Lexar Announces Crucial Mobile DDR3 Modules

DDR3 first launched on the desktop last May, and since then adoption has been slow. It's no surprise, however, due to high cost of ownership, whereas DDR2 is so inexpensive, it can cost a mere $300 to have 8GB of RAM in your rig. So why pay multiple hundreds for DDR3? Well, DDR3 prices are going down fast, and it's a good thing too. Now a very good 2GB kit can be had for $200, so we are going in the right direction.

The notebook has nothing to fear, though, as it's not being left behind. Lexar has just announced mobile parts, and yes... they are expensive. Clocked at the rather loose speed of PC3-8500 (DDR3-1066), the modules carry a CAS latency of 7. By comparison, CL7 is popular for DDR3-1333 desktop parts, so like mobile DDR2, DDR3 SODIMM's will lag behind in overall performance.

Lexar is offering both single modules and a kit of two, but the kit won't save you a dime. The single 1GB module retails for $135, while a 2GB module can be had for a very expensive $370. Kits are $270 and $740, respectively. You can expect high-end boutiques to be the first to pick up on the new memory.

Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the immediate availability of Crucial DDR3-1066 (PC3-8500) 204-pin SODIMM memory modules. The new DDR3-1066 modules feature enhanced performance, reduced power consumption and produce less heat compared to equivalent DDR2 modules, and are available now in 1GB and 2GB densities at www.crucial.com, www.crucial.com/uk and www.crucial.com/eu.

Source: Lexar Press Release

ASUS Unveils "Essentio" CS5110 Mini-Desktop PC

Rumors have it that the ASUS Eee PC has been doing well sales-wise, so it's only natural for the company to follow-up with the same idea, but packed into a desktop. Although, while the Eee PC is rather lackluster in power, the Essentio CS5110 actually has some power, so it looks to be a good choice for HTPC use or for any other use, where a small, quiet PC, is required.

The CS5110 is designed to lay flat, and should be comparable to either an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, when they are laid flat. The machine is pure black, and glossy, so dust will be attracted to it like a magnet (I have this same problem with the PS3, but not my Xbox 360), and total noise hovers around 24dB.

Thanks for the included 8600M GT graphics processor, the CS5110 can also handle some light gaming, and in all truth, given that there is better airflow in this machine, that GPU should perform better than how it does in a standard notebook. That all aside, pricing will of course decide the success of the machine, but if priced-well, it should fly off the shelves. After all, it boasts far more power than a Mac Mini, but those still sell, despite their inflated price.

Despite the small dimensions, the CS5110 packs quite a punch. The desktop features an Intel G35-based motherboard and supports Core 2 Duo, Pentium Dual Core and Celeron D processors. Up to 4GB of DDR2 memory (via two SO-DIMM slots) is supported and the chassis can accommodate a single 3.5" SATA II HDD, and either a slot-loading DVD SuperMulti or Blu-ray drive.

Source: DailyTech

Games for Windows: The Official Magazine... No Longer a Magazine

This past November, we posted a news item that posed the question, "Are Gaming Magazines Going to Die?", but sadly, that answer has been known for a while. The fact has only been strengthened today, as news comes from the Games For Windows: The Official Magazine, which is now dropping the "Magazine" part of its name.

From now on, the magazine will remain as an online-only publication. It's unknown whether it will be available in a PDF format or even follow a similar layout as the magazine, but that should soon be seen. The sad reality is that Games for Windows will not likely be the last magazine to cease producing paper magazines, for all-to-obvious reasons.

I admit I've never even cracked the cover of the magazine, but it's sad to see any gaming magazine close shop, especially magazines are all we could rely on for years on end. Nintendo Power for the win! (The old ones, the new ones are appalling).

Editor-in-chief Jeff Green, whose columns I enjoyed for a number of years, has written a eulogy of sorts on his 1UP blog, wherein he laments the state of the industry yet simultaneously accepts that Internet publishing is the future. It’s simple economics, really: continue to chop down trees and ship them off every which way, or upload a couple of HTML files to a central server?

Source: CrunchGear

April 10th Tech Roundup

Displays & Video Cards
• ASUS EN9800GX2 Top - i4u
• NVIDIA QuadroFX 3700 512MB Workstation Graphics Card - HotHardware
• Sapphire HD3850-512MB - T-Break

Memory & Storage
• Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red PC2-6400 4GB Memory Kit - 3DGameman
• MTRON MOBI 64GB SATA Solid State Disk - TweakTown

Peripherals & Gadgets
• Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard - Digital Trends
• Panasonic BL-C1A Network Camera - Techware Labs
• VSONIC R02-PRO Earphones - techPowerUp!

Cooling
• Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro - Bjorn3D
• Thermaltake DuOrb CPU Cooler - Legit Reviews
• Thermaltake Silent Water (CL-W0065) Liquid Cooling System - ModSynergy
• Tuniq Sanctum Hard Drive Cooler - Techware Labs
• Xigmatek HDT- S1283 - XSReviews

Chassis & Power Supplies
• Antec NSK4480 Case - LiveBlueprints
• Cooler Master Centurion 590 Mid-Tower - OCIA
• Mushkin XP-800AP 800W - Overclockers Club
• PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad - TweakPC
• SilverStone KLO2 Kublai Series Case - GamePyre
• Ultra Stackables - Modders-Inc

Competitions, Complete Systems & Et cetera
• Contest: Summer Modding Giveaway - FusionMods