News Archive
Wednesday, September 30th 2009
Today's Reviews
As the semiconductor industry begins its transition to the next technology node, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is on track to take its position as the foundry technology leader. On October 1 at the Global Semiconductor Alliance Emerging Opportunities Expo & Conference in Santa Clara, Calif., GLOBALFOUNDRIES (Booth 321) will provide the latest details on its technology roadmap for the 32nm/28nm generations and its innovative "Gate First" approach to building transistors based on High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) technology.
"With each new technology generation, semiconductor foundries are increasingly challenged with the economics to sustain R&D and the know-how to bring these technologies to market in high-volume," said Len Jelinek, director and chief analyst, iSuppli. "With a heritage of rapidly ramping leading-edge technologies to high volumes at mature yields, combined with aggressive investments in capacity and technology, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is uniquely-positioned to challenge for next-generation foundry leadership."
Buffalo today also announced its newest external hard drive series, the MiniStation Cobalt HD-PEU2. Coming in capacities of 250GB, 320GB and 500GB, the HD-PEU2 is based on 5400 rpm hard drives. Buffalo's MiniStation Cobalt HD-PEU2 uses USB 2.0 interface. The case color options are Blue Onyx, Ruby Red, and Pearl White. Its software bundle includes Memeo AutoSync Software for file syncing and SecureLockMobile for data encryption.
NVIDIA's upcoming flagship graphics processor is going by a lot of codenames. While some call it the GF100, others GT300 (based on the present nomenclature), what is certain that the NVIDIA has given the architecture an internal name of "Fermi", after the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi, the inventor of the nuclear reactor. It doesn't come as a surprise, that the codename of the board itself is going to be called "reactor", according to some sources.
Based on information gathered so far about GT300/Fermi, here's what's packed into it:
- Transistor count of over 3 billion
- Built on the 40 nm TSMC process
- 512 shader processors (which NVIDIA may refer to as "CUDA cores")
- 32 cores per core cluster
- 384-bit GDDR5 memory interface
- 1 MB L1 cache memory, 768 KB L2 unified cache memory
- Up to 6 GB of total memory, 1.5 GB can be expected for the consumer graphics variant
- Half Speed IEEE 754 Double Precision floating point
- Native support for execution of C (CUDA), C++, Fortran, support for DirectCompute 11, DirectX 11, OpenGL 3.1, and OpenCL
Nexus released a new version of its NX-5000 500W power supply. The new non-modular NX-5000 R3 offers 530W of continuous power, with newer sleeved cables. With a rated efficiency of 82 percent, the PSU qualifies for the 80 Plus Bronze rating. The 12V circuit comprises of a single 41A +12V rail, and active PFC is available. The NX-5000 R3 has a quieter 15 dBA 120 mm fan. This new PSU sells for around US $100, targeting mainstream gaming PCs.
Zotac's design team is at it again, releasing a newer graphics card design based on the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 GPU. This one, concentrates on making the card shorter, lengthwise. The shorter graphics card also makes do with just one 8-pin PCI-Express power connector. The PCB length is lopped from the typical 26.5 cm to 23 cm, making it easier to fin in smaller cases. With the PCB compact, several heat-producing components are moved closer to each other, making it easier to cool with a smaller common cooler base plate.
Team Group launched the whole new C092 pen drive, targeting sporty and young consumers. It is the first thumb drive featuring a sports theme, boasting shock and dust proof functions. And the sliding design shows the careful consideration for the needs of the consumers.
C092 is a perfect integration of steel and rubber. The steel casing houses the COB to secure the USB interface and the anti-retraction design makes C092 even tougher and more endurable. C092 weights only 8.8g with large capacities from 2GB to 16GB, multiple color choices in red, green, blue, and grey, and with a sleek design.
Buffalo Japan unveiled two new USB drives, the RUF2-KxxGE-WH and RUF2-LVxxGS-BK (where 'xx' is the capacity in GB, pictured in the same order below). The former comes in capacities of 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 GB, while the latter in 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 GB. Both stick to the standard capped design. The RUF2-KxxGE-WH measures W 20× H 9× D 62 mm, weighing 10 g, with a pearl white finish, while the RUF2-LVxxGS-BK sports a slighly longer, curvy design measuring W 23× H 10× D 98 mm, weighing 15 g. This one features a hardware write-protect lock to prevent malware from say public machines from copying onto the USB drive the moment it's plugged in. Both maintain compatibility with all common operating systems, and support Windows ReadyBoost. They will be available in mid-October.
AMD and Pixelux Entertainment announced a joint development agreement that is part of the AMD effort to greatly expand the use of real-time physics with graphics through the open source Bullet Physics engine. By encouraging development of physics middleware built around OpenCL and Bullet Physics, AMD and Pixelux offer a route toward physics simulation that spans game consoles, PCs and other hardware platforms. The latest graphics technologies, like the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series of GPUs, offer incredible visual fidelity and high performance physics simulation by taking the next step in realistically animating how rendered game objects move, deform and break.
"Proprietary physics solutions divide consumers and ISVs, while stifling true innovation; our competitors even develop code that they themselves admit will not work on hardware other than theirs," said Eric Demers, chief technology officer for graphics at AMD. "By working with Pixelux and others to enable open support of physics on OpenCL and DirectX 11 capable devices we are taking the exact opposite approach."
Tuesday, September 29th 2009
Today's Reviews
"Slim and lightweight" has become a fashion for USB disks! Continuing the success of the Diamond, Team Group Inc. launches the brand new slim and lightweight USB disk SC901 to capture young consumers and students with its mini and exquisite appearance and candy-like cute pastel colors. With SC901, users can freely express themselves. Together with the thoughtful and smart swivel cap design to prevent losing the cap, SC901 just makes people feel sweet from its appearance and features.
Equipped with the stepwise swivel cap design, with a simple push, you can insert this PnP USB disk in your computer at any angle that pleased you. More importantly, you will never need to worry about losing the cap! Mini in size, the SC901 comes in 3 models by capacity: 2GB, 4GB and 8GB; and 3 colors: blueberry blue, mint green, and pudding yellow to meet the multiple needs of users. With the USB2.0 interface, SC901 allows users to store a large amount of photos, media files and any electronic files. Desktops, laptops or car audios, as far as there is a USB port, you can enjoy fun with SC901. With different colors, users can well-organize files by type or choose any one that suits their moods.
Team Group Inc. launched C091. It is a new designer item boasting high quality in both internal capacity and external design. The large 32GB capacity hides inside of a light and beautifully designed body, and the sleek gliding mechanism fully manifested the innovative abilities of Team Group. The easy-to-use gliding design makes C091 popular item, which takes only a slight squeeze on the USB interface to slide open the user-friendly pen drive.
C091 comes in sapphire blue, amber brown and crystal gray. The user-friendly slide design ingeniously hides the USB interface under the body to eliminate the trouble of storing the cap and adds to the sleekness of the overall design. C091 is light weight (only 16g) but comes in big capacities in three choices- 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB, as well as excellent performance in high-speed transmission (20-25MB/Sec reading speed and 5-10 MB/s writing speed). The thoughtful design make C091 versatile enough to satisfy the needs of all users.
Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced that Crash Course -- the second downloadable content (DLC) update for its zombie thriller, Left 4 Dead (L4D) -- is available now for Xbox 360 and PC. To celebrate, Left 4 Dead (PC) is available via Steam for 50% off its regular its regular price thru Oct 1.
Entitled "Crash Course," the latest DLC delivers new single-player, multiplayer and co-operative gameplay to both platforms. Targeted for release in September, "Crash Course" bridges the gap between the end of the "No Mercy" campaign and the beginning of "Death Toll" in the original game, expanding the game universe with new locations, new dialogue from the original cast, and an explosive finale.
"ZOTAC always listens to user requests for features. End users loved our ION ITX series motherboards, but some requested PCI Express expansion. We listened and thus the ZOTAC ION ITX F series was born," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "Our engineers managed to integrate PCI Express x16 expansion without sacrificing any of the award-winning features either."
The ZOTAC ION ITX-F series receives power from a high-performance NVIDIA ION graphics processor and energy-efficient dual-core Intel Atom 330 processor for a power packed combination that's ready to take on high-definition video playback and everyday computing tasks.
ASUS is readying its most affordable ATX motherboard based on the Intel P55 chipset yet, the P7P55 LX. Supporting socket LGA 1156 processors, the P7P55 LX is intended to be priced even lower than the P7P55D LE (under 100 EUR). Everything about this board is thin and lite: narrower PCB, solid-state capacitors confined only to important VRM circuits, 5 phase CPU power circuit, and other basic features. The product however, doesn't leave out some ASUS exclusives such as MemOK, ExpressGate, and TurboV.
For expansion, there's one PCI-Express 2.0 x16, one PCI-E x16 (electrical x4), two PCI-E x1, and three PCI. All six SATA 3 Gbps ports are assigned as internal ports. An additional controller provides an IDE connector. 8-channel audio with optical SPDIF output, and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of the feature-set. Expect the board to be out soon.
Prolimatech is out with a new revision of its flagship Megahalems CPU cooler. The new Revision B of Megahalems updates it for the LGA 1156 socket, and adds to its features, a little. While the heatsink itself retains the same design, changes are made to the retention module, which now features mount holes for socket LGA 1156, apart from its usual support for sockets LGA 1366, LGA 775, and AM3/AM2+/AM2. The bundle now includes four fan clips (two sets), instead of two (one set) on the older version. This allows you to install 120 mm fans on either-sides of the heatsink. The new revision B Prolimatech Megahalems has started selling in Europe for 55 EUR.
Toshiba UK today announced the Satellite T110 and T130 - the first Toshiba laptops to feature Intel CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) processors, designed to offer the performance and functionality of full-sized laptops with portability and a battery life of up to eleven hours.
The Satellite T-series is the perfect balance of thin and light eye-catching design, portability, extensive connectivity and stunning battery performance, at an affordable price point. Consumers have a choice of sizes and colour options - the T130 is available with a 13.3'' screen, whilst the smaller T110 offers an 11.6" alternative. The T130 will be available in the Satellite Pro range for business users.
PC major Dell rolled out its newest business-oriented Latitude Z notebook. The Latitude Z has an ultra-thin chassis, which packs all the mobility and features a businessman would need. This 16-inch notebook can charge wirelessly. The 16-inch display offers a native screen resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels. It has a backlit-illuminated keyboard, a touchpad that is gesture-enabled, an EdgeTouch sensor at the right of display, and a sub-system powered by an ARM processor to drive the Latitude on Linux feature. The main system is powered by an Intel Core 2 Duo processor to run the main Windows environment.
The fixed webcam that heads the screen can auto-focus, and can even 'scan' documents, according to Dell. The notebook weighs 4.5 lbs (around 2 kg), and is priced at $1999. For another $200 to this cost, you get the wireless charging induction stand that lets you use the feature. "We're seeing thin and light spread throughout our portfolio," said Todd Forsythe, vice president in Dell's commercial client product group. It looks like thin is in, for Dell.
Anti-Aliasing has been one of the most basic image-quality enhancements available in today's games. PC graphics hardware manufacturers regard it as more of an industry standard, and game developers echo with them, by integrating anti-aliasing (AA) features in the game, as part of its engine. This allows the game to selectively implement AA in parts of the 3D scene, so even as the overall image quality of the scene is improved, so is performance, by making sure that not every object in the scene is given AA. It seems that in one of the most well marketed games of the year, Batman: Arkham Asylum, doesn't like to work with ATI Radeon graphics cards when it comes to its in-game AA implementation.
Developed under NVIDIA's The Way it's Meant to be Played program, and featuring NVIDIA's PhysX technology, the game's launcher disables in-game AA when it detects AMD's ATI Radeon graphics hardware. AMD's Ian McNaughton in his recent
blog thread said that they had confirmed this by an experiment where they ran ATI Radeon hardware under changed device IDs. Says McNaughton: "Additionally, the in-game AA option was removed when ATI cards are detected. We were able to confirm this by changing the ids of ATI graphics cards in the Batman demo. By tricking the application, we were able to get in-game AA option where our performance was significantly enhanced." He further adds that the option is not available for the retail game as there is a secure-rom.
TechPowerUp Radeon BIOS Editor (RBE), has been updated to version 1.22. RBE is our popular ATI Radeon graphics cards BIOS tweaking manipulation utility. One of the main highlights of this release is early support for the Radeon HD 5870 graphics accelerator, among other changes that enhance the application's functionality and stability. The following changes are listed by its developer:
- Added clock tuning wizard.
- Changed fan controller bug workaround settings' description to point out what it does a little better.
- Improved program's startup routine.
- Fixed "GetClockPos reported 0"-error that came up on loading several 4xx0-BIOSes.
- Added preliminary support for Radeon 5870. Note that I'm still not sure about 5850's DeviceID and that signature saving and loading will most likely not work properly on 5xx0s with this version. Furthermore, VT1165 programming is not functioning yet.
DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp Radeon BIOS EditorMonday, September 28th 2009
Today's Reviews
Active Media Products, manufacturer of SSDs and WWF series USB drives, today launched the new SaberTooth ZX series of 1.8-inch PATA ZIF SSDs that are ideal for upgrading popular netbooks such as the Dell Inspiron Mini 12, selected models of Sony Vaio, and more. The new SaberTooth ZX supports sequential read speeds up to 80MB/sec and sequential write speeds up to 38MB/sec. Combined with sub-millisecond access times, these new SSDs deliver double or triple the performance of the default hard drives in most netbooks, resulting in substantially faster bootup, application load and shutdown speeds.
Measuring 70 x 54 x 5 mm, the ZX was designed to the same physical specs as 1.8-inch HDDs. It uses a parallel ATA (PATA / IDE) ZIF interface, and supports PIO mode 6 and Ultra DMA mode 6. SaberTooth ZX is compatible with most netbooks that use 1.8" PATA ZIF hard drives. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to upgrade dozens of different netbooks and UMPCs to higher performance and more local storage.
In the tussle between its own CUDA GPGPU standard and the OpenCL, NVIDIA is making the right moves by offering its first drivers for OpenCL GPGPU acceleration. The drivers are available for Windows, Linux, and Mac. Any CUDA-capable NVIDIA GPU will be able to use these. The drivers can be downloaded from
here, which provide compliance with OpenCL 1.0.
NVIDIA has also released the OpenCL Visual Profiler software that helps developers improve their code by recognizing possible bottlenecks and room for improvements. At a higher level, it profiles actual hardware signals, kernel efficiency, and instruction issue rate; memory latencies; auto-analysis to point of serialization problems, among other things. More information on this can be found
here.
Buffalo Japan is ready with its first external hard drive that uses the new USB 3.0 interface to eliminate the bandwidth bottleneck posed by the older generation of the interface. The Buffalo DriveStation HD-HXU3, with its USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface comes in capacities of 1 TB, 1.5 TB and 2 TB. The drive offers transfer rates of around 125 MB/s, on par with drives connected using the eSATA interface. The advantage of this however, is its seamless backwards compatibility with older USB 2.0 generation of the USB interface. The company has also announced the IFC-PCIE2U3 USB 3.0 controller. The two are expected to be available in Q4.
NVIDIA today announced work with Microsoft to promote NVIDIA Tesla graphics processing units (GPUs) for high performance parallel computing using the Windows HPC Server 2008 operating system.
"The coupling of GPUs and CPUs illustrates the enormous power and opportunity of multicore co-processing," said Dan Reed, corporate vice president of Extreme Computing at Microsoft. "NVIDIA's work with Microsoft and the Windows HPC Server platform, is helping enable scientists and researchers in many fields achieve supercomputer performance on diverse applications."
NVIDIA Research developed several GPU-enabled applications on the Windows HPC Server 2008 platform, such as a ray tracing application that can be used for advanced photo-realistic modeling of automobiles. Related to this, NVIDIA worked with Microsoft Research to install a large Tesla GPU computing cluster and is studying applications that are optimized for the GPU.
This creation by ASRock is bound to surprise you. The motherboard specialist used a present-generation AMD 785G + SB710 chipset to drive a socket 939 motherboard, called the ASRock 939A785GMH128M. That's right, socket 939, supporting some of the oldest processors in the Athlon 64 and Sempron 64 series. The socket 939 CPU is powered by a 5-phase power circuit. It is wired to four DDR memory slots, supporting dual-channel DDR memory at speeds of up to DDR-400 MHz.
The AMD 785G chipset packs an ATI Radeon HD 4200 class integrated graphics processor with 128 MB SidePort memory, while the SB710 southbridge provides 5 internal SATA 3 Gb/s ports, and one eSATA port. The expansion slots on this micro-ATX motherboard include one PCI-Express 2.0 x16, one PCI-E x1, and two PCI slots. The IGP connects to its displays using DVI-D, HDMI, and D-Sub. 8-channel audio, and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of it. There is no word on the availability or pricing as yet.
Tuniq introduced its newest CPU cooler, the Tuniq Propeller 120. This release follows the launch of the
Tower 120 Extreme. Measuring 128(L) × 127.5(W) × 145(H) mm, and weighing at 590 g without the 120 mm fan, The cooler sports an unconventional design. From the CPU base pass four 8 mm nickel-plated copper heat-pipes that make direct contact with the CPU. The two ends of these heat-pipes pass through two blocks of aluminum fins. The fins are somewhat triangular in shape and are pitted for added surface area.
The bundled 120 mm MFDB fan comes with a fan-speed control knob, and spins at speeds between 1000~2000 rpm, pushing up to 90.65 CFM of air, with noise levels of 16~20 dBA ± 10%. The fan blows air onto the motherboard, passively cooling other components. The Propeller 120 also packs a tube of the company's newest Tuniq TX3 thermal compound. Supported sockets include LGA-1366, LGA-775, and AM3/AM2+/AM2. It comes in two variants, CR-PRO120-BK with black colored fins, and a blue LED-lit fan, and CR-PRO120-SV with normal (chrome) fins and an opaque black fan. The Propeller 120 should start selling this October.
Constantly innovating new graphics cards designs, Galaxy pushed the limits of engineering by coming up with the first GeForce GTX 260 with a single-slot air cooler. To achieve this, the company designed its own long cooler based on the Vapor Chamber (VC) technology. A VC plate sits on top of the GPU and the aluminum base-plate of the cooler (to cool the memory) On top of the VC plate is a dense copper channel array through which air directed by the blower passes. There is a separate heatsink over the VRM area, which cools off under the air-flow from the main cooler.
The entire set of heatsinks is neatly packed under an aluminum shroud. The card packs standard features of the GeForce GTX 260, including 216 shader processors, 896 MB of GDDR3 memory across a 448-bit memory interface, 3-way SLI support, and support for DirectX 10. Connectivity options include one each of DVI-D, HDMI, and S-Video/composite. It draws power from two 6-pin PCI-E power connectors. Availability and pricing of this card is not known just as yet.
ASUS plans to expand its lineup of socket LGA-1156 motherboards based on the Intel P55 chipset, with a new model based on the micro-ATX form-factor. The ASUS P7P55-M packs most features of its larger siblings, making use of the P55 chipset's features. The four expansion slots include PCI-Express 2.0 x16, two PCI-Express x1, and one PCI. The P55 chipset provides six SATA 3 Gb/s ports, other standard features include 8 channel audio, gigabit Ethernet, and Firewire. ASUS exclusives include TurboV, TurboKey and Express Gate. The P7P55-M is expected to ship in mid-October.
QNAP Systems, Inc, a world-class manufacturer of Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers today unveiled a unique new network appliance that can best be described as a set-top player crossed with a NAS server. Computer users around the globe face the dilemma of how to centrally store, manage, and playback growing amounts of digital content spread around the home on multiple computers.
"QNAP's ground-breaking NMP-1000 Network Multimedia Player is the definitive product that bridges the gap between the home network and the living room" said Meiji Chang, CEO of QNAP Systems, Inc. "Users are clamoring to centrally store and enjoy all their digital content in the living room and the NMP-1000 just fits the bill" Mr. Chang added.
Due to numerous customer requests, Sharkoon has expanded their "QuickPort" hard drive adapter-series with a model that now includes an additional IDE-interface: The Sharkoon QuickPort Combo now offers an interface for IDE-devices located beside the SATA-hard drive connection port.
Sharkoon's QuickPort models are the ideal solutions for hard drive collectors, allowing them to attach their external storage mediums quickly and easily to their PC or notebooks- perhaps occasionally for a fast HD-backup or for also accessing the private hard drive media center as an application for a TV streaming client. The hard drive is simply inserted into the QuickPort and immediately recognized as a device, therefore eliminating time consuming installation to a computer or external housings. The adapter itself is attached via USB to the computer. Like the previous models, the QuickPort Combo also accommodates SATA-Hard Drives in both 2.5 and 3.5 inch formats. A folding mechanism ensures a secure hold on either size model. When finished, users can simply take the hard drive with them by utilizing the eject button.
Friday, September 25th 2009
Today's Reviews
Slovenian water-cooling components specialist EK Water Blocks is readying one of the first water blocks for the AMD Radeon HD 5870 accelerator. Called EK FCS5870, it is a full-coverage water block from the looks of it, cooling all essential components on the PCB, including the GPU, memory, and VRM. The first picture below shows a CAD drawing of a design candidate. The second one is a picture of the ready copper block sans its top, revealing the water channel, and the heat-dissipation ribs over the GPU area. EK intends to complete the design of the FCS5870 by the end of this month.
Thermaltake, leading DIY thermal solutions brand, launches a multi-socket support budget CPU cooler, the Contac 29. The Thermaltake Contac29 offers excellent cooling performance and a formidable price point when compared with the current competition on the market. Its Direct Contact Technology allows the three 8 mm heatpipes to immediately touch the CPU and thereby maximize the cooling effect. The multi-socket support offers excellent compatibility and flexibility in the choice and upgrade of your processor. It supports all major Intel sockets such as the LGA1156, LGA1366 and older LGA775 models. As for AMD, sockets AM3, AM2+ and AM2 are supported.
The three u-shaped heatpipes transfer processor heat up into the aluminum heatsink fins. In a second step the preinstalled 120 mm PWM fan blows air over the layered fins to further increase cooling efficiency, while the specially curved fins prevent outside heat to intrude the dissipation area.
At the IDF 2009 event, Intel showed of the fruition of the platform component rearrangement socket LGA-1156 strives for, by relocating the northbridge to the processor package. On display was the company's newest mini-ITX socket LGA-1156 motherboard that is full-featured, complete with Intel Flexible Display Interface support. Based on the Intel H57 chipset, the motherboard supports Intel Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors based on the socket. Its two DDR3 DIMM slots provide dual-channel memory interface.
The sole expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, which can be used for any PCI-Express addon card. Located at the north of the board, the H57 chipset provides four SATA 3 Gbps ports, and requires a small heatsink to stay comfortable. The rear panel sums up the rest of the feature-set, it includes display output via DVI and HDMI, Ethernet, six USB ports, eSATA, and 8-channel audio with optical SPDIF. In the second picture below, it's placed to the left of a mini-ITX G45 motherboard by Intel.
Behold AMD's, and soon aimed to be the industry's most powerful graphics accelerator: Radeon HD 5870 X2 "Hemlock". Armed with two "Cypress" Radeon HD 5870 graphics processors, this dual-GPU monstrosity packs twice the shader compute power. From the looks of it, the card is slightly longer than its single-GPU sibling from the series, and is better ventilated, although the cooler design more or less resembles it. It draws its power from one 6+2 pin and one 6 pin PCI-E power connectors, just like two of its ancestors in the R700 and R680. Listed for pre-order on a European online store, a Radeon HD 5870 X2 by Club3D is priced at 677 EUR (incl. applicable taxes, 568.9 EUR excluding).
Thursday, September 24th 2009
Today's Reviews
Review
Cases
Origen AE has taken their legendary construction quality down to a mini ITX platform with their newest HTPC chassis - the M10. It is made of two thick pieces of aluminum and features an external, passive 150W power brick - two aspects you won't get anywhere else. But is this enough to justify the 400 Euro price tag?
System BIOS vendor Phoenix Technology, the company behind the popular Award BIOS software found on several PC motherboards, has come up with a new highly-optimized implementation of UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), that can boot the OS in under one second. This cuts time of the arbitrary 5~15 second (typical) POST process. With this time saved, system startup times are significantly reduced. Startup times are further reduced by the optimized startup procedure on Windows 7.
To put this to test, a Dell Adamo notebook with the technology, was able to reach the Windows Desktop in 20 seconds from the push of the power button, while Lenovo T400 notebooks with faster SSDs reached the Desktop in under 10 seconds. The technology should be out pretty soon.
OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today expanded their lineup of DDR3 to include certified OCZ Black Edition 4GB kits for ultimate compatibility with AMD's next-generation Phenom II processors. These modules excel on Black Edition platforms at ultra-low voltage, an ideal parameter for the latest highly efficient processors. OCZ's unique Black Edition Series is designed to be the ultimate upgrade for users who not only want to reap the benefits of high-frequency DDR3, but want a future-proof choice for their system.
"OCZ is excited to launch our new AMD Black Edition Ready Series which is designed specifically to work with AMD's OverDrive software utility," said Eugene Chang, Vice President of Product Management at the OCZ Technology Group. "The new OCZ Black Edition modules not only interact with AOD to overclock the memory, but also communicate with the BIOS to increase the frequency and performance of the memory controller. The result is a symbiotic relationship between memory and the rest of the system to unleash the full power of the Dragon Platform."
Earlier talked about as being a mere speed bump over RV740 that probably locks horns with Radeon HD 4850 or even HD 4870 512 MB in terms of performance in today's applications, Juniper, codename for AMD's newer mainstream GPU that is looking to handle things under the $200 segment, is looking stronger than thought about before on paper, according to recent publication by Anandtech. Breaking away from the previous conception of a GPU with 800 stream processors, a 128-bit GDDR5 memory, and most other vital-stats resembling its ancestor, the report suggests something that's at least 75% as powerful as Cypress.
It is said to feature 14 SIMD blocks, which going by Cypress' architecture would imply 1120 stream processors (14 x 80 SPs). The report also hints at a stronger memory sub-system to keep up. Instead of a 128-bit wide interface, it hints at 192-bit, GDDR5 at that. This part doesn't seem convincing, as earlier
pictures of the card showed it to be holding four memory chips on the reverse side of the PCB, with no fuses to show memory chips that aren't sharing memory channels. Accelerators with 192-bit wide memory interface, should have 6 or 12 memory chips typically. Other numbers include 56 texture memory units (TMUs), and 24 raster operation units (ROPs), if there is a 192-bit memory interface. Two accelerators based on the GPU, Radeon HD 5770 and Radeon HD 5750 should be out around the same time Windows 7 hits retail. Both target sub-$200 price points.
Dutch PC specialist Nexus added two new power supply models to its lineup, the RX-5300 (530W) and RX-6300 (630W). Both feature modular cabling, which is rounded and sleeved. The main units on both measure 150 x 86 x 158 mm, and are cooled by 135 mm fans. The cable cluster includes all common connectors, including 6 Molex, 2 floppy, 6 SATA, one 6 pin and a 6+2 pin PCI-Express connectors. The +12V circuit is of a single-rail design. The company rates the overall minimum efficiency of the PSU at 82% which meets the standards of 80 Plus Bronze. The two will reach stores soon, although the pricing isn't known.
The new G60J and M60J are the newest notebooks from the ASUS G Series to be powered by the latest Intel Core i7 processor for multi-core, multitasking muscle while on-the-move. Both sporting a 16-inch high definition display, the ASUS G60J features graphics powered by an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M graphics card, as well as immersive audio reproduction for discerning gamers, and the ASUS M60J is equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M graphics card and high capacity storage for endless multimedia entertainment. The ASUS G60J and M60J are designed to provide mobile entertainment at the highest level, anytime, anywhere.
The New ASUS G Series-Taking Gaming to the Next Level The 16-inch ASUS G60J is the definitive notebook for today's adrenaline-filled world of cyber-gaming. It delivers stunning 3D performance via an Intel Core i7 processor and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M graphics card with 1GB VRAM, together achieving an incredible 3DMark 2006 score of well over 11,000. The G60J also features Turbo Boost technology which super-charges CPU performance. These features are complemented by Altec Lansing speakers and EAX Advanced HD 4.0 which provides an immersive gaming audio experience by adding 64 sound effects to supported games. CMSS-3D further enhances the overall experience by channelling sound above and around the user for the full surround sound experience. Finally, the new ASUS G Series is equipped with an illuminated chiclet keyboard which enables users to game in the dark. For users seeking the G60J's comprehensive features in a more compact form factor, ASUS also offers the 15.6-inch G51J.
TechPowerUp today released version 0.3.5 of the GPU-Z graphics subsystem information and monitoring utility. GPU-Z provides information on the computer's installed graphics hardware, and provides real-time updates on their parameters such as clock-speeds, temperatures, voltages, and fan-speeds. Version 0.3.5 makes the utility geared up for the newest graphics processors from AMD, its Radeon HD 5800 series, along with improved support for NVIDIA FX5500, 9400 GT, G73, GTS 240, GT 140, FX 1800, GT 120 (Apple), FX 380, FX 350, GTX 295 Single PCB, Quadro CX, FX 5800, FX 4800, FX 3800, GTX 180M, GTX 260M, FX 2700M, G 110M, GT 120M, GT 220M, FX 1700M, G 105M, MCP79MX. GPU-Z can now also detect the embedded GPU on some Intel socket LGA-1156 processors. Support is also added for some of AMD's newest Radeon HD 4700 series GPUs and HD 4650 AGP, M92, M96, M98. A concise list of other notable changes is as follows:
- Added clock reading for Intel i910, i915, i945, 946
- Added support for DDR3 detection on G9x
- Added monitoring support for RV7xx based mobile chips
- Voltage controller "slaves" are now called "phases"
- Fixed BIOS parsing on some newer HD 4870 cards
- Added voltage monitoring support for MSI N275GTX Lightning
DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.3.5Intel Corporation introduced its revolutionary Intel Core i7 Mobile Processor and Intel Core i7 Mobile Processor Extreme Edition today, bringing Intel's award-winning and super-fast Nehalem microarchitecture to the mobile market.
These processors in addition to the new Intel PM55 Express Chipset, provide the best laptop experience for intense gaming, digital media, photos, music, business applications and other multi-threaded software that hungers for faster processing speed. The chips also boost overall performance when using several of these applications simultaneously.
Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it is adding 8GB dual-channel HyperX memory kits in support of Intel's new LGA1156 Core i5 and Core i7 systems. The DDR3 XMP-ready kits are available in 1600- and 1333MHz frequencies and run at a low 1.65 volts.
The 8GB memory kits help increase overall system performance in 64-bit operating systems including Windows Vista and the upcoming Windows 7. System builders and ultra-enthusiasts who deploy 8GB of Kingston dual-channel memory will find performance increases in such tasks as running virtual machines, video encoding and graphics-oriented applications.
Wednesday, September 23rd 2009
Today's Files
Today's Reviews
Review
Graphics Cards
We pair two AMD Radeon HD 5870 1 GB accelerators for some CrossFire action, and see how viable it proves as a high-end graphics setup.
VERTEX3D, a new expected brand of AMD graphics card, today launches the next generation video card: HD5800 series. The latest series includes HD5870 and HD5850, clocks at 850MHz and 750MHz (respectively) core and 1200MHz and 1000MHz (respectively) memory. As the most powerful GPU in the world, HD5800 series has more than 2 TeraFLOPs of compute power, delivering the extreme performance like never before.
VTX3D HD5800 series is the first GPU which supports for Microsoft DirectX 11, and enables a complete Windows 7 experience. Not only that, the latest series supports ATI exclusive Eyefinity technology, and allows gamers to extend their visual sensation up to three-screen displays. With multi-output onboard design-dual DL-DVI / HDMI / Display Port, gamers can take an advantage with this latest multi-display capabilities and enjoy the most real-life gaming experience of immersing themselves IN the game.
LucidLogix (Lucid) today introduced the HYDRA 200 real time distributed processing engine designed to bring multi-GPU computing to the masses.
For the first time ever, motherboard, graphics card manufacturers and users can have the flexibility to use different combinations of GPUs from AMD (ATI) and NVIDIA in notebooks and PCs. The solution delivers faster 3D graphics at consumer price points.
The new HYDRA 200 SoC is Lucid's second generation parallel graphics processor that works with any GPU, CPU or chipset to provide scalable 3D graphics performance in a multi-GPU computing environment. On display for the first time at IDF 2009 (booth 213) HYDRA 200 is faster, more flexible, smaller and more power-efficient than its predecessor silicon, the HYDRA 100.
Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today unveiled the Qosmio X500 Series, an enthusiast-class line of performance laptops geared for high definition multimedia and gaming. Featuring a striking design on the outside and packed with premium technologies and features on the inside, the Qosmio X500 Series offers hardcore gamers and digital content creators a portable, well-equipped "pro-class" laptop.
Qosmio X500 Series laptops feature the new Intel Core i7 processor, delivering four cores of intelligent processing power, Windows 7 and Intel's Turbo Boost Technology, which automatically allows processor cores to run faster than the base operating frequency if it is operating below power, current and temperature specification limits. The laptops also offer ultra-fast DDR3 system memory, dual hard-drive configurations, as well as NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M graphics with 1GB of GDDR5 video memory. Together, this pairing of high-performance technologies allow consumers to rip through the latest 3D games at lightning-fast frame-rates or create hi-definition video and audio faster and more efficiently with smooth rendering and encoding.
Less than 24 hours after its launch, one of the first custom design accelerators based on the Radeon HD 5870 have began to surface, one of the first ones made by Sapphire. Whether or not this is a complete custom design (includes custom designed PCB and coolers), Sapphire is ready with at least its Vapor-X cooler designed for the new GPU. This picture found on Xtreme Systems forums shows the cooler fitted on the AMD reference PCB. However, a newly announced contest conducted by Hexus.net shows a CGI drawing of the accelerator in its promotional graphic, which shows the PCB to be slightly shorter, and blue in colour. One can also see from the drawing that the PCI-E power connectors are located at the same spot where they were located on most Radeon HD 4890 accelerators. Hopefully cheaper, or at least factory-overclocked accelerators aren't far away.
EK Waterblocks rolled out a limited-edition variant of its popular EK Supreme universal CPU water block, the EK Supreme. This variant comes with gold-plated top and fittings for the extra bling in the case. According to German retailer Aquatuning, the company has only made 100 pieces, and each piece has its unique number marked on the unit, and has matching gold-plated fittings on offer. The base has a mirror-finish, and its retention mechanism supports all current CPU sockets, including LGA-1366, LGA-1156, LGA-775, LGA-771, AMD AM3/AM2+/AM2. The main unit is
listed for 69.99 EUR, and the fittings are
ranged reasonably on par with standard fittings.
Gigabyte's newest entry-level graphics accelerator is based on one of NVIDIA's first GPUs built on the 40 nm fab-process. The Gigabyte GeForce GT 220 OC (GV-N220OC-1G) is based on the new GT216-300 GPU from NVIDIA that features 48 shader processors, support for DirectX 10.1, and a 128-bit wide GDDR3 memory interface accommodating 1 GB of memory. The GPU is clocked at 720 MHz, with its shader domain at 1567 MHz, and memory at 800 MHz (1600 MHz DDR). With connectivity options that include DVI-D, D-Sub, and HDMI with a gold-plated connector (merely aesthetic, as digital connections don't benefit), the card sports a cooler design similar to its custom-design Radeon HD 4770 1 GB accelerator. The accelerator starts shipping soon at an unknown yet affordable price.
ASUS, the world's leading producer of top quality, cutting edge graphics solutions, today launched the new ASUS EAH5870/2DIS/1GD5 and EAH5850/2DIS/1GD5. The first in the world to utilize Voltage Tweak technology, these graphics cards enable users to boost GPU voltages via the SmartDoctor application to enjoy up to a 38% improvement in performance. Both graphics cards support Microsoft DirectX 11 and Windows 7 to provide users with the most intense gaming experience. The latest 40nm process and GDDR5 memory technologies are also utilized to deliver faster processing times and general system performance. Users can even run up to three displays from a single graphics card, thanks to the native DisplayPort and Eyefinity technology. The ASUS EAH5800 Series comes specially bundled with DiRT 2-by far the most anticipated DirectX 11 game-pushing the boundaries of immersive gaming with true-to-life visual realism and effects.
As top computer gamers are demanding only the very best hardware, all manufacturers in the industry are constantly striving for the efficiency and performance to fulfill these needs. In order to adequately cater to these ever increasing performance demands, now MSI, leading graphics cards and mainboard manufacturer has joined forces with the renowned graphics chip manufacturer AMD and today officially launch the next generation MSI R5800 series graphics cards. The 40 nm GPU supports DirectX 11 and a variety of AMD-exclusive audiovisual and performance enhancing technologies, creating an entirely new series of performance oriented craftsmanship.
The brand new MSI R5870/R5850 series uses more advanced 40nm GPU to implement decisively more transistors within the same amount of space and thereby reaching a new level of performance. In addition the modern 40nm process reduces power consumption and brings about a more efficient overall electrical utilization. By using the advantages of this innovative 40nm process technology, the next generation MSI R5870/R5850 series offers outstanding performance of a new kind.
SAPPHIRE Technology announces the most exciting development in graphics for several generations - not only the fastest single GPU ever, but also the first video cards to support the advanced graphical features only available in Microsoft DirectX 11 and delivering spectacular video clarity, speed and visual effects, including over multiple monitors.
The SAPPHIRE HD 5870 is based on an advanced new graphics architecture from the ATI division of AMD, the second generation of GPU to be built in its 40nm process. This is the very first series of graphics solutions to support the forthcoming DirectX 11, soon to be introduced with Windows 7 and supported in Windows Vista.
Club 3D, european graphics cards specialist is proud to announce the new HD 5800 Series lineup. Prepare to experience a riveting high-definition gaming experience with Club 3D HD 5800 series. Expand your visual real estate across up to three displays and get lost in the action with revolutionary ATI Eyefinity Technology. Using ATI Stream technology, accelerate even the most demanding applications and do more than ever with your PC. The first to deliver full support for Microsoft DirectX 11, The Club 3D HD 5800 series enables realistic and explosive HD gaming.
Enjoy an incredibly immersive HD gaming/computing experience with ATI Eyefinity Technology. This revolutionary multi-display technology allows you to expand your visual real estate across up to three displays with innovative "wrap around" capabilities to maximize your field of view with incredible sharpness and clarity.
Today HIS unleashed the revolutionary new HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB GDDR5, the most technologically advanced, feature-rich graphics processor ever in the market. Prepare to plug in for a ridiculously immersive HD gaming experience unlike anything you've ever seen!
Powered by the top-of-the-line 5870 GPU, HIS Radeon HD 5870 1GB GDDR5 accelerates PC gaming with nearly 3 teraFLOPS computing power! Running at 850MHz core clock speed and 4.8 Gbps memory clock speed, the, HIS Radeon HD 5870 ensure extreme game play at high resolutions and maximum settings. It is the first GPU in market to deliver full support for Microsoft DirectX 11 graphics and compute functionality. Besides, it features an architecture tailored to excel with DirectCompute 11 (Shader Model 5.0) and OpenCL, taking ATI Stream functionality to next level.
TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, today introduces the next generation of video cards: the HD5800 series. Equipped with the first and only GPU to support Microsoft DirectX 11, the HD5800 will provide the ultimate gaming and Windows 7 experience.
The HD5800 series also supports ATI's exclusive Eyefinity technology. Eyefinity maximizes your field of view across up to three displays; with dual DL-DVI / HDMI / Display Port onboard design, gamers can easily get lost in the action. Compatible with ATI Stream technology, users will be able to transcode videos from their PC's to mobile media player in less time and with minimal effort.
Gamers are always pushing for the ultimate realistic gaming experience, and the XFX Radeon HD 5870 graphics card brings them three enormous steps closer to their ideal. First, ATI Eyefinity Technology enables gamers to see things like never before, with the ability to spread out across three displays at resolutions of up to 1080 pixels. Offering the first-ever "wrap-around" in-picture experience, gamers can surround themselves in the digital world, or, if productivity is the goal, maximize workspace with the ability to see more windows simultaneously.
Second, ATI Stream Technology ensures that today's demanding games play faster at higher resolutions. This state-of-the-art technology boosts systems performance by offloading tasks that were previously sent to the CPU to the GPU. The result? A more evenly balanced platform that can handle greater capacities at faster speeds.
AMD today launched the most powerful processor ever created, found in its next-generation graphics cards, the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series graphics cards, and the world's first and only to fully support Microsoft DirectX 11, the new gaming and compute standard shipping shortly with Microsoft Windows 7 operating system. Boasting up to 2.72 TeraFLOPS of compute power, the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series effectively doubles the value consumers can expect of their graphics purchases, delivering twice the performance-per-dollar of previous generations of graphics products. AMD will initially release two cards: the ATI Radeon HD 5870 and the ATI Radeon HD 5850, each with 1GB GDDR5 memory. With the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series of graphics cards, PC users can expand their computing experience with ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology, accelerate their computing experience with ATI Stream technology, and dominate the competition with superior gaming performance and full support of Microsoft DirectX 11, making it a "must-have" consumer purchase just in time for Microsoft Windows 7 operating system.
"With the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series of graphics cars driven by the most powerful processor on the planet, AMD is changing the game, both in terms of performance and the experience," said Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager, Products Group, AMD. "As the first to market with full DirectX 11 support, an unmatched experience made possible with ATI Eyefinity technology, and ATI Stream technology harnessing open standards designed to help make Windows 7 that much better, I can say with confidence that AMD is the undisputed leader in graphics once more."
Tuesday, September 22nd 2009
Today's Reviews
Review
Graphics Cards
Today AMD launches their new Radeon HD 5800 Series of graphics cards. They are powered by a brand new graphics processor called "Cypress". Our review goes into all the detail about the new HD 5870 flagship, but we also have HD 5850 scores so you can get an idea what to expect.
Review
Graphics Cards
AMD's latest generation of graphics cards offers unprecedented single GPU performance levels. Such performance requires an optimum environment, especially important is PCI-Express bandwidth. We investigate if these cards can still deliver on a PCI-E x8, x4 or even x1 link.
Seagate Technology today announced worldwide availability of the Seagate Secure Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) option across its portfolio of enterprise-class hard drives. Products with the Seagate Secure option include: Savvio 15K.2, Savvio 10K.3, Constellation and Cheetah 15K.7 drives. These enterprise-class products are an extension of Seagate's first-to-market leadership with Seagate Secure Self-Encrypting Drive (SED) technology, designed to deliver data-at-rest security for servers and storage systems.
"Self-Encrypting Drives are one of the easiest, most cost-effective security measures companies can implement," said Eric Ouellet, vice president at Gartner. "The use of SEDs provides businesses with complete data-at-rest protection against information breaches that can occur in drives and systems that have been repurposed, decommissioned, disposed of, sent for repair, misplaced or stolen. Because all disk media eventually leaves a company's control, the use of SEDs ensures that data is protected at these critical stages of a system's life cycle."
Kingston Technology Europe Ltd, a subsidiary of Kingston Technology Corporation, today announced it is increasing read and write speeds on its Kingston DataTraveler 410 USB Flash drive to 20 MB/sec. read and write. Shipping in capacities up to 32GB, the speedy DataTraveler 410 allows for faster file transfers and is password protected to help keep data secure.
The faster read and write speeds make the DataTraveler 410 the ideal drive for high-definition photos, large documents, presentations, music, videos and other data. It includes SecureTraveler software, which allows users to create and access a password-protected area of the drive called the "Privacy Zone."
The Swiss low noise cooling solution provider ARCTIC COOLING today announced the launch of their first notebook cooler - ARCTIC NC. Its revolutionary design concept and user-friendly functions make it a stylish portable cooler for laptop users.
The ARCTIC NC is a perfect cooling device for any laptops between 12" and 19". The two 60mm fans draw adequate cool air in and wind is blown out from the vent evenly to the bottom of the laptop. Unlike other plate-design coolers, heat can be dissipated from the sides of the laptop easily to achieve maximum cooling performance. Moreover, fan noise of the ARCTIC NC is undetectable at only 0.1 sone - even at full speed. The ARCTIC NC keeps the laptop at safe temperatures and quiet at all time - even during heavy gaming.
Korean cooling specialist Zalman rolled out its first memory area cooler called the ZM-RC1000. Like similar products from popular memory vendors such as Corsair, Kingston, and A-Data to name a few, the cooler latches on to the motherboard's long DRAM slots and blows air onto the installed memory modules with its two 60 mm fans. The cooler measures 66 (L) x 155 (W) x 70 (H) mm, weighing 160 g. The retention mechanism has anti-vibration grips to dampen noise, and its thumb-screws make it tool-free. The fans spin at 2700 rpm with a maximum noise output of 25 ± 2.5 dBA. It comes with two panel colours: silver and blue. An early listing by a European store prices it at 16.30 EUR.
A-DATA Technology Co., Ltd., a worldwide leading manufacturer in high-performance DRAM modules and flash application products, today announces that its XPG series DDR3 DRAM modules are fully compatible with ASUS P7P55D series and ROG Maximus III series motherboards. Once again, A-DATA has established an undisputed industry-leading position.
Moreover, in order to present the leading position and technology alliances between two major players in the IT industry, A-DATA and ASUS have demonstrated together their latest products for Intel P55 platform at ASUS P55 Technical Seminar. During this event A-DATA showcased its XPG series DDR3 DRAM modules including the Plus Series DDR3-2200+ 4GB dual channel kit, which adopts 2oz copper PCB (printed circuit board), while ASUS presented the P7P55D series and ROG Maximus III series motherboards.
Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC), a U.S. marketing arm of Toshiba Corporation for electronic components, today announced a series of solid state drive (SSD) modules using the latest generation Toshiba 32nm MLC NAND flash, at Intel Developers Forum 2009. The Toshiba SG2 modules are offered in two types, one based on the new low-profile mini-SATA (mSATA) interface standard and the other a Half-Slim type, which uses a SATA connector. The drives are available in 30GB1 and 62GB modules. Volume production will start in October.
The two types of modules, each smaller than a business card, provide greater design flexibility and save space and cost compared to SSDs with hard disk drive form factors and cases. The 62GB module is only one seventh the volume and one eighth the weight of a 2.5-inch form factor SSD, and consumes half the power. With interface speeds up to 3 gigabits per second (Gb/s), a maximum sequential read speed of 180 megabytes per second (MBps)3,4 and a maximum sequential write speed of 70MBps,3,4 the modules will help bring the performance advantages of SSDs to notebooks, portable electronics and embedded systems. An advanced controller features a translation mode, which enables any drive configuration, and the drive supports 28-bit LBA (Logical Block Address) mode commands and 48-bit LBA mode commands. Multi-word DMA, Ultra-DMA modes and Advanced PIO commands are supported. The drives have an optional capability for secure Full Disk Encryption (FDE) backup that prevents unauthorized data access.
American retailer ZipZoomFly.com has listed one of its first ATI Radeon HD 5800 series products, these ones from HIS. Both the HIS HD 5870 1 GB (
H587F1GDG), and HIS HD 5850 1 GB (
H585F1GDG) stick to AMD's reference board design, and sport a unique "sword" sticker theme compared to the manga characters used by another popular AMD partner.
Both accelerators are DirectX 11 compliant, and support ATI Eyefinity technology to connect to three display heads with 2560 x 1600 pixel resolution. Connectivity options include two DVI-D, DisplayPort, and HDMI with 7.1 channel audio. While the HD 5870 has 1600 stream processors, clock speeds of 850/1200 MHz (core/memory), the HD 5850 has 1440 stream processors, with speeds of 725/1000 MHz (core/memory). Going by ZipZoomFly's pricing, the HIS HD 5870 1 GB is priced at US $399, while the HIS HD 5850 1 GB stands at $299.
"Batman: Arkham Asylum adventure has received glowing reviews from press all around the world just like our ZOTAC GeForce GTX 285 has. Putting them both together to make the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 285: Batman Edition was an obvious combination for us," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.
The new ZOTAC GeForce GTX 285: Batman Edition features unique artwork featuring Batman. Also unique to the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 285: Batman Edition is a coupon for a full copy of Batman: Arkham Asylum, redeemable online at NVIDIA's nZone.
Monday, September 21st 2009
Today's Reviews
The world leading graphics card and mainboard brand-manufacturer, MSI, today proudly releases N260GTX-T2D896 Batman: Arkham Asylum Edition Harley Quinn graphics card (hereinafter referred to as N260GTX-T2D896 Batman) which adopts the high-end NVIDIA GeForce GTX260 GPU and 896 MB 448-bit GDDR3 high-performance memory. With Military Class Concept Components such as SSC (Solid State Chokes) and all solid CAPs, MSI N260GTX-T2D896 Batman ensures extreme stability and outstanding performance.
N260GTX-T2D896 Batman will be limited to 1600 pieces and only be available in Europe, Japan, Taiwan, Australia and some of the SEA countries. MSI is exclusively-licensed on selling each graphics card with a Harley Quinn image on the card and a full-version game bundle "Batman: Arkham Asylum." Any customer who purchases it can download the game from nZone for free, and enjoy the brand new experience brought by NVIDIA PhysX technology.
The newest member of MSI's X-Slim family, the 15.6" screen X610 is the multimedia lover's ultimate fantasy. It is equipped with the latest green power saving technologies, including AMD's 2nd Generation Ultrathin Platform, PowerNow!, and MSI's ECO technology, which together give the X610 more than twice the battery power of conventional 15.6" notebooks. What's more, its top-end ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 3D discrete graphic card allows this lean, mean, green machine offer the ultimate multimedia experience.
The European Commission has today published a non-confidential version of its Intel Decision, adopted on 13 May 2009 ( IP/09/745 and MEMO/09/235 ), together with a summary of the key elements of the Decision. That Decision found that Intel broke EC Treaty antitrust rules (Article 82) by engaging in two types of illegal practice to exclude competitors from the market for computer chips called x86 central processing units (CPUs). These practices harmed consumers throughout the EEA. By undermining its competitors' ability to compete on the merits of their products, Intel's actions undermined competition, reduced consumer choice and hindered innovation. On the basis of a significant amount of contemporaneous evidence and company statements, the Decision demonstrates how Intel broke the law.
Intel abused its dominant position in the x86 CPU market by implementing a series of conditional rebates to computer manufacturers and to a European retailer and by taking other measures aimed at preventing or delaying the launch of computers based on competing products (so-called 'naked restrictions'). The Commission's Decision outlines specific cases of these conditional rebates and naked restrictions, as well as how Intel sought to conceal its practices and how computer manufacturers and Intel itself recognised the growing threat represented by the products of Intel's main competitor, AMD.
Active Media Products, manufacturer of SSDs and WWF series USB drives, today announced the Windows 7 compatible SaberTooth S3 line of 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB SATA Mini PCIe SSDs that are designed to bring a fresh performance boost to the Asus EeePC at affordable prices.
"The SaberTooth S3 gives you Raptor-like performance for your Eee PC. The long wait to bootup and load applications with the default drive will be replaced by a few seconds of awe", ventured Jerry Thomson, vice president of sales at Active Media Products. "An SSD upgrade is the single best way to accelerate your netbook or UMPC, and our SaberTooth SSDs are specially made for popular netbook models."
AMD announced immediate availability of a new enterprise-class embedded platform based on the Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor and new AMD SR5690/SP5100 server chipset. Seven AMD Opteron processors in three power bands, in conjunction with the new low-power chipset, allow high-end embedded vendors to enable increased performance-per-watt for edge-of-network systems such as telecom/datacom, storage, and security servers, and routers and switches.
This comprehensive platform offers:
- increased performance enabled for virtualized and multithreaded embedded applications;
- enhanced NEBS-friendly thermal specification;
- single source for design and tight technology integration support among CPUs, chipsets and GPUs;
- compatibility between processor generations and 5 year component longevity to support long-life designs;
- a high-performance, low power chipset with PCIe 2.0, HyperTransport 3 technology and advanced AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) technology and AMD-P power management features.
Hard drive specialist Seagate is readying its first line of performance hard drives to feature the new SATA 6 Gb/s interface, under the banner Barracuda XT. Some of the first in this family include 2 TB drives made with 500 GB platters, with spindle speeds of 7200 rpm. The drives will feature 64 MB caches, and are expected to sustain transfer rates of 140 MB/s. These drives are expected to have rated MTBF at 750,000 hours and are backed by 5 year company warranty.
The Seagate Barracuda XT faces competition from WD Caviar Black 2 TB, even as the latter features the SATA 3 Gb/s interface. The contribution of the interface bandwidth to the actual performance remains largely to be seen, although developments in the fields of solid-state drives show them to have a bright future with the SATA 6 Gb/s interface. The Seagate Barracuda XT is expected to cost around US $300, and will start shipping later this week.
ASUS today announced the launch of its new RS300-E6 Series servers featuring the Intel 3420 PCH chipset and Intel Xeon 3400 Series Processors. With dual or quad core processor configurations, the RS300-E6 Series can scale up performance immediately to support high-volume workloads. Comprising the RS300-E6/PS2 and RS300-E6/PS4 models, the series comes in a 1U form factor housing a single-package processor. Additionally, with its expansion options, the series provides exceptional upgrade capabilities.
ASUS, the leader in computer-based Hi-Fi solutions and acclaimed producer of CES award-winning Xonar audio products, today launched its innovative HP-100U personal Dolby home theater set. Comprising a gorgeous, lab-tuned pair of headphones, a Xonar U1 external audio device and a high quality array microphone, the HP-100U is the total audio solution for discerning listeners who brook no compromise when it comes to PC or Mac audio.
The HP-100U comes with the lauded Xonar U1, a uniquely-styled external audio device that harnesses the power of four major Dolby technologies to deliver high fidelity, interference-free PC audio. Furthermore, it supports DirectSound, EAX 2.0 and Open AL acceleration for the best audio experience in Windows Vista / Windows XP and also on Mac platforms. It is even equipped with a Hi-Fi headphone amplifier for improved clarity when driving headphones.
Saturday, September 19th 2009
Today's Reviews
The term 'Hybrid' these days probably relates most to hybrid cars. DFI has taken the concept of two machines - a high-power one, and an energy-efficient one, to a whole new level with its Hybrid P45-ION-T2A2 socket LGA 775 motherboard. This motherboard literally packs two motherboards sharing a PCB: one P45+ICH10R based socket LGA-775 system, and another portion holding an Intel Atom processor powered by NVIDIA ION chipset. Each has its own memory and storage subsystems, and share the machine's IO (input devices and display) in a somewhat KVM-style. So even as the major system is busy playing games, transcoding media, or running other power-hungry tasks, the minor system is quietly running the downloads, playing music, etc. When the major system is not needed, the minor system provides enough juice for media consumption and internet browsing, and general productivity at a really low energy footprint. A pretty neat concept. DFI's engineers describe it further in this
YouTube video.
Friday, September 18th 2009
Today's Reviews
Today LaCie announced the latest versions of its Portable DVD±RW Drive, design by Sam Hecht. Now with a sleek black finish, the award-winning LaCie Portable DVD±RW includes new multimedia burning solutions, allowing users to piece together sophisticated movie, music, and photo projects in a matter of minutes - creating customized CDs or DVDs wherever they go.
Featuring two versions for easy setup and seamless compatibility, users can choose from the multimedia burning solution for Mac or PC. The Windows version comes with Creator Suite 10, while the combined Mac and Windows version comes with Toast 9 Basic, as well as Creator Suite 10.
Here are the fist pictures of Sapphire's Radeon HD 5800 series offerings: Radeon HD 5870 1GB and Radeon HD 5850. The cards sport the usual sticker design of a CGI girl in a reddish background. With these cards having the cosmetic "red-streak" cleaving the cooler shroud in the center, the so is the sticker. This is also perhaps the first public picture of the Radeon HD 5850, and our size projections were right: While the Radeon HD 5870 maintains a long PCB, the HD 5850 is about as long as a Radeon HD 4870 (reference design). Both accelerators stick to the reference AMD design.
* Images removed at request of Sapphire *
Google for alternate source
SteelSeries, the leading manufacturer of gaming peripherals and accessories, today introduced the new SteelSeries Siberia v2 Full-size Headset. As the successor to SteelSeries' signature Siberia Headset which launched in 2004, the new Siberia v2 offers gamers and music enthusiast's superior speaker and microphone technology that delivers impeccable sound quality, integrated control capabilities, and enhanced design for greater comfort and improved passive noise reduction.
The original SteelSeries Siberia Full-size Headset became a huge success in the professional gaming community and also extended its reach into the music world being used by professional musicians in several high-profile international music videos.
Thursday, September 17th 2009
Today's Reviews
Review
Cases
The Lancool PC-K62 is the high-end model of the Dragonlord Series. It comes stuffed with four fans, screw-less systems everywhere you look within that black interior and a cool looking window to top things off. We go in for the kill to see if we can tame the Dragon.
Nearly a week ahead of its launch, Dutch retailer Salland Automatisering briefly listed a Radeon HD 5870 1 GB accelerator from a now-masked manufacturer (we are fairly sure it's Sapphire, looking at its part number "21161-00-50R" that resembles the part number scheme of other products from this manufacturer). Since Salland's pricing is usually consistent with those of other major European retailers, it gives a coarse indication of what you would have to pay for a Radeon HD 5870 1 GB: 268.90 EUR (excluding taxes), 319.99 EUR including taxes applicable in The Netherlands. AMD's Radeon HD 5870 1 GB accelerator is slated for September 23. It also comes in a 2 GB variant priced slightly higher, and an
Eyefinity Edition planned. Salland was quick to withdraw the listing.
Rambus Inc., one of the world's premier technology licensing companies specializing in high-speed memory architectures, and Kingston Technology, the independent world leader in memory products, today announced a collaborative development of a threaded module prototype using DDR3 DRAM technology. Initial silicon results show an improvement in data throughput of up to 50 percent, while reducing power consumption by 20 percent compared to conventional modules.
As demand grows for throughput-intensive computing in notebooks, desktops and servers, the performance requirements on DRAM memory subsystems rises dramatically. As a result, multi-core computing requires more bandwidth and higher rates of random access from DRAM memory.
The X-Slim series 14" ultra thin notebook family introduces a new member, the X-Slim X410 notebook computer with AMD's 2nd Generation Ultrathin Platform that supports 1080i high resolution and provides outstanding display quality. With AMD's PowerNow! technology, it is even more eco-friendly with reduced battery consumption and lower voltage requirements. It also lasts longer, with over twice the battery life of traditional 14" notebooks. The X410 design stays consistent with the X-Slim series' beauty and ultra-thin design with a thickness of merely an inch and 1.5 kg weight with battery. With an attractive price and full set of features, the X410 is a stunning and fashionable ultra-thin notebook.
Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. and the pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today announced a new family of high-performance 7,200 RPM 2.5-inch HDDs, including a top-end half-terabyte capacity.
The four-model line-up delivers more than a 13 percent performance improvement in disk operations compared to Toshiba's previous 7,200 RPM family, while decreasing environmental impact by eliminating or reducing the use of certain toxic and hazardous chemicals. The series also carries the SATA-certified 3Gb/s logo, which indicates successful completion of stringent interface compliance testing defined by the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO), the industry body responsible for setting the standards for Serial ATA interface technologies.
HP today redefines the premium notebook PC experience with the introduction of the HP ENVY sub-brand, which offers customers precision-crafted, high-performance models featuring HP Metal Etching and concierge service and support.
The new HP ENVY 13 boasts the brightest display in its class, and the HP ENVY 15 is the company's fastest consumer notebook PC ever.
"HP ENVY includes the latest in materials and technology inside and out and pushes the technological and performance boundaries of what can be done in sleek, powerful and lightweight notebook PCs," said Ted Clark, senior vice president and general manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. "Discerning consumers will get a premium experience and performance."
The Swiss low noise cooling solution provider ARCTIC COOLING today announced the launch of the ARCTIC F series case fan series in 80mm, 92mm and 120mm. As the advanced version of the previous AF fan series, these new fans are ideal for users who are looking for a quiet and efficient case ventilation solution.
The ARCTIC F series integrates some delicate features to improve the overall airflow and noise control management. Most 80mm and 92mm standard fans are equipped with 7 blades only, but all ARCTIC F fans, including the 80mm and 92mm ones, come with 9 blades in order to create higher airflow efficiently.
LG Electronics unveiled the company's first nettop, based on the NVIDIA ION platform. Measuring roughly 1l in volume, the LG XPION X30 resembles similar offerings from
Medion,
Gateway, and
Acer. The unit weighs under 1.1 kg (2.42 lbs). Under its hood is an Intel Atom 230 single-core processor running at 1.6 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics integrated into the ION chipset, 2 GB of memory, and 250 GB storage. It comes with Windows Vista Home Basic pre-loaded and comes with an attachment that lets the unit latch onto some monitors probably using the VESA wall-mount, so it could be neatly tucked away to save space. It is expected to hit retail tomorrow.
"DirectX 11 by itself is not going be the defining reason to buy a new GPU. It will be one of the reasons." This coming from the same company that a few years ago said that there was every reason to opt for a DirectX 10 compliant graphics card, to complete the Windows Vista experience, at a time when it was the first and only company to be out with compliant hardware. In the wake of rival AMD's ambitious Evergreen family of DirectX 11 compliant graphics cards being released, NVIDIA made it a point to tell the press that the development shouldn't really change anything in the industry.
Speaking at the Deutsche Bank Securities Technology Conference, NVIDIA's VP of investor relations said "DirectX 11 by itself is not going be the defining reason to buy a new GPU. It will be one of the reasons. This is why Microsoft is in work with the industry to allow more freedom and more creativity in how you build content, which is always good, and the new features in DirectX 11 are going to allow people to do that. But that no longer is the only reason, we believe, consumers would want to invest in a GPU."
Eurocom, the world's leading developer of highly personalized, high-performance notebook PCs and LCD PCs, plans to launch its new mobile notebook line-up based on Intel Calpella in early October. The Calpella platform is based on Clarksfield processors with four cores that will be marketed by Intel under Core i7 trademark as well code-named Ibex Peak-M core logic that will be branded as Intel PM55.
There will be two notebook models available: 15.6-inch HD EUROCOM W860CU Cougar and 17.3-inch W870CU Cheetah based on Intel i7 Mobile processors, Intel PM55 chipset, DDR3-1333 Memory, NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 2x0M or GTX 3x0M series upgradeable MXM 3.0 Type B VGA technology.
Wednesday, September 16th 2009
Today's Reviews
Review
Graphics Cards
A compilation of all plausible information about the Radeon HD 5000 series graphics processors found on the web, stitched into a collage.
Intel has yet another high-value dual-core processor in the making, this one probably specific to the Chinese market again (following Pentium E6500K). While the new Pentium Dual Core E6700 does not come with an unlocked bus multiplier, it does come with its bus multiplier two notches higher, at 13.0x. With its bus speed of 266 MHz, it manages a stock clock speed of 3.46 GHz. Based on the 45 nm Wolfdale-2M core, the chip has an L2 cache of 2 MB and FSB of 1066 MHz. Coolaler used an engineering sample achieve an overclocking feat of 5.93 GHz (456.4 MHz x 13 @ 2.016 V) on a fairly mainstream Gigabyte GA-EP45 UD3L motherboard with 4.00 GB DDR2 memory (validation
here). There is no information on its availability or pricing. Details on the various tests performed on the chip can be viewed at the Coolaler thread linked below.
Unbeknownst to other markets, ATI AIB partners have been working on full-fledged lineups of graphics cards based on the Radeon HD 4860 GPU, a brand that seems to be specific to the Chinese market. Sapphire developed a new premium offering based on the GPU, called Sapphire HD 4860 Platinum, that intends to be a cut above the rest with its cooling and better power stability. The card in many respects looks similar to "Vapor-X" branded offerings based on other GPUs, by Sapphire.
The card sports a dual-slot design with a custom PCB by Sapphire. The PCB includes a 5+2 phase VRM which draws power from two 6-pin PCI-E connectors. The RV790-based Radeon HD 4860 GPU has 640 stream processors, and has core/memory clock-speeds of 700/750 MHz. With its 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, it connects to 512 MB of memory. The GPU is cooled by a robust heatpipe-fin array based GPU cooler. On the connectivity front, the card provides DVI-D, HDMI, and DisplayPort. It is available for RMB 799 (US $117) in China. More pictures can be found at the source.
OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and flash-based storage as an alternative to hard disk drives (HDDs), today unveiled the Z-Drive, a PCI-Express Solid State Drive (SSD) designed to meet the stringent demands of enterprise computing clients. Unlike other solutions, the Z-Drive provides a cost-effective formula of performance, reliability, and upkeep for enterprise customers and their applications which require the benefits of solid state drive technology, but have previously been hesitant to adopt competing products due to the sheer cost of implementation.
"Traditional enterprise storage technology typically requires overly complex infrastructure as well costly maintenance, and is often unable to deliver the level of performance required by OEM applications," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of the OCZ Technology Group. "The new OCZ Z-Drive is an all-in-one high performance plug-and-play bootable PCI-E solid state drive that addresses these challenges head on, and meets the demands of the complete range of enterprise storage and data access requirements. The Z-Drive is designed not only to be higher performing and more reliable than conventional solutions, but also to significantly reduce both the maintenance and overall TCO for our clients."
VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced additions to its growing range of VIA Surfboard mainboards along with turnkey systems designed to enable a new category of NetNote mobile computing devices.
A mashup between the netbook and the traditional notebook, the NetNote combines the portability and affordability of a netbook with the functionality and HD entertainment capabilities of a notebook in a light, high performance clamshell mobile device with long battery life, screen sizes of between 10.2" - 12.1", and VIA NetNote Systemsupport for flawless playback of high bit-rate 1080p HD video.
I-O Data Japan today released the elegant-looking HDL-C "LAN-disk". Simply put, this is a NAS device with only one fixed hard drive. It measures 42(W)×195(D)×120(H) mm, and weighs 1.5 kg with its drive. Its connectivity is care of 1000BASE-T/100BASE-TX/10BASE-T Ethernet, and USB 2.0. It comes with the hard drive pre-installed, and is available in capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB and 1.5 TB. The three are priced at 13,600 JPY, 18,900 JPY, and 24,200 JPY respectively. It will debut in Japan, next month.
Extending the company's line of easy-to-use storage solutions that help people enjoy, share and store their digital content, Seagate today announced the next evolution of network storage - FreeAgent DockStar network adapter, an amazingly simple way to access and share your digital content with anyone from anywhere.
Increasingly, people are enjoying the benefits of being always connected, yet there still remains a gap in easily connecting people back to their content at home and sharing it with others. The DockStar network adapter reinvents how people think of anywhere access and the concept of sharing their digital files. It allows the FreeAgent Go portable hard drive to be added to a network, giving access to its content from anywhere within or outside of the home, as well as allowing for selective sharing of files with friends and family. In a matter of minutes a drive can become accessible through any Internet connected computer, as well as through an innovative iPhone application.
MSI's AMD Athlon Neo powered U210 ultra-portable reached retail today. While not intended to be a ULPC, this 12.1-inch notebook sells for US $430. It features a 1366 x 768 pixel 12.1 inch screen, and is powered by a 1.6 GHz Athlon Neo MV-40 processor aided by 2 GB of memory, ATI Radeon X1250 integrated graphics, 250 GB of storage, and a 4-in-1 media card reader. It is connected by WiFi, 10/100 Ethernet, and HDMI (for HD displays). Windows Vista Home Premium is the preferred operating system, and comes preinstalled.
As part of the new desktop platform designed for mainstream consumers, AMD today announced the first ever quad-core processor for less than $100 Suggested System Builder Price (SSBP). By balancing the power of new AMD Athlon II X4 quad-core processors and the AMD 785G chipset featuring ATI Radeon HD 4200 graphics, AMD delivers smooth HD visuals and the foundation for a great Windows 7 experience.
When matched against similarly priced competitive processors, the AMD Athlon II X4 620 processor delivers superior multitasking performance allowing mainstream users to do more in less time, for less money. The AMD Mainstream Desktop Platform leverages AMD software to help enhance the overall experience. ATI Stream technology, for example, enables hardware acceleration that can speed HD video conversion-time so content can be ready faster for use on-the-go.
Tuesday, September 15th 2009
Today's Reviews
AMD today announced new AMD Business Class technology for desktop PCs designed for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs), large enterprises and the public sector. The new 2009 AMD Business Class Desktop Platform, offered as part of AMD Business Class technology, delivers the benefits of the latest AMD CPUs, chipsets and graphics hardware to business users. AMD Business Class technology, including platforms configured with AMD Phenom II and AMD Athlon II 45nm processors, AMD 7-Series chipsets and ATI Radeon HD 4000 series graphics processors, offers superior value, advanced visual productivity, and support for essential manageability, security and virtualization features.
"Businesses require stable, reliable and powerful PCs that can meet their growing and evolving needs," said Chris Cloran, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of AMD's Client Products. "AMD Business Class technology for desktop PCs provides our OEM customers with superior value and flexibility, enabling them to deliver advanced system security features and energy efficiency for quiet computing that businesses need."
CoolIT Systems, the global leader in innovative liquid cooling solutions for high performance computers, announces the WS 240 custom liquid cooling for Nehalem-based processors. Using similar technology to the highly decorated Domino ALC, the WS 240 utilizes a 240mm radiator and two water blocks to provide aggressive liquid cooling performance for both CPUs. This ensures maximum performance gains, reduced system noise, improved reliability, and enhanced longevity of all system components. Users have the option to switch between three operation modes with the simple push of a button satisfying the need for quiet or the desire for over clocking performance.
The WS 240 is factory sealed ready to be quickly and easily installed into most E-ATX supporting chassis. Mounting hardware for the Intel 775/1366/1156 socket is included along with a specially engineered retention mechanism which ensures an optimum interface with the CPU and limits the weight on the motherboard to well below the maximum specified by CPU manufacturers.
Leading graphics supplier, SAPPHIRE Technology is now introducing a broader range of PC power supplies aimed at providing the very best specification of PSU for the PC builder, gamer and PC enthusiast at affordable prices.
Users of high end computers with expensive CPUs and using the latest motherboards and graphics solutions, including multiple GPU cards or multi-card setups, need a well designed PSU with well regulated outputs to ensure stable and reliable operation. Some power supplies with daisy chained outputs or multiple outputs from the same rail cannot offer the stability of supply to be sure of avoiding potentially expensive failure or the occurrence of frustrating PSU-related computer problems that are difficult to diagnose.
Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer memory, power supplies and flash memory products, including solid-state drives, today announced that both 4GB and 8GB Dominator memory solutions have passed Intel's XMP-Ready certification for the newly-introduced Core i7-870 and Core i7-860 CPUs.
The 8GB Dominator GT 1600 MHz CAS 8 (CMD8GX3M4A1600C8) is part of Corsair's award-winning Dominator memory solutions. It is qualified and guaranteed to run at a frequency of 1600MHz with tight timings of 8-8-8-24 at a voltage of 1.65V. The 8GB solution features American Racing Blue fins and highlights to complement its unique combination of performance and density. The 4GB Dominator GT 1600 MHz CAS 8 (CMD4GX3M2A1600C8) is also qualified and guaranteed to run at a frequency of 1600MHz with timings of 8-8-8-24 at a voltage of 1.65V. The 4GB memory kit is shipped with Dominator Black trim.
Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer memory, power supplies and flash memory products, including solid-state drives, today announced the launch of the Corsair Professional Series HX650W modular power supply.
The HX650W joins the multi award-winning HX750W, HX850W and HX1000W as part of Corsair's Professional Series of PSUs, all of which feature a comprehensive low-profile modular cable set, minimal noise levels, ultra-high efficiency, and the highest component quality and performance on the market.
Intel Corporation today disclosed new information about next-generation Intel Xeon processors - codenamed "Jasper Forest" - for communications and storage applications, due in early 2010. With Jasper Forest, Intel engineers have, for the first time, integrated PCI Express (PCIe) in a dual-processing Xeon processor, which greatly facilitates dense storage and communications solutions such as IPTV, VoIP, NAS, SAN and wireless radio network controllers.
Jasper Forest maintains the outstanding performance of Intel architecture (Nehalem), while lowering system power consumption by 27 watts when compared to the Intel Xeon 5500 series processors. The dual-processing solution integrates two Jasper Forest processors with 16 PCIe Generation 2.0 lanes each and is paired with the Intel 3420 chipset platform controller hub. This integration of the I/O hub via PCIe enables significant power and space savings, resulting in one of the highest performance-per-watt Intel Xeon chips ever.
Cooling and PC accessories specialist Scythe announces the new successor of Kama Bay series. Kama Bay PLUS comes with complete new features and the improved fan of the successful Slip Stream 120 Slim series, which is rotating at 1,200 rpm and generates constant airflow of 41 m³/h (24.03 CFM) at 21.71 dBA. By implementing the Slip Stream 120 mm Slim case fan with 12 mm (0.47 in) thickness, extra space could be used to mount up to 2.5" HDD/SSDs or one 3.5" HDD. This feature provides extra cooling for your Hard Drive while mounting them safely into 5.25" bays. To further improve airflow inside the pc case or cool your system components mounted in a 5.25" bay, it is possible to mount Kama Bay PLUS in vertical or horizontal direction.
The new Kama Bay PLUS is equipped with the improved dust filter, which now can be cleaned and re-used easily. When using Kama Bay PLUS as a system cooler without detachment of Hard Drives, total weight is 275 g (9.7 oz) with overall dimensions of 146 x 127 x 41mm (5.75 x 5 x 1.61 in). Retail version of Kama Bay PLUS is available in black or silver color to match the most popular pc case color. Both versions are listed with the MSRP of 21. 00 EUR (excluding VAT) or US$ 28.00 (excluding tax).
VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-P720 Pico-ITX board, which takes advantage of the latest VIA VX855 media system processor to deliver stunningly smooth playback of the latest HD video formats for next-generation digital interactive devices.
"VIA continually strives to offer customers compelling product designs that open up new worlds of possibility," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA EPIA-P720 enables a new class of extremely compact embedded devices that can comfortably handle the most demanding video playback whilst remaining entirely fanless. No other compact platform currently offers these features in tandem."
Monday, September 14th 2009
Today's Reviews
Review
Graphics Cards
If any graphics card has been hyped in the past months it's the ASUS MARS Dual GTX 285. It is the first and only graphics card featuring two GTX 285 GPUs with 4 GB VRAM. The card is set out to dominate every other card on the market delivering amazing performance - at a breathtaking price of USD 1200 per card.
Pliant Technology, developer of Enterprise Flash Drives (EFDs), a new class of high-performance, high-reliability storage drives, today announced the availability of its first family of products. Pliant's Lightning EFDs integrate an advanced software architecture and a proprietary ASIC controller design to dramatically improve performance and reliability of storage and IT systems, while significantly reducing cost, space requirements and energy consumption.
Pliant's Lightning EFDs enable enterprise data centers, financial services organizations, high-performance computing (HPC) environments, and digital media applications to 'do more for less,' by providing IT managers and system architects with breakthrough levels of performance, reliability and efficiency. Lightning EFDs deliver the industry's highest sustained performance with the most predictable performance profile across a wide range of read/write workloads, and have been specifically designed for demanding, mission-critical 24x7 applications.
SanDisk Corporation, the global leader in flash memory cards, today introduced a new line of SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash memory cards, setting a new standard for fast, reliable, high-capacity memory cards designed for professional photographers. SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards feature a new SanDisk Power Core Controller, an advanced memory controller that enables lightning-fast read and write speeds of up to 90MB/s, doubling the performance from previous SanDisk high-end camera memory cards. The cards are shipping worldwide now with storage capacities ranging from 16 gigabytes (GB) to 64GB.
"The new SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash line is the direct result of SanDisk's passion, commitment, and break-through engineering innovation to provide best-in-class flash memory cards for professional photography," said Eric Bone, vice president, retail product marketing, SanDisk. "The SanDisk Power Core Controller delivers unmatched write speed and reliability, providing photographers with a spectacular combination of performance, capacity and peace of mind that images are safely stored."
Leadtek designed a new simple, low-cost graphics accelerator based on the GeForce GTS 250 graphics processor. The GTS 250 v2 comes in a compact, yet fully capable form-factor. It has a short PCB, a GPU cooler that spans its entire length, and clock speeds that adhere to NVIDIA's reference speeds, at 738/2200 MHz (core/memory), and comes in 512 MB and 1 GB variants. Its cooler comprises of a GPU block from which three aluminum heatpipes convey heat to a dense aluminum fin array, with a fan nested in the center. The card's VRM and memory come with heatsinks, and are cooled under the fan's airflow. The card requires a single 6-pin PCI-Express power connector. The card is 3-way SLI capable with other GeForce GTS 250 accelerators. Leadtek may price these on the lower side of the spectrum, where they provide good value.
IEEE today announced that its Standards Board has ratified the IEEE 802.11n-2009 amendment, defining mechanisms that provide significantly improved data rates and ranges for wireless local area networks (WLANs). This new amendment to the IEEE 802.11 base standard is designed to help the data communications industry address the escalating demands placed on enterprise, home and public WLANs with the rise of higher-bandwidth file transfers and next-generation multimedia applications. WLANs based on IEEE 802.11 are widely deployed, with more than one million units shipping per day.
The IEEE 802.11 standard defines how to design interoperable WLAN equipment that provides a variety of capabilities including a wide range of data rates, quality of service, reliability, range optimization, device link options, network management and security.
Intel's foundries have commenced mass production of the company's first processors based on the 32 nm second generation high-K metal gate (HKMG) technologies. With these the company's next-generation Westmere architecture becomes retail-grade. The first products will include dual-core processors compatible with the recently introduced socket LGA-1156 platforms, and will carry the brand identifiers (and model number schemes) Core i5 600 series, Core i3 500 series, and Pentium dual-core series.
The desktop-grade parts are based on the "Clarkdale" core, and notebook-grade ones "Arrandale". The latter will be introduced first among the two, with the first Arrandale chips slated for Q4 2009, while the desktop chips arrive a little later in Q1 2010. Intel will focus on this transition to the Westmere architecture in the upcoming Intel Developer Forum event.
Here are some of the first performance figures of AMD's upcoming Radeon HD 5870 published by a media source. Czech Gamer posted performance numbers of the card compared to current heavyweights including Radeon HD 4870 X2, Radeon HD 4890, and GeForce GTX 285. Having not entered an NDA with AMD, the source was liberal with its performance projections citing AMD's internal testing that include the following, apart from the two graphs below:
- Radeon HD 5870 is anywhere between 5~155 percent faster than GeForce GTX 285. That's a huge range, and leaves a lot of room for uncertainty.
- When compared to GeForce GTX 295, its performance ranges between -25 percent (25% slower) to 95 percent (almost 2x faster), another broad range.
- When two HD 5870 cards are set up in CrossFire, the resulting setup is -5 percent (5% slower) to 90 percent faster than GeForce GTX 295. Strangely, the range maximum is lesser than that on the single card.
- When three of these cards are setup in 3-way CrossFireX, the resulting setup is 10~160 percent faster than a GeForce GTX 295.
- The Radeon HD 5850 on the other hand, can be -25 percent (25% slower) to 120 percent faster than GeForce GTX 285.
AMD reportedly used a set of 15 games to run its tests. Vague as they seem, the above numbers raise more questions than provide answers. The graphs below are clear, for a change.
Possessing industrial grade technology, DFI LANParty is going to launch the newest Blood Iron series product, 785G-M35 Micro ATX motherboard. Accommodating AMD 785 chipset, BI 785G-M35 incorporates integrated ATI Radeon HD 4200, which supports DirectX10.1, Shader Model 4.1, and UVD 2.0. With 128MB DDR3 Sideport Memory, graphics performance of BI 785G-M35 can be improved up to 10%~15%. What is more, it comes with LANParty exclusive "ABS II" CPU Auto Upgrade technology and leading-edge digital PWM so as to let users enjoy the ultimate high performance and simultaneously save a huge amount of budget and electric pay.
CPU can be upgraded. Users do not need to spend a huge amount of money on high degree CPU, but still can obtain the same high performance. "ABS II" CPU Auto Upgrade Technology exempts users from complicated set-up steps. As long as users choose upgrade option at the first boost time, ABS II then will detect CPU and upgrade it automatically. As a result, performance is improved easily and money is saved accordingly.
Active Media Products (AMP), manufacturer of netbook SSD upgrades and unique USB drives including the Obama drive, today announced a 3-pack of WWF endangered species USB drives that includes a Panda drive, a Penguin drive and a Polar Bear drive packaged in an elegant gift box. These Windows 7 compatible USB drives are crafted in the likeness of endangered species and benefit WWF.
The panda, penguin and polar bear drives are designed for carrying data on the go. Each drive measures only about 2.2-inches in length and includes a keychain for attaching the drive to a backpack, zipper pull or keys. These lead-free and PVC-free drives are made of soft non-toxic silicone rubber. The WWF Trio is an ideal gift. AMP offers the Trio as a triple pack of 1GB, 2GB, 4GB or 8GB USB drives, and contributes five percent of the retail price of this product line to WWF.
Friday, September 11th 2009
Today's Reviews
Thermaltake, leading DIY thermal solutions brand, launches the next generation of the award-winning SpinQ processor cooler, the Thermaltake SpinQ VT. With its multi-socket support the SpinQ VT offers excellent compatibility for upcoming Intel LGA 1156, LGA 1366 and older LGA 775 processors, while AMD AM3, AM2+ and AM2 CPUs are supported.
The SpinQ VT combines cooling strength with an enticingly aesthetic appearance. Three u-shaped 6 mm heatpipes connect the mirror coated copper base with the cylindrical heat sink which is created of 50 spiral aluminum fins. Inside the heat sink spiral a specially designed 80 mm blow fan rotates with 1000 to 1600 RPM to exhaust the heat over 360 degrees. Manual control over the fan speed is provided for by the convenient VR Fan knob allowing for stepless speed adjustment. All of this results in excellent cooling characteristics taking up to 180W/mm2 of heat dissipation.
AMD released version 9.9 of its ATI Catalyst driver suite that provides drivers and related essential software for ATI Radeon graphics processors, AMD 7-series core-logic, and ATI Multimedia products. This release mainly intends to fix application-specific issues, and features related to Catalyst Control Center application. For more details, refer to the
Release Notes document. Highlights include:
- Anti-Aliasing support for Ghostbusters
- ATI CrossFireX support for Resident Evil 5
- Graphics corruption fix for Sims 3
- Catalyst Control Center - Basic now responds properly after exiting Quick Adjust Video Settings
- Edge enhancement and de-noise sliders in Catalyst Control Center no longer lags or appears out of sync with mouse movement
- Launching Hotkeys Manager in Catalyst Control Center no longer causes an unhandled exception error
- The "Desktop Rotation" page in Catalyst Control Center no longer shows additional information for the second display when the secondary adapter is connected
- HDMI is now detected properly as DTV (HDMI) instead of DTV (DVI) when the HDMI display is hotplugged for the first time
- Catalyst Control Center no longer displays error message when specific HDMI displays are hot unplugged and hotplugged back
- Intermittent failures no longer occur with MediaShow Espresso once a transcoding process has been completed
DOWNLOAD: ATI Catalyst 9.9Among the three main high-end graphics SKUs AMD has in store for this 23rd known so far (namely Radeon HD 5850, HD 5870 1GB, and HD 5870 2GB), is a fourth distinct SKU called the Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity Edition. This is a variant of the Radeon HD 5870 with specially-designed connectivity that makes setting up to six displays possible/convenient for making use of the
Eyefinity multi-display technology that lets you span a display-head across several physical displays like a mosaic.
On its panel, the card has a large air-vent occupying one slot, and six mini-DisplayPort connectors occupying the other. Necessary cabling will be provided to connect to the displays. While each accelerator supports six displays in all, multiple accelerators can be installed on the same PC without any multi-GPU setup, to scale the size of the resulting display by up to 24 displays and up to 268 megapixels of effective resolution. It remains to be seen if there are similar Eyefinity Edition SKUs based on other AMD GPUs in the series, especially considering the fact that the company is also eying the business/productivity market segment.
Force 3D rolled out a refreshing take on the ATI Radeon HD 4890 with its own-design F4890P-G5-350-FS. This model offers all features of the GPU running at AMD reference clock speeds of 850/975 MHz (core/memory), while needing only one 6-pin power connector, while most other accelerators based on the GPU require two, some overclocked models even needing a 6+2 pin power connector to replace one of them. This card has a slim design, with a short PCB, and a decent Arctic Cooling Accelero Twin-Turbo Pro cooling the GPU. It holds 1 GB of GDDR5 memory, and includes DVI-D, HDMI and D-Sub for connectivity. It has started selling in Japan for a fairly standard price.
Here are the first pictures of the obverse side of Cypress' PCB, and the first pictures of the centre of attraction: the AMD Cypress GPU. CzechGamer dissembled two Cypress "Radeon HD 5870" cards for a quick blurrycam photo-session. The PCB shot reveals quite a bit about Cypress, particularly about the GPU.
To begin with, the GPU is AMD's overhaul on transistor counts, and a bold work of engineering on the 40 nm manufacturing process, given the kind of problems foundry partners had initially. Apparently they seem to have recovered with most of them, as AMD's AIB partners are coming up with new products based on the 40 nm RV740 GPU on a weekly basis. The package holds a "diamond-shaped" die that is angled in a way similar to RV740, RV730, or more historically, the R600. The seemingly huge die measures 338 mm² (area), and for 40 nm, it translates to "huge", and is vindicated by the transistor count of ~2.1 billion. In contrast, AMD's older flagship GPU, the RV790 holds 959 million, and NVIDIA's GT200 holds 1.4 billion.
Acer has a history of designing Ferrari-branded notebooks powered by AMD processors. The newest in the league is the ultraportable Acer Ferrari One. This is one of the first implementations of AMD's Congo notebook platform that makes use of ULV tech friendly AMD Athlon X2 L310 dual-core processor clocked at 1.20 GHz, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics and a 11.6 inch 1366 x 768 pixel screen. The biggest selling point besides the Ferrari branding, colours and is its ultra-thin chassis that looks to have a dash of carbon fiber. Other specs include WiFi, HSDPA/3G, gigabit Ethernet, and a 6-cell battery. Slated for October 22, the Ferrari One will sell for 499 EUR, with Windows 7 pre-installed.
Buffalo is out with its SSD-based portable drives. The Buffalo SHD-PE family products resemble most portable hard drives in form, while offering better access times and durability compared to mechanical drives. Measuring 98 (W) x 57 (H) x 13 (D) mm, and weighing 62 g, the SHD-PE comes in capacities of 32, 64, and 128 GB. It relies on USB 2.0 for power and connectivity, and offers transfer-rates of 39.8 MB/s. It comes with three color options - black, red, and white. The 32, 64, and 128 GB versions are priced at US $117, $231, and $407 respectively. Sales are expected to start later this month.
LG Electronics introduced a new Network Attached Storage option for consumers looking to protect their multimedia entertainment files, this week at Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) EXPO 2009 (Booth #2623).
To help safeguard treasured family memories, photos and music, LG's Network Attached Storage (NAS) model N2R1 uses a proven system of multiple hard drives used for sharing and replicating data to prevent possible damage or loss. Called RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Discs), this system automatically backs up and restores files for added security in the event of a hardware failure.
A-DATA Technology Co., Ltd., the worldwide leader in DRAM modules and Flash application products, today announced the addition of the industry-leading capacity of 640GB to its 2.5-inch portable hard drive product lineup. Aiming the recent global boom for mobile computers, the new 640GB portable hard drive provides an ideal solution to meet such growing demand for higher storage capacity.
Embedded with the latest technology, the new 640GB high-capacity solution, available for all A-DATA portable hard drive series, offers a tremendous upgrade on the storage size without sacrificing portability of the device, which is perfect for notebook users or business professionals who are constantly on the go. With 640GB of capacity, users can easily access and share photos, music files, high-definition videos or other digital contents without having to worry about insufficient storage space. The use of high-speed USB 2.0 interface provides a much more efficient data transfer across platforms. Coupled with the stylishly-designed external casing, A-DATA's 640GB portable hard drives are the brilliant choice for consumers who look for both performance and sleek looks on their storage device.
Thursday, September 10th 2009
Today's Reviews
Review
Portable Storage
In a time when all of our information is going digital there is more of a need for a way to store our information securely. The Vantec NexStar Vault aims to make this data secure by providing the security of a keypad, along with data encryption.
At "experience events" on three continents this week, AMD and its industry partners introduced ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology, a revolutionary feature in the upcoming next generation ATI Radeon family of DirectX 11 enabled graphics processors.
This unique AMD innovation gives PCs the ability to seamlessly connect up to six ultra high definition displays in a variety of portrait and landscape configurations giving viewers a stunning new perspective on their PC experience. ATI Eyefinity is powered by one AMD graphics card for up to 12 times 1080p high-definition resolution, which approaches eye-definition optical clarity. ATI Eyefinity technology brings AMD closer to delivering true eye-definition experiences, where the display of a virtual environment is so detailed that it seems optically real to the human eye. Using ATI Eyefinity technology in a single PC, it is now possible to power displays with a combined theoretical resolution of 268 megapixels, roughly equivalent to the resolution of a 90 degree arc of what the human eye sees. For reference, today's average 19 inch LCD display typically has an image quality of only slightly more than 1 megapixel.
Thermalright today rolled out its mid-range CPU cooler offering exclusive to Intel's newest socket, LGA-1156. The Thermalright
MUX-120, like most other coolers from the firm sports the trademark tower design consisting on a CPU block from which arise four 6 mm heatpipes, conveying heat to an aluminum fin array with 48 fins. The heatsink part measures 133 x 38 x 160 mm (L x W x H), and weighs 670 g (1.47 lbs). Bundled with it are Thermalright's X-Silent 120 mm fan (1200 rpm, 23.5 dBA max, and 41.8 CFM), a tube of ChillFactor 2 thermal compound, and the necessary retention parts. At the moment the cooler only supports LGA-1156, though it is believed that a future version of the MUX-120 will include support for other sockets. Although pricing isn't announced, a competitive one is expected to be set.
Sapphire's addition to the rather secretive Radeon HD 4750 lineup has been spotted in mainland China. This comes weeks after
PowerColor's offering hit the scene. Based on the 40 nm RV740 GPU, Sapphire's platinum is "overclocked" from its default specs, while actually using the clock speeds of HD 4770: 750/800 MHz (core/memory). It features a simple cooler with radially-projecting aluminum fins, covered by a plastic shroud. The stream processor configuration however is modified, with the GPU being able to use only 480 stream processors from its kitty. The 128-bit GDDR5 memory interface remains unchanged. On the connectivity front, are one each of DVI-D, D-Sub, and HDMI. The card is CrossfireX capable, and we understand it's able to pair with other RV740 accelerators. It is priced at RMB 699 (US $100).
NEC Display Solutions is readying its first MultiSync LCD monitor that uses a white LED backlit for illumination. The Multisync EA222WMe is a 22 inch panel that brandishes the company's green initiatives, and with its white LED illumination, reduces energy consumption by up to 50% against traditional CCFL-illuminated LCD displays. It manages a brightness of 250 cd/m², and has a One Touch Eco Button power management feature that further reduces power consumption. Connectivity options include DVI and DisplayPort. The Multisync EA222WMe is targeted at the SMB segment. It will reach retailers by this December.
WD, the world's leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its smaller, smarter and more secure My Passport Essential and My Passport for Mac ultra-portable external hard drives featuring WD's new WD SmartWare software and equipped with hardware-based encryption. The new My Passport drives are more than 20 percent smaller than the previous generation My Passport.
The new portable drives with WD SmartWare software visually present consumers' data in a control center, providing them peace of mind that their precious photos, videos and files are securely protected. Available now at select retailers and the WD online store (shopwd.com), the new My Passport Essential and My Passport for Mac drives are offered in capacities ranging from 320 GB to 1 TB and come in a range of colors including Pacific Blue, Real Red, Cool Silver and Midnight Black.
WD today announced that it has commenced volume shipments of its 9.5 mm high, 2.5-inch notebook hard drives with 640 GB capacity. The WD Scorpio Blue 640 GB hard drives utilize 320 GB-per-platter technology and are designed for mainstream notebook computers. The WD Scorpio Blue 640 GB is the highest capacity 2.5-inch hard drive available today in the industry-standard 9.5 mm, 2-disk form factor.
The new WD Scorpio Blue 640 GB drive has a 30 percent reduction in overall power consumption from the previous generation WD Scorpio Blue drive to achieve best-in-class power and performance1, making it an ideal solution for notebook computers and other portable devices that require extended battery life and cool, quiet operation.
NVIDIA Partner Point of View today announced its new line of compact desktop PCs targeted at home users. The Mobii Family PC is an implementation of the company's recently announced motherboards based on the NVIDIA ION platform, powered by Intel Atom dual-core processors. It aims to provide essential features with good levels of multimedia performance, with power consumption well below 100W.
The Mobii Family PC comes in a somewhat cubical chassis with just enough room for the mini-ITX ION motherboard, a couple of hard drives including an exposed 3.5" drive bay, and one exposed 5.25" bay. Under the hood is an ION motherboard with either single-core Atom 230 or dual-core Atom 330 (both clocked at 1.6 GHz), 1 or 2 GB of dual-channel DDR2 memory, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics with HDMI output, 320 GB HDD, and either an 8X DVD-RW or a Blu-ray DVD-RW combo drive. The chassis comes in two colour schemes. Its pricing is yet to be known.
GLOBALFOUNDRIES today announced the appointment of Jim Ballingall as vice president of marketing. In this role, Ballingall will be responsible for developing and implementing marketing solutions and strategies to support the growth of GLOBALFOUNDRIES as it aims to reshape the landscape of the foundry industry.
"The core of the GLOBALFOUNDRIES brand comprises the sum of the unique value propositions that we create, promise, and deliver to our customers," said Jim Kupec, senior vice president of sales and marketing at GLOBALFOUNDRIES. "As we strive to deliver on our vision and become the world's first truly global foundry, Jim's proven foundry industry leadership and experience will help us develop and convey our unique value propositions to customers and stakeholders and position the company for optimal success, as we unlock our customers' potential to innovate and win."
Cooler Master expanded its Silent Pro M lineup of power supply units (PSUs) with modular cabling. Coming in 850W and 1000W models, the two form the premium high-wattage offerings. Both measure 150 (W) x 86 (H) x 165 (L) mm and have rugged steel casings with rubber noise-dampening sleeves on either sides. Cable modularity is limited to the six PCI-Express power connectors (6+2 pin) and peripheral connectors that include Molex, floppy and SATA power.
Both models feature a single +12V rail design, with a 66A rail for the 850W model, and 80A rail for the 1000W one. The unit is cooled by a 135 mm temperature-controlled silent fan. They are ATX 12V V 2.3 and EPS 12V V2.92 standards compliant, and boast of 80 Plus Bronze efficiency rating. Featuring MTBF of 100,000 hours and backed by 5-year warranties, the two will hit stores soon.
Toshiba Corporation, the industry pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today introduced a new line of 1.8-inch HDDs with a capacity of up to 160GB on a single-platter, and a slim five-millimeter high profile targeting next-generation portable media players, digital video cameras and other consumer electronics products.
With an areal density of 723 Mbit/mm² (467 Gb per square inch), the industry's highest, Toshiba's new MK1634GAL family of 1.8-inch HDDs offers consumer electronics manufacturers a thin and light package with the industry's largest storage capacity, best power consumption efficiency, highest durability and quietest seek operation of any HDDs on the market.
AMD today announced a new way to help consumers select the PC that best meets their needs. Working with retailers and PC manufactures, VISION Technology from AMD breaks the model in how PC benefits are communicated. Rather than the traditional model, which focuses on the technical specifications of individual hardware components, VISION communicates the value of the whole system and demonstrates the combined processing power of both the CPU and GPU to deliver a superior visual experience to mainstream PC users. It emphasizes how an AMD-based PC is optimized for video, digital media and content creation activities. VISION guides the industry past the era of CPU-centric marketing and describes the PC capabilities in terms of what can be enjoyed on the system - see, share, create. This helps consumers to make better informed buying decisions.
"Today's consumer cares about what they can do with their PC, not what's inside," said Nigel Dessau, CMO of AMD. "They want a rich HD and entertainment experience on their PC, delivered by the combined technology of AMD CPUs and GPUs, without having to understand what gigahertz and gigabytes mean. VISION technology from AMD reflects the maturation of marketing in the PC processing industry and communicates the technology in a more meaningful way."
Novatech Ltd, UK's leading PC and laptop manufacturer announced today the latest addition to their Elite range of PCs. Featuring the new Intel Core i5 750 2.66GHz processor and two NVIDIA graphics cards, the Novatech Elite Pro boasts incredible performance and a truly immersive gaming experience from just £999.
"The i5 offers superb performance for the price, with plenty of head room for overclocking" explained Kriss Pomroy, Commercial Director, Novatech Ltd, "however it's the Elite Pro's perfect balance of components and peripherals that makes this system so special."
Wednesday, September 9th 2009
Today's Reviews
Here's the first sighting of a fully-assembled upcoming AMD Cypress "Radeon HD 5870" accelerator. This photo-shoot comes a couple of days ahead of its unveiling to the press
tomorrow. Here's our very first thoughts on what we see:
- The accelerator is unusually long for a single-GPU one from AMD. The company wouldn't splurge too much on aesthetics (especially lengthening the PCB), if there's no need for it to do so. Apparently there is.
- Connectivity options galore. With two DVI-D, and one each of DisplayPort and HDMI, AMD promises it can handle three display-heads per GPU.
- The components behind the GPU area (exposed) indicates the GPU to be somewhat large
- History tells us that AMD uses a backplate only if it finds a real utility in it, such as cooling additional memory chips or VRM components. This card has a large, almost full-coverage backplate.
What surfaced months ago on sources such as ChipHell, which was then ridiculed for accuracy, has finally taken shape. If anything, Cypress does look like it means business. Expect further details to be out soon. Cypress is codename for AMD's next-generation DirectX 11 compliant graphics processor in the high-performance segment.
* Images removed at request of AMD *
Microsoft Corp. today announced its thinnest keyboard ever - the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 - made exclusively for Bluetooth notebook and desktop computers. Projections show that over 55 percent of notebook PCs will ship with Bluetooth by the end of 2010. With mobile PCs getting more compact, the Microsoft Hardware team created the Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 to address consumers' need for comfortable and portable computing accessories.
Microsoft Hardware's Industrial Design team designed the keyboard so it doesn't sacrifice style, while creating a compact, clean and refined product, offering ultimate comfort with Microsoft's Comfort Curve layout. The keyboard also features a portable Bluetooth Number Pad that helps people stay productive wherever they work.
Gigabyte has a custom-design version of the ATI Radeon HD 4770 accelerator ready, packed with 1 GB of GDDR5 memory instead of the usual 512 MB. Already listed by
several German online stores, Gigabyte GV-R477UD-1GI is selling for as low as 114.43 EUR. Although there are no pictures of the actual card, we can infer from the model name that it is going to have a custom design, featuring Gigabyte's Ultra Durable Video technology that makes use of durable components, and perhaps the signature Gigabyte-blue PCB.
Apart from the expanded memory, the rest of its specifications remain the same, including clock speeds of 750/800 MHz (core/memory). Notable specs of the Radeon HD 4770 include 640 stream processors, DirectX 10.1 support, and ATI CrossFireX support. A global launch of the accelerator can be expected soon.
QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world class NAS servers, NVR video surveillance systems, and network-based video players today expanded their Turbo NAS lineup with the addition of the TS-419P desktop and TS-419U rack-mounted NAS servers. The TS-419P and TS-419U feature 4 hot-swappable SATA hard drives with up to 8TB of total capacity and supports 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch hard drives, giving users more flexibility in selecting drives for installation. The TS-419P and TS-419U feature a Marvell 1.2GHz CPU and 512MB DDRII memory which provide sustained high performance with lower power consumption. The TS-419P and TS-419U can be configured for RAID 0/1/5/6/5+ spare, and JBOD with online RAID capacity expansion and online RAID level migration for high data redundancy. Both models also support iSCSI Target service with Thin Provisioning and dual Gigabit LAN ports with port trunking (support 7 bonding modes) and multi-IP settings. The TS-419P and TS-419U also feature 4 USB ports and 2 e-SATA ports for expanding the storage capacity of the NAS servers.
Korean PC cooling specialist Zalman is preparing two new PSU models for the mid-range PC market, the ZM500-ST and ZM600-ST. As the names suggest, the ZM500-ST is a 500W PSU, and the ZM600-ST a 600W one. When placed in their price points (yet to be known), the manufacturer promises the two to have the best price-performance ratios. Both have non-modular, sleeved cabling with connectors most common to PSUs in the class. Both PSUs are ATX12V 2.3 compliant, have dual-forward switching circuitry, and are 80 Plus certified for high efficiency. The +12V circuit is built of two rails. Backed by a 3-year warranty, the two are expected to hit stores soon.
ASUS, the leading provider of innovative motherboard solutions, today unveiled the ASUS P7P55 WS SuperComputer motherboard. Built around the Intel P55 Express chipset, it features the new LGA1156 socket for next-generation Intel Core i5 processors and DDR3-2133 (O.C.) memory for outstanding yet cost-effective performance. To enable multiple-GPU rendering, the motherboard supports both 3-way and 2-way graphics card configurations based on SLI or CrossFireX technology. Additionally, it leverages the NVIDIA CUDA parallel computing architecture to support three NVIDIA Tesla cards and one NVIDIA Quadro card for 250 times more computing power.
SAPPHIRE Technology has just released a new feature packed mainboard based on the highly acclaimed 785G chipset from AMD, supporting the latest AMD Phenom ll processor families with DDR3 memory and on-board DX10.1 graphics as well as PCI-Express 2.0.
The SAPPHIRE PURE 785G (part number PI-AM3RS785G) is a fully featured mainboard in standard microATX format combining the powerful AMD 785G Chipset and AMD SB710 south bridge. Two DIMM slots support up to 8GB of DDR3 1333/1600 memory and there is an on-board 128MBit DDR3 sideport memory. The integrated high speed 3GB/s SATA hard drive interface caters for up to 6 devices with optional RAID functions, and there is also an Ultra DMA IDE connector. On board features include GigaBit LAN and 6-channel HD Audio with 3D audio capability as well as support for up to 8 USB 2.0/1.1 devices.
In its continuing quest to bring gaming enthusiasts the ultimate in performance, XFX now adds "power" to its lineup with the introduction of the XFX 850W Black Edition Power Supply Unit (PSU). Designed specifically for the high performance gamer, the 850W Black Edition PSU supports multiple high-end graphics cards cards (NVIDIA SLI-Ready and ATI CrossfireX-Ready). Within the sleek black case are an array of industry-leading unparalleled features and performance enhancements that will appeal to gaming enthusiasts.
"The new XFX 850W PSU is a logical progression to the XFX line of graphics cards and motherboards," explains Eddie Memon, vice president, marketing, XFX. "XFX is known worldwide for its dedication to the gaming community, and adding a superior power supply that targets the unique needs of gamers enables us to further reinforce that relationship."
The rapid advances in computer processing technology has seen CPU and memory speeds outstrip that of conventional mechanical hard disks. This is why it is increasingly being replaced by newer Solid State Disk (SSD) technology. To meet the overclocking needs of high-level enthusiasts, Team Group Inc. has once again leveraged its extensive technical expertise to launch the all-new Xtreem SSD series. First in the series are the Xtreem G1 and Xtreem R-type. In addition to being quiet, light, energy-saving and shock resistant, the Xtreem G1 and R-type pushes SSD read speeds to a breath-taking 260MB/sec and write speeds to a respectable 180Mb/sec. Compared to thick, heavy conventional 7200RPM HDDs with a read speed of just 80MB/sec and write speed of just 60MB/sec, Team's Xtreem SSD is a Ferrari that easily pushes the edges of the speed envelope.
Mushkin Enhanced, a global leader in high-performance computer products, announced today a series of memory kits for LGA 1156 motherboards.
Specially designed for Intel Core i5 7-series and Intel Core i7 8-series platforms, these kits provide astonishing performance while using a safe 1.65V supply voltage. Enabling low latency settings and higher frequency, ideal performance is a given with these modules, regardless of application type.
Tuesday, September 8th 2009
Today's Reviews
Processors
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Intel Core i5 750 Benchmark Reviews
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Intel Lynnfield Series CPUs Bit-Tech
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Intel Core i5 750, Core i7 870, and P55 Chipset DriverHeaven
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Intel Core i5 750 Elite Bastards
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Intel Core i5 750, Core i7 860, 870, and P55 Chipset Guru3D
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Intel Core i5 750, Core i7 860, and Core i7 870 HardOCP
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Intel Core i5 750 and Core i7 870 HardwareCanucks
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Intel Core i5 750 and Core i7 870 HardwareSecrets
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Intel Core i5 750, Core i7 860, and Core i7 870 Hexus
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Intel Core i7 870 and Intel DP55KG Hi Tech Legion
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Intel Core i5 750 and Core i7 860, 870, and P55 Chipset HotHardware
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Intel Lynnfield Series CPUs LostCircuits
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Intel Core i5 750, Core i7 860, and Core i7 870 MadBoxPC
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Intel Core i5 750, Core i7 870, and P55 Chipset Motherboards.org
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Intel Core i5 750 and Core i7 870 NeoSeeker
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Intel Core i5 750 and Core i7 870 Overclock3D.net
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Intel Core i5 750 and Core i7 870 Overclockers Club
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Intel Core i7 860 and Gigabyte GA-EP55-UD6 ProClockers
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Intel Core i5 750 and Core i7 870 Tech Report
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Intel Core i5 750 and Core i7 870 TechGage
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Intel Core i5 750 TechSpot
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Intel Core i5 750 and P55 Chipset TweakPC
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Intel Core i5 750 and Core i7 870 Tweaktown
Review
Graphics Cards
Mushkin's GeForce GTX 295 comes in a very stylish wooden box that radiates "premium product" as soon as you have it in your hands. Other than that the card follows NVIDIA's single PCB GTX 295 reference specifications to the letter, but also comes at an attractive price point of $499.
Equipped with Industrial grade technology, DFI LANParty motherboard is always the best choice of enthusiasts in terms of performance and quality. This time, DK P55-T3eH9 does not only deliver brilliant performance, but also includes several exclusive and advanced technologies to satisfy user's needs. Accommodating Intel newest single chipset, P55, DK P55-T3eH9 comes with processor socket of LGA 1156. It also supports dual channel DDR3-1333 express memory. As for its unique features, DK P55-T3eH9 is provided with exclusive "ABS II" CPU auto upgrade technology, pioneering digital PWM of high power efficiency , as well as superior extreme cooler design. What is more, DK P55-T3eH9 adopts Creative X-Fi extreme fidelity technology and BIOSecure technology, providing marvelous audio and 100 % recovery of BIOS crash.
Using exclusive "ABS II" CPU auto upgrade technology, DK P55-T3eH9 can save around 35% budget for high degree CPU, when still rendering the same high performance. Without complicated set-up steps, CPU performance can be improved automatically as system is turned on. In addition, with the pioneering digital PWM, the power efficiency of DK P55-T3eH9 is much higher than traditional one's. By virtue of this, energy can be saved all the time. Besides, more stable power can be provided and then component lifespan can be extended.
GIGABYTE Technology CO., LTD., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, is pleased to launch their latest generation P55 series motherboards, based on the Intel P55 chipset, GIGABYTE P55 motherboards build upon the success of their Ultra Durable 3 design featuring 2oz copper PCB and deliver a host of cutting-edge features including the industry's first 24 phase VRM design, innovative Smart6 PC management tools and Dynamic Energy Saver 2 power saving utilities just to name a few.
Supporting the latest Intel Core i7 and Core i5 processors featuring LGA 1156 socket (code named Lynnfield) GIGABYTE P55 series motherboards set a new standard in high performance computing. With the memory controller integrated directly into the processor die, GIGABYTE P55 motherboards support 2 channel DDR3 memory for blazing fast memory performance up to 2200MHz and above. Additionally, the GIGABYTE P55 Series features Intel Turbo Boost Technology, which is able to power down idle processor cores and dynamically reroute the power to the active cores for significant performance boosts, and at the same time, maintain greater energy efficiency.
Following a recent move to speed-bump the Athlon II X2 with the
Athlon II X2 255, AMD is planning a similar update for the Phenom II X2 lineup, with the Phenom II X2 555. This model makes it clear that an increment of 5 in the model number indicates bump in default clock multiplier of 0.5X, while that of 10 indicates a full 1.0x increase. Keeping with this trend, Phenom II X2 555 is clocked at 3.20 GHz (16.0 x 200 MHz), a 100 MHz increase. Based on the 45 nm Callisto core, the processor features a total chip cache of 7 MB (2x 512 KB L2 + 6 MB L3), a 4000 MT/s HyperTransport interface, and an unlocked bus multiplier. Expected to be available later this month, the Phenom II X2 555 could carry a price-tag of 80 EUR.
GlacialTech today launched its mid-range F101 CPU cooler. Unveiled back at Computex, the F101 extends support for all new sockets, while not leaving out any current ones. Its design makes use of two dissimilar-sized aluminum fin blocks that just about cover a 120 mm fan. Heat is conveyed to these using five heatpipes. The cooler measures 143 x 86 x 148 mm (L x W x H), and weighs 750 g (~1.66 lbs). It comes in two variants - F101 Silent and F101 PWM - depending on the kind of fan bundled. The former packs a 1100 ±200 rpm fan that pushes about 40 CFM of air with a noise output of 21 dBA, while the latter packs a more powerful 800~1700 rpm PWM-controlled fan, that depending on its speed, can push up to 70 CFM of air being as loud as 32 dBA. Both carry a tube of IceTherm thermal compound. As mentioned before, it supports all current CPU sockets including LGA-1366, LGA-1156, LGA-775, AM3, and AM2(+). Pricing is not known, though expect fairly acceptable prices.
Coinciding with Intel's launch of socket LGA-1156 Core i5/Core i7 processors, Lexar Media announced four Crucial DDR3 memory kits certified to work with the new platform. The four are dressed in Crucial's vanilla design that makes use of green PCBs sans heatspreaders, which may not be required considering the low voltage these modules operate on.
Coming as 2 GB (2x 1 GB) and 4 GB (2x 2 GB) capacities, the new kits in ECC and non-ECC variants. All four operate at 1333 MHz, with CAS latency of 9T, and DRAM voltage of 1.5 V. Backed by lifetime warranties, the 2 GB kits sell for 37 EUR, while the 4 GB ones for 95 EUR.
Intel Corporation introduced several high-performance desktop and server processors today, bringing the next level of integration and intelligence to computers. The new Intel Core i5 processor family, two new Intel Core i7 processors and the Intel Xeon processor 3400 series bring Intel's latest Nehalem microarchitecture to mainstream desktop and entry server markets.
Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), a leading motherboard, graphics card, barebone system and notebook manufacturer, today announced the launch of the P55H-A Black Series motherboard based on Intel P55 Express chipset supporting the latest high-performance Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors. The LGA 1156 socket motherboard is ideal for gamers setting up a feature rich system on a tight budget. The ECS P55H-A supports CrossFireX for blistering fast graphics as well as Intel's latest features such as Turbo Boost Technology which overclocks your CPU opportunistically based on the temperature, current and power settings. This is enhanced by DDR3 1333MHz memory support, for fast data throughput using a maximum of 16GB in 4x DDR3 DIMMs.
World-renown mainboard and graphics card manufacturer, MSI has just released its Xtreme Speed mainboard series, providing maximum performance with the P55 chipset and support for Intel's Lynnfield Core i7 and Core i5 processors. Additionally, the Xtreme Speed mainboard series integrates three high-power features - OC Genie, SuperPipe, and DrMOS - to provide a one-of-a-kind experience. The OC Genie automatically finds the best BIOS settings to overclock your system and boosts performance with the push of a button. SuperPipe's heat-pipe is made with strictly selected materials for the most effective cooling. The DrMOS power supply's outstanding module design offers enhanced power-saving and stability. In addition, this series equips other unique features such as APS, Direct OC, and V-Kit to let users break through barriers and reach the most extreme speeds.
ASUS today added the Maximus III Formula and Maximus III GENE to its Republic of Gamers (ROG) lineup of high performance motherboards. Based on Intel's P55 chipset and purpose-designed for gaming, both motherboards are equipped with a wealth of exclusive gamer-centric features that effect improvements across all facets of the user's gaming and overclocking experience-from improved in-game response and reduced Internet latency, to convenient hardware-based, real-time tweaking. The ATX Maximus III Formula is targeted at PC enthusiasts, hardcore gamers and early adopters who crave leading-edge specifications, enhanced extensibility, and the cool factor, while the mATX Maximus III GENE is designed for case modders and budget-conscious gamers who prefer smaller-yet still power-packed-machines.
ASUS, the leading innovator of advanced motherboard solutions, today launched the ASUS P7P55D Series motherboards. Featuring the Intel P55 Express chipset, the P7P55D Series supports the latest LGA 1156 socket for Intel Core i7/Core i5 Processors for maximum performance. The P7P55 Series is based on groundbreaking "Xtreme Design", a winning design formula drawn from many years of engineering innovation, to optimize overall system performance and hardware reliability. It also includes the latest Hybrid Technology-Hybrid Processor, Hybrid Phase, and Hybrid OS-to give users intelligent performance enhancement, active cooling, and rapid online access.
Taking multimedia entertainment further-the new ASUS N61 and N71 notebooks are designed to provide users with audio and visual enjoyment at the highest level. They feature a 'new wave' design which not only lends an air of futurism to the overall exterior, but also serves as a visual representation of their multimedia prowess. Both the N61 and N71 are equipped with ASUS' exclusive SonicMaster design-the result of extensive amplification system fine-tuning by the Research and Development team at ASUS-to deliver unparalleled audio reproduction. In addition to the SonicMaster design, the N61 and N71 offer a comprehensive suite of high performance audio solutions, which include Altec Lansing speakers and SRS Premium Sound. Powered by NVIDIA CUDA and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 240M graphics card with 1GB video memory, the ASUS N61 and N71 deliver realistic visuals via 16-inch and 17.3-inch flushed LED-backlit displays respectively.
ASUS today unveiled the brand new ultra-slim Designo MS Series LCD monitors MS246/ 236/ 227/ 226/ 202 to astound users with a perfect combination of exceptional style and picture quality. The design concept behind the Designo MS Series is inspired by the binary state, incorporating a series of contrasting elements like the numbers 1 and 0, straight lines and circles, and black and white into an ultra-slim monitor with a 16.5mm profile. The unique spherical ring stand features Ergo-Fit Technology that lets users adjust the monitor's tilt angle with just one finger. The Designo MS Series' ergonomic design puts the screen at eye level for a comfortable and productive dual screen computing experience when deployed as a notebook's supplementary monitor. It further astounds with its crisp visuals in Full HD 1080p, 50,000:1 contrast ratio, 2ms response time and ASUS Splendid Video Intelligence Technology, along with an extra 40% in power savings. Amazing visuals in a head-turning package-it is simply as good as it gets.
Here's the first CPU-Z validation of AMD's 12-core
Magny Cours processor. Whatever details the existing version of CPU-Z does read, perfectly matches the specifications of the processor sketched out so far. Firstly, it's based on AMD's upcoming socket G3 package that marks Opteron's transition to high-level integration within a single package. With 1,974 pins, socket G3 is able to provide as many as six 16-bit HyperTransport 3.1 links, and four DDR3 memory channels. The package is one of AMD's first multi-chip modules, that houses two six-core dies (dubbed "nodes"), onto one package, and connects the two using a HyperTransport link.
Each node has 6 x 512 KB of L2 cache and 6 MB L3 cache shared between the six cores. Out of 6 MB, 1 MB of the cache is reserved for low-level system operations, namely the HT Assist (probe filter) that aims to lower memory subsystem latencies, reduces queuing delays due to lower HyperTransport traffic overhead, and minimizes probe traffic to increase system bandwidth. The CPU-Z reading of 10 MB total chip L3 cache is spot-on. Also seen on the validation page are details on the reference motherboard, called "AMD Dinar", that uses SR5690 (same chip as 890FX) + SB750 chipset. The CPU-Z validation can be found
here.
Monday, September 7th 2009
Today's Reviews
A new mainstream platform from Intel with socket LGA1156 will be released soon, and it has been already featured in medias which increases the demand for compatible CPU Coolers. Scythe did some preliminary work and most of its on-market CPU Coolers are compatible not only to the socket LGA1366 but upcoming LGA1156 as well. This was realized by developing a flexible mounting clip (patent pending) which allows mounting the CPU Cooler on socket LGA775, LGA1366 and LGA1156 by using just one clip. Users have just to slide the Push-Pins to the corresponding hole depending on socket and then just attach the CPU Cooler.
Consequently, users can therefore choose among Zipang 2, Kabuto, Kama Angle Rev. B, Ninja 2 Rev. B, Ninja Mini Rev. B, Katana 3, BIG Shuriken, and Shuriken Rev. B CPU Cooler already available in the worldwide market. Mugen 2 CPU Cooler is schedule to be compatible to socket LGA1156 but will be as "Revision B" version with completely re-worked mounting clips by middle of November 2009.
Innovatek introduced a new GPU water-block it chooses to call "Universal", while is targeted at upper mid-range graphics cards. Its fittings are along the plane of the block, which covers only the GPU. The block measures 60 x 75 x 25 mm (L x W x H), and weighs around 260 g. It uses a thick copper base. With a mount hole spacing of 53.2 mm, the block supports most popular GPUs in the category it's intended for use on, including GeForce GTS 250 (so it should support all G92 based single-GPU cards), Radeon HD 4000 series (including HD 4870, HD 4850, and below), and Radeon HD 3000 series. It comes with G1/4" fittings. It is priced at around 40 EUR.
Fujitsu unveiled its newest desktop, that can be tucked away in a corner making more space on the desk. The Esprimo Q1500 is a lunchbox-sized small form-factor (SFF) desktop that's around the dimensions of the Apple Mac Mini, only more powerful. Under its tiny lid is an Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 2.53 GHz or Celeron 900 2.20 GHz processor, Intel GM45 chipset, 4 GB of system memory, 320 GB storage, and a slot-in Blu-ray combo drive or DVD writer. Connectivity options include gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, 801.11 b/g/n, and 6 USB 2.0 ports. Display outputs are care of DVI-D and HDMI. An 8-channel Realtek ALC888 codec covers audio. It comes with Windows 7 Home Premium pre-installed. Measuring 165 x 165 x 50 mm (LxWxH), and weighing a mere 1.7 kg (3.75 lbs), the Esprimo Q1500 makes quite a statement, even more so since its notebook-grade hardware draws 19W of power when idling. Expected to ship later this month, the Esprimo Q1500 is expected to sell for 699 EUR.
Advanced Technology Investment Company LLC (ATIC) of Abu Dhabi and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing (Chartered) of Singapore today announced a definitive agreement whereby ATIC would acquire Chartered, one of the world's top dedicated semiconductor foundries.
The proposed acquisition will be effected by way of a scheme of arrangement under section 210 of the Companies Act of Singapore, subject to the approval of Chartered shareholders and the sanction of the High Court of Singapore. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2009. Completion of the transaction will be subject to customary conditions, such as regulatory and shareholder approvals. Details can be found in the joint scheme announcement that has been filed with the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (SGX), as well as in the scheme document to be sent to Chartered shareholders.
Foxconn's newest entry to the HTPC crowd is the Cinema. Part of its Digital Life series of lifestyle products, the Foxconn Cinema is a micro-ATX motherboard based on the AMD 785G + SB710 chipset, supporting socket AM2/AM2+/AM3 processors from AMD, with support for DDR2-1066 memory. The ATI Radeon HD 4200 class integrated graphics processor (IGP) makes it capable of smooth full-HD video playback, accelerated by the IGP. The IGP is further aided by 128 MB of Sideport memory.
Video connectivity options include D-Sub, DVI-D and HDMI. On the audio front, apart from the audio that Radeon HD 4200 provides over HDMI, the board's 8-channel audio CODEC supports Dolby Digital and DTS decode. Expansion slots include two PCI-E x1, and one each of PCI-E x16 and PCI. Connectivity options include gigabit Ethernet, USB, and FireWire. The Foxconn Cinema comes in two variants, Deluxe and Premium. The difference between the two is minor - a heatsink over the 5-phase CPU VRM for the Deluxe variant. While the Cinema Deluxe is priced at 11,680 JPY (US $125.5), the Cinema Premium goes for 10800 JPY (US$ 116).
AMD is adding to its value dual-core processor lineup with a new high-speed part. The Athlon II X2 255 (PIB model: ADX255OCK23GQ) is based on the 45 nm Regor die, and packs a clock speed of 3.10 GHz (15.5 x 200 MHz). Each core has a dedicated L2 cache of 1 MB (2 MB total cache), and the TDP is rated at 65W. Based on the socket AM3 package, it supports DDR3 and DDR2 memory standards. Expected to be out soon, the Athlon II X2 255 could displace the Athlon II X2 250, while being priced lower than the Phenom II X2 550.
Ahead of a formal launch, pricing of socket LGA-1156 processors, an untimely leak from Newegg.com that was updating its site, spilled pricing details of a broad range of socket LGA-1156 processors and motherboards. These prices give us an indication of what prices will finally look like, in the US market, and more or less match speculated prices doing rounds for quite some time now.
To begin with, Intel Core i5 750, Core i7 models 860 and 870 are priced at $209.99, $299.99, and $579, respectively, close to the 1000 unit prices that surfaced weeks ahead. At $209.99, the 2.66 GHz Core i5 750 will be highly competitive with AMD's Phenom II X4 BE offerings in that price range. The 2.80 GHz Core i7 860 is expected to perform on par, or better than the Core i7 920, while being priced a notch higher. The Core i7 870 2.93 GHz only holds premium value at $579, since it ends up being the fastest socket LGA-1156 processor money can buy.
During an overclocking competition help by ASUS and Dutch tech website Tweakers.net, a participant named Neil Breems managed to achieve some stellar results on the ASUS GeForce GTX 285 Matrix. Cooled using a liquid nitrogen evaporator, the graphics card was able to reach 1100 MHz (core), 2452 MHz (shader) and 2800 MHz (memory), way up from the reference speeds of 648/1476/2484 MHz (core/shader/memory). The overclocked settings were set using a tweaked version of RivaTuner. Breems put the card to test using 3DMark06.
Since the rest of the bench was made of an Intel P55 based motherboard running an unreleased 2.66 GHz Core i5 750, Tweakers.net couldn't publish the final score and CPU score, but went ahead with its GPU-related scores that included GT1: 58.863 fps, GT2 57.762 fps, HDR1 112.6 fps, and 73.84 fps for HDR2. The memory to drive the system Corsair Dominator GT DDR3-2000, and the system powered by Corsair HX850W.
Friday, September 4th 2009
Today's Reviews
NVIDIA released its second SLI Profile Update, a software that patches the GeForce system drivers, updating and expanding the application-specific SLI profiles it comes with. In many cases, it adds to the list of applications that can utilize SLI for performance gains. This software is similar to the EVGA SLI Enhancement Patch, albeit being aimed at all NVIDIA GeForce users irrespective of graphics card manufacturer. The new SLI Profile Update adds SLI profiles for the following applications:
- Zero G
- Need for Speed: Shift
- Dreamkiller
- Biohazard 5
- Majesty 2
- Darkfall
- Time of Shadows
- Heroes of Newerth
In addition to that, it updates (improves performance) of existing profiles for Call of Duty: World at War, and Batman: Arkham Asylum.
DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA SLI Profile Update 2AMD's next set of consumer desktop platforms, the high-end "Leo" and mainstream "Dorado" are what will bring together AMD's newest system components, including its next round of CPUs, next-generation graphics processors from the DirectX 11 compliant Evergreen family, and the 8-series platform core-logic (chipset) to drive it all. According to latest information pieced together by VR-Zone, AMD's newest chipset will arrive in two rounds of launches, ranging between April and May, 2010.
The two rounds are centric to the platforms they will belong to. On the northbridge front, the enthusiast and high-performance 890FX and 890GX hit retail with products based on it appearing in April 2010, accompanied by the high-end SB850 southbridge. The three will make up the chipset offerings for the Leo platform, which succeeds the current Dragon platform. Following these, the 880G northbridge, accompanied by the SB810 southbridge will make for product launches in May 2010. This pair makes up the mainstream Dorado platform that succeeds the current Pisces platform. The parts will have passed two stages of sampling by this November, and mass production commences in February and April. AMD's newest chipsets are bound to bring in new technologies such as SATA 6 Gb/s, USB 3.0, integrated MAC, and integrated clock generator, along with several other changes.
Thermaltake, leading DIY chassis brand, introduces the latest addition to the Element series of PC cases, the Thermaltake Element Q. This Mini-ITX case is ideal for very small systems built on Intel's Atom and NVIDIA's ION platforms. With its extremely small dimensions of 130 (D) x 220 (W) x 330 (H) mm and a light-weight of merely 2.7 KG the Element Q can fit on the smallest desktop or even on the shelf between your books.
The Element Q represents the Quintessence of personal and entertainment computing as it let's you shrink all the formerly huge components such as audio cards, video adapters, network cards and the like into one tiny system with sleek and elegant looks in a dominating black color with distinctive red lining. Quick and convenient installation is provided for by an optimized case design that allows you to use standards peripherals such as a 5.25" and even two 3.5" (one internal, one external) devices. For this small form factor category the Element Q is truly unique as you are not forced to use slim drives like with other cases.
Noiseblocker is said to be designing its newest tower-design CPU cooler for sockets LGA-1156 and LGA-1366, called Twintec. An early drawing shows its design, with a base from which two heatpipes pass, that conduct heat to the peripheral parts of the 46 aluminum fins, while from its center emerges a 25.5 mm thick 'super-conductor' heatpipe that conveys heat to the central parts of the fins. Bundled with this heatsink is the MF12-P 120 mm fan which has a maximum noise output of 29 dBA. It should be available later this month, priced at around 64.90€.
Expanding further on its portable storage lineup, Buffalo added the HD-PVU2 family of portable hard drives. The model numbering goes as HD-PVxU2-y, where x can be 320 or 500 denoting capacity in GB, and y can be WH (white) or BK (black) denoting color. Measuring a somewhat pocketable 81 x 16 x 130 mm (W x H x D), these drives tip the scales at 190 g. With USB 2.0 as data/power connectivity, the drives pack eco-Manager software that powers down the drive when idling for a set amount of time, to save power. It comes in white and black, and data capacities of 320 GB and 500 GB, which cost around US $108 (10,000 JPY) and $158 (14,000 JPY), respectively.
PC gaming peripherals specialist Raptor Gaming announced the Bioxar GM1 gaming mouse. With a fixed weight of 130 g, this mouse targets the mainstream segment with its relatively low cost, with its ambidextrous design. Its optical sensor allows controlling its sensitivity between 500, 1000, and 2000 dpi on the fly. It is otherwise simple with three buttons and a broadened, illuminated scroll-wheel. With these, the mouse looks to best suit FPS games. It is available in Europe, at a price of 29.99€.
Following its recent
announcement of a pair of netbooks, Samsung also unveiled its newest CULV ultraportable notebook, the X120. With a chassis more or less resembling that of the N100 series albeit larger, the X120 doesn't target the ULPC/netbook crowd. It holds a 11.6-inch display with a native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. It is powered by an Intel CULV-class Celeron M 723 processor, up to 4 GB of system memory, and 500 GB of storage. Connectivity options include 10/100 Ethernet, 801.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth (optional), and 6-cell or 4-cell battery. The 6-cell one provides up to 9 hours of usage. It will be available later this month priced at around 700€.
Lamptron announced its newest system fan controller, the FC5. This four-channel fan controller fits into one 5.25" drive-bay, measures 148.5 x 42.5 x 77 mm, and powers each channel with up to 30W of power (ideal if two or more fans share a channel). Its bezel is crafted from CNC-milled blocks of 3/4" thick aluminum, with bezel options including silvery aluminum and graphite. Its panel includes four rotary knobs (each controls a channel), above which is the simple LCD display. Above each knob is displayed readings associated with the channel. The LCD color can be changed between red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple, and white. Its pricing and availability are yet to be known.
On the launch day of Intel's socket LGA-1156 platform, when some of the first Intel Core i5, Core i7 "Lynnfield" hit stores along with compatible motherboards, MSI is planning a massive 55% discount on two of its top motherboards based on the supportive Intel P55 chipset. Included in the sale will be the high-end MSI P55-GD80 and upper-mid range P55-GD65.
Carrying an original MSRP of £139.99, the P55-GD65 can be had for as little as £63, while the P55-GD80 with its MSRP of £189 for a mere £85.5. The sale will run only on launch day, which is expected to be on this September 8. Some of the participating retailers include SCAN, Ebuyer, CCL and OverclockersUK. Purchases will be limited to one unit per customer.
Thursday, September 3rd 2009
Today's Reviews
Toshiba UK has unveiled the latest addition to the Satellite series of consumer laptops - the Satellite P500. Aimed at consumers with a need for powerful, high definition multimedia performance, the Satellite P500 is one of the most advanced Toshiba Satellite models to date, and becomes the first Toshiba laptop to offer support for the Blu-ray Disc format.
The Satellite P500 offers the following key features:
In what will go down as a wacky PR stunt, Microsoft will be rewarding you with special editions of its Windows 7 operating system - for hosting its launch party at your home in the week of its international release. In return for hosting the party, you'll be given Windows 7 Ultimate "Signature Edition", and Windows 7 Party Pack. You can choose between four themes for your party: PhotoPalooza, Media Mania, Setting up with Ease, or simply Family Friendly Fun.
Residents of the following countries can apply: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom and United States. If you're selected, you'll be assisted by House Party - a leading party organizer. "Pick a theme, then upload photos and videos, chat with other hosts, blog your experience, and download fun favours all from your personal House Party page."
Here are the details, good luck.
Samsung announced its N130 and N140 netbooks today. These feature 10.1 inch LED-backlit screens, Intel Atom N270 1.60 GHz or Atom N280 1.66 GHz processor, 1 GB of memory, and 160 GB of storage. Connectivity options include 10/100 Ethernet, 801.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth,and 3-in-1 memory card reader. A VGA webcam heads the screen. The two largely similar models differ with the N130 having 1.5W speakers, and a 3-cell battery, while the N140 having 3W speakers and a 6-cell battery that is rated to last for 11 hours. Both measure 10.3 x 7.3 x 1.2 inches, and weigh in at 2.8 lbs (1.27 kg). When it starts selling, the two are reportedly going to come with Windows 7 Starter Edition, Office Home and Student, and a Microsoft SkyDrive-based backup solution pre-installed. There is no word on pricing yet. Pictured below (in order) are N130 and N140.
SteelSeries, a leading manufacturer of game peripherals and accessories, introduced today the new SteelSeries Zboard Limited Edition Aion Keyset and SteelSeries QcK Limited Edition Aion Asmodian Mousepad. Co-designed with NCsoft Corporation, Aion's publisher and developer, the limited edition gear provides customized functionality and original artwork from the game that allows players to battle and quest with ease into Aion's breathtaking world of Atreia.
Aion, the most anticipated MMO of 2009, is a visually stunning massively multiplayer online RPG where players fight in an epic celestial war between twin races of winged beings. Aion has received numerous international industry awards and will be available in stores this September in North America, Europe and Australia.
Buffalo Japan's newest storage solutions targeting the SMB market are the TeraStation WS-Q4.0TL/R5 (4 TB) and WS-Q2.0TL/R5 (2 TB). These four-bay NAS servers integrate with Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 for 4 TB of storage. With four drives in place, it supports VSS, and RAID modes 5, 1, and 0. The drive door opens to four hot-swappable 3.5" drive bays. The Buffalo WS-Q2.0TL/R5 (2TB) is available in Japan for 158,000 JPY (US $1,658), while the WS-Q4.0TL/R5 (4TB) is going to cost 198,000 JPY ($2,077).
A-DATA Technology, the world leader in DRAM module and Flash application products, has announced the release of Intel-certified DDR3 memory 1333/1066 U-DIMM Kits for desktops and 1333/1066 SO-DIMM kits for laptops embedded with the latest Intel platforms.
As a close partner with Intel, A-DATA offers complete DDR3 solutions for the new Intel platforms, releasing certified DDR3 1333/1066 U-DIMM. Available in both triple- and dual-channel, A-DATA DDR3 memory modules are duly certified by Intel and ready to optimize the highly-anticipated Intel P55 chipset powered by Core i5 processor, which is set to debut this September. A-DATA, meantime, offers Intel-certified DDR3 1333/1066 SO-DIMM kits as well for mobile PC users who seek not only computing power, but also the benefits of low voltages and low latencies in DDR3 notebook computers equipped with the next-generation P55 platform.
Matching high-end graphics accelerators in terms of size, the
OCZ Z-Drive PCI-Express solid state drive (SSD) was begging for a makeover. After a recent design, the leaner Z-Drive shed quite some cubic centimeters. The reverse side of the PCB holds the RAID controller, while the obverse side holds the storage components of the drive, from the looks of it. The Z-Drive connects to the system using a PCI-Express x4 interface, and houses MLC NAND flash. It comes in capacities of 250 GB, 500 GB, and 1 TB, with a 256 MB buffer, and offers read/write speeds of up to 878 MB/s (read) 781 MB/s (write). A 4-pin Molex connector is needed to power the drive. With a rated MTBF of 900,000 hours and 2 year warranty, the Z-Drive is bound to make for a very high-end purchase. For reference, the last picture is that of the older Z-Drive.
TUL Corporation, a leading manufacturer of AMD graphics cards, announces the "Design and Choose the Best" online contest. Gamers and designers from around the globe can download design elements from the contest website and incorporate them into wallpaper, screensavers and IM chat icons. Artwork can be uploaded via the contest detail page and each category will be voted on by the public. Top vote getters from each category (3) will be some of the first to own a high end DirectX 11 next generation PowerColor graphics card!
Designers won't be the only ones with a chance to win great prizes. Voters will have a chance to win 1 of 20 Go! Green HD4670's. Voting will begin Sep. 21st and participates will automatically be entered into a random drawing for the video cards at the conclusion of the contest. For more details, please visit
this page.
Kanguru Solutions, announces the release of the 64GB Kanguru e-Flash, a high capacity, high performance flash drive with both eSATA and USB connectivity. The Kanguru e-Flash is a dual ended flash drive. One end supports high speed eSATA while the other end supports a USB2.0 interface. The eSATA side provides incredible performance, 5 times faster than standard USB drives. The USB2.0 side provides universal connectivity, so data can still be accessed by computers that may not have eSATA ports yet.
"The combination of performance and versatility make the Kanguru e-Flash the perfect product for people who want top tier transfer speeds without sacrificing usability," said Nate Cote, VP of Product Management for Kanguru Solutions.
The Kanguru e-Flash has a built-in powered eSATA connection so you don't have to worry about multiple wires plugging into the drive, and it's packaged with an eSATA + Power bracket and an eSATA + Power cable for easy hookup to the computer you use most.
PC vendors and component retailer can't wait to start selling Intel's newest performance/upper-mainstream Core i5 / Core i7 "Lynnfield" processors, and products based on the processor. This despite recent measures by Intel to curb pre-release sales of the processor, particularly in the Asian markets. A British etailer had earlier listed all three upcoming processor, with the Core i5 750 priced at ₤133.73 (excl. VAT). Now Novatech, a PC vendor started running a countdown on the
product page of its Elite series gaming PC show how long it is before one can purchase its Elite Pro PC-1339 gaming desktop powered by a "New Future Intel Core I5 Processor" earlier clearly listed as Core i5 750. Showing a little over four days left to go, we can deduce that it will be around on the 8th. This confirms that consumers will be able to buy Core i5 750 and compatible motherboards on the said date. Core i5 750 is the most affordable of the three upcoming processors, and is one of the first on Intel's socket LGA-1156 platform. Intel P55 is its first supportive platform core-logic. Based on the 45 nm Lynnfield die, this monolithic quad-core processor brings about several changes to the way several components on the motherboard are located.
NVIDIA partner Galaxy announced that some of the newest batches of its GeForce GTS 250 accelerator will be bundling a company-branded pair of anachrome diopter glasses dubbed Galaxy 3D Vision Discover. The glasses are compatible with NVIDIA's stereoscopic GeForce 3D Vision technology, and lets you play 3D games with depth perception. Galaxy advertises these glasses as a "free" inclusion, so it shouldn't affect the price of the graphics accelerator. Considering durable anachrome glasses can cost anywhere over $20, and NVIDIA's 3D Vision kit over $150, this offer looks impressive. Sadly it's for a limited time period.
Shuttle Inc., market leader in the Mini-PC sector and manufacturer of Multi-Form-Factor solutions, is now supplying its X50 All-in-One PC platform with pre-installed Linux operating system.
The just 3.6 cm thin X500V complete system is fitted with the latest version (11.1) of openSUSE Linux and can be expanded with open-source applications from the openSUSE website. 1-click package installation allows the system to be customised specifically to a wide range of user requirements.
GeIL today introduced a set of DDR2 and DDR3 dual-channel, and quad-channel memory kits. The new DDR2 kits make use of the company's newest 4 GB Black Dragon, Black Dragon EVO One module, while the DDR3 kits include 2 GB modules from the EVO One, and Ultra series. The DDR2 series features 8 GB (2x 4GB) and 16 GB (4x 4GB) kits, while DDR3 ones include 4 GB (2x 2GB) and 8 GB (4x 2GB) modules. The DDR2 series includes PC2-5600 (667 MHz) and PC2-6400 (800 MHz), while the DDR3 series is optimised for Intel LGA-1156 platform, and includes modules running at the speeds of PC3-16000 (2000 MHz) and PC3-17066 (2133 MHz). Detailed specifications follow.
Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd Ltd today launches the PC-7FN & PC-60FN. These all aluminum black anodized Midi Tower chassis have the traditional clean cut styles, but included are some exciting new tool-less options that make them stand out. The cases dimensions stand at 210mm x 470mm x 490mm (W, H, D) . They support ATX, and Micro-ATX form factors, with 4x 3.5" drive bays; 8x PCI Expansion Slots, and 5x 5.25" ODD bays with one removable 5.25" to 3.5" convertor. The stylish, minimalist and optimized theme incorporates 1.5mm to 1.2mm thick aluminum anodized panels with a hairline brushed finish to an all round quality product. The difference between the PC-7FN and PC-60FN is the front panel design. The PC-7FN has smooth rounded vent holes, while the PC-60FN has a more open bezel front face. Each caters for a unique different taste.
Wednesday, September 2nd 2009
Today's Reviews
Gaming PC specialist Alienware took its first step into the gaming peripherals market with the TactX keyboard and mouse. Packed with a number of macro and multimedia keys, the TactX keyboard supports unlimited customizable user profiles. Its AlienFX lighting system illuminates not only the label of each key, but also its boundary. The lighting has 20 colors that can be user-selected. The TactX mouse has a 5000 dpi laser sensor, nine buttons that are up for customization, scrolling along both axes, and a 6 foot long (~1.8 m) cable. Both products are priced at US $99 each.
Sony unveiled its newest Vaio X 11.1-inch ultraportable notebook at the IFA 2009 event in Berlin, that not only promises to "set the new standard for stamina" (battery life) in its category, but also promises to be visually appealing with its half inch-thick body made of carbon fiber. Thanks to its materials, it weighs just about a pound and a half (around 0.69 kg). The first in the series features an Intel Atom processor (model unknown), 2 GB of memory, and a 31 Wh battery. Sony says that use of the Atom processor isn't final and it's merely to run working prototypes, so it still leaves a window open for Core 2 CULV hardware. The hardware apparently lets the machine go on for a day without hitting the wall [socket]. Other features observed are two USB ports, SD/Memory Stick slot and gigabit Ethernet. The only video-out option looks to be D-Sub at the moment. The Vaio X ultraportable is slated for late October, its retail availability is expected about a week after Windows 7 launches. A lot more pictures of it can be viewed
here.
NZXT, a company built on realizing the dreams of gamers worldwide, is proud to announce the Lexa S gaming chassis. As with all of NZXT's cases, Lexa S is designed for enhanced airflow with capability for 5 fans including 120mm fans on the front, side, and exhaust with a 140 mm fan on top. NZXT includes the side, rear, top, and front fans along with a fan controller that controls dual intakes and exhausts independently and effectively optimizes your computers performance based on your preference for pure power or whisper quiet operation.
Lexa S offers gamers sleek aesthetics with a smoked clear window and all black interior along with a 5.25" stealth bay, turned HDD cage, and punched holes in the motherboard which makes for a cleaner look and gives enthusiasts a solution for superior cable management. Additional features include an ambient light over the 5.25" drives for extra visibility at LAN parties and a bracket for two Solid State Drives.
Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.'s Storage Device Division (SDD), the industry pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today introduced a 640GB model to its personal storage line, responding to consumer needs for robust storage space in an intuitive, easy-to-use backup solution for the exponential amounts of digital content they are amassing.
According to leading research firm IDC, consumer-generated digital content is growing 55 percent annually with 70 percent of all digital content being created by individuals versus businesses. IDC predicts that by 2010, 36.5 terabytes of data will be created per second - that's a stack of books that could extend from the sun to Pluto - and back.
Cooler Master has launched a contest that lets you do all the crazy things that your imagination came up with, yet you never realized them. Or if you already did something crazy, you can finally show your mad invention to a world-wide audience. The prizes include a HD 4890, a Cooler Master HAF case and more... Read the full Press Release below.
One of the first implementations of NVIDIA's ION platform, the Aspire Revo nettoop from Acer, is getting a timely update of its hardware specifications. Originally built with Intel Atom 230 single-core processor, the new variant uses the dual-core Atom 330 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz. Apart from this, the system memory gets a healthy boost, with 4 GB dual-channel DDR2-800 of total memory. Finally, there's the 320 GB hard drive, and standard features including NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, and Windows Vista Home Premium OS pre-installed. The new Aspire Revo is priced in Europe at 350€.
Creative Technology Ltd. today unveiled the Creative Sound Blaster Arena Surround USB Gaming Headset, a cutting-edge, all-in-one gaming headset powered by renowned Sound Blaster X-Fi technology, and also announced the availability of the Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset MkII. Designed with the rigorous needs of gamers in mind, both headsets provide the ultimate gaming experience for those serious about immersing themselves in the game.
Toshiba Corporation, the pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today announced a new series of 5,400 RPM 2.5-inch HDDs offering up to 640GB of capacity, the industries' largest for a 2.5" HDD capacity. With demands for storage at an all-time high, Toshiba's new 2.5-inch HDD lineup is an attractive solution for an array of computing applications from high performance notebook PCs, all-in-one desktops, to high definition images applications, which can benefit from lower power consumption without sacrificing storage capacity.
With an areal density of 817.9 Mbit/mm², (528.5 Gbit/in²), the new series includes 640GB, 500GB, 320GB, 250GB and 160GB models. For added durability, Toshiba offers a free-fall sensor option to help protect the drive should the host system be dropped.
Thermalright's iconic Ultra 120 Extreme (TRUE) CPU cooler has a new revision. TRUE Rev. B brings along a small design change that the company claims improves its cooling performance a little. Most of its 52 aluminum fins barring the top one have a 'V'-shaped cutting in the center. This perhaps increases turbulence (for better heat dissipation) a little. The resulting temperature drops are estimated around 1~2 °C. TRUE Rev. B has started selling in China for RMB 530 (which is around $79), including fan. Without the fan, $72.95 is all it takes.
Tuesday, September 1st 2009
Today's Reviews
AMD is planning to create a desktop implementation of its Opteron "Istanbul" monolithic six-core processor. Codenamed "Thuban" (named after a star in the Draco constellation, which means Dragon), the new processor will be based on the socket AM3 package for compatibility with existing and future desktop core logic. It features six cores, 9 MB of total cache (6 x 512 KB L2 + 6 MB L3). Thuban is aimed to make for AMD's high-end desktop processor, as the company prepares to face competition from a near-complete lineup of processors based on the Nehalem/Westmere architectures from Intel. It is expected to be the posterboy for AMD's "Leo" high-end consumer desktop platform that succeeds its current Dragon platform.
Some of the key components that make up AMD Leo platform are the upcoming AMD 890FX and 890GX chipset, companion SB800 series southbridge chips, and members of AMD's Evergreen family of DirectX 11 compliant graphics processors. On the software front, AMD will give its Fusion and Overdrive utilities some big updates. The SB800 series southbridge chips will feature native support for SATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0; connectivity is further enhanced by integrated Broadcom MAC Ethernet interfaces. While the Leo platform is expected to launch almost simultaneously with the 8-series chipsets, the six-core Thuban processor on the other hand comes later. It is due only in Q3 2010. Thuban will have come out an year after its enterprise implementation in the form of Opteron "Istanbul".
Known more for its printers, projectors and other office-automation equipment, Epson is now venturing into ULPC with the Endeavor Na02mini-V. This 10.1 inch netbook packs the most common pieces of hardware found in its category, with a 1024 x 600 pixel screen, Intel Atom N280 1.66 GHz processor running on Intel 945GSE chipset, 1 GB DDR2 memory, gigabit Ethernet and WiFi (IEEE802.11b/g/n). Fixed storage is care of a relatively fast 160 GB 5400 rpm hard-drive, while a 3-in-1 memory card reader makes for the rest of it. It comes with Windows XP Home Edition SP3 pre-installed as the OS. Available for pre-order on Epson Japan store, it is priced at 39,800 JPY. Epson however, will start shipping these only in late November.
Sparkle Computer announced its newest innovation in graphics card design: the Calibre IDF (Intelligent Dual Fly) cooler. Its design intends to put greater control over the card's temperatures, while taking the same away from driver-level fan speed presets. The concept involves a copper GPU block from which heatpipes arise, conveying heat to two circular aluminum fin arrays on either sides of the block. Each array holds its own fan that blows air onto it. The air from these also help passively cool other components on the graphics card, such as memory chips and the VRM area. Between these two also lies the so-called "GBOX control terminal".
This component has its own temperature sensor, and depending on the temperature, adjusts fan speeds, and interestingly, has a mechanism that moves the two aluminum fin arrays parallel to the plane of the PCB or angled to it. When angled, the cooler's passive cooling (under its air-flow) is extended to far reaches of the card. Thresholds are set for under 50 °C temperatures to keep the two parallel to the card, and higher temperatures angled to it. With low power requirements of this mechanism, the entire cooler makes do with the 4-pin fan power connection to the card. Sparkle is also working on an accessory that lets the cooler's readings and perhaps some controls be provided on a fan-controller that fits into a 5.25" drive bay on the PC case. Although no new graphics cards from the company are said to feature this cooler, it will make it to newer models in the near future.
NEC Display Solutions of America , a leading stand-alone provider of commercial LCD displays and projectors , announced today the MultiSync EA190M, a 19-inch standard-aspect ratio desktop display designed for a variety of business environments, government applications and education users.
This enterprise monitor includes an abundance of eco-conscious features that improve energy efficiency. The EA190M consumes 50% less energy and contains 50% less mercury than traditional LCD monitors. Its one-touch button for ECO Mode enables users to quickly maneuver between two energy-savings modes. The carbon footprint meter allows users to easily track carbon savings and adjust their power settings accordingly.
WD today announced that it is now shipping desktop 7200 RPM 2 TB hard drives and is qualifying with OEMs enterprise-class hard drives based on WD's 500 gigabytes-per-platter technology. The popular family of WD Caviar Black drives, now led by the new 2 TB capacity, is perfect for gaming, high-performance desktop systems and workstations; while the WD RE4 2 TB is suited for servers, network attached storage and storage networks.
High-performance hard drives by an industry leader in performance, WD Caviar Black and WD RE4 2 TB drives combine 7200 RPM spin speed, 64 MB cache, dual stage actuator technology, SATA 3 gigabits per second (Gb/s) interface, and an integrated dual processor to deliver ultimate performance in a maximum-capacity drive.
Sapphire introduced its newest Radeon HD 4670 accelerator equipped with Arctic Cooling Accelero L7 GPU cooler. Dubbed "New Edition", the card sports a blue PCB and spans across two expansion slots with its cooler. It features clock speeds of 750/1000 MHz (core/memory), and comes in 512 MB and 1 GB variants. Other features are standard, with 320 stream processors, 128-bit GDDR3 memory interface, and DirectX 10.1 support Outputs included are DVI-D, D-Sub, and HDMI. Its prices start at 60€.
Building on years of innovation, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) today announced that is it shipping its fifth-generation, 7200 RPM mobile hard disk drive. The Hitachi Travelstar 7K500 is a 500GB, 2.5-inch, 3Gb/s SATA drive designed for notebooks, gaming systems and professional external storage solutions. Combining leadership performance, ruggedness and capacity, Travelstar 7K500 is ideal for multitasking, gaming and other graphic-intensive applications. The new Travelstar 7K500 is the fastest hard drive in its class and delivers up to 56 percent higher capacity and 16 percent better application performance than its predecessor. It also provides best-of-breed operating shock and outstanding power management for sturdy, unplugged notebook performance.
"Portable PC shipment growth continues to be one of the most significant market drivers underpinning 2.5-inch disk drive demand, and is a major reason why IDC expects the 2.5-inch mobile HDD market will grow at a 16.8 percent 2008-2013 compound annual growth rate," said John Rydning, research director for hard disk drives at IDC. "Hitachi's new 500GB mobile 2.5-inch HDD with a 7,200 rpm spin-speed provides PC OEMs an opportunity to differentiate PCs with both capacity and performance."
VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA ACE-CNX security service, helping customers harness the power of the Advanced Cryptographic Engine (ACE) embedded at the core of all VIA processors.
The customer-centered VIA ACE-CNX service allows VIA's team of security experts to work closely with the customer, implementing data encryption standards that meet with widely accepted international standards. The advantage of data encryption through the hardware, as opposed to software, is that the encryption is seamless, fast and entirely unobtrusive to the end user.
The flexible VIA ACE-CNX service can be employed in a wide variety of scenarios where seamless data encryption is required. Data encryption can be used to protect valuable proprietary content in digital signage infrastructures; it can also be used to protect data in remote access or VPN scenarios while application and database repositories can be encrypted, making the threat of data theft redundant.
Intel's newest quad-core socket LGA-775 processor, the Core 2 Quad Q9505 (s-spec: SLGYY) adds to the series of upper-mainstream Core 2 Quad processors based on the Yorkfield cores. With a clock speed of 2.83 GHz and a bus speed of 1333 MHz, it matches Core 2 Quad Q9550. The difference here is the L2 cache amount. Q9505 features 2x 3 MB of L2 cache. It supports every other feature in the series, including Intel VT support. Started selling in Japan, the Core 2 Quad Q9505 is priced at JPY 22,770 there, while it's expected to be priced at around US $210.
Paired with the day's launch of the
GeForce GTX 285 Classified, EVGA rolled out its newest motherboard monstrosity, the EVGA X58 Classified 4-Way SLI (170-BL-E762-A1). This is one of the first motherboards based on the XL-ATX form-factor, with the board measuring 13.58 x 10.375 inches (L x W), which makes it as wide as an E-ATX motherboard, only longer. For use inside a chassis, the company recommends one with at least 10 expansion slots. It is based on the Intel X58 + ICH10R chipset supporting socket LGA-1366 processors, and might be making use of NVIDIA nForce 200 bridge chips to support its seven PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots, with adequate spacing to support four of its newest GTX 285 Classified graphics cards.
It has every feature its predecessor the X58 Classified 3-way SLI does, including a 10-phase digital PWM power design for the CPU that can provide up to 600W of power to the CPU for extreme overclocking. The pins in the LGA-1366 socket have 300% more elemental gold for better conductivity. The power is further conditioned by low-ESR film capacitors. A much larger monolithic heatsink cools the chipset. The portion over the northbridge features a fan for active cooling. Other features include support for up to 24 GB of triple-channel DDR3 memory, 9 SATA 3 Gb/s connectors, 8 channel audio, dual gigabit Ethernet, and Firewire. The X58 Classified 4-Way SLI has been
listed on the company store, placed on pre-order for US $449.99.
ASUS stirred up the enthusiast community recently with its dual-GeForce GTX 285 accelerator that for the first time, lets four fully-loaded G200b GPUs function in quad-SLI. Perhaps responding to it, EVGA rolled out the EVGA GeForce GTX 285 Classified (01G-P3-1190-AR), the first single-GPU GeForce accelerator to support 4-way SLI (or Quad-SLI). With a small but significant number of SLI-compatible motherboards with four PCI-Express x16 slots already out there, EVGA hopes to cash in with its newest product.
The GeForce GTX 285 Classified sticks to reference NVIDIA clock speeds of 648/1242 MHz (core/memory), while leaving it to the user to overclock it, by providing a number of design enhancements. It also sticks to having 1 GB of memory. To begin with, this card features a full 8-phase digital-PWM power design, and makes use of high-grade components such as film capacitors. It draws power from three 6-pin PCI-E power connectors. Voltage measure points for VPLL, DRAM VDDQ, DRAM VDD, and VGPU are nucleated in a convenient location for easy measurements. The card supports EVGA's
EVbot device that provides control over the card's parameters in the hands of the user. The EVbot can be directly plugged in to the card. Finally, the card supports 4-way SLI. At this point what its SLI bridge looks like is not known, but hopefully it's provided with the card or the EVGA's newest motherboard. It has been
listed on the company store for US $379.99, currently on pre-order.
