- 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
Social & RSS Feeds
Latest Videos
Latest News
Tech News
Civilization IV Review
What we don’t want to do is spoil your enjoyment by telling you everything about this Civilization IV PC game. We have to say that we are very impressed and once we had got our minds around the changes since our earlier version were even more impressed. We think there is a lot more to do and thus gives one much more enjoyment with the IV Civilization PC game than earlier versions.
Check out the full review over at A1 Electronics.
Corsair Expands Flash Voyager Line Up, Begins Shipment of New 4GB Ultra-Durable USB2.0 Drive
Fremont, CA (November 21, 2005) – Adding to its award-winning Flash Voyager USB2.0 drives, Corsair Memory today announced immediate availability of a new capacity – 4GB. Enclosed in the Corsair proprietary all-rubber Flash Voyager housing and boasting water-resistant/temperature tolerant properties, the new 4GB drive allows users to carry more valuable data and applications without compromise. Equipped with a security application and featuring dual channel technology, the 4GB Flash Voyager delivers a perfect combination of functionality, capacity and performance.
Check out the full press release here.
GeIL ONE Winbond BH5 1GB Dual Channel Kit Review
GeIL is a modest manufacturer that was founded in 1997. They have made other memory manufacturers stand up and take notice, and have gained a lot of fame in a very short time. Those that may want to know, GeIL stands for Golden Emperor International Ltd. Today we have the chance to review some GeIL CAS 1.5 DDR memory. Memory that runs at this latency is rare and is not easy to find. This DDR can run at 250MHz at CAS 2 with nice tight 2-2-5 timings.
They managed to overclock this to 272MHz and keep the 2-2-2 timings! Of course, it took 3.9v, but even still! Check out the full review over at NGOHQ.
Zero-Hour Live Coverage
For those of you that are following the X-BOX360 hype, you may know that tonight is the beginning of Zero-Hour, Microsoft’s official release party of the X-BOX360 to 3,000 lucky winners in a recent contest. OCIA.net’s own Striker777 was lucky enough to score a ticket to the event, and brings us live photos from the top-secret event. Click the picture below to be taken to a thread with updates throughout the night.
Check out the full coverage of this killer event at OCIA.
Intel and ECS Contest
Here’s a contest you can’t refuse. Intel and ECS have joined together to bring us an exciting, yet easy, contest. The prizes are
two Intel Pentium D 830 CPUs. I’m sure you can find great use for that thing!
Head over to InsaneTek for the full contest details!
MIPS RAM Freezer Review
MIPS Computer is a manufacturer of specialized high-performance water cooling solutions for overclockers. Their products offer excellent build quality made in Germany. This time we test the RAM Freezer which is a water cooling device for DDR1/DDR2 memory. We saw great testing results with Winbond UTT, Samsung TCCD and Winbond BH-5 memory – up to 25 MHz faster without any additional fan noise is very impressive.
It’s about time something like this has come along! It looks to be the perfect solution, so check out the full review at techPowerUp! for the full look.
Hardware Roundup for Nov. 21
Happy Monday! If you’ve been waiting for the release of the X1800XL AIW, then your wait is over. Viper Lair says, “Of course, despite the strong gaming performance, the All-In-Wonder X1800 XL is not being marketed as such. The All-In-Wonder X1800 XL real strength is that it is geared to those who do more than play games, and in that respect it is very strong.” If the AIW is not your taste, then German site Tweak PC is taking a hard look at the XFX 7800GTX 512MB version, dubbed the triple X.
- Cooler Master CM Stacker 830 – Hardware Zone
Cases & Enclosures
- Cooler Master Hyper 6+ – Extensive Mods
- OCLabs Monoblock 6 – Insane Tek
- Thermaltake Power Station 520W PSU – Big Bruin
Cooling
- ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe – Tech Report
- ASUS P5N32-SLI Deluxe – Legion Hardware
- DFI LanParty UT RDX200 CF-DR – Trusted Reviews
- Epox EP-8NPA SLI – PC Modding Malaysia
- EPoX EP-8NPA SLI – PC Perspective
- Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 AMD Athlon 64 Socket 939 PCIe – OC Inside
Motherboards & CPU’s
- Flexiglow FG-500W-EZ PSU – RB Mods
Peripherals & Power Supplies
- ATI All In Wonder X1800 XL – 3D Accelerated
- ATI All In Wonder X1800 XL – Bjorn 3D
- ATI All In Wonder X1800 XL – Motherboards.org
- ATI All-In-Wonder X1800 XL – Viper Lair
- XFX GeForce 7800 GTX 512 XXX Edition – Tweak PC
Video Cards
- Dracos 2005 Christmas Wish List – Think Computers
- Emergency Spyware Guide – Rojak Pot
- Startech SV411KA KVM – Overclockers Online
- Talk Back: When Will Analog TVs Go Dark? – Design Technica
- ViewSonic N3250w 32 Inch LCD TV – XYZ Computing
Etcetera
20th Anniversary Windows Collectors Edition!
What’s most interesting about this edition is everything that’s not actually Windows XP: buyers will receive replica (e.g. not working) installation CDs of Windows 95, 98, Me, and 2000, Windows box origami, memorial stamps, memorial stickers, a memorial video from the man himself, and a special early “preview†version of Windows Vista, whatever that means.
Japan is certainly unique, but this is actually a funny pack. It would be rediculous to buy it if you already had WinXP, but it’s still different none the less. Check out more at Engadget.
New Java IDE??
One reason that many people don’t like jumping over to java coding is because it’s very complex, and difficult compared to something like C++. Even the latest version of C++ 2005 has a built-in IDE, which makes choosing Java even more difficult. It’s looking like Sun is finally moving up to the plate though, and is offering a Studio Creater program that looks a lot like Visual Studio… and it’s FREE.
Check out the full flash animation on the official site here. News snagged from Digg.com.
Kubuntu v6.04 (Dapper Drake) Flight 1
Ubuntu the Debian-based distribution funded largely by Mark
Shuttleworth that is focused upon building a viable desktop operating
system powered by Linux, as well as enterprise software after it has
received DB2 certification from IBM, has released their preliminary BETA
release for the upcoming v6.04 build. Unlike Breezy Badger (v5.10) with
its “Colony” development builds, Ubuntu has renamed the development
snapshots for the v6.04 release to “Flight”. The name for this upcoming
release is also going to be known as Dapper Drake. Continuing on with
their six month release cycle, Ubuntu 6.04 will be making its presence
in April of 2006. Today we are checking out Kubuntu (the KDE version of
Ubuntu) 6.04 Dapper Drake Flight 1.
Head on over to Phoronix for the full pictorial.
Apricorn Ez Bus Portable Backup System 20GB
Everyone needs more storage, especially if you travel a lot with your laptop. We also need security and it is recommended we do regular backups. The new trend seems to be toward USB thumb drives, but the speeds just aren’t there yet, and the capacities are great for moving a few documents but not major files and programs. The next choice you then have is to either upgrade your hard drive or get an external hard drive, either choice is not great one. External hard drives are big and bulky for the most part and upgrading a laptops hard drive is usually costly and the technology isn’t there yet for large capacities. The same thing partially applies to desktop PCs as well, sometimes a CD or DVD is just not big enough to transfer the data you need, so you have to get a big and bulky external/portable hard drive. Today I have something for review that I found really cool and useful, it is a very small USB powered 2.5 inch hard drive from Apricorn called the Ez Bus.
Check out the full look over at Think Computers.
OCZ PC4000 (2GB) Gold Edition Memory Review
My game play is all about Battlefield 2 right now. The OCZ EL-DDR PC4000 Gold Edition kit has proved without a doubt to me that two gigs are a very worthwhile investment for gamers. You could get a rough feel for this in our graph but within a game, you get the emotionally positive feedback that does not translate well into rote figures and results. If you are not a gamer, I think you may be better off saving your upgrade dollar right now as the benefit isn’t earth shattering elsewhere.
Of course this memory if not very overclockable, but is recommended to those who have no interest in overclocking to begin with. Check out the full review over at Overclockers Cafe.
Plextor PX-740UF External DVD±R/RW Drive Video Review
If you’re in the market for a top of the line external DVD burner keep this one at the very top of your list. It’s loaded with bleeding edge features and looks great. Additionally, it also can be connected to a USB2 or Firewire connection. What sets this drive apart from others is the ability to burn Dual Layer media at 4x. Burn, baby burn! Watch the Video to find out more…
Check out the full review at 3D Gameman.
Abit AW8-MAX v1.0 (i955X) Review
Back in August of this year, we had reviewed the Abit AW8
motherboard, which is based upon Intel’s i955X Chipset, and overall we
were much impressed by its abilities on not only the performance front,
but also the Linux compatibility and build-quality we have come to
expect from the engineers over at Abit. At hand today, we have the Abit
AW8-MAX, which packs in a few tweaks and additions than what was built
into the AW8 vanilla.
Head over to Phoronix for the full review.
Silverstone NT03 CPU Cooler Review
As we mentioned earlier the fans although only 60mm in size have 11 blades and according to the specs should not produce much noise, well for 60mm fans anyway. Having said that the size still has me in doubts about the overall performance, even with them acting in a push pull configuration.
Check out the full review at Xtreme Computing.
Saitek Cyborg Evo Force Joystick
Professional Joysticks have advanced pretty far since the days of the Atari joystick, some of you may be too young to remember them, but they had a square base, 1 button and a short stick coming out of the middle. None of the stuff you see on today’s joysticks, and game pads were non-existent, unless you count the pads that came with Intellivision, I guess that was sort of a game pad. Today’s joysticks are pretty complicated, especially the high-end ones, with many buttons and customizations available to the professional gamer. Saitek is one of the companies that specialize in professional joysticks and game pads. Today for review I have the Saitek Cyborg Evo Force joystick. It could be considered a professional joystick for the hardcore gamer or enthusiast. It features many buttons and customizations, and has the force feedback feature as well.
Check out the full review at Think Computers.
Athlon 64 X2 4600+ and 4200+ Review
The Athlon 64 X2 line is at the forefront of dual core technology, and while we’ve covered off the Athlon 64 X2 4800+ and 3800+ in previous reviews, the Athlon 64 X2 4600+ and 4200+ processors offer a more compelling mix of high-end performance and feature a more mainstream pricing structure.
Head over to Sharky Extreme for the full review.
Holiday Wishlist 2006
Well, it is that time of the year again. With Halloween done and over with its time for Thanksgiving and, before you know it, the holiday season. Every company realizes this and has made sure the stores are packed with cool new gadgets, gifts, and gizmos. This guide is going to go over a few of the items which appear of the wishlists of a few of the XYZ Computing staff members. Nothing too formal, but you can get an idea of some of the cool products to keep an eye out for this season.
Check out the full guide over at XYZ Computing.
Quake 4 v1.0.5 Performance
id Software has released v1.0.5 of Quake 4 and contained
inside of this latest release is a great deal of fixes/improvements from
the interface to console commands. In addition, the Linux SDK for Quake
4 is now available for download. Although none of these changes
specifically relate to the frame-rate performance of this fast-paced
first person shooter, are there any other improvements to note? With us
today we have benchmarks from this latest id Quake 4 build.
Check out the full performance look at Phoronix.
Child’s Play: Put your money where your mouse is!
All too frequently, we hear tragic stories of how videogames are allegedly to blame for violence and corruption. Please join me in my crusade to help turn that misconception around and show that games (and the people who play them) have a lot of great things to offer.
An easy way to get started is by supporting Child’s Play, http://www.childsplaycharity.org/, a children’s charity that was founded in 2003 by the wonderfully creative folks that bring us the Penny Arcade web comic. In just two short years, this amazing project has blossomed into a full-blown phenomenon that gives comfort and joy to patients and their families in hospitals throughout North America.
Research has shown that patients who play videogames require less medication, heal faster and have improved pain management as illustrated in these articles:
–
Non-Pharmacological Pain Management Therapies for Children
–
More articles on pain management and treatments
Child’s Play isn’t just about games. Through Amazon.com, donations for a wide variety of items that include videos, music, toys and books as well as games and game systems can be purchased and shipped directly to the hospital of choice. This is one of many clever ways the Penny Arcade team has devised to ensure that they make good on their pledge that every cent donated to the charity goes straight to the kids. There’s no wasteful overhead, no mysterious administrative cost.
Even if you’re down to your last few gold pieces, credits or clink, there are still many ways you can help.
– Post fliers in your favorite game and book stores, office or school. A ready-made PDF version is available at http://www.childsplaycharity.org/.
– Also at http://www.childsplaycharity.org/ are banners to display on your website.
– Include a link or banner to Child’s Play in your message board signature.
– Mention Child’s Play in your online journal or blog.
Please help Tyco and Gabe in their efforts to help bring some gaming goodness and joy into the lives of some very special people who need it. You can make a difference.
Best wishes and happy questing,
Pann
F.E.A.R. Review @ Guru3D
As we alluded to in last month’s preview, F.E.A.R. is the first notable attempt in a year at toppling the crown of valves epic Half-Life 2; a game that also seemed to have some similarities to busses where time keeping is concerned, although none at all when it comes to a rewarding experience.
What we looked at then seemed extremely promising but have Monolith come up with a classic, and should we all be searching for a spare pair of pants?
Check out the full review over at Guru 3D.
NCsoft at Gen Con So Cal
Gen Con So Cal kicks off at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California this Friday, November 18 and continues through Sunday, November 20. NCsoft will be there and invites you to stop by booth 129 to say hello to members of the community and development teams of various NCsoft games.
We’ll be having special NCsoft Free Game times in the eGame Arena LAN Center, featuring Guild Wars, City of Heroes, City of Villains and Lineage II. At the booth, there will be trivia contest, raffles, Lineage II PvP tournaments and gameplay with Guild Wars, City of Villains, City of Heroes, Lineage II and Auto Assault! We hope to see you there!
Look at KDE v3.5 RC1
KDE (K Desktop Environment) has unveiled its first release
candidate for the upcoming KDE v3.5 series. Implemented in KDE v3.5 RC1
are a good deal of changes and improvements. These latest
implementations range from re-writing parts of Kate to improving Kicker
and KHTML for Konqueror. The first LiveCD distribution to be built with
the first release candidate for KDE v3.5 has been Klax. This
distribution, which is based upon Slax, utilizes this K Desktop
development release while also updating various other packages.
Coincidently, the GNOME v2.13.2 development branch became available
earlier this week in anticipation of GNOME v2.14 that is scheduled for a
preliminary release in March of 2006. As of right now, KDE v3.5 is
targeted to be released on Wednesday, November 23, 2005.
Take a first look at the next version of this popular desktop over at Phoronix.
Mobile Graphics Card Ranking
The use of notebooks also as game pc replacement extends more and more,
because prices are getting lower. So we made a ranking of mobile graphics
chips. Everyone, who wants to know how performant his graphics chip in the
notebook is, can easily get an overview in our new “mobile graphics card
ranking”. Hafe fun with this Ranking and a good overviews! The 3DChip-Team.
It’s not English, but it’s easy to understand! Check out the full guide at 3D Chip.
DDR2 PC2-6400 (800MHz) 7-way Memory Showdown
Legit Reviews has recently had the opportunity to look over SEVEN PC2-6400 memory kits from some of the most popular enthusiast brand lines here in North America. Our three memory kits came from A-DATA, Corsair, Crucial, Kingston, Mushkin, OCZ, and SyncMAX. All of the kits are rated at PC2-6400 or DDR2 800MHz and are meant to be used in overclocking situations. While all seven brands are rated at 800MHz, this is where the similarities end…
This is a great article if you are looking for some DDR2. They compare some of the hottest modules from A-Data to SyncMax. Check it out at Legit Reviews.