- Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 Mobile Platform
- AMD Launches Ryzen PRO 7000 Series Mobile & Desktop Platform
- Intel Launches Sleek Single-Slot Arc Pro A60 Workstation Graphics Card
- NVIDIA Announces Latest Ada Lovelace Additions: GeForce RTX 4060 Ti & RTX 4060
- Maxon Redshift With AMD Radeon GPU Rendering Support Now Available
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Point of View GeForce 7900GTX 512MB Review
Today we take a look at the Point of View 7900 GTX, which is based on the current high end chip from NVIDIA, the G71. The GeForce 7900 Series was introduced during CeBIT this year, and has replaced the old 7800 Series line up. A major change is the increased clock speed of 650 MHz on the core and 1600 MHz on the GDDR3 memory. While the card is not exactly budget at $499 it is still cheaper than most other 7900 GTX cards from the competition.
Head on over to techPowerUp! for the full review.
Spire CF450B0 CoolGate CPU Cooler Review
Spire is no stranger when it comes to cooling solutions and definitely has the knowledge to create and supply decent cooling products. The CoolGate CPU cooler is specifically designed for high performance applications. It uses vertical dual heatpipes to transport heat away from the CPU. The concept of heatpipes has become quite interesting for any cooling application. Spire has adopted this technology to build a new range of high performance CPU coolers, and the CoolGate fits perfectly into that picture.
Head on over to MVKTech for the full review.
Most Common Ways to Kill a PC
Computers should be essentially immortal right? They are just a collection of circuits and signals, and as long as power flows to them, they should continue to operate; there’s nothing to break down, nothing to age… uh-huh. Anyone who’s ever owned a computer knows that this is not quite true. PCSTATS guides you through the list of the most popular ways by which you will eventually kill your PC, despite your good intentions. This is a good primer for “what not to do” folks.
Check out the full article at PC Stats.
Transgaming Cedega v5.1 + ATI
Back in February of this year, we featured a small arsenal of
tests against various NVIDIA graphics cards using Transgaming’s Cedega
v5.1 demo — which was recently released at that time. Today we are back
again with Cedega v5.1 as we look at its fate under ATI Radeon cards
running the proprietary drivers. Is there much to share this time around
or has Transgaming and ATI not been the best of associates?
Check out the full article over at Phoronix.
NiGHTS Into Dreams, onto Revolution?
Could this beloved Saturn title float its way onto the Revolution? According to the latest Famitsu, there is a possibility Sega could bring NiGHTS Into Dreams to Nintendo’s next-generation offering, either via its Virtual Console or as a sequel. The original game’s controls would be a perfect fit for the RevMote: a flick of the wrist to point what direction you want your featherweight protagonist to fly in a pseudo-3D world (the game was in 3D but you moved your character very much like a side scroller).
Wow, I would be a happy camper if this was true. NiGHTS was a truly amazing game, and nobody is sure whether it will be a sequel on the new system, or simply an emulated version of the first. I’d be happy with either. Check out the full posting at Joystiq.
New Internet Regulation Proposed
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has suggested a mandatory website self-rating system. The system, very similar to one suggested under Clinton’s administration, would require by law all commercial websites to place ‘marks and notices’ on each page containing ‘sexually explicit’ content, with penalty up to 5 years imprisonment.
It’s only a wonder how something like this could be enforced, so chances are we may never see the day. Having to use such warning on your site would only boot up your hit count, there’s no doubt. Read more at Slashdot.
Interview with AMD’s Damon Munzy
This is partly because of our smaller size, but also because of our very high levels of operational efficiency. The end result is we fully convert our manufacturing to the next generation faster. This gives AMD more freedom to begin transitions when it makes the most sense for our customers and for our business. AMD is a different company and our business model and cost structure is optimized for the future of this industry.
This is an interview you don’t want to skip. Many great points are made here, and you can tell Damon has a great sense of humor, so you will likely get a few laughs also. You can read the full interview at AMDZone.
Sony Drops PlayStation 2 Prices
In anticipation of PlayStation supporters everywhere, Sony has announced that the price for its PlayStation 2 console has been reduced down to $129 from a previous $149. Sony hopes that the price cut will give its gaming presence an ever greater boost. Sony’s PlayStation 2 to date has sold more than 101 million units.
So if you still don’t own this gem, now is no better time. Check out the full posting at DailyTech.
Seagate Leaks 750GB Barracuda 7200.10 Details
Two 750GB models have already shown up on the Seagate website. The Barracuda 7200.10 ST3750640A (PATA) and the ST3750640SA (SATA) will be two new models we can look forward to seeing this year. The Seagate webpage reveals dozens of other NCQ-ready 7200.10 based products ranging from 200GB on up. Cache information was not available via the website yet, but the official Seagate PDF claims the Barracuda 7200.10 series will come with 16MB and 8MB buffers. Considering these two drives will be the best of breed for Seagate, it is fairly safe to assume these drives will have 16MB caches.
Whew, just when I was starting to think 500GB was the bomb. Check out the full news posting at DailyTech.
Computer Games and NCsoft Partnership
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.—April 20, 2006—Computer Games Magazine, published by the media division of theglobe.com, today announced a three-month partnership with game publisher NCsoft® – North America to offer the massively multiplayer online game City of Villains™ free to new subscribers of the publication along with 30 days of free play.
You can read the full press release here.
Ideazon Partners with NCsoft/Guild Wars
Ideazon Inc., designer and developer of the Zboard(TM), the world’s first keyboard designed for PC gamers, today announced its new Guild Wars Factions(TM) Limited Edition Keyset for Zboard. Designed specifically for the highly-anticipated ArenaNet® title Guild Wars Factions, slated for release April 28, 2006, clans, communities and gamers from around the world will be able to enjoy the ultimate experience in custom gaming.
You can read the full press release here.
OCZ Technology Announces the PC2-6400 Gold GX XTC
Sunnyvale, CA—April 20, 2006—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the addition of PC2-6400 DDR2 to the Gold XTC series. OCZ Technology now offers a complete line of gamer-grade XTC DDR2 solutions ranging from DDR2-533 to DDR2-1000 to meet the demand of the impending arrival of the new AMD and Intel CPU architectures.
You can read the full press release here.
Hardware Roundup for April 21
- Cooler Master Stacker 830 Chassis – Viper Lair
- Silverstone Temjin 07 – Technic3D
- Ultra Aluminus – Guru3D
Cases & Enclosures
- Sharkoon Rainbow Fan TC – PC Apex
Cooling
- Beginners Guides: Diagnosing Bad Memory – PC Stats
- OCZ Rally Flash Drive – Modders-Inc
Memory & Storage
- Asus P5WDG2-WS & P5WD2-E Premium – HotHardware
- Foxconn 975X7AA – Neoseeker
Motherboards & CPU’s
- Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphones – XYZ Computing
- TrackIR 4: Pro – Boomtown
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- ASUS X1300 Pro Silent – Xtreme Computing
- AVerMedia UltraTV USB 300 – Think Computers
- PowerColor X1600 XT – PC Stats
Video Cards & Monitor
- Contest: CPU Magazine XBOX 360 Issue Giveaway – Modders-Inc
- DRM and Fair Use – ASE Labs
- Nokia N90 – Design Technica
Etcetera & Contests
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Review
The Elder Scrolls series has always prided itself in extremely open-ended adventures. With Bethesda behind the wheel of design all Elder Scrolls fans expected good things from their latest addition to the longtime running series, and rightfully so. Short of any MMORPG, the amount of depth found in any Elder Scrolls has been absolutely astounding compared to its counterparts in the market. Let me be the first to tell you, Oblivion doesn’t fail at hitting the mark. To say they actually reinvented the mark yet again would be a massive understatement!
Check out the full review at Bona Fide Reviews.
War On Terror Review
War on Terror is a Mixture from Command and Conquer and Codename Panzers. Becomes War on Terror fair the high requirements? See you at Technic3D!
Check out the full review at Technic3D. Grab your translator!
Top Spin 2 Review (360)
Developed by Indie Built and PAM, and Published by 2K Sports; Top Spin 2 is the sequel to the hit Xbox game which released in 2003. In this iteration, players will be able to play against the top male and female tennis players in the world. This includes favorites Andy Roddick, Roger Federer, and Maria Sharapova. Or you can create your own unique tennis superstar. When the original Top Spin was released, it set the bar for tennis games. It featured accessible yet deep controls, and refined gameplay that was extremely addictive. So, how does Top Spin 2 follow up to the original? Let’s find out.
Check out the full review at Think Gaming.
Quick Interview with Regeneration
Over the past few days I conducted an email interview with Regeneration. He’s the man responsible for modifying the ULI “SLI Driver” (properly known as the PowerExpress utility) to run on chipsets not SLI-certified like VIA K8T890 and Intel 975X. NVIDIA and Regeneration have since reached an amicable resolution, but the interview is still insightful and gives a closer look at the man who drew the (legal) attention of one of the world’s biggest graphics companies.
You can check out the interview at PC Perspective.
Realtek Shows off New High Definition Audio Codecs
At the top of the spectrum is the premium ALC885 high definition audio codec which joins Realtek’s previous upper-end ALC882. New features of the ALC885 include support for a digital microphone, an improved ADC that supports 192 kHz sampling rates and a higher DAC signal-to-noise ratio of 106 dB versus the ALC882’s 101 dB. The biggest feature addition is support for DRM protected content playback. Supported protected content include DVD-Audio, Blu-ray, and/or HD-DVD discs. Copy protected content will be capable of being played back at 24-bit resolution and 96 kHz sampling rates.
‘Sounds’ like onboard audio is going to be closer to sound card quality than some may think. Read the full posting over at Daily Tech.
Intel Conroe chips priced up
The E6700, which is a 2.67GHz chip with 4MB of cache and a 1066 front side bus will cost $529 while the E6600, a 2.40GHz version will cost $315. The other two members of the Intel Cointreau family have 2MB of cache apiece, with the E6400 (2.13GHz) costing $240, while the E6300 (1.86GHz) will cost $210.
Ignore the fact that these seem to be more expensive then current gen for less GHz. If Conroe lives up to the hype, that won’t matter when it’s released. Check out the posting at The Inquirer.
Intel ships ultra-low voltage Core Solos
Intel has quietly introduced a pair of ‘Yonah’-based ultra-low voltage processors, both of which are believed to consume no more than 5.5W, but contain only one processing core and run over a reduced 533MHz frontside bus.
5.5w! Despite only being around 1.0GHz, that’s amazing wattage requirements. Hopefully it won’t be long before we can actually get our hands on one. Check out the posting at The Register.
HD-DVD’s Temporary Edge
Although Toshiba may take round one, in the long run ‘complicating factors may shift the balance.’ ABI predicts that by the end of 2006, only about 30 percent of the global hi-def movie player market will be controlled by Blu-ray, but that could quickly change as Sony launches its PlayStation 3 (which has a Blu-ray drive) worldwide this November.
You can check out the full article at GameDaily, and check out the posting at Slashdot.
Hardware Roundup for April 20
- Kingwin SK-523 – PC Apex
Cases & Enclosures
- ASUS Silent Square Series Cooler – Pro-Clockers
- Spire DiamondCool II Quad Heatpipe CPU Cooler – TweakNews
- Spire DiamondCool II SP741B3-U – A1-Electronics
Cooling
- Corsair 1GB Voyager USB Flash Drive – Virtual-Hideout
- Mushkin EM3200 DDR 2x 1GB DC – 3D Fusion
- OCZ Technology DDR2 PC2-8000 Platinum XTC Extreme Edition – Hexus
- Super Talent T1000UX2G5 2GB PC2-8000 Memory Kit – HotHardware
Memory & Storage
- Albatron KM51G-754 mATX – Think Computers
- DFI RS482 Infinity – Overclockers Online
- WinFast NF4SK8AA-8EKRS – Legit Reviews
Motherboards & CPU’s
- Asus Atlas 55GA 550W PSU – Viper Lair
- Logitech cordless S 530 Mac – UK Gamer
- Vizo Gemini Wireless Mouse – TechTastic
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- ASUS Extreme N7800GT TOP Silent – Legion Hardware
- NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GT – Rojak Pot
- Samsung SyncMaster 940BF – Design Technica
Video Cards & Monitor
- Contest: ABIT AN8 SLI 32X Motherboard Competition – XS Reviews
- Sony DRU-820A DVD-Burner – BIOS Magazine
Etcetera & Contests
AMD Bumps AM2 Launch Date
We just got official confirmation from motherboard and chipset manufacturers in Taiwan — AMD has moved the official launch date of Athlon 64 DDR2 up two weeks to May 23, 2006. AMD roadmaps have previously put the AM2 launch at June 6, 2006 (during Computex 2006), but since motherboards and CPUs are already completed, the launch will be pushed up.
A recent AnandTech article mentioned that it would be very unlikely to have any ‘last minute surprises’ announced about AM2, and this just adds to it. This is just a little over a month away, so start saving your pocket change if you want one. Read more at DailyTech.
Remembering Greg Tucker and ZXMODS
Greg Tucker, founder of ZXMODS.com, and the creator of the original VH fan grills, has passed away on February 20, 2006. He was tragically killed by a car while walking in New York. I have put up a memorial forum thread so you all can share your thoughts on this senseless lose. This is deeply saddening as I’ve worked with Greg many times. God Bless.
You can contribute to the thread over at Virtual-Hideout.
Novell Acquires e-Security, Redefines Security and Compliance Management
WALTHAM, Mass. – April 19, 2006 – Novell today announced its acquisition of e-Security, Inc., a move that will make Novell a pioneer in delivering a single view of security and compliance activities across the entire enterprise. The deal combines the benefits of Novell’s identity and systems management expertise with
e-Security’s real-time event monitoring, response and reporting capabilities. With a comprehensive view of user, network and application events, customers will now be able to streamline a previously labor-intensive and error-prone process, cut costs through automation, and build a more rigorous, predictable security and compliance monitoring program.
You can check out the full press release here.