed in a durable magnesium-alloy based chassis. The Pavilion dV2 Neo will reach shelves only later this year in April, and will be priced at US $699.
LaCie Announces Hard Disk MAX, 2TB Storage in a Stylish Enclosure
Today LaCie announced its Hard Disk MAX high capacity storage system for users who want advanced RAID features with consumer-level ease of use and style. Designed exclusively for LaCie by award-winning industrial designer Neil Poulton, the Hard Disk MAX delivers 2 TB (terabytes) of ultra-reliable storage capacity in a stunning package that will satisfy high-performance requirements for the discriminating user.
The Hard Disk Max includes two large-capacity disk drives that can be set in either a RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration with the simple flick of a switch on the back panel. RAID 0 stripes data across both disks for the fastest data retrieval response time, while RAID 1 mirrors data exactly on both disks for maximum data reliability.
The Hard Disk Max includes two large-capacity disk drives that can be set in either a RAID 0 or RAID 1 configuration with the simple flick of a switch on the back panel. RAID 0 stripes data across both disks for the fastest data retrieval response time, while RAID 1 mirrors data exactly on both disks for maximum data reliability.
HP Introduces Mini 2140 Netbook
HP continued with its "blue-shift" of incorporating Intel Atom processors across its ULPC lineup, this time with its Mini 2140 netbook, siblings of whom are based on VIA processors. The Mini 2140 comes with a 10.1-inch LCD with LED-backlit illumination. The screen provides a maximum resolution of 1366 x 768 px. The chassis holds an almost complete QWERTY keyboard, a 1.3 MP webcam and a track-pad. Under the hood is an Atom CPU clocked at 1.60 GHz, up to 160 GB of hard-drive storage, with connectivity options including ethernet, WiFi, an ExpressCard slot and some USB 2.0 ports. Operating system options include Windows XP, Windows Vista, OpenSuSE Linux or FreeDOS. This notebook is equipped with hard-drive fall damage protection that senses a fall and quickly parks the hard-drive to try and minimise the damage. The unit tips the scales at 1.17 kg (around 2.58 lbs). It will start selling later this month at a price of US $499.
Monday, January 5th 2009
Today's Reviews
Cooling
- Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 LP BCCHardware
- EKL Clock'ner OCaholic
- GELID Silent Spirit Ap0calypse
- Nanoxia Nano Bjorn3D
- NoiseBlocker CoolScraper 3 Real World Labs
- CPU Cooler Roundup Benchmark Reviews
- Xigmatek HDT-SD964 Real World Labs
- Koolance VID-487 GPU Water Block Bjorn3D
- NorthQ Siberian Tiger II DriverHeaven
- NorthQ Siberia Tiger Hardware Bistro
Graphics Cards
Memory
Monitors
Motherboards
Mousepads
Netbooks
PSUs
NZXT Whisper Review
The NZXT Whisper aims to give you the basis for silent computing with sound dampening all around the interior of the chassis. A large compartment design with the possibility of an eATX motherboard and a heavy duty front door, make for an interesting case.
G-Technology Launches Industry's First Family Of External SSDs
G-Technology, a Fabrik company and manufacturer of premium storage solutions for the Apple Mac community, today announced a new family of external drives based on 2.5" solid state drive (SSD) technology - the G-DRIVE mini SSD (120GB and 250GB) and the RAID 0/1 G-RAID mini SSD (250GB and 500GB).
Known for delivering performance, style and reliability, G-Technology has married its premium design with state-of-the-art solid state drives, making the new G-DRIVE mini SSD and G-RAID mini SSD the most rugged and durable external drives in the market. As high-performance, plug-and-play storage devices, they are ideal for extreme users who capture, offload and edit digital content in challenging remote environments. Because the drives have no moving parts, each drive can withstand extreme shock up to 1500Gs and can endure higher altitudes, vibration and temperatures when compared to traditional hard drive-based solutions. Leveraging inherent benefits of SSDs, the new G-DRIVE mini SSD and G-RAID mini SSD also provide higher data transfer rates, lower seek times and use less power, all while delivering a cooler, quieter operation.
Known for delivering performance, style and reliability, G-Technology has married its premium design with state-of-the-art solid state drives, making the new G-DRIVE mini SSD and G-RAID mini SSD the most rugged and durable external drives in the market. As high-performance, plug-and-play storage devices, they are ideal for extreme users who capture, offload and edit digital content in challenging remote environments. Because the drives have no moving parts, each drive can withstand extreme shock up to 1500Gs and can endure higher altitudes, vibration and temperatures when compared to traditional hard drive-based solutions. Leveraging inherent benefits of SSDs, the new G-DRIVE mini SSD and G-RAID mini SSD also provide higher data transfer rates, lower seek times and use less power, all while delivering a cooler, quieter operation.
CES 2009 Coverage in Las Vegas
Well guys, we are (almost) there once again. It is January and CES 2009 is about to kick off on the 8th of January. We will be there a couple of days early to give you the inside scoop. All the juicy stuff will be posted in form of news here on the front page. We, W1zzard and I, are currently stranded in Cincinnati but should arrive in Las Vegas tomorrow.
XFX Releases First Radeon HD-Powered 4000 Series Graphics Cards
XFX, following its recently announced collaboration with AMD, today introduced its first Radeon HD-powered 4000 series cards, the XFX Radeon HD 4870, 4850, 4830, 4650 and 4350.
All five models feature exceptional memory bandwidth, board power and compute power as well as a number of industry-firsts. For example, the XFX Radeon HD 4870 is the first graphics card with GDDR5 memory.
All five models feature exceptional memory bandwidth, board power and compute power as well as a number of industry-firsts. For example, the XFX Radeon HD 4870 is the first graphics card with GDDR5 memory.
Dell Hits the Sweet Spot of Function and Affordability with New Inspiron 15 Laptop
Dell today announced the Inspiron 15 laptop, the latest addition to the Inspiron line of systems offering solid performance and smart style at a great value. The Inspiron 15 is now available in select configurations at Best Buy stores in the United States, and PC World and Curry's in the United Kingdom, with online availability through Dell.com planned for later in January. Systems start at $600.
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 and GeForce GTX 295 Launch Dates Announced
It's time for some new information, provided by our colleagues over at OCWorkBench. As reported by them NVIDIA is preparing to launch its new GeForce GTX 285 card on January 15th, while the dual-GPU GeForce GTX 295 is planned to debute on January 8th, during the first day of CES 2009. These two video cards will be NVIDIA's future top performing products. We're already familiar with the specs of GeForce GTX 285. It will be based on a 55nm production node with 183W TDP, and will have reference clock speeds of 648MHz for the core, 1476MHz for the shaders, and 1100MHz (x2) for the memory. On the other side, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 is a dual PCB, dual GPU card, that will beat the mighty ATI Radeon 4870 X2. Some of the facts that we already know include: 2x GPUs with a total of 480 shader processors, 1792MB memory (896MB per GPU), 576MHz core frequency, 1242MHz shader frequency, 999MHz DDR3 memory frequency, and Quad-SLI support. That's all folks, put aside some $ for next week.
Iomega Releases Home Media Hard Drive, Brings Cost-Effective Features to Your Home
Iomega, an EMC company and a global leader in data protection, today announced the debut of the Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive, a new standard in easy-to-use network storage for the digital home. With EMC's acclaimed LifeLine software, in three simple steps users can configure up to one terabyte of network storage for backing up all of their files as well as streaming music, photos, video and other multimedia files between computers, networked televisions, popular game consoles and other under-utilized digital home entertainment devices.
Iomega will be showing the new Home Media Network Hard Drive at the MacWorld tradeshow in San Francisco, January 6-9, 2009, and at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 8-11, 2009.
Iomega will be showing the new Home Media Network Hard Drive at the MacWorld tradeshow in San Francisco, January 6-9, 2009, and at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, January 8-11, 2009.
Seagate Ships Desktop Hard Drive With World's Highest Areal Density - 500GB Per Disk
Seagate today announced first-to-market volume shipments of a mainstream desktop hard drive with the industry's highest areal density. Packing 1TB of capacity on just two disks, Seagate's Barracuda 7200.12 HD, a 3.5-inch 7200-RPM drive features an areal density of 329 Gigabits per square inch to deliver the best combination of capacity, performance and reliability for PCs, desktop RAID and personal external storage.
Firefox Breaks 20% Market Share Mark
Firefox, Mozilla's most successful web browser based on the Gecko browser engine holds more than 20% of the web-browser market share, according to the latest figures by NetApplications placing it at 21.34%. Web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari have been on a roll in the past 24 months, at the expense of Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) which has been falling in market-share from the 90+ percent it once held.
Mozilla's CEO John Lilly calls this as a significant milestone for Mozilla, and gives credit to the global Mozilla community. NetApplications gets into the details of how Firefox gained a market share growth of 20%, by attributing it to the relatively high number of public holidays between November and December, when users accessed internet from home. This since the significant movers were noted to be home/domestic users rather than corporate users.
Mozilla's CEO John Lilly calls this as a significant milestone for Mozilla, and gives credit to the global Mozilla community. NetApplications gets into the details of how Firefox gained a market share growth of 20%, by attributing it to the relatively high number of public holidays between November and December, when users accessed internet from home. This since the significant movers were noted to be home/domestic users rather than corporate users.
More XFX Radeon Series Graphics Cards Pictured
It does come as a surprise to us, that XFX is going to have a full-fledged non-reference design ATI Radeon lineup, barely a month into its official announcement of a tie-up with AMD. Pictured below are XFX Radeon HD 4350, Radeon HD 4650 and Radeon HD 4830. Ideally XFX will use a common design with its Radeon HD 4600 series cards. Both incorporate black-coloured PCBs, and the XFX colour scheme with the coolers.
The XFX Radeon HD 4350 (model: HD435X-YAH2) comes with a core clock speed of 600 MHz and 512 MB of DDR2 memory clocked at 1000 MHz. It is passively cooled and is low-profile friendly. The XFX Radeon HD 4650 / HD 4670 cards use reference AMD clock speeds. The Radeon HD 4850 card comes in two variants, HD465X-YAF2 (512 MB) and HD465X-ZAF2 (1 GB). Also pictured is the XFX Radeon HD 4830 512MB (model: HD483X-YDFC) that looks identical to the XFX Radeon HD 4850, pictured earlier.
The XFX Radeon HD 4350 (model: HD435X-YAH2) comes with a core clock speed of 600 MHz and 512 MB of DDR2 memory clocked at 1000 MHz. It is passively cooled and is low-profile friendly. The XFX Radeon HD 4650 / HD 4670 cards use reference AMD clock speeds. The Radeon HD 4850 card comes in two variants, HD465X-YAF2 (512 MB) and HD465X-ZAF2 (1 GB). Also pictured is the XFX Radeon HD 4830 512MB (model: HD483X-YDFC) that looks identical to the XFX Radeon HD 4850, pictured earlier.
NEC Announces the 26'' MultiSync LCD2690WUXi2 LCD Monitor with SWOP Certification
NEC Display Solutions of America, a leading stand-alone provider of commercial LCD displays and projectors, today announced the new 26-inch MultiSync LCD2690WUXi², a desktop display ideal for graphic arts, desktop publishing, photography and other color-critical environments. The LCD2690WUXi² can be seen at Macworld Conference and Expo 2009 (NEC Display Solutions Booth, No. 2510) on January 6-9 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif.
Mushkin releases ''Radioactive'' memory kit
Mushkin Enhanced, one of the leading manufacturer for High Performance Computer Parts announces the availability of his first new memory kit in this year, the 4GB DDR2 kit called "996599r", which comes along in a noble aluminium case and eye-catching heatspreader.
New Crucial Ballistix Three Channel DDR3 Memory Kits Available
Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the immediate availability of Ballistix DDR3-1333 (PC3-10600) and DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) three channel DDR3 memory kits. These new kits support the latest Intel chipset technology, based on the Core i7 processors. Ballistix three channel DDR3 memory kits are available in 3GB and 6GB kits through select resellers and directly from Crucial's website.
MSI Debuts U-Force, Dual-Core Atom Nettops, Briefs CES Plans
In the CES 2009, to be held in Las Vegas from January 8, MSI will once again capture the world's eyes with its prolific R&D and designs. In addition to introducing the whole new U-series models, MSI will launch the new All-In-One Wind NetOn models and MSI's first dual-core Atom All-In-One models. G-series notebooks, the first series surmounting 10000 points on 3Dmark, will also be exhibited. With such a strong cast, MSI will successfully become the focus on the international stage once again.
Following the popular MSI Wind Netbooks, U100 and U90, MSI will introduce some more portable netbook in CES, including MSI U115 Hybrid, and will also announce that MSI U120 is "WiMAX Ready". Moreover the first netbook capable of running SSD/HDD simultaneously, and MSI X-Slim Series X320, the 13" super portable notebook of just about 1.3 kg.
Following the popular MSI Wind Netbooks, U100 and U90, MSI will introduce some more portable netbook in CES, including MSI U115 Hybrid, and will also announce that MSI U120 is "WiMAX Ready". Moreover the first netbook capable of running SSD/HDD simultaneously, and MSI X-Slim Series X320, the 13" super portable notebook of just about 1.3 kg.
Intel and Adobe to Extend Flash Platform to TVs
Adobe Systems Incorporated and Intel Corporation today announced plans to collaborate on the development to port and optimize Adobe Flash technology for the Intel Media Processor CE 3100. This effort is expected to provide consumers with richer and more seamless Web-based and video viewing experiences through advanced Intel-based cable set-top boxes, Blu-ray Disc players, digital TVs and retail connected AV devices. The high-definition capabilities of the Adobe Flash Platform, together with the Intel Media Processor CE 3100, the first in a new family of purpose-built Intel System on Chips (SoCs) for CE devices, creates a powerful entertainment hub capable of delivering rich Web content and Adobe Flash based applications to an array of Internet-connected CE devices. Intel and Adobe are working together to optimize both the Adobe Flash Player and Adobe Flash Lite for the CE3100. Intel plans to ship the first CE3100 with support for an optimized implementation of Adobe Flash Lite before mid-2009.
More GT212 Information Forthcoming
NVIDIA's G200b, its current flagship GPU will be suceeded later this year with the GT212, and as Hardware Infos discovers, NVIDIA seems to have given some interesting specifications to the GT212. To begin with, the GPU holds more than 1.8 billion transistors. It is built on TSMC's 40nm manufacturing node. The shader domain gets a boost with 384 shader units (a 60% increase over G200(b)). The GPU holds 96 texture memory units and a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory bus with a clock speed of 1250 MHz (5000 MT/s).
The transition to GDDR5 seemed inevitable, with there being a genuine incentive of cutting down the number of memory chips (due to the efficient memory bus), with NVIDIA having completely avoided GDDR4. With the die-size being expected to be around 300 sq. mm, these GPUs will be cheaper to manufacture. The GT212 is slated for Q2 2009.
The transition to GDDR5 seemed inevitable, with there being a genuine incentive of cutting down the number of memory chips (due to the efficient memory bus), with NVIDIA having completely avoided GDDR4. With the die-size being expected to be around 300 sq. mm, these GPUs will be cheaper to manufacture. The GT212 is slated for Q2 2009.
Rumor: Microsoft Plans 17% Workforce Reduction This Month
Year 2008 might be over, but the world economy crisis is still strong and demonstration for that is the latest rumor reported today by DailyTech. According to them Microsoft, the largest software maker and the most profitable company in the technology industry, may layoff 15,000 people from its 90,000 workforce, or nearly 17 percent of Microsoft's worldwide operations. The report continues to claim that Microsoft's MSN search unit and other struggling business units are the most threatened with extinction. Microsoft workers in the Xbox 360 and other profitable departments will be safe from these job cuts. CNET News quotes industry veteran Henry Blodget suggesting another reason that may hide behind this eventual workforce reduction:
"The only way we could see Microsoft laying off this many people is if the company decided to eliminate business units. And if Microsoft did decide to restructure its business, it would likely sell rather than shut down divisions, including MSN."
Continue reading the full story here.
"The only way we could see Microsoft laying off this many people is if the company decided to eliminate business units. And if Microsoft did decide to restructure its business, it would likely sell rather than shut down divisions, including MSN."
Continue reading the full story here.
Aspire One 10.1 Slated for February
Acer's flagship ULPC product, the Aspire One will get a 10-inch model refresh with the Aspire One 10.1, which is preparing for a February launch. The new model comes with a screen that is physically bigger at 10", though having the same resolution as its 8.9" counterparts: 1024 x 600 px.
Acer seems to have made a few cosmetic changes with a brushed-metal chassis near its keyboard area, an expansion slot with a multi-card reader (swappable), a larger track-pad and the standard features of Aspire One. On to the hardware front, it comes with an Intel Atom CPU at 1.60 GHz, 1 GB of DDR2 memory, with optional features that include pre-installed Windows XP Home, 3G HSDPA, and Bluetooth 2.0 support. It comes in three colours: red, black and white.
Acer seems to have made a few cosmetic changes with a brushed-metal chassis near its keyboard area, an expansion slot with a multi-card reader (swappable), a larger track-pad and the standard features of Aspire One. On to the hardware front, it comes with an Intel Atom CPU at 1.60 GHz, 1 GB of DDR2 memory, with optional features that include pre-installed Windows XP Home, 3G HSDPA, and Bluetooth 2.0 support. It comes in three colours: red, black and white.
Unibody 17-inch Apple MacBook Pro and Revised Mac Mini Ready for Macworld 2009 ?
AppleInsider has allegedly confirmed previous rumours that a 17-inch unibody MacBook Pro is on its way to hit the stores very soon. Claiming own sources, AppleInsider has been able to confirm that tomorrow Apple will introduce a 17-inch MacBook Pro with a fixed internal battery and a new version of the Mac mini. Before going into detail, let me remind you that Macworld 2009 Conference & Expo starts today, so if true the two new Apples will make first appearance there. The new unibody 17-inch MacBook Pro will not share the same panel-covered battery layout as the 13- and 15-inch models. Instead, the notebook's battery will be fixed in place and not removable, similar to the MacBook Air notebooks. As for Mac mini, the new version will add a FireWire 800 port and a fifth USB port, in addition to the already presented Mini DisplayPort and Mini DVI connectors.
Freescale Enters the Low-Cost Netbook Processor Business with i.MX515 ARM Processor
Even though almost all of the netbooks as we call them today are using Intel Atom processors as their main processor and if not they use VIA CPUs, Freescale, a third company, is moving in on this fastest-growing segment of the PC market. The company said on Monday it is planning on introducing a new chip for netbooks that are priced below $200. Freescale's i.MX515 processor will run on super low-cost netbooks only, that are created mainly to perform basic tasks such as accessing the Internet and running office applications, with no gaming or performance CAD involved. Moreover, the i.MX515 won't support any Microsoft Windows OS at all, which leaves the door open only for Linux. The main strength of i.MX515 based on the Cortex-A8 core from ARM is its low power usage, which suggests extra long battery life of the machines equipped with this CPU. According to the company, the chip would allow a netbook with an 8.9-inch display to receive eight hours of battery life. Again, expect more information at CES 2009. There Freescale will showcase a working i.MX515-based netbook prototype made by Pegatron (ASUS spin-off company).
Transcend Launches Triple Channel DDR3-1333 Memory Kits
Transcend Information Inc., one of the world's leading memory module manufacturers, is proud to release its DDR3-1333 triple channel memory kits for use with Intel Core i7 processors and Intel X58 Express Chipset motherboards. Core i7, Intel's latest high-performance processor, features an integrated memory controller that introduces three channels of DDR3 memory that provide lower latency and higher memory bandwidth for amazing performance for data-intensive applications. Transcend's triple channel kits are designed specifically for the new platform, and offer an optimized combination of low voltage (1.5V), generous speed, and enhanced latency (9-9-9-24) to deliver ideal performance and compatibility with next-generation PCs.
PQI to Launch More Flash Based Storage Devices at CES 2009
Besides the USB 3.0 demonstration, visitors attending the 2009 CES at Las Vegas may also take a look at PQI's booth, where the company will have on display their full range of Solid State Drives, USB Flash Drives (UFD), Memory Modules and Flash Memory Cards. Among these will be four brand new and never seen before products - 1.8-inch microSATA SSD S518, Express Card SSD S520, 2.5-inch SATAⅡ SSD S525 and e-SATA Combo Card S530. The 32GB Express Card SSD S520 utilizes PCMCIA form factor that supports both USB2 and PCI Express connectivity. Users have the option of using it as a portable USB flash drive or to extend their PC / laptop storage capacity. The 64GB e-SATA Combo Card S530 has an e-SATA connection interface and reaches a maximum read speed of 90MB/Sec. Finally, both PQI's 1.8-inch microSATA SSD S518 and 2.5-inch SATAⅡ SSD S525 are available with a maximum capacity of 128GB. They are also suitable for installation into PCs, laptops or mobile workstations. Expect more information on each drive at CES 2009.
NVIDIA Mobile GPU Lineup for 2009 Charted
NVIDIA looks to have a complete lineup for mobile discrete graphics processors apart from their integrated graphics based chipsets that are gaining in popularity. VR-Zone compiled a list of GPUs slated for 2009. For some part, current-generation GPU architectures based on current manufacturing processes are noted, while the second half of 2009 will witness the introduction of GPUs based on the 40nm manufacturing processes, derived from the GT21x series GPUs.
Currently, NVIDIA mobile GPUs include derivatives from the 65nm G92, G94, G96 and G98 GPUs that make the lineup, top to bottom. In the first half of 2009, the same GPUs will be built on the newer 55nm manufacturing node and used in newer SKUs under N10E series for the enthusiast, N10P series for performance and N10M series for the mainstream segments. The GPU codenames will be simply suffixed with a "b" next to their company codenames and a "1" next to their product names (for example: GeForce 9800M GTX1). Desktop graphics cards are already being built on 55nm variants of the G9xb GPUs. In the second half of 2009, NVIDIA will use the GT212, GT215, GT216 and GT218 to build their mobile discrete graphics lineup. The GT212 is a high-end GPU, derivatives of which, will be used in the newer mobile GeForce GTX series in the enthusiast segment along with GT215 GPU, which will make it to the high-end GeForce GT, GeForce GS and GeForce GE series. The mid-range of the same series will be based on products derived from the GT216 series, in the performance segment. Finally, the GT218 GPU will go into making the value-mainstream products, the lower-end of the same GeForce GT, GS and GE series.
Currently, NVIDIA mobile GPUs include derivatives from the 65nm G92, G94, G96 and G98 GPUs that make the lineup, top to bottom. In the first half of 2009, the same GPUs will be built on the newer 55nm manufacturing node and used in newer SKUs under N10E series for the enthusiast, N10P series for performance and N10M series for the mainstream segments. The GPU codenames will be simply suffixed with a "b" next to their company codenames and a "1" next to their product names (for example: GeForce 9800M GTX1). Desktop graphics cards are already being built on 55nm variants of the G9xb GPUs. In the second half of 2009, NVIDIA will use the GT212, GT215, GT216 and GT218 to build their mobile discrete graphics lineup. The GT212 is a high-end GPU, derivatives of which, will be used in the newer mobile GeForce GTX series in the enthusiast segment along with GT215 GPU, which will make it to the high-end GeForce GT, GeForce GS and GeForce GE series. The mid-range of the same series will be based on products derived from the GT216 series, in the performance segment. Finally, the GT218 GPU will go into making the value-mainstream products, the lower-end of the same GeForce GT, GS and GE series.
Symwave and Seagate to Demonstrate World's First USB 3.0 Storage Solution at CES 2009
Symwave, a semiconductor supplier of high-performance analog/mixed-signal connectivity solutions for the PC, consumer and mobile devices, today announced collaboration with Seagate to demonstrate Symwave's USB 3.0 storage controller device designed to comply with the SuperSpeed (USB 3.0) specification revision 1.0. The technology demonstration is the world's first consumer product application of USB 3.0 and will take place at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada from January 8-11, 2009. The demonstration will showcase streaming data to and from a commercially available external storage device at speeds previously unattainable with legacy USB technology.
Lenovo's First Dual Screen Mobile Workstation Now Official, Yours for $3663
Lenovo today is bringing users the highest levels of mobile workstation innovation and performance with the introduction of the ThinkPad W700ds mobile workstation. The ThinkPad W700ds gives users prime screen real-estate as the first mobile workstation in the industry with two screens. Lenovo combines a new balance of unique design with complex engineering and unparalleled performance to give users in the most demanding of fields such as digital content creation, oil and gas exploration, computer-aided design and photography, the ultimate mobile workstation.
Lenovo Debuts Super-Slim All-in-One Desktop and 16-inch Laptop
Lenovo today announced the latest additions to its Idea brand of personal computers for consumers. The new PCs push the envelope in the pursuit of thinner and more stylish designs, and combine these attributes with unique features like facial recognition and high-definition entertainment technologies to give consumers a computing experience like no other. There are four new IdeaPad laptops - the IdeaPad Y650, one of the thinnest and lightest 16-inch laptops1, the Y550 and Y450 laptops with a similar family design to the Y650, and one of the thinnest all-in-one desktop PCs, the IdeaCentre A6002. With the explosive growth of social networking, Lenovo also continues to enhance its IdeaPad S10 netbook with new instant on capability, facial recognition and easy access to Lenovo's social networking community.
TechPowerUp GPU-Z v0.3.1 Now Available
TechPowerUp announces the availability of GPU-Z version 0.3.1 for download. GPU-Z is our graphics sub-system information and monitoring utility that provides information on installed graphics hardware, their various specifications, provides real-time updates on their parameters such as clock-speeds, temperatures, fan-speeds, etc., all in a neat, tabbed user-interface, backed by our overclock validation system and an extensive video card BIOS database. Version 0.3.1 brings in a few important updates to the table, notably:
- Crash fix on systems without NVAPI (Win 2K, old NV drivers)
- Optimized AMD RV770 BIOS reading code (faster application startup)
- Added preliminary support for NVIDIA GT212, GT214, GT215, GT216, GT218
- Added support for NVIDIA Quadro FX 4700 X2, GTX 295, GTX 285
- Support for fan speed monitoring on ForceWare 180.xx and up
- Voltage monitoring for NVIDIA GT200
Playstation 2 the Most Played Console of 2008
The Sony Playstation 2 is the most played game console in the US, according to a study of trends among Americans by Nielsen in its news release whitepaper (PDF). The Nielsen study gave out results in the form of top-10 rankings for several products and the consumers' usage patterns. Nielsen calculated the usage minutes of all consoles found in the home as a percentage. The Playstation 2 ranked top with a usage percentage of 31.7%, trailed by Microsoft Xbox 360 at 17.2%, Nintendo Wii at 13.4%, Microsoft Xbox at 9.7% and Sony Playstation 3 at 7.3%.
Please note that these figures are those of the usage minutes of these consoles and aren't exactly indicative of their market shares. Also taken into account should be the fact that the Playstation 2 is a much older console launched in 1999 while its competitive 6th generation console, the Xbox was launched two years later in 2001. The data was measured from January to October 2008. According to Nielsen "other" includes "any other console found in the home" and it appears portable hardware like the Nintendo DS or the Sony PSP were not included in the research. In related news, the same study suggests the most played PC game title. No guesses here: Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Refer to the whitepaper for more details.
Please note that these figures are those of the usage minutes of these consoles and aren't exactly indicative of their market shares. Also taken into account should be the fact that the Playstation 2 is a much older console launched in 1999 while its competitive 6th generation console, the Xbox was launched two years later in 2001. The data was measured from January to October 2008. According to Nielsen "other" includes "any other console found in the home" and it appears portable hardware like the Nintendo DS or the Sony PSP were not included in the research. In related news, the same study suggests the most played PC game title. No guesses here: Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Refer to the whitepaper for more details.
AMD Readies Six Business-Class Desktop 45nm CPUs
AMD is heading towards kicking off its desktop CPU lineup built on the 45nm manufacturing process this 8th of January. The company also started off with selling certain "business-class" CPUs last year, CPUs that are rated for long MTBF, giving it a little incentive for business/office PC manufacturers for using the processors in their models. The company is looking to do the same with its 45nm desktop CPU lineup, with six business-class CPUs on the cards, sources tell DigiTimes.
The models planned are dual-core Athlon X2 B23 (2.9GHz, 2MB cache) and B21 (2.7GHz, 2MB cache), triple-core Phenom II X3 B73 (2.8GHz, 7.5MB cache) and B71 (2.6GHz, 7.5MB cache), and quad-core Phenom II X4 B93 (2.8GHz 8MB cache) and B91 (2.6GHz 8MB cache). These processors are slated for Q3 2009. Following the introduction of these, the company plans to phase-out its current business class CPUs by issuing last-order notices for them in Q4. These will be issued for Phenom II X4 9850B, 9750B, 9600B and Phenom II X3 8850B, 8750B, 8600B as well as Athlon X2 5600B, 5400B, 5200B, 5000B, 4850B, 4450B and Athlon 1640B.
The models planned are dual-core Athlon X2 B23 (2.9GHz, 2MB cache) and B21 (2.7GHz, 2MB cache), triple-core Phenom II X3 B73 (2.8GHz, 7.5MB cache) and B71 (2.6GHz, 7.5MB cache), and quad-core Phenom II X4 B93 (2.8GHz 8MB cache) and B91 (2.6GHz 8MB cache). These processors are slated for Q3 2009. Following the introduction of these, the company plans to phase-out its current business class CPUs by issuing last-order notices for them in Q4. These will be issued for Phenom II X4 9850B, 9750B, 9600B and Phenom II X3 8850B, 8750B, 8600B as well as Athlon X2 5600B, 5400B, 5200B, 5000B, 4850B, 4450B and Athlon 1640B.
Saturday, January 3rd 2009
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
Harddisks
NZXT Guardian 921 Review
The Guardian 921 is an interesting looking chassis, featuring a "shield" as a door and a "head" raised above the rest of the case with a temperature LCD screen. Included with the case are three temperature sensors that can be placed at important locations that need to be monitored.
XFX Radeon HD 4850 and Radeon HD 4870 Pictured
XFX seems to be ready with its initial lineup of graphics cards. Some European retailers have even begun listing their products and pricing. While there's nothing really interesting about the way XFX is pricing its cards, the way it's cards seem to be certainly interesting. Pictured below are its first two models based on the ATI Radeon HD 4850 and HD 4870 graphics processors.
Some surprises: Both use black coloured PCB, neither are 100% reference ATI design, and in fact, XFX designed its own cooler for the Radeon HD 4850 512 MB (model: XFX HD485X-YDFC). The Radeon HD 4870 in the picture is the 1 GB variant (model: HD487A-ZDFC). Both accelerators use AMD reference clock speeds. These cards will be released within the first two weeks of this month. More information as we come across.
Some surprises: Both use black coloured PCB, neither are 100% reference ATI design, and in fact, XFX designed its own cooler for the Radeon HD 4850 512 MB (model: XFX HD485X-YDFC). The Radeon HD 4870 in the picture is the 1 GB variant (model: HD487A-ZDFC). Both accelerators use AMD reference clock speeds. These cards will be released within the first two weeks of this month. More information as we come across.
Gigabyte Has a Crippled VGA Slot: MSI
Although presentations that are internal to companies never make it to the public scene, some of those presentations are interesting, to say the least. Computer hardware manufacturers spread around an area as saturated as Taiwan, China, Malaysia, etc., get so involved into aggressive competition that in more occassions than one they get carried away. Internal presentations are the ones manufacturers such as ASUSTek, MSI and Gigabyte share with their potential customers in channel vendors, OEMs, and the likes. One such presentation by MSI, a particular slide of which, has become an example of how far competition has taken the manufacturers.
Phenom II X4 Suggested Retail Prices Surface
AMD will be launching its 45nm desktop CPU lineup with two of its flagship CPUs, the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition and Phenom II X4 920, clocked at 3.00 GHz and 2.80 GHz respectively. Retailers can start selling these two processors in the processor in a box (PIB) form starting from January 8.
The suggested retail prices for the EMEA region according to NordicHardware are around 250€ for the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition and 220€ for the Phenom II X4 920. The same source points at the US markets' suggested pricing, which states US $280 for the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition, and $230 for the Phenom II X4 920. This puts AMD's flagship processor in the price range of Intel's Core i7 920 and Core 2 Quad Q9450 processors, while AMD's platform costs will be much lower than those of the Intel Core i7.
The suggested retail prices for the EMEA region according to NordicHardware are around 250€ for the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition and 220€ for the Phenom II X4 920. The same source points at the US markets' suggested pricing, which states US $280 for the Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition, and $230 for the Phenom II X4 920. This puts AMD's flagship processor in the price range of Intel's Core i7 920 and Core 2 Quad Q9450 processors, while AMD's platform costs will be much lower than those of the Intel Core i7.
NVIDIA Value and Mainstream GPUs Rebranded Too
NVIDIA is seems to be recycling a broader range of existing GPUs with new branding that merely some mainstream GPUs such as the G92. According to a set of advertisements by a channel vendor, of Acer and Packard Bell PCs, they feature the GeForce G 100, GeForce GT 120 and GeForce GT 130. These graphics cards feature 512 MB, 1 GB and 1.5 GB of memory respectively and fill the entry-level graphics cards lineup.
From the information TechConnect Magazine gathered about these, they are rebranded variants of GeForce 9400, GeForce 9500 GT and GeForce 9600 GSO (aka GeForce 8800 GS). This new naming scheme will be operationalised by the end of this month, towards February, around the same time when another portion of graphics cards based on the G92 GPU get rebranded to the GeForce GTS series.
From the information TechConnect Magazine gathered about these, they are rebranded variants of GeForce 9400, GeForce 9500 GT and GeForce 9600 GSO (aka GeForce 8800 GS). This new naming scheme will be operationalised by the end of this month, towards February, around the same time when another portion of graphics cards based on the G92 GPU get rebranded to the GeForce GTS series.
Don't Yell at Your Hard Drives: Sun Engineer
No, seriously don't. An engineer at Sun Microsystems' Fishworks lab discovered that yelling at your hard-drive causes sharp (yet momentary) increases in the hard-drive's latency. The engineer demonstrated this by yelling a portion of a server holding a RAID JBOD array, while monitoring its IO/s and latencies of the drive he was yelling at it. Each time he yelled at it, there was a surge in the drive's latency. The engineer posted his demonstration on YouTube. Now you know that yelling at your hard-drive isn't going to help, or is it? This opens up some interesting topics to research on, of how the rather loud environment enterprise hard-drives are put through in high-density storage environments impact on them, and to what extant vibration dampening helps them. The video can be viewed here.
Zii Not an Audio Processor, Something Much Bigger
Late December last year, Creative started a teaser website for the company's "new direction", the Zii. Back then it was courteous enough to give us a clue about what it was about and how big a deal it was, with its rather bold tag-line "Everything you know is about to change". Today Creative dispatched emails to all those who registered for updates on the website, revealing a lot more about Zii, and we can tell from what's given, that Creative has embarked upon something big, which makes its digital audio product lineup look irrelevant to the matter.
The Zii, according to Creative, is inspired from nature's building block of life, the stem cell. A stem cell is a basic cellular unit found in multi-cellular organisms that holds the potential to divide and differentiate into the many different kinds of cells an life-forms have. Here's a revelation: Creative claims to have devised a stem cell-like silicon that can "grow and multiply into different solutions and eco-systems", it can be seen as something parallel to the process in which life functions, only that it's going to be silicon doing it. Creative goes on to add "With an investment that spans over 10 years, over a billion dollars and over 10,000 man-years, the world is poised to experience a breakthrough that will better lives beyond our imagination." Given the state the world economy is in, Creative states that the technology is recession-friendly and will in-turn unlock countless business opportunities based around the technology and its expansion. Creative will be throwing a lot more things out of the box at the upcoming CES event. The Matrix era of artificial life is beginning not to sound too much of an imagination.
The Zii, according to Creative, is inspired from nature's building block of life, the stem cell. A stem cell is a basic cellular unit found in multi-cellular organisms that holds the potential to divide and differentiate into the many different kinds of cells an life-forms have. Here's a revelation: Creative claims to have devised a stem cell-like silicon that can "grow and multiply into different solutions and eco-systems", it can be seen as something parallel to the process in which life functions, only that it's going to be silicon doing it. Creative goes on to add "With an investment that spans over 10 years, over a billion dollars and over 10,000 man-years, the world is poised to experience a breakthrough that will better lives beyond our imagination." Given the state the world economy is in, Creative states that the technology is recession-friendly and will in-turn unlock countless business opportunities based around the technology and its expansion. Creative will be throwing a lot more things out of the box at the upcoming CES event. The Matrix era of artificial life is beginning not to sound too much of an imagination.
Friday, January 2nd 2009
Today's Reviews
Cooling
Keyboards
Motherboards
Processors
Speakers
Storage
Verbatim Launches New 500GB and 1TB Quad Interface Desktop Hard Drives
Verbatim Americas, LLC, a global leader in digital storage solutions, announced today two new Quad Interface Desktop Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) with capacities of 500GB and 1TB. The pro audio/video-grade storage and backup solutions offer Mac and PC users universal connectivity with plug and play support for all four of the leading interfaces: USB 2.0, FireWire 400, FireWire 800 and eSATA II (external Serial ATA II). With these connection options and the equivalent of 1000 Gigabytes of storage backed by Verbatim's reputation for reliability, the new external drives are ideal for audio, video, digital photography and music professionals as well as graphics applications where capacity, performance and reliability are essential. Affordably priced, the drive also puts volumes of storage within the reach of consumers and small businesses with large amounts of video, photos, music, and data files that they want to store, edit and protect.
Gateway TBGM-01 MATX X58 Motherboard Pictured
Full-featured motherboards in the mATX form-factor seem to be back in fashion, with manufacturers gaining interest. mATX motherboards based on some performance desktop chipsets such as Intel P45, AMD 790GX, even the Core i7 supportive Intel X58 have seen the light of the day. After the DFI LP JR X58-T3H6, the second known X58 motherboard in the form-factor has surfaced thanks to an observation by one of our community members: Gateway TBGM-01 (as read from its DMI data). This motherboard from Gateway is for the OEM channels, and features some Gateway FX gaming PCs. It has been pictured in an installed on one such PC.
The motherboard features a 4+1 phase CPU power circuit. It features two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots for ATI CrossFire, and a PCI-Express x4 slot. Sadly it lacks PCI slots. It has six DDR3 DIMM slots for DDR3-1333 MHz memory. It features six SATA II ports, 7.1ch HD audio among other standard features.
The motherboard features a 4+1 phase CPU power circuit. It features two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots for ATI CrossFire, and a PCI-Express x4 slot. Sadly it lacks PCI slots. It has six DDR3 DIMM slots for DDR3-1333 MHz memory. It features six SATA II ports, 7.1ch HD audio among other standard features.
HP Voodoo Firefly Concept Gaming Laptop Pictured
Having absorbed Voodoo PC, HP is going full-cylinders with its gaming PC lineup. It has not overlooked gaming notebooks either. In the works is the HP Firefly, a gaming notebook with exclusive features, driven by bleeding edge hardware in a stylish chassis. The Firefly is in a concept design phase, with working prototypes being readied for events such as the upcoming CES expo.
To run you through with the features, the top lid of the notebook holds a 17" main LCD with a native resolution of 1920x1200. The lid also holds a small 4" screen with a resolution of 800x400, which can be used as a HUD or a secondary utility display. Also mounted are front speakers and a night-vision webcam. The business end of the notebook holds an illuminated keyboard with a right-hand placed track-pad. The exterior of the notebook has some techno-themed motifs printed or engraved. Under the hood is a quad-core Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9xxx CPU clocked at 2.40 GHz, 4 GB of memory, and a graphics subsystem consisting of two ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 GPUs in CrossFire. Two 250GB hard-drives operate in RAID 0 for storage. There is a Blu-Ray drive provided. Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio handles 6-channel audio with game audio effects processing and Dolby Digital output capabilities. We will learn more about this notebook come CES.
To run you through with the features, the top lid of the notebook holds a 17" main LCD with a native resolution of 1920x1200. The lid also holds a small 4" screen with a resolution of 800x400, which can be used as a HUD or a secondary utility display. Also mounted are front speakers and a night-vision webcam. The business end of the notebook holds an illuminated keyboard with a right-hand placed track-pad. The exterior of the notebook has some techno-themed motifs printed or engraved. Under the hood is a quad-core Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9xxx CPU clocked at 2.40 GHz, 4 GB of memory, and a graphics subsystem consisting of two ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 GPUs in CrossFire. Two 250GB hard-drives operate in RAID 0 for storage. There is a Blu-Ray drive provided. Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio handles 6-channel audio with game audio effects processing and Dolby Digital output capabilities. We will learn more about this notebook come CES.
GeForce GTX 285 from Gigabyte Appears in Hong Kong
Though no official information from NVIDIA has been released on the GeForce GTX 285, through leaks over the past month we know that this is a 55nm version of the GTX280. Although the 55nm GTX 260 has kept its name, it seems that the same cannot be said of the GTX 280. This Gigabyte card is said to use the same reference clock speeds as seen in the review from Computerbase.de which we covered just a few days ago. With a product code of GV-N285-1GH-B, it has 1GB of GDDR3 at 2484 MHz, 240SP's at 1476 MHz and a core at 648 MHz. According to TechConnect the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 285 has been found with prices as low as $412.8 (€296.3).
G.Skill Unveils Triple Channel “Perfect Storm” Memory Series for Intel Core i7
G.Skill International Co. Ltd., a world leader in extreme performance memory with solid quality, today announces Triple Channel DDR3 2000HMz performance memory at enhanced CL 7-8-7 timings and is designed for the latest Intel Core i7 processors / Intel X58 Express Chipset. This combination affords unparalleled performance margins allowing for the very best Overclocking and memory bandwidth.
Wikipedia Donation Campaign Succeeds in Raising Above $6 Million
What started off on a low-key as a free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia now stands as an indispensable part of the internet, as one of the most important information resources. Earlier in 2008, the Wikimedia Foundation (the parent organisation behind Wikipedia) found itself in a severe cash deficit that threatened the very existence of the Website. The organisation then sought to go public for help, launching a worldwide donation campaign. Their donation goal was set at US $ 6 million. The organisation kept its operations fairly transparent by providing a break-down of its 2008~09 budget.
Around the last week of 2008, their donations stood at $3.8 million. Following Christmas, a surge in donations was observed. In a matter of five days since Christmas, not only was the $6 million goal approached at, but also surpassed, which now stands at roughly $6.158 million. Wikipedia is thus saved and will live to see the light of this year.
Around the last week of 2008, their donations stood at $3.8 million. Following Christmas, a surge in donations was observed. In a matter of five days since Christmas, not only was the $6 million goal approached at, but also surpassed, which now stands at roughly $6.158 million. Wikipedia is thus saved and will live to see the light of this year.
Thursday, January 1st 2009
Today's Reviews
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Memory
Processors
Forceware 185.20 Beta Leaked
In the wake of the new year, NVIDIA's GeForce Forceware drivers have surfaced. While being in a beta stage the 185.20 Forceware provide support for NVIDIA's upcoming products namely the GeForce GTX 295 and GeForce GTX 285. It also introduces ambient occlusion as a standard feature-set to enhance lighting effects, and reflections impacting on the realism. All other GPUs GeForce 6 Series onward are supported as usual. The driver is dated for 12-26-2008. The package includes PhysX system software version 8.11.18. Drivers for both 64-bit and 32-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows XP can be downloaded from the links below. Be cautioned the drivers are unsigned beta versions, the use of which isn't covered by any warranty.
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA Forceware 185.20 beta for Windows XP (32bit) | Windows Vista (32bit) | Windows XP (64bit) | Windows Vista (64bit)
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA Forceware 185.20 beta for Windows XP (32bit) | Windows Vista (32bit) | Windows XP (64bit) | Windows Vista (64bit)
Thermaltake Introduces TMG IA1 CPU Cooler, Gives You More
Gamers and DIY enthusiasts always want a good product with great value and performance. Now, Thermaltake makes this possible. Lately, Thermaltake releases its new CPU cooler- TMG IA1. This cooler definitely can satisfy PC DIY users and gamers' different needs.
TMG IA1 is equipped with a 12cm Scurve fan with blue LED. This giant fan's powerful air flow guarantees the CPU can work normally while the user's PC is on multi tasks. 4 copper heatpipes and large surface fin can maximize the heat dissipation speed. The copper base is also tempting to DIY enthusiasts and it is also good for the heat transfer between CPU and cooler. When the user does not need high performance, he/she can adjust fan speed to save more power and get more acoustic benefit. TMG IA1 is also equipped with blue eye-catching LED. Users can enjoy the performance and the attractive appearance.
TMG IA1 is equipped with a 12cm Scurve fan with blue LED. This giant fan's powerful air flow guarantees the CPU can work normally while the user's PC is on multi tasks. 4 copper heatpipes and large surface fin can maximize the heat dissipation speed. The copper base is also tempting to DIY enthusiasts and it is also good for the heat transfer between CPU and cooler. When the user does not need high performance, he/she can adjust fan speed to save more power and get more acoustic benefit. TMG IA1 is also equipped with blue eye-catching LED. Users can enjoy the performance and the attractive appearance.
NVIDIA BIOS Editor (NiBiTor) v4.7 Released
MVKTech has just released a new version of NVIDIA BIOS Editor (NiBiTor) software. NiBiTor is the original and defenitive BIOS tweaker that supports the latest NVIDIA graphics cards. NiBiTor allows graphics card enthusiasts to have full control over advanced features and functionality found on firmware on supporting cards. This to gain some extra performance, enable hidden features and extra stability on the NVIDIA graphics cards.
For more information visit this page.
For more information visit this page.
ASUS Reveals Xonar HDAV1.3 Series Sound Cards with Dolby TrueHD Bit-Stream
Following the success of becoming the world's first sound cards to be equipped with the next generation DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Digital Plus bitstream on the PC platform, the ASUS Xonar HDAV1.3 Series once again moves to the forefront as the world's first and only solution to offer Dolby TrueHD audio bitstream on the PC platform. A powerful combination comprising of C-Media's custom-made AV200 audio processor and ArcSoft's TotalMedia Theatre software player lets users be the first to enjoy Dolby TrueHD's lossless compression rate of 24bit/192KHz over to their AV receivers. This breakthrough in the emerging Blu-ray era was unprecedented before the release of the Xonar HDAV1.3.
Pricing, Availability and More Details Trickle in for the Upcoming HP Firebird
Following the initial information and shots which we covered here, PCWorld has got further information on availability and pricing, whilst also discussing the new system with Rahul Sood, Chief Technology Officer for HP's Global Gaming Business. Sood mentioned that, "... the new systems use compact, power-sipping components usually found in notebook PCs, providing a reduced footprint and maximum energy usage -- 350 watts, or one-fifth the energy used by an average high-performance desktop PC... By pulling the power supply out of the case, the Firebird systems can get away with "way quieter" fans than other high-performance PCs... The high-performance PC space seems to have gone out of control when power supplies exceed 1.6 or 2 kilowatts, drawing more than the wall can handle, and people have 3-4 video cards and spend $5,000 to 6,000 on a machine just to play a videogame."
The HP Firebird, is said to start at $1,799 (excluding monitor) and will be available at voodoopc.com from January 9th, and at yet to be announced retail stores sometime in February.
The HP Firebird, is said to start at $1,799 (excluding monitor) and will be available at voodoopc.com from January 9th, and at yet to be announced retail stores sometime in February.
30GB Zunes Fail at Midnight on New Years Eve. Microsoft Releases a Fix
As the New Year began early this morning, Gizmodo started receiving lots of reports that people's 30GB Zune's were failing. What was happening, was that at 12:01am PST on 31st December 2008, a bug in one of the drivers unique to a 30GB Zune was not allowing the calendar to update properly. For players that were already on, this resulted in a hard reset at that exact moment. Upon restarting or for those who turned their Zune's on after midnight, they were presented with a locked up Zune which would simply stop at the end of the loading screen and stay there. Microsoft have now released an official statement for how to resolve this issue, which follows below.
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