BitFenix Colossus Review

Review Cases

BitFenix may be a new brand but their first product has landed. The Colossus case is so large that you simply cannot miss it. It is packed to the rim with new and unique features, which make you wonder what we did without them before. We take an in-depth look at the retail version of this massive EATX case that goes for a very affordable 159 Euros.

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SAPPHIRE Slips in Low Cost Single Link Adapter for Eyefinity

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btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 13:12 Discuss (21 Comments)

Recognising the demand for a lower cost solution to using the DisplayPort output for a third monitor in ATI Eyefinity mode on its HD 5000 series cards, SAPPHIRE Technology has just introduced a DisplayPort to Single Link DVI adapter.

Eyefinity mode requires the third monitor to be either a DisplayPort (DP) monitor or a monitor connected with an active adapter to synchronise the signals for a DVI or HDMI monitor. Earlier active DP to Dual Link DVI adapters were considered to be too expensive by many users who did not need ultra high resolution.

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Samsung Unveils First 16GB ‘Very Low Profile’ Module in IBM’s Newest Blade Server

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btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 12:23 Discuss (1 Comment)

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced today that it will demonstrate for the first time a 16-Gigabyte (GB), very low profile (VLP) memory module at the VM World 2010 in an IBM H22V blade server, running on Intel Xeon 5600-series processors.

Based on 4-gigabit (Gb), 40 nanometer (nm)-class DDR3, the new modules use 18 4Gb dual-die packaged (DDP) chips, and operate on 1.35 volts of electrical current. The 16GB 40nm-class DDR3 memory provides a powerful green solution, consuming 70 percent less power than four 4GB DDR3 modules and over 40 percent less than two 8GB modules, in setting a new "standard" for lower power consumption in servers. The module's very low profile (18.75 mm high) allows it to be used in extremely compact blade servers.

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Intel Halves Price of Core i7 950, Introduces New Chips

btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 09:46 Discuss (40 Comments)

As predicted back in June, Intel has introduced a series of price cuts for a wide range of PC processors. The most notable of these is a 47.6% cut in the price of the Intel Core i7 950 quad-core processor, from US $562 to $294. This heats up competition severely in the $250~$300 bracket with Intel-AMD competition as well as competition among Intel processors of various platforms. In this bracket, you will now find the Core i7 860 priced at $283, Core i7 870 and Core i7 930 at $289; and now Core i7 950 at $294, quite a mix danger-close to each other. If you add AMD to the concoction, the six-core Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition is going for $290. If you're a high-end dual-core fan, Intel has Core i5 670 for you at $299. In addition to this, Intel released some new chips that include Core i3 560 at $138, Pentium Dual Core E6800 at US$86, and Celeron E3500 at $53.

A-Data Introduces XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1333G Low Voltage Memory

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btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 08:44 Discuss (1 Comment)

ADATA Technology, the worldwide leading manufacturer in high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash application products, today introduced its new XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1333G low voltage memory, designed for gaming enthusiasts who adopt Intel X58, P55, H55 and H57 motherboards, and for HTPC applications. The XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1333G low voltage memory offers cooler operation and lower power consumption with only 1.35V and CL9-9-9-24 timing for demanding environments, enabling eco-friendly personal computers to perform at high speeds and great stability.

"Environmental sustainability is an important principle to us at ADATA, therefore we developed XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1333G low voltage memory, since energy efficiency equates to reduced CO2 emission." said Alex Wu, Project Manager of ADATA Product Management Division. "By utilizing XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1333G low voltage memory, gaming enthusiasts can help to minimize their carbon footprint, saving money on electricity costs, and achieve the right balance of gaming system performance and stability."

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Corsair Launches High Performance USB Headset for Gamers

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btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 07:51 Discuss (20 Comments)

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the launch of their inaugural audio product, the Gaming Audio Series HS1 USB gaming headset. This noise-isolating headset offers long-term playing comfort and immersive multi-channel audio, with massive 50mm drivers and a carefully tuned acoustical design optimized not only for gaming, but for movies and music as well.

The HS1 is loaded with features designed to optimize your gaming experience. The 50mm drivers provide more accurate sound reproduction and far lower distortion than is produced by smaller, more typical drivers. The circumaural, closed-back design helps reject ambient noise and keeps you in the game, even in high-distraction environments like LAN parties. Replaceable memory foam ear pads provide a reliable, comfortable fit that conforms to the shape of your head without binding or pinching. The uni-directional noise-cancelling microphone on an adjustable boom enables clear, low-noise voice chat. The end result is a headset that simply provides a superior gaming experience.

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ViewSonic Unveils ViewPad 7, World's First 7'' Android Tablet

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btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 07:34 Discuss (7 Comments)

The ViewPad 7 is a world's first 7" Android 2.2 (Froyo) tablet with phone functionality, multi-tasking capabilities and front and back-facing cameras, VGA and 3MP, resolutions respectively. Within a lightweight, pocket-sized design, this device is ideal for anyone who needs a mobile connection to the world via email and video and wants to enjoy a wide-range of applications.

With full 3G and phone functionality, a full size SIM card slot and integrated Bluetooth connectivity the ViewPad 7 will support instant messaging, text/mms messaging, VOIP and standard voice calls all in a single device. It features an easy to use familiar interface with a G-sensor that reorients the screen depending on how the device is held and access to the Google Android app store featuring over 100,000 applications.

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Arctic Intros Accelero Xtreme Plus VGA Cooler, Supports GF100-based Graphics Cards

btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 07:14 Discuss (19 Comments)

Arctic Cooling silently introduced the Accelero Xtreme Plus VGA cooler. Built as an extension of the same essential design of the Accelero Xtreme, the Accelero Xtreme Plus supports the latest NVIDIA GF100-based graphics cards, such as GeForce GTX 480, GTX 470, GTX 465. The main heatsink is designed to handle thermal loads of up to 250W. The cooler is also compatible with the mounting plates of older some Accelero models that give it compatibility with other popular GPUs, importantly support for Radeon HD 5000 and GeForce 9/GTS 200 series with the VR001 mounting kit.

The main heatsink consists of a copper-made GPU contact base from which five heat pipes convey heat to two blocks of aluminum fins that are cooled by three 92 mm fans. A patented cooler shroud design works to dampen noise generated by the three fans. The three fans spin at speeds between 800 and 2,000 rpm. The heatsink measures 290 L x 104 W x 56 H mm, weighing 622 g. Included in the package apart from the main heatsink are heatsinks for the memory chips and VRM. The Arctic Accelero Xtreme Plus is priced at US$ 65.95 or 54,95 €.

Samsung Intros 27-inch Full-HD Monitor with 1 ms Response Time

btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 06:24 Discuss (13 Comments)

Samsung Japan recently added to its lineup, a 27-inch full-HD monitor with a blazing-fast response time of 1 ms. The new Samsung P2770FH makes use of a TN film panel with a matte screen. It features a piano black frame. Apart from the 1920 x 1080 pixels native resolution and 1 ms response time, the panel features a contrast ratio of 1,000:1 (70,000:1 DCR), and maximum brightness of 300 cd/m². Display inputs include DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub. Samsung did not give out a price yet, but one can expect it to be on the higher side.

Colorful Unveils GeForce GTX 460 iGame Graphics Card

btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 06:09 Discuss (49 Comments)

Colorful has come up with beastly-looking GeForce GTX 460 graphics card, that makes use of a shark-inspired GPU cooler design, coupled with an equally capable VRM design to facilitate a core clock speed of 900 MHz (vs. 675 MHz reference). The Colorful iGame GTX 460 custom-design PCB of the card makes use of a 6+1 phase VRM, with voltage-measure points. With two BIOS EEPROM chips installed, a switch allows users to choose between the two BIOS chips when the system is powered down. Apart from helping maintain two clock and fan profiles, the feature protects against overly-ambitious BIOS modifications by adding some redundancy. Apart from 900 MHz (core), the CUDA cores are clocked at 1800 MHz, and the memory at 1050 MHz (4200 MHz effective).

The cooler makes use of aggressive-looking shroud design that is inspired from shark-fins. Underneath it is a dense aluminum fin array that sits right on top of the GPU. The GPU base has four 8 mm thick heat pipes that make direct contact with the GPU. Two of these heat pipes convey the heat to the main aluminum fin array, and two to a smaller aluminum fin array that is positioned right on top of the VRM area. A backplate decks up the reverse side of the PCB. Colorful will release this card to the Asian market in September.

More pictures follow:

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MSI Readies GeForce GTX 460 1 GB HAWK Graphics Card

btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 05:24 Discuss (4 Comments)

MSI is readying its newest non-reference graphics card based on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 GPU, the overclocker-friendly N460GTX HAWK 1 GB. This is MSI's second non-reference design after the N460GTX Cyclone series. It features a beefier VRM that facilitates overclocking close to (or over) 25% of the reference speeds. The card is cooled by MSI's well known Twin-Frozr II GPU cooler. The cooler is claimed by the company to reduce temperatures by as much as 18°C and run 15.7% quieter compared to NVIDIA reference cooler.

Under the hood is a VRM that makes use of a 7+1 phase design with MSI's Solid State Chokes (SSCs), which don't give out high-pitched noise (translating into energy loss) during load. The SSCs are backed by high-C capacitors. The clock speeds out of the box are 780 MHz (core), 1560 MHz (CUDA core), and 900/3600 effective MHz (memory). Like most other 1 GB GTX 460 cards, it features 336 CUDA cores, and a 256-bit wide memory interface. A copy of Assassins' Creed II game is bundled. MSI's N460GTX HAWK will release later this week, priced at €226.

EVGA Intros Affordable X58 SLI3 Motherboard

btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 03:51 Discuss (15 Comments)

EVGA released its newest socket LGA1366 motherboard, the EVGA X58 SLI3 (model: 131-GT-E767-TR). This model completes EVGA's lineup of new LGA1366 motherboards that pack USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s support, other models include the EVGA X58 FTW3 and EVGA X58 Classified3. Among the three, the X58 SLI3 is the most affordable, and targets a sub-$200 price point. The model and its overall design are derived from the X58 SLI, but with 2-port USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s controllers.

The LGA1366 socket is powered by a 6-phase VRM, it's wired to six DDR3 DIMM slots for triple-channel memory support. The motherboard supports all released Intel Core i7 LGA1366 processors, including the six-core models, out of the box. Expansion slots include one PCI-Express 2.0 x16, two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x8), two PCI-E x1, and one PCI. 2-way and 3-way SLI are supported. Apart from the six SATA 3 Gb/s ports from the ICH10R southbridge, there are two SATA 6 Gb/s ports (color coded red). Connectivity includes 8-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, two USB 3.0 and a number of USB 2.0 ports. The EVGA X58 SLI3 is listed on the company's store, at US $199.99.

Toshiba Launches 24 nm Process NAND Flash Memory

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btarunr

Aug 31st, 2010 02:11 Discuss (0 Comments)

Toshiba Corporation, reinforcing its leadership in the development and fabrication of cutting-edge, high density NAND flash memories, has announced that it today started mass production of NAND flash memories fabricated with 24nm*1 process technology. This latest technology advance has already been applied to 2bit-per-cell 64-gigabit (Gb) chips that are the world's smallest and offer the highest density on a single chip (8 gigabytes (GB))*2, and which are available from today. Toshiba will also add 32Gb and 3bit per cell products fabricated with the 24nm process technology to its product line-up.

Toshiba leads the industry in fabricating high density, small die size NAND flash memory chips. Application of the 24nm generation process technology will further shrink chip size, allowing Toshiba to boost productivity and bring further enhancements to high density, small sized products. The 24nm process products are also equipped with Toggle DDR, which enhances data transfer speed.

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Gigabyte Officially Releases Radeon HD 5770 Silent Cell Graphics Card

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btarunr

Aug 30th, 2010 15:57 Discuss (9 Comments)

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards today is pleased to launch the latest in-house designed GIGABYTE GV-R577SL-1GD, featuring GIGABYTE's own Ultra Durable VGA Technology and silent-cell cooling design. GIGABYTE's GV-R577SL-1GD is built on the highly anticipated ATI Radeon HD 5770 Series GPU, which utilizes the latest 826 million transistors on 40nm fabrication process and GDDR5 memory. GIGABYTE GV-R577SL-1GD is equipped with Microsoft DirectX 11, ATI Eyefinity Technology, ATI Stream technology, ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU support, UVD 2 and PowerPlay, setting a new standard for HD gaming performance.

The GIGABYTE GV-R577SL-1GD features GIGABYTE's own Ultra Durable VGA Technology, which can provide outstanding overclocking capability, lower GPU temperature, and excellent power efficiency. GIGABYTE's unique technology Ultra Durable VGA features 2 oz copper PCB board, Samsung and Hynix memory, Japanese solid capacitor, Ferrite /Metal Core Chokes, and Low RDS (on) MOSFET. Compared with traditional graphics accelerators, Ultra Durable VGA graphics accelerators can lower GPU temperature by 5%~10%, decrease power switching loss by 10%~30%, and increase overclocking capability by 10%~30%. GIGABYTE Ultra Durable VGA graphics accelerator GV-R577SL-1GD can provide truly "high-performance" and "green" graphic card solutions.

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Lucid Introduces UNITY Graphics Board Architecture to Make HYDRA Accessible to All

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btarunr

Aug 30th, 2010 13:05 Discuss (28 Comments)

Today LucidLogix Technologies (Lucid) announced its arming video card manufacturers with the new Unity graphics board architecture for the HYDRALOGIX engine (previously known as HYDRA). Now graphics board vendors for the first time can combine a single HYDRALOGIX 200 real time distributed processor with any single NVIDIA or ATI GPU, creating an affordable, flexible multi-GPU-ready graphics card that can make any motherboard a high performance gaming system.

Gamers and high performance PC enthusiasts will have even more options to configure multi-GPU systems, which until recently were limited to vendor-exclusive architectures or HYDRALOGIX equipped motherboards. And mainstream graphics users can now buy even a $99 graphics card and upgrade their system in the future with the brand graphics card of their choice.

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AMD Intros Affordable DP-DVI Active Adapter for Eyefinity Users

btarunr

Aug 30th, 2010 12:47 Discuss (16 Comments)

AMD rolled out a reference-design DisplayPort to DVI active adapter today, that lets the masses create Eyefinity setups on existing monitors easier. The adapter plugs into full-sized and mini DisplayPort connectors on ATI Radeon graphics cards, and gives out a single-link DVI signal. The conversion between DP to DVI is active, and conserves video quality, as well as other features such as content protection. This is because when Eyefinity-ready graphics cards with DisplayPorts from AMD came to be, some manufacturers sold cheap $10 DP-DVI dongles that pass DVI signals from the DP directly (passive conversion). Such dongles more often don't work, because Radeon GPUs don't give out DVI signals from DP. Active adapters (those which actively convert DP signals to DVI) were sold at the time in upwards of $100.

AMD has managed to bring the price of such active adapters down to $30. There however, is a limitation. The output is a single-link DVI, meaning that it will support digital resolutions only up to 1920 x 1200 @ 60 Hz (1080p is supported). It shouldn't matter for the target users, because the DisplayPort on ATI Radeon HD 5000 graphics cards conveys only one TMDS link, so even with a DVI dual-link capable adapter, it would only give out single-link output. At least a bulk of the users are covered, at a very affordable price point. AMD will market this adapter directly, and through its growing network of add-in board partners (in bundles with graphics cards, or directly). PowerColor beat AMD to today's announcement, and released PowerColor-branded AMD-reference DP-DVI adapter last week.

July Semiconductor Sales Up 37 Percent Year-on-Year: SIA

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btarunr

Aug 30th, 2010 08:53 Discuss (0 Comments)

Global sales of semiconductors grew to $25.2 billion in July, an increase of 1.2 percent from June when sales were $24.9 billion and an increase of 37.0 percent from July 2009 when sales were $18.4 billion, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) reported today. Year to date sales total $169.2 billion, an increase of 46.7 percent from the $115.3 billion reported for the first seven months of 2009. All monthly sales numbers represent a three-month moving average.

"Worldwide sales of semiconductors were strong in July despite growing indications of slower growth in the overall economy," said SIA President Brian Toohey. "The continued proliferation of semiconductors into a broad range of products provides opportunities for industry expansion even in a period of slower overall economic growth. Although recent public statements from a number of major manufacturers have emphasized limited visibility for the near-term, we continue to expect that industry growth for 2010 will be in line with our mid-year forecast of 28.4 percent," Toohey concluded.

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Hyundai Intros T236Ld 23-inch HD Monitor in Europe

btarunr

Aug 30th, 2010 08:44 Discuss (2 Comments)

Hyundai released the T236Ld 23-inch LED-illuminated LCD monitor in Europe. Thanks to the LED backlit, the monitor sports a slimmer frame than conventional CCFL-illuminated monitors, as well as consumes lesser power, at just 27W (typical). It is EnergyStar 5.0 certified. The panel has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, 5 ms response time, 250 cd/m² maximum brightness, and dynamic contrast of 5,000,000:1. Display inputs include DVI and D-Sub. Backed by a 3-year warranty, the Hyundai T236Ld is priced at €205.

Asetek Demos Water Cooling Solution Tailor-Made for Apple Mac Pro

btarunr

Aug 30th, 2010 04:51 Discuss (26 Comments)

Cooling specialist Asetek, which specializes in OEM water cooling solutions, has come up with a new CPU water cooling solution for the Apple Mac Pro workstation, which claims to bring down temperatures and noise of the stock heatsink-fan assembly. The cooler design is straightforward: two CPU waterblocks that have built-in pumps sit serial across a coolant loop that connects to a reservoir and radiator. The tubing is pre-fitted. In a video demonstration, Asetek showed how the cooling solution facilitates improved overall system performance and reduced noise overall of a 3.06 GHz Mac Pro compared to a 3.20 GHz model. Perhaps Asetek is pitching this new solution to Apple.

Intel to Acquire Infineon's Wireless Solutions Business

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btarunr

Aug 30th, 2010 04:38 Discuss (9 Comments)

Infineon Technologies AG and Intel Corporation have entered into a definitive agreement to transfer Infineon's Wireless Solutions (WLS) business to Intel in a cash transaction valued at approximately $1.4 billion.

WLS, a leading provider of cellular platforms to top tier global phone makers, will operate as a standalone business serving its existing customers. WLS will also contribute to Intel's strategy to make connected computing ubiquitous from smartphones to laptops to embedded computing.

"The global demand for wireless solutions continues to grow at an extraordinary rate," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO. "The acquisition of Infineon's WLS business strengthens the second pillar of our computing strategy -- Internet connectivity -- and enables us to offer a portfolio of products that covers the full range of wireless options from Wi-Fi and 3G to WiMAX and LTE. As more devices compute and connect to the Internet, we are committed to positioning Intel to take advantage of the growth potential in every computing segment, from laptops to handhelds and beyond."

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Toshiba SmartPad Officially Named Folio 100

btarunr

Aug 30th, 2010 03:21 Discuss (9 Comments)

Toshiba has decided to name its tablet which has come to be known as "SmartPad" officially as Folio 100. The Folio 100 is Toshiba's tablet device that's based on NVIDIA's Tegra 2 processor, running Android 2.2 operating system. Also revealed are its final hardware specifications, which include 10.1" touchscreen with 1024x600 pixels resolution, 2W internal speakers, 16 GB storage, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity, USB 2.0 standard and mini ports (one each), SD/MMC card slot, Opera Mobile web-browser with Adobe Flash 10.1 support, 1.3 MP webcam, and 7 hours battery life on a full-charge. Toshiba will officially announce Folio 100 at the IFA event.

ASUS GeForce GTS 450 DirectCu Spotted in the Wild

btarunr

Aug 30th, 2010 02:28 Discuss (8 Comments)

One of ASUS' first implementations of the upcoming NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 mid-range GPU, the ASUS ENGTS450 DirectCu, has been listed on a Bulgarian online store. The picture reveals a fairly long graphics card that features ASUS' popular DirectCu (direct copper) GPU heatsink assembly, which the company has used extensively on upper Mid-range thru performance graphics cards, from both its Radeon (EAH) and GeForce (EAN) product lines. From what little we can see, the card has one each of DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI connectors, one SLI connector, and a design which ASUS claims to be 20% cooler and 35% quieter than the NVIDIA reference design.

This exposé also confirms the GPU specifications we earlier reported: 40 nm core, 192 CUDA cores, 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface, and clock speeds of 783/1566/~900 (~3600 eff.) MHz (core/CUDA core/memory) speeds. The card is expected to be priced around 145 EUR before applicable taxes.

AMD Kills ATI Brand, Future Products to Feature Brand Change

btarunr

Aug 30th, 2010 02:13 Discuss (111 Comments)

This had to happen eventually, and it did just happen: AMD has dissolved the ATI brand completely, and consolidated ATI brands, such as Radeon and FirePro under the AMD main brand. Under the new branding scheme, new graphics products AMD launches (such as the upcoming Radeon HD 6000 series), will do away with "ATI" completely from the logo, marketing material, and so on, and the market will, as it already has been doing since the AMD-ATI merger, albeit informally, refer to Radeon/FirePro products as "AMD Radeon" and "AMD FirePro".

AMD explains its move as an "evolution of the AMD brand portfolio", saying that consolidation of ATI-branded products under the main brand results in reduced marketing overhead. It claims to have surveyed several thousand discrete graphics-aware users in in the U.S., U.K., Germany, China, Japan, Brazil, and Russia. The survey revealed that when made aware of ATI-AMD merger, AMD preference triples; AMD brand is stronger than ATI (against graphics competitors); and that people see Radeon and FirePro product names more conspicuous than ATI, indicating a "permission" to consolidate ATI into AMD. The survey was conducted entirely by AMD.

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Mach Xtreme Armor 1600 MHz CL8 4GB Kit Review

Review Memory

Mach Xtreme is a new player, but their complete line-up of memory, SSDs and their USB 3.0 flash drive made some real waves. We are taking a look at the Armor 1600 MHz CL8 dual channel kit, which comes equipped with Xigmatek heat spreaders. Will its shell withstand our barrage of benchmarks or are we able to chip its armor?

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Point of View Announces the Fastest GeForce GTX 460: TGT BEAST

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btarunr

Aug 27th, 2010 15:39 Discuss (20 Comments)

Point of View, the leading European manufacturer of an exclusive range NVIDIA based 3D processor boards, advanced netbooks as well as fancy touchpad computers and additional enthusiast PC products, announces today that first products of the upcoming advanced POV/TGT "BEAST" product line already started shipping into the European channel three weeks ahead of schedule. POV/TGT GeForce GTX 460 "BEAST" products are of highest quality and feature rock solid stability even beyond the documented clock settings of 855 MHz core clock, 1710 MHz shader clock and 4020 MHz memory clock (1005 MHz times 4 due to GDDR-5).

All of the POV/TGT GeForce GTX 460 "BEAST" products are hand selected and manually tuned with a proprietarily tuning algorithm developed by TGT's highly skilled hard- and software engineering team in Germany. Frankly speaking, TGT tuning is "Made in Germany". Finally all of the POV/TGT GeForce GTX 460 "BEAST" products are verified with a comprehensive burn-in procedure to assure highest customer satisfaction.

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Fujitsu Announces LifeBook AH530 GFX, Provides High Graphic Performance

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btarunr

Aug 27th, 2010 09:24 Discuss (7 Comments)

Fujitsu today introduces a new model of the LIFEBOOK AH530 featuring an external graphics card with dedicated 1GB video memory. This completes Fujitsu's line-up for the all-round notebook segment, with a choice of models to meet every need. The LIFEBOOK AH530 GFX is designed for users working with demanding graphics, pictures and video applications, combining high performance and a slim and stylish notebook package at a competitive price.

LIFEBOOK AH530 GFX model users will experience the power of external graphics for demanding graphics applications and video, thanks to the on-board ATI Mobility Radeon HD550v graphics with a dedicated 1GB video memory. Users can choose between a Blu-ray Disc drive or a DVD-drive, and LIFEBOOK AH530 GFX models are equipped with the new Intel Core processors that deliver smart performance adapted to user needs, for a faster and more responsive user experience.

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Thermaltake Launches Jing Silent CPU Cooler

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btarunr

Aug 27th, 2010 09:18 Discuss (56 Comments)

Thermaltake, leading DIY thermal solutions brand, launch their latest CPU air-cooler specifically developed for silent operation while maintaining a maximum of cooling efficiency, the Thermaltake Jing. Its name is derived from the Chinese, representing "Silence" and carrying with it the concepts of comfort, excellence and exquisiteness. The universal socket support makes it compatible to all computer processors currently available on the market. With a maximum cooling capacity of up to 200W and an almost un-audible noise level of 16 dBA at a fan speed of 800 RPM, the Jing CPU cooler is the ideal solution for noise sensitive users expecting uncompromising performance.

Unlike traditional up-side-down air flow designs, the Jing utilizes a tower side-flow design to optimize cooling performance. To attain maximum cooling performance, Thermaltake's Jing adopts 5 Φ6mm high-efficiency heat-pipes conducting heat from the Nickel coated mirror base directly into the cooling tower which is made of 41 0.5 mm thick specially designed aluminum fins to increase the overall thermal dissipation area. The two preinstalled extra silent 120 mm VR fans can be manually adjusted between 800RPM and 1300RPM according to differing user needs. Through their inhale-exhaust reverse fan design a greater airflow is achieved resulting in enhanced thermal performance.

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PowerColor Slips in Pair of Cost-Effective Radeon HD 5800 Series Graphics Cards

btarunr

Aug 27th, 2010 09:03 Discuss (18 Comments)

Without making too much noise, PowerColor introduced a pair of new cost-effective ATI Radeon HD 5800 series graphics cards, the PowerColor HD 5830 V2 (AX5830 1GBD5-DHV2), and PowerColor HD 5850 (AX5850 1GBD5- DH). The two are based on a new common PCB design that's shorter (10.4"), and uses a cost-effective component layout. The cooler also keeps up, it is more compact, and has a simpler heat pipe-based design. Both cards stick to the AMD reference clock speeds: 725/1000 MHz (core/memory) for the HD 5850, and 800/1000 MHz (core/memory) for the HD 5830. As far as connectivity goes, the HD 5830 V2 lacks one DVI. While PowerColor did not give out pricing details of these two cards, one can expect these to be priced on the lower side, with much more flexibility for the company to lower the prices further down in the future.

Viking Modular Solutions Unveils First Solid State Drive in DIMM Form-Factor

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btarunr

Aug 27th, 2010 08:37 Discuss (15 Comments)

Viking Modular Solutions, a division of Sanmina-SCI Corporation, and leading manufacturer of innovative DRAM modules and flash solutions, today announced that its SATADIMM is available for immediate customer qualification. SATADIMM is the first of its kind - an Enterprise Class SATA II Solid State Drive (SSD) in an industry-standard DDR3 240-pin DIMM form factor - that is available to the mass market. This technology allows users to significantly increase the capacity and storage performance of their existing server, storage or cloud computing solutions. It also allows systems designers new options and greater flexibility when creating new server design.

The SATADIMM offers a high performance and high availability solid state drive in the DDR3 240-pin DIMM form-factor (JEDEC MO-269). By adding SATA to an existing DDR3 DIMM socket, Viking Modular has delivered the performance and power savings desired from an SSD at a fraction of the space required to house a typical 2.5" SSD. This cost-effective solution provides dramatically increased capacity and performance.

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Commodore USA Resurrecting C64 Using Modern ULPC Hardware

btarunr

Aug 27th, 2010 05:44 Discuss (47 Comments)

Commodore USA, has decided to pay its tributes to the iconic Commodore64 computer system, and is designing a modern PC using the same exact name (and reportedly the same design). This comes at a time when the ULPC industry is booming with netbooks, nettops, and ULV barebones manufacturers experiencing good sales. The new Commodore64 is built using the NVIDIA ION2 technology, making use of an Intel Atom D525 1.80 GHz dual-core processor, NVIDIA ION2 GPU, 4 GB of DDR3 memory, 1 TB of storage, a Blu-ray disc drive, 6-in-1 memory card reader, and connectivity that includes Bluetooth, WiFi b/g/n, and gigabit Ethernet, with display outputs that include DVI and HDMI. Commodore USA did not reveal pricing or availability, though in all probability, it could be positioned for the holiday shopping season. Dear Santa,.

Icy Dock Intros Space-Maximizing 1x 5.25'' to 4x 2.5'' Bay Enclosure

btarunr

Aug 27th, 2010 05:32 Discuss (13 Comments)

Icy Dock released a handy enclosure that makes room for four 2.5" SATA or SAS HDDs/SSDs inside a 5.25" drive bay. The Icy Dock MB994SP-4S enclosure provides the four 2.5" bays with doors and trays that make loading and unloading the drives inside easy. Internally, the enclosure relays four SATA or SAS connections to the ports at the back (from which they can be individually connected to the system's storage controller, while power is drawn in from two Molex connectors. Each tray has its own drive activity indicator. Cooling is care of two 40 mm fans on its rear side. Measuring 6.7" x 5.75 x 1.63", the enclosure is the size of most 5.25" optical drives, and is designed to fit in almost every case with a 5.25" bay. Icy Dock did not give out pricing or availability details yet.

Acer Aspire One D255 Netbook Goes on Sale

btarunr

Aug 27th, 2010 05:13 Discuss (9 Comments)

Acer's first netbook based on the new Intel Atom N550 dual-core processor, the Aspire One D255 went on sale, priced at US $399. The 10.1-inch netbook has a display with 1024 x 600 pixels resolution, making use of the 1.5 GHz dual-core HTT-enabled processor with 1 GB of DDR3 memory, integrated graphics, and 250 GB of storage. Connectivity features include 10/100 Ethernet, and WiFi b/g/n. Other features include a 4-in-1 memory card reader, multigesture touchpad, and a 6-cell battery that ensures 8 hours of operation. Windows 7 Starter comes pre-installed. The D255 comes with four color options: red, black, Aquamarine, and Sandstone.

VisionTek Launches The CandyBoard Wireless Mini Keyboard

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btarunr

Aug 27th, 2010 03:37 Discuss (9 Comments)

VisionTek Products, LLC today announced the North American launch of the CandyBoard their wireless mini keyboard with integrated touch pad, with plug & play 2.4GHz frequency USB dongle. The keyboard is slightly bigger than the classic American candy bar and complements your collection of typical home remote controls. It features 69 keys and a "capacitive-sensing" touchpad that's comparable to a real notebook touchpad, which eliminates the need for a separate mouse. The media center PC is becoming the in-home library for movie storage and play back, creating a need for smaller and more efficient remote navigation. The VisionTek CandyBoard features backlit LEDs keys to use in low-light environments, making it a perfect complement to any home theater PC or family room game console.

The VisionTek CandyBoard is the perfect HTPC accessory and offers full Windows Media compatibility. "The integration between your home computer and your television entertainment system creates a need for more mobile and user-friendly peripherals." Stated, Mark Bilson, VP of Sales. "Web based content has ballooned in the last year and only promises to explode in the next decade. I can honestly envision a CandyBoard in every family room across America." In addition to compatibility with the PC, the VisionTek CandyBoard is fully compatible with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. The need for text and search capabilities in the console environment is magnified, as more web based content becomes readily available via these platforms. Compatibility doesn't stop with the PC and console, the CandyBoard is also compatible with Mac systems and Linux based environments too.

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ATI Radeon HD 6000 Series GPU Codenames Surface

btarunr

Aug 26th, 2010 17:39 Discuss (53 Comments)

Even as NVIDIA is taking its own sweet time to complete building its lineup of DirectX 11 compliant GPUs to target all market segments, AMD, which got a 6 months' headstart into releasing its lineup, which ended up targeting all market segments in a span of 5 months, is readying the Radeon HD 6000 series for launch well within this year. Just as the Radeon HD 5000 series GPU family was codenamed Evergreen with its members codenamed after evergreen trees (such as Cypress, Juniper, Redwood, Cedar), the Radeon HD 6000 is codenamed "Southern Islands", with its members codenamed after islands in the Caribbean (not islands in the Mediterranean).

"Bart" (after Saint Barthélemy island) is the codename for the performance/upper-mid segment GPU, a successor to the "Juniper" Radeon HD 5700 series. "Cayman" (after Cayman Islands) is the enthusiast GPU, successor to Cypress, and will go into making SKUs that succeed the Radeon HD 5800 series. Finally, the king of the hill is codenamed "Antilles" (after Antilles Islands), it is the dual-GPU SKU that makes use of two Cayman GPUs, successor to the Radeon HD 5970 "Hemlock". AMD partners will be in a position to sell graphics cards based on these by November 2010. The Radeon HD 6970 "Antilles" should be out by December 2010. The lower-half of the family will likely release next year.

GeForce GTS 450 CUDA Core Count, Clock Speed Surfaces

btarunr

Aug 26th, 2010 17:12 Discuss (18 Comments)

Well placed sources seem to have finally pieced together specifications of NVIDIA's GeForce GTS 450 graphics card, the company's mid-range offering that competes with ATI Radeon HD 5700 series products. In the run up to this, we've come across reports showing that the SKU is based on a GPU codenamed GF106, then we came across NVIDIA reference design PCB drawings, followed by clock speeds, and finally, pictures of the GPU itself revealing quite a bit about the die size. The most recent report affirms the specs we know till now, plus revealed the CUDA core count, which is 192. The CUDA cores are clocked at 1566 MHz, and that the memory is clocked at 902 MHz (3608 MHz effective).

So as a quick recap of the tech specs of the GeForce GTS 450, it's based on the new 40 nm GF106 silicon, the die area is roughly 240 mm². The GPU has 192 CUDA cores, and a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface holding 1 GB of memory. The core is clocked at 789 MHz, and memory at 902 MHz (3608 MHz effective), translating into 57.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth, CUDA cores at 1566 MHz. It supports 2-way SLI, and gives you access to the latest PC graphics technologies, including support for DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.x, along with support for a wide range of NVIDIA-exclusive technologies. NVIDIA's GeForce GTS 450 will be released by mid-September.

Samsung Expands Monitor Line-up with 90 and 30 Series Monitors with HDTV Tuners

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btarunr

Aug 26th, 2010 13:12 Discuss (17 Comments)

Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Corporation, the number one worldwide brand of LCD display products, today announced two new lines of multi-function monitors (MFMs) offering consumers a computer monitor and HDTV in one. Ranging from 21.5 to 24 inches, the 30 and 90 display series allow viewers to switch easily from work to play with enhanced picture quality all in one space-saving device.

"People are looking to do more in smaller areas and multi-function monitors are a great way to maximize the functionality of a single device," said Young Bae, director of display marketing Samsung Enterprise Business Division. "Samsung continues to expand our multi-function offerings and these two new lines - the 30 and 90 series - provide a new range of options and value for our customers."

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Zotac Releases First Intel CULV-Powered Mini-PC and Mini-ITX Platforms

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btarunr

Aug 26th, 2010 13:00 Discuss (3 Comments)

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today revolutionizes the award-winning ION platform with the processing power of Intel consumer low-voltage, or CULV, processors for new platforms with superior performance capabilities while maintaining class-leading energy-efficiency. The new ZOTAC ION platforms powered by Intel CULV processors include the new ZBOX HD-ND22, HD-NS21 mini-PCs, ION-ITX N series and ION-ITX P series mini-ITX platforms.

An Intel Celeron SU2300 processor powers the ZOTAC ZBOX HD-ND22 and ION-ITX P series with dual-cores clocked at 1.3 GHz for multi-threaded processing power that delivers unprecedented performance levels in an energy-efficient mini-PC for demanding users. A Single-core Intel Celeron 743 processor powers ZOTAC ZBOX HD-NS21 and ION-ITX N series platforms for outstanding single-threaded CPU performance.

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ASUS Readies Slim, Stylish External DVD-Writer Drive

btarunr

Aug 26th, 2010 09:45 Discuss (2 Comments)

ASUS showed off a new compact external DVD-Writer drive, a yet to be named model that the company refers to as the "Extreme Slim External DVD-RW Drive." The drive is roughly the size of two CD cases, at 14 mm thickness. It is essentially a notebook/slim optical drive inside a sleek, gray brushed-metal enclosure that takes both power and connectivity from its USB 2.0 cable. The unit weighs 320 g. The drive writes DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD+RW at 8x, DVD-RW, double-layer DVD-R/+R at 6x, and DVD-RAM at 5x. CD-R is written at 24x, CD-RW at 16x. ASUS did not give out pricing details, yet.

Corsair Announces Retail Availability of Professional Series Gold Power Supplies

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btarunr

Aug 26th, 2010 09:07 Discuss (22 Comments)

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the general retail availability of the Professional Series Gold AX1200, AX850, and AX750 power supply units. These PSUs, which feature 80 PLUS GOLD certification, were announced and shown at Computex in Taipei, and have won numerous accolades since then.

"The response of early users and reviewers to the Professional Series Gold PSUs has been phenomenal," stated Ruben Mookerjee, VP and General Manager of Components at Corsair. "We have been working overtime to meet the demand for this ultra-efficient, fully modular PSU, and are thrilled to announce that these highly anticipated products are now widely available from Corsair's retailers."

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Team Launches the 32 GB Smart Class2 microSDHC Card

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btarunr

Aug 26th, 2010 08:49 Discuss (3 Comments)

The unlimited games and applications for Smartphone mobiles and Tablet PC have escalated the demand for high-capacity memory cards. To meet the market demand, Team officially launches the ultrahigh capacity 32GB Class2 microSDHC memory cards for consumers to have more fun with their Smartphone and ease all worries about storage for photography and filming.

In addition to ultrahigh capacity, the Team 32GB Class2 microSDHC integrates the latest and the most reliable technologies. Apart from the standard hardware write protection switch, it is equipped with the error checking and correcting (ECC) function to ensure data storage without error. The extra life of the genuine chips supports the frequent storage of a large amount of data.

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LaCie Announces Rikki: Tiny Metal Hard Drive Now in 1TB

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btarunr

Aug 26th, 2010 07:53 Discuss (3 Comments)

Today, LaCie announces the smallest 1TB hard drive in metal - the LaCie Rikiki Go. Measuring a mere 155cm3, its high capacity and portability make it a perfect companion for keeping your digital world close at hand. Outfitted with an embedded USB 2.0 cable, Rikiki Go connects instantly with your PC or Mac. Simply remove the cable and plug it in - you're ready to store and share your favorite media with high-speed performance. Additionally, the Rikiki Go is encased in sturdy aluminum, giving it a resilient form factor that protects your media from everyday blunders.

Rikiki Go comes with a simplified software suite for quick setup and easy-to-use backup management, enabling complete configuration in just a few clicks. It also offers USB Boost software for enhancing speeds up to 33% (Windows only). Completing the software offering, the Rikiki Go comes with an additional 10GB of Wuala Secure Online Storage.

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I-O Data Intros Pocket HDD that Copies Video from Cameras, Plays it Back on HDTVs

btarunr

Aug 26th, 2010 05:53 Discuss (5 Comments)

I-O Data Japan released the new HDPN-U500/V. This 500 GB pocket hard drive is unique in having the means to copy data (video and pictures) directly off several kinds of compatible digital video camcorders such as Sanyo Xacti, JVC Everio, or Sony Handycam camcorder, etc., using its USB 2.0 port, and being able to play it back on your TV using its HDMI port. Built in a sleek, piano-black casing, the hard drive measures 95.4 (W) x 122.5 (D) x 20.0 (H) mm, weighing around 190 g. This innovative new hard drive will ship next month at 15,330 JPY (around $180).

Cooler Master Intros USNA95 Notebook and Consumer Electronics Power Supply

btarunr

Aug 26th, 2010 05:30 Discuss (12 Comments)

Cooler Master released the USNA95, which stands for universal slim notebook adapter 95W. This is a compact notebook power brick that comes with a wide range of compatibility to most notebooks in the market, packing 9 manufacturer-specific DC connectors. The unit measures 104 x 62 x 17 mm. Apart from running/charging notebooks, USNA95 can also power USB-charged devices such as PMPs, mobile phones, and Sony PSP. Functionality aside, the USNA95 bagged this year's iF product design award. Backed by a 3-year warranty, Cooler Master's USNA95 will be available soon for around 65 EUR.

Silicon Power Announced its 32 GB Class10 SDHC Card

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btarunr

Aug 25th, 2010 15:36 Discuss (1 Comment)

Leading flash memory manufacturer Silicon Power today announce their 32GB Class10 SDHC card. It is the largest capacity according to SD3.0 specifications set by the SD Association. The card is rated Class10 featuring minimum read / write speeds of 10MB/sec which brings absolutely the best out of your digital handheld devices. Whether you are a photography enthusiast using a HD camcorder to capture your everyday amazing life or a professional photographer constantly shooting with continuous burst mode, Silicon Power's 32GB Class10 SDHC card ensures you a smooth recording experience.

With the prevalence of high definition DV and camera, high speed / capacity flash memory cards are no longer the sole domain of professionals. The miniaturization of digital devices implies that CF cards must give way to smaller storage options. Silicon Power's 32GB Class10 SDHC card features 10MB/sec transfer speed (1.6x the speed of Class6 SDHC cards) with the size of a post stamp. The 32GB capacity can store more than 10 thousands photos and records over 12hrs of video with 6 Mbps (1440x1080) resolution. Users need not to worry about insufficient storage space or slow transfer speed. Silicon Power 32GB Class10 SDHC card can let you get the most out of your HD cameras and camcorders and fully enjoy your photography or video recording experiences.

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AMD Releases ATI Catalyst 10.8 WHQL Software Suite

btarunr

Aug 25th, 2010 15:25 Discuss (122 Comments)

AMD kept up with its monthly driver update cycle, and released the ATI Catalyst 10.8 software suite. The software installs the latest WHQL-signed drivers for ATI Radeon GPUs, AMD Chipsets, and other ATI Multimedia products. The new version packs a set of game-specific performance improvements, and a few feature updates. To begin with, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead 2, and Stormrise, each got GPU configuration specific, mostly single-digit performance increments.

New features include full-support for the OpenGL ES 2.0 API, greater control over video quality by means of a checkbox control from Catalyst Control Center. This is particularly of importance, as AMD seems to have taken notes from the press coverage, such as our Video Enhancement Quality Tests. There are image-quality improvements for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, that includes anti-aliasing support. An update also claims to greatly improve overall performance of Eyefinity setups that use 4-way/Quad CrossFireX (or CrossFire involving four GPUs).

DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst 10.8 WHQL for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit

A detailed list of important updates follows.

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Huntkey Announces X7 Series 1200W Power Supply

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btarunr

Aug 25th, 2010 12:19 Discuss (28 Comments)

Together with such well-known PC hardware brands like GYGABYTE, ATI, Geil, Aerocool and Enermax, Huntkey Enterprise Group sponsors the Futuremark Global Overclocking Competition - GIGABYTE OVERHAULING 2010. As the unique authorized power supply sponsor for the Futuremark Global Overclocking Competition -- GYGABYTE OVERHAULING, Huntkey Enterprise Group removed the cover from its Huntkey X7 1200W power supply, which is dedicated to game, DIY and overclocking enthusiasts worldwide. "This is our first time to unveil X7 1200W PSU worldwide," Villa Li, Huntkey Product Manager said.

The Huntkey X7 1200W power supply supports the latest hardware configuration with high high-performance graphic cards under the Microsoft Window7 OS and fully complies with the latest industrial standards EPS12V Version 2.92 and Intel ATX12V Version 2.3. Four advanced technologies: Phase-shifted Full-bridge, Interleaved PFC, Synchronous Rectification and DC to DC Module, allows for higher efficiency, more stability and smooth operations. The 1200W rated continuous power and six +12V rails with cable management design provides superior performance.

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THX Certified Logitech Speaker System Z623 Ready to Rock the House

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btarunr

Aug 25th, 2010 08:03 Discuss (34 Comments)

For big, bold sound from your music, movies and games, Logitech unveiled the THX Certified Logitech Speaker System Z623. With this 2.1 system, you'll hear and feel immersive audio from 200 Watts (RMS) of power whether you're connecting the speakers to a PC or a TV.

"Whether you're listening to rock music, watching a Steven Spielberg flick, or playing your favorite video game, the experience is always richer when you get engrossed in the audio," said Mark Schneider, vice president and general manager of Logitech's audio business unit. "That's why we built the Logitech Speaker System Z623 - so you can lose yourself in whatever you're into. For DVD aficionados, music enthusiasts and hardcore gamers, the Z623 system delivers powerful audio for your room. And with THX certification, you know you're getting the best."

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ASUS Intros Eee PC 1015PEM, Powered by Atom N550

btarunr

Aug 25th, 2010 07:22 Discuss (17 Comments)

ASUS released its first netbook based on the Intel Atom N550 dual-core processor, the Eee PC 1015PEM. Available in red, pink, white, and black, the 1015PEM is a 10" netbook with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution. The 1.5 GHz dual-core processor that features HyperThreading is aided by 2 GB of DDR3 memory, and Intel GMA 3150 graphics. Connectivity includes 10/100 Ethernet and WiFi b/g/n. That pretty much rounds up this mid-range netbook, which is expected to be priced at 349 EUR.

PowerColor Introduces DisplayPort to Single Link DVI Adaptor to Help Eyefinity Setups

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btarunr

Aug 25th, 2010 05:43 Discuss (9 Comments)

TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, today announces an adaptor to make utilizing Eyefinity technology even easier. The PowerColor Active DisplayPort to Single-Link DVI-D adaptor, enables the multi-display ability through 3 DVI monitors.

The PowerColor Active DisplayPort to Single-Link DVI-D adaptor supports resolutions up to 1920x1200 (WUXGA) and 1080p HDTV, fully compliant to both DPCP and HDCP to ensure the full compatibility and successful transmission of video content. Furthermore, the adaptor supports up to 32-bit color depths which delivers the flexibility to meet the needs of most display applications.

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Gigabyte Intros HD 5770 Silent Cell Graphics Card

btarunr

Aug 25th, 2010 05:35 Discuss (18 Comments)

Gigabyte is readying a new passively-cooled Radeon HD 5770 graphics card called the Gigabyte HD 5770 Silent Cell, carrying model number GV-R577SL-1GD. This 100% non-reference design card is built using Gigabyte's Ultra Durable VGA technology (comprising of 2 oz copper PCB, ferrite-core chokes, Low RDS (on) MOSFETs, and binned high-performance memory chips. What's more peculiar is its large GPU cooler that covers the length and height of the card, and extends a couple of inches over the length of the card. At its end, the heatsink also extends a good couple of inches over the height of the card, some of its fins even protrude out of the rear panel. The heatsink is a densely-packed aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by four 6 mm thick heat pipes.

Cooling assembly aside, the card sticks to AMD reference clock speeds - 850 MHz core, 1200 MHz (4800 MHz effective) memory, and uses 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface. The 40 nm Juniper GPU packs 800 stream processors, and supports the latest PC graphics technologies including DirectX 11. The card can pair with up to three more of its kind for CrossFireX. Display connectivity options include one each of DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Gigabyte did not give out a price.

Rambus Sues IBM Despite USPTO Intervention

btarunr

Aug 25th, 2010 05:05 Discuss (14 Comments)

Patent troll Rambus is at it again, this time suing IBM to reverse ruling on a memory system patent dispute after the US Patent and Trademark Office intervened in an earlier case ruling that IBM's patent 2002 memory controller-related patent applications weren't infringing on its IP. Rambus maintains that US Patent Office's ruling that gave a clean chit to IBM was in error.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in the federal court in San Jose, California, Rambus said the US Patent and Trademark Office erred through a series of decisions in finding that a patent application assigned to IBM did not interfere with its own patent obtained at the end of 2002. "The board committed errors of fact and law in its orders, decisions, and judgment," Rambus said in its complaint.

Noiseblocker Updates MultiFrame Fan Design, Adds Insulating Gasket

btarunr

Aug 25th, 2010 04:41 Discuss (8 Comments)

Noiseblocker, a company that specializes in low-noise PC cooling solutions released an updated design for its MultiFrame S-Series case fans. The updated design features a gasket ring along the periphery of the frame that comes in contact with the case or radiator, that provides some insulation to the frame. Noiseblocker suggests that the new MultiFrame is best suited for water-cooling setups, for use with radiators. The new MultiFrame fans come in 120 mm and 80 mm sizes, and are priced on par with the older variants: around 20 EUR for the 120 mm, and around 15 EUR for the 80 mm size.

XFX Radeon HD 5970 Black Edition 4 GB Retail Card and Packaging Pictured

btarunr

Aug 25th, 2010 03:33 Discuss (46 Comments)

Seen on numerous occasions and teaser videos as in either its prototype form or just plain CGI drawings, XFX seems to have finally made a working, ready for release iteration of its HD 5970 Black Edition 4 GB graphics card in its wacky retail packaging, which it hype-marketed through teaser videos. TweakPC got to lay its hands on one of these limited edition packages, and went ahead un"boxing" it. The package is actually a bag meant to carry small sniper-rifles (good luck getting it through customs). Inside, the actual graphics card is enclosed inside a case shaped somewhat like a Belgian P90 submachine gun. If that wasn't enough, the magazine pockets on the bag contain accessory boxes that look like magazines.

The card itself has a redesigned cooling assembly, that looks different from what the first iteration looked like. It has grooves on its top, and a badge with a limited edition serial number. Internally, the GPUs are pushed far apart, each has its own heatsink. The fan is located in the middle, it blows air to those heatsinks located on either sides. Power is drawn in from two 8-pin PCI-E power connectors. Display connectivity includes 6 mini-DP (DVI adapters included), supporting Eyefinity6. Each GPU carries the same clock profiles as the Radeon HD 5870, 850 MHz core, 1200 MHz (4800 MHz effective) memory, but addresses 2 GB of memory each. XFX seems to have commenced selling, expect it to be priced over $1000.

Pictures of the card follow.

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ADATA Announces Availability of Nobility N004 SATA + USB 3.0 Solid State Drive

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btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 13:03 Discuss (3 Comments)

ADATA Technology, the world leader in DRAM modules and flash memory products, proudly launched the N004 2.5-inch flash drive, equipped with both USB 3.0 and SATA II interfaces. The N004 is truly an outstanding work of art that differs from conventional portable storage devices.

Re-defining the perception of advanced portable drives, the N004 adopts a 2.5-inch plush aluminum case, and the super-size storage capacity runs to 256GB. Moreover, the USB 3.0 and SATA II dual interface supports both SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and SATA standards. Adoption of 8-channel technology allows the N004 to outperform normal flash drives in delivering blazing transfer rates, up to 200 MB/s and 170 MB/s in sequential read/write performance respectively.

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New ASUS N Series Laptops and SonicMaster Propel Laptop Audio to a New Level

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btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 11:59 Discuss (4 Comments)

Developed in conjunction with Bang & Olufsen ICEpower, the ASUS SonicMaster standard delivers the most advanced multimedia features available for laptop PCs. The new N Series from ASUS is the first ever range of laptops to address the problem of sub-standard audio on portable PCs. Two new Intel Core i5 models are available, 15.6" and 17.3" screens, and both combine superior audio technology with eye-catching designs. Each new model also features the latest NVIDIA GeForce 400M 3D chipset with Optimus technology for outstanding power source-optimised graphics performance.

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Iomega Sets Market Standard, First to Offer USB 3.0 HDDs at USB 2.0 HDD Prices

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btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 10:57 Discuss (3 Comments)

Iomega, an EMC company and a leading innovator in digital protection solutions for consumers and small and medium businesses, is excited to announce that it is moving to the new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface for all Iomega USB 2.0 portable hard drives, beginning with the award-winning line of Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drives. The new all-USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives will feature hardware encryption and super toughness, too, thanks to a drop spec twice the industry average - all at USB 2.0 product prices. This market-leading move continues Iomega's tradition of technology leadership.

"As a market leader in external hard drive solutions, Iomega is proud to be the first to move towards an all USB 3.0 portable hard drive lineup - and at no extra price premium to our customers," said Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega Corporation and the Consumer and Small Business Products Division of EMC. "With a super fast USB 3.0 interface delivering speeds of up to 10 times that of USB 2.0, super tough with a 7-foot drop spec that's twice the industry average and super secure with AES 256 hardware encryption, Iomega's eGo Portable Hard Drives will be the premium must-have portable storage product. Factor in our bundled software Protection Suite with popular titles such as Iomega's QuikProtect, v.Clone and Trend Micro's Internet Security, and that makes Iomega's USB 3.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives an exceptional premium solution at the same price as most entry level basic USB 2.0 products."

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WD Launches Livewire Power AV Network Kit

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btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 08:59 Discuss (12 Comments)

WD, the world's leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its new WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit, a HomePlug AV compatible solution that enables consumers to use their existing electrical outlets to extend secure and reliable high-speed Internet connections throughout the home. Complementing the WD TV line of media players, the WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit enables consumers to easily and affordably deliver HD video streams to the home theater, transfer large files or play multi-player online games, all without running network cables around the home. With four ports on each of two adapters included in the kit, the WD Livewire Powerline AV Network Kit offers users the ability to connect their router and up to seven additional devices to their high-speed network.

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Gigabyte Intros N550-powered Convertible Tablet Notebook

btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 08:51 Discuss (3 Comments)

The next company to jump into the Intel Atom N550 bandwagon is Gigabyte, with its rather premium GA-T1005M tablet PC. This convertible tablet has 10.1 inch screen with native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, and capacitive multitouch features. It is backed by Windows 7 Home Premium to take advantage of the touchscreen. Under its hood is the Atom N550 dual-core processor clocked at 1.5 GHz, 2 GB of DDR3 memory, Intel GMA 3150 graphics, 320 GB HDD; connectivity which includes WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, 3.5G HSDPA, and Bluetooth 2.1. Expansion is care of a number of USB 2.0 ports, an ExpressCard slot, and a 4-in-1 media card reader. A 1.3 megapixel camera is embedded on top of the screen, and the 6-cell battery makes for the rest of it. Gigabyte's tablet is expected to cost around US $800.

Biostar Intros Cheap AMD 880G Based Micro-ATX Motherboard

btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 08:36 Discuss (10 Comments)

Biostar rolled out a new value micro-ATX socket AM3 motherboard based on the AMD 880G chipset, called the A880G+. The board uses the older SB710 southbridge chip. The board has a basic feature set that doesn't go over what the chipset provides. The CPU is powered by a 4-phase VRM, it is wired to just two DDR3 DIMM slots for dual-channel memory. The 880G northbridge embeds an ATI Radeon HD 4250 IGP, with display connectivity that includes DVI, D-Sub and HDMI.

The southbridge gives out four SATA 3 Gb/s ports and an IDE connector. Expansion slots include a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, and two PCI. Other connectivity features include 6-channel HD audio and gigabit Ethernet. LPT and COM port headers are also available. Biostar-exclusive features include BIO-Unlocking (which unlocks disabled cores in some X2 and X3 processors), and Game Boost (that automates overclocking). The Biostar A880G+ is available in Europe for under €60.

Lenovo Intros IdeaPad S10-3 Netbook Powered by Intel Atom N550

btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 07:10 Discuss (5 Comments)

Following Intel's announcement of the new Atom N550 dual-core processor, Lenovo is one of the first to be out with an IdeaPad netbook model that makes use of it. The 1.50 GHz clocked Atom N550 is based on the second-generation Atom architecture. The new IdeaPad S10-3, is a 10.1 inch netbook with a display resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. The Atom N550 processor is aided by 1 GB of DDR3 memory, 250 GB of storage; and connectivity that includes 10/100 Ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, a number of USB 2.0 ports, and Bluetooth 2.1. The only removable storage device is a 5-in-1 card reader, while a 1.3 megapixel camera decks up the screen. Windows 7 Starter is the OS installed. The IdeaPad S10-3 is expected to be priced under US $500.

Buffalo Refreshes its DriveStation Family of Storage Solutions

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btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 06:46 Discuss (1 Comment)

Buffalo Technology, a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of wired and wireless networking and network and direct attached storage solutions, today announced a refresh of the highly popular DriveStation Duo and DriveStation Quad, formerly DriveStation Quattro, representing the latest generation of high-performance direct attached storage solutions. Combining performance and reliability, these new multi-drive external hard drives, equipped with NovaBACKUP Business Essentials, are ideal for small servers, creative professionals, offices and consumers requiring redundant and high performance external storage. Also announced today is the new DriveStation Axis, a single drive storage solution combining unique features and simplicity with Buffalo's distinguished reliability for an exceptional value.

"Consumers and businesses alike have become quite savvy when it comes to protecting mission-critical or personal data such as file backups, work documents, music, photos and videos," said Ralph Spagnola, vice president of sales at Buffalo Technology. "Buffalo has always recognized this need and has once again put forth best-in-class storage solutions providing a perfect blend of reliability, performance and flexible features at affordable prices."

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Kingston Technology HyperX Memory Breaks Dual Channel Frequency World Record

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btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 06:00 Discuss (19 Comments)

Kingston Technology Europe Ltd., an affiliate of Kingston Technology Company Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced that its world's fastest dual channel memory kit Kingston HyperX KHX2333C9D3T1K3/3GX was clocked at 3068 MHz during a heavy over-clocking session at GamesCom 2010 in Cologne. This is the fastest ever recorded frequency for memory and was achieved by the renowned over-clockers Benjamin Bioux aka 'Benji Tshi' and Jean-Baptiste Gerard aka 'marmott', using liquid nitrogen as cooling aid. The session was run on a GIGABYTE P55 motherboard with an Intel Core i7 870 processor.

"We are absolutely thrilled by the speed of this module," said reigning French over-clocking champion Jean-Baptiste Gerard aka 'marmott', "we knew this module had a lot of potential, but being able to push it that far and break the record for memory frequency even surprised me. We are eager to see what Kingston has in the pipeline for the future."

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Mushkin Enhanced Announces 40 GB Callisto Deluxe SSD

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btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 05:49 Discuss (5 Comments)

Mushkin, Inc., a global leader in enhanced-performance computer products and, through its Mushkin Select brand, the VAR channel, announced today the release of a new solid state drive in its Callisto deluxe series, a 40 GB version. This SSD is ideal for new adopters of solid state drive technology looking for an extremely fast drive at a very attractive price, and offers excellent performance when coupled with other drives in RAID configurations.

"Our new 40GB Callisto deluxe drives are a product that customers in all segments can enjoy. They are not only a great solution to enter the exciting world of solid state disk technology, but also a great data storage solution for enthusiasts when placed in a RAID configuration." - Brian Flood, Mushkin's director of product development. Boasting read speeds of up to 280 MB/s and write speeds of up to an impressive 270 MB/s, the Callisto deluxe series is equipped with the industry-acclaimed Sandforce SF-1200 controller.

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AMD's Bobcat Takes Aim at Key Consumer Low-Power Market Segments

btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 05:37 Discuss (33 Comments)

AMD's answer to a lot of Intel's processors in the low-power category, be it the Core i3/i5 "Clarkdale", Core CULV, or even the Atom, seems to have finally taken shape with "Bobcat". This processor is a major design overhaul, as it integrates a number of key components, including a GPU. Since the GPU component is so complex and integrated with the rest of the processor at such a level, AMD decided to name the processor an "Accelerated Processing Unit" or APU. Beyond just driving video and 3D graphics, the GPU component of Bobcat is designed to lend a hand to the CPU cores whenever needed.

The GPU doubles up as a raw SIMD engine array that works with applications over OpenCL and ATI Stream technologies to step up performance. The "Bobcat" Fusion APU integrates x86 processor cores with a high-performance switch that doubles up as a memory controller, which connects to a SIMD engine, a UVD display controller, and platform interfaces that include connection to the southbridge chipset and display I/O.

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AMD Details Bulldozer Processor Architecture

btarunr

Aug 24th, 2010 04:05 Discuss (283 Comments)

AMD is finally going to embrace a truly next generation x86 processor architecture that is built from ground up. AMD's current architecture, the K10(.5) "Stars" is an evolution of the more market-successful K8 architecture, but it didn't face the kind of market success as it was overshadowed by competing Intel architectures. AMD codenamed its latest design "Bulldozer", and it features an x86 core design that is radically different from anything we've seen from either processor giants. With this design, AMD thinks it can outdo both HyperThreading and Multi-Core approaches to parallelism, in one shot, as well as "bulldoze" through serial workloads with a broad 8 integer pipeline per core, (compared to 3 on K10, and 4 on Westmere). Two almost-individual blocks of integer processing units share a common floating point unit with two 128-bit FMACs.

AMD is also working on a multi-threading technology of its own to rival Intel's HyperThreading, that exploits Bulldozer's branched integer processing backed by shared floating point design, which AMD believes to be so efficient, that each SMT worker thread can be deemed a core in its own merit, and further be backed by competing threads per "core". AMD is working on another micro-architecture codenamed "Bobcat", which is a downscale implementation of Bulldozer, with which it will take on low-power and high performance per Watt segments that extend from all-in-One PCs all the way down to hand-held devices and 8-inch tablets. We will explore the Bulldozer architecture in some detail.

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Arctic Cooling K381 Keyboard Review

Review Keyboards

Arctic Cooling's recent push to enter the peripheral market is now paying off for those looking for an affordable slim line keyboard. With the launch of the K381 keyboard you could get a quite feature packed keyboard that does not take up much deskspace for only $24.95.

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ViewSonic presents new 3D Lifestyle, Digital Media and Tablet products at IFA 2010

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btarunr

Aug 23rd, 2010 15:56 Discuss (1 Comment)

ViewSonic Europe will be previewing its new range of 3D devices and digital media players at IFA 2010, Hall 14 Stand 107. The new range of products includes an affordable 3D camcorder, portable 3D TV and 7" tablet PC. ViewSonic will also be demonstrating new products to its existing ranges of LED display technology, media streamers and eBook readers.

New product additions to ViewSonic's continued strategy of 3D innovation will be shown at IFA 2010. The range includes a lightweight handheld 3D digital camcorder capable of recording at 720p, with an integrated 3D preview display and an SRP of around £199. ViewSonic will also be demonstrating its handheld 3D TV, that will allow anyone to watch 3D content on the go. Other additions that will feature at the show will be a 3D digital camera and a 3D digital photo frame.

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Samsung 470 Series SSDs Reach Stores Quietly

btarunr

Aug 23rd, 2010 15:38 Discuss (2 Comments)

Samsung's newest line of consumer solid state drives (SSDs) in the 2.5" SATA form-factor have made a quiet entry into European markets. Samsung, which is known more in the SSD industry for its NAND flash chips than an SSD line under its own banner, designed the new Samsung 470 series SSDs to pack the latest technologies, offer high IOPS and throughput for PCs and notebooks. In these, Samsung is using its a homegrown "multi-core" SSD controller that works to give high data rates without provisioning a portion of the NAND flash memory for controller operations. The drives use Samsung's 30 nanometer-class MLC NAND flash memory chips.

The Samsung 470 series SSDs come in capacities of 64 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB; offering data rates of 250 MB/s (read) and 220 MB/s (write), with up to 31,000 IOPS for reads, 21,000 IOPS for random writes. The 64 GB variant, however, writes at up to 170 MB/s. The drives use the newer SATA 6 Gb/s interface, though are backwards compatible with older versions of SATA. The TRIM feature is also present, it keeps the drives' write performance from deteriorating over time. Samsung advertises a mean time before failure (MTBF) or 1.5 million hours, and backs these drives with a three-year warranty. The drives are designed to withstand mechanical shocks of up to 1,500 G. The 64, 128 and 256 GB variants are each priced at €152.39, €294.46 and €558.57, respectively.

New Dual-Core Intel Atom Processor-Based Netbooks Hit Shelves Today

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btarunr

Aug 23rd, 2010 15:21 Discuss (7 Comments)

Intel Corporation announced today that a dozen of new netbooks based on its new mobile dual-core Intel Atom processors are available in stores today. The netbooks - available now and through the end of the year from manufacturers including Acer, ASUS, Fujitsu, Lenovo, LG, Samsung, MSI, and Toshiba - enable new levels of support for applications like games, as well as Adobe Flash technology for access to a number of Web pages including online hotel booking systems and multimedia sites such as YouTube and Hulu.

"Acer strives to continually improve on our customers' total mobile experience, whether it is increased responsiveness or extended Internet interactivity through longer battery life," said David Lee, associate vice president of Acer's Mobile Computing Business Unit. "We are pleased to select dual-core Intel Atom processors for Acer netbooks, helping to empower netbook users achieve even more - both at work and at leisure."

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Inno3D Intros GeForce GTX 465 Vapor Freeze OC Graphics Card

btarunr

Aug 23rd, 2010 13:20 Discuss (8 Comments)

Inno3D released its non-reference design GeForce GTX 465 OC Vapor-Freeze graphics card. This factory-overclocked card uses NVIDIA reference PCB (albeit in green), with its own-design cooling assembly. The cooler makes use of a GPU direct-contact base, from which five heat-pipes convey heat directly from the GPU to aluminum fin blocks on either sides of a 92 mm PWM-controlled fan that spins at speeds of 1000~4200 rpm, with a rated noise output of 18 dBA. Inno3D claims the cooling solution to up cooling efficiency by 15% over reference NVIDIA cooler.

As far as clock speeds go, the GPU is clocked at 750 MHz, 1350 MHz CUDA cores, and 850 MHz (3400 MHz effective) memory, against reference speeds of 607/1215/3206 MHz. The card has 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 256-bit wide interface. As with every other GTX 465, the card is based on the 40 nm GF100 GPU, it has 352 CUDA cores, and supports the latest PC graphics technologies including DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4. The higher clock speeds, Inno3D claims, up the card's performance by 10%. Display connectivity includes two DVI and a mini-HDMI. The card is 4-way SLI capable, it takes power from two 6-pin PCI-E power inputs. Inno3D did not give out and details about the card's pricing. A cheaper variant that sticks to NVIDIA reference clock speeds is also available, it lacks the "OC" marker on the box.

Release-Grade Toshiba SmartPad Tablet Pictured

btarunr

Aug 23rd, 2010 10:22 Discuss (7 Comments)

Toshiba's own 10-inch 'pad' tablet device project seems to have taken shape, after official pictures were released to the press. The device is referred to as the "SmartPad", is powered by NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, which is a high-performance SoC designed for graphics-intensive portable devices. The SmartPad runs Google's Android operating system that's optimized for its relatively large screen taking advantage of advanced touch features. The tablet is build of an aluminum frame, with crystal top.

The pictures reveal it to have six essential buttons that are feather-touch, and separate from the touchscreen, also shown is a front-facing camera. Another picture reveals some of its connectors, which include a memory card slot, a mini-USB (input), a USB port, an HDMI connector, audio and DC-in. The device is said to pack its own stereo speakers. As far as functionality goes, the device looks to be taking an aim at the Apple iPad with a few more software features, with its hardware, it is not a tablet "PC", as it cannot run Windows 7. It is also learned that older rumors suggesting that there could be a Windows 7 variant are not true. The IFA event in Berlin could be Toshiba's launch-vehicle of choice.

ASUS Intros Xonar DG 5.1 Channel Value Gamer Sound Card

btarunr

Aug 23rd, 2010 10:03 Discuss (28 Comments)

ASUS today expanded its Xonar series of sound cards and audio devices with a new value for money yet gamer-oriented PCI sound card, the Xonar DG. This low-profile card is driven [surprisingly] by C-Media CMI8786 Oxygen HD chipset, which is a 6-channel variant of the CMI8788 Oxygen HD. Pitched as a 5.1 channel sound card, the Xonar DG supports HD (24-bit/96 kHz) output with HDCP compliance. Apart from the four 3.5 mm jacks for 5.1 channel output plus one 2-channel analog input, there's one TOSLINK-type optical SPDIF output. The card gives out standard HDA front-panel connections, along with internal analog and SPDIF inputs.

Despite its lean feature set, the card features an on board headphone amplifier circuit that lets you tune impedance to suit your headset, it lets you select between VOIP, Gaming, and "Exciter" modes. The CMI8786 chipset is aided by a Cirrus-Logic made DAC that has a signal-noise ratio of 105 dBA, with a frequency response 10 Hz to 48 kHz, supporting 24-bit sample resolution. The software is backed by an ASUS GX 2.5 Gaming Audio engine. ASUS' new sound card is expected to be priced under £30 in the UK, well under $50 in the US.

AMD Appoints Donald Newell as Server Chief Technology Officer

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btarunr

Aug 23rd, 2010 06:17 Discuss (4 Comments)

AMD today announced the appointment of Donald Newell as vice president and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Server. A distinguished engineer with more than 20 patents filed, Newell previously served as a senior principle engineer leading the System-on-Chip (SoC) and datacenter networking architecture groups within Intel Labs before joining AMD to lead its server roadmap and platform design programs.

As AMD Server CTO, Newell is responsible for the concept and definition of AMD's long-term server roadmap based on current conditions, expected demand and long-term server trends. He is leading multiple worldwide teams and working alongside other AMD design and development teams to ensure successful transition of programs from design to market availability. Newell reports to Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager, AMD Products Group.

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Worldwide PC Microprocessor Unit Shipments and Revenues Rise in the 2Q, 2010

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btarunr

Aug 23rd, 2010 03:28 Discuss (3 Comments)

Worldwide PC microprocessor unit shipments and revenues in the second calendar quarter of 2010 (2Q10) increased 3.6% and 6.2%, respectively, compared to the first quarter of 2010, according to the latest PC processor study from International Data Corporation (IDC).

The average sequential change in unit shipments between a calendar year's first quarter and its second quarter is an increase of 1.6%. For revenues, the average sequential change is a decrease of -2.8%. So, these increases represent better performance than usual for a second calendar quarter.

"Such a sequential increase in PC processor shipments alone would have been enough to conclude that the first half was strong for the market," said Shane Rau director of Semiconductors: Personal Computing research at IDC. "However, a modest rise in revenues, too, points directly to a rise in average selling prices. System makers bought more and higher-priced PC processors in 2Q10 than in 1Q10. Digging a little deeper into the numbers shows that they bought more mobile processors and more server processors, while desktop processors remained flat."

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ASUS Releases ROG Rampage III Formula Motherboard to Market

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btarunr

Aug 23rd, 2010 01:42 Discuss (8 Comments)

The ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage III Formula brings together numerous features and advantages demanded by contemporary PC gamers. It uses the Intel X58 chipset, enabling support for some of the fastest processors available, including the i7-980X six-core CPU. Rampage III Formula also ships with ROG Connect hardware overclocking, high definition audio, GameFirst bandwidth optimization for online gaming, and a versatile power management scheme that's perfect for performance applications.

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OWC Announces the Most Affordable SandForce-Driven SSD, 40 GB Mercury Pro Under $100

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btarunr

Aug 23rd, 2010 01:34 Discuss (25 Comments)

Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today a new 40GB model to its award-winning OWC Mercury Extreme Pro SSD line as the most affordable high performance SandForce Processor based Solid State Drive on the market. Designed and made in the U.S. from imported parts, the new OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 40GB SSD's special introductory pricing of $99.99 makes it the lowest priced SSD on the market to offer three key high performance features:

Industry leading sustained Read AND Write speeds over 260MB/s (with peak speeds up to 285MB/s).
Best in class error correction (ECC) and SandForce RAISE redundancy with 7% over provisioning.
SandForce DuraClass technology with ultra-efficient Block Management & Wear Leveling for long term durability.

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Plantronics Announces GameCom 777 Headset

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btarunr

Aug 20th, 2010 13:46 Discuss (17 Comments)

Plantronics today announced the new GameCom 777 Gaming Headset with virtual 7.1 surround sound, enabled by Dolby Headphone and Dolby ProLogic IIx technologies. The GameCom 777 combines immersive surround sound and Plantronics' design excellence to deliver an unmatched sound and voice experience for PC gamers.

It features 7.1 Dolby Headphone technology in a plug-and-play USB sound card for the PC and Mac. In addition to its surround sound capabilities, the GameCom 777 headset was engineered with numerous functional and ergonomic wearing benefits including an open-ear design that keeps users connected to the game and their surroundings.

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Enermax Intros Revolution85+ 920W SLI and 1020W SLI PSUs

btarunr

Aug 20th, 2010 13:34 Discuss (12 Comments)

Enermax expanded its Revolution85+ power supply series lineup with new 920W SLI and 1020W SLI variants. These PSUs feature modular cabling, and bear the 80 Plus Silver efficiency rating along with NVIDIA SLI-Ready certification. What sets the 1020W SLI apart from the older 1050W SLI or the 1050W CrossFireX is the redesigned 12V DC circuitry. The 1020W SLI uses four 35A rails compared to five 30A rails on the 1050W SLI/CrossFireX variants, which increases efficiency, and power-delivery per rail to cope with multiple high-end NVIDIA GeForce GTX 400 series graphics cards in SLI.

Cables included besides the ATX 24-pin, and 8-pin CPU are: another 4+4-pin CPU power connector (ideal for dual-socket motherboards), two fixed 6+2-pin PCIe power along with four detachable 6+2 pin PCIe power cables, 12 SATA power, 6 Molex, and 1 FDD. Also featured are Active PFC, "SafeGuard" (an umbrella term for OCP, OVP, AC UVP, DC UVP, OPP, OTP, SCP, and SIP power conditioning features), HeatGuard (that cools down the PSU even after shutdown), guaranteed 24/7 @ 50 degrees Celsius uptime, and Silent Ready (temperature-based fan acoustic management). The PSUs are cooled by a 139 mm twister-bearing (long-life) fan. The new Revolution85+ 920W SLI is expected to be priced around the 200 EUR mark, with the 1020W SLI going for around 235 EUR.

MSI Announces the FX-610 AMD-Powered Performance Multimedia Notebook

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btarunr

Aug 20th, 2010 13:04 Discuss (14 Comments)

MSI continues to outdo itself. It recently rolled out the all-new 15.6-inch F Series FX610 laptop computer, featuring AMD's advanced Vision Ultimate platform with the latest Phenom II three-core processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 discrete graphics card (1GB DDR3 VRAM) for superior graphics. The cinema-class THX sound allows the FX610 to crank out clean, crisp sound to maximize your multimedia experience.

MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern points out that MSI couldn't be prouder of its FX610 laptop. It packs MSI's own GPU Boost and Cinema Pro multimedia technologies to manually switch graphics modes, optimize screen color and clarity, and instantly rev up graphics performance. The FX610's design is characterized by meticulous craftsmanship, including a distinctive raised totem seal coating which not only looks and feels great, it also protects against scratching, wear, and smudging to keep your laptop looking chic and new. We're looking at the industry's new standard.

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Swiftech Intros Hybrid Water Cooling Solutions for NVIDIA GF100-based Graphics Cards

btarunr

Aug 20th, 2010 06:52 Discuss (12 Comments)

Swiftech released a pair of hybrid cooling solutions for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480, GTX 470 and GTX 465 graphics cards, that are aimed to provide better cooling compared to full-coverage water blocks. The principle revolves around treating the GPU as a separate thermal zone from the rest of the card, so that water-cooling can focus on cooling the GPU, while heat from the GPU isn't transferred to the rest of the relatively cooler heat producing parts (such as memory chips, VRM FETs, etc.). Swiftech's offer includes MCW-GTX480 and MCW-GTX470 (which should be compatible with GTX 465 reference design, too). These consist of the MCW80 GPU water block that's designed to handle the thermal loads of GF100, and a full-coverage aluminum heatsink that covers all critical heat-producing areas on the PCB, including the memory chips and the VRM. The heatsink is further designed such that the user can mount an 80 mm fan onto it, for even higher cooling performance. The sets are priced lower than most full-coverage water-blocks, the MCW80-GTX480 is priced at $99.95, while the MCW80-GTX470 goes for $98.95.

Scythe Announces the Rasetsu Performance CPU Cooler

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btarunr

Aug 20th, 2010 05:48 Discuss (9 Comments)

Japanese manufacturer Scythe officially announces the new CPU Cooler Rasetsu. This cooler, already shown at the CeBit 2010, combines the outstanding design of the Yasya CPU Cooler with a top-flow layout. The heatsink is divided into two blocks, and each is equipped with the T.M.L.F. (Trident Multi Layer Fin) structure. Because of this irregular lamellar structure and the unparallel arrangement of six copper heatpipes, surface directly cooled by the fan is highly increased and thus maximum heat dissipation is achieved.

New 120 mm "Slip Stream 120 PWM Adjustable" fan is supplied for optimized airflow. Although the fan supports the PWM feature, user can manually adjust the bandwidth between 470 to 1,370 rpm and 740 to 1,900 rpm. Easy mounting is available by the famous V.T.M.S. (Versatile Tool-Free Multiplatform System) which requires no motherboard removal for the heatsink mounting. Rasetsu CPU Cooler is compatible to all current sockets, including the new socket LGA 1156, LGA 1366 and AM3.

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iBUYPOWER Redesigns Liquid Cooled Paladin XLC Line with NZXT Phantom Chassis

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btarunr

Aug 20th, 2010 03:46 Discuss (9 Comments)

iBUYPOWER, a leading innovator in gaming PCs, is excited to announce the new super-cooled Paladin XLC, featuring an all-new exclusive Red Phantom chassis. The newest edition to XLC (Extreme Liquid Cooling) line features an Intel Core i7 Processor cooled by Asetek's maintenance free 240 mm large radiator liquid cooling system. This combination allows the Paladin XLC to run cool and stable even when it's overclocked to its limits.

"Our XLC line systems are designed to be pushed to their edge and demand advanced cooling solutions like the Asetek dual radiator and sophisticated cases like the Phantom, with its extensive cooling options," said Darren Su, Executive Vice President of iBUYPOWER. "We put each XLC system through extensive stability testing prior to shipping to ensure the highest performance possible."

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BitFenix Design Lab Officially Announces the Colossus PC Chassis

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btarunr

Aug 20th, 2010 03:20 Discuss (26 Comments)

Today, the BitFenix Design Lab has officially announced its highly-anticipated PC chassis. Dubbed Colossus, this full tower E-ATX PC chassis is built specifically for gamers and PC enthusiasts from the ground up, making it the ideal enclosure for the most colossal gaming rigs. "With Colossus, we focused on how gamers and PC enthusiasts were interacting with their computers on a daily basis, and crafted a PC chassis that actually helps to enhance their computing experience," says David Jarlestedt, BitFenix Product Manager. "What we've been able to do is create a case that not only looks striking, but delivers novel features that truly benefit the user in terms of security, control, and performance."

Inspired by one of the wonders of the ancient world, Colossus brings PC chassis design to a new level. Whether in Monolith Black or Glacier White, Colossus combines an aggressive futuristic design with clean modern lines. Its top and front surfaces are coated with proprietary BitFenix SofTouch coating, which not only looks great, but protects the surface from stains and lends an amazing feel. The LED lighting system adorning the front door and side panels provide even lighting for a stunning look, and users can select either red or blue lighting with the touch of a button. The lighting also has three selectable modes, including on, pulse, and off, giving users complete control over the ambience of their computing environment.

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Fusion-io Delivers Next-Generation ioMemory Module

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btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 13:26 Discuss (10 Comments)

Fusion-io, the pioneer of a new tier of flash-based memory (ioMemory), today announced the availability of its new ioMemory module. With support for the latest generation of MLC NAND Flash, 3X-nanometer (nm), Fusion-io is able to double the capacity of its family of products and achieve up to 1.28 terabytes (TB) of capacity from a single PCI Express card.

"We are at an inflection point in the industry where MLC technology has moved from consumer-grade products to datacenter systems, creating a much needed shift in the enterprise flash market to thinner, smaller, high capacity solutions with more than ample storage," said Joseph Unsworth, Research Director at Gartner.

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Verbatim Launches A New Secure 'n' Go USB Drive, Introduces Special Security Features

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btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 11:55 Discuss (0 Comments)

Verbatim is launching a new Secure 'n' Go USB Drive addressing private users' needs of keeping data safe when carrying it around with them. The Secure 'n' Go Secure Data USB Drive offers a powerful 256bit-AES hardware-encryption and mandatory password with storage capacities of 4GB, 8GB and 16GB and will be available in stores in June and will cost 29 Euro, 58 Euro and 99 Euro respectively (RRP).

No-one likes the thought of storing or archiving sensitive data that can be accessed by unapproved people. This can be true for many files, from private images, financial data, lists of names and addresses - basically, anything that would be considered private or confidential. With its new Secure 'n' Go USB Drive, Verbatim is addressing the increasing need of private users for total control of their portable data.

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Intel Corporation to Acquire McAfee

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btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 11:40 Discuss (52 Comments)

Intel Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire McAfee, Inc., through the purchase of all of the company's common stock at $48 per share in cash, for approximately $7.68 billion. Both boards of directors have unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close after McAfee shareholder approval, regulatory clearances and other customary conditions specified in the agreement.

The acquisition reflects that security is now a fundamental component of online computing. Today's security approach does not fully address the billions of new Internet-ready devices connecting, including mobile and wireless devices, TVs, cars, medical devices and ATM machines as well as the accompanying surge in cyber threats. Providing protection to a diverse online world requires a fundamentally new approach involving software, hardware and services.

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TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.4.5 Released

btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 09:16 Discuss (17 Comments)

TechPowerUp today released a timely update to GPU-Z. TechPowerUp GPU-Z is a handy graphics subsystem information, diagnostic, and monitoring utility that lets you see details about the graphics hardware and related system software installed, and monitor various parameters such as clock speeds, voltages, fan-speeds and temperatures, in real-time. Version 0.4.5 of GPU-Z adds support for several new GPUs, fixes detection bugs with certain GPUs (especially the GeForce GTX 460), and fixed a critical stability issue. The PowerColor and TechPowerUp GPU-Z Hardware Giveaway is ongoing and into its second (and final) month. Users can participate from this version of GPU-Z.

DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.4.5

A detailed list of changes with this version follows.

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MSI Readies New 870A Fuzion Power Edition

btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 07:50 Discuss (25 Comments)

MSI is readying yet another socket AM3 motherboard that features the Lucid Hydra chip, called the 870A Fuzion Power Edition. MSI had earlier launched a motherboard with nearly the same features called the 870A Fuzion. The 'new' motherboard from MSI uses the AMD 770 northbridge with the SB850 southbridge, a confusing name. The Lucid Hydra LT22102 chip that lets you pair two different ATI or NVIDIA graphics cards in ATI+ATI, NVIDIA+NVIDIA, and ATI+NVIDIA configurations. What's new with this board, however, is that a few components have been relocated, and the CPU VRM has been upgraded to 10+1 phases with high-C capacitors.

Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (full-bandwidth), three PCI-E x1, and one PCI. Connectivity includes 8-channel HD audio with optical and coaxial SPDIF connectors, USB 3.0 (one on the rear panel, one internal port), gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. With the SB850 southbridge the motherboard has six internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports. The pricing of this board is expected to be around the 170 EUR mark, which is about 45 EUR more than that of the 870A Fuzion.

AeroCool Intros Strike-X Gaming Mid-Tower Case

btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 07:24 Discuss (14 Comments)

AeroCool introduced the Strike-X gaming PC chassis. This ATX mid-tower sports a space-age design with distinct x-shaped grills panels and structures. It is built for rough and touch use for the LAN party-animals, and comes in total-black, or with a dash of red. Drive bays included are 9 5.25" (with internal 3.5" cages detachable). The ventilation system includes 120 mm fans on the side and rear, and one 140 mm fan on top. The chassis is mostly tool-free, as far as installing drives and addon cards goes. The rear panel holds two handles that make opening the side panels easy, and holes for water-cooling tubing. The front-panel includes audio and USB ports. AeroCool's new case is expected to be priced at 60 EUR.

Samsung Announces S2 Portable 3.0 External HDD with SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Interface

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btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 05:31 Discuss (1 Comment)

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology, today announced its new 2.5-inch external hard disk drive (HDD), the S2 Portable 3.0. The new high performance external HDD features an on-board SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface and a 7200RPM spindle speed, delivering faster performance over preceding versions.

"As digital content continues to evolve from standard definition to HD and now 3D content, we expect the demand for high performance external HDDs to increase, especially among IT enthusiasts," Ho-Seong Lee, vice president, storage marketing, Semiconductor Business, Samsung Electronics. "The S2 Portable 3.0 delivers the benefits of top performance and quality, and as a result, lowers the power usage of the external hard drive also."

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PowerColor Releases First Low-Profile Radeon HD 5750 Graphics Card

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btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 05:26 Discuss (20 Comments)

TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, today announced improved gaming performance for HTPC gamers. The PowerColor HD5750 Low Profile Edition is specifically designed for those with HTPC systems or limited space chassis' who desire the upgraded graphics performance without having to compromise their system size.

The PowerColor HD5750 Low Profile Edition is equipped with a dual fan design and heatsinks that fully cover GPU, memory and MOSFET. The design cools temperatures and dissipates heat for vital components within a limited space. Furthermore, by taking advantage of the low profile design, this unique solution can be used for small form factor and slim systems, maximizing the rig's performance in a limited space.

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G.Skill Launches New Phoenix Pro SSDs in 40 GB, 80 GB, and 160 GB Capacities

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btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 05:18 Discuss (6 Comments)

G.Skill International Co. Ltd., manufacturer of extreme performance memory and solid-state storage with solid quality, has today added three new capacities to its ultra-high performance Phoenix Pro series SSD, including 40GB, 80GB and 160GB models.

Based on the popular SandForce SF-1200 SSD controller that has been tuned to deliver an unparalleled performance in 4k random write speed up to 50,000 IOPS, G.Skill's Phoenix pro SSD family has been the international award winning drive of choice since its recent debut at Computex 2010.

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Lian Li Launches PC-Q11 Chassis Under the Mini-Q Series

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btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 02:30 Discuss (8 Comments)

Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd. today announces the PC-Q11 under its Mini-Q Series. Compact and light, the PC-Q11 is designed for users who require space and convenience for mini systems. The new Mini-Q series is now available in four different colors, including black, silver, red and the eye-catching piano white - definitely one of the Lian Li models that power users shall not miss.

Dimensioned at 200x326x260mm(W.H.D.) and weights only in 2.42kg, the new Mini-Q PC-Q11 series supports Mini-ITX/Mini-DTX motherboards. For an ultimate convenience sake, users can easily remove the HDD cage, undo the thumb screw, as well as upgrading all the standard parts including one 5.25" optical drive, two 3.5"/2.5" hard drives and ATX P S/2 power supply units. Lian Li once again leads the industry by offering the maximum quality and user-friendly design on its mini tower series - PC-Q11.

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Razer Announces its First Mechanical Keyboards: BlackWidow and BlackWidow Ultimate

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btarunr

Aug 19th, 2010 02:19 Discuss (34 Comments)

Razer, the world's leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, today announced the Razer BlackWidow mechanical gaming keyboard engineered for gamers who demand superior tactile feedback and comfort while playing. Most mechanical keyboards in the market today are standard mechanical keyboards rebadged as gaming keyboards that feature stiff keys that cause key actuation fatigue. Such keyboards are inherently worse off for gamers as it actually decreases gameplay performance as opposed to enhancing it. As a result, most professional gamers eschew such marketing gimmicks for regular membrane keyboards.

For the past 3 years, Razer's design and engineering teams have been working on a mechanical keyboard - developed for gamers from the ground up, resulting in the Razer BlackWidow. The Razer BlackWidow features a uniquely tactile mechanical key architecture that provides each key on the keyboard with a crisp response and tactile feedback similar to a mouse click. Coupled with a unique key actuation point halfway through the full travel distance, the optimized mechanical key structure found in each of the Razer BlackWidow's keys provide for greater precision and accuracy versus other traditional mechanical keyboards.

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ASRock Readies X58 Extreme6, Motherboard with Six SATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0 Ports

btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 12:26 Discuss (18 Comments)

Innovative motherboard maker ASRock seems to be liking designing high-end motherboards - a lot. The latest model in the works is a socket LGA1366 motherboard based on the Intel X58+ICH10R chipset, called the ASRock X58 Extreme6. This motherboard provides no less than six SATA 6 Gb/s and six USB 3.0 ports, a large step beyond the chipset's original specifications. ASRock is achieving this using three NEC µPD720200 2-port USB 3.0 and three Marvell 88SE9123-NAA2 2-port SATA 6 Gb/s controllers, some of which are connected to the system over a PLX PEX8613 PCI-Express 2.0 switch chip. All six SATA 6 Gb/s ports are internal, and color-coded white, next to the six SATA 3 Gb/s ports from the southbridge, while four out of six USB 3.0 ports are on the rear-panel (color-coded blue), and two ports are via an internal header, that connects to USB 3.0 case front-panels or expansion brackets.

Apart from this 'unique' feature set, the ASRock X58 Extreme6 is fairly standard, with six-core processor support out of the box, an 8-phase VRM that powers the CPU, six DDR3 DIMM slots for triple-channel memory, expansion slots that include three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 with 3-way SLI and CrossFire support, two each of PCI-E x1 and PCI, 8-channel HD audio with optical and coaxial SPDIF connectors, a gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, eSATA, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. Exclusive features include THX TruStudio Pro support, debug LEDs, OC DNA, ASRock Instant Boot, Instant Flash, and OC Tuner. One can expect the board to be out soon.

BFG Tech Explored AMD Partnership Before Quitting?

btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 11:22 Discuss (44 Comments)

The enthusiast community witnessed the sad "demise" of BFG Tech, as it categorically announced an exit from graphics cards business, and then unofficially left other businesses such as PSUs and PCs. It has come to light, however, that BFG Tech did in fact toy with the idea of doing what XFX did, and become an AMD add-in-board partner. Pictures surfaced that showed a Chinese OEM had made samples of ATI Radeon HD 5000 series graphics cards carrying the BFG Tech name, and other things BFG has been known for - such as free 24/7 tech-support, lifetime warranty, and other tiny BFG-esque details.

Under a partnership with that company, BFG would just have to market the cards and run support, while everything from manufacturing to packaging would be carried out by the OEM (earlier BFG, like EVGA, would package, market, and run support for the products). The company while working with BFG did produce a batch of ATI Radeon graphics cards to supply to BFG. When inquired by AMD about who these cards were being made for, the company mentioned BFG Tech. AMD responded saying that BFG Tech wasn't an authorized board partner, and would not be allowed to sell ATI Radeon graphics cards. This sent the OEM into panic, which got back to BFG only to find out that the marketing staff there had been let go of. The company now has with it a batch of "BFG Tech" labelled graphics cards it can't sell. It plans to rebadge and exhibit them at the China Sourcing Fair later this October, to exhibit its capabilities and possibly find a buyer for those cards.

SanDisk Introduces World's Smallest 64 GB SSD - First in New Embedded SSD Category

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btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 10:48 Discuss (3 Comments)

SanDisk Corporation, the global leader in flash memory cards, today announced the first product in a new category of embedded solid state drives (SSD) that are smaller than a postage stamp and offer higher capacities and performance than existing storage solutions. The SanDisk integrated SSD (iSSD), the first high-capacity product within this new category, is designed for use in fast-growing mobile computing platforms such as tablet PCs and ultra-thin notebooks.

Computing platforms are responding to consumer demand for highly portable, ultra-thin, anywhere-anytime access to the Internet and their favorite content. The SanDisk iSSD drive is the first flash SSD device to support the industry standard SATA interface in a small BGA (Ball Grid Array) package that can be soldered onto any motherboard, and that is fast enough for use with advanced operating systems in next-generation mobile computing platforms.

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Razer Readies BlackWidow Ultimate Gaming Mechanical Keyboard

btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 08:46 Discuss (31 Comments)

Razer is readying a new high-end mechanical keyboard for gaming. Named the Razer BlackWidow Ultimate, the keyboard is one of the first to feature illumination. Being a mechanical keyboard, each key has its own mechanical switch compared to conventional keyboards that have a common plastic printed circuit membrane with rubber dome switches. Mechanical keys give better tactile feedback for better control. Apart from the standard 102-key US layout, Razer added several special and macro-bound keys that can be managed from the included software. The keys as well as the company badge is illuminated blue. Razer's BlackWidow Ultimate is expected to cost $129 in the US, when it launches later this week.

Update (18/8): Razer also has a standard variant of the BlackWidow (minus the "Ultimate" marker, which lacks key illumination. This one is expected to be priced at $79.99.

New FSP Group PSU First to Score 80 Plus Platinum Certification

btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 06:48 Discuss (17 Comments)

FSP Group, a frontline consumer brand run by industrial and OEM power supply maker Fortron has become the first with a consumer ATX PSU that's 80 Plus Platinum certified. 80 Plus Platinum is a higher efficiency rating than the original three (Bronze, Silver, Gold) ratings. The FSP450-60PTM from FSP Group maintains an efficiency of 90.79% at 20% load, 93.13% at 50% load, and 91.89% at 100% load, crossing the 80 Plus Platinum certification requirements of ≥90% @ 20% load, ≥92% @ 50% load, and ≥89% @ 100% load. The FSP Group FSP450-60PTM is a 450W non-modular PSU.

Logitech Unveils New K800 Wireless Illuminated Keyboard

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btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 06:09 Discuss (15 Comments)

Logitech today introduced the rechargeable Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800, delivering bright, precise illumination - day or night. The newest Logitech keyboard features ambient light and motion sensors, ensuring that you have the right amount of backlight when you need it, while conserving battery life when you don't.

"The Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800 is perfect for someone who values both form and function," said Denis Pavillard, vice president of product marketing for Logitech's keyboards and desktops. "The Wireless Illuminated K800 keyboard includes features that make it a standout - smart backlighting, Logitech Unifying technology, our PerfectStroke key system and Logitech Incurve keys - and presents it all in a very stylish and sleek package that's sure to please."

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Fujitsu LIFEBOOK SH530 Wows with Performance, Style and Affordability

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btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 05:49 Discuss (7 Comments)

Fujitsu PC Asia Pacific today announces the launch of the Fujitsu LIFEBOOK SH530 - a delightful high-performance notebook that delivers more than expected. With extensive functionalities, features and speed at its core, and bold new design, the LIFEBOOK SH530 empowers every of its owner to take on the demanding modern world with remarkable confidence and might.

"Just like how modern day individuals strive to exceed expectations in their life, Fujitsu endeavours to exceed expectations in our products. With the introduction of the Fujitsu LIFEBOOK SH530, Fujitsu is giving users access to mainstream computing capabilities together with added surprises to make their lives easier.," elaborates Mr Hanson Yap, Product Manager, Fujitsu PC Asia Pacific.

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ioSafe Announces the SoloPRO: Its Fastest Rugged External Hard Drive

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btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 04:33 Discuss (2 Comments)

ioSafe today announced the availability of the SoloPRO. The SoloPRO is the business-class edition of the award-winning Solo external hard drive and is available in USB 3.0 and eSATA/USB 2.0 formats, providing full support for Windows, Linux servers, and desktop operating systems.

"Both homes and businesses need to store ever-increasing volumes of data quickly without worrying about data loss. ioSafe has always been about safely and securely storing data locally and now with its introduction of USB 3.0 and eSATA, homes and businesses can accomplish that more quickly than ever before ," said Jerome Wendt, an expert in data storage who serves as the Principal and Lead Analyst at DCIG.

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ViewSonic Announces Entire Display Line to Move to LED-Backlit

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btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 04:14 Discuss (12 Comments)

ViewSonic Corp., a leading global provider of computing, consumer electronics and communications solutions, today strengthened the company's commitment to green computing by announcing that all of the company's PC display products will feature LED technology by early 2011. This is to offer its customers significant energy cost savings and improved performance and contrast from any ViewSonic solution.

"Consumers are rapidly transitioning to LED display products because they allow for lower energy costs while delivering brilliant picture quality," said Jeff Volpe, vice president and general manager, ViewSonic Americas. "ViewSonic is leading the way towards a greener, more cost efficient future by delivering an array of green LED products for our customers to choose from."

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Sharkoon Announces Pair of Stereo Headsets for Game Consoles

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btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 03:38 Discuss (2 Comments)

At gamescom, Sharkoon presents two new gaming headsets: With their platform independent surround sound headset and bestselling "X-Tatic Digital," the accessory specialist introduces two new additional stereo models which are specifically designed for use on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 gaming consoles.

The Sharkoon X-Tatic SX has a white headband, white ear cups and a light green design application to not only match the Xbox 360, but also provide direct microphone access to the Xbox console and support VoIP voice communications for the online service Xbox Live. The microphone connects through the integrated cable controller of the headset with the enclosed chat cable (3.5 - 2.5mm stereo jack) which then directly plugs into the Xbox game pad. The headset is powered through the console's USB port. Another adapter cable is provided (3.5 stereo jack into 2 x Cinch) to connect with the stereo sound of the Xbox, it is simply attached from the AV Multi Out cable of the console to the audio input of the TV device. The headset cable offers USB connection and a stereo input 3.5mm microphone plug, in which the X-Tatic SX can also be used on the PC.

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Zalman Announces ZM-MH200 Series HDD Docking Stations

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btarunr

Aug 18th, 2010 03:31 Discuss (4 Comments)

Zalman is proudly introducing a Dual HDD Docking Station series, MH200 U3 / MH200 Hub which support up to 2 SATA HDDS simultaneously with 2.5" & 3.5" SATA Ⅰ/Ⅱ (Up to 3TB) and Port-Multiplier function, not to mention our Dual HDD Docking Station series comes with Hot Swap and Plug & Play, Blue LED indicator for HDD access, it has beautiful and sleek appearance to be perfectly matched for any working places. If anyone who looking for a Dual HDD Docking Station with state of the art technologies and great features, the MH200 series will be a perfect choice.

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ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 Amp! Edition 1 GB Review

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ZOTAC's new GTX 460 Amp! Edition is the highest clocked GTX 460 version available right now. Its clock speeds of 810 MHz core and 1000 MHz memory ensure it delivers substantially improved performance over the GTX 460 reference design. ZOTAC is also using a custom cooling solution and includes a full version of Prince of Persia with their card.

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PC DDR4-SDRAM Surfaces on JEDEC Roadmaps

btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 13:35 Discuss (26 Comments)

PC DDR4-SDRAM, the successor standard for DDR3-SDRAM, which continues increasing memory bandwidths while maintaining the same electrical footprints, surfaced on JEDEC roadmaps, at a recent MemCon conference in Tokyo, Japan. Just the target clock speed range for DDR2-SDRAM was 400~1066 MHz, and that of DDR3-SDRAM is 1066~2133 MHz, the DDR4-SDRAM standard will aim for clock speeds between 2133 and 4266 MHz, with DRAM voltages of 1.1~1.2V, the voltages standards-compliant DDR3 memory will ultimately end up with. Some of the first DDR4 memory chips will be built on the 32 nm or 36 nm manufacturing processes. JEDEC expects sampling of the new memory type to start in 2011 for the industry to come up with appropriate memory controllers and deployment platforms, while actual mass production is slated by 2015.

Intel, Micron First to Sample 3-Bit-Per-Cell NAND Flash Memory on 25 nm Process

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btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 13:18 Discuss (5 Comments)

Intel Corporation and Micron Technology Inc. today announced the delivery of 3-bit-per-cell (3bpc) NAND flash memory on 25-nanometer (nm) process technology, producing the industry's highest capacity, smallest NAND device. The companies have sent initial product samples to select customers. Intel and Micron expect to be in full production by the end of the year.

The new 64-gigabit (Gb) 3bpc on 25nm memory device offers improved cost efficiencies and higher storage capacity for the competitive USB, SD (Secure Digital) flash card and consumer electronics markets. Flash memory is primarily used to store data, photos and other multimedia for use in capturing and transferring data between computing and digital devices such as digital cameras, portable media players, digital camcorders and all types of personal computers. These markets are under constant pressure to provide higher capacities at low prices.

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MSI Unveils the Water Cooling-Ready N480GTX HydroGen Graphics Card

btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 13:10 Discuss (9 Comments)

MSI is readying the high-end HydroGen variant of its GeForce GTX 480 graphics card that is built for water-cooling. It comes with a factory-fitted full-coverage copper water block that cools the GF100 GPU, the 12 memory chips, and the VRM, which make for the bulk of the card's heat producing parts. Internally, the block uses a micro-fin channel over the GPU area to increase surface area of heat dissipation. The block is ready for the G 1/4" threads.

Besides the water block, the card sticks to reference speeds with 700 MHz core, 1401 MHz CUDA cores, and 3696 MHz memory. Like every other GTX 480 card, it packs 480 CUDA cores, and addresses 1,536 MB of memory across a 384-bit wide GDDR5 interface. UK-based store Scan.co.uk listed the graphics card for £445.89 (incl. VAT), which amounts to US $694.

Zotac Amplifies GeForce GTX 460

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btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 12:47 Discuss (8 Comments)

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, mini-PCs and small form factor platforms, today amplifies the award-winning ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 series with the performance-tuned ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 AMP! Edition. The ZOTAC GeForce 460 AMP! Edition takes the regular ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 and transforms it into a completely new animal with blistering fast performance that is unmatched by rivals.

The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 AMP! Edition begins the transformation process with a new high-performance dual-slot cooler that drastically reduces temperatures and noise levels while delivering lightning-fast frame rates. An orange fan and accents finish the looks of the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 460 AMP! Edition cooler for looks that fit the high-performance persona.

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BFG Tech Almost Defunct, Stops Honoring RMAs

btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 11:42 Discuss (54 Comments)

Almost defunct enthusiast PC hardware vendor BFG Technologies may have just hit the final nail in its coffin, after it started sending denials to RMA applicants. The company was best known for its NVIDIA GeForce graphics accelerators, and announced its exit from the graphics industry this May. In rather quick succession, it also stopped shipping other products, while announcing that it will honor its warranties and RMAs.

Much to the disgruntlement of its customers, the company is now reportedly returning products sent for RMA with a covering letter saying that it cannot replace the product since a major supplier stopped doing business with it, apologizing for any inconvenience caused...well, apart from the $100s worth paperweights.

A-Data Releases C008 Retractable USB Flash Drive

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btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 08:38 Discuss (1 Comment)

ADATA Technology, the worldwide leader in DRAM modules and flash memory products, launched today the C008 retractable USB flash drive. The trendy design features a sliding USB connector, which smoothly extends from and retracts into the drive at the push of a thumb. The capless mechanical design eliminates the hassle of lost drive caps. Furthermore, users can effectively make the USB connector ready for use with just one hand, for greater convenience when speed is necessary.

The newly introduced C008 embodies both functionality and aesthetics. On one hand, the USB connector is concealed in the compact body, fully protected without the need for a drive cap. The matte-textured body is scratchproof and dirt-repellent. On the other hand, the C008 comes in an elegant shape and in two colour schemes, expressing its unique personality. The simple curves of this series give a feeling of fashionable comfort. Additionally, the C008 is conveniently designed with a strap hole so that one can easily loop a string through and connect to a keychain or a mobile phone.

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Viking Modular Solutions Announces the Availability of its Slim SATA SSDs

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btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 06:11 Discuss (3 Comments)

Viking Modular Solutions, a division of Sanmina-SCI Corporation, and leading manufacturer of innovative memory and flash solutions, today announced its Slim SATA SSD, a case-less, small form-factor and rugged SATA SSD, is available for immediate customer qualification.

Viking Modular Solutions' Slim SATA SSD is an embedded solid state drive solution that delivers outstanding performance in a standard form factor - and is less than half the size of a 2.5" SSD. With its 3Gb SATA II interface and sustained performance of up to 260 MB/s (megabytes per second), the Viking Modular Slim SATA SSD is ideal for telecommunications, gaming, embedded server & storage systems, field computing and defense & aerospace applications.

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Sony Unveils Ultimate Weapons For FPS Gaming

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btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 06:06 Discuss (10 Comments)

Sony is launching two very special gaming headsets into the gaming sector. Each has been designed in response to extensive user research that shows what different gamers want from the ideal headset. The DR-GA500 combines a Dolby Pro Logic IIx decoder with unique Sony Virtual Phones Technology (VPT) to create convincing 7.1ch 3D surround effects. The signal processing hardware is contained in a compact external unit.

The result is a soundscape rich in precision spatial detail that pinpoints everything from a stealthy footstep to the position of an exploding grenade. This audio environment is perfect for first person shooter (FPS) games where what you can hear is often as important as what you can see. DR-GA500 brings out the highest gaming performance with its superb sound quality. It is something you can't forget, if you really want to win the game.

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Lian Li Launches PC-C50 HTPC Chassis

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btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 05:57 Discuss (4 Comments)

Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd. launches its PC-C50 multimedia HTPC chassis - a combination of modern functionality and hair-line brushed anodized aluminum finishing outlook perfectly for the home theatre décor and friendly for the end-users. The PC-C50 stands at 445x167x325mm (W. H.D) and weighs only in 3.20kgs. Available in black and silver colors, the PC-C50 case supports Micro ATX/Mini DTX/Mini ITX motherboards. The chassis is designed with unique modular CD-ROM cage and HDD cages that can be arranged by users' needs. Making it most convenient, the PC-C50 offers three USB3.0, HD audio and e-SATA I/O ports, as well as a MS/SD card reader slot, right at the front of the chassis for easy access.

The ideal cooling the Lian Li's PC-C50 has incorporated two 120mm exh aust fans on the side, PCI brackets with vent holes for extra cooling, as well as the power supply unit at the bottom to draw in cold air directly. Two 120mm and 80mm-size fan holes on the top and at the rear, respectively, are also available for additional fans. The Lian Li PC-C50 HTPC chassis has one 5.25" external drive bay, the modular drive cages support three 3.5" HDDs and three 2.5" HDDs. There are four expansion slots available.

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ASUS Announces ET2400 Series All-in-One PCs

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btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 05:00 Discuss (2 Comments)

ASUS today enhances the home entertainment experience with the introduction of the ASUS All-in-one PC ET2400 series. The ET2400 effectively combines the computing capabilities of the Super Hybrid Engine and the audio prowess of the ASUS SonicMaster Technology with a 23.6-inch Full HD widescreen.

The ASUS All-in-one PC ET2400 delivers pure audio reproduction through ASUS' proprietary SonicMaster Technology. It is a complete hardware and software audio solution that utilizes codecs designed to minimize distortions and deliver crystal clear sound through a wide audio spectrum between 80Hz and 12 KHz. It gives richer and more distinct vocals at a wider frequency range, as well as deeper bass at the lower ranges.

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Mach Xtreme Intros MX-CX Series Flash Drives

btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 04:53 Discuss (0 Comments)

Taiwanese memory and flash specialist Mach Xtreme Technology introduced the MX-CX series of flash drives that use the USB 2.0 data interface. Measuring 69.0 x 17.0 x 8.0mm (LxWxH), these drives weigh just under 40 g. Available in capacities of 4 GB (MXUB2MCX-4G), 8 GB (MXUB2MCX-8G), 16 GB (MXUB2MCX-16G) and even 32 GB (MXUB2MCX-32G), these drives offer transfer rates of 15 MB/s read and 8 MB/s write. These are price (in above order) at around US $9, $20, $30 and $64, respectively.

Roccat Intros Kone[+] Gaming Mouse with 6000 dpi Sensor

btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 04:43 Discuss (27 Comments)

Roccat rolled out its latest mouse that's a design and specifications update to its popular Kone mouse, the Roccat Kone[+]. The Kone[+] boasts of a high-precision 6,000 dpi Pro-Aim laser sensor compared to the 3,200 dpi sensor on the Kone; and a Tracking & Distance Control Unit that ensures maximum precision. With a right-handed orientation, the Kone[+] has 8 buttons with a four-way scroll-wheel, its weight is adjustable by changing weight of a weight box. The EasyShift button mapping system enables up to 22 functions using the 8 physical buttons, button-maps can be changed on the mouse, and each map can be indicated with the multi-color LED lighting bars that flow along the contours of the mouse. Under the hood is a 75 MHz TurboCore processor that reduces system overhead, and 576 KB of memory to store button maps. Poised for release later this month, the Kone[+] from Roccat will be priced at around 80 EUR.

Icy Dock MB668U3-1SB USB 3.0 Drive Enclosure Reaches Stores

btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 01:46 Discuss (1 Comment)

Icy Dock's MB668U3-1SB drive enclosure has been released to the North American and European markets. The enclosure takes in 2.5" (9.5 mm thick) SATA hard drives or solid state drives, and makes for external hard drives with USB 3.0 connectivity for transfer rates nearly on par with internal storage controllers. The enclosure takes all its power from the USB port, while also optionally featuring a 5V DC input, just in case. The aluminum+plastic based enclosure is available in carbon black and silver variants, and measures 76.3 x 13 x 150 mm, weighing a little over 80 g (empty). It is priced at 41 EUR.

Intel Atom Processors Further Expand to Storage Appliances for Homes, Small Busineses

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btarunr

Aug 17th, 2010 01:35 Discuss (8 Comments)

Backed by industry support of the Intel Atom processor optimized for networked storage appliances for the home and small business, Intel Corporation has added two new Intel Atom processors to further boost the company's focus on the platform.

Since Intel's initial foray in this area in March, leading storage manufacturers, including Acer, Cisco, LaCie, LG Electronics, NETGEAR, QNAP, Super Micro, Synology and Thecus have announced products based on the energy-efficient Intel Atom processor platform.

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Intel Readies New Xeon X5690 Processor, Fastest Six-Core

btarunr

Aug 16th, 2010 19:15 Discuss (18 Comments)

Intel is readying its fastest six-core processors ever. While the company is working to introduce the Core i7 990X Extreme Edition for launch sometime in Q4 2010, it's already begun sampling the Xeon X5690. The X5690 is a dual-socket ready LGA1366 processor based on the 32 nm Westmere-EP silicon. It carries a nominal clock-speed of 3.46 GHz (26.0 x 133 MHz), with a Turbo Boost speed of 3.60 GHz (27.0 x 133 MHz). It features a QuickPath Interconnect speed of 6.4 GT/s, and supports triple-channel registered DDR3 memory with its integrated memory controller. Cache levels include 256 KB L2 cache per core, and 12 MB shared L3 cache.

The processor is compatible with most server boards based on the Intel 5500 and 5520 chipsets with BIOS updates. A quick overclocking feat by Fitseries3 on the EVGA Classified SR-2 motherboard yielded a speed of 5 GHz making use of the high BClk multiplier. The chip is likely to carry a rated TDP of 130W. Intel may release this processor in the next quarter, either displacing the X5680 from its US $1,730 price point, or occupying a higher one. The CPU-Z validation of the mentioned overclocking feat can be found here.

Eurocom Announces Panther 2.0, First Notebook with GTX 480M SLI and M-HD 5870 CFX

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btarunr

Aug 16th, 2010 17:02 Discuss (21 Comments)

Eurocom, the world's leading developer of highly personalized, high-performance notebook PCs and energy efficient All-in-One PCs, introduced the EUROCOM Panther 2.0 super notebook for Gaming, Workstation or Server use powered by NVIDIA SLI Fermi GPUs and Intel's line of 6-core i7-980x and Xeon 5600 series LGA1366 processors.

EUROCOM Panther 2.0 provides workstation and server-calibre capabilities with up to 3TB of storage with four internal physical hard drives and RAID 0/1/5/10, super-powerful 3.33 GHz Intel Core i7 Processor Extreme Edition i7-980X; or 3.33 GHz XEON X5680 processors running at 6.4GT/sec bus speed, Gigabit Ethernet port on-board (quad port optional), HDMI in and out ports, eSATA, DVi ports, with a 17.3" Full HD 1920x1080 LED backlit display and full size keyboard.

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Toshiba Intros ''Value'' Satellite Pro Notebook Models

btarunr

Aug 16th, 2010 16:51 Discuss (1 Comment)

Targeting the "back to school" shopping season, Toshiba announced two new Satellite Pro notebooks based on the Intel Calpella platform, the 15.6 inch Satellite Pro S500-131, and the 17.3 inch Satellite Pro L670-172. Despite the Satellite Pro series traditionally catering to the mobile performance segment, Toshiba seems to have adopted a "value" approach, with the two being priced at just 649 EUR and 749 EUR, respectively. The 17.3 inch L670-172 has an LED-backlit display with 1600 x 900 pixels resolution, and is driven by the Intel Core i3-350M dual-core processor running at 2.26 GHz, with 3 MB of cache. It is backed up by 4 GB of memory, a 320 GB hard drive, and DVD writer drive.

The 15.6 inch Satellite Pro S500-131 carried an LED-backlit screen with 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, the same Core i3-350M processor, but with 2 GB of memory. Both models make use of Intel's integrated graphics, are powered by Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, and offer connectivity that includes gigabit Ethernet, WiFi b/g/n, and battery life of up to 4 hours, but the 17.3 inch model also offers a multi-gesture trackpad and Bluetooth. Toshiba's new notebooks are available in Europe starting now.

Intel To Acquire Texas Instruments' Cable Modem Unit

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btarunr

Aug 16th, 2010 16:20 Discuss (14 Comments)

Intel Corporation today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Texas Instruments' cable modem product line. The purchase enhances Intel's focus on the cable industry and related consumer electronics (CE) market segments, where the company's expertise in building advanced system-on-chip (SoC) products, based on Intel Atom processors, will be applied.

Intel plans to combine Texas Instruments' best-of-breed Puma product lines with the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) standard technology and Intel SoCs to deliver advanced set top box, residential gateway and modem products for the cable industry. The objective is to provide cable OEMs with an open and powerful platform for delivering innovative and differentiated products to service providers that improve the video, voice and data content experience at home.

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Sparkle Announces Calibre GTX 480 Graphics Card with Custom Cooling Solution

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btarunr

Aug 16th, 2010 14:19 Discuss (18 Comments)

SPARKLE Computer Co., Ltd., the professional VGA card manufacturer and supplier, today proudly announced the Calibre X480 graphics card, equipped with the Accelero Xtreme Cooling Solution from Arctic Cooling, providing the world's fastest DX11 performance to gamers unbeatable cooling effects.

The Calibre X480 Graphics Card brings a host of the next generation of gaming architecture GF100--including tessellation, Direct Compute and all other DirectX 11 hardware features. GF100 architecture is specifically designed to support next generation gaming effects such as ray tracing, order-independent transparency, and fluid simulations. By using GF100 architecture, the Calibre X480 Graphics Card gets a tremendous boost in DX11 game performance and image quality, and brings film-like game characters and objects to users. GF100 architecture also enhances PhysX simulations with tremendous speed upgrade. In addition, GPU computing now can be put in practice in latest DX11 games for improve DX11 gaming efficiency.

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Roccat Greets Gamescom with Taito Kingsize MTW Edition Mousepad

btarunr

Aug 16th, 2010 10:58 Discuss (11 Comments)

To welcome this year's Gamescom event held in Cologne, Germany; Hamburg-based gaming peripherals vendor Roccat announced the Taito Kingsize mTw Edition mousepad. As the name goes, this mousepad measures 455 x 370 mm, with a thickness of 3.45 mm. The reverse side is rubberized for a proper grip with the surface, while the surface uses a heat-treated nano-textile pattern that the company claims to increase mouse gliding performance along both axes. A large mTw logo decks up the surface. The new mousepad will reach stores by the end of this month, priced at 24.99 EUR.

MSI Unveils Stylishly Classy FX400 14-inch Multimedia Notebook

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btarunr

Aug 16th, 2010 07:30 Discuss (10 Comments)

MSI recently unveiled the stylishly classy FX400, a 14-inch laptop that comes equipped with Intel's top-of-the-line Core i5 processor, the nVIDIA GeForce GT 325M discrete graphics card (1GB display memory), TDE technology, and GPU Boost technology to automatically switch graphics card modes to optimize graphics and processing performance.

MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern elaborated, saying that the FX400, MSI's latest masterpiece, is sheathed in its own raised totem seal coating to prevent against scratching and smudging and features MSI's stylish and meticulous craftsmanship that put the FX400 in a class all its own. MSI worked in close cooperation with internationally renowned sound system designer THX to craft the theater-class surround sound, enhancing the FX400's sound output capabilities, giving you sound quality that blasts away the competition.

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Intel Readies 25 nm NAND-based X25-M and X25-V SSDs for Q4 2010

btarunr

Aug 16th, 2010 04:56 Discuss (18 Comments)

Intel is planning a series of four solid state drives (SSDs) in Q4 2010, that makes use of the latest IMFlash Technologies 25 nm NAND flash memory chips, under a possible "G3" (third generation) brand identifier, and sold complete under the Intel X25-M, and X18-M (mainstream) and X25-V (value) brands. The four drives will continue to carry the company internal codename "Postville", and mostly the same exact feature set as the 34 nm Postville SSDs, except for the new 25 nm NAND chips, native data encryption, SMART, and higher performance.

Under the 2.5" form-factor X25-M series, there are 600 GB, 300 GB, and 160 GB models on the roadmap, while an X25-V 2.5" value SSD featuring the 25 nm flash chips includes an 80 GB model in Q4. Later in Q1 2011, Intel will add new enterprise X25-E "Lydonville" models based on the new chips, as well as introduce 25 nm based 300 GB and 160 GB 1.8" mainstream X18-M SSDs, and a 40 GB X25-M model. The introduction of these new SSDs follows the February 2010 announcement of the 25 nm NAND flash memory chips by IMFlash Technologies. IMFlash is a joint venture between Intel and Micron Technology.

Eurocom Breaks the 3TB Barrier in its Notebooks with Seagate Momentus 7200rpm HDDs

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btarunr

Aug 16th, 2010 04:18 Discuss (5 Comments)

Eurocom has ben able to crack the 3 Terabyte7200rpm barrier in its Mobile Servers and Mobile Workstations thanks to Seagate hard drives that have reduced in size from 12.5 mm to 9.5 mm. Now Eurocom has been able to cram up to 4 hard drives into such models as the EUROCOM D900F Panther, EUROCOM X8100 Leopard and the soon to be released EUROCOM X7200 Panther 2.0. This new piece of technology will increase the already very high processing power, speed and storage space of the Eurocom products.

Eurocom notebooks can be used for a wide range of uses due to their 3TB storage, extremely fast Intel i7-980X Extreme or Xeon 5500/5600 with up to 6 cores and 19 inch displays and superfast NVIDIA GTX 480M, Quadro FX 3800M, ATi Radeon Mobility HD5870 in single or dual VGA operation (SLI or CrossfireX).

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Thecus Releases C10GT 10 Gbps Ethernet PCI-E Adapter

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btarunr

Aug 16th, 2010 04:13 Discuss (12 Comments)

As digital files grow larger in size, the amount of data being transferred over networks is ever increasing. Today, Thecus Technology is pleased to announce the C10GT 10 Gbps Ethernet PCI-e Adapter. Featuring lightning-fast transfer speeds, dual cable connectivity, and simple installation and setup, the C10GT is a high-speed 10Gb ready network card designed to help users affordably take full advantage of the new upcoming 10Gb Ethernet standard.

The C10GT is a very capable and feature-packed network adapter. Powered by the enterprise-class Tehuti Luxor TN3020-D processor, the C10GT delivers efficient high-bandwidth access to server and storage applications, while requiring relatively low power for operation. Another standout feature of the C10GT is its dual cable interface, which features one CX4 port and one SFP+ port - perfect for accommodating both copper and fiber optic cabling.

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MSI Shows Off WindPad 100 Tablet PC

btarunr

Aug 15th, 2010 09:48 Discuss (5 Comments)

MSI's entry to the reinvigorated tablet PC market is the WindPad 100, which gets showcased at the IFA event in Berlin. Unlike tablets such as the Apple iPad, the MSI WindPad 100 is based on the Intel x86 architecture, running Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. The tablet features a multi-touchscreen 10.1" display, and is loaded with connectors in all sides, such as USB 2.0, an SDHC-compatible card reader, front-facing 1.3 megapixel webcam and HDMI to connect to displays and projectors.

Under its hood is a second-generation Intel Atom Z530 processor, 2 GB of DDR3 memory, and possible HDD/SSD options for storage. Connectivity for the tablet includes USB 2.0, 3G HSDPA, and WiFi b/g/n, though it can be expanded by an optional dock, which lets you convert the tablet to a desktop PC. The dock provides USB 2.0, audio expansion, gigabit Ethernet, D-Sub and HDMI display outputs, apart from doubling up as the tablet's battery-charging cradle.

Nexus Intros FLC-3000 R2 CPU Cooler

btarunr

Aug 15th, 2010 09:31 Discuss (8 Comments)

Nexus unveiled an updated design to its FLC-3000 CPU cooler that was launched about three years ago, the FLC-3000 R2. The new version features support for the latest socket types, and makes use of a CPU base with direct-touch heatpipes. The cooler measures 128 x 105 x 119 mm, weighing 450 g, its design consists of a direct-touch heatpipe CPU base from which four 6 mm copper heatpipes convey heat to an aluminum fin array that propagates at an angle of roughly 45°. A 92 mm PWM-controlled, orange LED-lit fan is nested inside the array, which spins at speeds of 900 to 2,500 rpm, with a maximum noise output of 24 dBA. All current socket types are supported, including LGA1366, LGA1156, AM3/AM2+, and LGA775. It is expected to be priced at around $40.

Rambus and NVIDIA Sign Patent License Agreement

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btarunr

Aug 15th, 2010 09:11 Discuss (13 Comments)

Rambus Inc., one of the world's premier technology licensing companies, and NVIDIA, the worldwide leader in visual computing, today announced they have signed a patent license agreement related to certain memory controllers.

Under the agreement, Rambus has granted NVIDIA a patent license for certain memory controllers at a 1 percent royalty rate for SDR memory controllers and a 2 percent royalty rate for other memory controllers, including DDR, DDR2, DDR3, LPDDR, LPDDR2, GDDR2, GDDR3, GDDR4, and portions of GDDR5 memory controllers. NVIDIA has granted no licenses to Rambus.

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NVIDIA Reports Financial Results for Second Quarter Fiscal 2011

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btarunr

Aug 15th, 2010 09:07 Discuss (26 Comments)

NVIDIA reported revenue of $811.2 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 ended Aug. 1, 2010, down 19.0 percent from the prior quarter and up 4.5 percent from $776.5 million from the same period a year earlier.

On a GAAP basis, the company recorded a net loss of $141.0 million, or $0.25 per share, compared with net income of $137.6 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the previous quarter and a net loss of $105.3 million, or $0.19 per share, in the same period a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was 16.6 percent compared with 45.6 percent in the previous quarter and 20.2 percent in the same period a year earlier.

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Club 3D Announces Radeon HD 5670 Value Edition Graphics Card

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btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 14:14 Discuss (8 Comments)

Club 3D B.V. introduces the new affordable ATI Radeon HD5670 1GB GDDR5 with low power consumption and DirectX 11 support. The Club 3D ATI Radeon HD5670 1GB GDDR5 is an attractive proposition for a cost effective gaming PC and HTTPCs. With an impressive GPU cooler will keep your card running at peak efficiency while keeping the noise level down.

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ECS Introduces Black Series P55H-AK Motherboard for Hardcore Gamers and Overclockers

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btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 13:31 Discuss (34 Comments)

With innovative products that span multiple target markets under its belt, Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), the world's leading motherboard, graphics card, barebone system, and notebook manufacturer, announces the latest product, the ECS Black Series P55H-AK motherboard, which has powerful specifications and takes on a classic black and white color scheme.

There were lots of insane overclocking events at COMPUTEX 2010; ECS successfully created a new overclocking standard - 5 GHz for Intel latest Core Unlocked processor (Unlocked processors refer to the Core i5-655K and Core i7-875K) using just a normal air cooler. Simply put, every user can boost their gaming system easily by using the ECS M.I.B. X tweaker - the special edition overclocking interface consolidates all information about overclocking for users; getting increased system performance using typical cooling isn't that hard anymore.

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ATI Radeon HD 6000 Series ''Southern Islands'' Graphics Cards For Sale from November

btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 12:17 Discuss (137 Comments)

Come this Winter, and things will heat up once again in the graphics card industry, with GPU vendors battling it out for the crucial Holidays shopping season. While AMD did not introduce any new GPUs after completing its ATI Radeon HD 5000 series launch itinerary, it did manage to grab significant amount of sales from its graphics rival NVIDIA. For this Winter, AMD and its partners will be in a position to launch the ATI Radeon HD 6000 series graphics processors, according to DigiTimes, citing sources from graphics card vendors.

It is also said that the Radeon HD 6000 series, codenamed "Southern Islands" (members of which are codenamed after islands in the Mediterranean Sea), will be built on TSMC's 40 nm manufacturing process. AMD had originally planned to build Southern Islands on TSMC's 32 nm process, but with the foundry skipping 32 nm bulk for 28 nm which will start operations only by the end of the year, AMD redrew its plans and stuck to the now-mature (stable) 40 nm process. Perhaps AMD learned a thing or two from a wide range of teething problems that plagued the 40 nm production line.

Seagate and Samsung Enter Agreement to Jointly Develop Enterprise SSD Controller Tech

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btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 11:57 Discuss (18 Comments)

Seagate Technology plc, the world leader in hard disk drives and storage solutions, and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, today announced that they have entered into a joint development and licensing agreement. Under the agreement, the two companies will jointly develop and cross-license related controller technologies for solid state drive ("SSD") storage devices to attain the high levels of performance, reliability and endurance demanded by enterprise storage applications.

The joint development effort builds on the existing SSD capabilities of each company while combining Seagate's leadership in enterprise storage technology with Samsung's flash memory technology specific to 30 nanometer-class MLC NAND. The jointly developed controller will be utilized in Seagate's enterprise-class SSDs. "Seagate has long recognized that solid state technology has an important role to play in the comprehensive solutions the storage industry will deliver today and in the future, particularly in the enterprise market," said Steve Luczo, Seagate chairman, president and CEO. "Today's agreement with Samsung will help us bring a compelling set of SSD innovations to the enterprise storage market, with benefits that range from enhanced performance, endurance and reliability to cost and capacity improvements. Overall, this agreement with Samsung strengthens our SSD solutions strategy, and positions Seagate well as global demand for storage continues on its strong growth path."

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Thermaltake eSports Announces New Meka G1 Gaming Keyboard

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btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 11:52 Discuss (36 Comments)

Tt eSPORTS, a leading professional gaming gear company, today announces our brand new "MEKA" series of mechanical keyboard at Gamescom in Cologne Germany, the largest gaming event and calendar highlight for interactive games and entertainment.

Tt eSPORTS offers a complete gaming solution. Now with the new MEKA G1 mechanical keyboard, guarantee a 1000HZ polling rate and faster response time on the keyboard which will give gamers supreme experiences to destroy and attack enemies on every terrain.

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Logitech Unveils Sleek Keyboard and Mouse Combo

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btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 11:41 Discuss (3 Comments)

Today Logitech introduced the Logitech Wireless Combo MK520, a full-size mouse and keyboard combo that puts comfort and control at your fingertips. The keyboard gives you the room to type comfortably while concave, low-profile keys cradle your fingertips. The laser mouse feels good in either hand thanks to its contoured design with soft rubber side grips.

"When you're using a laptop, the Logitech Wireless Combo can make everything you do on your computer more comfortable," said Anne-Marie Ginn, Logitech. "The MK520 keyboard and mouse combo is designed to feel good hour after hour."

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Micron Introduces New RealSSD P300 Solid-State Drives for the Enterprise

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btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 10:26 Discuss (7 Comments)

Micron Technology, Inc., today introduced the RealSSD P300 solid-state drive (SSD), bringing faster system performance and improved data integrity to enterprise environments. The RealSSD P300 drive features the SATA 6-gigabits per second (Gbps) interface, a first for the enterprise SSD market. The new P300 SSD delivers extraordinarily high steady-state input/output operations per second (IOPS), up to 44,000 reads and 16,000 writes--more than 15 times the write performance of competing SATA-based SSDs.

"The RealSSD P300 SSD is the fastest SATA-based drive on the market," said Dean Klein, Micron vice president of Memory System Development. "The RealSSD P300 is able to do the work of multiple hard drives--outperforming a RAID of 12 hard drives in some cases."

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Buffalo Readies High-Density Memory Options for Apple Macs

btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 10:16 Discuss (0 Comments)

Buffalo Japan is readying a set of high-density DDR3 memory options for Apple Macs. Available as a single module carrying the model number A3N1333-4G and as a dual-channel kit A3N1333-4GX2, these SO-DIMM modules are Mac-ready, and are technically DDR3-1333 MHz, offering capacities of 4 GB per module, 8 GB for the kit. The A3N1333-4G is priced in Japan at equivalent of US $268, and the A3N1333-4GX2 at $528. These will reach stores by mid-August (anytime soon).

Lian Li Launches Mini Q PC-V354 Chassis

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btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 09:56 Discuss (14 Comments)

Lian Li Industrial Co. Ltd. launches the Mini Q Series PC-V354 Desktop/HTPC Chassis. The all aluminum design features a simple front-side mount for the ODD bay and multimedia I/O ports, as well as supporting up to seven 3.5" HDD drives or alternatively offering 350mm space for long VGA cards. The sleek brushed aluminum chassis comes in black, silver and red, with a clean, easy-on-the-eyes front panel design. The dimensions stand at 245x320x420mm (W.H.D). The chassis comes with all the functional and user friendly design aspects that users have come to expect in a Lian Li's case.

Lian Li's engineers have combined airflow, noise reducing and tool-less design techniques throughout the Mini Q PC-V354. The chassis supports Micro-ATX as well as Mini-ITX and Mini-DTX motherboards. The elegant outer-panels give users the confidence to place the PC-V354 as conspicuously as they wish. Designed with anti-vibration rubber ring suspension, Lian Li's Mini Q PC-V354 can hold up to seven 3.5" HDDs. The chassis owns two 120mm intake blue or red LED fans at the front for drawing cool air in, as well as one 140mm fan on the top cover to exhaust the hot air out from the system. Additionally, the fans are mounted with special anti-vibration grommet and dust filters making them capable of running almost silently.

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AMD Spurs Software Development to Benefit from Heterogeneous Compute Architectures

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btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 09:49 Discuss (12 Comments)

AMD today announced the availability of the ATI Stream Software Development Kit (SDK) v2.2 with full OpenCL 1.1 support to provide developers with the tools they need to build incredible next-generation applications. By taking advantage of both CPU and GPU processing power in a given system, applications like 3D video, HD video chat and multi-display 3D gaming are possible.

A development platform created by AMD, the ATI Stream SDK v2.2 brings a wide range of tools to the developer community including support for OpenCL 1.1, in addition to Ubuntu 10.04 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5. This updated development platform empowers the developer community to accelerate applications on the CPU and GPU quickly and efficiently. The new version is available for download here.

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Toshiba Introduces Double Data Rate Toggle Mode NAND In MLC And SLC Configurations

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btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 02:49 Discuss (2 Comments)

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc ., (TAEC) is introducing 32 nm double data rate Toggle Mode NAND, in multi-level cell (MLC) versions with densities of 64 Gb, 128 Gb and 256 Gb and single-level cell (SLC) versions with densities of 32 Gb, 64 Gb and 128 Gb. Toggle Mode NAND features a faster interface than conventional or "legacy" asynchronous NAND memory with lower power consumption than competing synchronous DDR NAND product offerings.

Toshiba DDR Toggle Mode 1.0 NAND has a fast interface rated at 133 megatransfers per second (MT/s), compared to 40 MT/s for legacy SLC single data rate NAND, which makes it suitable for high performance solid state storage applications including enterprise storage. Since it uses an asynchronous interface similar to that used in conventional NAND, the Toshiba DDR Toggle Mode NAND requires no clock signal, which means that it uses less power and has a simpler system design compared to competing synchronous NAND alternatives. The DDR interface in Toggle Mode NAND uses a Bidirectional DQS to generate input/output signals (I/Os) using the rising and falling edge of the write erase signal. Toggle Mode NAND also has on-die termination to help achieve less crosstalk.

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Sapphire Announces HD 5770 FleX Edition, Connect Four Displays in Eyefinity

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btarunr

Aug 12th, 2010 02:33 Discuss (10 Comments)

SAPPHIRE Technology introduces the SAPPHIRE HD 5770 FleX, the latest graphics card in the highly successful SAPPHIRE HD 5000 series. This is the first graphics solution to support three screens in ATI Eyefinity mode, out of the box, without the need for DisplayPort monitors or active adapters. The SAPPHIRE HD 5770 FleX can also support four monitors in ATI Eyefinity mode with a single card.

The SAPPHIRE HD 5770 FleX is a SAPPHIRE original design based on the latest 40nm graphics architecture from the ATI division of AMD. It supports the advanced graphical features of DirectX 11, and delivers spectacular video clarity, speed and visual effects.

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Palit GeForce GTX 460 Sonic Platinum 1 GB Review

Review Graphics Cards

Running at 800 MHz GPU and 1000 MHz memory, Palit's GTX 460 Sonic Platinum is one of the highest clocked GTX 460 cards out there. It also comes with 1 GB of GDDR5 memory which can provide a performance boost over the 768 MB variants too. Being priced at reasonable $249 this card looks like a good alternative to a reference design purchase.

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Next-Gen Apple TV to Use AMD Fusion APUs

btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 17:16 Discuss (26 Comments)

Following AMD's recent announcement of a tie-up with Apple over supply of ATI Radeon graphics processors to be pre-fitted on iMac and Mac Pro product lines, news is surfacing that the engagement between the two will get even deeper. The next version of Apple TV will feature AMD's Fusion APU (accelerated processing units), making it the first Apple product to use an AMD processor. An APU is technically identical to the Intel Core i3 or Core i5 dual-core processors found in the market today (that have the CPU and an IGP in the same package), except that the first Fusion APUs will have the processor cores and an ATI Radeon GPU on the same die, and more importantly, the GPU will be DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4.1 compliant, and have performance on par with the ATI Radeon HD 5500 series discrete GPUs.

For Apple TV this means that it will have a GPU that's powerful enough to run a more complex, higher resolution user interface, and make use of AMD's advanced HD video acceleration features, while literally 60% of the vital components are contained within one chip (CPU, IMC, GPU, northbridge). Apple TV is a device that plugs into HDTVs, providing interactive TV and video streaming features over the iTunes store service. It can also connect to your media collection over a wireless network.

Club 3D Announces GeForce GTX 460 Overclocked 768 MB Graphics Card

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btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 16:48 Discuss (2 Comments)

Club 3D is pleased to announce the introduction of the Overclocked version of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460. It 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 GeForce GTX 460 cards in NVIDIA SLI configuration to project across three displays with NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround technology. The new card features an impressive 750 MHz clock speed with 768MB GDDR5 memory running at 3800MHz and a 192-bit memory interface.

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Fractal Design Announces Define R3 Line of PC Cases

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btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 16:38 Discuss (23 Comments)

Fractal Design Announced the Define R3 - the successor to the best selling Define R2. Now available with a bunch of improvements, including improved cable routing, air flow and bigger hole in M/B plate for mounting CPU coolers. The Define R3 case is reaching new heights in combining stylish, contemporary design with maximum functionality and noise absorbing features. The minimalistic, yet stunning front panel design, fitted with noise absorbing material on the inside, creates an aura of exclusivity.

The patent pending feature ModuVent, in which you can choose whether to have side and top panels open or not, makes the case appealing for users seeking optimal silence, as well as the performance hungry ones. The sleek black interior is matched with pre-fitted, dense noise absorbing material on the side panels, efficiently absorbing noise and vibrations. You can fit an astonishing total of eight hard drives into this case, using the user friendly HDD-trays. All painted in a nice white color and using black silicone mounts. PSU is mounted in the bottom of the case, with a convenient pull-out filter beneath it.

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Intel 2011 Core Series Desktop Processor Roadmap Surfaces

btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 13:13 Discuss (35 Comments)

Having turned its most profitable quarter, Intel is banking on its vast lineup of the 2010 Core processors, which will be updated towards the end of the year. By 2011, Intel will have a new series of second generation Core i7, Core i5, and Core i3 processors, based on a brand new architecture, and built for new sockets and chipsets. A roadmap of the same reached sections of the European media, which shows the company to be almost ready with a full-fledged lineup of desktop processors covering most price-points, by 2011.

The new architecture on which these processors are based is referred to by Intel as "Sandy Bridge", key features of which include the inclusion of the new Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX), a more advanced instruction set than SSE, to accelerate complex applications. AVX aside, there's Turbo Boost technology 2.0 that comes with even smarter algorithms to automatically manage clock speeds of individual processor cores to maximize performance within the processor's TDP envelope, AES-NI, which is a more manageable hardware data encryption instruction set, and processors with integrated graphics (IGP) controllers will have even faster ones, because Intel will be relocating the IGP and memory controller to the same die as the processor cores, this IGP is referred to as Intel "GT2" graphics.

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AMD Silently Deems Phenom II X6 1075T a Black Edition Part, Starts Listing in Europe

btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 10:42 Discuss (28 Comments)

AMD has expanded its Phenom II X6 market lineup with the Phenom II X6 1075T Black Edition model (model number: HDT75ZFBGRBOX), which has started hitting stores in Europe for as low as 227.35 EUR. Although the 1075T model has stayed in leaks and BIOS support lists ever since the series first surfaced, it is only now that we get to know that it's a Black Edition part. The chip carries a clock speed of 3.00 GHz, and with its unlocked BClk multiplier, helps with overclocking the chip. AMD already has a higher-priced, higher-clocked model, the 3.20 GHz Phenom II X6 1090T, and there's no indication that 1090T will be displaced from its current price point of ~250 EUR.

Based on the 45 nm "Thuban" die, the Phenom II X6 1075T features six cores, with a nominal speed of 3.00 GHz, that can increase by up to 400 MHz with load thanks to the TurboCore feature, the cores have dedicated L2 caches of 512 KB, and share an L3 cache of 6 MB. The chip comes in the AM3 package, and is backwards compatible with AM2+ socket, it supports both DDR3-1333 MHz and DDR2-1066 memory types, with room for higher frequencies. It has a TDP rated at 125W.

PhotoFast Announces GMonster X Drive CF/1.8 ZIF/1.8 50pin to USB 3.0 Enclosure

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btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 10:22 Discuss (2 Comments)

PhotoFast Global Inc. a pioneer in creative, high quality and extreme performance flash-based storage manufacturer, today revealed its new line up of USB 3.0 accessories. Relied the new standard and host controller introduced to the market, PhotoFast demand to bring even higher transfer rates to meet the bottleneck where every user has experienced before.

Upgrade market has always been a major concern to PhotoFast. Several series of products has been developed to fulfill the demands of these users. A full line of 1.8" PATA SSD and adaptors are available that would enable the aged laptops to fast response and shock resistance.

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Acer Readies Super-Slim, LED-Lit, Full HD Monitor

btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 10:14 Discuss (12 Comments)

Acer is planning to release its new S222HQL display at the IFA Berlin 2010 event this September. This 21.5" display sports a super-slim design that's aided by its LED-backlit illumination. At its thickest point, the display is just 12.9 mm thick. The display is Full HD ready, with a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, it has a dynamic contrast ratio thanks to its LED backlit at 12,000,000:1, with 2 ms response time. The maximum brightness is 250 cd/m². Inputs include DVI and HDMI. There is no word on its pricing or availability.

NVIDIA Releases PhysX System Software with Fixes in Time for Mafia 2

btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 09:53 Discuss (6 Comments)

NVIDIA today released PhysX System Software version 9.10.0513. The software installs the NVIDIA PhysX runtime and GPU acceleration support by any NVIDIA GeForce GPU since 8-series that has over 256 MB of memory. While normally new versions of the PhysX System software accompany new GeForce driver launches, this release comes shortly after 2K Games released the PhysX-optimized version of Mafia 2 demo on Steam, which in turn came shortly after NVIDIA released its latest WHQL-signed GeForce drivers. The software fixes some important performance issues with the game. Apart from this, the new version also fixes an important bug that prevents PhysX GPU acceleration in notebooks with NVIDIA Optimus technology. This release will also be included in the next version of the GeForce driver.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA PhysX System Software 9.10.0513

I-O Data Intros 27-inch Full HD Monitor for Gaming and Entertainment

btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 09:29 Discuss (11 Comments)

I-O Data expanded its display lineup further with a new 27-inch full HD monitor that's best suited for gaming and entertainment. The I-O Data LCD-MF271XBR has a detachable stand that uses standard VESA mounts to hold the display, it lets you adjust the display's height, tilt and swivel. Being a full HD display it has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, other display specs include response time of 2 ms, 1,000:1 contrast ratio (30,000:1 dynamic), and a maximum brightness of 330 cd/m². Display inputs include DVI, D-Sub and HDMI, while other features include 1.5W stereo speakers, and a 3.5 mm audio jack to connect your headset (relays input from your sound card). The new display will reach stores in Japan later this month.

EVGA Releases Classified SR-2 Power Supply to the Market

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btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 05:07 Discuss (14 Comments)

EVGA, in its pursuit to deliver only the best quality and performance, is at it again with the EVGA Classified SR-2 Power Supply. Delivering 1200 watts of continuous power while maintaining an 80 Plus Silver certification is only the beginning. 6 +12v rails capable of delivering 38A, and fine-tuning knobs allow you to adjust the +12v rail and fanspeed to the optimal performance.

This power supply is designed around the record shattering EVGA Classified SR-2 motherboard, but is perfectly suited to meet and exceed the needs of any motherboard and graphics card combination.

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Spire Releases Slimod 282 GPU Cooler

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btarunr

Aug 11th, 2010 04:54 Discuss (14 Comments)

Introducing the Slimod 282 high-end DT Heat-pipe VGA graphics array cooler. The Slimod 282 is a powerful GPU cooler for the latest hot 130W Nvidia and ATI graphics chipset. Equipped with four (4) all copper 6mm Direct Touch heat-pipes for efficient and quick heat transport to the aluminum stamped heat-sink fins which transfer the heat to ambient area. The four heat-pipes utilized and high performance splintered powder heat-pipes which guarantee best thermal results. The Slimod 282 is equipped with two (2) 90mm DC fans which generate strong air pressure and over 24CFM airflow.

The Slimod 282 VGA Cooler is supplied with full PCB mounting clips and fittings, S420 thermal interface material and RAM: memory heat-sinks. You can easily install this VGA cooler onto your Geforce and Radeon chipset based graphic cards. Powered by innovation and performance the Slimod 282 is the professional solution for pc enthusiasts and gamers alike offered to you by Spire.

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Head-Direct HiFiMAN RE-ZERO In-ears Review

Review Headphones

Head-Direct's first ever balanced set of in-ears gets put to the test. Dubbed the RE-ZEROs they are essentially a limited run of a highly modified RE0 design. Dressed in a new color with a TRRS mini-jack and a slightly altered bundle these new in-ears should work well for the audio enthusiast.

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Zalman Intros ZM-SF3 Case Fans with ''Shark's Fin Blade'' Design

btarunr

Aug 10th, 2010 23:57 Discuss (26 Comments)

Zalman today announced the ZM-SF3 fans in Europe, which feature what it calls "Shark's fin Blade" design. The ridges and protrusions on each fan-blade reduce turbulence, resulting in a better airflow to rotational speed ratio, and more importantly, reduced noise. This fan blade design is backed by a motor that makes use of what Zalman calls "Everlasting Quiet" (ELQ) bearing that makes use of a nano-composite material that results in a lifespan of over 150,000 hours with minimum noise.

The fan's frame uses blocks of silicone at its corners that dampen vibration, and silicone pins are provided instead of metal screws that bring down vibration transfer to the chassis even further. This results in a rated noise level of under 25 dBA. The fan measures 120 x 120 x 26.4 mm, weighing 118 g. It spins at speeds between 900 and 1,500 rpm. It takes its power from a 3-pin power connector. Zalman, however, did not announce pricing.

Ainex HUB-03 Fills Your Rig with 13 USB Ports

btarunr

Aug 10th, 2010 14:16 Discuss (47 Comments)

One of the latest peripherals to hit Japan's Akihabara is the HUB-03 from Ainex, a case-internal USB hub that doles out as many as 13 USB 2.0 ports. The hub occupies a 5.25" drive bay of your case, connects to the motherboard by a two-port internal header connection, and powers the ports by taking in auxiliary power from a floppy power connector (Molex to floppy dongle included). If you manage to run out of those 13-ports, you can just add another one of those next to it.

Razer Announces Orca Headphones, Find The Perfect Balance Between Gaming and Music

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btarunr

Aug 10th, 2010 13:55 Discuss (20 Comments)

Razer, the world's leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, today announced the release of the Razer Orca Gaming and Music Headphones. This stylish pair of headphones features a comfortable ergonomic design with quality sound and an ultra sleek look featuring Razer's distinct, venomous green color. Razer unites the music enthusiast with the hardcore gamer to bring you the coolest pair of headphones to hit the streets.

"The Razer Orca marks Razer's foray into the lifestyle audio world," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, president, Razer USA. "We specifically designed the Razer Orca for the consumer who demands unmatched comfort and the utmost style, who also happens to game. We wanted a pair of headphones that could transition from your gaming den to the subway by adding a cool look to great gaming sound."

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Xigmatek Introduces the Aegir SD128264 CPU Cooler

btarunr

Aug 10th, 2010 11:31 Discuss (12 Comments)

Xigmatek today introduced its Aegir SD128264 CPU cooler. While it looks like yet another tower-design CPU cooler with push-pull ventilation, Xigmatek implemented a new technology in this cooler, which it calls "Double Layer with Heat-pipe Direct Touch" or DLHDT. The design involves four heatpipes, of which two are 8 mm thick and two are 6 mm thick (alternating), making direct contact with the processor, with another set of two heatpipes making direct contact with these four HDT heat pipes, so that some of the processor's heat is indirectly offloaded to those heatpipes between the two sets of heat pipes. In all, the six heat pipes disperse heat to various parts of the aluminum fins.

The unit measures 120(W) x 120(H) x 25(D) mm, weighing 630 g. Air circulation is care of two 120 mm fans that guide air through the aluminum fin array at speeds between 1,000 and 2,200 rpm, with a noise level of 20 dBA. The fans are fitted with white LEDs. The cooler supports all current CPU socket types, including LGA1366, LGA1156, AM3/AM2(+), and LGA775. Xigmatek unfortunately, did not give out pricing or availability information.

ECS P55H-AK Release-Grade Motherboard Pictured

btarunr

Aug 10th, 2010 11:07 Discuss (22 Comments)

ECS' new high-end socket LGA1156 motherboard, the P55H-AK, is closer to release with the company listing it on its website. The P55H-AK was first pictured at this year's Computex event held in Taipei, but the company seems to have made some changes to its design, notably a different set of heatsinks and component colors. The key feature of this motherboard is its PCI-Express bandwidth management, which is care of an NVIDIA nForce 200 bridge chip that facilitates two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 links that are split between three slots, first slot being x16, and the other two being x8 constant; and a PLX 12-lane 3-port bridge chip that connects to the P55 PCH over PCI-Express 1.1 x4, and gives out PCI-Express 2.0 x1 connections to the SATA 3 Gb/s and USB 3.0 controllers.

The CPU socket makes use of 15μ gold contacts (the pins have a 15 μm thick layer of gold on the surface), it is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots for dual-channel memory. Expansion slots include three PCI-E x16, two PCI-E x1, and a PCI, ATI CrossFireX and 3-way NVIDIA SLI are supported. Connectivity include two 2-port USB 3.0 controllers, of which one gives out a 2-port internal header, six SATA 3 Gb/s and two SATA 6 Gb/s ports, 8-channel HD audio, dual gigabit Ethernet, eSATA, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. The board's listing is indicative of a launch sometime soon.

ASUS Adds Rumble Impact to Gaming and Multimedia with CineVibe Headphones

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btarunr

Aug 10th, 2010 08:00 Discuss (14 Comments)

The inclusion of moving bass, force feedback reactive vibration and superior audio quality put the all-new ASUS CineVibe miles ahead of other headphones, providing an entirely upgraded personal audio experience. CineVibe headphones use advanced audio rendering to provide impressive bass as well as precision mid and high range output, making them ideal for exciting gaming and movie watching.

Better yet, the biggest attraction with CineVibe headphones is the addition of reactive force feedback that vibrates in tandem with the action on screen, creating a gripping experience. Unlike the forgettable sound of most headphones, CineVibe headphones evoke great wonder and amazement, injecting a whole new dimension of audio to personal, undisruptive gaming and movie watching.

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ASUS Announces B43 and B53 Commercial Series Notebooks

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btarunr

Aug 10th, 2010 06:06 Discuss (2 Comments)

Reliable and secure, ASUS Commercial Series notebooks are designed to perform in the business world. They have been subjected to stringent durability tests which include drop and pressure tests that surpass industry standards. These notebooks come with Anti-Shock Hard Drives, smart card access, TPM and fingerprint logins as well as ASUS Secure Delete to provide unprecedented levels of security.

The B Series notebooks feature the latest Intel Core processors with vPro technology as well as switchable graphics that offer both energy-efficiency and optimized performance modes. ASUS has partnered with battery manufacturer Boston-Power to provide the Nordic Ecolabel and China CEC-accredited battery for the B43 and B53 Commercial Series notebooks. These batteries maintain peak performance for over 900 charge cycles--more than triple the normal lithium ion battery life cycle. And with ASUS Xpress Charge, a fully- drained battery can be charged to 90 percent capacity in just 90 minutes.

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Verbatim Unveils Wallet-like Portable Hard Drives

btarunr

Aug 10th, 2010 04:55 Discuss (6 Comments)

Verbatim unveiled a new portable hard drive design which is agonizingly simple and yet never thought of before: a wallet. The Wallet Drive from Verbatim is of the size and shape of most common wallets, and come in black and brown leather enclosures. The drive comes in capacities of 320 and 500 GB, and uses USB 2.0 interface for power and connectivity. Nero BackiItUp and Burn and Turbo USB software is bundled with each drive. Verbatim will release these 'capacious' wallets soon.

NVIDIA-Led Team Receives $25 Million Contract From DARPA to Develop GPU HPC Systems

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btarunr

Aug 10th, 2010 02:09 Discuss (39 Comments)

A team led by NVIDIA has been awarded a research grant of $25 million by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Defense Department's research and development arm, to address what the agency calls a "crisis in computing." The four-year research contract, awarded under DARPA's Ubiquitous High Performance Computing (UHPC ) program, covers work to develop GPU technologies required to build the new class of exascale supercomputers which will be 1,000-times more powerful than today's fastest supercomputers.

The team -- which also includes Cray Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratory and six top U.S. universities -- is being funded by DARPA to address the challenge that conventional computing architectures are reaching the practical limits of energy usage and will not meet the challenges of exascale computing. The research team plans to develop new software and hardware technology to dramatically increase computing performance, programmability and reliability.

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A-Data Readies Dual-Interface SSD with USB 3.0 Support

btarunr

Aug 9th, 2010 09:25 Discuss (9 Comments)

A-Data is readying a new solid state drive (SSD) which can be used both internally, and externally as a portable drive, with the same transfer speeds in both cases. The N004 from A-Data uses SATA 3 Gb/s and USB 3.0, hence no performance is lost when using it as a portable drive. Available in capacities of 64, 128 and 256 GB, the SSD offers transfer speeds of 200 MB/s read, and 170 MB/s write. It weighs 87 g, and sports a brushed-metal shell. There is no word on the pricing or availability as of now.

Spansion Expands IP Lawsuit Against Samsung

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btarunr

Aug 9th, 2010 06:57 Discuss (10 Comments)

Spansion Inc., a leading provider of Flash memory solutions, today announced the filing of an additional three separate patent infringement complaints against Samsung to further address past and ongoing widespread patent violations in a broad and growing range of Samsung Flash memory products. Spansion filed the complaints with the International Trade Commission (ITC) and in the U.S. District Courts in the Eastern District of Virginia and (an ITC mirror case) in the Northern District of California. The company first initiated action against Samsung in November, 2008, with the ITC and the U.S. District Court in Delaware. The judge in the first ITC case has set a target date of mid September to issue his initial determination.

Spansion's ITC complaints seek to exclude and enjoin from the U.S. market infringing Samsung Flash memory products and downstream products that contain them. Flash memory is a critical part of billions of dollars worth of consumer electronics such as MP3 players, cell phones, digital cameras, and tablet computers. Over the years, Samsung's infringement has and continues to unjustly enrich Samsung by many hundreds of millions of dollars. The District Court actions also seek compensation for Samsung's unjust enrichment in disregard of Spansion's extensive patent holdings.

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Hynix Begins Mass Producing 20 nm Class Technology 64 Gb NAND Flash

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btarunr

Aug 9th, 2010 06:55 Discuss (16 Comments)

Hynix Semiconductor Inc., today announced that it has begun mass producing 64 Gigabit (Gb) NAND Flash using 20nm class technology at its 300mm Fabrication, M11 in Cheongju site. The Company developed this cutting edge technology last February.

Hynix's 20nm class 64Gb chip doubles the density in a package over the current 32Gb product. 20nm class process technology also provides a 60% increase in productivity over Hynix's existing 30nm class technology. By providing these high density and cost efficient chips, Hynix will respond to the needs of advanced mobile solutions which require smaller size and higher density storage capacity.

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Active Media Products Expands DOM Product Line with New Low-Profile SATA Modules

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btarunr

Aug 9th, 2010 04:38 Discuss (3 Comments)

Active Media Products, a leading manufacturer of SSDs, DOMs and USB drives, today announced two new 7-pin SATA DOM (Disk on Module) drives featuring a right angle SATA connector for mounting parallel to the motherboard in low-profile enclosures. The new Type-4 and Type-5 SATA DOMs are built with an SMI SSD controller and MLC NAND flash that deliver sequential read speeds up to 90MB/sec and write speeds up to 50MB/sec.

"With the addition of the Type-4 and Type-5 modules we now have a complete selection of SATA DOMs in capacities from 8GB to 32GB, including vertical and low-profile mounting, 7-pin and 22-pin SATA headers, and right and left offsets to fit in virtually any server or embedded application," said Active Media Products VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson. "We accomplished this with just three PCB designs, as the Type-1 and 2 use the same PCB, just with different connector positioning that offsets the module in a different direction. We used a similar 2-in-1 design for the Type-4 and 5 DOMs, so we have less validation work and greater flexibility in responding to OEM requirements."

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GF100 512 Core Graphics Card Tested Against GeForce GTX 480

btarunr

Aug 9th, 2010 01:39 Discuss (90 Comments)

NVIDIA seems to have overcome initial hiccups with the GF100 graphics processor, and could release a new graphics card that makes use of all 512 CUDA cores, and 64 TMUs on the GPU. The GeForce GTX 480 was initially released as a top SKU based on the GF100, with 480 out of the 512 CUDA cores enabled. What NVIDIA calls the new SKU is subject to some speculation. While GPU-Z screenshots show that the 512 core model has the same device ID (hence the same name, GeForce GTX 480), leading us to believe that this is a specifications update for the same SKU à la GeForce GTX 260 (216 SP), it seems possible that the release-grade models could carry a different device ID and name.

Expreview carried out a couple of tests on the 512 core "GTX 480" graphics card, and compared it to the 480 core model that's out in the market. NVIDIA GeForce 258.96 drivers were used. The 512 core card got a GPU Score of 10,072 points compared to 9,521 points of the 480 core card, in 3DMark Vantage Extreme preset. The additional TMUs showed an evident impact on the texture fillrate, 41.55 GTexel/s for the 512 core card against 38.82 GTexel/s for the 480 core card.

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ASUS SABERTOOTH X58 Heavy Duty Motherboard Joins Durable TUF Series

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btarunr

Aug 7th, 2010 11:43 Discuss (41 Comments)

The new SABERTOOTH X58 motherboard delivers the latest Intel chipset and support for the fastest processors on the market, including the Intel Core i7-980X, as part of the TUF Series of heavy duty motherboards. It is the latest entry in this ruggedized lineup, providing uncompromised durability and the utmost reliability to users who demand 24/7, high-intensity usage.

As the name implies, TUF Series motherboards put reliability and endurance above all else. They are built with more rigorous stress testing than normal motherboards, and ship with added longevity measures. TUF Series motherboards are the most reliable and stable models on the market, making them ideal for tough, heavy duty tasks where compatibility is critical.

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NVIDIA BIOS Editor (NiBiTor) Version 5.7 Released

btarunr

Aug 7th, 2010 11:33 Discuss (6 Comments)

NVIDIA BIOS Editor (also known as NiBiTor) got a scheduled update this month. The popular GeForce BIOS manipulation utility has been updated to version 5.7. As with every new release, version 5.7 brings adds support for new GeForce graphics processors, a number of critical and trivial bug fixes, and an improved ability to work with unsupported hardware in a limited way. Newly supported products include:

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465
NVIDIA GeForce GT 130M
NVIDIA GeForce 9650M
NVIDIA Quadro FX1700
NVIDIA Quadro FX380

"NiBiTor is the original and definitive BIOS tweaker that supports the latest NVIDIA graphics cards, and which is updated on a regular basis. NiBiTor allows graphics card enthusiasts, or the hardcore overclockers to have full control over some advanced features and functionality found on firmware of supporting cards. And doing so users gain some extra performance, enable certain hidden features, tweaking memory latencies, provide extensive information, adapt bootup settings, changing fan speed options and/or get extra stability on their NVIDIA based graphics accelerators which will just give them that little extra value," notes the developer.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA BIOS Editor (NiBiTor) v5.7

AMD Scores Key Design Win on Apple Products, New iMac & Mac Pro Powered by ATI Radeon

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btarunr

Aug 7th, 2010 06:17 Discuss (33 Comments)

AMD announced that Apple has selected the world renowned ATI Radeon graphics solutions for the new line of Apple iMac and Mac Pro tower. Now featured in Apple Stores as well as online retail, ATI Radeon graphics offer outstanding power and performance as the standard configuration for the new iMac and Mac Pro tower which will hit store shelves soon.

"Apple buyers demand the best, and AMD's award-winning ATI Radeon graphics enable exceptional visual experiences for iMac users," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice- president and general manager, GPU division, AMD. "AMD has conducted extensive testing and research to create superior graphics products for the iMac. This research is designed to dramatically enhance the Mac-user experience so that Apple users can enjoy responsive performance and play the newest games."

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G.SKILL Phoenix Pro 240 GB SSD Review

Review SSD

G.SKILL's Phoenix Pro 240 GB offers a huge amount of extremely fast solid-state storage that goes well beyond 'boot drive'. It also features the latest Sandforce SF-1222 controller in a tweaked version that allows up to 50,000 IOPS which is a solid step up from the 20k of the normal consumer version.

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MSI Also Announces CX720: Classic Profile with Outstanding Entertainment Capabilities

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btarunr

Aug 6th, 2010 12:04 Discuss (0 Comments)

The 17 CX720 is the newest model in MSI's Classic Series. Through the all-new 2010 Intel Core processor and nVidia GeForce 310M discrete graphics card (DDR3 1GB VRAM), it gives you powerful audio/video entertainment and processing performance in a stylishly minimalist exterior. The classic horizontal design lines on the outer up lid and palm rest areas are treated with MSI's exclusive CFP coating that protects against scratches and wear. With its spirited performance, fashionable exterior and friendly disposition, the CX720 is an exceptional entertainment, learning, and work companion.

MSI Notebook Marketing Director Sam Chern noted that the CX720 is MSI's latest offering and features Intel's newest Arrandale notebook platform and an all-new 2010 Intel Core processor with HM55 chipset. The CX720's exterior structure is based on MSI's exclusive "wedge craftsmanship" that uses 45 degree angles to give the notebook a distinctive unified feel.

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NVIDIA's New Entry-Level GF108 GPU Pictured

btarunr

Aug 6th, 2010 11:55 Discuss (33 Comments)

Barely a day after the first pictures emerged of NVIDIA's GF106 GPU that will serve as the foundation of various mainstream SKUs, its even smaller sibling, the GF108, has come to light. Available to NVIDIA partners as qualification sample, the GF108 is a small GPU in terms of package size. The die measures around 127 mm², which is about 23% bigger than that of AMD's entry-level Redwood GPU which makes various ATI Radeon HD 5500/5600 series SKUs.

On the engineering sample card it's pictured on, the GPU has a plastic supportive-brace, and is neighboured by four Hynix-made DDR3 memory chips. No SKUs have yet been named that are based on this GPU, though it is expected that a certain SKU based on this will be comparable to the GeForce GT 240 in terms of performance, and compete with AMD's ATI Radeon HD 5500/5600 series.

Gigabyte Announces GeForce GTX 470 Super Overclock (SOC) Graphics Card

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btarunr

Aug 6th, 2010 11:42 Discuss (6 Comments)

GIGABYTE, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, introduces a powerful new addition to its Super Overclock Series: GTX 470 SOC (GV-N470SO-13I). To qualify for Super Overclock Series, a GPU must go through GIGABYTE's innovative GPU Gauntlet Sorting process and it must be equipped with Ultra Durable VGA or VGA+ boards. Designed specifically for overclocking competition and gaming battle, GIGABYTE's secret weapon GTX 470 Super Overclock Edition is built with NVDIA GeForce GTX 470 GPU.

Based on 40nm processor and advanced GDDR5 memory technology, the powerful new GPU consists of ground-breaking features including Microsoft DirectX 11 and NVIDIA PhysX which leads to incredibly immersive HD gaming experience and unrivaled performance. GV-N470SO-13I also features WINDFORCE 3X, 14 phase PWM design, OC Guru graphic card smart tuner and voltage read point.

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MSI Announces CR410 Multimedia Notebook

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btarunr

Aug 6th, 2010 07:39 Discuss (0 Comments)

The 14" CR410, the newest addition to MSI's new Classic series of notebook computers, is designed and crafted with MSI's craftsmanship. It features AMD's latest Vision (Danube) platform with AMD Athlon II Dual-Core processor and DDR3 system memory with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4270 for a smooth multimedia experience.

MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern points out that the CR410 boasts MSI's exclusive 45-degree beveled construction, power-saving, cinema-class 16:9 ratio LED display, as well as MSI's own ECO Engine power saving technology. The sophisticated exterior, superior multimedia performance, and extended battery power life make it the best choice for affordable mobile entertainment.

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Zotac Adds USB 3.0 to its ITX LGA1156 Feature-Rich Motherboard

btarunr

Aug 6th, 2010 07:24 Discuss (11 Comments)

Over half an year after its introduction, Zotac's feature-rich H55-ITX WiFi motherboard got a minor (or major, depending on your application) specification update, with the company dropping in USB 3.0 support. Making use of the common NEC controller, the board features two USB 3.0 ports on its rear-panel. The new model is thus named H55U3 WiFi. Sticking strictly to the mini-ITX specs, the H55U3 is a socket LGA1156 motherboard supporting processors with TDP of up to 95W, which translates to all dual-core Core i3, i5 processors with room for light overclocking, and quad-core Core i5, i7 with no overclocking.

Being based on the Intel H55 chipset, it supports Intel FDI, connecting processors with Intel HD graphics to display connectors that include DVI and HDMI. The socket is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots for dual-channel memory, and one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. Connectivity includes six SATA 3 Gb/s from the H55 PCH, 8-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF, WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, eSATA, USB 2.0, and USB 3.0. The board uses ATX 24+4 pin power input. Zotac's H55U3 WiFi has started selling in China for US $118.

Buffalo Intros Stylish New USB 2.0 Flash Drives with Retractable Connectors

btarunr

Aug 6th, 2010 05:07 Discuss (2 Comments)

Buffalo Japan released a pack of stylish new flash drives to its lineup with the RUF2-JMS. Measuring 21 x 9 x 55 mm, and weighing just under 10 g, these drives use slider-retractable USB connectors. The [still] standard USB 2.0 interface is used with transfer speeds of up to 33 MB/s, when used with the bundled Turbo PC software. The drives are available in four color options: "night black", "moon silver", "earth brown" and "ocean blue". In terms of capacities, the drives are available in 4 GB and 8 GB variants. These are expected to reach the Japanese market later this month.

Dell Ships the Inspiron M101z Ultrathin Laptop with Long Battery Life

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btarunr

Aug 6th, 2010 03:06 Discuss (3 Comments)

Dell today announced the latest in compact computing - the ultra-portable and ultra-stylish Inspiron M101z laptop. The perfect combination of size, weight, performance and contemporary lux looks, the Inspiron M101z is the ideal on-the-go, easy-to-use laptop PC for today's mobile population.

Whether a student running between classes or a mom trying to keep the kids entertained, carrying this ultrathin sub-4-pound laptop that fits easily in a handbag or backpack helps lighten the load. Despite its diminutive size, the Inspiron M101z laptop packs performance punch, nimbly stepping through everyday tasks quickly and delivering impressive playback of streaming movies and HD videos.

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EVGA Gives Away ''Free Performance Boost'' to its GTX 460 Users

btarunr

Aug 6th, 2010 02:58 Discuss (17 Comments)

The GeForce GTX 460 broke the mold set by older GF100-based graphics cards (such as GTX 465, GTX 470, GTX 480), by offering decent overclocking potential for its core and shader clock domains. This allowed partners to pack their factory-overclocked models with generously high clock speeds compared to the reference design model. Apparently EVGA fell a little behind with slightly conservative clock speed boosts on their models, that they decided to give away what they call a "Free Performance Boost" to all owners of their GeForce GTX 460 graphics cards.

The Free Performance Boost is basically a graphics card BIOS update. The new BIOS packs increased clock speeds - 720 MHz for the core (vs. 675 MHz reference), and 1,440 MHz for the shader or CUDA core domain (vs. 1,350 MHz reference). The fan-speed upper limited has been increased to 100%, which was earlier restricted to 70%. The update comes in the form of an update executable that takes care of the entire update process from within Windows. You can get the executable specific to your EVGA GTX 460 model here.

ASUS Unveils ROG Rampage III Formula Motherboard

btarunr

Aug 6th, 2010 02:42 Discuss (22 Comments)

ASUS showed of the slightly less expensive ATX sibling of its Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage III LGA1366 motherboard series, the Rampage III Formula. The Formula model comes months after the high-end Extreme and M-ATX Gene models, and aims to fill in all the essentials of the ROG series into an overclocker-friendly design. ASUS claims that the Rampage III Formula delivers a "balance of gaming-related features at a superior value." The LGA1366 socket fits all Core i7 processors in the package, including six-core ones out of the box. The CPU is powered by an 8-phase VRM, it is wired to six memory slots for triple-channel DDR3 memory, which are powered by a 4-phase VRM. The board supports DDR3 memory with speeds of up to 2000 MHz.

Expansions slots include three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x16, NC, x16; or x16, x8, x8, depending on how they're populated), two PCI-E x1, and one PCI. 3-way NVIDIA SLI and ATI CrossFireX. The ICH10R southbridge gives out six SATA 3 Gb/s ports while an additional controller provides two SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Connectivity includes ASUS SupremeFX X-Fi audio, dual gigabit Ethernet (including one Intel NIC that provides teaming support), two USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth, and a number of USB 2.0 ports.

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Eurocom Introduces Line of Gamer-Friendly Notebooks with Switchable Graphics

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btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 17:06 Discuss (3 Comments)

Eurocom launches line of gamer-friendly notebooks with Optimus, the latest in graphics switching technology from NVIDIA. Eurocom's new line of gamer-friendly notebooks features NVIDIA's Optimus technology, which intelligently switches graphics between 1GB DDR3 NVIDIA GeForce GT330M and Intel HD integrated graphics to deliver optimal battery life (up to 240 minutes).

It also offers a choice of 15.6" and 17.3" Full HD 1920x1080 displays and comes with Intel Core i5 and Core i7 technology. The Eurocom Fox line is available for order today starting at $999 for 15.6" B5100M FOX and $1199 for 17.3" B7110 FOX model.

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OCZ Technology to Extend Enterprise SSD Reach at the Flash Memory Summit 2010

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btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 16:51 Discuss (0 Comments)

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and memory modules for computing devices and systems, will showcase the Company's leading-edge SSD solutions at the 2010 Flash Memory Summit in booth #415 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA August 17-19. OCZ's commitment to advancing flash technology for enterprise and commercial applications makes the Flash Summit is the ideal space to demonstrate cutting edge technology and solutions.

OCZ will demonstrate the breakthrough HSDL (High Speed Data Link) interface and accompanying IBIS 3.5" HSDL SSD, which was developed to revolutionize data transfer rates and bandwidth and take SSD storage technology to the next level. HSDL eliminates the SATA bottleneck and is ideal for a wide range of enterprise applications including high performance computing, servers and cloud computing solutions. Likewise, the RevoDrive PCI-Express SSD will be entered in the "Best of Show" awards as the highest performing bootable PCI-E drive at its price point on the market.

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GF106 GPU Pictured, Measured in Size

btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 12:13 Discuss (27 Comments)

In the run up for NVIDIA's September 12th launch of mainstream GeForce 400 series products, Chinese technology portal Zol.com.cn shared a picture of the company's GF106 graphics processor, which will be at the heart of several mainstream SKUs, including the talked about GeForce GTS 450. The first three desktop implementations of the GF106 are known to be the GeForce GTS 440, GTS 445, and GTS 450. Of these, the GTS 445 and GTS 440 will be launched first, with the GTS 450 launched just a little later.

The 40 nm GF106 GPU returns to a square package, with a die measuring around 240 mm², which makes it about 45% bigger than that of AMD's Juniper GPU, on which the company's ATI Radeon HD 5700 series is based on. Zol.com.cn suggested that the performance of the GTS 450 in DirectX 9/10 applications can be expected to be comparable to that of the GeForce GTX 260 (216 SP). After launching the GTS 450, NVIDIA will continue on its launch itinerary for the year with a value-segment GF108 GPU.

Evercool Announces Battle Hero Cooler for Gaming Notebooks

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btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 06:47 Discuss (11 Comments)

EVERCOOL Thermal Corp., Ltd., E-commerce is popular recently, not many gaming software companies continuously launch new and exciting games, but also EVERCOOL, the professional and famous computer cooler brand, is going to offer a new notebook cooling pad with "gaming style" named "BATTLE HERO". Its slogan is: "The best cooling weapon to fight back the heat". From functional points, it addresses the issue that gamers may use laptops for a long time and do not worry about heat and high temperatures if they have BATTLE HERO. And from the psychological point of view, BATTLE HERO will remain a trustful partner by your side and give support in the difficult moments.

Gaming style makes it eye-catching and unique. It easily comes to mind that the concepts of "fighting" and "gaming" constituted the vision design style of BATTLE HERO as it also implied by its name. Metallic gray, red and black integrate the artistic conception, and using popular gaming images invokes the sense of identity for gamers. Its' style is completely different to last year's release of Zodiac II and Hawk1. To strike at to fight translates to fighting back the heat and high temperatures. The gaming style is quite eye-catching and unique.

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Intel and U.S. Federal Trade Commission Reach Tentative Settlement

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btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 06:03 Discuss (6 Comments)

Intel and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have reached a tentative settlement in the antitrust suit filed by the Commission December 16. The FTC sued Intel alleging Intel had violated Section 5 of the FTC Act. The settlement agreement expressly states that Intel does not admit either any violation of law or that the facts alleged in the complaint are true. The agreement approved today by the Commission is subject to a 30 day public comment period and final approval by the Commission.

"This agreement provides a framework that will allow us to continue to compete and to provide our customers the best possible products at the best prices," said Doug Melamed, Intel senior vice president and general counsel. "The settlement enables us to put an end to the expense and distraction of the FTC litigation."

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Gigabyte Intros GA-D425TUD Mini-ITX Motherboard

btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 05:59 Discuss (3 Comments)

Gigabyte is designing a new mini-ITX motherboard that's modeled almost entirely around the GA-D525TUD, albeit with the single-core Intel Atom D425 "Pineview-D" processor, called the GA-D425TUD. The Atom D425 is a single-core chip with two logical CPUs enabled by HyperThreading technology, which has an integrated memory controller and graphics controller. It is paired with the Intel NM410 chipset.

The processor is cooled by an active fan-heatsink, while the tiny chipset makes do with a heatsink to match its size. The processor is wired to two memory slots for single-channel DDR3 memory. While the NM410 gives out two SATA 3 Gb/s ports, an additional Gigabyte GSATA2 PCI-Express controller gives out two more SATA 3 Gb/s ports with RAID support, and an IDE connector supporting two IDE devices. The lone expansion slot is a PCI. Connectivity includes 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, COM/LPT ports, D-Sub for display, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. The board makes use of high-quality components with Ultra Durable 3 construction. Expect it to cost a lesser than GA-D525TUD which goes for 79 EUR.

Logitech Unveils New G-Series Gaming Headset, Mouse, Keyboard

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btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 05:06 Discuss (42 Comments)

Today Logitech unveiled three new G-Series gaming peripherals -- the Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930, the Logitech Wireless Gaming Mouse G700 and the Logitech Gaming Keyboard G510. The newest gaming peripherals from the award-winning Logitech G-Series family are crafted for maximum performance, freeing you from technical limitations so you can immerse yourself in your favorite games.

"The new G-Series products give every gamer a competitive advantage," said Elliott Chin, Logitech's senior manager of product marketing for gaming. "Whether it's a headset with 7.1 surround sound, a mouse with 13 controls, or a keyboard with an LCD that displays critical in-game stats, everything about the new G-Series lineup helps you win, no matter what game you love to play."

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Mushkin, Inc. Announces New Mushkin Select Business Unit

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btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 04:45 Discuss (3 Comments)

Mushkin Inc., a global leader in high-performance computer products, announced today the launch of Mushkin Select, a new brand of memory modules and components designed specifically for the VAR community.

From launch, Mushkin Select will have a vast selection of modules available which are configured perfectly for OEM systems, as well as standard modules to meet general needs and specifications.

"Mushkin is excited to deliver our quality and reputation to the VAR community. Over the years, we have had a great deal of interaction with end-users and enthusiast customers. Our belief is that Mushkin Select will deliver the culmination of our experience and expertise to a new frontier. With managed services, hosting and other key components becoming a big part of a VAR's total offering, superb yet reasonably priced components become great investments." - Don Gonderman, channel sales director, Mushkin Select.

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Transcend Readies aXeRam DDR3-2400 MHz Dual-Channel Kit

btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 04:39 Discuss (3 Comments)

Transcend is set to announce a 4 GB dual-channel memory kit under its aXeRam series that can run at DDR3-2400 MHz or higher speeds on LGA1156 systems. The kit, carrying the model number TX2400KLU-4GK, consists of two 2 GB modules that operates at 2400 MHz with timings of 9-11-9-28T with module voltage of 1.65V. This configuration will be programmed into the modules as XMP profiles that can be loaded from the system BIOS setup. Transcend's speedy new aXeRam kit will be available later this month, backed by a lifetime warranty.

CM Storm Announces Inferno MMO Gaming Mouse

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btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 02:54 Discuss (5 Comments)

Making its debut at Quakecon, Dallas Texas the first MMO-built gaming mouse from CM Storm is set to take the gaming world by storm, giving you the edge over the competition. The Inferno, armed with a 4000 DPI twin laser sensor, 128 KB of onboard Sentinel-X memory and the brand new Storm Tactics Multiplayer key will evoke your killer instinct.

Accuracy in movement is just as important in an MMO as it is in a FPS game and that's why the Inferno is equipped with a 4000 DPI twin laser sensor with a custom laser engine. This also means that the Inferno is excellent for playing a wide variety of other games and not just MMO's. You do of course have full control over the DPI setting and you can store up to three custom game profiles thanks to 128kb of onboard Sentinel-X memory. The profiles can retain macros, scripts and just about any other customization you can come up with and it's as simple as pressing a button to switch between your profiles.

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VIA Nano E-Series Processor Powers COM Express Module

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btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 00:56 Discuss (3 Comments)

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of embedded silicon and platform technologies, today announced the addition of the VIA COME8X80 module to its COM Express portfolio; the world's first COM Express type product to take advantage of the high performance, 64-bit VIA Nano E-Series processor.

"The VIA COME8X80 module harnesses the power of VIA Nano platform to offer a uniquely integrated and performance-optimized COM Express product," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA COME8X80 also demonstrates our long-term commitment to bringing our leading processor technologies to the COM Express form factor."

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NZXT Debuts HALE90 Power Supply Series

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btarunr

Aug 5th, 2010 00:50 Discuss (27 Comments)

NZXT introduces the 80+ gold certified HALE90 series built from the ground up specifically customized for gamers and enthusiasts and offers incredibly efficient operation that will meet the needs of even the most power hungry enthusiasts.

The HALE90 utilizes 100% Japanese capacitors, Hybrid LLC resonant Topology circuitry, a single +12V rail, and a 140mm two ball bearing fan to achieve high power, maximum efficiency, and minimum sound. The HALE90 comes in 550W, 650W, 750W, 850W, and 1000W.

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Corsair Officially Announces Hydro Series H70 CPU Cooler

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btarunr

Aug 4th, 2010 10:22 Discuss (45 Comments)

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the Corsair Hydro Series H70 ultra-performance CPU cooler. This CPU cooler is designed to provide an extremely efficient cooling solution for CPUs from Intel and AMD.

The Hydro Series H70 CPU cooler is an evolution of the award-winning Hydro Series H50, with several significant upgrades that enable it to deliver even greater cooling performance. These upgrades include a double-thickness (50mm) radiator with higher heat-exchanging capacity and a pump/cold plate unit with increased efficiency. The H70 also features two 120mm speed-switchable cooling fans in a push-pull configuration to provide increased airflow at low noise levels.

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TechPowerUp and PowerColor Hardware Giveaway July 2010 Winners Announced

btarunr

Aug 4th, 2010 05:58 Discuss (24 Comments)

Announcing the winners of PowerColor and TechPowerUpgiveaway for the month of July, 2010. The giveaway is an ongoing event for users of TechPowerUp GPU-Z, brought to you by PowerColor. For the months of July and August, three lucky participating users of GPU-Z get to win some groovy hardware from PowerColor. This month's winners are as follows:

Phan from Vietnam wins PowerColor PCS+ HD 5870
Manuel from Spain wins PowerColor PCS+ HD 5850
Ludivic from France wins PowerColor Vortex HD 5770

A big congratulations to the winners. PowerColor will contact them directly and arrange for the shipping of the prizes. If you have already made a submission in this round, you don't need to make a submission again. Being an ongoing contest, winners are picked from an ever-growing pool of submissions. Redundant entries are disqualified. Good Luck for this month's round. If you haven't participated yet, grab the latest version of GPU-Z from here.

Super Talent Introduces the new DuraDrive Series Enterprise SSDs

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btarunr

Aug 4th, 2010 03:24 Discuss (1 Comment)

Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced the DuraDrive ET2 and ZT2, the world's fastest SSDs to meet industrial specifications.

The new DuraDrive ET2/ZT2 represent the next generation of industrial data storage solutions by offering enhanced durability, reliability and performance in environments considered "too harsh" for a standard drive. Thanks to an advanced controller and premium NAND Flash, the new DuraDrive delivers unprecedented vibration, shock and temperature tolerances, with impressive speeds. Supporting access times of 0.1ms, the new DuraDrive really performs and can reach speeds of 125MB/sec sequential Read and 110MB/sec sequential Write.

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Palit Unveils its Own GeForce GTX 460 2 GB Graphics Card

btarunr

Aug 4th, 2010 03:16 Discuss (5 Comments)

What happens in Gainward, stays in Palit. Barely a week after Gainward showed off its GeForce GTX 460 graphics card with 2 GB of memory, its brand owner Palit has its own model of the same kind, called the Palit GTX 460 2 GB Sonic. This non-reference design graphics card has Palit's own design PCB and cooler, has 2 GB of memory across a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, and factory-overclocked speeds of 700 MHz core, 1400 MHz CUDA cores, and 900 MHz (3600 MHz effective) memory. Display connectivity includes two DVI, and one each of HDMI and DisplayPort. The is said to be priced around 240 EUR.

Gigabyte Intros Power Rock Series Value PSUs

btarunr

Aug 4th, 2010 03:05 Discuss (7 Comments)

Gigabyte unveiled a series of value power supply units under the Power Rock brand, which it showed off at this year's Computex event. These are available in 300W, 350W, 400W, and 500W variants. Being ATX +12V v2.2 compliant, these have two +12V rails and are actively cooled. The units measure 150 x 140 x 86 mm. Of these, only the 400W and 500W variants feature active PFC and 80 Plus certification. Gigabyte did not give out a pricing scheme though one can expect them to be very cheap.

Arctic Cooling Breeze Mobile Fan Review

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Inadequate cooling is never to be taken lightly in a world that is getting hotter and hotter. Fortunately for all us desk bound gadget lovers Arctic Cooling have realized this and given us the Breeze Mobile.

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Patriot Memory Announces the Xporter Rage Series USB Flash Drives

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btarunr

Aug 3rd, 2010 14:39 Discuss (5 Comments)

Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash and computer peripheral solutions, today announced the immediate availability of the Xporter Rage USB Flash Drive. These drives are designed to provide incredible performance and convenience and are available in capacities from 8GB to 64GB.

The Xporter Rage USB flash drives are built around a quad-channel performance solution, providing read speeds of up to 27MB/s and write speeds of up to 25MB/s. Convenience and ease of use is enabled through a capless housing lightly coated with a touch of rubber. This solution makes the Rage easier to hold and use while the retractable USB connector is protected from damage when not in use.

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RAZER Revamps The Razer Lachesis: Familar Form, More Function

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btarunr

Aug 3rd, 2010 13:39 Discuss (24 Comments)

Razer, the world's leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle peripherals, is pleased to announce the much anticipated refresh of the legendary Razer Lachesis. Equipped with a new 5600dpi Razer Precision 3.5G laser sensor and a customizable multi-color LED lighting system, the newly updated Razer Lachesis maintains its original form, comfort and price, while advancing power, performance and precision.

"The all new Razer Lachesis is about giving gamers more personal choice and customizable options," said Robert "Razerguy" Krakoff, president, Razer USA. "With a multi-color LED for customizable color and a built-in variable dpi, the Razer Lachesis gives gamers everything they need for this three-year fan favorite."

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GlacialTech Intros the Siberia Performance CPU Cooler

btarunr

Aug 3rd, 2010 09:56 Discuss (4 Comments)

GlacialTech introduced its Siberia performance CPU cooler. The cooler makes use of two fans to push/pull air through a dense aluminum fin array that propagates along the plane of the motherboard, to which heat is conveyed by six heat pipes. The heat pipes make direct contact to the processor at the base, which doubles up as a small heatsink.

Air is pushed on to the fins by a 140 mm fan that spins at 800~1400 rpm, while is pushed out of the fin array by a 92 mm fan that spins at 1300 rpm. The gross dimensions of the cooler are 146 (W) x 150 (L) x 120 (H) mm, it weighs 620 g. A tube of IceTherm II thermal compound is bundled. The cooler will reach stores later this month, one can expect it to be moderately priced.

Samsung Announces Two-Terabyte EcoGreen Hard Drive with the Highest Areal Density

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btarunr

Aug 3rd, 2010 04:33 Discuss (27 Comments)

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology, today announced the F4EG, the world's highest-density, environmentally friendly hard disk drive (HDD) for the desktop market. The EcoGreen F4 features a 2-terabyte (TB) capacity - 667 GB for each of its three disks - and is capable of storing up to 880 hours of DVD video or 500,000 songs in MP3 format. The internal F4EG utilizes Samsung's high-density design technology to provide better performance, low power and improved reliability to its 'EcoGreen' hard drives.

"Storage-hungry multimedia professionals, gamers and home PC users continue to increase the amount of video, music, photo and other personal data they store and back-up," said I.C. Park, vice president, Storage Sales, Semiconductor Business, Samsung Electronics. "The F4EG delivers all the benefits of a low-power drive yet features top performance quality and is environmentally friendly."

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Transcend Also Announces USB 3.0 ExpressCard Adapter

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btarunr

Aug 3rd, 2010 01:26 Discuss (2 Comments)

Transcend Information, Inc., a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, today launched a two-port USB 3.0 ExpressCard Adapter, an easy-to-install add-in card that allows users to enhance their notebook with blazing fast USB 3.0 technology.

For laptop users desiring to join the USB 3.0 revolution without replacing their existing computer, Transcend's USB 3.0 ExpressCard Adapter is a highly cost-effective solution for connecting to and taking advantage of USB 3.0-compatible peripherals. The card's ExpressCard/34 interface is compatible with virtually all current notebook computers, and offers unrestricted two-way communication between notebook PCs and the latest generation of USB devices.

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Transcend’s Advanced Industrial Grade CF Card Features Flash Lifespan Estimation

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btarunr

Aug 3rd, 2010 01:24 Discuss (0 Comments)

Transcend Information, Inc., a worldwide leader in memory and storage products, today introduced CF200I, an advanced version of the company's high-end industrial grade CompactFlash cards. Aside from using stronger error correction code (ECC) and global static wear leveling technology, the new CF200I CF cards feature Transcend's exclusive Flash Life Guard software, a convenient tool that gives users notification when the card approaches the end of its life cycle.

While most flash cards have to risk the possibility that their cells (bits) will eventually lose the ability to function due to flash memory's limited write/erase lifetime, Transcend's advanced CF200I CF cards provide industrial users peace of mind with the addition of its new Flash Life Guard software. Once enabled, this endurance-monitoring tool automatically monitors the flash cells in the card and reports when the safety threshold for write/erase cycles is reached. With this information, users can manage stored data more efficiently, and avoid the possible risk of unrecoverable data loss.

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Kingston Announces Water Cooling-Ready HyperX H2O DDR3 Memory Kits

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btarunr

Aug 3rd, 2010 01:18 Discuss (21 Comments)

Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the release of HyperX 'H2O' water-cooled DDR3 dual- and triple-channel memory kits. With frequencies up to 2133 MHz and capacities up to 6GB, H2O is the newest addition to the HyperX product family and supports the needs of enthusiasts building with water-cooled systems.

"Water cooling is desirable for its quiet operation and long-term reliability. We are bringing HyperX H2O to market as a solution for PC enthusiasts who want to build water-cooled systems using high quality Kingston products," said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston. "HyperX H2O is a natural extension of Kingston's offerings for performance users. Our goal is for users of all levels and interests to have a Kingston product that meets their needs."

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TechPowerUp Announces World Community Grid August Contest

btarunr

Aug 3rd, 2010 01:10 Discuss (3 Comments)

TechPowerUp's World Community Grid (WCG) community is one of the top-ranking WCG teams on the charts. To celebrate its success and help give it a further push, the team has announced a contest. The contest runs throughout August, and the goal is to achieve 50,000 points within the 31 day time-frame. Points should be earned toward TechPowerUp WCG team (#22175). Between all those who reach there, a lucky winner (picked up in a draw) wins a PC bundle that includes nearly all the components one needs to add another rig to the fleet of WCG crunching machines. This includes an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, compatible motherboard, a GeForce GT 240 graphics card, RAM, HDD, and PSU.

For all contest-related details and to participate, visit this page.

NEC Display Solutions Adds New 23-inch LED-Backlit Monitor to its MultiSync E Series

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btarunr

Aug 2nd, 2010 11:03 Discuss (21 Comments)

NEC Display Solutions of America, a leading provider of commercial LCD display and projector solutions, announced today the introduction of the LED-backlit MultiSync E231W, an addition to the popular 23-inch desktop category. This desktop display is designed to benefit a variety of business customers with financial savings and power efficiency.

The EPEAT Gold rated MultiSync E231W provides users with advanced features that were created to enhance the desktop computing experience and increase productivity. Its widescreen display allows users to have several applications open simultaneously, while its fully-ergonomic design includes 110mm height adjustment, tilt, swivel and pivot for improved comfort during use.

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Corsair Readies Hydro H70 CPU Water Cooler

btarunr

Aug 2nd, 2010 10:48 Discuss (59 Comments)

Corsair is developing a new pre-assembled CPU water cooling kit after facing some market success with the Hydro H50. The new kit, called Hydro H70, features a more optimized coolant flow design, an improved CPU base made of copper, and a denser radiator. It makes use of two 120 mm fans on either sides of the radiator, pushing at 1,600 rpm, and pulling at 2,000 rpm. The design increases the cooler's TDP capacity, closer to elaborate water cooling loops, potentially increasing the processor's overclocking headroom. The Hydro H70 is compatible with all current CPU socket types, including LGA1366, LGA1156, AM3/AM2(+), and LGA775. UK-based online store Scan.co.uk has these up for pre-order at £65.70 (£77.20 incl. VAT). It is indicated that Corsair will officially release these next week.

XFX Readies Pair of Single-Slot Radeon HD 5770 Graphics Cards

btarunr

Aug 2nd, 2010 10:22 Discuss (31 Comments)

There seems to be a single-slot ATI Radeon HD 5700 series trend going on, with XFX designing two single-slot ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics cards, a base model (HD-577X-ZMF3), and an Eyefinity-5 model (HD-577X-Z5F3). Both cards use PCB and cooler designed by XFX. The cooler particularly looks familiar in design to the countless single-slot GeForce graphics cards designed by the company, one of the recent ones being a GeForce 9800 GT. The cooler makes generous use of copper.

Both cards stick to the reference AMD clock speeds, 850 MHz core and 1200 MHz (4800 MHz effective) memory, and feature 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface. Power is taken in from a single 6-pin PCI-E input. While the base model has display outputs which includes two DVI and one mini-DisplayPort, the Eyefinity-5 model features five mini-DisplayPort connectors. The cards will be released around the middle of this month, and Japan prices (which tend to be higher than US/EU prices) indicate 17,500 JPY (US $202) for the base model, and 18,000 JPY ($208).

Zotac Readies Non-Reference GTX 460 with 2 GB Memory

btarunr

Aug 2nd, 2010 10:07 Discuss (15 Comments)

Zotac is yet another AIC up with a GeForce GTX 460 based graphics card that features double the memory size, with its new 2 GB GDDR5 model. Zotac's new card uses a non-reference design PCB, and makes use of a slightly modified Accelero TwinTurbo Pro VGA cooler from Arctic. Featuring the same configuration as the 1 GB model, the card places 16 GDDR5 memory chips across a 256-bit wide memory interface to achieve that capacity.

The cooler makes use of a dense aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by four 6 mm copper heat pipes. Air is circulated by two 92 mm fans. Zotac used four display outputs (of which two can be used simultaneously), which includes two DVI, and one each of HDMI (full-sized) and DisplayPort. Like every other GTX 460, the GPU has 336 CUDA cores to work with, a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, and DirectX 11 support. There's no word on the availability or pricing.

HLNAND SSD Achieves Unprecedented Per-channel Flash Performance

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btarunr

Aug 2nd, 2010 02:24 Discuss (9 Comments)

MOSAID Technologies Inc. today introduced a Solid State Drive (SSD) prototype utilizing MOSAID's innovative HyperLink NAND (HLNAND) architecture and interface. Designed by MOSAID and its development partner INDILINX, the HLNAND SSD prototype is optimized for mass storage applications, including enterprise data centers and high-performance computing environments.

MOSAID's HLNAND SSD prototype proves that 213MBps read performance and 130MBps write performance is achievable on a single channel of HLNAND Flash memory. In contrast, current second-generation SSDs require eight or more channels for the same level of performance.

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Koolance Intros its First GeForce GTX 460 Water Block

btarunr

Aug 2nd, 2010 02:09 Discuss (12 Comments)

Koolance introduced one of the first full-coverage water blocks for NVIDIA's recently released GeForce GTX graphics cards. The Koolance VID-NX460 as it is called, is made of nickel-plated copper with an acrylic top and stainless steel film covering it. It measures 6.25" x 5.75" x 0.62" (15.9cm x 14.6cm x 1.6cm), weighing 1.5 lbs (680g). Being a full-coverage block, it cools the GPU, memory, and VRM areas of the card. Internally, the block channels water through a dense micro-fin array that increases heat dissipation area over the GPU, and a pass over the memory/VRM area. The acrylic top has holes from which common 5 mm cylindrical LEDs can be inserted giving the block a glow. The block includes a blue one. The VID-NX460 has G 1/4 threads, nozzles are to be purchased separately. It is priced at US $109.99.

AMD Rolls Out Catalyst 10.7a, Forces AA for Starcraft II Wings of Liberty

btarunr

Aug 2nd, 2010 01:58 Discuss (71 Comments)

Barely a week after releasing the Catalyst 10.7 WHQL software suite, AMD rolled out the Catalyst 10.7a BETA. This new version packs all the features and fixes of Catalyst 10.7, with the added feature of letting users enable forced anti-aliasing for Starcraft II Wings of Liberty from Catalyst Control Center to improve image quality. The fix affects all ATI Radeon graphics processors from Radeon HD 2000 series to HD 5000 series, supporting all Windows client versions from Windows XP. The other added feature is improved 4-way CrossFireX performance in ATI Eyefinity setups.

DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst 10.7a BETA

Mushkin Announces New Blackline Ridgeback DDR3-2000 MHz High Density Memory Kits

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btarunr

Aug 2nd, 2010 01:48 Discuss (2 Comments)

Mushkin Enhanced, a global leader in high-performance computer products, announced today the release of two new Blackline Ridgeback 2000 MHz parts. Equipped with the sleek yet aggressive Ridgeback heatsink, these kits, composed of 4GB modules, provide blazing-fast DDR3-2000 performance. The high-density modules will leave additional memory expansion slots unpopulated (compared to 4 x 2GB and 6 x 2GB kits), allowing end-users to further boost their memory capacity in the future. Another benefit of the higher-density modules is the ability to run in the recommended "one DIMM per channel" configuration, which lessens the load on the memory controller and allows the best results for overclocking.

"These new high-density overclocking memory kits usher in a new era of performance computing. Typically, when higher capacity DRAM becomes available, the overclocking results are mediocre. However, through our unsurpassed research and product development process, we've been able to push these 4GB modules to speeds that rival and even surpass most 2GB DIMMs available today,"said Brian Flood, Mushkin Enhanced director of product development.

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