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:: PC Perspective . News Archive
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.:News Archive ( 10/2008 )
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective Forums | Subject: General Tech
Does your home resemble an Italian kitchen? Are there spaghetti-like wires travelling everywhere you use your computer? Is the reason that you haven't gone wireless based on a feeling of insecurity? Fear not, a lot of what you may be worrying about may be unfounded, though not all. The wireless connectivity may come in very handy if you find yourself needing to build a clandestine Folding@Home machine!
Dropping by the Windows forum, you will notice a bit of action this week, running from the strange to slightly more normal to ways to make PC migration easier. The hardware fanatics are more interested in the new core i7 (yes, keep your eyes open this weekend) and the AM3. Another hot topic is getting the heat out of your case, are top vents a good answer? Now get out there and score some free candy ... or just hoard the supplies you claimed you were buying to give out.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: bit-tech | Subject: Case and Cooling
The Cooler Master ATCS 840 does have a lot to recommend it's self; a pair of 230mm fans on the top and one on the front as well as a 120mm exhaust in the back. The fans need to be that large as there is a huge amount of space inside the case, so to get the air moving requires either fast and noisy fans or large and not quite as loud fans, which seems the better choice. Find out how the ATCS stacks up against other Cooler Master models when tested by bit-tech.
"While its performance isn’t world beating, the ATCS 840 is still undoubtedly one of the best cases we’ve seen for a long time - it has thoroughly impressed us during our time with it. Combining gorgeous looks, fantastic build quality and unmatched attention to detail throughout the entire design, Cooler Master has produced a case of the highest quality that thoroughly deserves your hard earned cash. It might be expensive, but it’s most definitely worth it!" Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Legit Reviews | Subject: System
The All In Wonder is back for the HD revolution. It supports NTSC, SECAM and PAL, up to 125 channels on a TV tuner with stereo audio and has plenty of connectors like DVI, HDMI connectors and a Coax input for cable or antenna. Legit Reviews was also glad to see the power of an HD 3650 for those who might want to do a little gaming as well. Get one, your HTPC will love you for it.
"Overall I feel that the ATI All-In-Wonder HD is a great card for the casual gamer that is looking to upgrade their aging video card and would like to add HD content playback to their system. The bundled software is wonderful for anyone not planning to use Vista Media Center. There is little to dislike about the card, it is very quiet in operation and under the highest HD mode of operation the system uses less than 125W. Since so little power is used the video card stays nice and cool..." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Guru of 3D | Subject: Graphics Card
The new 1GB HD4870s that have arrived also heralded the
arrival of HD4870s with 2GB or VRAM, which is exactly what the Guru of 3D has up for review. That extra RAM will come in very handy with your 30" monitor, playing at 2560x1600 and the raw power of the card will let you set most, if not all options to their highest settings. If you are playing with a monitor in the 20" range, you really won't see much difference between the original HD4870 and this new version.
"Here we nicely and lengthy test the HIS Radeon HD 4870 X2 2048MB. A graphics card with 1600 tiny little sub-processors on that X2 hauling ass on your frame rate, and that's the success of the Radeon HD 4870 X2 .. incredible 3D computing performance, RAW power. Obviously HIS technology jumped that bandwagon as well, and though we regret to not see a customized cooler on this product, it once again managed to impress us very much." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Wired News | Subject: General Tech
Stuck staring at an orange spherical gourd without a clue as to where to stick the knife? Drop by Wired for some inspirational works, ranging from extremely geeky and easy to much more l33t 'kin carving. In fact, you could completely dump the knife all together and go with power tools. Much quicker to do and far more fun, if you can find one, is a CNC machine.
"Wired.com readers are nothing if not crafty. No medium or surface is safe from their geek icons, no matter how pulpy or gourd-like they may be. Every year we ask you to submit your best geek-o'-lanterns and just like the denizens of the netherworld, you did our bidding -- oozing en mass from the dark corners of the web to deliver juicy photo flesh to our feet. Feast your eyes on the offerings of your fellow readers and rejoice that their contributions have spared our considerable wrath." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Digital Trends | Subject: Mobile
For a 15" laptop to weigh 7.3 pounds and be 1.6 inches thick is to make a statement in today's mobile world where every other model is emulating the heroin chic look you usually see sported by runway models. The C2D 2.26GHz processor, 4GB of PC-5300 DDR2 RAM and a 320GB HDD, partnered with a 512Mb 9800M GS mean that this laptop offers more than just a sturdy exterior. Digital Trends got 45 minutes of battery time going full out, and enabling all the power savings tricks and limiting themselves to surfing only add an hour to the total battery life.
"Asus' G50Vt rolls an impressive array of hardware into a bulky-but-inexpensive package, with a heavy-handed dose of flair smeared on top. While the style might not be for everyone, and battery life makes its wall adapter an essential umbilical cord for use, it offers a very reasonably priced and playable system for those who want to game on the go without dropping thousands on pricy boutique systems." Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: [H]ard|OCP | Subject: Motherboard
Based around a P45 northbridge and ICH10R south bridge the Gigabyte GA-EP45T-Extreme is definitely aimed at the higher end of the market. Considering that [H]ard|OCP discovered that "Bar none this is the most overclockable motherboard I have ever worked with." you can safely assume they have positioned it correctly. Really, it's only weak point is that it cannot support the fastest DDR3 DIMMs currently on the market.
"Gigabyte sent over its enthusiast oriented EP45T-Extreme. It features the craziest chipset cooling setup we've ever seen and its' packed with features. Is it all show and no go, or does it walk the DDR3/P45 walk?" Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: bit-tech | Subject: Memory
4Gb of DDR2-800 @ 4-4-4-12 faces off against 4Gb clocked to DDR2-1,066MHz @ 5-5-5-15 at bit-tech. Many of us still haven't made the plunge into DDR3, especially with Nehalem looming in the near future and it's triple channel capabilities. If you are looking for extra speed in your DDR2 system, it's worth revisiting the differences you get in changing timing and overall speed.
"We found that using the biggest performance difference for the popular P45 chipset was actually tRD - a chipset limitation, not memory. On the Gigabyte board this is the "Performance Enhance" option that can be changed between Standard, Turbo or Extreme - either this or adjusting precisely in the Advanced Timing Control section will greatly affect performance. Dropping down the performance level from Turbo to Standard with the 1,066MHz memory saw the performance drop significantly to sub-800MHz CAS-4 levels, effectively nullifying any point in buying and using faster memory settings. In this case, if you're under a strict budget, we'd highly recommend buying a better motherboard and cheaper memory - substituting more expensive PC2-8500 memory for these G.Skill Pi-Blacks." Here are some more Memory articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Silent PC Review | Subject: Case and Cooling
As SPCR puts it, once nice feature about the SilverStone Decathlon DA700 is it's complete lack of captive cabling, every single one is removable. While the PSU does not belong to the 80Plus club, the power it delivered was solid as well as clean. Along with their look at the voltage provided, SPCR also focused on what they feel is the most important
quality in any component, the noise it generates. They take the measurements very seriously, they've just finished setting up an anechoic chamber
to get their readings in.
"SilverStone, despite its image mostly as a high-end case brand, offers an amazing number of power supplies, probably many more than you might think. The 700W DA700 is part of its Decathlon line, geared to "power users", but they want to pit it against the quietest PSUs tested by SPCR. Naturally, we're happy to comply." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Digitimes | Subject: General Tech
Rumours about various manufacturers have been flying around lately, the newest rumour being Foxconns' imminent cessation of making branded motherboards. DigiTimes has spotted several things that peaked their curiosity, and seem to think that while Foxconn may continue to make motherboards or at least components, but they would not be sold under the Foxconn brand. Of course, Foxconn says that they had never heard of any of this.
"The sources commented that Foxconn recently told its sales department to stop taking orders for some motherboard models, and to stop gathering order volume forecasts for all new models, implying that the company is clearing out its inventory. The sources also added that Foxconn is making the adjustments with a very low profile and will not make an announcement since that could impact its inventory clearing." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Tweaknews | Subject: Case and Cooling
The Aerocool AeroRacer Pro is so special it has a "start engine" button, not a power button. It does have a 40cm fan taking up an entire side panel, so overcompensation is the dominate theme with this case. Don't discard it out of hand however, in Tweaknews's testing the system ran cooler in this case than it did in the open air. If you do find the look and cooling interesting, the case is availabe for a penny under $100.
"There was a famous stripper (for want of a better handle) in the last century named Gypsy Rose Lee. Maybe you've heard of her. At any rate, the most famous quote attributed to her about her profession was, "You gotta have a gimmick". A lot of product manufacturers seem to feel the same way. The PC aftermarket is no exception. Take the AeroRacer Pro chassis from AeroCool for example. This case has a couple of prominent features that AeroCool hopes will convince buyers to chose the AeroRacer Pro over the numerous other chassis' in this class. The most obvious feature is the HUGE side panel fan. The other is one of the largest power buttons you'll ever see on a computer case. The button has the words "ENGINE START" stenciled across it, I assume to harmonize with the AeroRacer Pro moniker. We've got one in the lab, and we're going to see if this case is a winner at the checkered flag or an also ran. Come along for the ride, won't you?" Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Graphics Card
Ryan's review of the KFA2 Galaxy GTX 260+ shows off the work nVIDIA and it's partners are doing with the current lineup of cards. The first big change is the use of the new Big Bang 2 drivers from nVIDIA, the second is the card it's self. The clocks on this card are bumped up by more that 10% across the board; 656 MHz core, 1405 MHz shader and 1130 MHZ memory. Support for 3 way SLI and a bevy of output choices just adds to the attraction of the card, and may cause you to skip getting a GTX 280.
"The new KFA2 Galaxy GTX 260+ is showing itself to be formidable contender in the mainstream performance graphics market. By using the new, upgraded GTX 260+ (aka GTX 270, etc) GPU the KFA2 brand is able to take that a bit further by pushing up the clock rates of the core, shaders and memory by about 13% producing a much faster than stock graphics card. In my testing the Galaxy card was able to beat out the highly overclocked EVGA GeForce GTX 260 FTW card and was ALMOST on par with the BFG GTX 280 1GB card in many cases." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: VIA Technologies | Subject: Motherboard
VIA EPIA-P710Taipei, Taiwan, October 29 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc., a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-P710, the world's first single board computer based on the new Pico-ITXe specification of the Small Form Factor Special Interest Group (SFF-SIG), providing a more rational approach to system design. Supporting up to four customizable I/O expansion modules, the VIA EPIA-P710 Pico-ITXe enables a highly flexible and affordable implementation of serial connectivity options. Designed as the perfect baseboard, the VIA EPIA-P710 uses an intelligent board layout to allow efficient module stacking and aid heat dissipation. The VIA EPIA-P710 board features two SUMIT™ (Stackable Unified Module Interconnect Technology) connectors that integrate common high and low speed, legacy and serial expansion buses, including, most notably, PCI Express, LPC, SPI and USB 2.0. This extensive support sets Pico-ITXe apart from competing standards, facilitating an off-the-shelf solution to power the next generation of embedded devices. SUMIT is an open standard administered by the SFF-SIG. Powered by a 1GHz VIA C7 processor and the latest VIA VX800 media system processor, the VIA EPIA-P710 delivers an incredibly full-featured yet flexible, power-efficient platform within the remarkably small footprint of 10cm x 7.2cm. "VIA is excited to be the first to deliver a truly innovative product that leverages the ultra compact dimensions and modular expandability of the new Pico-ITXe specification," said Daniel Wu, Vice President of VIA Embedded, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Our collaboration with SFF-SIG has borne a product that will set the standard for the embedded industry and shape the market for years to come."
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Report | Subject: General Tech
All you fans of squad based FPS mulitplayer games in general and CoD in particular will be glad to know the demo of Call of Duty: World at War is now availalbe to everyone. The Tech Report has the link to a demo that features three maps, all you need is to download it and grab a beta key by signing up at the CoD website. Otherwise you will have to wait until November 11th.
"Many game publishers neglect to release demos of upcoming titles these days, so it's surprising to see one offer a multiplayer beta of an upcoming blockbuster to the public. That's just what Activision has done with Treyarch's World War 2 shooter Call of Duty: World at War, however. Shacknews says the World at War PC beta is now open to everyone, and you can grab it for free right here at FileShack. The beta installer weighs in at roughly 846MB, and users apparently need to register at the official Call of Duty website to get a beta key. Folks who participate can look forward to "addictive class-based multiplayer action," upgradeable weapons, vehicles, and squad-based gameplay in three multiplayer arenas: a Japanese castle, an island in the Pacific, and a train depot in Europe." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: AMD | Subject: General Tech
If you are having performance troubles with Radeon cards and FarCry 2 or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, AMD has a hot fix out for you. It is a beta driver and is unsupported by AMD, so you may find it causes other problems for you. Be warned before you try.
This hotfix
The hotfix download package includes both the Display Driver and Catalyst Control Center. The hotfix can be downloaded by clicking on the links below. Far Cry 2 and Stalker Clear Sky XP HotFix (includes XP 32-bit and 64-bit)
Far Cry 2 and Stalker Clear Sky Vista HotFix (includes Vista 32-bit and 64-bit) Note: This driver is provided as is and is not supported by AMD. It has not completed full AMD testing, and is only recommended for users experiencing the particular issue described above.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Inquirer | Subject: General Tech
AMD finally has a relatively public Developers Forum to call their very own, the Technical Forum and Exposition. Though in it's 4th year, this is likely the first you have heard of it, it has been a very quiet and exclusive event. Seeing as how The Inquirer made it into the TFE this year, the standards for attendance have been significantly lowered. The event differs from the IDF in it's philosophy and purpose, read on to see what AMD thinks is the proper way to get developers together.
"WE HAVE LONG said that AMD needed an IDF-like event to spread the technical word and act as a mixer for ideas. Little did we know they had one, but it was hidden from the public gaze, until this year. The event is called the AMD Technical Forum and Exposition (TFE), and is held every autumn in Taipei. The first three years were 'top (ish) secret', NDAs required, and in general discussed things that were not meant to be public, yet. This year, the requirements were relaxed quite a bit, so The INQUIERER went along for the show." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: ZOTAC | Subject: Motherboard
HONG KONG - Oct. 29, 2008 - ZOTAC International, a leading manufacturer of NVIDIA-based graphics cards and motherboards, today unleashes its latest mini-ITX form factor motherboard -- the ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi - a new high-performance platform that occupies minimal space. The new ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi combines the power of NVIDIA GeForce 7 series graphics processing with Intel Core 2 processors and wireless network connectivity into a single 170mm2 package. New integrated 802.11b/g WiFi enables the ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi to connect to wireless networks for wireless Internet connectivity. Integrated WiFi allows users to enjoy network connectivity without wires or the hassles of large and bulky external wireless cards. "Wireless networks in homes are becoming quite popular. Our new ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi allows users to add another system to their home or office and connect it to the network without installing additional network cabling," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. A NVIDIA GeForce 7100 graphics processor delivers DirectX9 with Shader Model 3.0 compatibility in the ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi. The GeForce 7100 graphics core is Microsoft Windows Vista Premium ready for a high-performance Vista experience with the new aero user interface. An HDCP compliant DVI output allows the ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi to connect to DVI-equipped digital flat panel displays. HDCP compliance ensures the ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi is able to playback protected digital videos without any hassles. A DVI-to-HDMI adapter is bundled with the ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi for easy connectivity with high-definition television sets. NVIDIA nView multi-display technology enables the ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi to support dual monitors with ease. With nView technology, two monitors can be connected to the ZOTAC nForce 630i-ITX WiFi for extended desktop or clone configurations for maximum display configuration flexibility.
General details
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Report | Subject: Storage
Western Digital has changed their GreenPower terabyte HDD from using four 250GB platters to three 333GB platters and doubled the cache size. The Tech Report loved the first version, which not only delivered on the energy savings promised, but also performed as well or better than some 7200rpm HDDs. Check out what the modifications have done to this drive.
"Western Digital has updated its eco-friendly Caviar Green with new 333GB platters and 32MB of cache. Keep reading to see whether these upgrades make the GreenPower terabyte faster and more power-efficient than its forebear." Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: engadget | Subject: General Tech
If you head over to engadget you can get a preview of Windows 7's features and overall look. Some interesting tidbits came up about the systems that Windows 7 will run on. At the PDC the audience was shown a netbook with a 1GHz processor and a single gigabyte of RAM, half of which was unused. It will also support up to 256 CPUs (or maybe they mean cores?), giving you lots of room to expand or to use Larrabee perhaps. The information is still coming, so keep your eyes peeled for more updates.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: X-Bit Labs | Subject: Display
Probably the hardest thing about reviewing a 3D monitor is that it is impossible to show in screenshots what the experience is actually like. Other monitor reviews can contrast the colour levels, saturation, bleed and other easily measurable and displayed data, you can't really do that for the biggest feature in 3D monitors. X-bit Labs didn't let that stop them from doing a review of the iZ3D Stereoscopic LCD monitor. The monitor does have advantages over it's competition, such as support for XP as well as Vista and it works with both AMD and nVIDIA graphics cards, though Crossfire and SLI do not work. See what X-bit Labs thought.
"While the Trimon employs a matrix whose even- and odd-numbered lines produce light with different directions of polarization, the iZ3D goes further and employs two LCD matrixes of the same size (22 inches) and resolution (1680x1050 pixels). The operating principle of this monitor is based on the ability of liquid crystals to turn the polarization plane of the passing light by an angle that depends on the position of the crystals. This property is in fact used in every regular LCD monitor: the panel with liquid crystals is nestled in between two polarizers and the turning angle of the crystals determines what percent of light can pass through those polarizers." Here are some more Display articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Super Talent Technology | Subject: Storage
San Jose, California - October 28, 2008 - Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced a limited edition 18-carat solid gold USB drive that comes with a serialized Certificate of Authenticity. The Pico-C has become the hallmark of style and quality in USB drives. Prized for its beautiful design and incredibly small size, the Pico-C is also water resistant and fast, supporting up to 200X (30MB/sec) data transfer speeds. The Pico-Cs amazing qualities account for the scores of prestigious Awards the Pico-C has amassed, including being featured on the July-08 cover of Popular Science and being named as a Top 10 Record-Breaking Consumer Gadget by Gizmodo. Now, for a limited time only, Super Talent is offering an 8GB custom-made 18-Carat solid solid gold Pico-C drive that includes:
This rare collector's item makes an eloquent corporate gift, and is available only on a preorder basis for a limited time, with three to four weeks lead time. Part number STC8GBPCKG is offered to resellers at $599. "We fused advanced technology with precious metals into a precision crafted device with no equal," said Mr. Jin Kim, Super Talent design engineer. 
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Extremetech | Subject: General Tech
A lot of thought has gone into designing the Microsoft Arc mouse. Built to accompany your laptop or netbook, it is wireless, folds up much like a cellphone does and can work at ranges up to 30 feet. You may never get that far away, but it is a handy feature, like the 25lbs of pressure the hinge can support. ExtremeTech has put up a full reivew, contrasting it against the Logitech V550 Nano and Microsoft Explorer Mini.
"Microsoft's Arc Mouse has a fitting name - a symmetrical, well crafted semi-circle shape that is suitable equally for righties and lefties. Forget the traditional soap design seen with most mice. The Arc can fold up like a flip phone for easier storage along with an auto-shutoff when closed shut. It is held together by a metal hinge that can withstand 25 pounds of pressure. Guided with a laser sensor and three Teflon pads, the Arc Mouse is fitting for smooth tracking across multiple surfaces. The mouse measures 4.44-inches long, 2.32-inches wide and folds to 60% of its expanded size. It sports a rubberized matte surface area, outlined by a glossy strip for extra sex appeal. There's one side button on the left, but no button on the right. The scroll wheel registers clicky detents for accurate line-by-line scrolling." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Inquirer | Subject: General Tech
Microsoft is jumping into cloud computing with Azure, as announced by their Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie at a Professional Developers Conference. Called Project Red Dog in development and now renamed to something that might smell a little sweeter, this will be Microsoft's attempt to draw people into a hosted application environment and will attempt to take on Amazon's similar product. You can read all the market-speak about it by following the link at The Inquirer.
"MICROSOFT has started releasing software connected to the shy and retiring CEO Steve Ballmer's vision of cloud computing.
Microsoft chief software architect Ray Ozzie unveiled Azure at a Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles and gave the software specialists advanced access to what he describes as "Windows in The Cloud"." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: VIA Technologies | Subject: General Tech
Shenzhen, China, 28 October 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the 'Global Mobility Bazaar' (GMB), an innovative industry infrastructure program aimed at driving the rapid global adoption of affordable mobile computing devices. Through the GMB program, VIA is partnering with over 15 GMB manufacturers and infrastructure partners in China on the development of a wide variety of mini-notes, netbooks, and notebooks based around VIA's ultra low power processor platforms. Equipped with the Microsoft Windows XP operating system, these systems will deliver an optimized mobile computing and Internet experience across a variety of form factors with screen sizes ranging from 7" to 15". "As the fastest-growing segment of the PC market, mobile computing offers significant opportunities for the members of our new Global Mobility Bazaar program," said Richard Brown, Vice President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "We are excited to be partnering with them to develop a broad spectrum of devices that will meet the increasingly sophisticated demands of mobile users in both developed and emerging markets. "We welcome VIA's initiative in developing a whole new ecosystem for driving ultra mobility further into global markets," commented Jack Lee, Vice President, OEM Greater China Region of Microsoft. "We see that the Global Mobility Bazaar will enable partners to provide a rich mobile computing experience built around the familiar Windows XP interface to a new generation of users around the world."
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: TECHGAGE | Subject: Mobile
You have seen Smooth Creations incredible paint jobs before, they created the system we gave away for Memorial Day. They have branched out from full sized systems to include netbooks, which gives you a chance to show off a incredible paint job without having to cart around over 10lbs worth of PC. TECHGAGE did find the WiFi to be a little under-par, and wanted a little more power under the hood for the price, but no one can argue that you have to pay a premium for a paint job of this quality.
"The choice in netbooks used to be slim, but that's far from being the case today. With all the competition, companies have to be creative in how they design their product, and in the case of Smooth Creation's Smoothbook Slice, how they differentiate themselves is in the look. So if you ever wanted a netbook with a very unique paint job that defines who you are, read on." Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: System
AVADirect is a custom system builder that uses a lot of the tricks you find in boutique systems, without the insane prices. The system that Ryan tried has a C2Quad Q9450 pumped up to 3.40 GHz and 4GB OCZ Platinum EB Edition PC3-12800, giving you some serious power. The 9800GTX+ is a little odd to include; it is still a solid card but will have great difficulties keeping up with the speed of the CPU and RAM. At $2450 it is has rather impressive stats and you can always customize your build to beef up the graphics subsystem.
"On the other hand, none of the above mentioned system builders will let you select components with such detail as AVADirect does on their website. There are MANY different cases that you can choose from, all kinds of memory vendor brands as well as very specific CPU coolers. If you are an experienced enthusiast that is familiar with brands like Cooler Master, Thermaltake and others, then you have an advantage in being able to select from these groups for AVADirect to build your computer from." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Icrontic | Subject: Case and Cooling
If you are looking for a case that will give you enormous amounts of space and some heavy duty cooling, you should at least consider the Tagan Monolize-CS. It does lack some of the features high end cases offer, but as it costs 1/2 as much, you can't really be too surprised. It does offer a lot of space in the interior, tool-less drive cages and a pair of 250mm fans on it's side panel. Icrontic was quite happy with the results of their testing and have no reservations in recommending this case.
"Tagan seems to have met their goals for the Monolize case. It is strikingly well-built, installation is simple, and the cooling is excellent. Overall, the Tagan Monolize offers excellent performance and value for the money. For the cost-conscious case buyer, the Monolize is a perfect choice ..." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: AnandTech | Subject: Graphics Card
If you fire up GPU-Z and have only 560 shader processors as opposed to the 640 that are on the card then you have a card with a pre-production BIOS. There is good news, it looks like only reviewers have ended up with these cards, they are not likely to have made it into the channel, though it is possible some slipped through. As well, you can take hearst in the fact that this is a BIOS issue only. The processors are there, they are just going unused and a simple BIOS flash can fix that. AnandTech did some testing and you can see the difference in performance, shown in percentage improvement over here.
"All the details we have point to the missing SP problem being limited to review samples only. AMD's partners should not have this issue pop up in the wild. This is good news for consumers, and good news for AMD as well. We saw that the 4830 wasn't a bad part, but because our tests were run with 87.5% of the full compliment of SIMDs our numbers don't reflect the full performance potential the hardware has." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Extremetech | Subject: General Tech
If you haven't already given up on it completely, there are four tweaks at ExtremeTech that will help make your Vista machine a little more friendly. Some, like the tweak that allows you to switch application icons are of limited use, others that let you affect the templates used in Windows Explorer so that spreadsheets do not come up as a thumbnail preview are a little more useful. Check them out.
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective Forums | Subject: General Tech
What are perceived as random problems
are often easily diagnosable and repeatable errors, assuming you have the right tools and/or experience to identify them. You can do it the hard way, and after years of seeing dying PSUs, faulty memory, conductive crud, spyware, adware and viruses you may be able to identify problems as they occur. Instead you could take the easier and less traumatizing approach, and use a program like Process Explorer which will give you a way to identify the likely suspects interrupting your late night gaming sessions. PE is a great tool, but there are certainly others at your disposal; unfortuntely, some problems are not so easily solved. Somewhere else it is very easy to get lost is with HDTVs, not only the TVs themselves but getting the proper settings for the signal you are recieving. These HTPC threads may really help you get going, there are plenty of useful tips and links.
There is a new project being undertaken by Ryan, on top of his reviews, site redesign, podcasts, dog walking, etc ... he is also going to be a regular guest on Leo Laporte's TWIT Network show. You can tune in next Thursday at 3pm PST/5pm CST (...and so on...) and see both Ryan and Leo talking about the latest news. Next Thursday will touch on Ryan's Powerline networking, which regular listeners of our Podcast will know is a current project of his. |
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