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- Maxon Redshift With AMD Radeon GPU Rendering Support Now Available
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Corsair DHX Technology ‘Dominator’ Overview and Interview
In case you missed it on Monday Corsair Memory unveiled the latest innovation in high performance module design, Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX) technology. From the outside it looks like Corsair changed their heat spreader, but it’s a bit more complex than a minor heat spreader switch!
If you are intrigued by these modules [who couldn’t be?] then you will want to read the new article at Legit Reviews. These spreaders have some serious potential!
Micron Prepares 16GB Memory Module
Servers memory capacity will get a boost later this year with availability of 16 GB modules. Micron is currently sampling the devices, which are built in a 36x2x2Gb “twin-die” stack configuration. Commercial availability is planned for late 2006. Ultra-dense DDR and DDR2 memory modules ar etypically used in high-end server environments when a memory upgrade makes more economical sense than replacing a complete server. However, high-end memory is not quite mainstream in terms of pricing and typically out of reach for the average customer.
I look forward to seeing what this module actually looks like. For ~$15,000, I don’t think many people will be jumping on this one. I can’t imagine what server would need this module. Considering 8GB * 2 would technically offer better performance, it would be hard to imagine anyone ponying up $30K for 32GB of ram!
DesktopLinux Survey Results
Last week, I posted a link to DesktopLinux.com and their quick survey. It didn’t take long for the results to roll in.
Still, when all is said and done, we do think that our survey does say some interesting things about the current state of desktop Linux. So, without further ado, here’s what we found.
The most popular desktop of Linux today is… well, most of you can already guess without seeing the scores: Ubuntu. Ubuntu, with 29.2 percent of the vote, has been the hottest community Linux since early 2005. While this Linux has had its problems lately, such as the update fiasco on August 21st and 22nd, users continue to download, install, and love it.
The runners-up are Debian, openSUSE and then Gentoo for fourth place. You can see the rest of the results here but they are not in graph format so you will actually have to read.
VGA Heat-Pipe Cooler Roundup
Using the highest performance graphics hardware comes at a cost. Actually, it has many costs: money, power, heat, and noise. Money can buy you a high performance graphics card, and a strong power supply can provide the power it needs… but no matter what you do, that monster graphics processor is going to output a very substantial amount of heat. To make matters worse, cooling that hardware is probably going to be pretty loud, to boot.
Out of the five they tested out, none of them proved perfect. The Arctic Cooling Accelero and EVERCOOL Turbo coolers were of the highest ranked though with 4 out of 5 overall scores.
OS X native version of Open Office next month
A version of OpenOffice that will run natively under Mac OS X’s Aqua user interface will be demo’d in public at Apple Expo Paris next month, the team behind the software have revealed. To date, the open-source productivity software suite has only run under the X11 Unix windowing system. Apple bundles an X11 implementation with Mac OS X, but many Mac users prefer the operating system’s own look and feel.
Not only will it look better, chances are it would run smoother due to it using OS Xs native interface.
Corel Buys InterVideo
PC Magazine reports that Corel is expected to purchase InterVideo for $196M USD. InterVideo currently also holds the majority stake in Ulead too. Corel receives the controlling interest in Ulead with the acquisition of InterVideo as well. As with most acquisition news this isn’t official yet as the terms of the acquisition, shareholder approval, regulatory approval and other details haven’t been finalized yet. However, when the details are finalized Corel will own the WinDVD, WinRip, Photo Impact, DVD Movie Factory and other multimedia applications.
That’s quite a buy! Corel hasn’t exactly been a big player lately, so this could be a good way to boost stock. I’ve never been a fan of any Corel or InterVideo products, but I look forward to seeing where this goes.
Interview with Lead Engineer of Linux Flash Player Team
What has been the toughest part of porting Flash Player 9 to Linux?
I would say the hardest part is selecting APIs that have broad coverage across distributions. Linux is a powerful platform that values diversity and choice of programming interfaces. This can sometimes conflict with the goal of creating software that is easily portable across different OS and distributions.
This is a great interview if you want somewhat of a behind the scenes look. Flash for Linux has come a long way in a few months though, and we should be seeing Flash 9 landing on Linux desktops in only a few months. Here’s hoping for 64-Bit support… a fact he never brought up in the interview.
Is PC Gaming getting more and more boring?
To quote something I agree with “The stagnation of the game industry is dependant on the point of view of the individual”. A good point, no game can satisfy the entire demographic just the same way as even the best movies are not enjoyed by everyone.
I have to agree with most of these points… gaming in general focuses a lot more on better graphics and sound instead of gameplay. I suppose this is why I am still playing a six year old MMO and loving it ;-)
Prey Patch 1.1 Released
As Prey continues to garner rave reviews, we’ve continued to enhance the online experience for the PC version of the game with Prey Patch 1.1, which will be available for download Wednesday, August 30 beginning at Noon eastern time. Among the latest improvements are multiplayer bandwidth optimization to allow better play on higher latency connections, a slew of updates to the multiplayer browser and the fixing of some components to improve stability on certain systems.
If you are a fan of Prey and want to keep up to date, just click the Update button on the main menu or follow the instructions when entering MultiPrey.
OCZ Makes Use of Voltage eXtreme Technology to Shatter DDR2 Speed Records
Sunnyvale, CA—August 29, 2006—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the exciting unveiling of the PC2-9000 Ti Alpha VX2 DFI Special Edition, an exclusively engineered series of memory optimized for the new DFI LANParty UT NF590 SLI-M2R.
OCZ had just released their Gold PC2-8800 kit last week, so it certainly didn’t take them long to come right back with another amazing kit. Though it’s designed for a specific motherboard, it should prove just as overclocking friendly on any good AM2 board. You can read the full press release here.
New High-End Intel Server Processors Expand Performance Leadership
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 29, 2006 – Intel Corporation today unveiled eight new Dual-Core Intel Xeon® 7100 series processors designed for multi-processor servers. Previously codenamed “Tulsa,” the Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 7100 series delivers on key requirements to support the demands of enterprise applications: top performance and reliability. The processor family also includes lower-power, 95 watt options that reduce associated energy costs.
You can read the complete news release here.
Review Roundup for August 30
- Akasa Integral LAN Disk Enclosure – Xtreme Computing
Cases & Enclosures
- Asetek WaterChill Xternal – HotHardware
- SilverStone FM121 120mm Fan – DragonSteelMods
- Titan TTC-NK34TZ – Technic3D
Cooling
- Wolverine Flash Pac 7040 Portable Data Storage 7 in 1 Memory Card Reader – Futurelooks
Memory & Storage
- Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 Overclocking Adventure – Virtual-Hideout
Motherboards & Processors
- ACEplus Melody Bluetooth Audio Player – techARP
- Altec Lansing iM9 Portable Audio System – XYZ Computing
- Creative Zen vision M 30GB – Red & Blackness
- Scythe Kama Connect – techPowerUp!
- Ultra Products X-Finity 500W PSU with Active PFC – Big Bruin
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- BFG GeForce 7600 GT & 7900 GT OC – Guru3D
Displays & Video Cards
- A64/Opteron IHS Removal Guide – Overclockers Club
- AlphaShield Home Edition Firewall – GruntVille
- Canon DC95 – BIOS Magazine
- Philips 42PF9831D Ambilight LCD TV – Digital Trends
- Pittco 5 Lan Party – Think Gaming
- Victory WorldCard Office Card Scanner – The Tech Zone
Complete Systems, Competitions & Etcetera
Updated Vista build available to first 100,000
Microsoft released Vista Build 5536 to beta testers last week, but regular end-users can take their chances with the latest build as well. After the tremendous response generated by the initial availability of Vista Beta 2 to the public, Microsoft has decided to limit this pre-RC1 build of Vista to the first 100,000 downloads
If you want to see how sluggish your PC can run, grab the download from the official site. There have been a -lot- of bug fixes since the open beta was released, so you can feel a bit better about installing this one.
Killer NIC First Look
Obviously skill must be taken into account here. I do not think that the Killer NIC is going to make you a better player if you suck to begin with. But I do think that it is possible that the Killer NIC could give a skilled online deathmatch player an edge that could make a difference.
I’m still skeptical about a $279US NIC. You would really, really need a great reason or deep pocketbook to fork over that kind of money. It’s going to be a hard sell, but HardOCP is liking where it’s headed.
Vista Pricing Revealed
For those that have been waiting for Microsoft’s long-delayed Windows Vista operating system, pricing for the company’s first consumer OS release since Windows XP in 2001 has been leaked. Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report initially discovered that Microsoft’s Canadian site had revealed pricing for the numerous Vista SKUs. However, later in the day, US pricing was found on Amazon’s website.
Home Premium, the equivalent to XP Pro, is $239. That doesn’t seem that bad considering XP Pro still sells for around $250. If you want the full blown Ultimate Edition, I hope you are ready to hand over $400!
In-depth VGA Charts
We’ve had comprehensive VGA charts since 2002, but the latest update is more extensive than anything we had before. Today we launch all single-graphics PCI Express graphics solutions from ATI and Nvidia. The only card that has not been included is ATI’s brand-new Radeon X1950XTX, since it will not be available before mid-September. Dual graphics setups will be added to the interactive charts in two days, and we will also add AGP graphics solutions shortly.
You can check out their article here and the interactive guide here. If you are looking for a new card but don’t know what games it excels in, then those charts are for you.
Corsair Dominator PC2-8888 Released
Oddly enough, I did not receive a press release about this, or it would have been posted yesterday.
Pushing performance specs generates heat, and that can compromise reliability and component life. The advanced cooling ability of Dual-path Heat Xchange (DHX) heat sinks keeps your memory safe and reliable even as you push it to the limit. Under the name XMS2 DOMINATOR, this DHX technology will be showing up on both Corsair parts designed for extreme overclocking and on memory designed for performance computing and gaming.
You have to see the heatspreader for yourself to believe it. It even includes an option cooling fan… hopefully it cools better than some others on the market.
Xbox 360 gets more backwards compatible updates
Microsoft has updated its Xbox 360 backward-compatibility list, this time adding 39 new games and updating support for nine more. That brings the total number of Xbox games playable on the Xbox 360 up past the 250 mark. When the last update to the list was made in June, it added only 27 games to the list, a half-dozen of which were Japanese Xbox games like Bistro Cupid or Mahjong Seminar.
I hope that these updates won’t stop… I hate knowing I have games here I couldn’t play if I wanted to. This is quite the update though.
OCZ Technology Continues to Expand European Presence
Sunnyvale, CA—August 28th, 2006—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and power solutions, is proud to announce the expansion of its European headquarters in an effort to support the increasing demand for OCZ’s premium memory, power, and cooling solutions and growing network of European distributors, resellers, and system builders.
You can read the full press release here.
Laptops Get Performance Boost from Intel Core 2 Duo Processors
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 28, 2006 – Laptops around the world are getting a make-over as systems based on Intel® Centrino® Duo mobile technology are now shipping with Intel® Core™2 Duo mobile processors inside, Intel Corporation announced today.
You can read the full press release here.
Review Roundup for August 29
- Ultra Grid Case – Pro-Clockers
Cases & Enclosures
- DangerDen MaximumCPU Water Cooling Kit – Overclockers Club
- Thermaltake Big Typhoon CL-P0114 – TweakNews
- XSPC Bay Reservoir – Overclock3D
Cooling
- Vantec NexStar LX Network Attached Storage Device – 3D Gameman
Memory & Storage
- Biostar TForce 590 SLI Deluxe – PC Modding Malaysia
- CrossFire Xpress 3200 Socket AM2 boards from ECS and MSI – Tech Report
- Foxconn P9657AA-8KS2H- Overclockers Online
- Foxconn 975X7AA-8EKRS2H – techFEAR
- Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7600 on the Dell XPS M1710 – Legit Reviews
- Intel Mobile Core 2 Duo “Merom” Bench-Test and Showcase – Hot Hardware
- MSI K9N SLI Platinum – Neoseeker
Motherboards & Processors
- Coolmax Green Power 600w Modular – Virtual-Hideout
- Enermax Galaxy EGA1000EWL 1000W – Big Bruin
- Logisys Office Keyboard – DragonSteelMods
- OCZ GameXStream 700W SLI Power Supply – Bona Fide Reviews
- Onkyo D-TK10 Speakers – Digital Trends
- Sytrin Nextherm 460W PSU – LAN Addict
- Wolfking Warrior Game Pad – Think Computers
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- GeCube X1300 & X1600 HDMI/HDCP Slim Edition cards – Hexus
Displays & Video Cards
- $4000USD HyperKore Gaming System Giveaway – Modders-Inc
Complete Systems, Competitions & Etcetera
Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1 Released
Microsoft today announced the worldwide launch of Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1, a new disc compilation of hit Xbox Live® Arcade games plus a free one-month Xbox Live Gold subscription and downloadable Xbox Live Arcade demos. With a suggested retail price of $39.99, Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged Volume 1 arrives in stores worldwide on September 5, 2006.
I’ll be the first one to say “meh” over this, but it all really depends on what you like. The pack includes Geometry Wars, Wik, Outpost Kaloki X, Bejeweled 2, Hardwood Backgammon and Texas Hold ’em. If you just so happen to like -all- of the games listed, then you are set.
Core 2 Duo Arrives for Notebooks
Today Intel officially launched the Core 2 Duo processor for mobile platforms. Based on the Merom core, Core 2 Duo is arguably the industry’s most anticipated mobile processor launch of this year. Judging from performance comparisons of its desktop counterpart, Conroe, Core 2 Duo should deliver some very impressive performance benchmarks in notebooks, which will also be announced this week.
As expected, some of the CPU’s get expensive, but even the smaller $200~ ones will provide some amazing performance. If you are looking to buy a laptop, you will be wanting to take a hard look at Merom.
New Vista build works with Boot Camp 1.1
For you Mac-heads, it looks like Vista can now be dual-booted on an Apple.
The new Vista Pre-RC1 build (5536) works now on Intel Macs. The installation procedure is the same as with Windows XP SP2. The only down side is that not all the drivers provided in Boot Camp will work under Vista; the iSight and the Apple keyboard will not install. The performace of this build is amazing when compared to the Beta 2 that was made available to the public a few months ago.
Vista is buggy enough on PC’s it’s designed for, I don’t even want to think of how it runs on a Mac.
Top 100 WikiPedia Pages
Here is a list of the top 100 WikiPedia pages, according to searches. Some of the results are surprising to say the least. Oral Sex and Kama Sutra ranking in the top 20? “List of gay porn stars” at number 5? Maybe I could have done without this list after all.