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:: PC Perspective . News Archive
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.:News Archive ( 2/2008 )
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective Forums | Subject: General Tech
Upgrading your system piece by piece can be challenging, and I don't necessarily mean to imply it is hard to find the components or install them. I am more referring to the dilemma of bottlenecking, as in this thread, nothing is more disheartening
than buying a new graphics card and seeing no improvements. On the other hand, moving from onboard to add on audio can be a bit confusing. Hard drives are easier, if you want speed, you want a Raptor; but is there one you might prefer over others?
For information on other topics, why not visit the off topic forum for a light hearted look at the world, or head to TLR to see if you can make smoke come out of another Bullfrog's ears. You can drop by the storage forum for some info on the SATA dock that Ryan reviewed and a chance to win it, or if you don't win maybe you can trade for it!
Ryan Shrout | Source: fastlanehw | Subject: Graphics Card
It looks like the rumor going around the pre-CeBit floor is that AMD and its partners will be showing off a GDDR4 version of the recently released Radeon HD 3870 X2 card (review here). The current cards use GDDR3 memory but there are not as of yet any indicators that performance will be increased because of it - stay tuned!
Most of ATI’s partners will showcase their Radeon 3870 X2 DDR4
versions of the cards at Cebit. For a few of your that might not know, Cebit
starts on the March 4th, so on the coming Tuesday and it still
remains to be the biggest computer tradeshow. It takes place in Hannover Germany.
Radeon 3870 X2 with GDDR4 and some water cooled cards will be the top of what ATI partners have to show and we also learned that the production of GDDR4 X2 cards should start in the middle of March. The cards should be available as of first week of April and they tend to be a bit more expensive but we don’t know how much. Don’t expect a big performance increase out of these GDDR4 powered cards but they will be a bit faster than the currently available GDDR3 3870 X2 cards.
Ryan Shrout | Source: engadget | Subject: Motherboard
This is a pretty interesting design idea: taking the heat that is generated by the motherboard chipset and using it to power the very fan that cools it. Pic and description from engadget.
Okay, try not to let your mind get blown by the possible time-space
paradox we're about to illustrate, but MSI's supposedly introducing a
new ECOlution
motherboard at CeBIT with an "air powered cooler" that operates on the
Stirling Engine Theory to transform the thermal output of its chipset
into the kinetic energy necessary to power that same chipset's fan. Of
course, as the fan cools the heatsink it deprives itself of energy,
supposedly the piston affixed to the crankshaft pulls back down, giving
it another potential surge when its heat rebuilds. Supposedly it works
at 70% efficiency, so we'll just let the thermodynamics geeks in the
audience mull over the possibility and audacity of it all -- they
certainly seem to have given up on Steorn at this point.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Report | Subject: System
Four systems builds are proposed by The Tech Report in their newest system guide. Everyone is covered from the budget conscious gamer to the gamer who can afford it all, as well as a powerful workstation that has more filling than an Oreo double stuff.
For even more choices, drop by PC Perspective's own Hardware Leaderboard, and see what Ryan recommends. "PC hardware has gotten crazy cheap in recent months. You can take advantage by using our latest system guide to select components for a new build. A sub-$600 killer gaming rig? We can do that. Read on to see how." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Legit Reviews | Subject: Processor
Intel's Core 2 Duo E8500 is retailing for about $495, which gets you a 3.16GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1333MHz (333x4) FSB 45nm process chip that overclocks like an old Celeron. Legit Reviews hit 4.73GHz by dropping the multiplier to 9 and cranking up the bus speed to 526MHz. Before they overclocked the chip, it's power consumption was noticeably lower than previous models, though pumping the CPU to 1.585V probably changed that a bit.
"The Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 that we specifically looked at in this article did very well in the benchmarks and consistently beat the AMD Phenom 9600 Black Edition quad-core processor. This goes to show how well the Wolfdale core has been developed and also how bad of a position AMD is in when it comes to processors. When it came to overclocking, the 45nm Wolfdale processors do great and hitting 500MHz FSB is easily possible, which means 2GHz DDR3 memory kits can be finally released and companies like Corsair Memory have already launched such products..." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Phoronix | Subject: Case and Cooling
The Cosmos S RC-1100 is a souped up version of the Cosmos 1000, with a much more sporty look and some features you don't find on the 1000 model. From a touch sensitive power switch, no buttons on this case, to a rather well thought out cooling system, it is easy to see why this case grabbed Editor's Choice at Phoronix. Go ahead and see for yourself.
"Back in August we looked at the Cooler Master Cosmos 1000, which was a very well designed EATX chassis that ultimately received our Editor's Choice Award for its excellent build quality, stylish design, and its feature-set. Just a few days ago, however, Cooler Master had unleashed the Cosmos S chassis. The Cosmos S RC-1100 is based upon the Cosmos design, but features a new racing theme, touch-sensitive panel, and various other improvements. The RC-1100 is meant to be the "Sports" version of the Cosmos 1000. In this review, we're looking at the Cooler Master Cosmos S as we load it up with an Intel 5400 EATX server motherboard and other high-end server hardware to see how this case really performs." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Digitimes | Subject: General Tech
DigiTimes has news on the upcoming 4x series of chips for Intel motherboards, including a rough look at their pricing and some details on the P43. Also nice to see is more confirmation that the X48 will be shipping in March, good news for those wanting dual PCI-E 8x slots.
"Intel has set the pricing for its upcoming 4-series chipsets which are to be launching in the second quarter this year, while also adding one more member, the P43, to the lineup, according to sources at Taiwan-based motherboard makers. The P43, a cut-down version of the P45 chipset, will not support dual x8 PCI Express slots as the P45 will offer, and will support DDR3 memory only up to 1066MHz compared to DDR3 1333 MHz for the P45, the sources indicated. However, the P43 will be available at US$34 in 1,000-unit tray quantities, lower than the US$40 quoted for the P45, said the sources. Intel also plans to launch an entry-level IGP chipset, the G41, in the first quarter of 2009 with pricing for this chip to be decided later, the sources noted." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: TweakTown | Subject: General Tech
Tweaktown looks at TrueHD on the PC, something that AACS' DRM has made sure we can't do currently. See, if you aren't using HDMI 1.3, you aren't allowed to hear TrueHD, and you can't currently get HDMI 1.3 compliance on a PC. There is hope though, Auzentech was showing off the X-Tension at CES this year; it's simply a HDMI 1.3 audio signal processing daughter board to stick onto your X-Meridian or X-Fi Prelude. Check out the whole story.
"I was super excited after reading up on the latest high-definition audio standards from DTS and Dolby, namely DTS-HD Master Audio (MA) and Dolby TrueHD. I wanted it all right away – give me, give me, give me! From what I read at the beginning, it seemed as if I could use any half decent 7.1 sound card with eight channel analog outputs to receive and start experiencing new tracks in new and true HD audio style. Was it possible that a $15 magical set of Creative Home Theater cables could actually provide the solution? Well, in short, no – at least, not exactly." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Corsair Memory | Subject: Case and Cooling
Fremont, CA, February 28, 2008 – Corsair, a worldwide leader in high performance computer and flash memory products, today announced the HX1000W power supply unit (PSU), the world's first 1000 watt PSU to be certified under the newly-created 3-way NVIDIA SLI Technology Certification Program from NVIDIA Corporation. The HX1000W is the latest addition to Corsair's award-winning HX-series of modular power supplies for the gaming and enthusiast community. Featuring a twin-transformer, true dual-rail design, DC-to-DC conversion and high-quality solid state capacitors, the HX1000W delivers the rock-solid performance and stability required for high-end enthusiast gaming systems. Features of the HX1000W include:
With Active Power Factor Correction (PFC) and 80% or more energy efficiency across a wide range of loading conditions, the HX1000W PSU generates minimal heat during operation. In addition, the high quality, thermally-controlled double ball-bearing 140mm fan provides effective cooling and whisper quiet operation. "Having the first 1000 watt power supply that is certified for 3-way NVIDIA SLI Technology is a great honor," said Jack Peterson, VP Corporate Marketing. "The fact that the HX1000W meets the 3-way NVIDIA SLI Technology specification at a wattage rating that is up to 30% lower than some of our competitors highlights Corsair's superior engineering expertise and world-class product development efforts," continued Peterson. "Clearly, this is the ultimate power supply for enthusiasts and demanding customers who want the very best hardware in their gaming rigs."
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: NVIDIA | Subject: General Tech
SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 28, 2008 - NVIDIA Corporation (Nasdaq: NVDA), the world leader in visual computing technologies and the inventor of the GPU, today announced that the Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA) extensions have now officially been adopted by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), paving the way for widespread industry adoption. As a result, the ESA protocol, which details the way PC peripherals can communicate with each other, will now be added into the next revision of the USB human interface device (HID)-class definition. Furthering ESA momentum within the industry is the global availability of ESA-certified PC components produced by many of ESA's founding partners, including Cooler Master, CoolIT Systems, NVIDIA®, PC Power & Cooling, Silverstone, Tagan, and Thermaltake. In addition, the new Dell XPS 630 is the first commercially-available desktop PC to be ESA-certified. The XPS 630 incorporates Dell's innovative LightFX technology, which utilizes the ESA real-time communications protocol to provide developers an easy way to create highly immersive gaming experiences by synchronizing on-screen gaming action with the ambient lighting integrated into the PC chassis. Originally introduced in late 2007, ESA was designed and introduced to support new monitoring and control capabilities for PC devices such as chassis, power supplies, and water and air cooling peripherals. Until the introduction of ESA, there was no standard communication protocol allowing such components to report information back to users. Essential data, such as temperature, thermal, voltage, and air flow attributes are made available in real-time and are critical to obtaining maximum PC performance and overclocking. With ESA, component manufacturers can now embed a wide variety of digital and analog sensors into their devices which can communicate real-time data for use in analyzing and optimizing overall PC operating conditions. In addition, ESA's logging functionality offers PC manufacturers and system builders an inexpensive and easy way to help identify PC operating abnormalities, and enable them to quickly identify and resolve customer support issues.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Corsair Memory | Subject: Storage
Fremont, CA, February 28, 2008 - Corsair, a worldwide leader in high performance computer and flash memory products, announced a new 16GB high performance "GT" Flash Voyager USB 2.0 drive. The new Corsair 16GB GT Flash Voyager USB drive will be debuted at the CeBIT 2008 Show next week in Hanover, Germany on Corsair’s stand (Booth 40 in Hall 21).
High Performance USB Solutions for Transporting & Backing-up Critical Data The new Flash Voyager GT USB drive provides data transfer rates that are up to 4X faster than standard USB 2.0 drives. Whether transporting office files, pictures or even full-length movies, you can "store-n-go" faster with the Corsair GT USB line. The drive has been optimized to take full advantage of its advanced flash controller technology as well as the screened and hand-selected NAND flash chips. Performance data shows:
Corsair 16GB GT USB Drive Features: - Maximum durability – proprietary all-rubber housing - Drive integrity – water resistant and shock resistant - Data security – TrueCrypt encryption software offering AES 256-bit encryption - User warranty – 10 years with on-demand customer support The new 16GB Flash Voyager GT utilizes Corsair’s proprietary water and shock resistant all-rubber casing, meaning that users with busy and active lifestyles can be confident that their data is secure and protected from damage. Corsair 16GB GT USB drives are immediately available: * Flash Voyager 16GB GT ~ $169.99 USD MSRP
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Report | Subject: Graphics Card
The Tech Report grabbed 3 GeForce 8800 GTs representing the three different models, the 256MB, 512MB and the 1GB. If you've ever wondered just why so many people snigger at those who paid extra for the 1GB model, read on and all will be revealed.
"More recently, we've seen a much smaller but not less absurd memory myth take hold in the graphics card industry. Budget cards equipped with ridiculous amounts of memory are the culprit here. For enthusiasts, a gig of memory on a sub-$100 graphics card makes about as much sense as putting a spoiler on a Yugo. Budget GPUs lack the horsepower necessary to run games at the kinds of resolutions and detail levels that would require such a copious amount of video memory. But what about the latest crop of mid-range graphics cards? Nvidia's GeForce 8800 GT has considerable pixel-pushing power on its own, and when teamed in SLI, that power is effectively doubled. Perhaps a gigabyte of memory on this class of card isn't so unreasonable. Conveniently, derivatives of the GeForce 8800 GT are available with 256MB, 512MB, or 1GB of memory, making it easy for us to probe the impact of graphics memory size on performance. We've tested a collection of single cards and SLI configurations in a selection of new games, across multiple resolutions, to see where memory size matters, if it does at all. Keep reading for the enlightening results." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: AnandTech | Subject: Mobile
The Dell XPS M1730 is just over 10lbs of serious power. It has a 17" 1920x1200 LCD, SLI, PhysX, it can handle RAID 0 or 1 as well as up to 4Gb of DDR2 800. All in all it is serious competition for the Alienware m9750 that Ryan tested recently. Check out the current pinnacle of laptop performance at AnandTech.
"We looked at WidowPC's Sting 512D2 a couple months ago, and the XPS M1730 is a case of one-upmanship in pretty much every way. A single 8800M GTX is very fast when it comes to mobile graphics performance... so why not have two paired together in SLI? Core 2 Duo T7600 is a fast mobile CPU, but how about increasing the clock speed and cache a bit more and moving to Intel's latest Penryn architecture, courtesy of the overclockable X9000? You can also get two hard drives in RAID 0 (or RAID 1 if you prefer data integrity to performance), a brighter LCD, a better keyboard layout, and a few miscellaneous odds and ends like the configurable glowing LEDs that light up the chassis." Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Digitimes | Subject: General Tech
While we still have no definite news on where the million or so Semprons that ASUS is rumoured to have bought will end up, but we do know that China will be seeing them for sale. DigiTimes predicts that Intel will drop prices in reaction to the release, a tactic we will likely see in North America once the chips make it over here. Maybe we should look out for low priced Lenovos soon.
"AMD has recently launched the first dual-core Sempron processors in China in a bid to counter Intel's dual-core Celeron product line in the entry-level market, according to sources at motherboard makers. AMD Sempron 2100+ processors adopt a 65nm process, and have a core frequency of 1.8GHz. Pricing in the China market is set at RMB 399 (US$55). Due to the cheap price and potential of AMD's own-brand RS780 and 690G IGP chipsets, the CPU has been popular with consumers in China prompting them support AMD's platform. In order to hit back, channel vendors predict Intel will drop its dual-core Celeron processor pricing. However, they pointed out that even if the two processors are equal in price, AMD's strong IGP chipsets still give the company an advantage." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Ryan Shrout | Source: Daily Tech | Subject: Processor
Dailytech has some new information on Diamondville, Intel's major push into the world of ultra-low power form factors that we are used to seeing VIA excel in. The processors are set at a 4-8 watts (!!) TDP and should find their way into a lot of interesting designs in the future.
To set the record straight, Diamondville does not refer simply to low power CPUs, but in fact also refers to an entire platform. This is because Diamondville processors will come soldered directly onto specially designed boards.
According Intel partner roadmaps leaked to DailyTech, its Diamondville line of processors are based on a completely new architecture drawn up on a “blank sheet of paper.” Intel plans to release two versions of its Diamondville processors, one for desktops and the other for mobile platforms. Intel’s first Diamondville chips are expected to be released towards the end of Q2’08. At this time, the company will launch the single-core Diamondville-SC 230, which is meant for desktop use, and the Diamondville-SC: 270, which is for use in mobile platforms. Both of these chips have very similar technical specifications, and will run at 1.60 GHz and feature 512KB cache. Intel guidance suggests that the first dual-core Diamondville chips will launch under the Celeron 3xx SKU. These new chips are expected to be targeted for desktop use only and will make an appearance in Q3’08.
Ryan Shrout | Source: Ars Technica | Subject: Graphics Card
An interesting bit of news came across earlier in the week about Intel purchasing Project Offset, makers of the Offset Engine. While no games have actually come out with it yet, I can remember seeing demos of the technology at NVIDIA/ATI press days for several years.
This video is kind of long, but gives you a lot to look at in terms of the high quality graphics the engine can produce. What's the interesting news about this engine? Intel now owns it. That gives Intel, who has made no secret of the fact they are developing graphics processors for the future, Havok (a physics engine) and now Project Offset (graphics engine) and a whole lot of options. One theory is that Intel is simply going to use these companies to develop software that runs perfectly on their processors and future GPUs as a way to demonstrate to the game development community how it can done. Another option is that Intel is hoping to create a gaming engine that they will actually sell (or give away) to developers in order to speed up the acceptance of their CPU/GPU hardware. An even more interesting option is that Intel hopes to move the Project Offset engine to a more Intel-centric code base, maybe even utilizing the oft-discussed ray tracing work that folks like Daniel Pohl have been working on at the research labs inside Intel. Arstechnica has a bit more commentary on the purchase as well:
ntel has remained mum its plans for Project Offset. It's apparent,
however, that the company is taking an interest in all of the separate
technologies that drive 3D gaming and game development. This probably
has less to do with gaming, per se, and more to do with the difficulty
of extracting parallelism from one set of instructions while an
entirely separate set of calculations is already taking place. With the
number of cores-per-CPU continuing to grow, Intel faces the challenge
of keeping all those cores busy—and that's before we consider Larrabee,
which is designed around its own multicore architecture.
While we probably won't see "The Adventures of Pentia" on the market
anytime soon, the research driven by acquisitions like this could lead
to significant advancements in parallel programing and, by extension,
multicore efficiency.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Big Bruin | Subject: Graphics Card
When you are building a low cost system, AMD is still a great way to go, and the ECS A770M-A (V1.0) AMD 770 can be the basis of a low cost, highly reliable PC. ECS have placed a lot of extras on this board and have still managed to keep it's cost well below $100. Big Bruin's review shows that it is solid, but if you are looking for overclocking potential, high powered cooling and a half dozen SATA slots you probably aren't looking for this particular board.
"The ECS A770M-A (V1.0) AMD 770 motherboard should not be overlooked by anyone looking to build a reliable, low cost system around the latest AMD processors. Those in the market for a highly configurable, overclocking motherboard should keep shopping, but if you want modern features and solid performance right out of the box, this is a good choice. Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Case and Cooling
Lee is at it again, this time pitting the Zalman ZM1000-HP 1,000W Power Supply against our abusive teting policies, to see just how much it can take. As it turns out, this PSU has a lot going for it, deserving the 80+ rating it received and keeping the temperatures and sound level reasonable, even at full load. That comes partly from the fact that the HP part of it's name signifies that this PSU uses heatpipes to deal with some of the hot spots. Read on to get the full picture on this powerful PSU.
"The ZM1000-HP 1,000W power supply's voltage regulation, line regulation and cross-loading regulation are excellent. The overall efficiency is excellent and AC ripple noise suppression is very good. Under normal operating conditions (below 600W load) the ZM1000-HP is virtually silent. The PSU comes fitted with a large assortment of hard-wired and modular cables that can support multiple, high-end video cards. However, the cables are only 20" long, which may prove a bit short for use in some larger cases." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: AMD | Subject: General Tech
SUNNYVALE, Calif. - February 27, 2008 - AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced it has worked closely with Microsoft throughout the Windows Server 2008 development process, to deliver the ultimate server solution. Through their strong partnership, both companies have optimized their respective hardware and software technologies to work together to address the demands of today's global digital economy and meet the computing requirements of businesses of all sizes. AMD Opteron processors were designed with 64-bit computing in mind and in combination with Windows Server 2008 they deliver a powerful platform for running business solutions that can maximize productivity and profitability. Customers using AMD Opteron processors, including Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors, and Windows Server 2008 can experience unparalleled performance, energy efficiency and investment protection, further pushing virtualization, web serving, and business intelligence capabilities into the mainstream. "We congratulate Microsoft on the release of the next generation Windows Server operating system," said Randy Allen, corporate vice president, Server and Workstation Division, AMD. "At AMD, we believe the ultimate server solution begins with the ultimate collaboration. Windows Server 2008 with Microsoft's hypervisor-based server virtualization technology (Hyper-V) will leverage the industry-leading performance of the AMD Opteron processor to deliver the level of support needed to fuel tomorrow's business innovation. Additionally, Microsoft and AMD's robust product architectures allow customers to scale with ease, while providing unmatched performance, a reduced overall cost of ownership and a flexible infrastructure that can evolve as their organization grows."
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Red & Blackness Mods | Subject: Memory
R&B Mods looks at G.SKILL's DDR2 PC2 8500, which have been constructed a with a little more attention to detail that some other modules we've seen. It's stock speed of 1066 @ 5-5-5-15 really isn't all that impressive but 4-5-5-13 @ 285 FSB isn't too bad, and they manged to hit 300Mhz with loose timings. Maybe you can pick up a kit and do even better.
"Today we take a look at a DDR2 kit from Gskill. We got their new 8500 kit that seems to perform quite well according to some other reviews I have seen. We are going to compare this vs our previous DDR2 kits that have performed the best. We are also going to try to boost this kit a bit to see how it performs under heavy overclocking." Here are some more Memory articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: X-Bit Labs | Subject: General Tech
X-bit Labs picked up a Santa Rosa based Apple MacBook Pro, and for some reason they installed Vista on it. Not only did it work, they compared it to an ASUS Lamborghini VX2S in several benchmarks. The Apple even beat out the Lamborghini in all gaming tests except Crysis. The pairing isn't really that strange if you compare the price of the Lamborghini VX2S to the MacBook Pro.
"Can Apple, Intel and Microsoft coexist peacefully? In this article we are going to talk about our experience with Apple MacBook Pro mobile system on Santa Rosa platform with a very usual operating system for this type of platform: Microsoft Windows Vista. Besides, we will also compare the performance of this solution against that of a classical Wintel system - ASUS Lamborghini VX2S." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Intel Press Room | Subject: Processor
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 27, 2008 - Intel Corporation today announced expanded offerings for embedded market segments with new processors with extended, 7-year life cycle support, a new chipset and a carrier-grade server. The processors, based on Intel's revolutionary high-k, metal gate transistor formula and manufactured on the company's 45-nanometer (nm) process, include the Quad-Core Intel Xeon processor 5400 Series and Dual-Core Intel Xeon processor 5200 Series.
These new processors, coupled with the new power-optimized Intel 5100 Memory Controller Hub (MCH) chipset, comprise the first 45nm CPU platforms for thermally constrained bladed applications. When using the Intel 5000P chipset, the 45nm processors are ideal for full-performance and memory-intensive applications such as storage, routers, security and medical solutions, as well as communications applications such as IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS). The processors take advantage of Intel's Hafnium-based, high-k metal gate transistor formula, which reduces power consumption, increases switching speed and significantly increases transistor density over the company's previous 65nm manufacturing technology. These 45nm CPU-based platforms, based on the Intel 5100 MCH chipset, are ideal for 200 watt maximum power envelope specifications such as AdvancedTCA* and also for NEBS Level-3 requirements.
Ryan Shrout | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Graphics Card
As frequent readers of PC Perspective know, we have been very interested in the work of on Daniel Pohl, now an employee at Intel, that developed some of the first modern ray tracing gaming engines. Daniel has written a couple of articles here on PC Perspective on the subject including Ray Tracing and Gaming - Quake 4: Ray Traced Project and Ray Tracing and Gaming - One Year Later. I have also covered a lot of the technology behind ray tracing such as the Terascale processing cores that will probably power it in the future and the first real-time showcase of ray tracing by Intel at IDF 2007.
One of the interesting points in that last article was on the premise of how ray tracing can scale with hardware very easily and thus allow ray tracing engines to run on the high-end PCs as well as hand held systems. At GDC last week Daniel showed off a version of the Quake 4 Ray Traced engine running on a 1.2 GHz single-core ultra-low power processor in a Sony VAIO micro-PC with a 512x256 resolution screen. The engine scales very well on this slower platform simply because the resolution deems there to be much less work for the processor to handle: "It’s because Ray-Tracing draws a scene in 3D by tracing rays of light
from the pixels on the screen, to the surfaces of objects in view. And
in the case of a UMPC, when one is viewing 3D space from the viewable
area of a 4.5” LCD screen, fewer rays are required, and hence, the CPU
requirements are substantially less. For example, you might prefer
viewing a high definition (1280x720 resolution) display on your PC, but
with the much smaller viewable area on a Sony* VAIO* UX Micro PC,
smaller resolutions may be quite acceptable (such as 480x272, for
example). Using this lower resolution, it would only require 8% of the
CPU requirements that had been needed to render in high definition."
The demo was running at 25-45 frames per second and was basically in the same detail level as the full screen demo shown last year. 
Image courtesy Intel Intel does admit that there is still work to be done both on the hardware and software side of ray tracing development:
"Now, keep in mind that this is just the graphics engine running, and
the technology still needs to develop to the point where we can run
multiple rays per pixel within a sensible compute budget, because that
will allow us to add the kinds of lighting effects, per-pixel correct
shadows and reflections, and complex geometry that gamers expect in
leading edge games."
Intel claims that Moore's law will help them, as you would expect, giving more power and more cores to even the lowest power form factor. Since processing power continues to increase at a much higher rate that screen resolutions, the capability to ray trace on nearly any size screen should be a reality in the not-too-distant future. The real strength with this demo at the Game Developer's Conference, as Intel sees it, is that games can be created and easily transported from form factor to form factor by utilizing the scaling ability of ray tracing: "We believe that with Ray-Tracing, developers will have an opportunity
to deliver more content in less time, because when you render things in
a physically correct environment, you can achieve high levels of
quality very quickly, and with an engine that is scalable from the
Ultra-Mobile to the Ultra-Powerful, Ray-Tracing may become a very
popular technology in the upcoming years."
Not everyone we have spoken to in the past few months sees ray tracing in such a positive light over existing rasterization rendering techniques - but we'll have more on that soon enough. You can read more about Intel's ray tracing work here:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Report | Subject: Graphics Card
Not convinced that nVIDIA's new 9600GT is one of the best budget cards around? Check out the Tech Report's review, where they overclock it to the point that it is beating the 8800 GT, never mind the HD3850. It's one Achilles heel is it shaders, but we probably won't be seeing games with shaders that are so complex that the card starts to slow down for a while.
"Nvidia's GeForce 9600 GT looks to topple the Radeon HD 3850 as the king of the sub-$200 price range. Can it seal the deal? We took a long look and came away impressed." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Storage
Ryan has finished his review of a very handy little product, the Thermaltake BlacX SATA USB docking station. This dock is a little different than ones we have seen before, it is designed to let you stick in uncovered drives into the slot at it's top. No screws, no buttons or clips, you just slide it in and away you go. Keep reading to find out more.
"The usage I have gotten out of this Thermaltake BlacX in just the past two weeks has made it well worth the meager $35 investment required to purchase one. Any user that finds themselves constantly on the lookout for extra storage, temporary or permanent, or even if you have some extra internal SATA hard drives sitting around that you'd like to get some use out of, the BlacX makes a perfect fit." Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Ars Technica | Subject: General Tech
Ars Technica spent some time at this years GDC, which had a lot of new independently
created titles on show. Ranging from customized controllers to games for all the consoles as well as the PC, there is a lot happening this year in gaming. Microsoft will have a huge impact on what makes it big, if you are designing a game for the PC or the XBox, you are already working with Microsoft. Check out the big hits from the GDC here.
"The Game Developer's Conference requires a different attitude than other trade shows centered around games; the press are not the focus here. Walking around the show floor, talking to people, overhearing conversations... you always get the feeling that your media badge is something that is merely being tolerated. "Yes, I would agree that the show is not set up for press access, nor do we care to alter GDC to make it conform to press interests," the show's executive director, Jamil Moledina told me in an interview we conducted before the show began." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Digitimes | Subject: General Tech
According to DigiTimes, it will not be easy to get our hands on a triple-core Phenom. All of their stock is going to OEMs to go inside full systems. This move is not unprecedented, but it is worrying when you think about the rumours of low yields with the B2 stepping.
"Although AMD's triple-core Toliman processors (Phenom 8000) will be launched on schedule in March this year, initially only B2 stepping versions will be released, and they will only be available to the OEM market, according to sources at motherboard makers. Both Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Dell are expected to launch products featuring the triple-core processors, which are likely to be popular due to their competitive price/performance ratio, noted the sources." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Dell | Subject: System
With a starting price of $1,249, the XPS 630 delivers stellar performance with the latest technology and innovative features, all in sleek, compact brushed-aluminum chassis.
Gamers won't outgrow the XPS 630 as since it's based on a standard ATX chassis, making future upgrades easy. It's ATI CrossFire and NVIDIA SLI-ready, and will support Corsair memory and Intel Extreme processors. Gamers can tweak performance by overclocking processor and memory through the control panel. "Since its inception, the Dell XPS line has been committed to delivering aggressive, competitive and attractive options for a broad spectrum of PC gamers," said Arthur Lewis, head of Dell's gaming group. "With the Dell XPS 630, we have the unique and exciting opportunity to offer a system that brings together the needs of enthusiasts and casual gamers." The XPS 630 is ready out of the box to play favorite mainstream games like The Sims or Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and online games like Lord of the Rings:Shadows of Angmar. It can easily be upgraded to deliver extreme performance for more complex games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and the highly anticipated Spore. The XPS 630 is the first OEM PC to support the new Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA), the industry's first open standard for delivering advanced levels of thermal management and control of other PC peripherals. Dell's LightFX technology supports ESA so developers can create highly immersive gaming experiences synchronizing the LED lighting zones with the on-screen action in the game. Under the hood the XPS 630 features: o NVIDIA nForce650 SLI Chipset o NVIDIA SLI Single/Dual Graphic options o ATI Crossfire Single/Dual Graphic options o Overclockable Intel Processors o Overclockable Corsair® DOMINATOR® Memory o 750KW Power Supply o 4 Internal HDD bays (Up to 3 Factory-Installed) o 4 DIMM slots o Two PCIe™ X16 Graphic slots o Light FX 2.0 (4 lighting zones) o AGEIA PhysX™ Accelerator option o Blu-ray Disc™ Drive option o Red and Black Bezel Color Choice * Customers who subscribed for a pre-launch discount received an email today with details on a limited time promotional configuration. The special $1,299 configuration includes an Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 processor dual NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB graphics cards2 with SLI technology and 2-year limit warranty3 and In-Home service4. Customers will be able to purchase configure-to-order XPS 630 systems starting tomorrow, Feb. 27.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Ars Technica | Subject: System
Ars Technica has put together a green system guide, for those energy conscious PC users out there. They cover a lot of the basics and also offer a pair of systems builds. The first is for the gamer, and while it doesn't have Crossfire or SLI, it should still be able to handle almost anything you throw at it. The second is a more extreme system built around an EPIA processor, but with a draw of 58.4-97.3W, it certainly won't add onto your power bill, or your carbon footprint.
"Once you get past the obvious, shaving watts becomes more difficult—but we're hear to help. You can get by with fewer fans since your system runs cooler, and a smaller case means fewer materials and resources used in manufacture—many of which are recyclable. Integrating everything into the motherboard means fewer add-in cards on PCBs, but again, that may only go so far. Not everyone can turn to integrated video, particularly gamers and multimonitor power users, and "ridiculous" comes to mind when one is obsess over the number of fans in a system, as a low-flow/low-noise fan is typically less than 2 watts. If you can get by without a desktop, a $499 laptop today typically has power consumption in line with a low-power PC. Even more economical alternatives such as Asus's Eee PC are also worth considering, but such choices call for significant compromises in screen size and performance." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: BCCHardware | Subject: General Tech
The next step in the eternal search for the perfect input device comes to us from Sandio, with their 3D O2 Gaming Mouse. It promises keyboard free gaming, as well as better control over 3D programs like Google Earth and Sketchup. BCCHardware was brave enough to try it out, even risking their reputation with some online gaming. See how they made out.
"After finalizing my key bindings for CoD4, it went great. I was actually able to complete the last three quarters of the game using only the mouse on normal difficulty. There were parts of the campaign I knew I could not complete on higher difficulties because of lack of a controller I was used to *cough* keyboard *cough*. For casual play, however, I could relax quite comfortably while playing my favorite game." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
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