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:: PC Perspective . News Archive
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.:News Archive ( 8/2009 )
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Frosty Tech | Subject: Case and Cooling
Naming your heatsink as a Killer Whale
is certainly one way to try to stand out in a crowded market, but seems to make as much sense as Miga. The motif is more reminiscent of a striking cobra with an oddly shaped fan attached to its head. The direct contact heatpipes forming the neck with the head made up of the cooling fins; the oddly shaped fan is simply a loudish, oddly shaped fan. The 900g heatsink is quite adaptable, being compatible with Intel 775/1366 and AMD socket 939 through to AM3; LGA1156 support is still in the works. It didn't do well enough to hit FrostyTechs' top 5 list, but it still ended up doing much better than a stock cooler.
"DeepCool's Killer Whale heatsink is a top-down cooler built around two critical things. It has a hefty solid copper heat spreader (base) onto which six 6mm diameter heatpipes have been soldered, and a large and potentially very quiet 48mm thick 120mm PWM fan that spins at 1000-1800RPM. The fan moves approximately 78CFM, while generating at most 53.5 dBA and at least a whisper quiet 34.8 dBA. The Killer Whale stands 140mm tall and weighs a hefty 900 grams, but if you were to replace the fan with a more compact 120mm model that height could be as little as 92mm + fan thickness." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Red & Blackness Mods | Subject: Processor
Now that the capabilities of the i7 920 have been fully explored, enthusiasts are trying to find another processor that can deliver the performance that they want, while staying somewhere in the neighbourhood of $300.
One contender is AMD's Phenom II 965, priced at $240. Four cores at 3.2GHz give it equal footing when trying to unseat the i7 920 but you will have to visit R&B Mods to see how the competition played out.
"The Phenom 2 955 performed extremely well for the money you paid for it, this new 965 version costs about 245$ which is still a fair amount below the Core i7 920 price,. The question is; will it be able to perform somewhat similar or even faster than the Core i7? Let's take a closer look." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Motherboard
The subject of the newest review here at PC Perspective is a tiny little AMD 785G based board with some impressive features. Though the ECS A785GM-M only a mATX board, it can handle AMD's new 140W processors, AMD Hybrid Crossfire technology and DirectX 10.1, all for just $100. Our own Steve Grever takes you through the boards performance, from overclocking to gaming results using the onboard ATI Radeon HD 4200. You can see the results in his full review at the top of the page.
"The main features that will really draw consumer attention to the
A785GM-M is the integration of ATI's HD 4200 graphics on the motherboard.
While we weren't able to play some of the top FPS games on the market at
decent resolutions, we were able to play games like Quake Live and F.E.A.R.
at relatively high resolutions. The addition of HDMI and high-quality audio
options makes this board ideal for those upgrading their HTPCs to handle
high-definition content."
Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Motherboards.org | Subject: Graphics Card
The new Sapphire HD4850 X2 has beaten the next generation of cards by a matter of months, at a time when many enthusiasts are keeping their wallet closed and their eyes open for previews. A pair of 1GB HD4850s sit on this single PCB card, with speeds of 1GHz for the GDDR3 and 650MHz for the two cores and it sports a Crossfire bridge so you can pick up a second card and have Quad-Crossfire. The performance is solidly above a single HD4890 and the GTX 285, though as you would expect it still falls behind the 4870 X2. Drop by motherboards.org for the hard numbers.
"The HED 4850 is an interesting beast of a video card. In terms of performance, the card is faster than the GTX 285 and faster than a single HD 4890 yet lacking against the HD 4870 x2 as is to be expected with the lower clocks and GDDR3 memory instead of the GDDR5 memory on the HD 4870 x2. In terms of price versus performance, the HD 4850 x2 from Sapphire is clearly a better value than many single chip video cards with solid performance across all benchmarks. The caveat of any video card purchase today is the next generation of video cards will likely launch in the near future. As with any transition period, it might be better to see what the future will bring before spending $300 on a dual card today. Having said that, the Sapphire HD 4850 x2 is out today and delivers on what they promised which is a good thing. For those who want dual card action, but cannot afford the 4870X2 series is a solid Hot Product." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Tech ARP | Subject: General Tech
TechARP has been testing Windows 7 since back in the days when it first put on its beta suit and went out to meet the world. They have seen it change into a second beta outfit and watched its holes and bugs get washed out and now it has finally been released into the public eye. They take a look at the new Aero Glass interface to see how attractive it is, as well as it's effect on the system. Has Microsoft managed to make an OS that looks pretty and doesn't demand you buy it new things? Read on to find out.
"Beta testers have so far been very impressed with Windows 7. It's fast and it's stable. One of the reasons is the improved graphics capability in Windows 7. Microsoft seemed hesitant in utilizing the full capabilities of the graphics processor in Windows Vista, which was a real shame. Windows 7 changes all that, and that's what we will be talking about today. Back in June, we first revealed inside information on the kind of improvement in graphics that you will see in Windows 7. That first article focused on DirectX improvements in Windows 7, which covers everything from Direct 2D to Direct3D 11. This article will refer to the same topics, albeit in much less detail, so be sure to give our in-depth article on Direct3D Improvements In Windows 7 a read. In this article, we will focus on the Windows 7 graphical desktop, which will also include everything from Aero to 3D gaming and video playback. Although Microsoft has publicly revealed some details on some of these improvements, this article will give you the full details." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective Forums | Subject: General Tech
Right now you could say that we are in a golden age for GPUs. The performance available at the $100 will have you running any modern game at reasonable frame rates with a little tweaking. You can't turn on the bells and whistles, nor will you be able to set your resolution to 2560x1600, but you can run them. The days of requiring a serious investment of cash to upgrade your card to bare minimum have gone, though they will return some day. In the mean time if you are using an 8800 series card, you should really upgrade, it is the perfect time to do it.
What does require you to save up a few pennies are the SSDs that are replacing platter based storage. The performance they offer is nothing short of incredible, the amount of abuse they can take is phenomenal and the sound they make is unmeasurable. That is not to say that platter based drives are all noisy and cheap, they still have a lot of uses and should not be considered dead. At the Fragging Frogs' lily pad, you might notice a bit of excitement, as there is an interesting update looming. It seems the folks at EA have decided to update Battlefield 2, rolling up both expansion packs as well as a host of changes and improvements. Look for weekly games starting up, giving you a chance to blow up, maim and otherwise deliver flaming death to fellow forum members. The Bullfrogs of The Lightning Round are playing a different game, but one that is not any less dangerous, while the Trading Post is always friendly and full of great deals and trades. Remember folks, friends don't let friends buy gimmicky NICs; they do tell them to catch the latest episode of the PC Perspective Podcast, it is free and will also improve your network speeds the same amount as the Killer NIC.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PCStats | Subject: Storage
If you have yet to enjoy the experience of a 500GB+ drive suddenly reducing its self to 32MB and refusing to be read, you are missing out. It is caused by a random corruption of the LBA48, HPA and DCO records
which reside in that part of the HDD you can not get at, that part of the drive which many people get very upset about. It was the cause of an attempted class action suit from users who decided not having access to the full capacity of the drive was some sort of false advertising and was also the reason that gibblebytes and other bizarre names were bandied around for a while.
PC Stats can not solve the latter case of the missing bytes, but they can solve the first. Drop by for a step by step look at how to get your drive back. Like any data recovery, there is a chance of losing the data on the drive, so do be careful. "The sudden loss of factory hard drive capacity seems to be a common occurrence with very large capacity hard drives. Here's what typically happens; a large capacity hard drive of between 500GB, 750GB, 1TB and 1.5TB suddenly appears to loose most of its capacity for no apparent reason. In many situations the hard drive shrinks to 32MB and becomes inaccessible to the Windows Vista. Rest assured, in this Guide PCSTATS will tell you how to easily fix this bug and reclaim the full factory capacity of your hard drive." Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: I4U News | Subject: General Tech
Killer gaming mice with multiple lasers or sensors, DPI resolution close to 10,000 and various weights to make your fragging perfect are great when you are at the PC. The second you step away for some reason, those same features make it difficult to use on random surfaces. The cord can also be a problem, say if your graphics card decides to only send to the TV in the other room and not to the monitor. The Logitech Performance Mouse MX is your answer to that, being cordless and designed to work on almost any system. Find out if Logitech got it right at I4U News.
"Last week I looked at the new Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX that featured the new Darkfield technology. This week I am looking at the desktop Performance Mouse MX from Logitech that is designed for the desktop user who wants tracking on any surface. If you are looking for a new wireless mouse that you can use on any surface in your home the Performance Mouse MX may be just what you need." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Think Computers | Subject: Case and Cooling
Thermaltake's new series of cases all bear the Element name, with G, S and T models. Think Computers can tell you the difference between these cases in their newest review. Focusing on the Element G in this particular instance, a case which is designed with Gaming, Glittering, Gradational, Gigantic and Glaciated
features. If you want to figure out exactly what they mean by that you will have to read the full review. It does have a happy ending, so head over.
"Back in February we took a look at the Element S case from Thermaltake, their first case in the Element line of cases. Recently they have released 2 more cases into the line, the Element G and Element T. The Element G is gaming case that offers massive cooling with 4 large cooling fans, all of which have multi-colored LED's that can be controlled, tons of storage capacity with 7 3.5-inch bays and even 2 2.5-inch SSD bays as well as a very sleek interior and exterior design. The Elements T on the other hand is basically a stripped down version of the Element G for system builders. Today we will be taki ng a look at the Element G." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Ars Technica | Subject: General Tech
Wireless networking is really handy, no wires to drag or holes to drill and it is nice to be able to work where you want, as long as you are in range of your router. The problem is security. It has been over 2 years since the death of WEP as a useful tool to keep your packets safe. Now it would seem that WPA has taken a bit of a beating. The good news is that there are limits to this attack, you can gain the ability to read or change short packets, but you can neither read or change the WPA key. The bad news is that those packets can be cracked in about a minute. Head on over to Ars Technica to get more details and another weakness of the attack.
"In the wake of WEP's failure, WiFi Protected Access (WPA) was supposed to keep our data safe as it blasted through the ether. It still works, but researchers have now crafted several effective attacks; the newest takes only to minute to decode a short packet." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Corsair Memory | Subject: Memory
FREMONT, Calif., Aug. 27, 2009 - Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer memory, power supplies and flash memory products, including solid-state drives, today announced a new set of high density products for Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors. These DIMMs are available in dual and triple channel configurations and are specifically tuned for Intel CPUs.
The 8GB and 12GB module kits feature Corsair's DHX+ cooling technology, and sport new American Racing Blue fins and highlights. The dual channel configuration, part number CMD8GX3M4A1600C8, consists of four matched 2GB modules, optimized for P55 motherboards. The triple channel configuration, part number CMD12GX3M6A1600C8, consists of six matched 2GB modules, and is optimized for X58 motherboards. Both sets of modules have XMP profiles set at 1600MHz, with CAS latency settings of 8-8-8-24. An Airflow fan with matching blue highlights is included with both the dual and triple channel configurations. "Windows® 7 early adopters and other power users have recently been demanding 8GB and 12GB performance memodry solutions to optimize their computing experience," stated John Beekley, Vice President of Technical Marketing at Corsair. "These 8GB and 12GB configurations will allow these advanced users to get the most out of their high performance rigs, particularly if they often switch between demanding tasks like gaming and video production." Corsair has recently produced a whitepaper detailing some of the performance gains that can be realized with memory configurations of 8GB and larger. You can find the results of this study 
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Hardware Zone | Subject: Mobile
For some reason there exists a laptop manufacturer that goes by the name of Suzuki and they have a new product out called the Kuiper 1562 WKS. It is a 15.6" display with a native 1366 x 768 display a C2 Duo T6400 and 4GB DDR2 667MHz with a NVIDIA GeForce G 105M
providing the graphics power. Perhaps the most noticeable thing on this laptop is the pre-installed software; you will find a Vista 64-bit Home Basic installation and software for the embedded camera ... full stop. Nothing else, no trial-ware, no funky screen controls, just a basic OS and a driver. If that interests you, drop by Hardware Zone for a look at this $1000 notebook.
"Suzuki isn't fazed by the big boys just as yet, seeing how they have introduced yet another 15.6-inch notebook with a very affordable price tag." Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: [H]ard|OCP | Subject: Graphics Card
The battle for the best $100 video card is a tough one, and the champion is continually changing. The various makers of the graphics cards are trying to fit the most features and the highest clocks possible without heading into the next market. At $125+ you are essentially in a new market with yet other GPUs to war against. One of the newer cards is ASUS take on the 4770, in this case called the EAH4770 FORMULA. [H]ard|OCP was more than pleased to find out that there is a serious amount of overclocking potential in this card, as it was having a hard time keeping up with nVIDIA's offering. The race is tight, but with a little work this review shows the potential of the HD4770.
"The battle at $100 is fierce, and the new ASUS EAH4770 FORMULA thinks it can take on the challenge. This time around, we have included some of the latest games including Arma II and Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. We also squeeze every amount of performance out of the ASUS 4770 FORMULA using third party apps to achieve the best overclock possible and see if it makes any difference in real world gameplay." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: ALIENBABEL tech | Subject: Processor
As Josh talked about last night on the PCPer Podcast, ACC is an AMD users best friend. The newest trick is unlocking the extra 6MB L3 cache on some Athlon II processors, essentially making them into Phenom II CPUs. Drop by ALIENBABEL tech to see the benchmarks of one such unlocked chip.
"It seems that the ACC intended to improve overclocking on the original AMD Phenoms, is playing new magic tricks again. After it’s ACT 1 which was the unlocking of the disabled cores on the tri-core and dual core Phenom II X3 and X2’s, ACC seems to have found a new puppy to perform ACT 2 on. This time it unlocks the L3 cache on the upcoming Athlon II quad core parts." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Case and Cooling
Enermax is not kidding around with their Galaxy EVO 1,250W PSU. Sporting 6 separate 30 amp 12V lines and 3 dual PCIe 8p plugs that are just dying to have multiple GPUs plugged in an overclocked. Lee found its efficiency to be quite good, though slightly inferior to the Revolution85+ 1,050W. The power it provided to the 12V lines did display ripple but it was still good enough to win a PC Perspective Silver Award. Read the full review here. "The Enermax Galaxy EVO 1,250W PSU delivered good voltage regulation (especially on the important +12V rails) with relatively clean outputs and good efficiency. The EVO 1,250W PSU is quiet, runs cool during normal operation, and includes an excellent compliment of both fixed and modular cables/connectors. At 1,250W DC output, this is one of the largest PSUs most NA users will be able to operate from a standard 120 VAC, 15A residential circuit. The Enermax Galaxy EVO 1,250W PSU is currently available and typically sells for around $300 USD." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Ars Technica | Subject: General Tech
The holographic slideshow is a reality, unfortunately they were aiming for a moving picture. Current technology can render a nice holographic image by using all the processing power available, the problem being that there is nothing left to apply shading, or lighting and shadows. A prototype card called the HORN-6 looks to be a huge step forward in the quest to bring animated holography to the big and small screen. If you slap 4 of them in a system, you can get a nice holographic image that can be refreshed at a speed of 1 frame per second, sort of like Crysis on an IGP. Drop by Ars Technica for a look at the problems and the possible solutions to this dimensional dilemma.
"If the resurgence of 3D glasses at local cinemas are any indication, we all want a bit more, ahem, depth to our cinematic experience. Unfortunately, the stylish glasses don't exactly lend themselves to an immersive experience. What would be really cool would be animated holograms. While holograms aren't the easiest things in the world to make, it is possible to take a 3D computer model and compute the data necessary to generate a hologram that can be used to project a 3D image from a screen. Given that animation is largely computer generated now anyway, where are my holographic animated movies? " Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Report | Subject: Storage
In Win's new Ammo external HDD cage has a unique trick that the security conscious will be interested in. Encrypting and decrypting large files can be a time consuming process as you wait patiently by your top of the line PC with 8 threads and gobs of memory bandwidth for it to finish. In Win feels that might be a little inconvenient and includes 128-bit AES encryption handled by a dedicated ASIC chip built right into the enclosure. It also comes with a pair of RFID tags of which you need at least one to decrypt your data. The Tech Reports biggest caveat is that this enclosure is for 2.5" drives only, even though it is larger than many 3.5" drive cages. "External hard drive enclosures are a dime a dozen, but In Win's Ammo brings something new to the table: RFID-authenticated AES encryption. It's a novel idea, and the implementation is really quite slick." Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Motherboard
P55 based motherboards have been teasing enthusiasts for over a week and from every possible direction. While you cannot yet buy them, and no site is supposed to publish actual performance benchmarks with numbers of the new P55 and i5 combo so we aren't quite sure how it will measure up to the x58 and i7 combo we are familiar with. A quick guess can tell you what it will be like; the programs that can use hyperthreading and take advantage of the extra memory bandwidth of triple channel RAM are next to zero. Almost directly next to zero. That leaves clock speed, and those will be in the same ball park; so guess away.
Ryan just finished up with a preview of what will be ASUS's second most feature filled, as well as pricey, P55 motherboard called the P7P55D. Among other things, it sports a certain SATA 6G chip that is rather exciting. "We have yet another P55 motherboard preview to share with you today as we continue to prepare for the mounting barrage of Intel Lynnfield processor reviews and associated P55 offerings. This ASUS P7P55D Premium looks to be the only (or one of just a couple) boards to actually keep the Marvell 9123 SATA 6G chip. The power phase technology on the Premium is also pretty unique - be sure to stop in and see what is coming next month!" Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Tech Spot | Subject: General Tech
If you are even peripherally aware of who BJ Blazkowicz
is or played the atrocity that was Enemy Territory then you have read at least one review of Wolfenstein. What you may not have seen is a guide to making your game look better, though you may be familiar with the impact the Veil has on your werewolf's victims frames per second. Tech Spot would like to fix that lack with a look into what kind of performance that you can expect from your GPU.
"Wolfenstein is id Software's latest gaming title having just hit shelves last week. Upon its release Wolfenstein has received generally favorable reviews from critics. The game has been praised for its exciting single player campaign, while the multiplayer component has received the most criticism, considered by some to be a letdown when compared to its predecessor Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. As with any new game release there is always the chance it may not run on your current setup, or at the very least, not run well. That's the reason we like to bring you a complete set of tests based on new games such as Wolfenstein using a range of current graphics cards and some other not so current ones." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Silicon Madness | Subject: General Tech
If there is one particular BIOS option that AMD fans are all talking about, it would be Advanced Clock Configuration. ACC can turn single core Semprons into a dual core Athlon X2. Originally it was the Phenom II series, where 4 core parts were being having one or more core disabled and sold as lower priced chips having those cores unlocked via ACC. Now we are hearing of a new contender from Silicon Madness; it seems some Athlon IIs can, with a little luck, be transformed into a Phenom II. You won't be unlocking cores, instead it is the 6MB of L3 cache you are going after. A word of warning comes with that information, the thermal diodes inside the CPU so make sure you have accurate motherboard sensors.
No, you won't be able to use ACC to take a single chip from a Sempron to a Phenom X4 unless AMDs binning process has gone completely pants. "While pictures of the highly anticipated "Propus" core - the quad-core without L3 cache - have surfaced, it seems AMD is releasing early samples of the Athlon II X4 620 and 630 processors with a "Deneb" core, the same that has been shipping in Phenom II X4 900/800, Phenom II X3 700 and AMD Phenom II X2 processors. As with all the previous processors based on the "Deneb" core, they can be unlocked to an X3 or X4 processor, if the silicon is in good shape. In this situation, what is unlocked are the 6MB of L3 cache. The future Athlon II X3 might also allow for the unlocking of the extra core, besides the L3 cache, if we ever see "Deneb" based versions." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: OCIA | Subject: General Tech
Earbuds are handy when you are on the go or if you really don't like full earcups and the associated headgear, with in-ear being the most popular style currently. Of the in-ear buds, the Razer Moray In-Ear Headphones are near the top of most people's lists and they have just been improved upon. The Razer Moray+ Mobile Gaming Communicator
takes that design and adds an in-line microphone to the mix. Drop by OCIA to see if the quality of these new earbuds and mic can match the original.
"Towards the end of last year, Rutledge reviewed the Razer Moray In-Ear Headphones, a set of light weight earbuds perfect for those gamers on the go. While also offering compatibility with all sorts of mobile devices, such as multimedia cell phones, MP3 players and personal game consoles, the Moray could also be used on a PC with the included adapter. However times have changed, technology has advanced, and gamers demand more. Wouldn't it be great if they would make a set of travel buds with an inline mic so you could frag on the go and still communicate with the rest of your clan? Or how about being able to call your virtual dog's name or blow on a hot dish, fresh out of the oven without having to talk directly into the screen of your DS? Razer has you covered, as they release the Moray+ mobile gaming communicator." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: MetkuMods | Subject: Case and Cooling
If you aren't aware just what a Mobira Talkman
is or remember when mobile phones weighed 20lbs, this review will be an eye opener. If you are an old phone junkie, you might best take MektuMods warning and stay well away from this particular article. By eviscerating the Talkman's main unit and inserting a Commell LS-371
motherboard and an Intel T5500 Core 2 Duo, the brains of the HTPC come together. Wait until you see what he did with the handset.
"Oh, and the reason why I wanted to do this. My old and trusty Xbox1 with XBMC has been streaming all our videos for us but the only problem is that it isn't powerful enought to decode these new high definition file formats. I happened to have a 3.5" form factor motherboard and as the new XBMC builds for Windows seemed stable enough, I decided it is time to update the box and build it inside a 25 years old mobile phone!" Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Neoseeker | Subject: Case and Cooling
If you are looking for a gorgeous case with doodads, fiddly bits and lights then read no further. If you are looking for a functional case with understated looks and good cooling for under $40 then does Neoseeker have the review for you. Without a PSU, the Cooler Master Elite 310 will set you back $36, $45 with a PSU; though a $9 PSU may well be a POS. It is missing some nice features, like a removable motherboard tray and built in cable management which are present on higher end cases. Neoseeker was impressed with its ability in one area, even with only an exhaust fan this case kept their system running nice and cool.
"The price is just absurd (in a good way) for a case of this quality. At a paltry $40 USD without a PSU, and $60 USD with a PSU, the Elite 310 offers fantastic value. The Elite 310 can be recommended not only because it can maintain temperatures really well, but also because you can't go wrong when it is this inexpensive." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: ModSynergy | Subject: Display
At only 19", the 1366x768 Samsung SyncMaster 19-inch LD190G
might seem a bit small to be interesting but this particular LCD has a few tricks up its sleeving.
ModSynergy liked its overall look as well as its viewing angles, which seemed better than most models to them. The neat trick that it can do involved the built in USB plug, not intended for use as a hub but instead to allow you to use another monitor. It is also very handy for use with a laptop as you can connect the monitor to it via that same USB plug and the help of some software. Drop by for a look at this multi-talented, multi-display monitor.
"Today presents an interesting review of a new series of monitors coming from Samsung called LapFit, which looks to bring versatility and expandability to notebook users whom are seeking a quality multi-display solution without needing additional hardware or confusing adapters. What is impressive about the new LapFit displays is the fact that Samsung offers you a chance to add multiple external monitors to a single PC without the need of additional graphics card or complex software installations, with everything being all done via USB connection. Read on to learn about the new Samsung SyncMaster 19-inch LD190G widescreen LapFit LCD monitor and to see if this is something that could peak your interests. Reviewing this monitor made it clear that the LapFit is not only useful just for the notebook crowd." Here are some more Display articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: [H]ard|OCP | Subject: General Tech
[H]ard|OCP has revealed the overclocking potential of the Core i5 on their front page. You won't see any performance benchmarks in their sneak peek, those are still a loosely kept secret. What you will see is an impressive overclocking tool in action, and that is not a comment about the reviewer, it is about the i5 One Button OCing
tool. With a simple push of a button and a few seconds wait, your system will automatically overclock its self, voltages and all. That didn't stop [H] from trying some manual OCing as well.
"Our first preview of our Intel Core i5 processor that we purchased online last week. We put the 2.66GHz Core i5 model 750 through some overclocking paces to show you what can be achieved easily with an enthusiast air cooler." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Corsair Memory | Subject: Storage
FREMONT, Calif., Aug. 24, 2009 - Corsair, a worldwide leader in high-performance computer memory, power supplies and flash memory products, including solid-state drives, today announced a new, high-capacity 256GB addition to its high-performance Extreme Series SSD family. Built using the renowned Indilinx Barefoot controller and Samsung MLC NAND flash memory, the new Corsair Extreme Series X256 SSD combines high-performance with a massive 256GB of storage space, for enthusiasts who don't want to compromise on speed or capacity. The new Corsair Extreme Series X256 joins the existing models, the X32, X64 and X128, and offers read speeds of up to 240MB/s and write speeds of up to 170MB/s. It also features 64MB of cache memory, ensuring stutter-free performance. "Since the launch of the Corsair Extreme Series SSDs in June we've had a fantastic response from customers who love the high-performance and reliability, and we've regularly been asked for even higher capacity models." said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing at Corsair. "The new 256GB Extreme Series X256 is a response to the growing popularity of high-capacity SSDs, and it joins our Performance Series P256 at the top of its range, for enthusiasts who want the fastest speeds and plenty of space available for their pictures, music, and videos." All Extreme Series SSDs feature end-user upgradable firmware to allow for new features to be added, such as the upcoming TRIM command for Windows 7 and other operating systems, which maintains optimal performance over time. Support for the Extreme Series, including future firmware upgrades is available at corsair.com. The Corsair Extreme Series X256 solid-state drive is available immediately from Corsair's authorized distributors and resellers worldwide, and is backed by a Two-Year Limited Warranty. Complete customer support via telephone, email, forum and Tech Support Express is also available. For more information on the full line of solid-state drives from Corsair, please visit corsair.com/ssd. 
Josh Walrath | Source: PC Perspective Forums | Subject: Motherboard
Some months ago I wrote up a little article talking about how it seems that NVIDIA is no longer all that interested in competing with the chipset division at AMD. While the 980a/780a/750a are all very nice chipsets, we have yet to see a true AM3 motherboard featuring an NVIDIA chipset and sporting SLI support. Well, the day has finally come. MSI is stepping up to the plate with one of the first new 980a designs in some time, and AM3 to boot. That's right, Phenom II X4 and DDR-3 combined with SLI. About damn time.
The MSI NF980-G65 is a very full featured board. It has 3 x PEG slots for up to triple SLI action (16x, 8x, and 8x respectively). The 980a chipset is combined with the nForce 200 chip to give that kind of functionality. 6 SATA ports, a whole bundle of USB 2.0, Gig-E, Firewire, and HDMI out for those wanting to use the internal graphics for some reason. The board does not look to be cheap, as it will likely be in the $200 range. Still, it is a welcome sight for those who are AMD CPU fans, and who wanted to upgrade to AM3 yet still be able to utilize multiple NVIDIA cards in SLI. 
While at Quakecon I was able to sit down with some of the NVIDIA guys and discuss the situation with AMD processor support and SLI. There really is nothing nefarious going on (from what I could tell), but rather that AMD is pricing the competition out of the market. NVIDIA is a "for profit" corporation, and they expect most of their products to actually make money. If they were to compete with AMD in the chipset section, then it would be a losing proposition. We can see from the pricing of most AMD motherboards that AMD is not actually making any money per chipset sold (that includes the northbridge and the southbridge). AMD is essentially sacrificing chipset margins to enable potentially higher margins for their CPUs (the cost of the platform is overall lower, and thereby more attractive to consumers), or perhaps more significantly they are sacrificing chipset margins to gain overall CPU marketshare. NVIDIA's choice was to continue pursuing marketshare in the AMD market (which is relatively small), or put their energies into the Intel platform and Ion (far more CPUs sold there, plus higher margins on their products). Also, Intel still has cruddy integrated graphics on their side, which is an added bonus for NVIDIA. As we well know, the integrated graphics on the AMD side are as good, if not slightly better overall than what NVIDIA offers. It really does make sense for NVIDIA to spend the engineering and marketing resources to sell products that actually have decent margins. In the short term, AMD is gaining ground because of their pricing, but in the long term they could seriously be cutting their own throats. AMD has survived going against Intel for decades because it has always been willing to partner with other companies, and leverage the synergy that resulted into better products and platforms. The SNAP alliance was a perfect example of this. NVIDIA was able to make a significant impact in the chipset market, and AMD was able to leverage the advanced chipset features that NVIDIA brought to the market. Still, it is nice to finally see a AM3 SLI enabled product, and kudos for MSI for stepping up to the plate and delivering a very interesting product. A thanks to Brothergc who found the board and posted it in the forums this morning.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Hardware Zone | Subject: Mobile
Intel's awkward replacement name for the netbook is the CULV, and the new Lenovo IdeaPad U350 would be one. It has a 13.3" LCD powered by the Intel GS45
chipset at a native resolution of 1366x768 pixels and the model for review at Hardware Zone had and Intel Pentium SU2700 which is a single core CPU @ 1.3GHz and 3GB of DDR3-1066. Hardware Zone decided by the end of their review that while the laptop was certainly good, it fell short of great because the battery life didn't live up to their expectations.
"We're starting to see more ultrathin notebooks using Intel's Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) processors, so we're pleased that Lenovo's entry, the IdeaPad U350, finally made its way to our labs. Find out from our review if this charmer can perform as well." Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: OCZ Technology | Subject: Memory
San Jose, Calif. - August 24, 2009 - OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today unveiled low-voltage DDR3 designed specifically for the upcoming Intel P55 Chipset and subsequent Intel Core i7, i5, and i3 (Socket 1156) processors. Configured for dual channel mode, these ultra-compatible 4GB kits ensure optimal performance with an ideal combination of low power requirements and high frequencies. Developed for cost-conscious enthusiasts and gamers, these new OCZ modules were engineered with the same affordability and performance standards as the new Lynnfield platform. By using sophisticated IC screening methods and qualifying on a variety of motherboards, OCZ low-voltage kits are the perfect complement for the P55 Chipset and choice CPU to deliver the maximum stability Together, P55 and OCZ memory are the premium option for the midrange desktops. "OCZ is excited to introduce a complete range of new DDR3 dual channel memory kits that are engineered specifically for Intel's cutting edge P55 platform," commented Alex Mei, CMO for the OCZ Technology Group. "These gaming kits make use of high quality hand screened chips to deliver exceptional performance and stability at surprisingly low voltages when paired with the latest Intel processors and chipset." "I'm always excited to see the innovation that takes place when Intel's new performance platforms are introduced into the market. In this case, OCZ & Intel are proud to deliver products that increase system responsiveness at affordable prices," said Steve R. Peterson, Intel's Director of Chipset Group Marketing. "The ability for a Do-It-Yourself enthusiast to build a screaming PC and still have money left over to buy some new PC games or Blu-ray videos, makes the upcoming platform introduction a hit for people of all ages." OCZ will release the low-voltage dual channel DDR3 kits under the award-winning Platinum and Gold series:
OCZ modules are 100% hand-tested for quality assurance and feature propriety XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) heatspreaders for the most effective heat dissipation. Furthermore, each OCZ memory kit is backed by the industry-leading OCZ Lifetime Warranty and technical support for unparalleled peace of mind.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: InsideHW | Subject: General Tech
At $185 the Logitech G19 keyboard is a serious investment. For that investment you get a keyboard with a 320x240 LCD that can display customizable system or game information. It can even display video if you so desire. There is also an even dozen programmable keys on the outside to let you customize your board to your own specifications. There is a lot more to see on this board, so drop by InsideHW for a look at a keyboard that could be considered a secret weapon.
"On this year's CeBIT Logitech presented successor of very popular keyboards from G series: G19. This keyboard has arrived at our test lab but with high price tag. Are innovations on this keyboard really worth that much or not, you will find out very soon…" Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
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