Tech News

Hardware Roundup for Nov. 18

Posted on November 18, 2005 11:14 AM by Rob Williams

There are a couple great memory reviews today, including the OCZ XTC PC3200 at techPowerUp! and GeIL ONE PC3200 at Pro-Clockers. Both are 1GB kits but offer some serious overclocking headroom. Of course, if you missed our review of the OCZ XTC, you can check it out here. If you are looking for DDR2 though, X-Bit is taking a pair of Kingstons for a test run.

    Accessories
  • The Black Knight HP Gaming Mouse Pad – A True Review
    Cases & Enclosures
  • Antec P160W P160 Aluminum ATX Mid Tower – TweakNews
  • Max-In-Power B9701C9 ATX Case – Cowcotland
    Memory & Storage
  • GeIL ONE W BH5 PC3200 400MHz DDR – Pro-Clockers
  • Kingston HyperX KHX7200D2K2-1G – X-Bit Labs
  • OCZ EL DDR PC-3200 Gold GX XTC – techPowerUp!
  • Patriot Dual Channel 2GB DDR PC 3200 – AMD Zone
  • Samsung Spinpoint 250GB PATA – Tech-Mods
    Peripherals & Power Supplies
  • Antec Phantom 500 & TrueControl II 550 PSU – Noticias 3D
  • CoolMax CW-650T 650W PSU – Club OC
  • Logisys Black Illuminated Office Pro Keyboard – Extensive Mods
    Press Release
  • OCZ Technology Announces the Revolution CES 2006 Celebration, Co-hosted by DFI – Read PR

Read More Comment (0)

Windows Genuine Advantage now supports Firefox

Posted on November 17, 2005 9:44 AM by Rob Williams

Microsoft Genuine Windows Validation process now works in Firefox and other Mozilla browsers. Firefox users can manually install the Windows Genuine Advantage validation Firefox plug-in available on Microsoft’s website to complete the Windows validation process.

Well about time Microsoft supported something other than IE for this type of thing. Check out the full posting at NeoWin.

Read More Comment (0)

Look at XE 955 and P4 643

Posted on November 17, 2005 9:36 AM by Rob Williams

Chinese hardware website HKEPC takes a look at the upcoming XE 955 and P4 643 CPUs, along with the Gigabyte GA-G1975X. Is it just me, or are motherboards starting to look a lot more like kids toys?

The new generation of Presler double core similarly for is divided Pentium D and the XE edition, but no longer only has in the Hyper-Threading support like former generation Smithfield the distinction, the Presler core by former generation 2 x 1MB L2 the Cache promotion to 2 x 2MB L2 Cache, simultaneously may promote to 1066MHz FSB, and supports Intel newest proposal Intel Virtualization Technology, but 1066MHz FSB only can appear on Pentium XE, Presler Pentum D or maintains 800MHz FSB.

Check out the full translated look here.

Read More Comment (0)

Rootkit uninstall exploits

Posted on November 17, 2005 9:24 AM by Rob Williams

A Web page discovered by Websense’s security labs that is designed to exploit security flaws in a rootkit uninstaller program issued by Sony BMG Music Entertainment. According to Websense, visitors’ PCs can become infected when they visit the site. Any user who has downloaded and run the Sony uninstaller program is susceptible to this attack, Websense says. In this example, users’ machines are restarted upon accessing the site, although the site’s creators could have designed it to cause serious damage, Websense warns.

Wow, that’s sick. Sonys rootkit uninstaller actually makes the problem so much worse, that you can be exploited for simply visiting a website! Sony’s going to the pits! Check out the posting at News.com.

Read More Comment (0)

Drink Decaf and Die

Posted on November 17, 2005 9:22 AM by Rob Williams

Decaffeinated — not caffeinated — coffee may cause an increase in harmful LDL cholesterol by increasing a specific type of blood fat linked to the metabolic syndrome, hints a new study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2005.

Awesome. I don’t have to feel bad about my 5 caffeinated drinks a day now! Check out the posting and comments at Slashdot.

Read More Comment (0)

Hardware Roundup for Nov. 17

Posted on November 17, 2005 9:06 AM by Rob Williams

Can’t afford a Wacom tablet that you want? Check out Bit-Tech’s review of the Genious MousePen, which is a similar product, but costs considerably less. If you use DDR2 and have the need for a fast 1GB kit, how does 1000Mhz sound? It proves to be extremely fast, but requires an equally fast system to use it! Think Computers is taking a look at some of the coolest looking coolant out there, which is bright neon yellow. It may be the coolest looking though, but read on to see why it deserved such a low rating.

    Complete Systems
  • Puget Systems Dual Core Custom – Hard|OCP
    Motherboards & CPU’s
  • Gigabyte GA-K8N51PVMT-9 – Motherboards
    Peripherals & Power Supplies
  • Scorpius-P20 2.4 Ghz Wireless Keyboard – Tech-Mods
    Video Cards
  • ATI Radeon Graphics Card Guide Updated – A1 Electronics
  • HIS IceQ X700 128MB AGP – TweakNews
  • XFX GeForce 6600 DDR2 256MB PCIe – Hexus

Read More Comment (0)

FX-60 in January?

Posted on November 16, 2005 11:57 AM by Rob Williams

Preliminary reports are that it will be a decent overclocker, early samples went to almost 3GHz on air, with little or no tweaking. If you couple it with the new NVidia 7800/512 cards, you will be easily able to break the 15K barrier in 3DMark05.

It doesn’t seem too long ago that the FX-57 came out. Actually, it was only this past June. Being an enthusiast can sure get pricey. Taken from The Inquirer.

Read More Comment (0)

All Your Base Are Belong To Google

Posted on November 16, 2005 11:50 AM by Rob Williams

Google Base is a place where you can add all types of information that we’ll host and make searchable online.

You can describe any item you post with attributes, which will help people find it when they search Google Base. In fact, based on the relevance of your items, they may also be included in the main Google search index and other Google products like Froogle and Google Local.

Check out the newest Google extension here.

Read More Comment (0)

AMD Quad Core by 2007?

Posted on November 16, 2005 11:40 AM by Rob Williams

The new processor will incorporate four cores connected together by a new version of the Hypertransport interconnect technology, and will support DDR3 (double data rate 3) memory, he said at the event, which provides financial analysts and media with a “State of AMD” address that covers the company’s technology, customers, and financial health.

This is for Opterons only, and could actually benefit servers quite a bit. Imagine cooling those things though! Support for DDR3 is definitely a leap up, since DDR2 has barely broken through, especially with AMD. Check out the full read here.

Read More Comment (0)

Futuremark Announces SPMark(TM)Java06 Benchmark

Posted on November 16, 2005 11:20 AM by Rob Williams

Saratoga, California USA – November 16, 2005 – Futuremark Corporation
today announced the SPMarkJava06 benchmark, a richly featured, handheld
device benchmark for measuring and evaluating a system’s performance in
running Java applications. Developed in close cooperation with such
industry leading companies as ARM, ATI, Bitboys, DMP, Falanx,
Imagination Technologies, Intel, Khronos Group, NVIDIA and Symbian,
SPMarkJava06 benchmark provides reliable, unbiased results across
different architectures and environments.

Read the full press release.

Read More Comment (0)

Hardware Roundup for Nov. 16

Posted on November 16, 2005 11:19 AM by Rob Williams

Almost half way through the week already, time is flying! We all need memory for our digicams, so how about 2GB? Viper Lair is taking a look at the ultra fast 133x Corsair SD card. If you are building a PC on a budget, you may want to see what kind of performance to expect from the Sempron 3400+ 754 CPU over at BlueSmoke. There is also yet another 7800GTX 512 review today, at X-Bit Labs, and it still looks like this is the killer toy for the season.

    Memory & Storage
  • Corsair 2GB Secure Digital 133x – Viper Lair
    Motherboards & CPU’s
  • AMD Sempron 3400+ CPU – BlueSmoke
  • Epox 8NPA SLI Motherboard – AMDZone
  • Sapphire PI-A9RX480 Motherboard – PimpRig
    Peripherals & Power Supplies
  • E-Power Tiger 550W Modular PSU – PimpRig
    Video Cards
  • Albatron 6600GT (single and SLI) Video Cards – Bjorn3D
  • NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB – X-Bit Labs
  • PowerColor Radeon X800 GT – InsaneTek

Read More Comment (0)

OCZ Technology Announces the Gamer eXtreme XTC 2GB Dual Channel Kits

Posted on November 15, 2005 3:37 PM by Rob Williams

OCZ Technology, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the release of the PC-3200 and PC-4000 Gold GX XTC 1024MB Modules. These exciting, new memory solutions will be available in 2GB Dual Channel Kits to accommodate the increasing demand for high density modules in today’s contemporary gaming PCs.

Check out the full press release here.

Read More Comment (0)

Interview with Jeff Morris on UT2K7

Posted on November 15, 2005 12:24 PM by Rob Williams

Frankly, the Unreal Tournament series has just about everything in it we could ask for in life. It’s got big guns, fast cars, sumptuous curves and all the tools you could possibly need for insane multiplayer destruction. Clearly, we’re not the only ones who feel this way either, with Unreal Tournament 2007, the fourth proper game in the franchise, loitering in the wings, ready to whip off its shirt and impress the ladies with its ‘massive enhancements’.

Check out the full interview over at Computer and Video Games.

Read More Comment (0)

Xbox 360 Launch List Announced!

Posted on November 15, 2005 11:51 AM by Rob Williams

We finally have a solid list of games that are going to be available at launch!

It’s what you’ve been waiting for—the strongest launch lineup in the history of video game consoles is announced, with 18 Xbox 360â„¢ games, spanning all the popular genres, available on Day One. In addition, 13 Xbox 360 accessories will be available when the eagerly anticipated next-generation system lands on retail shelves in North America on November 22.

It even looks like games that were going to miss the launch, are not, such as Project Gotham Racing 3. You can check out the full list right here. There are a few 360 reviews floating around today, and I’m sure more will pop up before launch.

Read More Comment (0)

Plagiarism – Well And Alive Posted!

Posted on November 15, 2005 11:41 AM by Rob Williams

ARP recently found that repeat offender, Michael Sievers, was up to his old tricks again, plagiarising our guides and getting other sites to post them as his own guides.

What should we do about such people? Come and tell us what you think!

We recommend that you take a look at his guides and see if he has lifted anything from your guides.

It’s clear that Michael was commiting plagiarism, because he evne left some of the poor formatting intact. Check out the rant over at Rojak Pot.

Read More Comment (0)

NiBiTor v2.5a Released

Posted on November 15, 2005 11:40 AM by Rob Williams

MVKTech has just released a new version of NVIDIA BIOS Editor (NiBiTor) software. NiBiTor is the original and defenitive BIOS tweaker that supports the latest NVIDIA graphics cards. NiBiTor allows graphics card enthusiasts to have full control over advanced features and functionality found on firmware on supporting cards. This to gain some extra performance, enable hidden features and extra stability on the NVIDIA graphics cards.

You can grab the latest version here. To help with support, you can also unload your GPU BIOS and send it to them so they can update the program respectively.

Read More Comment (0)

Hardware Roundup for Nov. 15

Posted on November 15, 2005 11:39 AM by Rob Williams

If you are looking for more power, then this is the day to read a PSU review. You may want to check out PC Stats for a look at the 510W PCP&C review, which is built for systems that utilize SLi. If modular PSU’s are more your thing, then Techniz has a review for you, the XG Magnum 500W. Of course, maybe you want a new PSU because of a new system. AMD Board is taking a hard look at the entry Dual Core chip from AMD, the 3800+.

If your rig requires the best sound available and you are willing to hand over a hefty sum, then check out Red & Blackness for their review of the Creative X-fi. If you missed the slew of 7800GTX 512MB reviews from yesterday, don’t worry. Both Anandtech and Motherboards.org have posted new reviews of the card today.

    Cases & Enclosures
  • Antec Super Lanboy Aluminum ATX – TweakNews
    Motherboards & CPU’s
  • AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ – AMD Board
  • Intel 945P Motherboard – AnandTech
    Etcetera
  • Contest: Apple iPod Video 30GB & Oppo Digital OPDV971H DVD Player – Design Technica
  • Metapo/Egen Power 150Watt Power Can Inverter – Think Computers
    Etcetera
  • EMC AND UNISYS COLLABORATE ON NEW CLIENT SOLUTIONS FOR SECURE BUSINESS OPERATIONS – Read PR

Read More Comment (0)

OCZ Technology Announces the Opening of OCZ Europe

Posted on November 14, 2005 2:06 PM by Rob Williams

Sunnyvale, CA—November 14, 2005—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high-reliability memory, is pleased to announce the launch of the new OCZ European headquarters.

It’s nice to see such a great company expand. Check out the full press release here!

Read More Comment (0)

F.E.A.R Review

Posted on November 14, 2005 10:50 AM by Rob Williams

After playing F.E.A.R. the way I do (late at night, lights out, all alone, sound up, doors locked), I have to say it is one of the most thrilling games I’ve ever played. With your adrenaline pumping, not wanting to turn that next corner, yet the mystery of the story makes you take those next few steps. If you were disappointed by Doom 3 in that it lacked that scare factor after a while, or maybe that it was too predictable, this is the game for you.

Head on over to Game Pyre for the full review!

Read More Comment (0)

Logitech Announces Harmony Remote for Xbox 360

Posted on November 14, 2005 10:30 AM by Rob Williams

FREMONT, Calif. — Nov. 14, 2005 — Logitech (SWX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI), today announced
the Harmony® Advanced Universal Remote Control for Xbox 360™, providing gamers and homeentertainment
enthusiasts with a single remote that can completely control their game console and any
other components in their entertainment system. Specially designed for the Xbox 360â„¢ video game and
entertainment console from Microsoft, the newest Logitech Harmony remote joins what has become the
most popular brand of advanced universal remotes in the U.S. marketplace.

This remote simply looks amazing! Click here to see a large image. Check out the full press release here!

Read More Comment (0)

Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Intel Cooler Review

Posted on November 14, 2005 10:28 AM by Rob Williams

Last week we reviewed the Arctic Cooling Silencer 64 Ultra TC. A good little cooler with some great potential for the AMD platform. Today we have Arctic Cooling’s newest cooler for the Intel platform. The Freezer 7 Pro. Equipped with another Arctic Cooling patent pending fan and copper heat pipes. We all know that A. C. is known for quiet and well performing cooling solutions. Let’s see if the Freezer 7 Pro lives up to the reputation.

If you want to upgrade your Intels stock cooling, check out this review over at Pro-Clockers.

Read More Comment (0)

NVIDIA 7800GTX 512MB Released!

Posted on November 14, 2005 10:02 AM by Rob Williams

NVIDIA set out to top the Radeon X1800 XT, and, from our game play testing, they have managed to do so. By our count, three of the games from our test evaluation suite showed the Radeon X1800 XT and 512 MB GeForce 7800 GTX at “equal” playable settings, Battlefield 2, EverQuest II, and Serious Sam 2 (when HDR is disabled with AA). The remaining five games showed the 512 MB GeForce 7800 GTX offering a higher level of game play with more performance. None of the games we evaluated showed the Radeon X1800 XT performing at a higher level than the 512 MB GeForce 7800 GTX, — they performed equally well or the Radeon X1800 XT was slower. We were quite impressed by the Quake 4 and F.E.A.R. results in particular.

Now the choice comes down to X1800XT vs. 7800GTX 512MB. The 7800GTX 512 looks to be about $50 more expensive, but it does perform better in a few tests. For $649 though, this hobby just keeps getting more and more expensive! Check out the full review at Hard|OCP, Bit-Tech, Driver Heaven, Guru 3D, PC Per, Hexus and Tech Report.

Read More Comment (0)

Hardware Roundup for Nov. 14

Posted on November 14, 2005 9:54 AM by Rob Williams

That weekend went by far too fast, but now it’s time to get back to work and read some reviews! Extensive Mods takes a look at a new case from PowMax, that is definately tough looking! OCIA is taking a look at the Zalman 9500, which is by far one of the coolest looking coolers ever. Lots of keyboards and mice are being reviewed today, including the MX5000 Cordless Laser desktop which can be found at XYZ.

    Cooling
  • Zalman CNPS9500 CPU Cooler – OCIA
    Etcetera
  • Kingwin Nighthawk USB/SATA External Rack – Overclocker Cafe
  • Memory Pointer Review – ASE Labs
  • NVIDIA 1.0-8168 Drivers Leaked (by ASUS) – Phoronix
  • Plexiglass Basics: What you need to know – Case Mod God
  • Podcast: DT Goes Mad! Nigerian 419 Style! – Design Technica (Right Click link and save as)
  • Power Supply Giveaway – Pro-Clockers
  • Powering Up A Standalone PSU Guide – Rojak Pot
  • WickedLasers Starphaser Giveaway! – MVKTech

Read More Comment (0)

Xbox 360 launch backwards compatibility announced!

Posted on November 13, 2005 8:52 AM by Rob Williams

At launch, the Xbox 360 is going to have backwards compatibility for a long list of games, provided the Xbox 360 in question sports a hard drive. Additional titles will be added through updates in the future, but at more than 200 titles, the list is already considerably large. But is it sufficient?

I have personally noticed a lot of games I own are not listed there, but I hope they will be in the future. I am actually surprised to see one of my favorite Xbox games, Quantum Redshift is on the list. Head over to Ars Technica for the news posting, and click here for the list!

Read More Comment (0)

Microsoft to wipe Sony’s Rootkit?

Posted on November 13, 2005 8:48 AM by Rob Williams

The Redmond, Wash., software maker has determined that the “rootkit” piece of the XCP software on some Sony BMG Music Entertainment CDs can pose a security risk to Windows PCs, according to a posting Saturday to a Microsoft corporate Web log.

In addition to a fix, their Anti-Spyware program will be updated in the near future to help block against this happening in the first place. Kudos to Microsoft, because God knows this is going to be severely exploited. Check out the full posting at News.com.

Read More Comment (0)

< Older Posts

Newer Posts >