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Saturday, July 31st 2010
Thermaltake Toughpower Ultra Slim 95W The Power To Travel Light and Work Smart
Thermaltake Technology, leading computer components brand, today announced the latest addition to the popular "Toughpower" line of universal laptop and mobile device adapter, the Toughpower Ultra Slim 95W. With its ultra slim size and lightweight, the Toughpower Slim 95W (with up to 120W peak) dramatically saves space and easily travels along. The power adapter includes nine exchangeable color-coded DC output tips to support most brand name laptop computers.
Laptop computers are becoming ever popular. According to market research, people with laptop computers have the need to be mobile but, unfortunately the original power adapter can be burdensome when traveling. It is usually big, heavy, and difficult to carry! Thermaltake Technology knows that consumers are often annoyed by heavy and thick original power adapters; therefore, the entirely new 95W slim adapter with its low-profile design offers a small and light solution to power up your notebook and mobile devices anywhere you find wall outlet.
Laptop computers are becoming ever popular. According to market research, people with laptop computers have the need to be mobile but, unfortunately the original power adapter can be burdensome when traveling. It is usually big, heavy, and difficult to carry! Thermaltake Technology knows that consumers are often annoyed by heavy and thick original power adapters; therefore, the entirely new 95W slim adapter with its low-profile design offers a small and light solution to power up your notebook and mobile devices anywhere you find wall outlet.
Gainward Designs Overclocked GTX 460 Graphics Card with Double Memory
Gainward is working on an upper-mid range graphics card based on the newly released NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 graphics processor, with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 256-bit wide memory interface, and some factory-overclocked speeds. It is branded under Gainward's GOOD Golden Sample marker. That card uses Gainward's own design PCB and cooling solution. The red PCB is of the same length as the reference PCB, but holds four display connectors (any two can be used simultaneously), that include two DVI, one D-Sub, and HDMI. Based on the 40 nm GF104 GPU, Gainward's card has clock speeds of 700 MHz core (vs. 675 MHz reference), 1400 MHz CUDA core, and 900 MHz (3600 MHz effective) memory. It is likely to cost over 210 EUR.
TSMC Reports Second Quarter EPS of NT$1.55
TSMC announced consolidated revenue of NT$104.96 billion, net income of NT$40.28 billion, and diluted earnings per share of NT$1.55 (US$0.24 per ADS unit) for the second quarter ended June 30, 2010. Year-over-year, second quarter revenue increased 41.4% while net income increased 64.8% and diluted EPS increased 65%. Compared to first quarter of 2010, second quarter results represent a 13.9% increase in revenue, and a 19.7% increase in both net income and diluted EPS. All figures were prepared in accordance with R.O.C. GAAP on a consolidated basis.
Gross margin for the quarter was 49.5%, operating margin was 38.6%, and net margin was 38.4%. In the second quarter, demand for TSMC's wafers continued to be strong, and wafer shipments in all major semiconductor market segments increased from their first quarter levels. Advanced process technologies (0.13-micron and below) accounted for 72% of wafer revenues. 90-nanometer process technology accounted for 16% of wafer revenues, 65-nanometer 27%, and 40-nanometer 16% of total wafer sales.
Gross margin for the quarter was 49.5%, operating margin was 38.6%, and net margin was 38.4%. In the second quarter, demand for TSMC's wafers continued to be strong, and wafer shipments in all major semiconductor market segments increased from their first quarter levels. Advanced process technologies (0.13-micron and below) accounted for 72% of wafer revenues. 90-nanometer process technology accounted for 16% of wafer revenues, 65-nanometer 27%, and 40-nanometer 16% of total wafer sales.
Samsung Releases X180 and X430 Notebooks in Korea
Samsung released two new notebook models in Korea, the X180 and X430. While the X430 is a 14-inch model with LED-backlit display that has 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, Intel Core i3 330UM, 4 GB of memory, NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphics, and 4 GB of memory, the X180 is a 11.6-inch model with an LED-backlit display of the same resolution, same processor, but Intel integrated HD graphics, and 3 GB of memory. Both models boast of over 8 hours of battery life. For now the model is available only in Korea.
PowerColor Releases HD 5770 Single-Slot Graphics Card
TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, today added a slim solution to the HD5700 series: the HD5770 Single Slot Edition. The latest variation uses a single-slot fan design that enables users with limited space in their cases to build performance centric rigs. The HD5770 single slot edition can maximize your rig's performance by providing the possibility for gamers to upgrade their rig without compromising space.
PowerColor's HD5770 Single Slot Edition clocks in at 850MHz core speed and 1200MHz of memory speed. The one slot cooling design optimizes air flow and cools down the temperature efficiently, enabling high gaming performance the likes that have never before been seen in a slim design. The special fan design also provides the potential for gamers to set up a 4-way Crossfire graphics love fest.
PowerColor's HD5770 Single Slot Edition clocks in at 850MHz core speed and 1200MHz of memory speed. The one slot cooling design optimizes air flow and cools down the temperature efficiently, enabling high gaming performance the likes that have never before been seen in a slim design. The special fan design also provides the potential for gamers to set up a 4-way Crossfire graphics love fest.
Kingston Intros DataTraveler G3 Flash Drives to the EU Market
Kingston released its DataTraveler G3 series of flash drives. These fairly standard USB 2.0 flash drives come in capacities of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 GB, and offer transfer speeds of 16 MB/s (read), 5 MB/s (write). The units measure 65.68 x 10.66 x 22.37 mm, and use a capped body. The 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 GB variants are priced at €5.85, €7.11, €11.98, €25.42 and €52.10, respectively.
Lenovo Intros IdeaCentre A700 All-in-One PCs to the Market
Lenovo has started selling its IdeaCentre A700 all-in-one PC aimed at capturing the same market Apple's iMac is after, with nearly the same hardware at similar price-points, but driven by Windows 7. The lineup starts at US $999 with the 40243BU variant, it features a 23-inch display with 1920 x 1080 px resolution, Intel Core i3 350M 2.26 GHz processor, 4 GB of DDR3 memory, Intel HD graphics, 500 GB of storage, and a DVD-RW drive. Next up is the $1,149 40242BU variant that has the same chassis and screen, but with a more powerful Core i5 430M processor (also 2.26 GHz, but with Turbo Boost), ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics, and 640 GB of storage. At the top is the $1,599 40241CU. This variant is powered by an Intel Core i7 720QM 1.60 GHz quad-core processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5750 graphics, 8 GB of DDR3 memory, 1 TB of storage, and a Blu-ray + DVD writer combo drive. All three variants come with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed.
ASUS Intros Eee PC 1015PD Netbook, Packs DDR3, USB 3.0, and Bluetooth 3.0
ASUS rolled out its Eee PC 1015PD netbook which brings with it a certain new hardware features, after numerous Eee PC models carrying essentially the same hardware. The new netbook packs second-generation Intel Atom N475 (1.83 GHz) or N455 (1.66 GHz) processor, 1 GB of DDR3 memory. USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0 are the other new components that expand its connectivity, apart from the familiar 10/100 Ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, and a 6 cell battery. Standard components include a 10.1 inch screen with LED backlit illumination that has a native resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, 160, 250, or 320 GB HDD options, Intel GMA 3150 graphics, and a VGA webcam. It comes with Windows 7 Starter pre-installed. ASUS did not give out its pricing.
Stealth Introduces a New Ultra Compact Mini PC
Stealth.com Inc. (Stealth Computer) a leading ISO 9001 manufacturer of industrial rugged computers and peripherals has released a new form factor of mini pc, the model LPC-100 their smallest to date.
The new Stealth ultra small form factor PC offers tremendous processing power in a tiny package that measures only 4.0" x 6.1" x 1.45" (102mm x 155mm x 37mm) or about the size of a paperback novel. The machine weighs in at a mere 1.2lbs or .62kg. The Stealth ultra small PC outperforms most other small sized PC systems due to the integration of the latest Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors. The LPC-100 is available with a standard Intel Dual Core Celeron T3100 (1.9GHz) or optional Intel Core 2 Duo processors P8400 (2.26Ghz) or T9400 (2.53Ghz). Stealth's space saving computer utilizes the Intel Mobile GM45 Express Chipset featuring Intel's graphic media accelerator with superior 3D graphics performance.
The new Stealth ultra small form factor PC offers tremendous processing power in a tiny package that measures only 4.0" x 6.1" x 1.45" (102mm x 155mm x 37mm) or about the size of a paperback novel. The machine weighs in at a mere 1.2lbs or .62kg. The Stealth ultra small PC outperforms most other small sized PC systems due to the integration of the latest Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processors. The LPC-100 is available with a standard Intel Dual Core Celeron T3100 (1.9GHz) or optional Intel Core 2 Duo processors P8400 (2.26Ghz) or T9400 (2.53Ghz). Stealth's space saving computer utilizes the Intel Mobile GM45 Express Chipset featuring Intel's graphic media accelerator with superior 3D graphics performance.
Thursday, July 29th 2010
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Cooling
CPU Coolers
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Razer Abyssus Review
Razer is mostly known for their expensive gaming mice, however, this new mouse changes all. Dubbed the Abyssus Razer is offering a gaming grade mouse at only $49 MSRP. We test the mouse and see if it stands a chance against some fierce competition.
Creative Announces Sound Blaster X-Fi MB2 Software Suite
Creative Technology Ltd. today announced the Sound Blaster X-Fi MB2 software suite - a powerful audio platform equipped with cutting-edge audio technologies designed to enhance ordinary PC systems limited by only basic onboard audio. The Sound Blaster X-Fi MB2 software suite builds on the success of the original Sound Blaster X-Fi MB, bringing enhancement of onboard PC audio to even greater echelons. Through THX TruStudio Pro audio technology and the latest Creative EAX Advanced HD 5.0, users get to enjoy premium audio quality, effects and features on their PC systems.
Gamers can anticipate being blown away by the amazing realism from the unrivalled headphone surround and gaming sound enhancement technologies delivered by the Sound Blaster X-Fi MB2. Creative EAX Advanced HD 5.0 features state-of-the-art multi-environment rendering and reverb modelling, delivering an ultra-realistic and incredibly immersive 3D gaming experience for powering the next generation of cutting-edge PC games. The additional audio cues provided by EAX can also give gamers a competitive advantage in early detection of enemies.
Gamers can anticipate being blown away by the amazing realism from the unrivalled headphone surround and gaming sound enhancement technologies delivered by the Sound Blaster X-Fi MB2. Creative EAX Advanced HD 5.0 features state-of-the-art multi-environment rendering and reverb modelling, delivering an ultra-realistic and incredibly immersive 3D gaming experience for powering the next generation of cutting-edge PC games. The additional audio cues provided by EAX can also give gamers a competitive advantage in early detection of enemies.
More GeForce GTS 450 Details Trickle In
NVIDIA's march into the mainstream graphics segment with graphics processors derived from the Fermi architecture is headed by the GF106 GPU. One of the first SKUs based on it us the GeForce GTS 450. PCB drawings of its reference board surfaced last week. According to fresh details sourced by Donanim Haber, NVIDIA pushed back the launch of GTS 450 from 31st August to 13th September. The site also sourced clock speeds of the SKU, which are 789 MHz (core), and 3760 MHz or 940 MHz actual (memory). The GPU on this SKU has a 128-bit wide memory interface, carrying 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. NVIDIA is targeting the $160 price point with the GTS 450.
MSI Introduces GX660R and GX660 Gaming Notebooks
MSI's unparalleled team of designers has once again done its magic, creating the GX660 and GX660R, the latest G series laptop computers destined to cause serious salivation among gamers. Under the hood, both are fitted with top end ATi Mobility Radeon HD 5870 discrete graphics card (with 1GB GDDR5 VRAM) and the ultimate in sound from Dynaudio. The GX660R also comes with RAID 0 architecture, doubling capacity to 1TB, while doubling read speed. The powerful performance and unmatched multimedia specs will knock your socks off.
MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern adds that MSI's GX660 not only comes with an advanced discrete graphics card and Dynaudio sound, it also boasts Intel's most powerful Core i7 processor and MSI's own TDE technology to throttle up system performance with just one touch. These NBs mark the start of a new era in gaming excitement. MSI also incorporated its exclusive, user friendly Cooler Boost technology to boost fan RPMs at the touch of a finger for better heat dissipation, while MSI's ECO technology provides you with a powerful, silent, and extended computing experience.
MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern adds that MSI's GX660 not only comes with an advanced discrete graphics card and Dynaudio sound, it also boasts Intel's most powerful Core i7 processor and MSI's own TDE technology to throttle up system performance with just one touch. These NBs mark the start of a new era in gaming excitement. MSI also incorporated its exclusive, user friendly Cooler Boost technology to boost fan RPMs at the touch of a finger for better heat dissipation, while MSI's ECO technology provides you with a powerful, silent, and extended computing experience.
AMD Surpasses NVIDIA in Discrete Graphics Shipments
AMD has finally surpassed NVIDIA in terms of shipments of discrete graphics (graphics cards), according to market research firm Mercury Research, in a report released on Wednesday. AMD's discrete graphics products held 51% of the discrete graphics market, with NVIDIA slipping down to 49%, in terms of discrete graphics products shipments in Q2 2010. For the same quarter last year, the two were poised at 41% for AMD and 59% for NVIDIA, indicating a significant growth, fruition of AMD's DirectX 11 push of deploying a new-generation lineup that spans all price-points in a span of four months.
For the overall GPU industry, with integrated graphics included, the picture for Q2 2010 looks like Intel holding 54.3%, AMD holding 24.5%, and NVIDIA with 19.8%. Last year, in Q2 2009, NVIDIA held 29.6% versus AMD's 18.2%. NVIDIA's deployment of a DirectX 11 compliant GPU lineup has been rather slow, with only two GPUs and four SKUs deployed so far, starting at $199. NVIDIA does not have the fastest graphics card. On Wednesday, the Santa Clara based company warned that its revenue would fall short of earlier projections (set at the time of Fermi's launch). This announcement came after Apple announced a series-wide transition of graphics chips inside its Macbooks, iMac, and Mac Pro computers to AMD's ATI Radeon from NVIDIA GeForce.
For the overall GPU industry, with integrated graphics included, the picture for Q2 2010 looks like Intel holding 54.3%, AMD holding 24.5%, and NVIDIA with 19.8%. Last year, in Q2 2009, NVIDIA held 29.6% versus AMD's 18.2%. NVIDIA's deployment of a DirectX 11 compliant GPU lineup has been rather slow, with only two GPUs and four SKUs deployed so far, starting at $199. NVIDIA does not have the fastest graphics card. On Wednesday, the Santa Clara based company warned that its revenue would fall short of earlier projections (set at the time of Fermi's launch). This announcement came after Apple announced a series-wide transition of graphics chips inside its Macbooks, iMac, and Mac Pro computers to AMD's ATI Radeon from NVIDIA GeForce.
NZXT Unveils Crafted Series Phantom Full Tower Case
NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce Phantom, the company's most elegant and intelligent chassis design to date. Phantom exudes sophistication with pristine contours and a robust menu of high performance features that will satisfy the demands of even the most discerning PC enthusiast.
Phantom's extensive cooling capabilities include 7 fan cooling options with dual 200mm, single 230/200mm, triple 120mm, and front 140mm fans. For enhanced control and expandability, NZXT includes dual radiator support, quad watercooling cutouts, and an integrated fan controller with up to five 20W channels.
Phantom's extensive cooling capabilities include 7 fan cooling options with dual 200mm, single 230/200mm, triple 120mm, and front 140mm fans. For enhanced control and expandability, NZXT includes dual radiator support, quad watercooling cutouts, and an integrated fan controller with up to five 20W channels.
Wednesday, July 28th 2010
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Patriot Inferno 100 GB SSD Review
Patriot's 100 GB Inferno SSD drive uses the Sandforce SF-1222 controller which is the company's latest and has found its way into many SSDs from major manufacturers on the market. Patriot is offering a unique five year warranty with their drive that uses a massive 28 GB overprovisioning to keep performance high at all times.
AOC Readies 10 New Widescreen Displays
AOC Display looks to cash in on the back-to-school shopping season, the company has lined up no less than 10 new widescreen LCD display models for release. This includes displays sized at 18.5-inch, 19-inch, 21.5-inch, 22-inch and 23-inch, with resolutions ranging from 1366 x 760 to 1920 x 1080. Of these, four models use LED backlit for illumination, rest use the more common CCFL. The contrast ratios (dynamic) for these are 60,000:1 for the CCFL-lit ones, and 20,00,000:1 for the LED-lit. Response time values are either 2 ms or 5 ms, and connectivity includes D-Sub and DVI. Some models have special features such as stereo speakers and USB hubs. AOC did not reveal the exact model names or prices yet.
Elpida Develops Smallest 2-Gigabit LPDDR2 Memory Chip
Elpida Memory, Inc., Japan's leading global supplier of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), today announced that it had developed a 2-gigabit DDR2 Mobile RAM, the DRAM industry's smallest LPDDR2 chip. The new DDR2 is expected to become the main product manufactured by the 40nm process line at Elpida's Hiroshima Plant (the 40nm line is currently undergoing a capacity expansion).
The new 2-gigabit DDR2 Mobile RAM was developed to target the smart phone and tablet PC markets. In addition to featuring low operating voltage of 1.2V it achieves a 1066Mpbs high-speed data transfer rate and can reach 8.5GB/second for a 64-bit system configuration. Because it uses roughly 30% less operating current compared with Elpida's existing 50nm products the new Mobile RAM is an eco-friendly DRAM that contributes to extending the operating time of mobile devices.
The new 2-gigabit DDR2 Mobile RAM was developed to target the smart phone and tablet PC markets. In addition to featuring low operating voltage of 1.2V it achieves a 1066Mpbs high-speed data transfer rate and can reach 8.5GB/second for a 64-bit system configuration. Because it uses roughly 30% less operating current compared with Elpida's existing 50nm products the new Mobile RAM is an eco-friendly DRAM that contributes to extending the operating time of mobile devices.
AMD Readies New Southbridge Chipset with Native USB 3.0 Support
Although USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s served as features central to new motherboard models by manufacturers for an entire year, their adoption by chipset vendors has been rather slow. While AMD has integrated SATA 6 Gb/s into its SB850 southbridge, which features a 6-port SATA 6 Gb/s RAID controller, neither Intel nor AMD have USB 3.0 integrated, with no real indication Intel doing so in the foreseeable future. Sources in the motherboard industry, however, reveal that AMD is designing a new southbridge that integrates a USB 3.0 controller, just like present chipsets have USB 2.0.
AMD's move follows a recent announcement of collaboration with Renesas, the company behind the popular NEC uPD720200 controller, to promote USB 3.0 as an industry standard, and a new universal UASP driver model for USB 3.0 controllers. The new southbridge is codenamed "Hudson D1", which will release along with AMD's 40 nm Ontario Fusion APUs in Q4-2010. The company also plans to release the Llano Fusion APU in 2011.
AMD's move follows a recent announcement of collaboration with Renesas, the company behind the popular NEC uPD720200 controller, to promote USB 3.0 as an industry standard, and a new universal UASP driver model for USB 3.0 controllers. The new southbridge is codenamed "Hudson D1", which will release along with AMD's 40 nm Ontario Fusion APUs in Q4-2010. The company also plans to release the Llano Fusion APU in 2011.
Super Talent Introduces new UltraDrive MX Dual-Interface SSDs
Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced the new "UltraDrive MX SSD". The UltraDrive MX features a new dual-interface for both SATA II and mini-USB connections. The new dual-interface enables this SSD to offer a new level of flexibility and consumer convenience by enabling the customer to use this drive as either an internal SSD or an external SSD.
For customers thinking about upgrading their PC or notebook to a Solid State Disk, the dual-interface UltraDrive MX is a dream come true. Customers can first utilize the USB connector to create an image of their existing internal hard drive. Once complete, the drives can be swapped and the PC rebooted. In the past, creating such an image required an external hard disk enclosure. Now this operation can be completed, faster, easier and with less expense.
For customers thinking about upgrading their PC or notebook to a Solid State Disk, the dual-interface UltraDrive MX is a dream come true. Customers can first utilize the USB connector to create an image of their existing internal hard drive. Once complete, the drives can be swapped and the PC rebooted. In the past, creating such an image required an external hard disk enclosure. Now this operation can be completed, faster, easier and with less expense.
Patriot Launches 60GB, 120GB and 240GB Inferno Series Sold-State Drives
Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash and computer peripheral solutions, today announced the immediate availability of three new capacities to the award winning Inferno Series of SSDs. The Inferno 60GB, 120GB and 240GB drives build upon the earlier 100GB and 200GB product offerings found in the family.
Designed around the SandForce SF-1200 SSD processor, the Inferno series delivers incredible performance while also providing superior reliability and longevity utilizing SandForce DuraClass technology. Inferno's blazing performance of 285 MB/s read and 275 MB/s write (sequential) are more exceptional when the 24K IOPS (write) at 4K file sizes are considered. The result is a series of SSD optimized for enthusiast use as a primary system boot drive.
Designed around the SandForce SF-1200 SSD processor, the Inferno series delivers incredible performance while also providing superior reliability and longevity utilizing SandForce DuraClass technology. Inferno's blazing performance of 285 MB/s read and 275 MB/s write (sequential) are more exceptional when the 24K IOPS (write) at 4K file sizes are considered. The result is a series of SSD optimized for enthusiast use as a primary system boot drive.
Intel Milestone Confirms Light Beams Can Replace Electronic Signals in the Future
Intel Corporation today announced an important advance in the quest to use light beams to replace the use of electrons to carry data in and around computers. The company has developed a research prototype representing the world's first silicon-based optical data connection with integrated lasers. The link can move data over longer distances and many times faster than today's copper technology; up to 50 gigabits of data per second. This is the equivalent of an entire HD movie being transmitted each second.
Today computer components are connected to each other using copper cables or traces on circuit boards. Due to the signal degradation that comes with using metals such as copper to transmit data, these cables have a limited maximum length. This limits the design of computers, forcing processors, memory and other components to be placed just inches from each other. Today's research achievement is another step toward replacing these connections with extremely thin and light optical fibers that can transfer much more data over far longer distances, radically changing the way computers of the future are designed and altering the way the datacenter of tomorrow is architected.
Today computer components are connected to each other using copper cables or traces on circuit boards. Due to the signal degradation that comes with using metals such as copper to transmit data, these cables have a limited maximum length. This limits the design of computers, forcing processors, memory and other components to be placed just inches from each other. Today's research achievement is another step toward replacing these connections with extremely thin and light optical fibers that can transfer much more data over far longer distances, radically changing the way computers of the future are designed and altering the way the datacenter of tomorrow is architected.
Tuesday, July 27th 2010
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Accessories
Cases
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Headphones
Monitors
Motherboards
Mouse
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Sparkle Announces GeForce GTX 470, GTX 465 Graphics Cards with Own Design Cooler
Sparkle Computer announced a pair of new graphics cards based on the GeForce GTX 470 and GeForce GTX 465 graphics processors, and sporting Sparkle's own design as far as the cooler goes. The SXX4701280D5-NM (GTX 470) and SXX4651024D5-NM (GTX 465) feature a GPU cooler that makes use of a dense aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by five copper heat pipes, and cooled by an 80 mm fan. With this cooler, Sparkle claims to have brought down temperatures by 4 °C on the GTX 470, and 5 °C on the GTX 465. Both cards retain NVIDIA's reference design PCB, except for that it is blue in color. Both models stick to reference NVIDIA clock speeds and other specifications. Sparkle did not give out a price, though one can expect these to be priced just a little over the reference design cards.
SanDisk Launches its Smallest USB Flash Drive in North America
SanDisk Corporation, the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced the availability of its smallest USB flash drive to U.S. and Canadian consumers. The SanDisk Cruzer Blade is about the size of a standard size paper clip and weighs approximately the same as a penny, creating a tiny footprint that fits easily on a keychain or mobile phone dongle. Despite its small size, the drive packs high-capacity storage at an affordable price.
Available in capacities ranging from 2 gigabytes (GB) to 16GB, the SanDisk Cruzer Blade lets consumers take their favorite digital content with them wherever they go. A 4GB drive can store 1,000 songs, 1,200 high- resolution photos, or 8 hours of 768kb/s video*. The SanDisk Cruzer Blade offers reliable storage in a sturdy form factor, helping consumers rest assured that their digital content is safe.
Available in capacities ranging from 2 gigabytes (GB) to 16GB, the SanDisk Cruzer Blade lets consumers take their favorite digital content with them wherever they go. A 4GB drive can store 1,000 songs, 1,200 high- resolution photos, or 8 hours of 768kb/s video*. The SanDisk Cruzer Blade offers reliable storage in a sturdy form factor, helping consumers rest assured that their digital content is safe.
Micron Introduces New Memory Device Supporting Intel Processor-Based Tablets, Netbook
Micron Technology, Inc., today announced a new 2-gigabit (Gb) 50-nanometer (nm) DDR2 memory device to support the upcoming Intel Atom platform for tablet and netbook personal computers, codenamed "Oak Trail." The small form factor, high-density and low-power consumption of the 2Gb 50nm DDR2 makes it an ideal memory solution for the tablet PC market where size and battery life are key features.
The transition of Micron's 2Gb DDR2 product to the more advanced 50nm process node demonstrates the company's continued commitment and ongoing investment in technologies that meet market demand. In addition to the increase in density from 1Gb to 2Gb-based components, the move to the 50nm process inherently provides improved power savings and a smaller memory footprint.
The transition of Micron's 2Gb DDR2 product to the more advanced 50nm process node demonstrates the company's continued commitment and ongoing investment in technologies that meet market demand. In addition to the increase in density from 1Gb to 2Gb-based components, the move to the 50nm process inherently provides improved power savings and a smaller memory footprint.
Apple Unveils Hardware Specs. Updates for iMacs, Mac Pro, and a New Cinema Display
Apple today announced a large-scale refresh of its Mac line of computers. The refresh includes new models, and hardware updates on existing ones. Highlights include: 1. a complete transition to Intel 2010 Core Series processors (i3/i5/i7, across the board), a speed step up on existing SKUs, and a brilliant new Cinema display. To begin with, the entire range of iMac desktops now feature Core i3/i5/i7 processors, moving forward from Core 2 Duo that featured on the lower models. The lineup starts with Core i3 processors with speeds of up to 3.06 GHz (at the 21.5" $1,199 point), Core i3 3.20 GHz (at 21.5" $1,499 and 27" $1,699 points), and 2.80 GHz Core i5 quad-core (at the 27" $1,999 point).
Earlier, the 27", $1,999 model featured a 2.66 GHz Core i5 processor. Each of these models optionally offer faster processors. While the 21.5" $1,199 model packs ATI Radeon HD 4670 512 MB graphics, the $1,499 and $1,699 models come with ATI Radeon HD 5670 512 MB graphics, and the 27" one packs ATI Radeon HD 5750 1 GB. All models pack 4 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1333 MHz memory.
Earlier, the 27", $1,999 model featured a 2.66 GHz Core i5 processor. Each of these models optionally offer faster processors. While the 21.5" $1,199 model packs ATI Radeon HD 4670 512 MB graphics, the $1,499 and $1,699 models come with ATI Radeon HD 5670 512 MB graphics, and the 27" one packs ATI Radeon HD 5750 1 GB. All models pack 4 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1333 MHz memory.
New NVIDIA Fermi-Class Quadro Launches the Era of Computational Visualization
NVIDIA today launched the era of the 'computational visualization workstation' for designers, engineers, researchers and animators by introducing its Quadro graphics processing units (GPUs) based on NVIDIA Fermi architecture, and by also introducing the new NVIDIA 3D Vision Pro solution. The new Quadro GPUs deliver performance that is up to five times faster for 3D applications and up to eight times faster for computational simulation, shattering previous benchmarks.
The NVIDIA Quadro Plex 7000 array, and Quadro 6000, Quadro 5000 and Quadro 4000 GPUs feature the new NVIDIA Scalable Geometry Engines and leverage NVIDIA Application Acceleration Engines (AXE) to enable the world's fastest performance across a broad range of CAD, DCC and visualization applications. Rated at an unheard of 1.3 billion triangles per second in raw performance, the Quadro 6000 enables users to interactively work with models and scenes that are five times more complex than ever before.
The NVIDIA Quadro Plex 7000 array, and Quadro 6000, Quadro 5000 and Quadro 4000 GPUs feature the new NVIDIA Scalable Geometry Engines and leverage NVIDIA Application Acceleration Engines (AXE) to enable the world's fastest performance across a broad range of CAD, DCC and visualization applications. Rated at an unheard of 1.3 billion triangles per second in raw performance, the Quadro 6000 enables users to interactively work with models and scenes that are five times more complex than ever before.
Thermaltake Launches V6 BlacX Edition Chassis with Single Bay Top HDD Dock
Thermaltake, leading DIY chassis brand, is introducing their first mid-tower chassis with integrated single bay docking station on the case top for convenient easy-swap of 3.5" and 2.5" SATA drives. Users can handle data access and transfer on-the-go without the need to install their harddrives or having to add an external docking device. Two USB 2.0 connectors as well as HD audio microphone and earphone jacks on the top of the front bezel put all major multimedia connectors right in your hand's reach. The tool-free, all black Thermaltake V6 BlacX Edition offers a total of 8 drive bays for maximum storage expansion and 7 PCI expansion slots.
As characteristic for Thermaltake chassis, special attention had been paid to optimized ventilation and airflow. Therefore one 20 cm blue LED exhaust fan on top and another 12 cm exhaust TurboFan in the back warrant that heat dissipated by the CPU is immediately blown out of the case. Further airflow is created by 2 pre-drilled ventilation hole areas on the right side panel and the top of the case.
As characteristic for Thermaltake chassis, special attention had been paid to optimized ventilation and airflow. Therefore one 20 cm blue LED exhaust fan on top and another 12 cm exhaust TurboFan in the back warrant that heat dissipated by the CPU is immediately blown out of the case. Further airflow is created by 2 pre-drilled ventilation hole areas on the right side panel and the top of the case.
Dell Intros AMD-Powered Inspiron M101z Netbook
Dell released a netbook based on the AMD-platform this time around, the Inspiron M101z. This one sports a 11.6 inch screen with 1366 x 768 pixel display, driven by ATI Radeon integrated graphics, and comes with bezel colors that include Clear Black, Peacock Blue, Tomato Red and Lotus Pink. Under the hood is an AMD Athlon II Neo processor, 4 GB of memory, up to 320 GB of storage, and connectivity features that include 10/100 Ethernet, and optional Bluetooth 3.0, 3-in-1 card reader, 1.3 MP webcam, and a 6-cell battery. It comes with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed, and sells for £379 in the UK.
Khronos Drives Evolution of Cross-Platform 3D Graphics with Release of OpenGL 4.1
The Khronos Group today announced the immediate release of the OpenGL 4.1 specification, bringing the very latest graphics functionality to the most advanced and widely adopted cross-platform 2D and 3D graphics API (application programming interface). OpenGL 4.1 is the sixth update to OpenGL specification in two years, continuing the rapid evolution of this royalty-free specification. This new version continues to maintain full backwards compatibility to enable developers to begin using new features whenever they choose, while portably accessing state-of-the-art GPU functionality across diverse operating systems and platforms.
The OpenGL 4.1 specification has been defined by the OpenGL ARB (Architecture Review Board) working group at Khronos, and includes the GLSL 4.10 update to the OpenGL Shading language and is accompanied by a number of extensions introducing cutting-edge functionality to the OpenGL standard. The full specification is available for immediate download here.
The OpenGL 4.1 specification has been defined by the OpenGL ARB (Architecture Review Board) working group at Khronos, and includes the GLSL 4.10 update to the OpenGL Shading language and is accompanied by a number of extensions introducing cutting-edge functionality to the OpenGL standard. The full specification is available for immediate download here.
JEDEC Publishes Widely Anticipated DDR3L Low Voltage Memory Standard
JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in standards development for the microelectronics industry, today announced the publication of JEDEC DDR3L, a widely anticipated addendum to its JESD79-3 DDR3 Memory Device Standard. Continuing the evolution of DDR3 as the dominant DRAM standard today, DDR3L will enable a significant reduction in power consumption for a broad range of products that utilize memory; including laptops, desktops, servers, networking systems and a wide array of consumer electronics products. The updated version of JESD79-3, including the DDR3L addendum, is available for free download here.
Called DDR3L for DDR3 Low Voltage, devices adhering to the new standard will operate from a single 1.35V power supply voltage compared to 1.5V in existing devices. Under the new standard, DDR3L memory devices will be functionally compatible to DDR3 memory devices, but not all devices will be interoperable at both voltage ranges.
Called DDR3L for DDR3 Low Voltage, devices adhering to the new standard will operate from a single 1.35V power supply voltage compared to 1.5V in existing devices. Under the new standard, DDR3L memory devices will be functionally compatible to DDR3 memory devices, but not all devices will be interoperable at both voltage ranges.
Toshiba Announces Family of Small Form Factor Drives Targeted at High-End Computing
Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today announced a new family of 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch SATA drives. This represents the industry's first broad line of 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch models optimized for demanding performance, power consumption, and durability requirements across a wide range of high-performance and business-critical applications.
Continuing the Toshiba tradition of leadership and innovation in small form factor storage, this product family offers systems designers a choice of capacities across standard, high-durability, and self-encrypting models. This new HDD family provides extremely quiet operation-the seek acoustics are the same as idle mode. Halogen-free2 and power-efficient, the new models also deliver lowered heat generation and power consumption during operation.
Continuing the Toshiba tradition of leadership and innovation in small form factor storage, this product family offers systems designers a choice of capacities across standard, high-durability, and self-encrypting models. This new HDD family provides extremely quiet operation-the seek acoustics are the same as idle mode. Halogen-free2 and power-efficient, the new models also deliver lowered heat generation and power consumption during operation.
ITC Issues Notice of Final Determination in Rambus Matter Regarding NVIDIA Products
Rambus Inc., one of the world's premier technology licensing companies, today announced that the International Trade Commission (ITC) issued its notice of final determination in the action brought by Rambus against NVIDIA Corporation and other Respondents. In its notice, the ITC has affirmed the findings of the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), with certain modifications. The final determination, including such modifications, has yet to be released.
On November 6, 2008, Rambus filed a complaint with the ITC requesting an investigation pertaining to certain NVIDIA products. The complaint sought an exclusion order barring the importation, sale for importation, and sale after importation of products that infringe nine of Rambus' patents. The accused products include graphics processors, application processors, media and communications processors, and chip sets which incorporate infringing memory controllers. The complaint named NVIDIA as a proposed Respondent, as well as companies whose products incorporate the accused NVIDIA products and are imported into the United States. These Respondents include: Asustek Computer Inc. and Asus Computer International, BFG Technologies, Biostar Microtech and Biostar Microtech International Corp., Diablotek Inc., EVGA Corp., G.B.T. Inc. and Giga-Byte Technology Co., Hewlett-Packard, MSI Computer Corp. and Micro-Star International Co., Palit Multimedia Inc. and Palit Microsystems Ltd., Pine Technology (Macao Commercial Offshore) Ltd., and Sparkle Computer Co. Four of the asserted patents were later withdrawn from the investigation.
On November 6, 2008, Rambus filed a complaint with the ITC requesting an investigation pertaining to certain NVIDIA products. The complaint sought an exclusion order barring the importation, sale for importation, and sale after importation of products that infringe nine of Rambus' patents. The accused products include graphics processors, application processors, media and communications processors, and chip sets which incorporate infringing memory controllers. The complaint named NVIDIA as a proposed Respondent, as well as companies whose products incorporate the accused NVIDIA products and are imported into the United States. These Respondents include: Asustek Computer Inc. and Asus Computer International, BFG Technologies, Biostar Microtech and Biostar Microtech International Corp., Diablotek Inc., EVGA Corp., G.B.T. Inc. and Giga-Byte Technology Co., Hewlett-Packard, MSI Computer Corp. and Micro-Star International Co., Palit Multimedia Inc. and Palit Microsystems Ltd., Pine Technology (Macao Commercial Offshore) Ltd., and Sparkle Computer Co. Four of the asserted patents were later withdrawn from the investigation.
Monday, July 26th 2010
Today's Reviews
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Speakers
Thermaltake Frio Review
Its been over a year since Thermaltake came out with their last CPU cooler offering. The Frio is their first dual fan cooler targeted at cooling high performance multi-core processors with high heat output. The Frio incorporates some very promising new features, will they offer any significant benefit?
AMD Releases ATI Catalyst 10.7 WHQL Software Suite
AMD rolled out its latest ATI Catalyst Software Suite today, as expected. The latest release is Catalyst 10.7 WHQL. The Catalyst Software Suite provides drivers for ATI Radeon graphics processors, AMD 7-series chipsets, and ATI multimedia products. Version 10.7 WHQL ironed out an important issue with VLC Media Player, which enabled DXVA2 hardware h.264 video acceleration (with VLC 1.1.1 or later installed), which results in smooth video playback and reduced system resource usage. Important enhancements to the HydraVision technology were also added, such as taking into account bezel compensation when maximizing windows across displays. The new pull-down detection algorithm improves visual quality of certain types of videos. And finally, ATI CrossFireX now supports rotated displays, which was particularly longed for by users of ATI Eyefinity setups that make use of rotated physical displays. A list of performance improvements are also included, pertaining to Borderlands in single and multi GPU modes, with and without AA.
DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst 10.7 WHQL for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit
A list of changes follows.
DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst 10.7 WHQL for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit
A list of changes follows.
ADATA Releases USB2.0 Combo 2-in-1 Interfaced Connector N909 Flash Drive
ADATA Technology, a leading vendor of DRAM modules and flash memory products, launched the industry first ever USB flash drive N909 featuring with the latest eSATA+USB 2.0 COMBO interface, designed to outperform conventional USB 2.0 USB drives with enhanced data transfer speed. The N909 adopts the 4-channnel technology that sets to boost data transfer rates up to 90MB/s and 50 MB/s in sequential read/write performance respectively.
N909 is one of the first innovative storage device equipped with eSATA+USB 2.0 combo interface with a single connector. Apart from using in eSATA+USB 2.0 combo port, N909 supports the easy plug-and-play on compatible platforms and is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 port. In addiction, the combo interface also provides an access for charging via the USB interface which used to be considered as an inconvenient problem on the eSATA interface. Combining the revolutionary combo interface, N909 offers the best solution for transferring large amount of data compared to the preceding USB 2.0. In other words, a 4GB avi only needs 59 seconds to be read as opposed to 4.2 minutes via a conventional USB 2.0 interface.
N909 is one of the first innovative storage device equipped with eSATA+USB 2.0 combo interface with a single connector. Apart from using in eSATA+USB 2.0 combo port, N909 supports the easy plug-and-play on compatible platforms and is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 port. In addiction, the combo interface also provides an access for charging via the USB interface which used to be considered as an inconvenient problem on the eSATA interface. Combining the revolutionary combo interface, N909 offers the best solution for transferring large amount of data compared to the preceding USB 2.0. In other words, a 4GB avi only needs 59 seconds to be read as opposed to 4.2 minutes via a conventional USB 2.0 interface.
Heads Roll in Lords of Overclocking Competition Cheating Scandal
Over the last week, the enthusiast community witnessed high drama as some world-renowned overclockers were disqualified from the MSI Lords of Overclocking online competition for engaging in malpractice. Futuremark noticed that some validation entries from top scoring candidates originated from the same setup, confirmed from consistency in Futuremark product key and PCI devices. Top three position-holders at the LoOC competition admitted to using scores generated by a third person, AndreYang. Hiwa, eXtremetweaker.de, KJ and Skinnee were named as disqualified candidates.
What happened next could come as a surprise to some. Major overclocking communities banned these individuals, some permanently, with enthusiast charts aggregator HWBOT handing out a 1 year ban to each of them (although HWBOT wasn't involved in that competition), and XtremeSystems.org issuing lifetime bans. Even as some question the motives behind Andre sharing scores with four people at the same time, the candidates deny that Andre had any intention to profit from it, other than just helping.
What happened next could come as a surprise to some. Major overclocking communities banned these individuals, some permanently, with enthusiast charts aggregator HWBOT handing out a 1 year ban to each of them (although HWBOT wasn't involved in that competition), and XtremeSystems.org issuing lifetime bans. Even as some question the motives behind Andre sharing scores with four people at the same time, the candidates deny that Andre had any intention to profit from it, other than just helping.
Thermaltake Launches Massive23 LX Notebook Cooler
Thermaltake Technology, leading PC and notebook thermal solutions brand, has launched the newest member to their popular Massive23 line of notebook coolers, the Massive23 LX. With design considerations particularly focusing on comfort of use, it offers an ergonomic typing angle and two convenient carry handles. In addition, the stylish black metal mesh design enhances its overall appearance. The USB port powered Massive 23 LX comes with separated fan on/off and LED light control switches.
The Massive23 LX offers even more functionality than its predecessors, supporting dual-USB ports and an integrated cable shelter to store the bundled USB power cable when not in use. Moreover, special anti-slip rubber strips on the surface guarantee a firm setting of your notebook. But most importantly an oversized 23cm silent fan underneath the metal mesh of hexagonal-vents offers unparalleled cooling performance.
The Massive23 LX offers even more functionality than its predecessors, supporting dual-USB ports and an integrated cable shelter to store the bundled USB power cable when not in use. Moreover, special anti-slip rubber strips on the surface guarantee a firm setting of your notebook. But most importantly an oversized 23cm silent fan underneath the metal mesh of hexagonal-vents offers unparalleled cooling performance.
Active Media Products Launches IDE Flash Disk Module (DOM) Line
Active Media Products, a leading manufacturer of DOMs, SSDs and USB drives, today announced a new line of IDE Flash DOM (Disk on Module) drives that are smaller, lighter, faster and more reliable than rotating media, making them ideal for use in servers, networking, industrial, military and embedded applications. These new Parallel ATA flash disk modules are offered in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities, built with highly reliable MLC NAND Flash.
"We developed these PATA DOMs in response to demand from our industrial customers who need relatively small but highly reliable storage drives for use in server appliances," explained Active Media Products VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson. These DOMs have been validated on the latest Opteron 6100 (Magny Cours) server motherboards to ensure compatibility with the newest server hardware. Designed with industry standard 40-pin and 44-pin female IDE connectors, they are compatible with myriads of existing motherboards and systems.
"We developed these PATA DOMs in response to demand from our industrial customers who need relatively small but highly reliable storage drives for use in server appliances," explained Active Media Products VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson. These DOMs have been validated on the latest Opteron 6100 (Magny Cours) server motherboards to ensure compatibility with the newest server hardware. Designed with industry standard 40-pin and 44-pin female IDE connectors, they are compatible with myriads of existing motherboards and systems.
ASRock Designs Six Core-Ready AM3 Motherboard Based on AMD 480X Chipset (circa 2007)
ASRock is known for innovations in the motherboard industry that are borderline-wacky and defy the norm. For example, the socket AM2 motherboard based on the six year old NVIDIA nForce 3 chipset that supports Phenom II series (read here), or a socket 939 motherboard based on the more recent AMD 780G chipset (originally meant for AM2+/AM3 platforms) called the 939A785GMH-128M, or the numerous examples of older Intel 900 series chipsets supporting Core 2 processors. Perhaps this is ASRock's way of clearing new old-stock chipsets from manufacturers, by giving them a lease of life. The latest such creation is the M3A UCC.
This socket AM3 motherboard supports all AM3 processors including six-core ones, and DDR3 memory at speeds of up to 1800 MHz, is based on the AMD 480X, one of AMD's first discrete graphics chipsets after it took over ATI. The 480X was meant to be a value discrete graphics chipset with dual x8 lane CrossFire support. It is paired with the SB600 southbridge that gives out four SATA 3 Gb/s ports. Expansion slots include PCI-Express 1.1 x16, two PCI-E x1, and three PCI. Six channel audio, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, serial and parallel ports, make the rest of it. The UCC chip lets you unlock disabled cores on X3 and Phenom II X2 processors. The idea behind this product could be to deliver an inexpensive motherboard that just works. This further validates the point that any AMD chipset since nForce 3 can support any AMD desktop processor with IMC made till date, if motherboard vendors fine-tune their business interests to think more like ASRock.
This socket AM3 motherboard supports all AM3 processors including six-core ones, and DDR3 memory at speeds of up to 1800 MHz, is based on the AMD 480X, one of AMD's first discrete graphics chipsets after it took over ATI. The 480X was meant to be a value discrete graphics chipset with dual x8 lane CrossFire support. It is paired with the SB600 southbridge that gives out four SATA 3 Gb/s ports. Expansion slots include PCI-Express 1.1 x16, two PCI-E x1, and three PCI. Six channel audio, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, serial and parallel ports, make the rest of it. The UCC chip lets you unlock disabled cores on X3 and Phenom II X2 processors. The idea behind this product could be to deliver an inexpensive motherboard that just works. This further validates the point that any AMD chipset since nForce 3 can support any AMD desktop processor with IMC made till date, if motherboard vendors fine-tune their business interests to think more like ASRock.
Sunday, July 25th 2010
ASUS and Sennheiser Announce Xonar Xense One Premium Sound Card and PC 350 Xense
The new ASUS Xonar Xense One and Sennheiser PC350 Xense Edition package is the result of cooperation between ASUS and premier personal audio maker Sennheiser. Xonar Xense is a perfectly matched combination of cutting edge audio card and superior quality headphones that reinvents immersive sound for serious gamers. The gaming audio set creates unbeatable sonic experiences in PC gaming that are sure to be appreciated by hardcore gamers keen on competitive online play.
The Xonar Xense audio card from ASUS and the Sennheiser PC350 headphones were co-developed and tuned to augment each other's strong suits. During the year-long tuning period for Xonar Xense, ASUS engineers tried some 1,000 headphone combinations in pursuing the best match for the new audio component, and the Sennheiser PC350 proved perfect. Unlike random audio card/headphone combinations, Xonar Xense features a holistic design from the ground up, crafting a balance of the two components. There is no quality gap between audio card and headphones, so no quality is lost in transition.
The Xonar Xense audio card from ASUS and the Sennheiser PC350 headphones were co-developed and tuned to augment each other's strong suits. During the year-long tuning period for Xonar Xense, ASUS engineers tried some 1,000 headphone combinations in pursuing the best match for the new audio component, and the Sennheiser PC350 proved perfect. Unlike random audio card/headphone combinations, Xonar Xense features a holistic design from the ground up, crafting a balance of the two components. There is no quality gap between audio card and headphones, so no quality is lost in transition.
Saturday, July 24th 2010
Today's Reviews
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Mousepads
SSD
G.Skill Releases Ripjaws 48 GB DDR3-1900 MHz Memory Kit for Workstations
G.Skill International Co. Ltd., manufacturer of extreme performance memory and solid-state storage with solid quality, has today released the world's only hand-picked, hand-tested, ultra-high capacity DDR3 memory kit for workstations: 48GB (4GBx12) of 1,900MHz CL8 1.65V with G.Skill's popular Ripjaws series heatsink.
Designed exclusively for EVGA's best in class Super Record 2 (SR-2) motherboard, which features dual Intel Xeon LGA1366 CPU sockets and 12 DDR3 memory slots, G.Skill has been able to match its masterpiece of 48GB DDR3 precisely to this board, making it performance for performance-hungry workstation users. Furthermore, based on G.Skill lab's internal test results, advanced users capable of understanding sophisticated BIOS adjustments will be able to reach 2,000MHz CL8 with the G.Skill Ripjaws 48GB DDR3 kit.
Designed exclusively for EVGA's best in class Super Record 2 (SR-2) motherboard, which features dual Intel Xeon LGA1366 CPU sockets and 12 DDR3 memory slots, G.Skill has been able to match its masterpiece of 48GB DDR3 precisely to this board, making it performance for performance-hungry workstation users. Furthermore, based on G.Skill lab's internal test results, advanced users capable of understanding sophisticated BIOS adjustments will be able to reach 2,000MHz CL8 with the G.Skill Ripjaws 48GB DDR3 kit.
Friday, July 23rd 2010
Today's Reviews
Cases
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Monitors
Motherboards
NAS
Processors
Arctic Announces Thermodynamic PC Case & HDD Cooler Silentium T11 & ARCTIC HC01-TC
ARCTIC introduces two new products into the computer hardware market today - PC case, Silentium T11 and hard-drive cooler, ARCTIC HC01-TC. These products are an ideal combination for users to build a computer on their own, given that these new products are well-made in terms of their durability and functionality.
Choosing a well-made chassis for computer core components is an initial and critical decision for computer builders. A chassis nowadays is more than just a skeleton to provide structure for the components, it should also be a framework that allows good and silent cooling, and have a stylish appearance at the same time. The new chassis, ARCTIC Silentium T11, contains all the superior qualities that any computer users may look for. This series is affordable, yet offering exceptional durability, expandability and accessibility to users.
Choosing a well-made chassis for computer core components is an initial and critical decision for computer builders. A chassis nowadays is more than just a skeleton to provide structure for the components, it should also be a framework that allows good and silent cooling, and have a stylish appearance at the same time. The new chassis, ARCTIC Silentium T11, contains all the superior qualities that any computer users may look for. This series is affordable, yet offering exceptional durability, expandability and accessibility to users.
Antec Tops KÜHLER Series with BOX CPU Cooler
The third member in Antec's KÜHLER series of CPU coolers has come to like, following KÜHLER Shelf and KÜHLER Flow. The new KÜHLER is called "Box", and sports a dual aluminum fin tower design that places it on top of Antec's catalogue. The design consists of a CPU base and heatsink, from which eight copper heat pipes convey heat to two aluminum fin blocks. Between the two blocks is a 120 mm PWM-controlled fan that circulates air. The cooler measures 148 (H) x 122 (W) x 120 (D) mm, weighing all of 1.2 kg (2.65 lbs). It supports all current CPU socket types, including LGA1366, LGA1156, AM3, and LGA775. It is priced at US $66.
Auzentech X-Meridian Back With a Bang in New Second Generation Model
Widely regarded in the audiophile community as one of the best sound cards ever made, Auzentech's X-Meridian 7.1 is being revived in a new second-generation (2G) model. Following engagement with Creative for supply of its X-Fi chipsets, Auzentech had stopped production of the original X-Meridian 7.1 sound card citing shortages of the C-Media CMI8788 Oxygen HD chipset, which it now seems to have come over. The new X-Meridian 2G 7.1 from Auzentech sports the same CMI8788 Oxygen HD chip, backed by a squad of channel-independent enthusiast-grade AKM AK4396 DACs, user-replaceable OPAMP chips, high-end electrolytic capacitors to maintain natural-sounding output in the analogue portion of the card, and high-end solid-state capacitors for the power-distribution and digital output. To ensure the lowest latencies, the card uses the PCI interface, because CMI8788 is a PCI chip, and adding a PCI-E bridge chip would step up latencies. More technical details can be found in the exclusive preview by Guru3D.
NVIDIA GF106 Reference PCB Drawings Surface
Two days after reports surfaced about NVIDIA readying the GeForce GTS 450 mainstream graphics SKU for a late August launch, PCInLife got a hold of the PCB's x-ray drawings, which reveals quite a bit about the GF106 GPU the GTS 450 is based on. The PCB reveals a square GPU that is bordered on three sides with six memory chips, is powered by a 3+1 phase VRM, draws power from a 6-pin PCI-E power input, supports 2-way SLI, and has display outputs including two DVI and a mini-HDMI.
The presence of six memory chips particularly intrigues, as it could indicate a 192-bit wide memory interface. Perhaps two of those slots are empty, if GTS 450 does end up with a 128-bit memory interface, and enabled on a higher SKU, or that GTS 450 itself has a 192-bit memory interface (supporting 768 MB or 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory). Expect more details to come out in the run up for end-August. 
The presence of six memory chips particularly intrigues, as it could indicate a 192-bit wide memory interface. Perhaps two of those slots are empty, if GTS 450 does end up with a 128-bit memory interface, and enabled on a higher SKU, or that GTS 450 itself has a 192-bit memory interface (supporting 768 MB or 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory). Expect more details to come out in the run up for end-August.
Government of India Unveils Sakshat $10 Tablet PC for Students
The Government of India today unveiled the much talked about 10 Dollar Tablet PC for students. Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal unveiled the tablet which is initially priced at 1,500 Indian Rupees (US $30), but is expected distributed for 500 Rupees ($10) once manufacturing is streamlined. The device is named Sakshat (meaning "personification" in Sanskrit), and boasts of performance-grade hardware for a device of its class. It has a 10.5-inch multi-touch colour screen, ARM processor, 2 GB of memory, cloud storage, WiFi b/g and 10/100 Ethernet for connectivity with school networks, a highly-customised OS based on the Linux kernel, supporting Adobe Flash for online videos and interactive educational content, and a digital camera.
School curriculum will be distributed to students in an interactive format, as well as drive "e-classrooms" for live-streaming classes from eminent teachers to students from across the country. The device supports OpenOffice.org and open document formats, as well as Adobe PDF, and various multimedia formats. Sakshat was developed by students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) from various IIT institutes across the country. As part of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, Sakshat will be backed by a network connecting 18,000 educational institutions and 400 universities.
School curriculum will be distributed to students in an interactive format, as well as drive "e-classrooms" for live-streaming classes from eminent teachers to students from across the country. The device supports OpenOffice.org and open document formats, as well as Adobe PDF, and various multimedia formats. Sakshat was developed by students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) from various IIT institutes across the country. As part of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology, Sakshat will be backed by a network connecting 18,000 educational institutions and 400 universities.
Thursday, July 22nd 2010
Today's Contests
Today's Reviews
Cases
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Keyboards
Motherboards
Netbooks
Storage
Shuttle Unveils XPC Barebone SH55J2, Supports Intel Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7
Shuttle Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of multi-form-factor solutions such as the world-famous XPC Mini-PC Barebones, today announces the launch of its new XPC Barebone SH55J2. Now, for the first time, a single Mini-PC supports all Intel Core variants for socket 1156.
From today, the SH55J2 brings you a Mini-PC platform which utilizes all the features of the new Intel Core series - whether it is the integrated HD graphics chip, the turbo boost function or two and four CPU cores. The energy-efficient processor generation is ideally suited for Mini-PCs.
From today, the SH55J2 brings you a Mini-PC platform which utilizes all the features of the new Intel Core series - whether it is the integrated HD graphics chip, the turbo boost function or two and four CPU cores. The energy-efficient processor generation is ideally suited for Mini-PCs.
RAZER Pulls Gamers And Fans Alike Into The TRON: LEGACY Universe
Razer, the world's leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, is pleased to announce, in collaboration with Disney Consumer Products (DCP), the TRON:Legacy -themed TRON Gaming Keyboard Designed by Razer, TRON Gaming Mouse Designed by Razer, and the exclusive bundle with TRON Gaming Mouse and Mouse Mat Designed by Razer all incorporating the distinctive blue glow and custom features inspired by the upcoming Disney film TRON: Legacy, releasing Dec. 17, 2010 in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D, and compatible with TRON: Evolution the video game. Together with Disney, Razer is offering gamers and TRON fans alike a set of definitive gaming peripherals to get the true TRON experience.
"We are all extremely excited about our collaboration with Disney on a line of high-end gaming peripherals inspired by the upcoming film TRON: Legacy," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, president, Razer USA. "Razer is known for our highly detailed finishes and lighting effects, so as soon as we viewed footage from TRON: Legacy, we were immediately inspired. Then, we started working to take it to the next level, as only Razer can, with a keyboard and mouse that has digitized sound effects and lighting built into it for the ultimate gaming experience."
"We are all extremely excited about our collaboration with Disney on a line of high-end gaming peripherals inspired by the upcoming film TRON: Legacy," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, president, Razer USA. "Razer is known for our highly detailed finishes and lighting effects, so as soon as we viewed footage from TRON: Legacy, we were immediately inspired. Then, we started working to take it to the next level, as only Razer can, with a keyboard and mouse that has digitized sound effects and lighting built into it for the ultimate gaming experience."
WD Launches New Limited Edition Designs for My Passport Essential Hard Drive
WD, the world's leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its new 500 GB My Passport Essential limited edition designs portable hard drives, available exclusively at Best Buy and the WD Store. Consumers can choose from several unique designs that appeal to a wide variety of personal styles, ranging from outdoor enthusiasts to urban trendsetters.
Designed by students at California State University, Long Beach's Industrial Design program, the drives are available in the following styles: Boom Box, Black Hole, Cityscape, Fuchsia Leaf and Wave. The decorative patterns are especially geared for students who want to express their individual style while choosing a reliable, ultra-portable place to store their media and back up their valuable work.
Designed by students at California State University, Long Beach's Industrial Design program, the drives are available in the following styles: Boom Box, Black Hole, Cityscape, Fuchsia Leaf and Wave. The decorative patterns are especially geared for students who want to express their individual style while choosing a reliable, ultra-portable place to store their media and back up their valuable work.
Hitachi Enters SSD Business, Unveils FCAL-Ready Drive
Hitachi GST showed off its first solid state drive (SSD) to the public, at the Hitachi uValue 2010 convention held in Tokyo. The company made its entry with an enterprise-grade SSD, expected to carry the UltraStar label which the company's high speed (15,000 rpm) enterprise hard drives carry. The SSD comes in the 2.5" form-factor, with serial-attached SCSI (SAS) and fiber-channel arbitrated loop (FCAL) interfaces, becoming only the next SSD-maker after STEC to offer FCAL. While no storage capacity figures were quoted, the drives are expected to come in capacities ranging from 64 GB to 512 GB. Hitachi GST is popular hard drive maker, known more for its enterprise-grade hard drives, than its consumer-desktop products.
VIA Launches AMOS-5000 Series Device Development Kits
VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced device development kits for the VIA AMOS-5000 series, facilitating a more rational design infrastructure for a broad range of application-specific and fanless Em-ITX-based devices.
VIA AMOS-5000 series development kits combine application specific VIA EM-IO expansion modules with specially designed extendable aluminum chassis kits. This allows embedded OEM and ODM customers to easily and quickly develop a variety of fanless embedded box systems suited to for a range of applications.
VIA AMOS-5000 series development kits combine application specific VIA EM-IO expansion modules with specially designed extendable aluminum chassis kits. This allows embedded OEM and ODM customers to easily and quickly develop a variety of fanless embedded box systems suited to for a range of applications.
Antec Slips in KÜHLER Flow CPU Cooler
Antec has started selling the KÜHLER Flow CPU cooler, a variant of the recently released KÜHLER Shelf. Measuring 122 (H) x 157 (W) x 108 (D) mm, it weighs 700 g, and uses a aluminum fin tower design with a slight change: that it's not right over the CPU base. This way, the 120 mm fan does not protrude into the memory slot area of the motherboard. Heat is conveyed to the aluminum fins by 7 copper heat pipes. The cooler supports all current CPU sockets, including LGA1366, LGA1156, AM3, and LGA775. The Australian etailer that listed the cooler priced it at AU $74 (US $65).
Sharkoon Announces 140 mm, 800 rpm Silent Eagle Series Fans
Sharkoon is expanding their "Silent Eagle" Case Fan-series with a model that has an edge length of 140mm. With increased airflow at a lower volume, the Sharkoon Silent Eagle 800 is particularly efficient for use in silent PC systems.
"Silent Eagle" case fans are characterized by their special design: The rotor blades had the surface texture of a golf ball. The numerous small, round dimples produce an increased amount of airflow. In addition, the rounded edges of the fan's frame improves the air influx.
"Silent Eagle" case fans are characterized by their special design: The rotor blades had the surface texture of a golf ball. The numerous small, round dimples produce an increased amount of airflow. In addition, the rounded edges of the fan's frame improves the air influx.
ASRock Designs 890FX and 890GX Based Deluxe4 Motherboards with More USB 3.0 Ports
Closely trailing last week's news of ASRock designing the P55 Extreme4 motherboard that has two sets of 2-port USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s controllers, comes that of the 890FX-Deluxe4 and 890GX-Extreme4. As the names suggest, these motherboards will be based on the AMD 890FX and AMD 890GX chipsets, respectively, supporting socket AM3 processors. Unlike its P55-based counterpart, these boards feature two 2-port USB 3.0 controllers of which one gives out USB 3.0 front-panel header instead of two additional rear panel ports, and since the AMD SB850 southbridge already has a 6-port SATA 6 Gb/s RAID controller, there is only one additional 2-port SATA 6 Gb/s controller, upping the total number of 6 Gb/s ports to eight.
This apart, the 890FX-Deluxe4 and 890GX-Deluxe4 bear some resemblance to the 890FX-Deluxe3 and 890GX-Extreme3, respectively, in terms of board layout. The boards feature a 10-phase CPU VRM design, support ASRock Turbo UCC (gives Turbo boost to more than 3 cores on Phenom II X6), ASRock UCC (unlocks disabled cores on some X3, X2 processors), and memory ratio supported up to DDR3-1866 MHz by overclocking. The boards also support 3-way and 2-way ATI CrossFireX, and connectivity which includes 8+2 channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, and Firewire. Expect the new Extreme4 motherboards to reach stores in the coming few weeks.
This apart, the 890FX-Deluxe4 and 890GX-Deluxe4 bear some resemblance to the 890FX-Deluxe3 and 890GX-Extreme3, respectively, in terms of board layout. The boards feature a 10-phase CPU VRM design, support ASRock Turbo UCC (gives Turbo boost to more than 3 cores on Phenom II X6), ASRock UCC (unlocks disabled cores on some X3, X2 processors), and memory ratio supported up to DDR3-1866 MHz by overclocking. The boards also support 3-way and 2-way ATI CrossFireX, and connectivity which includes 8+2 channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, and Firewire. Expect the new Extreme4 motherboards to reach stores in the coming few weeks.
Samsung and Toshiba to Support New Standardized NAND Specification
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Toshiba Corporation today announced their commitment to development of the most advanced high-performance NAND flash memory technology available today - a double data rate (DDR) NAND flash memory with a 400 megabit-per-second (Mbps) interface, toggle DDR 2.0 specification. The high-performance NAND memory is expected to be of immediate benefit to a host of NAND-based mobile and consumer electronics applications, especially where there is consumer demand for an extra stretch in performance. Both companies will support a standard industry specification to enable broad-scale acceptance of this new high-speed technology.
"Our introduction of high-speed 30 nanometer class* NAND late last year served as an initial pathway for stimulating acceptance of the new high-performance toggle DDR technology," said Dong-Soo Jun, executive vice president, memory marketing, Samsung Electronics. "Now, continual upgrades in high-speed performance will create new applications and broader market opportunities for NAND flash memory. The rapid adoption of fourth generation (4G) smartphones, tablet PCs and solid state drives is expected to drive demand for a broader range of high-performance NAND solutions."
"Our introduction of high-speed 30 nanometer class* NAND late last year served as an initial pathway for stimulating acceptance of the new high-performance toggle DDR technology," said Dong-Soo Jun, executive vice president, memory marketing, Samsung Electronics. "Now, continual upgrades in high-speed performance will create new applications and broader market opportunities for NAND flash memory. The rapid adoption of fourth generation (4G) smartphones, tablet PCs and solid state drives is expected to drive demand for a broader range of high-performance NAND solutions."
Wednesday, July 21st 2010
Today's Reviews
Cases
Cooling
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Monitors
Motherboards
Processors
Storage
Corsair Announces Additions to its Force Series Family of Solid-State Drives
Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced three new capacities in its highly-acclaimed Force Series solid-state-drives, adding 40GB, 80GB, and 160 GB models to the current lineup of 60 GB, 100 GB, 120 GB, 200 GB and 240 GB SSDs.
Corsair Force Series solid-state drives are based on the SandForce SF-1200 SSD Processor, and includes their DuraWrite technology for incredible read and write speeds. Unlike most other current generation solid-state drives, the unique architecture of the SF-1200 SSD Processor allows lower capacity drives to perform with nearly the same performance as larger capacity SSDs. All three Force Series models support the TRIM command, so write performance is maintained over time.
Corsair Force Series solid-state drives are based on the SandForce SF-1200 SSD Processor, and includes their DuraWrite technology for incredible read and write speeds. Unlike most other current generation solid-state drives, the unique architecture of the SF-1200 SSD Processor allows lower capacity drives to perform with nearly the same performance as larger capacity SSDs. All three Force Series models support the TRIM command, so write performance is maintained over time.
GeForce GTS 450 to Sport New GPU, 128-bit Memory Interface
After an industry-wide launch of the GeForce GTX 460 768M and GTX 460 1G, NVIDIA's next product launch is increasingly looking like a mainstream SKU, which will be based on a newer GPU. The GF106 graphics processor will push NVIDIA deeper into the mainstream market segment, where it will be competing for graphics cards in the sub-$150 range. One of the first SKUs is the GeForce GTS 450.
The GeForce GTS 450 GPU will have 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface, according to sources close to DonanimHaber. There won't be a reference NVIDIA board as such, and board partners will be given full lease to design their own PCBs and coolers. The GeForce GTS 450 is expected to be released to the market by the end of August, 2010.
The GeForce GTS 450 GPU will have 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface, according to sources close to DonanimHaber. There won't be a reference NVIDIA board as such, and board partners will be given full lease to design their own PCBs and coolers. The GeForce GTS 450 is expected to be released to the market by the end of August, 2010.
Cloud Engines Announces Pogoplug Biz Compact NAS
Cloud Engines, Inc, announces today the introduction of the Pogoplug Biz, a new version of the company's award-winning Pogoplug specifically designed for business use. The Pogoplug Biz offers safe and secure remotely accessible storage and a flexible system for controlling access to video, audio, photos, and documents from anywhere on the Internet.
The product installs in 60 seconds and requires no modification to network or firewall settings. Pogoplug Biz lets business owners use their own domain name(s) and customize (or "skin") the user interface and email templates, enabling users to seamlessly represent their company whenever they share files online. A Pogoplug Biz, combined with one or more USB hard drives provides businesses with an extensible cloud storage solution with no monthly fees.
The product installs in 60 seconds and requires no modification to network or firewall settings. Pogoplug Biz lets business owners use their own domain name(s) and customize (or "skin") the user interface and email templates, enabling users to seamlessly represent their company whenever they share files online. A Pogoplug Biz, combined with one or more USB hard drives provides businesses with an extensible cloud storage solution with no monthly fees.
Samsung First to Begin Mass Producing 2 Gb Green DDR3 Using 30nm Class Technology
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced today that it has begun mass producing the industry's first two-gigabit (Gb) Green DDR3 using 30 nanometer (nm) class process technology.
"We're seeing a sharp rise in demand for DDR3 chips and are meeting that need with the timely introduction of 30nm-class Green DDR3 solutions," said Soo-In Cho, president, Memory Division, Semiconductor Business, Samsung Electronics. "Thirty nano-class DDR3 DRAM will deliver the most satisfying user experience possible, offering extremely high performance and reduced power consumption for PC and server applications designed to capitalize on new multi-core processors."
"We're seeing a sharp rise in demand for DDR3 chips and are meeting that need with the timely introduction of 30nm-class Green DDR3 solutions," said Soo-In Cho, president, Memory Division, Semiconductor Business, Samsung Electronics. "Thirty nano-class DDR3 DRAM will deliver the most satisfying user experience possible, offering extremely high performance and reduced power consumption for PC and server applications designed to capitalize on new multi-core processors."
Tuesday, July 20th 2010
Today's Reviews
Cases
CPU Coolers
Desktop PC
Graphics Cards
Monitors
SSD
OCZ Agility 2 120 GB SSD Review
OCZ's Agility 2 SSD is built around the Sandforce SF-1200 controller which is one of the latest and greatest SSD controller chips on the market. It offers outstanding read and write performance of well above 250 MB/s. We test several synthetic and real-life scenarios to see if the $329 Agility 2 120 GB should be on your shopping list.
Lexar Media Announces High-Capacity 128GB Echo SE Portable Backup Solution
Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the addition of the 128GB Echo SE backup drive to the popular Echo line of portable backup solutions. Designed to protect valuable data on netbook and notebook computers, the Echo SE drive now offers up to 128GB of storage, allowing users to automatically back up more essential files - anytime, anywhere. Once backup is complete, the Echo SE drive easily slips into a pocket or bag for portability with the knowledge that critical files are backed up if a laptop is lost or stolen. More than 15 percent shorter than other 128GB backup drives, the high-performance Echo SE provides a way to easily backup data, with the reduced risk of accidental in-drive damage.
High-performance Echo SE is an ultra-portable drive that easily plugs into a computer's USB port to perform automatic backup of files, at read speeds up to 28 MB/s and write speeds up to 10 MB/s. The drive is interoperable between Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, as well as Mac OS X operating systems, allowing data to be seamlessly accessible whether using a PC or Mac computer. The Echo SE backup drive is available in capacities of 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB.
High-performance Echo SE is an ultra-portable drive that easily plugs into a computer's USB port to perform automatic backup of files, at read speeds up to 28 MB/s and write speeds up to 10 MB/s. The drive is interoperable between Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7, as well as Mac OS X operating systems, allowing data to be seamlessly accessible whether using a PC or Mac computer. The Echo SE backup drive is available in capacities of 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB.
Scythe Releases Chouriki 2 and Chouriki 2 Plug-in Power Supply Series
The Japanese cooling specialist Scythe starts officially the sales of the new Chouriki 2 Power Supply Series. These power supplies are characterized by their high efficiency of up to 90% and comply to the 80Plus Silver certification. Chouriki 2 series is available with 650, 750, 850 and 1,000 watts. The customers have also the choice between a plug-in version with cable management for more comfort and a standard version with soldered cable strands.
As usual for Scythe, all components meet Japanese standards and are designed for long life. This is supported by a variety of build-in protection circuits (OCP: Overcurrent Protection, OVP: Overvoltage Protection, OPP: Overpower (Overload) Protection, SCP: Short Circuit Protection, UVP: Undervoltage Protection, OTP: Overtemperature Protection). Scythe also grants a five-year warranty on all Chouriki 2 PSUs. The attractive brushed steel surface makes a fine impression which makes this PSU to be visually attractive and blend into your PC case without any disturbance.
As usual for Scythe, all components meet Japanese standards and are designed for long life. This is supported by a variety of build-in protection circuits (OCP: Overcurrent Protection, OVP: Overvoltage Protection, OPP: Overpower (Overload) Protection, SCP: Short Circuit Protection, UVP: Undervoltage Protection, OTP: Overtemperature Protection). Scythe also grants a five-year warranty on all Chouriki 2 PSUs. The attractive brushed steel surface makes a fine impression which makes this PSU to be visually attractive and blend into your PC case without any disturbance.
Point of View Announces TGT Series Pre-Overclocked Graphics Cards
Point of View known for its range of NVIDIA based 3D Graphics cards, Netbooks and other PC products, announces today a brand new line up of Factory overclocked Graphics cards. The POINT OF VIEW TGT Series are hand selected high end models of individually overclocked Graphics Cards.
For a couple of weeks a specialized European POV/TGT Tuning team, lead by Wolfram Tismer, have been working day and night to get the maximum performance out of these High-end POINT OF VIEW Fermi Graphics Cards solely based on NVIDIA's superior technology. All cards are carefully hand selected and qualified with a comprehensive burn-in test in our European testing center of TGT to ensure highest quality and stability even beyond the OC clock settings for maximized speed and performance.
For a couple of weeks a specialized European POV/TGT Tuning team, lead by Wolfram Tismer, have been working day and night to get the maximum performance out of these High-end POINT OF VIEW Fermi Graphics Cards solely based on NVIDIA's superior technology. All cards are carefully hand selected and qualified with a comprehensive burn-in test in our European testing center of TGT to ensure highest quality and stability even beyond the OC clock settings for maximized speed and performance.
ARM and TSMC Sign Long-Term Strategic Agreement
ARM and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today jointly announced a long-term agreement that provides TSMC with access to a broad range of ARM processors and enables the development of ARM physical IP across TSMC technology nodes. This agreement supports the companies' mutual customers to achieve optimized Systems-On-Chip (SoC) based on ARM processors and covers a wide range of process nodes extending down to 20nm.
The agreement provides TSMC access to optimize the implementation of ARM processors on TSMC process technologies, including ARM Cortex processor family and CoreLink interconnect fabric for AMBA protocols. It also establishes a long-term relationship with ARM for the development of physical IP, including memory products and standard cell libraries targeting the most advanced TSMC 28nm and 20nm processes.
The agreement provides TSMC access to optimize the implementation of ARM processors on TSMC process technologies, including ARM Cortex processor family and CoreLink interconnect fabric for AMBA protocols. It also establishes a long-term relationship with ARM for the development of physical IP, including memory products and standard cell libraries targeting the most advanced TSMC 28nm and 20nm processes.
Samsung Launches its First 1 TB Spinpoint MT2 2.5'' Mobile Hard Drive
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology, today announced that it has started shipping its new Spinpoint MT2 1 terabyte (TB) 2.5" internal mobile hard disk drive. It is ideally suited for use in portable storage solutions, such as the newly released Samsung S2 Portable 1TB USB Drives. Other applications include digital TVs, home media systems and set-top boxes, where quiet and cool operations are important.
Employing industry-leading 333GB per-platter technology, the new Spinpoint MT2 drive offers up to an enormous 1TB for personal digital collections such as photos, music, video and work files. Running at 5400rpm speed, the MT2 has a 12.5mm form factor and utilizes Samsung's proprietary SilentSeek and NoiseGuard technologies to minimize noise levels during drive operation.
Employing industry-leading 333GB per-platter technology, the new Spinpoint MT2 drive offers up to an enormous 1TB for personal digital collections such as photos, music, video and work files. Running at 5400rpm speed, the MT2 has a 12.5mm form factor and utilizes Samsung's proprietary SilentSeek and NoiseGuard technologies to minimize noise levels during drive operation.
Creative Announces Availability of Sound Blaster Rock Wireless Outdoor Speaker
Creative, a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, today announced availability of the Sound Blaster Wireless Rock Speaker, the latest addition to the Sound Blaster Wireless family of products, designed to be placed outside bringing the music playing from a Creative whole-home wireless audio system outside. The Sound Blaster Wireless Rock Speaker is a high-quality stereo speaker encased in a granite-rock like exterior, which complements any landscape. The Sound Blaster Wireless Rock Speaker is designed to withstand moderate weather conditions so it doesn't have to be brought in every time it rains.
"I've set the Sound Blaster Wireless Rock Speaker up at my home and my friends can't believe that such great-sounding music is coming from a speaker that they thought was a rock," said Steve Erickson, VP and GM of audio at Creative. "It's such a fun addition to the party because the music is playing from right outside by the pool and patio and it's totally wireless, so I haven't had to install any systems in my yard to get music."
"I've set the Sound Blaster Wireless Rock Speaker up at my home and my friends can't believe that such great-sounding music is coming from a speaker that they thought was a rock," said Steve Erickson, VP and GM of audio at Creative. "It's such a fun addition to the party because the music is playing from right outside by the pool and patio and it's totally wireless, so I haven't had to install any systems in my yard to get music."
MSI Intros Low-Profile Radeon HD 5670 Graphics Card
MSI unveiled a new low-profile graphics card based on the ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics processor. The MSI R5670-PD512 uses a half-height PCB and [apparently] single-slot design. It uses a dual 40 mm fan-based air cooler that bears some resemblance to the Twin Frozr II cooler, only a lot more compact. The card has 512 MB of GDDR5 memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface. The Radeon HD 5670 is DirectX 11 compliant, and packs 400 stream processors. Display outputs include DVI-D, HDMI with 7.1 channel audio, and detachable D-Sub. The card utilizes "Military-grade" components, such as solid-state chokes, and all solid-capacitors. The card should be available soon.
Monday, July 19th 2010
Today's Reviews
Cases
Graphics Cards
Motherboards
Nettops
GeIL Announces Value PLUS and Ultra PLUS Memory Modules
GeIL announces the launch of the all new DDR3 Value PLUS & Ultra PLUS Series to be added to GeILs' high performance memory line of products. The Value PLUS & Ultra PLUS are equipped with the latest PLUS Edition memory heat-spreader designed with heat-sink surface and extended height for maximum cooling efficiency. The Ultra PLUS line of memory will be carrying over-clocking performance while the Value PLUS line has the more stability-oriented specifications. As GeILs' quality standard, both series will be enhanced with DBT - Die-hard Burn-in Technology for the highest quality assurance.
NVIDIA Releases GeForce 258.96 WHQL Drivers
NVIDIA released the WHQL-signed GeForce 258.96 driver suite. This particular version of the driver were earlier released in its beta form last week. The drivers provide official support for the GeForce GTX 460, GeForce GTX 480M, GeForce 315/310 series graphics accelerators, apart from supporting every GeForce GPU since 6-series, and ION chipsets. Along with updates to the graphics driver, it also brings along updated PhysX system software, and updated HDMI audio drivers. The release notes documents (for Windows 7/Vista and Windows XP) reveals numerous game-specific performance updates, and bug fixes.
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 258.96 WHQL.
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 258.96 WHQL.
Thermalright Intros Black Variant of MUX-120 CPU Cooler
Thermalright released a black variant of the MUX-120 tower CPU cooler it released back in September 2009. The Thermalright MUX-120 Black uses nickel-plated black aluminum fins, along with a black-teal X-Silent 120 mm fan. Built on the same design as most tower coolers, the MUX-120 133 x 38 x 160 mm (L x W x H), weighing 670 g. It makes use of four heat pipes to convey heat from the copper convex base to the aluminum fin array. The fan spins at speeds of 600~1300 rpm, with noise levels of 17~25 dBA. The cooler supports sockets LGA1366, LGA1156, and LGA775. It is expected to be moderately priced.
A-Data Announces S596 Turbo Series SSDs
ADATA Technology Co., Ltd., the worldwide leader in DRAM memory and Flash application products, today introduced S596 Turbo, the first Solid State Drive (SSD) using JMicron JMF616 controller. Not only has the speed of S596 promoted, the stability has also strengthened. The ADATA S596 Turbo leads the SSD industry into a whole new era.
In terms of the interface, the ADATA S596 Turbo equips SATA II and mini-USB dual interface, providing greater convenience and flexibility. The SSD can be used either as an external portable storage, or as an installed disk in laptop. Furthermore, with a 3.5" converter, the S596 Turbo can be installed in desktop PC. The brushed aluminum chassis of the S596 Turbo is designed for fast heat dissipation, while bringing impressive elegant demeanor.
In terms of the interface, the ADATA S596 Turbo equips SATA II and mini-USB dual interface, providing greater convenience and flexibility. The SSD can be used either as an external portable storage, or as an installed disk in laptop. Furthermore, with a 3.5" converter, the S596 Turbo can be installed in desktop PC. The brushed aluminum chassis of the S596 Turbo is designed for fast heat dissipation, while bringing impressive elegant demeanor.
Intel Cuts Prices of Various Desktop Processors
Intel has formalized a wide range of price cuts and changes for processor models from across various segments and platforms. The most noteworthy of these include addition of new SKUs, and repositioning (price-cuts) of certain SKUs. To begin with, Intel formally introduced the Core i7 970 six-core desktop processor. This "non-XE" model comes with a clock speed of 3.20 GHz, and Turbo speeds of 3.43 GHz, and is based on the 32 nm Gulftown die. Earlier expected to be in the $500~$600 range by sections of the press, the SKU is positioned at $885, a mere $115 cheaper than the Core i7 980X Extreme Edition (which is priced at $999).
Most of the action lies in the LGA1156 platform, with the Core i7 870 getting a massive 47.6% price cut, sending its price plummeting down to $294, from $562. This cut may have been influenced by the Core i7 875K, which is a multiplier-unlocked SKU which is priced just a little under $350, with the same clock speeds as the i7 870. Interestingly, no price changes for the i7 860 were noted. An energy-efficient variant of the i7 870, the 870s, was introduced, it is priced at $351.
Most of the action lies in the LGA1156 platform, with the Core i7 870 getting a massive 47.6% price cut, sending its price plummeting down to $294, from $562. This cut may have been influenced by the Core i7 875K, which is a multiplier-unlocked SKU which is priced just a little under $350, with the same clock speeds as the i7 870. Interestingly, no price changes for the i7 860 were noted. An energy-efficient variant of the i7 870, the 870s, was introduced, it is priced at $351.
ZOWIE Announces HeatoN's EC-series of Mice
More than 12 months of extensive research and development. Testing of 7 different sensors using two different technologies. We present to you the ZOWIE EC-series, a new series of competitive gaming mice co-developed with the legendary Counter-Strike player, Emil 'HeatoN' Christensen. With the choice to develop a mouse with either optical or laser technology, surely ZOWIE and HeatoN has developed a high end laser mouse, using the newest technology available?
Wrong. If you expected us to develop a laser mouse using the newest technology with driver installation and complicated software, we are sorry to disappoint you. Only the best is good enough for us and our customers, unfortunately laser haven't been able to pass our extensive testing. Why is this? Well, the laser technology surely is new and innovative. It only has one problem, but for a gaming grade product, the problem is quite serious. Most gamers prefer cloth mouse pads today, when using a mouse on a cloth surface, the movements will destroy the structure of the fibers bit by bit and static electricity caused by the friction between mouse feet and cloth will cause particles to stick to the lens very easily. This happens for both optical and laser lens, but the laser lens is more sensitive, resulting in a very unstable tracking when particles are gathered at the lens. The optical lens is not as annoyed by the absorption of particles and will continue to function flawlessly, as it pretty much ignores the particles.
Wrong. If you expected us to develop a laser mouse using the newest technology with driver installation and complicated software, we are sorry to disappoint you. Only the best is good enough for us and our customers, unfortunately laser haven't been able to pass our extensive testing. Why is this? Well, the laser technology surely is new and innovative. It only has one problem, but for a gaming grade product, the problem is quite serious. Most gamers prefer cloth mouse pads today, when using a mouse on a cloth surface, the movements will destroy the structure of the fibers bit by bit and static electricity caused by the friction between mouse feet and cloth will cause particles to stick to the lens very easily. This happens for both optical and laser lens, but the laser lens is more sensitive, resulting in a very unstable tracking when particles are gathered at the lens. The optical lens is not as annoyed by the absorption of particles and will continue to function flawlessly, as it pretty much ignores the particles.
AeroCool Introduces Shark Series 15-blade Fans
Late last week, AeroCool released the Shark series 15-blade fans for use in PC cases, coolers and radiators. These fans make use of no less than 15 fan blades which have its design inspired from shark fins. These fans are available in 120 mm and 140 mm sizes, and in opaque black, and illuminated blue, Devil Red (red), and Evil Black (rust) colors.
The 15 blade design ensures high air flow at moderate speeds. The design is also enhanced by the fluid dynamic bearing which increases life-span. Rotating at speeds of up to 1500 rpm, the fans push 82.6 CFM (120mm) or 96.5 CFM (140mm) of air, with maximum noise outputs of 26.5 and 29.6 dBA, respectively. Two speed modes, a "power mode" (12 V) and a "silence mode" can be selected using the bundled voltage reduction cables. Each fan also bundles four steel and rubber screws. Said to reach stores in September, AeroCool's new fans go for 12.90 Euros for the 120 mm size, and 15.90 Euros for the 140 mm size.
The 15 blade design ensures high air flow at moderate speeds. The design is also enhanced by the fluid dynamic bearing which increases life-span. Rotating at speeds of up to 1500 rpm, the fans push 82.6 CFM (120mm) or 96.5 CFM (140mm) of air, with maximum noise outputs of 26.5 and 29.6 dBA, respectively. Two speed modes, a "power mode" (12 V) and a "silence mode" can be selected using the bundled voltage reduction cables. Each fan also bundles four steel and rubber screws. Said to reach stores in September, AeroCool's new fans go for 12.90 Euros for the 120 mm size, and 15.90 Euros for the 140 mm size.
Saturday, July 17th 2010
Today's Reviews
Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Motherboards
Kingmax Intros 640 GB KE-91 Portable Hard Drive
Memory and storage specialist Kingmax released the KE-91 640 GB portable hard drive, expanding the series that it released back in May. Coming in black, silver, and red colours, the drive measures 114 (L) x 75 (W) x 12 (H) mm, weighing 170 g. The KE-91 uses USB 2.0 for both connectivity and power. It secures data using 256-bit AES encryption, with the related encryption software bundled along with a data backup software. Backed by a 3-year warranty, the KE-91 640 GB will be available later this month.
Transcend launches 16GB JetFlash V95C luxurious USB Flash Drive
Transcend Information, Inc., a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, today launched a new 16GB edition of its JetFlash V95C USB flash drives. The new JetFlash V95C features a retractable USB connector, a huge capacity, and an expressive deep-gloss lacquer accent panel complemented by a genuine Swarovski sapphire crystal. The new JetFlash V95C represents a tasteful combination of luxury and modern technology.
Aside from its robust Zinc Alloy case embellished with a glittering Swarovski blue crystal, Transcend's 16GB JetFlash V95C USB flash drive depicts a versatile diamond pattern in champagne gold for a look that is as elegant as an accessory boutique. The JetFlash V95C is incredibly slim and sophisticated as it measures just 40.5mm long by 18.4mm wide and only 7.2mm thick. This flash drive brings a fascinating urban style to today's fashion-minded users.
Aside from its robust Zinc Alloy case embellished with a glittering Swarovski blue crystal, Transcend's 16GB JetFlash V95C USB flash drive depicts a versatile diamond pattern in champagne gold for a look that is as elegant as an accessory boutique. The JetFlash V95C is incredibly slim and sophisticated as it measures just 40.5mm long by 18.4mm wide and only 7.2mm thick. This flash drive brings a fascinating urban style to today's fashion-minded users.
Transcend Introduces Value-priced Class 4 Series and 32GB Ultimate Class 10 SDHC Card
Transcend Information, Inc., a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, today announced the expansion of its flash card product line with the introduction of the standard Class 4 Series and the new 32GB "Ultimate" series Class 10 SDHC card. The Class 4 SDHC cards are aimed at entry-level users, while the Class 10 SDHC cards are designed for the professionals to enjoy high-speed consecutive shooting and smooth HD video recording.
Transcend's Class 4 standard level SDHC cards are a great alternative for beginners and amateur photographers who do not need ultra fast memory cards. Although SDHC Class 4 cards are less expensive, users can still take extremely high quality photos with their point-to-shoot camera. Featuring acceptable transfer speeds up to 13MB/s and large capacities up to 32GB at an affordable price, the new Class 4 SDHC cards strike an ideal balance between performance and cost.
Transcend's Class 4 standard level SDHC cards are a great alternative for beginners and amateur photographers who do not need ultra fast memory cards. Although SDHC Class 4 cards are less expensive, users can still take extremely high quality photos with their point-to-shoot camera. Featuring acceptable transfer speeds up to 13MB/s and large capacities up to 32GB at an affordable price, the new Class 4 SDHC cards strike an ideal balance between performance and cost.
Friday, July 16th 2010
Today's Reviews
Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Mousepads
Notebooks
PSUs
Sound Cards
Sharp to Introduce VR-100BR1 Triple-Layer Blu-ray Disc Media
Sharp Corporation will introduce the VR-100BR1 triple-layer Blu-ray Disc media (writeonce) that conforms to the BDXL format specification, the new multi-layer recordable Blu-ray Disc format, a world first. These new Blu-ray Discs will be available in Japan beginning July 30, 2010.
This disc media product conforms to the new BDXL format specification that extends the storage capacity of Blu-ray Discs to 100GB, twice the 50GB storage capacity of existing dual-layer discs. This new format enables recording approximately 12 hours of terrestrial digital TV broadcasts or approximately 8.6 hours of BS digital TV broadcasts. It expands the range of applications for Blu-ray Discs to include recording and saving long-duration HDTV programs or multiple episodes of serial dramas onto a single disc with the same high-definition image quality as the original.
This disc media product conforms to the new BDXL format specification that extends the storage capacity of Blu-ray Discs to 100GB, twice the 50GB storage capacity of existing dual-layer discs. This new format enables recording approximately 12 hours of terrestrial digital TV broadcasts or approximately 8.6 hours of BS digital TV broadcasts. It expands the range of applications for Blu-ray Discs to include recording and saving long-duration HDTV programs or multiple episodes of serial dramas onto a single disc with the same high-definition image quality as the original.
TSMC Begins Construction on Gigafab in Central Taiwan
TSMC today held a groundbreaking ceremony in Taichung's Central Taiwan Science Park for Fab 15, TSMC's third 12-inch (300mm) Gigafab and an important milestone in the company's pledge to expand investment in Taiwan.
The groundbreaking ceremony was conducted by TSMC Chairman and CEO Dr. Morris Chang. "Science Parks have played a critical role in the development of Taiwan's high-tech industry. They have also provided important support to TSMC as we grew to become a leading global semiconductor company with its roots in Taiwan," Dr. Chang said. "Over the past two decades, TSMC has flourished in the Hsinchu and Tainan science parks, and our groundbreaking for Fab 15 today sets the foundation for TSMC to reach new heights."
The groundbreaking ceremony was conducted by TSMC Chairman and CEO Dr. Morris Chang. "Science Parks have played a critical role in the development of Taiwan's high-tech industry. They have also provided important support to TSMC as we grew to become a leading global semiconductor company with its roots in Taiwan," Dr. Chang said. "Over the past two decades, TSMC has flourished in the Hsinchu and Tainan science parks, and our groundbreaking for Fab 15 today sets the foundation for TSMC to reach new heights."
ASUS Working on MARS II Dual GTX 480 Graphics Accelerator
After treating the enthusiast community to the Republic of Gamers (ROG) ARES Dual HD 5870 graphics accelerator, ASUS isn't wasting any time is designing its successor, referred to (for now) as "MARS II". This graphics accelerator uses two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 (GF100) GPUs on one board, that's right, the first dual-GPU accelerator based on GF100, which is dreaded for its thermal and electrical characteristics so much, that NVIDIA is content with having the second-fastest graphics card in the market (GTX 480), with no immediate plans of working on a dual-GPU accelerator.
ASUS' ambitious attempt is in the design stage deep inside its R&D, where the design is in an evaluation state. The R&D gave us some exclusive pictures of the MARS II PCB to treat you with. To begin with, the card's basic design is consistent with almost every other dual-GPU NVIDIA card in recent past. There are two independent GPU systems, each with its own VRM and memory, which are interconnected by an internal SLI, and connected to the system bus by an nForce 200 bridge chip. On this card, two GF100 GPUs with the same configuration as GeForce GTX 480 (GF100-375-A3) are used, each having 480 CUDA cores, and connecting to 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory across a 384-bit wide memory interface.
ASUS' ambitious attempt is in the design stage deep inside its R&D, where the design is in an evaluation state. The R&D gave us some exclusive pictures of the MARS II PCB to treat you with. To begin with, the card's basic design is consistent with almost every other dual-GPU NVIDIA card in recent past. There are two independent GPU systems, each with its own VRM and memory, which are interconnected by an internal SLI, and connected to the system bus by an nForce 200 bridge chip. On this card, two GF100 GPUs with the same configuration as GeForce GTX 480 (GF100-375-A3) are used, each having 480 CUDA cores, and connecting to 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory across a 384-bit wide memory interface.
Intel Core i7 970 Starts Surfacing at e-Tailers
Intel's next six-core desktop processor, the Core i7 970, has started to surface on online stores, with UK-based Digital Fusion listing it for an uncomfortable £ 600.44 excluding applicable tax. The listing confirms the processor's clock speed to be 3.20 GHz, while it is known to be based on the 32 nm Gulftown die. The processor comes in the LGA1366 package, and should be compatible with all LGA1366 motherboards, with some requiring BIOS updates.
OWC Announces Mercury Extreme Pro 480 GB SandForce-Driven SSD
Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today its award-winning OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD line has begun shipping in the largest capacity model available of any SandForce-based processor SSD on the market - up to 480GB - by being the first SSD on the market to use the new SandForce SF 1232 processor which is optimized for the higher flash density required by these capacity leading drives.
The OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD line, which has won class leading performance awards and reviews from Tweaktown, Hot Hardware, MacPerformanceGuide, BareFeats, and Benchmark Reviews, is available for immediate ordering in eight configurations from 50GB to 480GB starting at $194.99. All models are Macintosh and PC compatible and install easily into notebooks, as well as into desktops/towers with an OWC Multi-Mount adapter kit sold separately.
The OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD line, which has won class leading performance awards and reviews from Tweaktown, Hot Hardware, MacPerformanceGuide, BareFeats, and Benchmark Reviews, is available for immediate ordering in eight configurations from 50GB to 480GB starting at $194.99. All models are Macintosh and PC compatible and install easily into notebooks, as well as into desktops/towers with an OWC Multi-Mount adapter kit sold separately.
PowerColor Announces HD 5770 Vortex Edition Graphics Card
TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, introduced an innovative cooling technology into the PCS+ HD5770 series: the PCS+ HD5770 Vortex Edition. This special edition offers the flexibility for users to manually adjust the fan and its physical attributes, providing better air flow to effectively cool down the temperature up to 15°C when compare to reference design.
The PCS+ HD5770 Vortex Edition also features factory overclocking with core and memory
clocks at 900 MHz and 1225 MHz respectively. With the cooling ability seen in the Vortex
Edition, it allows more headroom for overclocking that maximizes performance releasing
more potential for gaming power.
The PCS+ HD5770 Vortex Edition also features factory overclocking with core and memory
clocks at 900 MHz and 1225 MHz respectively. With the cooling ability seen in the Vortex
Edition, it allows more headroom for overclocking that maximizes performance releasing
more potential for gaming power.
Synology Unleashes Scalable RackStation RS810+ and DiskStation DS411+ NAS Servers
Synology America Corp. today officially launched the RackStation RS810+ and DiskStation DS411+, 4-bay NAS servers with rich, business-oriented features, appealing to SMBs that demand flexibility and great performing network attached storage solutions.
Businesses need a strong foundation to face mission-critical tasks, and can rely on the Synology RS810+ and DS411+ to deliver high-performance. Tested in a RAID 5 configuration in a Windows environment, the Synology RS810+ and DS411+ deliver an average of 112 MB/sec reading speed while RS810+ writes at 107 MB/sec and DS411+ writes at 106 MB/sec. The web server responsiveness rates are remarkable; the Synology RS810+ and DS410+ take less than 32 seconds to handle 1,000 simultaneous requests.
Businesses need a strong foundation to face mission-critical tasks, and can rely on the Synology RS810+ and DS411+ to deliver high-performance. Tested in a RAID 5 configuration in a Windows environment, the Synology RS810+ and DS411+ deliver an average of 112 MB/sec reading speed while RS810+ writes at 107 MB/sec and DS411+ writes at 106 MB/sec. The web server responsiveness rates are remarkable; the Synology RS810+ and DS410+ take less than 32 seconds to handle 1,000 simultaneous requests.
Matrox Announces Enhanced Resolution Compatibility for DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go
Matrox Graphics Inc., the leading manufacturer of specialized graphics solutions, today announced enhanced resolution compatibility for Matrox DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go Graphics eXpansion Modules (GXMs) when using Intel HD Graphics and Intel 4 Series Express Chipset with Intel Graphics Media Accelerator. Maximum DualHead2Go resolutions have increased from 2x1280x1024 to support 2x1920x1080, and supported TripleHead2Go resolutions have expanded from 3x800x600 to 3x1280x1024 (standard) or 3x1360x768 (widescreen). This enlarged display real estate was previously only available to Matrox DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go customers using graphics solutions from other manufacturers. Now Intel mobile and desktop graphics customers can benefit from higher resolution multi-display support via Matrox DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go Digital or DisplayPort Editions.
"Intel HD Graphics provides everyday visual computing to millions of PC users, whether they are watching HD movies, playing 3D games, or videoconferencing at the office," said Steve Santamaria, Director of Visual Computing Developer Relations, Intel Corporation. "We are happy to be working with Matrox to enable their DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go products to enhance the visual experience of our common customers."
"Intel HD Graphics provides everyday visual computing to millions of PC users, whether they are watching HD movies, playing 3D games, or videoconferencing at the office," said Steve Santamaria, Director of Visual Computing Developer Relations, Intel Corporation. "We are happy to be working with Matrox to enable their DualHead2Go and TripleHead2Go products to enhance the visual experience of our common customers."
Thursday, July 15th 2010
Today's Contests
Today's Reviews
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Keyboards
Motherboards
Mousepads
Netbooks
Vantec NexStar SuperSpeed USB 3.0 HDD Dock Review
Vantec has updated their sleek looking NexStar Hard Drive dock with the newest generation Universal Serial Bus interface - USB 3.0. Even though the exterior did not change, the interior manages to impress no matter if you are using USB 3.0 or 2.0.
ASUS Intros P7P55/USB3 Motherboard, Features USB 3.0 Front-Panel Header
With a small but sizable, and growing number of PC cases with front-panel USB 3.0 ports, it is making sense for motherboard vendors to reciprocate with motherboards that have USB 3.0 front-panel headers. Spearheading this is ASUS, with its new mainstream socket LGA1156 motherboard based on the Intel P55 chipset, the P7P55/USB3. USB 3.0 has a different front-panel header layout from USB 2.0/1.1, and on ASUS' motherboard, there are two NEC-made 2-port USB 3.0 controllers, one for the two rear USB 3.0 ports, and one for the 2-port USB 3.0 header. The header can connect to front-panel ports, or simply provide two rear ports using an expansion bracket.
Apart from that, the P7P55/USB3 is a fairly standard offering with 4+2 phase CPU VRM, one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, a PCI-Express x16 (electrical x4) slot, and two each of PCI-E x1 and PCI. The P55 PCH provides six SATA 3 Gb/s ports, connectivity features include 8-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF output, gigabit Ethernet, and USB 3.0. ASUS did not give out a price, though one can expect this model to be on the lower side, we expect under $150.
Apart from that, the P7P55/USB3 is a fairly standard offering with 4+2 phase CPU VRM, one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, a PCI-Express x16 (electrical x4) slot, and two each of PCI-E x1 and PCI. The P55 PCH provides six SATA 3 Gb/s ports, connectivity features include 8-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF output, gigabit Ethernet, and USB 3.0. ASUS did not give out a price, though one can expect this model to be on the lower side, we expect under $150.
MSI Announces New Low-Profile GeForce GT 220 Graphics Card
MSI slipped in a new entry-level graphics card based on the NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 graphics processor. The card sports a low-profile, single-slot design, and makes use of a tiny active air-cooler. Based on the 40 nm GT216 GPU, the GeForce GT 220 has 48 CUDA cores, and is DirectX 10.1 compliant. MSI's implementation uses 512 MB of DDR3 memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface. The GPU is clocked at 625 MHz, shaders at 1360 MHz, and memory at 980 MHz. Outputs include DVI, D-Sub (detachable), and HDMI. A low-profile bracket kit is bundled. Expect MSI's new low-profile GT 220 card to cost on par with most other GT 220 graphics cards in the market.
Buffalo Intros HDS-PXU2 Series Portable HDDs with Native AES Encryption
Buffalo released a trio of capacious portable hard drives under the HDS-PXU2 series. Available in 320 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB models, these drives offer automatic, hardware-based 256-bit AES data encryption. The drives measure 90 (W) x 20 (H) x 134 (D) mm, weighing around 300 g. These use a wrap-around USB cable for USB 2.0 connectivity and power, and have internal shock-absorbing features, and silicone padding that maintain grip over the desk surface. With the bundled Eco Manager software, the drive can reduce its power consumption by as much as 30%. The 320 GB, 500 GB, and 1 TB variants are expected to cost $166, $214 and $311, respectively.
Verbatim Intros Gran Turismo Portable Hard Drive
Verbatim today announced a pair of Gran Turismo (GT) themed portable hard drives. Measuring 78 (W) x 118 (L) x 16 (H) mm, and weighing a little over 150 g, Verbatim's GT drives can carry 500 GB of data. The drives come in swanky red or black colors with the stripes characterizing GT. On the other hand they USB 2.0 for connectivity and power, and feature a "green button" that reduces power draw by sending the drive into a standby mode. The Verbatim GT is accompanied by Nero BackItUp, and Nero Burn Essentials. It is priced at 88.50 EUR.
Apricorn Announces Aegis Bio 640 GB Biometrics-Protected Portable HDD
Apricorn, the leader in personal storage, today announced a NEW larger 640GB capacity to their Aegis Bio product line, a hardware-encrypted biometric hard drive that allows users to securely access their files with the swipe of a finger. Offering unparalleled security with a 1-2 punch, the Aegis Bio's biometric fingerprint sensor restricts unauthorized access to the drive while the Bio's real-time 128-bit AES hardware encryption protects all data on the drive - even if the drive is dismantled. With prices for the new 640GB capacity retailing at just $159, the Aegis Bio's cutting-edge security is an affordable solution for both large and small companies alike as they grapple with the problem of keeping their data safe.
"With several of the largest data breaches of 2010 involving lost or stolen portable storage devices, the need for secure portable storage has never been greater," said Mike McCandless, VP of Sales and Marketing at Apricorn. "As more employees take their work on the road or between home and office, companies are looking for secure ways to keep their proprietary and customer data safe, and the Aegis Bio delivers on this need."
"With several of the largest data breaches of 2010 involving lost or stolen portable storage devices, the need for secure portable storage has never been greater," said Mike McCandless, VP of Sales and Marketing at Apricorn. "As more employees take their work on the road or between home and office, companies are looking for secure ways to keep their proprietary and customer data safe, and the Aegis Bio delivers on this need."
GlobalFoundries Outlines Plans for EUV Lithography Leadership
In a keynote address today at SEMICON West, Gregg Bartlett, senior vice president of technology and R&D at GLOBALFOUNDRIES, revealed details of the company's plans to drive Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography to high-volume production. "Our strategy is to move past the pre-production tool step and straight to purchasing a production-level tool for installation in Fab 8-our new leading-edge fab currently under construction in upstate New York," Bartlett said. "We are planning to install this tool in the second half of 2012 so we can immediately begin the development work to enable volume production by the 2014/2015 timeframe. It is our collaborative approach to R&D that has put us in a position to make such a move-a move that will accelerate the charge to volume production for the entire industry."
As an industry leader in bringing immersion lithography to high-volume production, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is well positioned to lead this effort. "We can take what we learned with immersion and apply it to ramping EUV to high volume," Bartlett said. "From our perspective, we see immersion lithography getting us through the 22/20nm node, but not without some serious cost challenges and added complexity. We need another solution, and in our view EUV is the most promising candidate."
As an industry leader in bringing immersion lithography to high-volume production, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is well positioned to lead this effort. "We can take what we learned with immersion and apply it to ramping EUV to high volume," Bartlett said. "From our perspective, we see immersion lithography getting us through the 22/20nm node, but not without some serious cost challenges and added complexity. We need another solution, and in our view EUV is the most promising candidate."
Radeon HD 5830 Gets Price-Cuts, Takes Aim at GeForce GTX 460
Call it one of the immediate repercussions of NVIDIA's Monday launch of the GeForce GTX 460, AMD has responded covertly with noticeable price-cuts for the ATI Radeon HD 5830 graphics card, from across various AIB partners. Leading partners such as Sapphire, HIS, and Gigabyte positioned their models that have AMD-reference clock speeds at US $199.99, and factory-overclocked models starting at $229.99. Incidentally these are two price-points NVIDIA is targeting with the GeForce GTX 460, with the 768 MB variant positioned at $199.99, which NVIDIA refers to as the gamers' sweet-spot, and the 1 GB variant at $229.99.
Reviews from across the web show that while GeForce GTX 460 768MB gets close to the Radeon HD 5830 in terms of performance, it only takes the 1 GB variant to perform on par. With AMD positioning the HD 5830 at $199, and factory-overclocked HD 5830 starting at $229.99, things could get heated up in this market segment. Based on the 40 nm Cypress GPU, the Radeon HD 5830 is DirectX 11 compatible, packs 1120 stream processors, and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory.
Reviews from across the web show that while GeForce GTX 460 768MB gets close to the Radeon HD 5830 in terms of performance, it only takes the 1 GB variant to perform on par. With AMD positioning the HD 5830 at $199, and factory-overclocked HD 5830 starting at $229.99, things could get heated up in this market segment. Based on the 40 nm Cypress GPU, the Radeon HD 5830 is DirectX 11 compatible, packs 1120 stream processors, and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory.
Renesas Introduces New USB 3.0 Controller with 85 Percent Power Draw Reduction
Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the availability of its new SuperSpeed Universal Serial Bus (USB 3.0) host controller (part number µPD720200A), featuring 85 percent reduced power consumption compared to the company's existing host controller (part number µPD720200) when peripheral devices, such as mice, are not connected to the ports.
Supporting fast data transfer rates of up to 5 gigabits per second (Gbps), the µPD720200A device achieves low power consumption of 50 milliwatts (mW) with no peripheral connection to the ports, reduced by 85 percent from the company's existing USB 3.0 host controller. The new host controller also has the same footprint as the previous host controller, which makes it possible for system designers to accommodate their designs on the same board used for the previous device, the µPD720200. These advancements enable system designers to develop notebook PCs that boast longer battery life, yet maintain high data transfer rates.
Supporting fast data transfer rates of up to 5 gigabits per second (Gbps), the µPD720200A device achieves low power consumption of 50 milliwatts (mW) with no peripheral connection to the ports, reduced by 85 percent from the company's existing USB 3.0 host controller. The new host controller also has the same footprint as the previous host controller, which makes it possible for system designers to accommodate their designs on the same board used for the previous device, the µPD720200. These advancements enable system designers to develop notebook PCs that boast longer battery life, yet maintain high data transfer rates.
Intel Speeding Up Sandy Bridge Launch
At this year's Computex expo held in Taiwan, some of the most unexpected exhibits were socket LGA1155 motherboards from almost every motherboard vendor, including from lesser known brands, among market-heavyweights such as ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI. Socket LGA1155 is expected to be the platform on which value-thru-performance processors from Intel, based on its next-generation Sandy Bridge architecture will run. The fact that motherboard vendors managed to show almost market-ready products as early as May, shows that these products could in fact reach market before next year's CES event, which is typically held in January.
That seems to be the case, according to a recent report by PC World. In the company's Q2 conference call, Intel CEO Paul Otellini said that due to rave reviews by industry customers (which likely include OEMs, hardware vendors, and other partners), Intel is speeding up launch of new processors. "I am more excited by Sandy Bridge than I have been in any product that the company has launched in a number of years," he said, adding "Due to the very strong reception of Sandy Bridge, we have accelerated our 32-nanometer factory ramp and have raised our capex guidance to enable us to meet the anticipated demand."
That seems to be the case, according to a recent report by PC World. In the company's Q2 conference call, Intel CEO Paul Otellini said that due to rave reviews by industry customers (which likely include OEMs, hardware vendors, and other partners), Intel is speeding up launch of new processors. "I am more excited by Sandy Bridge than I have been in any product that the company has launched in a number of years," he said, adding "Due to the very strong reception of Sandy Bridge, we have accelerated our 32-nanometer factory ramp and have raised our capex guidance to enable us to meet the anticipated demand."
Wednesday, July 14th 2010
Today's Contests
Today's Reviews
Cases
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
- Visiontek HD 5670 AlienBabelTech
- Sapphire HD 5670 Ultimate 1GB LAN OC
- HIS HD 5870 iCooler V TurboX 1GB Viper's Lair
- NVIDIA GTX 460 SLI Guru3D
- NVIDIA GTX 460 SLI HardOCP
- ASUS EN460GTX Direct Cu (preview) OCWorkbench
- Inno3D GTX 460 1GB OC Overclockers Club
- Zotac GTX 460 1GB T-Break
- Gainward GTX 460 GLH TweakPC (de)
- Sparkle GTX 465 Overclockers Online
Headphones
Nettops
Networking
Notebooks
Lian Li Launches USB 3.0 Compatible 2.5'' Drive Enclosures
Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd. today launches a USB 3.0 2.5" External Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Enclosure. The conveniently thin, all-aluminum EX-10Q connects its users' external HDD to computers with a super-fast USB 3.0 cable that reaches speeds up to 5GMbps. For computers without USB 3.0 compatibility, the operating speed is 480Mbps.
The bridge chip used in the EX-10Q is a VL700. No AC adapter is needed and the EX-10Q's flexible design makes it compatible with SATA 1.5 Gb/s & 3 Gb/s HDDs and SSDs. Coming in blue, red, silver, and black, the EX-10Q's dimensions stand at 75x12x130 millimeters (W.H.D). Lian Li once again proves its time-to-market ability in more than just computer cases but complete PC-related products. The MSRP for the Lian Li EX-10Q 2.5" External HDD Enclosure is US$30 for all colors.
The bridge chip used in the EX-10Q is a VL700. No AC adapter is needed and the EX-10Q's flexible design makes it compatible with SATA 1.5 Gb/s & 3 Gb/s HDDs and SSDs. Coming in blue, red, silver, and black, the EX-10Q's dimensions stand at 75x12x130 millimeters (W.H.D). Lian Li once again proves its time-to-market ability in more than just computer cases but complete PC-related products. The MSRP for the Lian Li EX-10Q 2.5" External HDD Enclosure is US$30 for all colors.
Intel Reports its Best Quarter Ever
Intel Corporation today reported second-quarter revenue of $10.8 billion, up 34 percent year-over-year. The company reported operating income of $4.0 billion, net income of $2.9 billion and EPS of 51 cents.
"Strong demand from corporate customers for our most advanced microprocessors helped Intel achieve the best quarter in the company's 42-year history," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "Our process technology lead plus compelling architectural designs increasingly differentiate Intel-based products in the marketplace. The PC and server segments are healthy and the demand for leading-edge technology will continue to increase for the foreseeable future."
"Strong demand from corporate customers for our most advanced microprocessors helped Intel achieve the best quarter in the company's 42-year history," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "Our process technology lead plus compelling architectural designs increasingly differentiate Intel-based products in the marketplace. The PC and server segments are healthy and the demand for leading-edge technology will continue to increase for the foreseeable future."
Seagate Unveils Customizable Small Business NAS: BlackArmor 400
Seagate today introduced the BlackArmor NAS 400 network storage server, a secure, scalable and reliable 4-bay network storage enclosure designed for the growing storage needs of small businesses and households. This newest addition to the Seagate BlackArmor family of storage solutions allows customers to customize the box to meet their specific requirements and add more storage as needed. Available immediately through Seagate.com and CDW, the BlackArmor NAS 400 server can be purchased for a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $399.99.
The BlackArmor NAS 400 server gives customers the option to install the disk drives of their choice, selecting from an variety of Seagate-certified products including Seagate Barracuda low power drives, Barracuda 3.5-inch 7200 RPM drives or the new Barracuda XT hybrid drive for maximum performance. A scalable solution, the BlackArmor NAS 400 server allows customers to start by inserting one drive and add up to three more as their business grows.
The BlackArmor NAS 400 server gives customers the option to install the disk drives of their choice, selecting from an variety of Seagate-certified products including Seagate Barracuda low power drives, Barracuda 3.5-inch 7200 RPM drives or the new Barracuda XT hybrid drive for maximum performance. A scalable solution, the BlackArmor NAS 400 server allows customers to start by inserting one drive and add up to three more as their business grows.
LaCie Announces the XtremKey Rugged Flash Drive
LaCie announces the LaCie XtremKey - offering industrial-strength protection for your data. With capacities up to 64GB and an impenetrable shell, the XtremKey is a truly rugged USB key that stands up to the elements.
LaCie, originator of the flat, award-winning key-shaped USB flash drives, shields the XtremKey's premium flash memory modules inside a 2mm metal pipe casing. Sealed with wear-resistant screw threads and a rubber O-ring, it is watertight up to 100 meters. The LaCie XtremKey is also resistant to 5-meter drops, fierce heat and bitter cold - it holds up in any environment, no matter where you take it (+200°C / -50°).
LaCie, originator of the flat, award-winning key-shaped USB flash drives, shields the XtremKey's premium flash memory modules inside a 2mm metal pipe casing. Sealed with wear-resistant screw threads and a rubber O-ring, it is watertight up to 100 meters. The LaCie XtremKey is also resistant to 5-meter drops, fierce heat and bitter cold - it holds up in any environment, no matter where you take it (+200°C / -50°).
Tuesday, July 13th 2010
Today's Contests
Today's Reviews
Graphics Cards
- PowerColor HD 5770 Eyefinity 5 Edition NeoSeeker
- ASUS ARES 4 GB InsideHW
- NVIDIA GTX 460 768 MB Benchmark Reviews
- NVIDIA GTX 460 1GB & GTX 460 768MB Bjorn3D
- NVIDIA GTX 460 Roundup Guru3D
- NVIDIA GTX 460 1GB & GTX 460 768MB HardwareCanucks
- NVIDIA GTX 460 HardwareHeaven
- MSI GTX 460 768MB Cyclone HardwareSecrets
- NVIDIA GTX 460 1GB & GTX 460 768MB Hexus
- EVGA GTX 460 768MB SC Hi Tech Legion
- NVIDIA GTX 460: Zotac and EVGA HotHardware
- NVIDIA GTX 460 HT4U.net (de)
- NVIDIA GTX 460 1GB & GTX 460 768MB Legit Reviews
- NVIDIA GTX 460 1GB & GTX 460 768MB MadBoxPC (es)
- NVIDIA GTX 460 Tech Report
- Palit GTX 460 Sonic Platinum & Inno3D GTX 460 TechSpot
- Palit GTX 460 1GB Sonic Platinum Tweaktown
- Gigabyte GTX 460 1GB OC Tweaktown
- MSI GTX 460 768MB Cyclone Tweaktown
- Inno3D GTX 460 XtremeComputing
- Sparkle GTX 465 Techware Labs
Monitors
New Crucial SSD Data Transfer Kit Provides Simplified Data Transfer Solution
Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the Crucial RealSSD C300 with Data Transfer Kit available with the 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB C300 drives. This convenient product bundle includes a Crucial RealSSD C300 solid-state drive, a SATA-to-USB data cable, and cloning software.
Migrating from a traditional hard drive to a solid-state drive offers improved boot up and application load times. In addition, SSDs run cooler, quieter, and with more durability when compared to a traditional hard drive. However, transferring data from an existing hard drive to a new SSD can prove a daunting task to many notebook or desktop computer users.
Migrating from a traditional hard drive to a solid-state drive offers improved boot up and application load times. In addition, SSDs run cooler, quieter, and with more durability when compared to a traditional hard drive. However, transferring data from an existing hard drive to a new SSD can prove a daunting task to many notebook or desktop computer users.
Thermaltake Announces Armor A60 Mid-Tower Chassis
Thermaltake, leading DIY chassis brand, is launching the world's first SideClick EasySwap HDD docking mid-tower with integrated USB 3.0 Superspeed connector on the front side of the case. With the ARMOR A60 chassis Thermaltake is adding yet another member to the highly successful ARMOR series of chassis, which are set themselves apart from the crowd by virtue of their design approach. The entirely black "bulletproof" armor design with metal mesh elements lend the ARMOR series an extremely stylish and powerful appearance that attracts gamers and enthusiasts alike, while the top and front blue LED-fans enhance the overall combat ambiance. A special lock mechanism for your mouse and keyboard ensures that you'll always stay in arms.
With Thermaltake's exclusive SideClick EassySwap design in the left side panel of the ARMOR A60, it's now easier than ever to access removable hot-swap capable 3.5" hard drives. You simply place your HDD (SATA, SATA 2, SATA 3) in the drive tray, slide it into the SlideClick slot till a tiny "click" let's you feel that the drive is connected. Without any further installation your drive will automatically be detected by your Windows operating system.
With Thermaltake's exclusive SideClick EassySwap design in the left side panel of the ARMOR A60, it's now easier than ever to access removable hot-swap capable 3.5" hard drives. You simply place your HDD (SATA, SATA 2, SATA 3) in the drive tray, slide it into the SlideClick slot till a tiny "click" let's you feel that the drive is connected. Without any further installation your drive will automatically be detected by your Windows operating system.
SilverStone Intros Nitrogon NT07-1156 CPU Cooler
SilverStone is ready with a Nitrogon NT07 series CPU cooler compatible with the LGA1156 socket. Like the NT07-775 (made for LGA775), the NT07-1156 from SilverStone is a low-profile CPU cooler that is positioned to be a Intel reference HSF replacement. It bears resemblance with the Intel HSF, using essentially the same design, with its own additions of a base made entirely of copper, and manual speed control. The base conveys heat to a heatsink with spirally-projecting, forked, aluminum fins. A 90 mm fan circulates air, it measures 90mm (W) x 90mm (H) x 16mm (D), with two speed modes selectable by a tiny switch on the fan-frame: 1200~3000rpm ± 10% and 1200~1800rpm ± 10%; pushing 12~40 CFM / 12~23 CFM on the two modes, respectively.
The cooler measures 93mm (W) x 36.5mm (H) x 93mm (D), weighing 310 g. With LGA1156 push-pins, the cooler is easy to install and remove. It supports CPUs with TDP of up to 95W, which means that it should be able to run dual-core Core i3, Core i5 processors with mild overclocking, or quad-core Core i5, Core i7 within default speeds. The cooler will reach stores soon, it will be moderately priced around US $20.
The cooler measures 93mm (W) x 36.5mm (H) x 93mm (D), weighing 310 g. With LGA1156 push-pins, the cooler is easy to install and remove. It supports CPUs with TDP of up to 95W, which means that it should be able to run dual-core Core i3, Core i5 processors with mild overclocking, or quad-core Core i5, Core i7 within default speeds. The cooler will reach stores soon, it will be moderately priced around US $20.
GlacialTech Introduces the Igloo Alaska Performance CPU Cooler
GlacialTech Inc., a diverse provider of cooling, power supply, PC enclosure solutions for consumers and industrial applications, a world-class provider of cost effective cooling components and chassis, launches the latest fantastic cooling solution- Alaska.
GlacialTech has implemented a cost effective and useful way to keep your processor cool. When running resource hungry applications and you have the PWM version installed, turn up the RPM to 700 (±300) ~1600 (±250) to manage your heat dissipation more effectively.
GlacialTech has implemented a cost effective and useful way to keep your processor cool. When running resource hungry applications and you have the PWM version installed, turn up the RPM to 700 (±300) ~1600 (±250) to manage your heat dissipation more effectively.
PNY Releases XLR8 GeForce GTX 460 1GB Graphics Card
PNY Technologies, Inc. ("PNY"), a global leader in flash memory cards, USB flash drives, solid state drives, computer memory upgrade modules, as well as consumer and professional graphics cards, has launched the latest graphics card from NVIDIA: the XLR8 GeForce GTX 460 1024 MB GDDR5.
PNY's new overclocked XLR8 GeForce GTX 460 graphics card takes gaming to the next level. Incredible DirectX 11 performance delivers futuristic and visually stunning graphics and packs incredible detail into your games.
PNY's new overclocked XLR8 GeForce GTX 460 graphics card takes gaming to the next level. Incredible DirectX 11 performance delivers futuristic and visually stunning graphics and packs incredible detail into your games.
Club3D Rolls Out its GeForce GTX 460 Graphics Cards
The Netherlands - July 12th, 2010 - Club 3D B.V. is pleased to announce the introduction of the next generation gaming video card. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 supports DirectX 11, CUDA , and NVIDIA PhysX technologies to provide the best experience on your favorite games.
With NVIDIA 3D Vision technology you can now use two Gefore GTX 460 cards in NVIDIA SLI configuration to project across three displays with NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround technology.
The new card features an impressive 675 MHz clock speed with 768 MB / 1024 MB GDDR5 memory and 192 bit / 256 bit memory interfaces.
With NVIDIA 3D Vision technology you can now use two Gefore GTX 460 cards in NVIDIA SLI configuration to project across three displays with NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround technology.
The new card features an impressive 675 MHz clock speed with 768 MB / 1024 MB GDDR5 memory and 192 bit / 256 bit memory interfaces.
NVIDIA Releases GTX 460-Supporting GeForce 258.96 Beta Drivers
In addition to launching the GeForce GTX 460 graphics processor, NVIDIA released version 258.96 of the GeForce software. This beta driver package provides support for GeForce GTX 460, all GeForce GPUs since GeForce 6 series, and ION chipsets. Apart from supporting the new GPU, the driver packs a series of game-specific performance increments for GeForce 400 series GPUs, updated PhysX system software (to ver. 9.10.0224), updated integrated HD audio device driver, and numerous bug fixes.
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 258.96 Beta
A detailed list of performance increments and feature updates follows.
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 258.96 Beta
A detailed list of performance increments and feature updates follows.
Galaxy Ships New GeForce GTX 460 Graphics Series with Industry-First Detachable Fan
Galaxy Microsystems Ltd. a leading global manufacturer of graphics accelerators, today announced the immediate availability of the new Galaxy GTX 460 series of graphics cards featuring the industry's first detachable fan cooling technology and DirectX 11 support for today's hottest games.
"Our new Galaxy GTX 460 graphics cards offer out of this world realism and performance at a price that is simply amazing." said Shane Vance, US Sales for Galaxy. "And the new detachable fan makes it even easier to keep your card in peak condition".
"Our new Galaxy GTX 460 graphics cards offer out of this world realism and performance at a price that is simply amazing." said Shane Vance, US Sales for Galaxy. "And the new detachable fan makes it even easier to keep your card in peak condition".
Gigabyte Introduces Overclocked GeForce GTX 460 Series Graphics Cards
GIGABYTE Technology Co. LTD., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, is pleased to launch the latest overclocked GeForce GTX 460 series: GV-N460OC-1GI and GV-N460OC-768I. With extraordinary overclocking ability, GIGABYTE overclocked GTX 460 series deliver ultimate gaming experience. Featuring GIGABYTE Ultra Durable VGA quality components, GTX 460 further enhances overclocking capability and system stability. GV-N460OC-1GI and GV-N460OC-768I are equipped with GIGABYTE's latest in-house cooling design WINDFORCE 2X, which provides better cooling than reference fan sink by 11%. Also, GV-N460OC-1GI and GV-N460OC-768I feature a wide range of the latest graphics technologies, including DirectX 11, NVIDIA CUDA, 3D Vision Surround, and PhysX technologies.
OCZ Offers the World's Fastest High-Density 4GB DDR3 Modules Operating at 2133 MHz
OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory modules for computing devices and systems, unveils new high-speed 4 GB (4096 MB) modules for users who demand both performance and bandwidth in one memory solution. Giving enthusiasts and prosumers access to not only high-density but also to high-frequency memory kits ensures the system RAM will never be the bottleneck during intensive multi-tasking, gaming, or home server environments.
"Usually high speed and high density don't go hand in hand, but our newly introduced high density 2133MHz memory solutions are engineered to do exactly that," said Alex Mei, CMO at the OCZ Technology Group. "Designed for more than just raw speed, these new kits deliver an excellent blend of performance, density and reliability for a wide range of applications ranging from rendering video to smoother gameplay on the latest titles."
"Usually high speed and high density don't go hand in hand, but our newly introduced high density 2133MHz memory solutions are engineered to do exactly that," said Alex Mei, CMO at the OCZ Technology Group. "Designed for more than just raw speed, these new kits deliver an excellent blend of performance, density and reliability for a wide range of applications ranging from rendering video to smoother gameplay on the latest titles."
Monday, July 12th 2010
Today's Reviews
Accessories
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
- Sapphire Radeon 5550 Ultimate PureOverclock
- ASUS EAH 5750 Formula Modders-Inc.
- ASUS EAH5870 V2 1GB TechReaction
- Zalman VF3000A VGA Cooler HardwareSecrets
- MSI GTX 460 Cyclone OC 768 MB TechPowerUp
- NVIDIA GTX 460 SLI TechPowerUp
- AXLE GTX 460 768 MB TechPowerUp
- Zotac GTX 460 1 GB TechPowerUp
- MSI GTX 460 Cyclone OC 1 GB TechPowerUp
- Zotac GTX 480 AMP! Limited Edition HT4U.net (de)
Motherboards
Storage
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SLI Review
NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 460 has been released today with big success. The cards improve on power and noise, offering great performance considering the price. This brings up the obvious question: how do these cards handle SLI? At $460 total the 2-way SLI config is cheaper than NVIDIA's flagship GTX 480, but is it worth it?
ECS Announces Black GeForce GTX 460 Graphics Card
With innovative products that span multiple target markets, Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), the world's leading motherboard, graphics card, barebone system, and notebook manufacturer, launches the latest Black GTX 460 graphics card family with unbelievable overclocking capabilities and unmatched gaming performance to meet the requirements from critical gamers.
Targeting at the high-end segment, ECS Black GTX 460 graphics card delivers a stunning gaming effects with its genuine hardware and firmware design, which bring the critical gamers over 20% overclocking capability and boost the gaming power far more than reference designed graphics card.
Targeting at the high-end segment, ECS Black GTX 460 graphics card delivers a stunning gaming effects with its genuine hardware and firmware design, which bring the critical gamers over 20% overclocking capability and boost the gaming power far more than reference designed graphics card.
Point of View Releases its GeForce GTX 460 Series Graphics Cards
Point of View known for its range of NVIDIA based 3D Graphics cards, Netbooks and other PC products, announces today the launch of the new Point of View GTX 460. Get ready for the graphics card with the ultimate price versus performance ratio! The GeForce 400 series has proven to be an excellent choice for gamers worldwide. Excellent gaming performance and rendering features and strong multimedia functionalities through its supported DX11 and CUDA technologies.
The GeForce GTX 460 Series takes performance a giant step further with one of the best GPUs ever made. Whilst the standard GPU core runs on a moderate 650 MHz, speeds exceeding 800 MHz have been recorded in our OC research labs. The secret can be found in a very successful GPU production batch; creating a GPU that runs extremely cool.
The GeForce GTX 460 Series takes performance a giant step further with one of the best GPUs ever made. Whilst the standard GPU core runs on a moderate 650 MHz, speeds exceeding 800 MHz have been recorded in our OC research labs. The secret can be found in a very successful GPU production batch; creating a GPU that runs extremely cool.
Glacialtech Readies Igloo 5751 PWM CPU Cooler
Glacialtech, known more for its OEM-replacement and value-ended CPU coolers, sometimes takes the time off to release audaciously-designed performance CPU coolers, such as the UFO V51. It seems to be the case with the Igloo 5751 PWM, the latest in the making. The Igloo 5751 PWM uses a CPU base in which four 6 mm thick heat pipes make direct contact with the CPU, capped with an aluminum heatsink, with the heat pipes conveying heat to an aluminum fin array that propagates along the plane of the motherboard, covered with metal plates on four sides, and two 92 mm fans on two.
It measures 100 (W) x 135 (L) x 130 (H) mm, weighing 550 g. The fan on the top spins at 1400 rpm, while the one on the bottom spins at speeds between 800 and 1800 rpm, controllable by PWM. The Igloo 5751 PWM supports all current CPU sockets, including LGA1366, LGA1156, AM3/2(+), and LGA775. A tube of Glacialtech IceTtherm II thermal compound comes bundled. The company did not give out a price, though one can expect it to be moderately priced.
It measures 100 (W) x 135 (L) x 130 (H) mm, weighing 550 g. The fan on the top spins at 1400 rpm, while the one on the bottom spins at speeds between 800 and 1800 rpm, controllable by PWM. The Igloo 5751 PWM supports all current CPU sockets, including LGA1366, LGA1156, AM3/2(+), and LGA775. A tube of Glacialtech IceTtherm II thermal compound comes bundled. The company did not give out a price, though one can expect it to be moderately priced.
Palit Microsystems Launches GTX 460 Sonic Platinum Series Graphics Cards
Palit Microsystems Ltd, the leading graphics card manufacturer, announces a fresh class of Fermi architecture GeForce GTX 460 series: GTX 460 768MB, GTX 460 1GB Sonic and GTX 460 1GB Sonic Platinum. Palit GTX 460 series is ready in stores around the world in over 20 countries: Australia, Germany, Japan, Korea, Russia, UK, USA, Indonesia, Israel, Latvia, Macedonia, Romania, Singapore, Thailand and many more.
The first custom design Palit GeForce GTX 460 is base on identical Fermi architecture but with better DX11 performance. The new GTX 460 Fermi architecture is even suitable for the most popular DX10 games. Palit GTX 460 1GB Sonic provides up to 4.5x faster DX11 Tessellation performance but the crown goes to our Palit GTX 460 1GB Sonic Platinum which offers up to 5x faster DX11 Tessellation performance than our competition(HD series). And being the first to provide 1GB solution, Palit presents a new edition called "SONIC PLATINUM" with extremely outstanding benchmark performance which is more than your expectation. Palit GTX 460 1GB Sonic Platinum Edition is factory overclocked to 800 MHz core, 1GB of high speed GDDR5, memory clocked at 4GHz, and can boosts the performance 17.5% higher than non-OCed GTX460.With Palit GTX 460 1GB Sonic Platinum, you can enjoy the best gaming experience. In order to provide the highest quality, Palit use 2-Ball Bearing Fan which is more durable especially at higher temperatures but quieter at higher rotation speed, Palit 2-Ball Bearing Fan provides longer lifetime than the usual fan.
The first custom design Palit GeForce GTX 460 is base on identical Fermi architecture but with better DX11 performance. The new GTX 460 Fermi architecture is even suitable for the most popular DX10 games. Palit GTX 460 1GB Sonic provides up to 4.5x faster DX11 Tessellation performance but the crown goes to our Palit GTX 460 1GB Sonic Platinum which offers up to 5x faster DX11 Tessellation performance than our competition(HD series). And being the first to provide 1GB solution, Palit presents a new edition called "SONIC PLATINUM" with extremely outstanding benchmark performance which is more than your expectation. Palit GTX 460 1GB Sonic Platinum Edition is factory overclocked to 800 MHz core, 1GB of high speed GDDR5, memory clocked at 4GHz, and can boosts the performance 17.5% higher than non-OCed GTX460.With Palit GTX 460 1GB Sonic Platinum, you can enjoy the best gaming experience. In order to provide the highest quality, Palit use 2-Ball Bearing Fan which is more durable especially at higher temperatures but quieter at higher rotation speed, Palit 2-Ball Bearing Fan provides longer lifetime than the usual fan.
Mach Xtreme Technology Unveils MX JET PRO Series 2.5'' SSDs
Mach Xtreme Technology Inc., a worldwide leader in top performance, high reliability and user-friendly designed PC components, today unveiled MX JET PRO Series 2.5" SSD which makes MLC (multi-level cell) NAND-based storage an affordable offering for mainstream users demanding the latest technology and top performance. Based on JMicron JMF616 controller, MX JET PRO Series delivers blazing fast, smooth and stutter free performance.
The new MX JET PRO Series of SSDs is the latest addition to the Mach Xtreme lineup of solid state drives. MX Technology has worked very closely with JMicron on this series to get most out of this new sophisticated controller. As a result, MX Technology releases the best-in-class drive. MX JET PRO is based on the advanced JMF616 controller coupled with 128MB onboard cache and the latest firmware to ensure top performance while maintaining an attractive price point that is truly within the reach of a wide range of DIY users.
The new MX JET PRO Series of SSDs is the latest addition to the Mach Xtreme lineup of solid state drives. MX Technology has worked very closely with JMicron on this series to get most out of this new sophisticated controller. As a result, MX Technology releases the best-in-class drive. MX JET PRO is based on the advanced JMF616 controller coupled with 128MB onboard cache and the latest firmware to ensure top performance while maintaining an attractive price point that is truly within the reach of a wide range of DIY users.
ASUS ENGTX460 Delivers the Latest Cool Powerhouse
ASUS ENGTX460 graphics cards enter service as the newest addition to NVIDIA's GeForce 400 Series. ASUS is proud to deliver technology that goes further than base reference requirements with exclusives such as DirectCU thermal design, Voltage Tweak overvolting and endurance features GPU Guard, EMI Shield and Fuse Protection.
On top of cool overclocking capabilities, ASUS ENGTX460 graphics cards are optimized for native performance in Windows 7, delivering mind-blowing graphics to showcase DirectX11 done right, plus full 3D Vision Surround, PhysX and CUDA support.
On top of cool overclocking capabilities, ASUS ENGTX460 graphics cards are optimized for native performance in Windows 7, delivering mind-blowing graphics to showcase DirectX11 done right, plus full 3D Vision Surround, PhysX and CUDA support.
MSI Announces N460GTX Cyclone Series Graphics Cards
Global renowned graphics card and mainboard manufacturer, MSI officially launched today the N460GTX Cyclone series graphics cards, including the N460GTX Cyclone 768D5 and N460GTX Cyclone 1GD5. Equipped with the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 GPU and top Military Class components, N460GTX Cyclone series releases the overclocking potential up to 30% through MSI Afterburner Over voltage function of GPU.
Moreover, adopting MSI exclusive Cyclone thermal design with 9cm PWM fan, dual heat pipes and nickel-plated copper base which effectively decrease temperature, MSI N460GTX Cyclone series generates 15.7% lower noise than reference cooler at full speed to create a quiet environment for users.
Moreover, adopting MSI exclusive Cyclone thermal design with 9cm PWM fan, dual heat pipes and nickel-plated copper base which effectively decrease temperature, MSI N460GTX Cyclone series generates 15.7% lower noise than reference cooler at full speed to create a quiet environment for users.
EVGA Announces GeForce GTX 460
Next-generation gaming has officially arrived with the introduction of the EVGA GeForce GTX 460. Built from the ground up for DirectX 11, this card delivers the ultimate next generation gaming experience. With up to 4x the DirectX tessellation performance of the competition, the EVGA GeForce GTX 460 packs incredible detail and blazing fast fames into your games. Now you can have it all, without blowing your budget.
In addition, full support for NVIDIA 3D Vision, Surround Gaming, PhysX and CUDA technologies make this card the ultimate value for the gaming enthusiast. And of course with EVGA's award winning support, utilities and community; the EVGA GeForce GTX 460 delivers the ultimate package.
In addition, full support for NVIDIA 3D Vision, Surround Gaming, PhysX and CUDA technologies make this card the ultimate value for the gaming enthusiast. And of course with EVGA's award winning support, utilities and community; the EVGA GeForce GTX 460 delivers the ultimate package.
Inno3D Announces its GeForce GTX 460 Series Graphics Cards
Inno3D is excited to announce the Inno3D GeForce GTX 460 that's built from the ground up for DirectX 11 and delivers the ultimate next generation gaming experience. The GPU runs at a core speed 675 MHz and the stream processors at 1350 MHz. The GeForce GTX 460 1MB and 768MB version has 3600 MHz memory on a 256-bit and 192-bit bus respectively.
With up to 4x the DirectX11 tessellation performance of the competition, the GTX 460 packs highly detailed visuals into your games without sacrificing high frame rates. And with NVIDIA 3D Vision, PhysX, and CUDA technologies, GeForce GTX 460 powers all the incredibly realistic effects that your games can throw its way.
With up to 4x the DirectX11 tessellation performance of the competition, the GTX 460 packs highly detailed visuals into your games without sacrificing high frame rates. And with NVIDIA 3D Vision, PhysX, and CUDA technologies, GeForce GTX 460 powers all the incredibly realistic effects that your games can throw its way.
Sparkle Announces GeForce GTX 460 Series Graphics Cards
SPARKLE Computer Co., Ltd., the professional VGA card manufacturer and supplier, today announced the SPARKLE GeForce GTX 460 series Graphics Cards, which includes the SPARKLE GeForce GTX 460 768MB Graphics Card, the SPARKLE GeForce GTX 460 1GB OC Graphics Card and the SPARKLE GeForce GTX 460 2GB Graphics Card.
As a deadly weapon of Fermi Family, SPARKLE GeForce GTX460 series graphics cards provide the best performance price ratio, being the the world's best $200 graphics card, it brings a new level of DirectX 11 performance to mainstream PC enthusiasts and gamers around the world.
As a deadly weapon of Fermi Family, SPARKLE GeForce GTX460 series graphics cards provide the best performance price ratio, being the the world's best $200 graphics card, it brings a new level of DirectX 11 performance to mainstream PC enthusiasts and gamers around the world.
ZOTAC Unleashes New GeForce GTX 460 Series
ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, mini-PCs and small form factor platforms, today unleashes two new affordable GeForce GTX 400 series graphics cards - the new ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 1GB and GeForce GTX 460 Synergy Edition. The new ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 series deliver class-leading features and technology to gamers, enthusiasts and all PC users looking for a thrilling visual experience.
Stunning visuals are made possible with the powerful NVIDIA Fermi architecture that delivers superior graphics processing power and Microsoft DirectX 11 technology that powers the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 series. Hardware tessellation takes 3D games to the next level of visual realism with the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 series by enabling increased visual details in every object and environment in the latest games DirectX 11 powered games for a cinematic gaming experience that rivals the latest CGI-animated Hollywood masterpieces.
Stunning visuals are made possible with the powerful NVIDIA Fermi architecture that delivers superior graphics processing power and Microsoft DirectX 11 technology that powers the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 series. Hardware tessellation takes 3D games to the next level of visual realism with the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 series by enabling increased visual details in every object and environment in the latest games DirectX 11 powered games for a cinematic gaming experience that rivals the latest CGI-animated Hollywood masterpieces.
NVIDIA Announces GeForce GTX 460, Monster Performance to the $199 Sweet Spot
NVIDIA today announced the latest addition to its Fermi-class of graphics processing units (GPUs), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 -- which delivers a great DX11 gaming experience and is priced right at the market's $199 sweet spot.
Built from the ground up for DirectX 11 tessellation, GeForce GTX 460 GPUs deliver monster tessellation performance with up to 4x tessellation performance over competing GPUs. The GTX 460 brings the ultimate next-generation DX11 gaming experience to a new price segment, enabling more gamers than ever to experience incredibly detailed characters, terrain and game environments with blazing fast performance and awesome visuals.
Built from the ground up for DirectX 11 tessellation, GeForce GTX 460 GPUs deliver monster tessellation performance with up to 4x tessellation performance over competing GPUs. The GTX 460 brings the ultimate next-generation DX11 gaming experience to a new price segment, enabling more gamers than ever to experience incredibly detailed characters, terrain and game environments with blazing fast performance and awesome visuals.
Friday, July 9th 2010
Today's Reviews
Cases
Graphics Cards
Motherboards
Mouse
Speakers
SSD
QNAP TS-859 Pro Review
The Turbo Station or TS-859 Pro from QNAP is the largest such unit in their NAS line-up, able to take in eight hard drives. Its comes with an Intel Atom CPU and 1 GB memory within the compact chassis, offering much more than just acting as a network accessible storage device.
ASUS Silently Intros Eee PC 1005PX
ASUS rolled out yet another 10-inch Eee PC netbook, the 1005PX. ASUS uses the clamshell chassis design, which comes in a number of body colors, including black, white, blue, pink, and red. The 10.1 inch display is LED-backlit, and offers a screen resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, and is driven by Intel GMA 3150. The system is care of Intel Atom N450 1.66 GHz single-core processor, 1 or 2 GB RAM, and gives storage options of 160, 250, 320 GB HDDs. Connectivity includes 802.11 b/g/n, 10/100 Ethernet, and Bluetooth 2.1, with a VGA webcam to top it off. The 6-cell battery can fuel the netbook for up to 8.5 hours on a full charge. The new Eee PC has started surfacing in stores in Thailand, where it goes for US $455.
Spire Releases HandyBook USB 3.0 Drive Enclosure
Spire announced today that its HandyBook SSD/HDD Drive Enclosures are now available with USB3.0 compatibility. Keep your data safe and cool in the Spire all new HandyBook 2.5-inch SATA to USB3.0 Hard Drive enclosure. The HandyBook is a nifty little enclosure, great design in both appearance and functionality. Keep your data potable and stored safely inside the Spire HandyBook, allowing you to operate the hard drive plug and play at any time.
The HandyBook can be opened at the touch of one button. Simply place your drive into the enclosure, connect it to your computer and start transferring your data at blazing speeds. The HandyBook is made with a special dual-layer design that reduces noise and is lightweight for maximum portability.
The HandyBook can be opened at the touch of one button. Simply place your drive into the enclosure, connect it to your computer and start transferring your data at blazing speeds. The HandyBook is made with a special dual-layer design that reduces noise and is lightweight for maximum portability.
Prolimatech Readies Super Mega CPU Cooler
Prolimatech is out with a new high-end CPU air-cooler, the Super Mega. The pile of adjectives aside, this cooler is based on the design of its popular Megahalems dual fin-block tower design, except for a dash of copper fins sandwiched between aluminum fins. Measuring (L)130mm X (W)74mmX (H)158.7 mm, and weighing in at 945.3 g, the Super Mega uses six 6 mm thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes to convey heat to two independent aluminum-copper fin blocks, which make up the shape of a conventional tower cooler, but increase turbulence. The cooler can hold 120 mm and 140 mm fans on either sides, and supports all latest CPU sockets, including LGA1366, LGA1156, and LGA775. Prolimatech did not give out a price.
Thursday, July 8th 2010
Today's Contests
Today's Reviews
Accessories
Cases
Cooling
Graphics Cards
Harddisks
Motherboards
Fractal Design Array Review
The Fractal Design Array manages to swallow a whole six 3.5 inch drives and a single 2.5 inch one without the usual dimensions of a mid or full tower case. This makes the ITX chassis a great DIY NAS or server chassis. We dive into the Array to see how they manage to stuff so much hardware into a chassis of this size.
Acer Unveils the S273HL LCD Monitor
Building on the success of its ultra-slim and award winning Full HD LED display series, Acer expands the S3 series with the new S273HL LCD, the epitome of sophisticated design and top-notch performance endowed with cutting-edge technologies such as ultra-fast response time, stunning contrast ratio (12,000,000:1), two HDMI port and an ample 69 cm (27") panel.
The Acer S273HL LCD monitor flaunts a razor-thin depth of 21mm, creating a minimalist, professional look. It is encased in a classy black bezel and features a unique asymmetrical shape. Adding form to the elegantly simple design is a cylinder hinge on the rear and an L-shaped base with brushed-metal finish, accented by an LED light that glows in soft blue when the power is turned on. Thanks to its distinctive shape the base can easily accommodate the keyboard, saving precious space, plus it skillfully integrates a speaker for added functionality.
The Acer S273HL LCD monitor flaunts a razor-thin depth of 21mm, creating a minimalist, professional look. It is encased in a classy black bezel and features a unique asymmetrical shape. Adding form to the elegantly simple design is a cylinder hinge on the rear and an L-shaped base with brushed-metal finish, accented by an LED light that glows in soft blue when the power is turned on. Thanks to its distinctive shape the base can easily accommodate the keyboard, saving precious space, plus it skillfully integrates a speaker for added functionality.
Club 3D Announces HD 5450 Card with Eyefinity Support
Club 3D announced a special Radeon HD 5450 graphics card, which it claims, can support up to three displays working in an Eyefinity setup for productivity purposes. ATI Eyefinity technology lets you create a large display head using multiple physical displays, and is typically out of specs for the Radeon HD 5400 series GPUs. Based on the 40 nm Cedar die, the HD 5450 packs 80 stream processors, and supports DirectX 11. The Club 3D card packs 512 MB of DDR2 memory across a 64-bit wide memory interface.
To connect up to three displays, it provides one each of DVI, D-Sub, and DisplayPort connectors. The GPU is clocked at 650 MHz, with the memory at 800 MHz. The card is low-profile in design, and with its passive heatsink, occupies just one expansion slot. Low profile brackets are included in the box. Club 3D did not announce its price.
To connect up to three displays, it provides one each of DVI, D-Sub, and DisplayPort connectors. The GPU is clocked at 650 MHz, with the memory at 800 MHz. The card is low-profile in design, and with its passive heatsink, occupies just one expansion slot. Low profile brackets are included in the box. Club 3D did not announce its price.
Gigabyte Details and Tests GTX 460 Accelerator in Leaked Sales Kit
Gigabyte, in a sales kit presentation to its distribution partners, detailed its upcoming GeForce GTX 460 768MB product, the GV-N460D5-768I-B. This card sticks to the NVIDIA reference design, including reference clock speeds, and is positioned at the US $199 price point. What's more interesting about these sales kit slides is the performance and market position described by Gigabyte. The GTX 460, according to the company, is said to perform "close" to generic ATI Radeon HD 5830. The keyword here is "close", as HD 5830 is still the faster card.
Gigabyte also demonstrated the card in a variety of games and benchmarks, where it was pitted against GeForce GTX 465, Radeon HD 5830, and some older GeForce 200 series cards. Tests included 3DMark06, 3DMark Vantage (performance preset) and 3DMark Vantage (extreme preset). While in 3DMark06 and 3DMark Vantage (P) it outpaces the HD 5830, the HD 5830 edges past it in 3DMark Vantage (X). The two also trade blows in DirectX 11 benchmarks. While the GTX 460 maintains some lead over the HD 5830 in older game tests, the HD 5830 does manage to outperform in some tests.
Performance charts follow.
Gigabyte also demonstrated the card in a variety of games and benchmarks, where it was pitted against GeForce GTX 465, Radeon HD 5830, and some older GeForce 200 series cards. Tests included 3DMark06, 3DMark Vantage (performance preset) and 3DMark Vantage (extreme preset). While in 3DMark06 and 3DMark Vantage (P) it outpaces the HD 5830, the HD 5830 edges past it in 3DMark Vantage (X). The two also trade blows in DirectX 11 benchmarks. While the GTX 460 maintains some lead over the HD 5830 in older game tests, the HD 5830 does manage to outperform in some tests.
MSI Readies GeForce GTX 460 Cyclone OC Graphics Card
MSI's GeForce GTX 460 lineup will include a non-reference design graphics card right from the start (when NVIDIA announces the GTX 460), with the company allowing partners to come up with their own product designs. The N460GTX Cyclone 768D5/OC from MSI, as the name suggests, is a GeForce GTX 460 768MB factory-overclocked graphics card, which makes use of MSI's iconic Cyclone GPU cooler. The cooler is made of an aluminum GPU base from which heat is conveyed by two 8 mm thick heatpipes (which MSI calls "Super Pipes"), to two arc-shaped aluminum fin arrays on either sides of an 80 mm fan. The fan also cools a spirally-projecting aluminum fin block right under it.
The N460GTX Cyclone 768D5/OC has clock speeds of 725/1450/900(3600) MHz (core/CUDA core/memory), and makes use of 768 MB of GDDR5 memory across a 192-bit wide memory interface. Based on the 40 nm GF104 GPU, the GeForce GTX 460 packs 336 CUDA cores, DirectX 11 compliance, and can work in tandem with one more of its kind (2-way SLI). Display connectivity includes two DVI and one mini-HDMI. Being an overclocked non-reference model, MSI's card is expected to be costlier than the reference model (which is expected to be priced at $199), and could be out of the 12th of July, when NVIDIA will have its new GPU out.
The N460GTX Cyclone 768D5/OC has clock speeds of 725/1450/900(3600) MHz (core/CUDA core/memory), and makes use of 768 MB of GDDR5 memory across a 192-bit wide memory interface. Based on the 40 nm GF104 GPU, the GeForce GTX 460 packs 336 CUDA cores, DirectX 11 compliance, and can work in tandem with one more of its kind (2-way SLI). Display connectivity includes two DVI and one mini-HDMI. Being an overclocked non-reference model, MSI's card is expected to be costlier than the reference model (which is expected to be priced at $199), and could be out of the 12th of July, when NVIDIA will have its new GPU out.
ASRock Readies P55 Extreme4, Packs Four USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gbps Ports Each
ASRock is readying a new high-end socket LGA1156 motherboard based on the Intel P55 chipset, the P55 Extreme4. Designed to be a notch above the P55 Deluxe3, which packs two SATA 6 Gb/s and two USB 3.0 ports, the Extreme4 uses two 2-port controllers to drive four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and two USB 3.0 controllers to drive two USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel, and two ports by internal headers (for the latest cases that come with USB 3.0 front-panel ports, or simply by USB 3.0 expansion brackets). Connections to these four controllers is conveniently handled by configuring the PCI-Express x4 port from the P55 PCH to work as four x1 ports, apart from the four x1 ports it gives apart from the x4 port. This way, the board is also able to provide three x1 expansion slots and drive the PCI-E GbE controller.
The other expansion slots are two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x8/x8, when both are populated), supporting SLI and CrossFire, and two PCI. Apart from the four SATA 6 Gb/s ports (color-coded white), the six SATA 3 Gb/s ports (color-coded blue) are present internally. The CPU socket seems to be powered by an 8+2 phase VRM. The four DDR3 memory slots can take DDR3 modules with frequencies of over 2600 MHz with overclocking. Other connectivity features include 8-channel HD audio and gigabit Ethernet. ASRock will introduce the P55 Extreme4 in a few weeks' time.
The other expansion slots are two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x8/x8, when both are populated), supporting SLI and CrossFire, and two PCI. Apart from the four SATA 6 Gb/s ports (color-coded white), the six SATA 3 Gb/s ports (color-coded blue) are present internally. The CPU socket seems to be powered by an 8+2 phase VRM. The four DDR3 memory slots can take DDR3 modules with frequencies of over 2600 MHz with overclocking. Other connectivity features include 8-channel HD audio and gigabit Ethernet. ASRock will introduce the P55 Extreme4 in a few weeks' time.
Enermax Announces Volcanus Gaming Mid-Tower Case
ENERMAX is pleased to announce the launch of VOLCANUS, a mid tower for gamers. Besides its flaming hot theme, VOLCANUS features a special 140mm Blue/Red Combo LED fan included in the front; based on ENERMAX recently launched APOLLISH VEGAS fan series with 11 LED modes.
Users will be able to choose from a variety of light modes based on their own preference. Modes can be easily cycled by using a switch located on the front I/O panel.
VOLCANUS has all the state of the art features such as tool-less drive bays, bottom-mounted PSU, cut-outs on the MB tray, water-pump holes on the rear, and micro-dust filters.
Users will be able to choose from a variety of light modes based on their own preference. Modes can be easily cycled by using a switch located on the front I/O panel.
VOLCANUS has all the state of the art features such as tool-less drive bays, bottom-mounted PSU, cut-outs on the MB tray, water-pump holes on the rear, and micro-dust filters.
Super Talent Announces 2000 MHz Dual and Triple Channel DDR3 Kits
Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of flash-based storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced dual and triple channel DDR3 memory kits running at 2000MHz. Based on the latest high density 2Gb ICs, these new module kits can be configured to run with extremely low latency. Designed to meet the needs of the over-clocking community, these DDR3 memory kits are available as either 8GB dual-channel or 12GB triple-channel kits.
These new DDR3 kits have been extensively by our engineering staff at speeds of 2000MHz, with a 1.65V operating voltage. The Dual-channel kit WP200UX8G9 was designed for high performance P55 based systems. The Triple-channel WB200T12G9 kit was designed for high performance Intel X58 based systems. Both new kits come clad in Super Talent's Chrome Series heat sinks for optimal thermal efficiency.
These new DDR3 kits have been extensively by our engineering staff at speeds of 2000MHz, with a 1.65V operating voltage. The Dual-channel kit WP200UX8G9 was designed for high performance P55 based systems. The Triple-channel WB200T12G9 kit was designed for high performance Intel X58 based systems. Both new kits come clad in Super Talent's Chrome Series heat sinks for optimal thermal efficiency.
Patriot Announces Immediate Availability of 64GB UHS-I SDXC Memory Cards
Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash and computer peripheral solutions, today announced the immediate availability of the LX Series SDXC Memory Cards. Available in 64GB capacity, the LX Series SDXC card carries the UHS-I (Ultra High Speed - Class 1) certification identifying these cards as having bus-interface speeds of up to 104 MB/s and the ability to record High Definition video in real-time. The Patriot 64GB UHS-I SDHX cards are capable of storing up to 21,000+ pictures (6 megapixel) or over 10 hours of 1920 x 1080 HD video.
SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) is the next-generation standard for SD cards established by the Secure Digital Association SDA. The first LX Series SDXC memory cards are available in 64GB capacity; double the capacity of existing SDHC cards which support up to a maximum of 32GB. The SDXC standard provides a roadmap for card capacities up to 2TB.
SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) is the next-generation standard for SD cards established by the Secure Digital Association SDA. The first LX Series SDXC memory cards are available in 64GB capacity; double the capacity of existing SDHC cards which support up to a maximum of 32GB. The SDXC standard provides a roadmap for card capacities up to 2TB.
Wednesday, July 7th 2010
Today's Contests
Today's Reviews
Accessories
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Headphones
Motherboards
Mousepads
SSD
Storage
ASUS ARES 4 GB Review
ARES is ASUS' latest graphics card monster creation. The card is based on two HD 5870 GPUs running in an internal CrossFire configuration. ASUS has also be generous with the video memory, a total of 4 GB is available on the card. Thanks to a custom heatsink design the card manages to handle the heat well, but can you handle the price of $1000 a piece?
ASUS ARES CrossFire Review
In this review we test two ASUS ARES cards in a 4-GPU CrossFire combination. With a total price of $2000 for those cards this is certainly not for everybody. For additional reference we also combined the ARES with a HD 5970 and a HD 5870.
G.Skill Launches 24 GB Memory Kit with DDR3-2000 MHz, CAS 8T
G.Skill International Co. Ltd., manufacturer of extreme performance memory and solid-state storage with solid quality, has today released its series of 24GB (4 GB x6) triple channel memory kits at an extreme 2000 MHz, CAS 8T, 1.65V.
G.Skill previously demonstrated 24GB of DDR3 at 2,000MHz CL9 during Computex 2010 earlier this month, but has again managed to push the boundaries. This super capacity kit has already attracted a large number of extreme gamers and professional users who expect higher memory capacity can improve their PC performance. G.Skill has successfully provided 24GB (4GBx6) at 2,000MHz CL8 to another high-end boundary, making it the absolute ultimate choice for the extreme users.
G.Skill previously demonstrated 24GB of DDR3 at 2,000MHz CL9 during Computex 2010 earlier this month, but has again managed to push the boundaries. This super capacity kit has already attracted a large number of extreme gamers and professional users who expect higher memory capacity can improve their PC performance. G.Skill has successfully provided 24GB (4GBx6) at 2,000MHz CL8 to another high-end boundary, making it the absolute ultimate choice for the extreme users.
Buffalo Intros 256 GB IDE Solid State Drive
Buffalo Technology released a new 2.5" IDE Solid State Drive (SSD) for notebooks that still use the disk interface. The company's SHD-NHPU2 SSD come in capacities of 256 GB, and make use of MLC NAND flash chips. The drives have also feature USB 2.0 interface that lets you access it as a USB mass storage device. In the ATA mode (when connected by IDE), the drive provides transfer rates of 101 MB/s, and is aided by 64 MB of cache. If you're thinking of buying one, keep US $1220 ready.
Gateway Announced LT32 Series Netbooks
Gateway today introduced the new Gateway LT32 Series netbook line that provides great performance and HD entertainment capabilities for consumers that want to take their fun to go in a compact, highly-functional device. The new line uses amd Athlon II Neo processors and ATI graphics for enhanced responsiveness and smooth video playback.
The Gateway LT32 has an 11.6-inch HD LED-backlit display, so HD video and other digital media content is stunning and vibrant. Additionally, the new Gateway LT32 line has HDMI 1080p output, which lets customers use a convenient single cable connection to deliver HD video and audio to an external source such as a home entertainment system or lcd display.
The Gateway LT32 has an 11.6-inch HD LED-backlit display, so HD video and other digital media content is stunning and vibrant. Additionally, the new Gateway LT32 line has HDMI 1080p output, which lets customers use a convenient single cable connection to deliver HD video and audio to an external source such as a home entertainment system or lcd display.
MSI Launches Wind Top AE2420 3D-ready All-in-One PC
MSI, a leading provider of technology solutions and innovations is now leading the industry in launching the world's first high-performance 3D All-in-One PC: Wind Top AE2420 3D. The dazzling new 3D All-in-One PC comes equipped with a Full HD 3D multi-touch display. The exclusive 3D All-in-One PC features the latest Core i-series CPU, ATI Mobility Radeon HD discrete graphics card and a 24" Full HD multi-touch display. The 120Hz high scanning frequency LED panel and exclusive 3D Shutter Glasses offer a cinema-quality 3D video experience in the home.
MSI's All-in-One PC product line is a global pacesetter and is the first to introduce the a 3D All-in-One PC with touch screen functionality, the Wind Top AE2420 3D. MSI's 3D Station technology integrates the most advanced 3D imaging technologies. Featuring MSI's exclusively developed 3D Station technology combined with a 120Hz high resolution panel that transmits high density, 3D digital content to Shutter Glasses. Through precise image processing technology, 3D visual effects then simulate how the human eye views actual images. The Wind Top AE2420 3D features a 120Hz high scanning frequency LED panel, twice the speed of average displays, to provide users with a comfortable viewing experience when looking at 3D images, rather than the uncomfortable sensation felt when watching on 60Hz 3D panels.
MSI's All-in-One PC product line is a global pacesetter and is the first to introduce the a 3D All-in-One PC with touch screen functionality, the Wind Top AE2420 3D. MSI's 3D Station technology integrates the most advanced 3D imaging technologies. Featuring MSI's exclusively developed 3D Station technology combined with a 120Hz high resolution panel that transmits high density, 3D digital content to Shutter Glasses. Through precise image processing technology, 3D visual effects then simulate how the human eye views actual images. The Wind Top AE2420 3D features a 120Hz high scanning frequency LED panel, twice the speed of average displays, to provide users with a comfortable viewing experience when looking at 3D images, rather than the uncomfortable sensation felt when watching on 60Hz 3D panels.
Tuesday, July 6th 2010
Today's Contests
Today's Reviews
CPU Coolers
Graphics Cards
Motherboards
Mouse
Processors
Vantec NexStar 2.5" SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Review
Vantec has taken their NexStar 2.5" enclosure and upgraded the interface to USB 3.0 while keeping the looks identical. We take it for a speed to see if it makes sense for the small form factor.
Silicon Power Launches Touch 851 USB Flash Drive
Silicon Power today launched the Touch 851 USB flash drive. The classic checkered design never fades and it shows in Silicon Power Touch series USB flash drives. World flash leading manufacturer, Silicon Power announces today their new Touch 851 Crystal Disk. It is available in gold or silver and coated with shinny checkered like/ diamond cut design showing off its quality and elegant aura.
Silicon Power's Touch 851 Crystal Disk comes with a necklace that turns it into a unique fashion accessory. Materials on Touch 851 are carefully selected and designed. Made from zinc alloy, it is tougher than most; it has a sliding design that protects the gold fingers from unnecessary exposure which may result in data loss.
Silicon Power's Touch 851 Crystal Disk comes with a necklace that turns it into a unique fashion accessory. Materials on Touch 851 are carefully selected and designed. Made from zinc alloy, it is tougher than most; it has a sliding design that protects the gold fingers from unnecessary exposure which may result in data loss.
Enermax Readies New Modu87+ 800W and 900W PSU Models
Enermax is expanding its Modu87+ power supply (PSU) series with new 800W and 900W models. As the name suggests, Modu87+ PSUs feature modular cabling, and have over 87% efficiency at any given load. The 800W model will be released first, followed by the 900W model at a slightly later date. Both models boast of DHT (Dynamic Hybrid Transformer) technology, an array of solid-state (conductive-polymer) capacitors paired with Japanese electrolytic capacitors, dubbed "Hybrid Capacitor Array", which contribute to rated efficiency up to 92%, which stays over 87% at any load, earning it the coveted 80 Plus Gold rating.
Both models use four independent +12V rails, and are cooled by a 140 mm twister-bearing fan that keeps up with the "gold" theme. Cable modularity covers the 6 PCI-Express power cables, and a number of SATA power, 4-pin Molex, and 4-pin Floppy connectors, with the 24-pin ATX and CPU-power connector being sleeved and fixed. The Enermax Modu87+ 800W PSU will be priced at 174€, and backed by a 5-year warranty. The pricing of the 900W model will be known later.
Both models use four independent +12V rails, and are cooled by a 140 mm twister-bearing fan that keeps up with the "gold" theme. Cable modularity covers the 6 PCI-Express power cables, and a number of SATA power, 4-pin Molex, and 4-pin Floppy connectors, with the 24-pin ATX and CPU-power connector being sleeved and fixed. The Enermax Modu87+ 800W PSU will be priced at 174€, and backed by a 5-year warranty. The pricing of the 900W model will be known later.
NEC Display Solutions Expands Entry-Grade E Series Commercial LCD Display Series
NEC Display Solutions of America, a leading provider of commercial LCD display and projector solutions, announced today the addition of two new models to its E Series, the 46" E461 and 55" E551. This raises NEC's affordable professional display product lineup to include a broad range of sizes from 32" to 55". These entry-level LCD displays provide users with a cost-effective solution for retail stores, waiting rooms and conference rooms.
The new models offer full high-definition 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate setting, increasing the clarity of movement and reducing image blur. Additionally, the E461 and E551 include built-in features, such as an ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner, 12W stereo speakers and detachable swivel stand. With power consumption as low as 210W and full connectivity including 4 HDMI inputs, analog RGB, composite video and S-Video, these new E Series models provide professional performance and a sleek appearance to digital signage users in both corporate and specialty environments.
The new models offer full high-definition 1080p resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate setting, increasing the clarity of movement and reducing image blur. Additionally, the E461 and E551 include built-in features, such as an ATSC/NTSC/QAM tuner, 12W stereo speakers and detachable swivel stand. With power consumption as low as 210W and full connectivity including 4 HDMI inputs, analog RGB, composite video and S-Video, these new E Series models provide professional performance and a sleek appearance to digital signage users in both corporate and specialty environments.
Acer Readies Aspire One D255 Netbook
Acer is readying a stylish new netbook in its Aspire One series, the D255. This 10.1 inch netbook has a 1024x600 pixel LED-backlit CrystalBrite display, and is powered by the Intel Atom N550 processor clocked at 1.50 GHz. The D255 uses the same chassis design as the D260, except for the different processor. The processor is aided with 1 GB of memory, Intel GMA 3150 graphics, 250 GB storage, a 6-cell battery to keep it powered up, and connectivity which includes 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth. There is no word on the pricing.
PowerColor Announces PowerJack Graphics Card Support Accessory
TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, today announced a professional graphics interface card supporter: the PowerColor PowerJack. As high-end graphics are becoming more powerful, the sizes are increasing as well as their weight. This poses a problem that gamers may not know they had. Owners of high-end graphics may be able to attest to the problem of the weight of the card bending in the case. A couple screws and the motherboard may not be enough to hold the heavier cards in place anymore.
This is where the PowerColor PowerJack comes in. The PowerJack supports the weight of the card from the back where it's most needed. With its multistage extension function, it can extend its height from 61.25 mm up to 150 mm and it's applicable to E-ATX / ATX / M-ATX motherboards and can be used in full tower, mid tower & mini tower chassis.
This is where the PowerColor PowerJack comes in. The PowerJack supports the weight of the card from the back where it's most needed. With its multistage extension function, it can extend its height from 61.25 mm up to 150 mm and it's applicable to E-ATX / ATX / M-ATX motherboards and can be used in full tower, mid tower & mini tower chassis.
PowerColor Vortex HD 5770 Lets You Tweak Cooler Air Flow
PowerColor's upcoming mid-range graphics card, the Vortex HD 5770, is said to feature a new feature that gives the user greater control of the fan's airflow, beyond fan-speed control. The cooler lets the user to fine-tune the direction and sweep of the fan air-flow, by allowing extension of the fan frame. With these adjustments, users can fine-tune the cooler's efficiency by directing airflow to specific parts of the aluminum heatsink underneath. Depending on how the fan is protruded or tilted, the card could occupy 2 to 3 expansion slots.
Apart from this cooling solution, the card reuses the PCB found on the PCS+ HD 5770, which is said to have factory-overclocked speeds, and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. The Radeon HD 5770 is based on the 40 nm Juniper die. It is DirectX 11 compliant, and has 800 stream processors, a tessellation unit, and connects to 1 GB of memory over a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. Display outputs on this card include two DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort, with ATI Eyefinity support. The PowerColor Vortex HD 5770 will be released in a few weeks' time. Incidentally, two PowerColor Vortex HD 5770 is up for grabs on the PowerColor and TechPowerUp GPU-Z Giveaway, so you can try your luck there.
Apart from this cooling solution, the card reuses the PCB found on the PCS+ HD 5770, which is said to have factory-overclocked speeds, and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. The Radeon HD 5770 is based on the 40 nm Juniper die. It is DirectX 11 compliant, and has 800 stream processors, a tessellation unit, and connects to 1 GB of memory over a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. Display outputs on this card include two DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort, with ATI Eyefinity support. The PowerColor Vortex HD 5770 will be released in a few weeks' time. Incidentally, two PowerColor Vortex HD 5770 is up for grabs on the PowerColor and TechPowerUp GPU-Z Giveaway, so you can try your luck there.
Samsung Announces the Q-Series Range of Notebooks
Samsung Electronics, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced the release of its Q-Series range of notebooks, the Q530, Q430 and Q330.
"We've designed the Q Series to offer the most exciting, powerful and stylish mobile computing experience on the market. Each model in the range will maximize mobile productivity through a combination of state-of-the-art features and ergonomic design," said Yonghwan Park, senior vice president, IT Solutions Business, Samsung Electronics. "The Q series line-up realizes the perfect IT experience, delivering both portability and performance without compromise."
"We've designed the Q Series to offer the most exciting, powerful and stylish mobile computing experience on the market. Each model in the range will maximize mobile productivity through a combination of state-of-the-art features and ergonomic design," said Yonghwan Park, senior vice president, IT Solutions Business, Samsung Electronics. "The Q series line-up realizes the perfect IT experience, delivering both portability and performance without compromise."
Monday, July 5th 2010
Today's Contests
Today's Reviews
Cases
Chipsets
Desktop PC
Graphics Cards
- Axle HD 5450 Overclockers Club
- Axle HD 5450 Red and Blackness Mods
- HIS HD 5550 GDDR5 TechPowerUp
- Axle HD 5670 Legit Reviews
- Sapphire HD 5850 Toxic 2GB Technic3D (de)
- Sapphire HD 5870 Vapor-X 3-way CrossfireX Hardware-Mag (de)
- Scythe Musashi VGA Cooler HardwareSecrets
- Axle GT 220 TweakNews
- ASUS GTX 465 InsideHW
- MSI N465GTX Twin Frozr II Vortez
- Gigabyte GTX 470 OC Edition HardwareCanucks
Harddisks
Memory
Motherboards
Processors
SSD
HIS Radeon HD 5550 GDDR5 Review
The HIS Radeon HD 5550 is based on the HD 5550 design but comes equipped with fast GDDR5 memory and a passive cooling solution. This allows for high-quality HD movie playback and playing most games at Xbox-360 like 720p resolution.
Mach Xtreme Launches Low-Latency, High-Density 8 GB ArmorX DDR3 Memory Kits
Mach Xtreme Technology Inc., a worldwide leader in top performance, high reliability and user-friendly designed PC components, today unveiled ARMORX Series DDR3 Dual-Channel 2000MHz high density memory 8GB (4GB x2) kits.
MX-Technology develops and manufactures a wide range of high quality memory modules, whether seeking maximum frames rates on the latest games, achieving the highest benchmarks through overclocking or demand ultimate, consistent stability.
MX-Technology develops and manufactures a wide range of high quality memory modules, whether seeking maximum frames rates on the latest games, achieving the highest benchmarks through overclocking or demand ultimate, consistent stability.
NEC Readies 27-inch Professional LCD Monitor
NEC is preparing a new professional-grade 27-inch LCD monitor called MultiSync Reference 271. The 271 uses a 10-bit P-IPS panel that give 98% Adobe RGB coverage, for a wide color gamut. The panel has a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees. Its frame design enables pivot at swivel adjustments.
The panel has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (aspect ratio 16:9), with 5 ms response time. Its static contrast ratio is 1000:1, with a maximum brightness of 360 cd/m². It takes input from D-Sub (analog) and DVI-D or dual DVI. Backed by a 3-year warranty, the MultiSync Reference 271 is up for pre-order for under 1800 EUR.
The panel has a resolution of 2560 x 1440 (aspect ratio 16:9), with 5 ms response time. Its static contrast ratio is 1000:1, with a maximum brightness of 360 cd/m². It takes input from D-Sub (analog) and DVI-D or dual DVI. Backed by a 3-year warranty, the MultiSync Reference 271 is up for pre-order for under 1800 EUR.
GeForce GTX 460 Pricing Surfaces, Gets Listed in EU
With its launch reportedly scheduled for 12th July, certain European etailers just can't resist listing it on their sites to pool in prospective buyers or pre-orders. Price aggregator Geizhals.at compiled a list of stores that have already listed the ASUS GeForce GTX 460 768MB (part number 90-C3CHB0-P0UAY0KZ). Prices of this part range start at 204.51 EUR. Another source reports that NVIDIA is targeting the US $199 price point with the GeForce GTX 460 768MB variant, and $229 price point with the 1 GB variant. The 25% more higher memory amount isn't the only thing that warrants the $30 increase in price, the 1 GB variant also has 25% higher memory bandwidth.
The GeForce GTX 460 is NVIDIA's latest product in the making, it is based the new GF104 core, that packs 336 CUDA cores, 256-bit GDDR5 memory interface (192-bit on the 768 MB variant), and has all the features of the GeForce 400 series, including advanced tessellation, DirectX 11, CUDA, PhysX, and 3D Vision Surround.
The GeForce GTX 460 is NVIDIA's latest product in the making, it is based the new GF104 core, that packs 336 CUDA cores, 256-bit GDDR5 memory interface (192-bit on the 768 MB variant), and has all the features of the GeForce 400 series, including advanced tessellation, DirectX 11, CUDA, PhysX, and 3D Vision Surround.
Asetek Liquid Cooled All-In-One PC Delivers True Desktop Performance
Asetek, the industry leading supplier of liquid cooling systems for computers, today demonstrated how liquid cooling enables all-in-one PCs to deliver performance on par with the best performing desktop systems while maintaining attractive price points & near silent operation. The sleek all-in-one (AIO) prototype features a 24" display and uses a liquid cooled Intel Core i7-920 desktop processor and nVidia GTX280M graphics card in an enclosure that, at 58mm, matches the slender profile of Apple's iMac. This prototype shows how liquid cooling overcomes the thermal limitations that have historically forced PC manufactures to use more costly, lower performance mobile processors in their all-in-one designs.
"The all-in-one segment of the desktop market is projected to see an annual growth rate of 13% over the next 5 years," said Ben Bajarin, Consumer Technology Analyst at Creative Strategies, Inc. "Achieving the full potential of this attractive form factor requires PC manufacturers to deliver greater performance at ever more attractive price points. Utilizing desktop processors in these devices is a key strategy for improving price and performance. We see liquid cooling as an enabling technology for OEMs seeking to implement this strategy."
"The all-in-one segment of the desktop market is projected to see an annual growth rate of 13% over the next 5 years," said Ben Bajarin, Consumer Technology Analyst at Creative Strategies, Inc. "Achieving the full potential of this attractive form factor requires PC manufacturers to deliver greater performance at ever more attractive price points. Utilizing desktop processors in these devices is a key strategy for improving price and performance. We see liquid cooling as an enabling technology for OEMs seeking to implement this strategy."
Enermax Announces Aeolus N14 Netbook Cooling Pad
The air circulation and heat dissipation of netbooks is often restricted by the limited space in and around the small casing. Therefore, many manufactures develop active or passive cooling systems, which, under normal conditions, offer an acceptable cooling performance. Since summer is here and the ambient temperature is rapidly rising, even the best cooling systems can reach their limits. As a consequence, essential components like CPU or graphics card have to struggle at unusual high temperatures.
Netbook temperatures can be significantly reduced by the use of a cooling pad. While there are many notebook coolers currently available on the market, most cannot be easily adapted for small-size notebooks or compact netbooks. With its Aeolus N14, Enermax has developed a cooling pad, which is specially designed for these small-size mobile computers. The virtually silent integrated 14cm fan ensures a steady stream of fresh air. The wide-area steel mesh offers not only an excellent thermal conduction, but also an unrestricted air circulation and well-balanced cooling performance.
Netbook temperatures can be significantly reduced by the use of a cooling pad. While there are many notebook coolers currently available on the market, most cannot be easily adapted for small-size notebooks or compact netbooks. With its Aeolus N14, Enermax has developed a cooling pad, which is specially designed for these small-size mobile computers. The virtually silent integrated 14cm fan ensures a steady stream of fresh air. The wide-area steel mesh offers not only an excellent thermal conduction, but also an unrestricted air circulation and well-balanced cooling performance.
Friday, July 2nd 2010
Today's Reviews
Cases
Graphics Cards
Multimedia
Sound Cards
Rosewill RX358 3.5" USB 3.0 Enclosure Review
Rosewill is jumping on the USB 3.0 bandwagon with full force, offing not only enclosures but also host cards. We take their RX358 3.5 inch enclosure for a ride using their RC-505 USB 3.0 controller - a combination that manages to impress.
Thermaltake Introduces the Exclusive Element V NVIDIA Edition Chassis
Thermaltake, the world's leading brand in performance PC chassis, high-efficiency power supplies and innovative DIY computer peripherals, is proud to announce the world's one and only NVIDIA certified full-tower chassis for next-generation ultra-high performance graphics cards, the Thermaltake Element V NVIDIA Edition with support for the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 and GTX 470 GPUs. With the additional support for eATX form factor motherboards users enjoy a maximum of expandability for future upgrades.
Thermaltake, the world's leading brand in performance PC chassis, high-efficiency power supplies and innovative DIY computer peripherals, is proud to announce the world's one and only NVIDIA certified full-tower chassis for next-generation ultra-high performance graphics cards, the Thermaltake Element V NVIDIA Edition with support for the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 and GTX 470 GPUs. With the additional support for eATX form factor motherboards users enjoy a maximum of expandability for future upgrades.
Thermaltake, the world's leading brand in performance PC chassis, high-efficiency power supplies and innovative DIY computer peripherals, is proud to announce the world's one and only NVIDIA certified full-tower chassis for next-generation ultra-high performance graphics cards, the Thermaltake Element V NVIDIA Edition with support for the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 and GTX 470 GPUs. With the additional support for eATX form factor motherboards users enjoy a maximum of expandability for future upgrades.
Scythe Announces Ninja 3 Performance CPU Cooler
The Japanese cooling specialist Scythe Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) officially announces the long-awaited successor of the Ninja 2 Rev. B CPU Cooler. New Scythe Ninja 3 CPU cooler, which was already shown at CeBIT 2010 in March 2010, offers the revised design as well as better performance than its predecessor for both active and passive operations.
The optimized structure of the aluminum fins allows, in cooperation with eight U-shaped copper heatpipes, increased heat dissipation of 7% for passive operation compared to the previous model. However for active cooling, the M.A.P.S. (Multiple Airflow pass-through structure) guarantees the high performance. A fully nickel-plated copper base-plate provides direct absorption of heat from the CPU.
The optimized structure of the aluminum fins allows, in cooperation with eight U-shaped copper heatpipes, increased heat dissipation of 7% for passive operation compared to the previous model. However for active cooling, the M.A.P.S. (Multiple Airflow pass-through structure) guarantees the high performance. A fully nickel-plated copper base-plate provides direct absorption of heat from the CPU.
MSI Readies X58A-GD65 Motherboard
MSI is ready with a new feature-rich "value" LGA1366 motherboard, the X58A-GD65. Among LGA1366 motherboards, this model is priced at a relatively-affordable 210€, building on X58's feature-set, coupled with USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s using additional controllers on board. The X58A-GD65 uses an 8-phase VRM with high-C capacitors. It uses simple heatsinks over the VRM, X58 IOMMU, and ICH10R southbridge. Expansion slots include three PCI-Express x16 slots, of which the first two are wired to the X58 with full-bandwidth, while the third one is wired to the ICH10R, and is electrical x4; other slots include two each of PCI-E x1, and PCI. ATI CrossFireX is the only multi-GPU standard supported.
Connectivity includes six SATA 3 Gb/s ports from the southbridge, two SATA 6 Gb/s from an additional controller, two eSATA ports, two USB 3.0 ports, 4+6 USB 2.0 ports, 8-channel audio with optical and coaxial SPDIF connectors, FireWire, and one gigabit Ethernet connection. To lure enthusiasts, MSI advertises military-grade components used in critical power-delivery circuits, active-phase switching, support for six-core processors out of the box, and DDR3-2133 MHz memory support.
Connectivity includes six SATA 3 Gb/s ports from the southbridge, two SATA 6 Gb/s from an additional controller, two eSATA ports, two USB 3.0 ports, 4+6 USB 2.0 ports, 8-channel audio with optical and coaxial SPDIF connectors, FireWire, and one gigabit Ethernet connection. To lure enthusiasts, MSI advertises military-grade components used in critical power-delivery circuits, active-phase switching, support for six-core processors out of the box, and DDR3-2133 MHz memory support.
LSI and Seagate Co-develop Technology for Next-Generation High-Capacity HDDs
LSI Corporation and Seagate announced the delivery of a complex integrated read channel technology for Seagate's latest hard disk drive (HDD) products. Together, the companies have enabled the industry's first hard disk drives with low-density parity check (LDPC) read channel in 65nm process system-on-chip (SoC) technology.
The co-development effort combines Seagate LDPC digital back-end read channel and hard drive controller IP with LSITM analog front-end read channel (RC) and physical layer (PHY) technology. The combined LDPC read channel has been incorporated into high-capacity SoC solutions that enable new levels of performance and storage capacity for leading-edge Seagate HDDs.
The co-development effort combines Seagate LDPC digital back-end read channel and hard drive controller IP with LSITM analog front-end read channel (RC) and physical layer (PHY) technology. The combined LDPC read channel has been incorporated into high-capacity SoC solutions that enable new levels of performance and storage capacity for leading-edge Seagate HDDs.
Transcend Introduces 16GB JetFlash V90C Classic USB Flash Drive
Transcend announced an artistic addition to its JetFlash family, the 16GB JetFlash V90C classic keychain USB flash drive. Featuring abundant storage space and a sleek modern geometric pattern, the impossibly small JetFlash V90C is a stylish must-have for fashion-conscious mobile storage users.
Drawing inspiration from the intuitive and playful aspects of postmodern culture, the front of the 16GB JetFlash V90C is laser-etched with distinctive geometric shapes that create a striking colorful 3D illusion when light catches it at different angles. The drive features a capless design with a hidden USB connector, and also comes with a fashionable metal keychain, making it a perfect addition to any set of keys, wallet or purse.
Drawing inspiration from the intuitive and playful aspects of postmodern culture, the front of the 16GB JetFlash V90C is laser-etched with distinctive geometric shapes that create a striking colorful 3D illusion when light catches it at different angles. The drive features a capless design with a hidden USB connector, and also comes with a fashionable metal keychain, making it a perfect addition to any set of keys, wallet or purse.
Transcend Ships New Mac Friendly StoreJet Portable Hard Drive
Transcend announced the StoreJet 25D2-W, a portable hard drive designed to complement Mac computers. Featuring a sleek glossy white finish and certified compatibility with Mac laptop and desktop computers, this brand new Apple friendly drive is a must have for fashion-minded users-especially Mac enthusiasts.
The compact StoreJet 25D2-W portable hard drive is stylish, rugged and ultra-portable. Its shiny gloss-white lacquer finish resembles the classic Apple style, making it look good with any Mac computer, including MacBooks, iMacs, MacBook Mini, etc. With full certification for use with all Mac systems, the StoreJet 25D2-W bears the "Compatible with Mac OS X" logo that gives Mac users extra piece of mind. Thanks to its trendy design and multi-platform compatibility, both Windows and Mac users now have a fantastic choice for storing and carrying their data with style.
The compact StoreJet 25D2-W portable hard drive is stylish, rugged and ultra-portable. Its shiny gloss-white lacquer finish resembles the classic Apple style, making it look good with any Mac computer, including MacBooks, iMacs, MacBook Mini, etc. With full certification for use with all Mac systems, the StoreJet 25D2-W bears the "Compatible with Mac OS X" logo that gives Mac users extra piece of mind. Thanks to its trendy design and multi-platform compatibility, both Windows and Mac users now have a fantastic choice for storing and carrying their data with style.
Thursday, July 1st 2010
Today's Reviews
Game Controllers
Graphics Cards
Networking
Processors
PSUs
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T 2.80 GHz Review
After AMD'S Phenom II X6 1090T flagship processor, we take a look at the first mainstream six core processor Phenom II X6 1055T. Clocked at 2.80 GHz and with Turbo Core technology it can reach up to 3.30 GHz, and at prices of just under $200 AMD aims to create some serious alternative to Intel's Core i5 750.
Corsair Launches Single Rank Ultra-High-Speed DDR3 DIMMs, DDR3-2625 MHz Capable
Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the launch of Dominator GT GTX6 DDR3 memory, an ultra-high-speed PC3-21000 single-rank 1GB DDR3 DIMM. These modules are among the fastest available in the world today, and are designed for CPU and memory benchmarking as well as for world record attempts.
The GTX6 is tested on the Gigabyte P55A-UD5 motherboard with BIOS Revision F10 at a clock speed of 2625 MHz. Specially selected Intel Core i7-860 and Core i7-870 CPUs are used to achieve these memory frequencies. While 2625 MHz is the test specification for a single module, we have found in the lab that speeds as high as 2600 MHz can typically be achieved when testing as a pair. For ultimate performance, using a CPU cooled using liquid nitrogen, we were able to hit 2976 MHz; see our blog for images and screen shots.
The GTX6 is tested on the Gigabyte P55A-UD5 motherboard with BIOS Revision F10 at a clock speed of 2625 MHz. Specially selected Intel Core i7-860 and Core i7-870 CPUs are used to achieve these memory frequencies. While 2625 MHz is the test specification for a single module, we have found in the lab that speeds as high as 2600 MHz can typically be achieved when testing as a pair. For ultimate performance, using a CPU cooled using liquid nitrogen, we were able to hit 2976 MHz; see our blog for images and screen shots.
MSI Introduces Design Award-Winning Wind U160DX Netbook to the Market
Meticulously crafted, MSI's Wind U160DX netbook has received Germany's iF Product Design Award and drawn attention from all quarters around the world. Boasting a leap in performance capabilities, the Wind U160DX supports DDR3 system memory and comes with the Intel ATOM processor N455 with MSI's own TDE (Turbo Drive Engine) technology. Sheathed in MSI's own Color Film Print technology, the Wind U160DX is less than one-inch thin and tips the scales at a mere 1kg. Slender, feather-light, beautiful, and perfect in every detail-the Wind U160DX was crafted to steal your heart and soul.
MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern points out that the experience and craftsmanship that went into MSI's chic, easy-to-use Wind U160DX has created a product with all-new features, including a 10.1" power-saving LED screen with a refresh rate of 8 milliseconds-twice as fast as similar products on the market, an independent chiclet keyboard, a seamless touchpad, a striking exterior, and a battery that holds a 15-hour charge-enough for all day.
MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern points out that the experience and craftsmanship that went into MSI's chic, easy-to-use Wind U160DX has created a product with all-new features, including a 10.1" power-saving LED screen with a refresh rate of 8 milliseconds-twice as fast as similar products on the market, an independent chiclet keyboard, a seamless touchpad, a striking exterior, and a battery that holds a 15-hour charge-enough for all day.
A-Data Releases Nobility Series NH03 USB 3.0 External Hard Drive
A-DATA Technology Co., Ltd., the worldwide leader in DRAM memory and Flash application products, today introduced NH03 -- its first 3.5" external hard drive with the new-generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface, adding yet another high-performance storage solution in its complete USB 3.0 lineup. With the actual transfer rates reaching up to 140 MB/s, NH03 takes data transfer performance on external HDD to a whole new level.
The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface on the sleek-looking NH03 3.5" external hard drive is designed to deliver exceptional data transfer rates that was never seen on hard drives. With the addition of built-in TurboHDD USB software, the transfer performance is further accelerated, reaching up to 140 MB/s based on real-world test results. Users will able to experience a significant performance upgrade of at least 400% in terms of transfer speed compared to devices with conventional USB 2.0 interface. Meanwhile, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is backward compatible with previous versions for greater flexibility and convenience in daily computing use.
The SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface on the sleek-looking NH03 3.5" external hard drive is designed to deliver exceptional data transfer rates that was never seen on hard drives. With the addition of built-in TurboHDD USB software, the transfer performance is further accelerated, reaching up to 140 MB/s based on real-world test results. Users will able to experience a significant performance upgrade of at least 400% in terms of transfer speed compared to devices with conventional USB 2.0 interface. Meanwhile, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 is backward compatible with previous versions for greater flexibility and convenience in daily computing use.
TechPowerUp Announces GPU-Z 0.4.4, PowerColor GPU-Z Giveaway
TechPowerUp announced version 0.4.4 of GPU-Z, the popular graphics sub-system information, diagnostics, and monitoring utility. The standalone app provides all the information you need about the installed graphics cards, and real-time monitoring of their clock-speeds, fan-speeds, voltages, temperatures, and even video memory, and GPU usage (on supported models). Version 0.4.4 packs a number of feature and stability updates, including support for new GPUs such as NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460, GT 330, GT 315, and ION2; ATI Radeon HD 5670 (Juniper), Mobility HD 5430, 4100, etc. A more complete list is given below.
With GPU-Z 0.4.4, TechPowerUp and PowerColor join hands for the PowerColor Hardware Giveaway. Spanning a period of two months, we will be giving away some groovy PowerColor graphics cards to six lucky winners (three each month). Simply fill out the form in the "PowerColor Giveaway" tab of GPU-Z 0.4.4 to participate. Up for grabs are two PowerColor PCS+ Radeon HD 5870; two PowerColor PCS+ Radeon HD 5850; and PowerColor Vortex HD 5770 (one each month). For all relevant-details, rules and regulations, visit the link in the PowerColor Giveaway tab. For a discussion related to this giveaway, visit this page.
DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.4.4
Detailed list of changes for GPU-Z 0.4.4 follows.
With GPU-Z 0.4.4, TechPowerUp and PowerColor join hands for the PowerColor Hardware Giveaway. Spanning a period of two months, we will be giving away some groovy PowerColor graphics cards to six lucky winners (three each month). Simply fill out the form in the "PowerColor Giveaway" tab of GPU-Z 0.4.4 to participate. Up for grabs are two PowerColor PCS+ Radeon HD 5870; two PowerColor PCS+ Radeon HD 5850; and PowerColor Vortex HD 5770 (one each month). For all relevant-details, rules and regulations, visit the link in the PowerColor Giveaway tab. For a discussion related to this giveaway, visit this page.
Detailed list of changes for GPU-Z 0.4.4 follows.
TechPowerUp and ASUS Hardware Giveaway Results for June 2010 Announced
Presenting the winners of the final month of the ASUS and TechPowerUp GPU-Z Contest 2010 (for the period of June, 2010). Announced today, are six lucky winners who win some rad ASUS Republic of Gamers and ASUS lifestyle products in the GPU-Z giveaway. This month's winners and prizes are as follows:
TechPowerUp wishes to thank ASUSTek for making the contest a huge success.
- Michael from the United States wins ASUS ROG Matrix HD 5870 graphics card
- Martin from Austria wins ASUS ROG Rampage II Extreme motherboard
- Graham from Australia wins ASUS 23" LCD Screen
- ASUS Blu-Ray DVDROM was won by:
o Jason from Malaysia
o Russel from the United States
o Koen from The Netherlands
TechPowerUp wishes to thank ASUSTek for making the contest a huge success.
NZXT Debuts Sentry LXE High Performance Fan Controller with Intuitive Touch Screen
NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce the Sentry LXE, a high performance external fan controller with an intuitive touch screen. Its unique patent-pending PCI card interface desktop design allows effortless control without having to reach underneath the desk to configure the settings. Some of the additional advanced features include:
Intuitive Touch Screen LCD - Advanced, touch screen LCD displays temperatures in C/F, RPMs, along with the date, time, and day of the week. Users have the ability to switch the display off for complete darkness for more immersive gaming sessions.
Intuitive Touch Screen LCD - Advanced, touch screen LCD displays temperatures in C/F, RPMs, along with the date, time, and day of the week. Users have the ability to switch the display off for complete darkness for more immersive gaming sessions.
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