Legit Reviews News History
Black Friday is Here - Did You Go Out?
Black Friday is here and I couldn't get motivated to go out till 8:45am, but I'm glad I waited as everything I wanted was still in stock by the time I got to Best Buy at 9am. It seems that the lines are shorter this year here outside St. Louis, Missouri. As you can tell from the picture below the $6.99 movies and $5.99 CDs were untouched for the most part and there wasn't even a check-out line! Be sure to head to our free forums to post your pictures or tell your Black Friday story.
"I usually go out for the "mania" of the day, but I just wasn't as into it as usual. My wife and daughter went to a movie last night and came by Best Buy on the way home around 10pm and people were already lining up. I personally didn't see anything I HAD to have, and the couple of things I saw that I might pick up are on sale for the weekend and online (though out of stock atm) anyway." - DaIceMan
Posted by | Fri, Nov 28, 2008 - 09:45 AM
November 28 News from Around the Web
ASUS Radeon HD 4830 Video Card EAH4830 @ Benchmark Reviews and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
After a rather disappointing HD 3000 series, ATI took the world by surprise with the HD 4000 generation of graphics cards. Since the launch of the HD 4000 series back in June, ATI has reclaimed its presence in the market and has been steadily eating away at Nvida's marketshare. Benchmark Reviews has had the opportunity to review several cards from the HD 4800 series lineup and today we look at one of the newest additions to the family: the Radeon HD 4830. This particular model, the EAH4830, comes to us from Asus and sports a custom cooler design and factory overclocked memory. We'll put it through its paces and find out how it compares to its two closest siblings; the HD 4670 and the HD 4850.
Posted by | Fri, Nov 28, 2008 - 06:45 AM
uTorrent for Mac Finally Available
Albeit a beta, uTorrent (acquired by BitTorrent in 2006) is finally available to Mac users after roughly a 2 year wait. Remember, beta means they haven't worked out all of the bugs so install at your own risk and make sure your virus definitions are up to date if downloading torrents!
Now the lightweight power and performance of µTorrent available for your Mac. This is beta software, and may contain serious bugs. We think it's stable enough to share and hope your feedback will help us improve it.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 27, 2008 - 09:25 AM
GlacialTech Announces UFO V51 CPU Cooler
GlacialTech today announced the launch of UFO V51 range of CPU coolers for the and high-end AMD and Intel processors, designed for gaming and other high I/O applications. The cooler has just four heat pipes, so it will be interesting to see how it does handle something like the Intel Core i7 965 processor as it is rated at 130W.
Sporting a UFO like design, the UFO V51 coolers are made up of two 92mm ultra silent fans, four heat-pipes with 6mm and 8mm diameter, aluminum fins, long-life sleeve bearings and a stylish plastic encase. Available in 2 versions, UFO 51 Silent and UFO 51 PWM, the latest Glacialtech CPU coolers come with an Intel LGA 775 or AMD (754/939/940/AM2/F) socket and is compatible with Intel Core i7, Intel Core 2 Extreme, Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, Pentium Extreme, Pentium Dual-Core, Pentium D, Pentium 4, Celeron Dual-Core, Celeron D and Celeron; as well as AMD Phenom, Athlon 64 FX, Athlon 64 X2 Dual –Core, Opteron and Sempron.
Posted by | Thu, Nov 27, 2008 - 08:06 AM
Elpida Completes Development of 50nm Process DDR3 SDRAM
Elpida Memory today announced that it has completed development of a 50nm process DDR3 SDRAM. The new DRAM product features the lowest power consumption in the industry, 2.5Gbps ultra high speed and a 1.2V low voltage operation based on the industry's smallest chip size. This should be great news for the Intel Core i7 platform as Intel suggests that memory be limited to 1.60V to avoid damaging the processor.
The new 50nm process DDR3 SDRAM was developed using the industry's most advanced 193nm (ArF) immersion lithography technology and copper interconnect technology and has a chip size of less than 40mm2. Also, the new SDRAM is an eco-friendly DRAM. It operates on not only DDR3 standard 1.5V supply voltage but even lower voltages of 1.35V and 1.2V and contributes to the low-power operations of high-density memory systems such as servers and data centers.
Posted by | Wed, Nov 26, 2008 - 08:31 AM
Motherboard shipments to drop 15% on quarter in 4Q08
Motherboard shipments in the fourth quarter this year are expected to drop 15% on quarter, and performance next year will be worse than in 2001, when the demand hit rock bottom, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report citing figures from Goldman Sachs.
Although some market watchers expect Intel's Core i7 processors to boost PC demand, the report contended that high pricing of the new platform will stall any impact on demand. Overall desktop PC shipments will fall by over 10%, added the paper.
Posted by | Wed, Nov 26, 2008 - 08:27 AM
Cheap Blu-ray players seen scarce in Europe
A scarcity of cheap Blu-ray video players combined with the effects of a recession are expected to delay take-up of the new, high-definition Blu-ray DVD format in Europe, according to media research firm Screen Digest. If you are wanting to add a Blu-Ray player to your media PC then the prices are still looking good as you can pick up name brand drives like LITE-ON and Sony for under $95 with free shipping.
A shortage of cheaper Blu-ray players means that the sub-$300 machines that are already appearing on U.S. shelves are unlikely to materialize in Europe this Christmas," Screen Digest analyst Richard Cooper said in a report. "Combined with the recession, this means the format is unlikely to move much beyond the early adopter market this year," he said.
Posted by | Wed, Nov 26, 2008 - 08:26 AM
AMD Sees Momentum Improving for DirectX 10.1
This morning AMD announced expanded support for DirectX 10.1 from a number of developers, demonstrating growing momentum for the most advanced Microsoft graphics API Layer to date. GSC Game World released a DirectX 10.1 patch for their newest game title, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky, bringing with it frame rate improvements of up to 10 percent while at the same time enhancing the visual experience of the game. On the heels of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky announcement, game engine developer Unigine Corp. announced the availability of Tropics, a downloadable demonstration of its Unigine game engine that showcases the ability to deliver photorealistic virtual environments utilizing the power of DirectX 10.1. Lastly, Microsoft announced at the Professional Developers Conference the use of the DirectX 10.1 API in the Windows 7 Windows Desktop Manager.
"The new Tropics Demo 1.1, based on the latest Unigine technologies, pushes visual realism to new heights,” said Denis Shergin, CEO, Unigine Corp. “Our recent collaboration with the AMD team means that we’ve been able to quickly and easily add some of the killer features of DirectX 10.1 to enhance performance and raise image quality. That’s given us our first-ever chance to get perfect anti-aliasing on foliage, something that has been on our wish list for a long time. It has been a huge pleasure to see AMD’s ATI Radeon™ HD 4000 series arrive this year, as the entire line showcases the benefits of our new DirectX 10.1 technology."
Posted by | Wed, Nov 26, 2008 - 08:22 AM
November 26 News from Around the Web
OCZ Reaper OCZ2RPR10664GK DDR2 Memory Kit @ Benchmark Reviews and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
With DDR3 getting all the attention lately it's easy to overlook DDR2 performance memory. There are many very good reasons to consider DDR2 including but not limited to price and performance. Today Benchmark Reviews takes a look at at one potential price:performance hotshot; the OCZ Reaper HPC DDR2 1066 OCZ2RPR10664GK 4GB Memory Kit. Can it's unique cooling solution and high speed specs be enough to sway you?
Posted by | Wed, Nov 26, 2008 - 07:54 AM
Lexar Media Announces Crucial Three Channel DDR3 Memory Kits
Lexar Media today announced the immediate availability of Crucial DDR3-1066 (PC3-8500) and DDR3-1333 (PC3-10600) three channel memory kits in support of Intel's next generation Core i7 processors. Users ready to harness the power of three channel memory can find guaranteed-compatible Crucial DDR3 modules in 3GB, 6GB and 12GB kits.
Intel's new memory interface technology, called Intel QuickPath, connects the memory and the processors in an entirely new way. Rather than communicating through a separate chipset, the memory and processor are now directly connected. Crucial's new DDR3 memory products are engineered to meet the new requirements of the Intel QuickPath architecture, which provides direct high-speed links between the processor and the memory, and delivers increased memory bandwidth and performance.
Posted by | Tue, Nov 25, 2008 - 08:46 PM
Legit Reviews Turns 6 Years Old Today
Today marks the sixth year that Legit Reviews has been online! I just wanted to say thanks for all your support over the past six years and here is to six more. It has been a crazy ride over the years, but it's been a good experience! Expect some big changes in 2009 as I have a complete redesign for the site in the works that is 90% done and I think you'll like the new look and feel that will be coming out shortly.
When I started the site I didn't even own a digital camera so I had to borrow my universities digital camera to take the pictures. It was an old Sony 0.8MP job that took 3.5" floppy disks and was the size of a phone book. In order to get a picture of weight I took the video card to campus and used the scales in the organic chemistry class that I was in that semester. It's amazing to see how far the site and all of us have come since 2002. The first review posted on the site was the ABIT GeForce 4 Ti-4200 OTES, which was one of the first graphics cards to vent hot air outside the case.
Posted by | Tue, Nov 25, 2008 - 01:39 PM
OCZ Technology Introduces Fatal1ty Power Supplies
OCZ Technology today revealed the first power supply models under the Fatal1ty series, offering gamers stable and efficient power for their mainstream or high-end rigs. OCZ is dedicated to delivering premium power solutions, and the Fatal1ty series options are the first step to creating an exceptional gaming system for the unique power and cabling requirements of today’s gamer.
These high-performance power supplies were co-developed with the expertise of Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, 12-time World champion, to meet the specific needs of fellow gamers. OCZ Fatal1ty Professional Series PSUs feature incredible performance to power the latest graphics cards and hard drives. To meet the needs of a wide range of gamers, OCZ’s Fatal1ty PSUs offer three configuration choices including a non-modular 400W, modular 550W, and a high-performance, +12V single-rail 700W edition.
Posted by | Tue, Nov 25, 2008 - 01:33 PM
ASUS Offers Premium Service Program for Enthusiast Motherboards
For the customer and system builder seeking peace of mind with their motherboard investment, ASUS, the industry-leading motherboard manufacturer today announces the ASUS Premium Service (APS) program for their enthusiast-class motherboards. This program entitles users requiring RMA to cross-ship defective boards for replacement free of charge, ensuring faster service and minimal downtime. This is a great idea and something we can only hope more companies offer now that ASUS clearly has.
"ASUS offers today’s discerning motherboard customer the widest range of choice for enthusiast platforms.” Said Sales Director Timothy Lin of ASUS North America. “By combining the most stable motherboards and unique features with comprehensive customer support, we expect ASUS motherboards to remain the enthusiast’s first choice."
Posted by | Tue, Nov 25, 2008 - 12:01 PM
Google cutting contractor workforce
Google announced they will be cutting their contractor workforce, which numbers around 10000, but the number of workers they will be cutting is still unknown. While this may seem bad, Google says that not all contractors will lose their jobs; some will be turned into regular employees.
In that article, Google co-founder Sergey Brin revealed the 10,000 number and said, "It's really high." According to the story, "He said Google began looking at the number six months ago and has a plan to significantly reduce that number through vendor management, converting some contractors to regular employees, and other approaches."
Posted by | Mon, Nov 24, 2008 - 07:27 PM
Random house to digitize lots of books
With e-books being one of the few things still growing fast in the slow economy, Random House announced today that they will be digitizing thousands of books to sell online.
Random House CEO Markus Dohle said in a statement that "more people everyday are enjoying reading in the electronic format and Random House wants to extend our reach to them with more of our books."
Posted by | Mon, Nov 24, 2008 - 07:23 PM
Intel, Micron Move into Mass Production with 34nm NAND Flash
Intel Corporation and Micron Technology today announced mass production of their jointly developed 34nm, 32 gigabit multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory device. Developed and manufactured by the companies’ NAND flash joint venture, IM Flash Technologies (IMFT), the process technology is the most advanced process available on the market and enables the industry’s only monolithic 32 Gb NAND chip that fits into a standard 48-lead thin small-outline package (TSOP). The companies are ahead of schedule with 34nm NAND production, expecting their Lehi facility to have transitioned more than 50 percent of its capacity to 34nm by year’s end.
The 34nm, 32 Gb chips are manufactured on 300 mm wafers. Measuring just 172mm², less than the size of a thumbnail, the 34nm, 32 Gb chip will cost-effectively enable high-density solid-state storage in small form factor applications including digital cameras, personal music players and digital camcorders. Additionally, the chip will enable more cost-effective solid-state drives, dramatically increasing their current storage capacity. The companies also plan to begin sampling lower density multi-level cell (MLC) and single-level cell (SLC) products using the 34nm process technology in early 2009.
Posted by | Mon, Nov 24, 2008 - 01:23 PM
November 24 News from Around the Web
Find reviews from around the web by visiting our forums! The following exerpt is from gamepyre's MSI R4870 T21G ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB Review:
The 4870 from MSI performs better than the ATI reference card across the board, mainly due to the improved clock speed over the original. The card is available online for a retail price of $299.99 making it a decent buy. The card plays games extremely well and the slight overclock makes it a good buy versus the reference model. The ATI HD 4870 1GB is a decent competitor to the GeForce GTX260 card with some games playing better on one or the other. Video cards of this generation have never had as much performance for the price or the features for the price that the HD 4870 and GeForce GTX 260 have. Hopefully, the days where single video cards just release at $599 for the high end are over.
Posted by | Mon, Nov 24, 2008 - 08:13 AM
Time for Taiwan DRAM makers to move forward, says Kingston
David Sun, co-founder of Kingston Technology, recently stated that Taiwan's DRAM makers should be aware that now is the best time for Taiwan's DRAM industry to implement consolidation or vertical integration strategies. The later a response to the industry downturn is carried out, the harder is will be for DRAM makers to recover, Sun commented.
Despite the severe industry slump, Sun does not expect to see any of the existing local DRAM players close down their operations. Any shutdown may lead to a domino effect and consequently cause the collapse of the country's entire financial system, Sun warned. Thus, local DRAM makers and related enterprises should grab this opportunity to work together, acting immediately to ensure a healthy recovery, Sun suggested.
Posted by | Mon, Nov 24, 2008 - 08:03 AM
OCZ Technology Introduces Intel Extreme Triple Channel Memory
OCZ launches their Triple Channel Memory Series. I cannot wait to get my hands on some of these!
Sunnyvale, Calif.—November 21, 2008—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the first of its Intel® Extreme triple channel memory series, qualified specifically for the Intel® Core™ i7 processor / Intel® X58 Express Chipset. Optimized for the Core i7’s triple channel mode and featuring Intel XMP profiles designed specifically to enhance the performance of the X58 Chipset, these new 3GB and 6GB kits ensure optimal performance via an ideal combination of low voltage requirements, speed, and instantaneous “out of the box” overclocking with the specialized profiles.
Posted by | Fri, Nov 21, 2008 - 05:06 PM
iPhone update 2.2 Available
The much anticipated update is finally available with promises of fewer dropped calls, Google Street View, mail fixes, Podcast download availability and more. Missing is the copy/paste functionality that everyone is eagerly awaiting although no one was really expecting it in this release.
- Enhancements to Maps
- Google Street View*
- Public transit and walking directions
- Display address of dropped pins
- Share location via email
- Decrease in call setup failures and dropped calls
- Enhancements to Mail
- Resolved isolated issues with scheduled fetching of email
- Improved formatting of wide HTML email
- Podcasts are now available for download in iTunes application (over Wi-Fi and cellular network)
- Improved stability and performance of Safari
- Improved sound quality of Visual Voicemail messages
- Pressing Home button from any Home screen displays the first Home screen
- Preference to turn on/off auto-correction in Keyboard Settings
Posted by | Fri, Nov 21, 2008 - 09:47 AM
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