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:: PC Perspective . News Archive
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.:News Archive ( 9/2007 )
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Think Computers | Subject: Case and Cooling
The Ultra X3 600 Modular PSU has everything you really need in a PSU, without going crazy on the extras ... or the wattage. The plain shiny finish skips the colourful designs that are becoming more common, the 120mm fan keeps things cool without adding noise and the modular cables do the job they are supposed to. Unfortunately, Think Computers also found that it did not go the extra mile as far as voltage or efficiency are concerned either. On the plus side, they also skimped on the price, it is just a smidgeon over $100.
"Ultra's line of modular power supplies is known for its stability and originality, and the X3 series is no exception. The X3 series is up to 85% efficient at typical load and has outputs ranging from 600W to a mind-boggling 1600W. ThinkComputers got its hands on the 600W version and tests out the robust and easily-routed unit in this review." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Intel Press Room | Subject: General Tech
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 27, 2007 - Former President Bill Clinton announced today at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New York that Intel Corporation will bring its landmark teacher training program online to help more than 1.5 million teachers in 15 countries learn how to best integrate technology into their lesson plans to help students learn.
Noting that "quality teachers equal quality education," Intel Chairman Craig Barrett emphasized that this training - a new online offering of the Intel Teach Program - helps teachers create active learning environments to help students develop the skills they need to succeed in the global economy. Students taught by teachers trained through the traditional Intel Teach Program have used these skills for everything from developing an AIDS awareness program to finding new sources of potable water. The current market value of the commitment announced today is an estimated $300 million over the next 4 years. Recognizing Intel's commitment to improving the quality of education worldwide, Clinton named Barrett to CGI's Education Advisory Committee. Barrett is the first private-sector partner to receive this honor.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: VIA Arena | Subject: Mobile
For $99 you can get a Zonbu with a 2 year subscription to their online storage service, or $249 without. As it only has 4GBs of flash memory onboard, the online storage can come in very handy, but that same fact keeps the power drain below 13W! It comes pre-loaded with Gentoo Linux and FireFox, the Evolution mail client, OpenOffice.org, the Gimp and more. Its' powered by a 1.2GHz VIA Eden ULV processor and 512 MB RAM; head to VIA Arena to see what else this tiny (think 5 1/2" drive) little PC can do.
"There is an urban myth that a standard cheap digital watch in 2007 has more horse power than the computer that helped put man on the moon in 1969-a computer that occupied several rooms. I don't know if that's really accurate, but what the myth alludes too, in tech, is real: the ratio of size, and price vs power is constantly shrinking. But there's another urban myth, or perhaps really a mantra of consumerism: you have to have the fastest available. Zonbu epitomizes the first myth and crushes the second." Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Benchmark Reviews | Subject: Case and Cooling
Heatpipes have grown up and aren't afraid to show it off. They are exposing themselves all over the place, it's shameless really. You can see all the pics over at Benchmark Reviews, with several brands of exposed heatpipe cooler, including the brand new OZC Vendetta. It probably has something to do with them hanging out with Thermoelectric Coolers like Ultra's.
"Many manufacturers search out designs that will help them develop a product known for extraordinary performance. Benchmark Reviews has already reviewed many of the very best CPU coolers available to enthusiasts, from the very unique and original design of the Zaward Sylphee ZCJ003 and VIVO to the oversized Thermaltake MaxOrb CL-P0369. Not long ago, we even reviewed the Ultra ULT33186 Chilltec TEC CPU cooler which combined three different cooling technologies into one solution. All of these products performed very well, but none of them really set itself apart from the pack like the Xigmatek HDT-S1283 did. In this review we will test the OCZ Vendetta (OCZTVEND) Exposed Copper Heatpipe Direct Touch CPU cooler against a field of well-established competitors." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Inquirer | Subject: General Tech
If reading through Ryan's articles and listening to the podcast just didn't satisfy your need to know more about what happened at the Intel Developers Forum, there is a solution. The Inquirer has gathered together many links to Intel's Blog and other Intel sites that have almost the entire content from the IDF. Get your info first hand.
We have also just posted a new article on general overclocking, and how to go about it. It's Atif Butt's first article, so let him know what you think of it. "DID YOU MISS OUT on Intel's shindig in San Francisco? Wish you could have been there, but weren't? Well, Intel has you covered, it seems, thanks to the wonders of the internet. You can watch a 'highlights video' from the show over on Intel's blog, which all seems very modern. Indeed, if you want to watch more details from the various keynotes and seminars, Channel Intel on YouTube has some interesting, if low-res videos right here. For those who want the full-on experience, you can re-live the keynotes, complete with slideshows, here." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: DriverHeaven | Subject: Storage
SATA 2 makes your devices hot swappable, but seeing as how it is more likely that your SATA 2 drive is an internal HDD or optical storage drive, it isn't really very easy to open the case up to swap the drives around, even if your case offers tool-less mounting. Vantec has been quick to take advantage of this, with their EZ Swap EX. It is essentially a 5.25" adapter that fits into an empty bay in your case and a 3.5" cover into which your drive goes. Easy as pie to hot swap your SATA drives now, although Driver Heaven did have some initial troubles.
"Vantec Thermal Technologies has been in business since 1994. Since that time, the company has expanded beyond just the initial thermal solutions and now provides a wide variety of components and devices for the PC enthusiast. Among the many products manufactured and distributed by Vantec are Storage Devices, Cooling Solutions for CPUs, Case, Memory, HDD and others; various Peripheral components; Cables of various kinds; Power Supply Units; PC Mod Kits; and Notebook Accessories and Supplies. A quick look at the distribution of Vantec products shows that the company’s reach is truly worldwide." Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Overclockers Club | Subject: System
Check out the Antec Veris Fusion Black 430 Media Centre HTPC case and it's A/V cooler, which are up for review at OCC. The case's design will look right at home in an entertainment center, and should have no problems fitting into a cabinet. Antec has also added an LCD panel to the front to give you a nice choice of information to display at a glance. The extra heat that the HTPC will generate won't have a chance to fry any components if you also install the A/V cooler, and may help out your XBox 360 as well.
"The case is made of steel with an aluminum faceplate, so it’s not the lightest case on the market. On the front of the case you’ll notice a small LCD screen, a volume knob, power button, reset button, two USB ports, a firewire port, headphone jack, and microphone jack. I think the case looks extremely slick and in a way it does look like a receiver. The case shows fingerprints easily, which is evident in the pictures." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: [H]ard|OCP | Subject: Graphics Card
If the DualHead2Go Digital Edition just doesn't offer you enough screen real estate to satisfy there is still hope. Check out the TripleHead2Go Digital Edition. On one end of the connector is a VGA, DVI and USB, and on the other are 3 clearly labeled DVI connectors. Plug everything in while the PC is turned off, boot up, install the Matrox software and prepare to be amazed by Bioshock in 3840*1024. Check out [H]ard|OCP's gallery of screens from many games all at that same resolution.
Wonder when we will get a SextupleHead2Go? "Multi-display gaming has never looked so good. We evaluate the new Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital Edition which spreads your games across multiple-displays. We will look at features, show screenshots, test performance including SLI, and share our gameplay experiences." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: AnandTech | Subject: Motherboard
AnandTech has published a full review of the Foxconn MARS P35 motherboard, touted as a high performance board with a value price. The cooling system on the motherboard will keep the Northbridge happy for all but the most extreme overclocking, and should still give enough space around the socket to allow a large CPU heatsink. The general overclocking settings in the BIOS gave them some problems, but once AnandTech got the hang of it, this turned into a board that is great for overclocking Quads.
"The first product in the Quantum Series is the Intel P35-based Foxconn MARS motherboard that will soon be followed with an X38-based product. The history buffs will already know this, but for the rest of us, MARS was best known as the Roman God of War. In early Roman history, Mars was the Roman god of spring, fertility, and vegetation while being the protector of cattle, fields, and boundaries. Mars is also considered a chthonic god (earth-god) and this helps to explain why he became a god of death and eventually the god of war. The month we know as March (Martius) is named after him and his Greek equivalent is the god Ares." Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Slashdot | Subject: General Tech
It turns out that the sneaky update to Windows Update that we heard a lot of news about two weeks ago is starting to cause a little havok.
The update, which installed it's self on XP computers regardless of the state of Automatic Updates, delivered changes to several DLLs used in the updating process. About the only way to avoid the update was to disable the Auto Update and BITS services, and disable access to updates via gpedit.msc. That would only postpone the inevitable, as the next time you connected to Windows Update you would get that update anyways. Many were upset as to the privacy aspects if this update, and the ability of Microsoft to remotely install software on your PC without your permission, or even your knowledge. There is a bigger problem, one that is mentioned in the Slashdot article published today; it is possible for System Admins to believe that the update was not installed, and therefore would not be included in their troubleshooting process. Any computer that has a repair install done will refuse to install the 80 some current Critical Updates, because these stealth DLLs will not be properly registered with the system. It is not unthinkable that with no notification through TechNet, and no MSKB article, that a person could drive themselves completely bonkers trying to figure out why these updates will not install. If that maddened Admin ends up going to the bar for a while out of of sheer frustration, and comes back after a few drinks only to find Windows Update happily running along after the secret update managed to install itself ... well, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that explosion. Of course, regular readers of our forums would have no such problem. Back on September 12th, Sick Willie posted a handy link to a file he made using info in a MSKB article unrelated to this particular update, but which does allow you to manually register the DLLs that fail to register and cause the issue in the first place. So, for PC Perspective members this issue was solved before most had even confirmed it existed. "According to the site WindowsSecrets, the stealth Update that Microsoft released back in August isn't quite as harmless as the company claims. The site's research has shown that when users try to do a repair to XP subsequent to the update, bad things happen. 'After using the repair option from an XP CD-ROM, Windows Update now downloads and installs the new 7.0.600.381 executable files. Some WU executables aren't registered with the operating system, preventing Windows Update from working as intended. This, in turn, prevents Microsoft's 80 latest patches from installing -- even if the patches successfully downloaded to the PC.' ZDNet's Hardware 2.0 has independently confirmed that this update adversely affects repaired XP installations: 'This issue highlights why it is vitally important that Microsoft doesn't release undocumented updates on the sly. Even the best tested update can have unpleasant side-effects, but if patches are documented properly and released in such a way that users (especially IT professionals) know they exist, it offers a necessary starting point for troubleshooting.'" Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: XFX | Subject: Motherboard
Ontario, CA, Sept. 25, 2007 - XFX welcomes the most affordable and graphically intense triplets ever delivered. The XFX nForce 630i with GeForce 7150, nForce 630i with GeForce 7100, and nForce 610i with GeForce 7050 motherboards are genetically programmed to deliver a premium graphics experience on Windows Vista, including Flip 3D, translucent window panes and taskbar preview. Designed for Intel-based PCs, these motherboards support a full range of Intel CPUs (from Core2 Quad to Celeron) and DDR2-800 memory. Better still, these little darlings connect users' media PCs directly to the latest High Definition displays with HDMI or DVI output. Every motherboard comes with an NVIDIA GeForce GPU, for exceptional graphics performance and an amazing Windows Vista experience. Add 1 GB of system memory and users can upgrade their experience to Windows Vista Premium. Other features include Microsoft DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0 for top-notch compatibility and performance on all DirectX 9.0 applications; single-link DVI support to drive flat-panel displays supporting single-link TMDS; PCI Express; NVIDIA nForce storage, NVIDIA RAID and MediaShield technology, and NVIDIA nForce networking. HDMI and high definition audio are additional supported features.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Phoronix | Subject: Memory
Phoronix tried out an ASUS Blitz Extreme with a pair of OCZ's 1GB DDR3-1333
at various clock speeds. They installed Fedora 7 with the Linux 2.6.22.4 kernel, GCC 4.1, and X server 1.3 and used RAMspeed 2.5.0 to see how the performance scaled at different speeds. The RAM still comes at a premium, but it does look like you can expect to see at least some benefit to using the new DDR standard.
"We have several DDR3 related articles in the works, but in this article we will be looking just at the DDR3 system memory performance in the RAMspeed synthetic benchmark under Linux. The DDR3 memory we'll be using is the OCZ DDR3-1333 2GB Gold Kit with a part number of OCZ3G13332GK." Here are some more Memory articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Intel Press Room | Subject: General Tech
WIMAX WORLD, Chicago, Sept. 26, 2007 - In an effort to ensure that mobile WiMAX wireless products work well together and with other products globally, Intel Corporation, Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks today announced that they are testing interoperability across Intel's forthcoming WiMAX silicon for laptops and mobile Internet devices, Nokia WiMAX devices and Nokia Siemens Networks WiMAX infrastructure equipment. Nokia also said it will use Intel's WiMAX silicon product, which is codenamed "Baxter Peak" and designed specifically for mobile Internet and consumer electronic devices, in its forthcoming Nokia Nseries Internet Tablets. The Internet tablets will be among the very first WiMAX-enabled open Internet devices expected to ship in 2008. "WiMAX enables the mobile Internet and makes it possible to get content on a variety of new mobile devices at broadband speed, and our Baxter Peak solution is designed specifically for these exciting new devices," said Raviv Melamed, general manager of Intel's Mobile Wireless Group. "Intel, Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks all recognize our collective responsibility in ensuring that people can take full advantage of WiMAX. Simply put, the infrastructure behind the networks and the devices that access those networks must work together seamlessly."
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: XYZ Computing | Subject: Mobile
The Panasonic Toughbook series is designed to take the abuse that most notebooks receive at some point in their lives, often just before they fail. XYZ Computers reviews the W5 model, which has a Core Duo U2400, and 1.5GB of DDR-533 and weighs in at about 2.9lbs. They have trimmed down on a few extras, like a wide screen backlit LCD, but the overall design feels nice and spacious and sturdy. Too bad that XYZ didn't try testing it to destructino though.
"Panasonic's W5 is one of the few ultraportable notebooks on the market that places an importance on durability and outright strength. Other companies like to say that their notebooks can take abuse, but very few of them actually get close to achieving what you might call "rugged". Panasonic actually calls the W5 "business-rugged" which is a take on their semi-rugged and fully-rugged models though it does not have to pass the same certifications. This review will be looking at Panasonic's W5 notebook. The Toughbook line is known for it's fully rugged models, some of which are strong enough to be shot or dropped repeatedly, but the W5 is part of the line's business series. These business notebooks are inspired by the design of the more robust models, but are considerably lighter and less expensive." Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: InsideHW | Subject: General Tech
Gigabyte continues to diversify their product lines, this time with 2.0 and 2.1 speakers. InsideHW tries these speakers out and finds that while it is a good first try, the established competition does a better job. Still it is good to see the company is still willing to try new products, and if they choose to produce a second generation they may get all the kinks out.
"Although it is not an unfamiliar manufacturer of numerous different computer components at all, Gigabyte's latest entering the market occurs in the field of loudspeakers. Similar to Logitech once, at this moment, Gigabyte probably considers itself sufficiently strong as a brand to afford to show up from nowhere with series of loudspeakers and handle already established crew." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PCApex | Subject: Case and Cooling
Hiper tends to be known for PSUs, more so across the pond in Europe than in North America, but they still have a presence here. They have just released an ATX case, called the Anubis, in which they have incorporated heatsink style thermal dissipation directly into the cases structure. PC Apex found a lot to like about this case, which helped his air-cooled system drop it's temperatures by ~6C.
""Ive long been a fan of Hiper Groups products, having used a Hiper Type-R 580w Modular PSU in my main rig for nearly 2 years now, so I was extremely excited when I was asked to review their first offering into the world of ATX cases, and quite a first attempt it is. The Hiper Anubis, named after the Egyptian god of the dead, guardian of the land of the dead and general master chief of the underworld. The image is sinister and mysterious, not unlike the subtle dark and (at first glance) understated features of the Anubis. Hot off the production line, the case is not yet widely available (I have number 1925), so please sit by while I conjure a rather large smug grin before I let you salivate over the highly impressive lines, specifications and features of this case." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Inquirer | Subject: General Tech
You may have run into headlines or random forum posts this morning claiming that the "New Firefox gives all your browsing history to Google". Many seem to quickly say that it steals all your website information and sells for fun and profit ... but don't even get into what is really happening. So to briefly expand, the new Firefox has some anti-phishing capabilities, these capabilities depend on a database managed by Google, that tracks known phishing sites. FF sends the URL you want to visit off to Google, who checks it against the database. If it isn't on the list, then you get to go there, otherwise you get a message telling you not to directly click on links in emails purporting to be from your bank, or Nigeria, or whatever get rich quick scheme you just tried to get in on. Scary, huh? Sure Google gets to know about the URLs you visit, and can sell that info to advertisers or use it in their own Adwords; but since you use Google to search, they probably have a good idea already, no? To top off this wonderful outbreak of FUD ... the anti-phishing tool is disabled by default ... you have to turn it on yourself! Follow the link at the Inquirer for more info on this. "THE FORTHCOMING version of the Firefox browser, Gran Paradiso, will ship with a function that will tell Google all about your browsing habits. The feature is supposed to be designed to allow the browser to check the URL against a list of phishing sites which is stored at Google. The downside is that while the punter gets some form of malware protection, Google is getting shedloads of information on the sorts of sites you are visiting." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Report | Subject: Storage
The new revision of Western Digital's Caviar 750GB HDD, the RE2 sports tweaked firmware and RAID optimizations. As it is an enterprise class HDD they also did more reliability testing, and extended the warranty, which the home user can also benefit from. The big news is the drop from on Write seek time; from 10.9ms to 9.6ms. From their testing The Tech Report found that while it is faster than the first revision, the differences will show up more in a server environment than they would on a desktop.
"Lately, enterprise-class hard drives have become increasingly popular in enthusiast systems. The 10K-RPM Raptor is perhaps the best example of this trend, but not the only one. Western Digital's RE2 line of 7,200-RPM drives has also become favored among enthusiasts for its delicate balance of performance, capacity, and a five-year warranty. And now there's a new one. Based on a Caviar SE16 750GB foundation that we already know delivers phenomenal performance with low noise levels, the latest RE2 benefits from tweaked firmware, RAID optimizations, more extensive reliability testing, and extended warranty coverage. Read on to see if those extras are enough to elevate this enterprise drive above not only its desktop counterpart, but also the fastest drives on the market." Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Hardware Logic | Subject: Processor
Looking for an idea as to the relative differences between overclocked Quads and Duos? The testing at Hardware Logic may not produce the exact same results as your experiences, but it can give you a hint as to how these processors separate once they have been pushed beyond spec. You can even look at these scores as something to meet or to beat.
"A couple weeks back, I went on a bit of a rant regarding my experience with Intel's E6850 processor. While most reviews and several forum posts showed incredible overclocking results, my processor was one of several, as it turns out, which had problems with a low FSB wall when dropping the CPU's multiplier. If it were just for personal use, the FSB issue would be a non-issue, but as the heart of my current test bench, the inability to use the CPU multiplier to stress other system components made the FSB problem a real pain in the ass. Not content with the results I saw, I purchased another E6850 to see if the issue was a fluke, or part of a bigger problem." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Digital Trends | Subject: Display
One of the biggest displays at the CEDIA expo would be the new 1080p digital projectors, and Digital Trends spent a good amount of time checking out the offerings. The extremely bright Panasonic PT-AE2000 for the home can produce a full 1500 lumens, which allows viewing without needing a blacked out room, and will display a 10' image from 11' away. For those with a bit more to spend, Sony introduced the $15,000 VPL-VW200 with Carl Ziess lenses and a BRAVIA signal processing engine which will allow up to a 35,000:1 contrast ratio. There is also a ~$3000 Sanyo LP-Z2000 which may provide some competition to those thinking of buying large LCD or plasma TV.
"With all of the high-def projectors cropping up at this year’s CEDIA expo, it’s easy for even the most die-hard home theater buffs to get blinded by the light. And with prices starting to plunge below $4,000 USD, 1080p projectors are starting to catch the attention of more mainstream buyers as well. If your home cinema is a little short on screen acreage, an HD projector is an ideal way to make the jump to the big time, but you’ll need to familiarize yourself with all the new options first. Here are four new HD projectors that should be on your big-screen radar." Here are some more Display articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Ars Technica | Subject: General Tech
Love the series or hate it, you will be seeing a lot of press about the final installment of the game that made the Xbox what it is today. Halo 3 is out, though you may have trouble finding it on the shelves, as Microsoft's hype machine worked perfectly again, and people lined up for hours to get the game at it's midnight release. Ars Technica can give you a look at what this new sequel offers to dedicated Halo fans, without giving away the plot or any secrets while they are at it.
"After a three-year wait and the birth of a brand new console generation, Halo 3 is set to hit stores on September 25. Halo 3 marks the final part of a long-standing tradition for Microsoft's gaming platform. What started as an unassuming title for Macs has gone on to spawn not only one of the most successful franchises in all of gaming, but a generation of gamers raised by the unassuming but ever-vigilant John 117, Master Chief. Halo is Microsoft's Mario: an icon of and a benchmark for the system itself. It has become Microsoft's image in the gaming industry." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Slashdot | Subject: General Tech
It looks like the new Excel 2007 has some problems (apart from it's ribbon fetish). It looks like the number 65,535 causes some interesting behaviour, and it's maths skills take a turn for the bizarre. Excel has had a history of troubles around that spot, including it's belief that no spreadsheet should ever have more than 65,536 rows. Read more examples of this issue by following the link on Slashdot.
"... news of a serious multiplication bug in Excel 2007, which has been reported to the company. The example that first came to light is =850*77.1 — which gives a result of 100,000 instead of the correct 65,535. It seems that any formula that should evaluate to 65,535 will act strangely. One poster in the forum noted these behaviors: "Suppose the formula is in A1. =A1+1 returns 100,001, which appears to show the formula is in fact 100,000... =A1*2 returns 131,070, as if A1 had 65,535 (which it should have been). =A1*1 keeps it at 100,000. =A1-1 returns 65,534. =A1/1 is still 100,000. =A1/2 returns 32767.5."" Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: AMD | Subject: Graphics Card
AMD is excited to announce the newest member of its flagship ATI Radeon HD 2900 series, the ATI Radeon HD 2900 PRO. The ATI Radeon HD 2900 PRO features the powerful next-generation unified shader architecture with 320 unified stream processors, comprehensive DirectX 10 support and built-in HDMI multimedia features for an immersive HD gaming experience.
The ATI Radeon HD 2900 PRO is available today on a limited basis subject to supply constraints. Below is more detail on the three board variants of the ATI Radeon HD 2900 PRO: ATI Radeon HD 2900 PRO 512MB:
ATI Radeon HD 2900 PRO 1GB 9"ť or 12"ť:
The ATI Radeon HD 2900 PRO series has the same system requirements as the ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT series of products. AMD certified power supplies for single and CrossFire configurations will be posted to the CrossFire web site upon launch to guide customers to the right solution. Please visit http://ati.amd.com/CertifiedPSU for updated information.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Motherboards.org | Subject: General Tech
The G15 from Logitech is a gaming keyboard with a lot of multipurpose buttons and even a display. Instead of trimming down the features like Ideazon and others, Logitech opted to add features to a full sized keyboard. From the blue LED, to disabling the Windows key while gaming, there is a lot of nice touches. The most powerful feature is it's ability to record macros on the fly and program the LCD screen to display a wide variety of information. Read on at motherboards.org to see this keyboard in action.
"Logitech put a lot of work into this keyboard, and it shows. They made a highly functional gaming keyboard without holding back. Backlit LCD and keys, macro keys, instant macro recording, and all the media keys of a standard keyboard, the G15 has it all." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Hardware Canucks | Subject: Graphics Card
We have seen plenty of 3rd party coolers for your VGA, that sit atop your GPU and memory to keep the card cool and maybe let you get a bit more speed out of it. Hardware Canucks have published a review of a unique cooling add on, that should work with most cooling setups on several different cards. The Thermalright HR-11 Backside Cooler will keep the heat off of the SMDs on the back of the card, and any radiant heat that might be making it's way through the PCB. Even with the size of the heatsink, there are instructions on installing it in an SLI/Crossfire rig.
"Thermalright has once again surprised us with an innovative and imaginative design which works better than we would have thought. A backside cooler definitely seems to be a novel idea considering the waves of heat we have felt coming off the underside of an 8800-series graphics card. Even with the rising temperatures, the HR-11 has shown quite well that its positioning can tame the rampant heat of the G80 by lowering temperatures of the GPU core." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: [H]ard|OCP | Subject: Case and Cooling
The ABS/Tagan ITZ1300 1300w power supply is up for review at [H]ard|OCP today, sporting six 20 amp 12V rails and a pair of 80mm fans for cooling. The build and looks of this PSU are quite nice, as are the numerous plugs, but [H] found something hiding inside that caused them some dissapointment
"ABS is known by many enthusiasts due to its affiliation with Newegg. Today we look at a high power PSU branded
with the ABS logo sold through the ABS website. 1300 watts is a lot of power. What happens when we ask this PSU to
put the rubber to the road?"
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Overclockers Club | Subject: Case and Cooling
Overclockers Club reviews the Arctic Cooling Freezer Pro 64, which offers some fairly impressive cooling for the $20 you need to spend to get one. Many enthusiasts overclock to save a bit of money, but you aren't going to get too far with a stock cooler. Switch to this heatsink and not only will you get more performance from your PC, you won't need to drop components from your system to afford it.
"In three of the four tests, the Freezer 64 Pro came within two to four degrees Celsius of the XP 90. Considering
that the XP 90 is about double the price after you purchase a fan to mount on it, two to four degrees isn’t bad. The
Freezer Pro 64 is very quiet, almost inaudible when placed inside the case. It was also quite easy to install, and I
did not have to cut the mounting clip on it to place it on the motherboard that it was tested on. If you have read
any of my articles, you will realize that I'm a stickler when it comes to fan noise. I run three to five computers
in my office at any given time and it can get quite loud; I am always searching for an alternative. I will be using
the Freezer Pro 64 on the next AMD rig I build."
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Mechanic | Subject: General Tech
When first taking the plunge into Linux, the sheer amount of distros available can be overwhelming. Instead of backing off and postponing the leap again, check out PC Mechanic. The author picked a distro after trying out several, and you can learn from his steps ... if you are looking for the same things in Linux that he was.
"The problem is that I am not much of a Linux guy. Rich is more the Linux guy around here. I know just enough to be dangerous. So, I was confused by all the myriad of distros out there. There are just TONS of them. How the hell am I supposed to choose a Linux distro? And what did I ultimately settle on (for now)?" Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Email | Subject: General Tech
Akella presents the DX10 tech demo-benchmark of the upcoming naval action sim PT Boats: Knights of the Sea.
The final game will support both DX10 and DX9, but this demo is a demonstration of what the final game will look like in DirectX 10. The demo features all the visual effects and some of the highly detailed models that will be available in the game. The main DX10 graphics features of PT boats: Knights of the Sea tech demo-benchmark:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Hardware Zone | Subject: Mobile
The brand new Blackberry Curve 8300 has been trimmed down in size and weight, as well as missing some features that many might consider necessary. Neither Wi-Fi nor 3G are supported, your only wireless connection is via EDGE, which is good enough for many people, but has caused some head scratching. There are some other nice features that may make 8800 users jealous, check them out at Hardware Zone.
"Just months after the release of the Blackberry 8800, Research In Motion (RIM) introduces the new Blackberry 8300
Curve, but strangely without Wi-Fi and 3G. Find out what we think of it."
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