Legit Reviews News History
April 23 News from Around the Web
AMD Phenom X3 8750 CPU Review from Motherboards.org and other reviews from around the 'net are posted in our forums!
From a strict performance point of view the AMD Phenom X3 8750 CPU is not going to win any awards in most cases. From a platform point of view, AMD is announcing their new “Cartwheel” platform centered on Phenom CPUs and the 780G graphics platform which has the great HD3200 class graphics. This turns the argument on its head. A Phenom 8750 with a 780G motherboard would cost around $290 today. This will give you excellent integrated graphics with full compatibility across DirectX 10 titles, with nearly the performance of the HD3400 series discrete graphics. The competition in the form of the Intel E8400+Intel G35 chipset would run you around $300. In that vein the Phenom X3 8750 CPU makes for an interesting choice for the hardware enthusiast. Do you buy a Dual Core Intel CPU with a G35 motherboard with admittedly mediocre graphics performance and no official DX10 support? Or is the better choice to buy a similarly priced Triple Core+AMD Integrated graphics solution that gives slower CPU performance but higher gaming performance across the board with full DX10 support? The choice is pretty clear to me as a reviewer, I want to game.
Posted by | Wed, Apr 23, 2008 - 04:06 PM
AMD Announces 45W Parts - Athlon X2 4450e and 4050e CPUs
Building on its long-term leadership in promoting energy efficient computing for both consumer and business solutions, AMD today announced two new 45-watt processors, the Energy Efficient AMD Athlon X2 4450e and AMD Athlon X2 4050e. Designed for mainstream and enthusiast power users who run multiple processor-intensive applications, these desktop processors can reduce power consumption by nearly 30% when compared to previous generation AMD processors for greater performance-per-watt over AMD's standard power desktop processors without compromising performance.
"As energy efficiency becomes more top of mind for consumers and businesses, AMD solutions like the Energy Efficient AMD Athlon X2 4450e and AMD Athlon X2 4050e processors stand out as smart - and cost effective - choices," said Leslie Sobon, director of product and brand management, Desktop Division, AMD. "These processors reflect the latest efforts by AMD to stay in front of efficient computing developments, providing processors that help enable our industry partners to build systems that meet new ENERGY STAR computer specifications."
Posted by | Wed, Apr 23, 2008 - 07:20 AM
Super Talent Ships World’s First DDR3-1800 4GB Kit
Super Talent Technology today launched a DDR3-1800 4GB kit (2x 2GB) in their extreme performance Project X family. The kit has part number W1800UX4GP and is available now from eWiz.com for under $499.
Super Talent’s Project X memory is widely regarded as the world’s most advanced DDR3. “This represents another major first-to-market milestone for Super Talent”, commented Super Talent Marketing Director, Joe James. “While competitors are only able to produce 4GB kits up to DDR3-1600, we’ve engineered a kit that performs at elevated clock speeds while still supporting aggressive latencies.” This Project X kit is built with the fastest available, hand selected Micron DRAM chips, and is stress tested as a matched pair on a dual channel Asus Striker II Extreme motherboard.
Posted by | Wed, Apr 23, 2008 - 07:12 AM
AMD Announces 3 new AMD Phenom X3 triple-core processors
AMD today announced the availability of three new AMD Phenom X3 triple-core processors that, when combined with the AMD 780 series chipset, can give consumers a full HD experience and visually stunning gaming and digital performance. As the world's only triple-core x86 processor, AMD Phenom X3 processors can bring multi-core technology to a broader audience in search of desktop processors that easily handle today's multi-threaded digital entertainment workloads. Be sure to check our review of the new Phenom X3 8750 triple-core processor that we just posted here today.
The proliferation of digital media devices and entertainment changes the way consumers use PCs and creates stronger demand on the processing and graphics capabilities. Two of the biggest determinants of the user experience when purchasing a PC are graphics and processors, with consumers weighing trade-offs. AMD solution-based PCs can free consumers from this dilemma with balanced platforms that enable the Ultimate Visual Experience complete with scalability and great value. "In today's market customers are too often forced to weigh the benefits of one component over another while sifting through one-sided marketing claims," said Leslie Sobon, AMD director of Product and Brand Management. "AMD is the only company in the world that is able to deliver a balanced platform solution without compromising performance, delivering a thrilling visual experience and powerful multi-threaded application performance."
Posted by | Wed, Apr 23, 2008 - 07:04 AM
Yahoo 1Q profit rises, but it might not thwart Microsoft
Yahoo Inc. delivered first-quarter results that surpassed analysts' modest expectations, but the performance might not be enough to fortify the Internet pioneer's defense against Microsoft Corp.'s takeover bid. The Sunnyvale-based company said Tuesday that it earned $542.2 million, or 37 cents per share, more than tripling from its profit of $142.4 million, or 10 cents per share, at the same time last year.
Most of the first-quarter improvement stemmed from a one-time gain of $401 million generated by Yahoo's stake in the parent company of Alibaba.com, a leading e-commerce site in China. If not for the Alibaba windfall, Yahoo would have earned 11 cents per share — comparable to its profit at the same time last year, on an apples-to-apples basis. The results were 2 cents above the average estimate among analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial. Revenue climbed 9 percent to $1.82 billion. After subtracting commissions paid to Yahoo's advertising partners, the revenue totaled $1.35 billion — just $30 million ahead of analysts' average projection.
Posted by | Tue, Apr 22, 2008 - 04:43 PM
Microsoft says XP SP3 complete
Microsoft Monday completed work on Windows XP SP3. The company said the final code of the service pack has been released to manufacturing and now is working its way to OEMs and corporate customers. Access via Microsoft's Automatic Update feature will begin April 29.
XP SP3 has been a long time coming , with new beta code released just last month. It includes all the previously released updates for Windows XP, including security updates, and is for x86 machines only. In its final release, XP SP3 will be supported as a guest operating system on Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization technology, which is slated to ship in the fall.
Posted by | Tue, Apr 22, 2008 - 09:03 AM
Apple looks toward iPhone chat app
At its iPhone SDK event last month, Apple touted an adaption of AOL's instant-messaging client for the iPhone. Now comes news of Apple's own patent application for a chat feature. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published the application, titled "Portable Electronic Device for Instant Messaging," on March 6--the very same day Apple was providing details on its software development kit for the iPhone, including AOL's test version of the first "official" native Web chat for the gadget.
The GUI has a set of messages exchanged between a user of the device and another person. The set of messages (is) displayed in a chronological order. In response to detecting a scrolling gesture comprising a substantially vertical movement of a user contact with the touch-screen display, the display of messages (is) scrolled in accordance with a direction of the scrolling gesture.
Posted by | Tue, Apr 22, 2008 - 09:02 AM
AMD Triple Core Phenom Processors For Sale At More Retailers
I was looking at Pricegrabber this morning and it seems more stores are carrying the upcoming AMD Triple Core Phenom 50-series processors are up for sale! The AMD Phenom 8650 Triple Core Processor is currently running $185.99 over at TheNerds.net if anyone is interested. The AMD Phenom 8750 Triple Core Processor runs $218.99 for those looking for a higher clock frequency of 2.4GHz
Phenom 8650 2.3GHz
Phenom 8750 2.4GHz
Newegg is also selling this pair of triple-core AMD Phenom X3 processors! The Phenom X3 8750 will run you $195 and the Phenom X3 8650 runs in at $165. Newegg seems like the place to go for Phenoms!
AMD Phenom triple-core processors, expected to be the world's first PC processors to integrate three computational cores on a single die of silicon, can help deliver the visual experience, performance and multitasking capabilities of true multi-core technology to a broader audience. Offering state-of-the-art platforms and a next-generation architecture with expected availability in Q1 2008, the industry's only x-86 triple-core desktop processor shows why AMD's the smarter choice, with its expanded portfolio for customers to offer platforms with unique multi-core options.
Posted by | Tue, Apr 22, 2008 - 08:30 AM
April 21 News from Around the Web
Overclockers Club posted a review of the Sunbeam Quarterback! Find this and other reviews by visiting our forums!
"When you take the protective plastic off of the Sunbeam Quarterback, you can see that the case is constructed to be very simple by not having too many things going on and just colored using two very simple colors, black and silver, which go very well together. When taking a look at the rear of the Quarterback, you are able to see that it has been constructed like many other cases out on the market. There are the expansion slots at the bottom, while at the top there is the designated place for the power supply and right under this by the rear IO panel is the 120mm fan blowing warm air out of the case. On the main side of the case there is a clear window, which has a single 120mm fan on it, that allows you to see the innards of the system you build in the Quarterback. The fourth side of the case is very simple and plain, which is very common between all cases."
Posted by | Mon, Apr 21, 2008 - 05:42 PM
Intel Drops Prices on Q6700, Q6600, E6850 and E4600 Processors
Intel has some very nice price moves going into effect today and the Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6700 has had a 50% price cut! On April 2nd the Q6700 was $530 and starting today it will be $266. All together Intel seems to be cutting prices on 14 different processors in numerous series, so be sure to check out the latest price list to see if any impact you.
The price of the Core 2 Quad Q6700 (2.66GHz) fell 50 percent from $530 to $266, while the quad-core Xeon X3230 (2.66GHz) saw an identical cut: from $530 to $266. Celeron price-cut highlights include the Celeron 430 (1.8GHz), reduced 23 percent from $44 to $34 and the dual-core Celeron E1200 (1.6GHz), falling 19 percent from $53 to $43.
Posted by | Mon, Apr 21, 2008 - 11:42 AM
ASUS Eee PC 4G Windows XP Hits Selected Best Buy Stores
ASUS Eee PC 4G pre-installed with Microsoft Windows XP is available immediately in selected Best Buy retail stores in the United States. The wide availability in Best Buy retail stores will provide a hands-on experience for potential users to explore this new addition to the Eee PC family.
The portable and affordable, ASUS Eee PC is built on the concept of Easy to Learn, Easy to Work and Easy to Play. Its compact form factor is engineered to accommodate both experienced and inexperienced PC users. With the addition of the Windows XP interface, existing PC users can now utilize the convenience of this mobile internet gadget. In addition to the Windows operating system, Eee PC users will be able to access Windows Live, which is a set of personal Internet services and software that provides security for their online world.
Posted by | Mon, Apr 21, 2008 - 11:32 AM
Intel to invest $500 mln in Taiwan, most in WiMax
Intel Corp said on Monday it will invest $500 million in Taiwan over the next five years, with a large amount of the investment targeted at the island's WiMax sector. The chip giant said there are still technical challenges that need to be solved for the new super-high-speed wireless standard.
"This investment is largely for WiMax," Lil Mohan, managing director of Intel's WiMax program, told reporters on the sidelines of a news conference. Mohan added that Intel expects WiMax to be commercially deployed in the second or third quarter this year in the United States, and that infrastructure in Asia should be ready by 2009-2010. Late last year, Taiwan's government said it planned to spend $664 million in the next few years on the WiMax technology -- seen as the more advanced standard to WiFi, which only works near a transmitter.
Posted by | Mon, Apr 21, 2008 - 11:28 AM
VIA CPUs to stage comeback in low-cost PC market
With Hewlett-Packard (HP) said to have ordered 100,000 C7-M ULV processors for its initial mini-note low-cost PC launch, (which is expected to reach 500,000 units in total in 2008) while Gigabyte Technology's new M700 series UMPC (ultra mobile PC) will also adopt VIA Technologies' CPUs, the Taiwan-based chipmaker may have a chance of recover from its long series of losses, according to industry watchers.
In addition to HP and Gigabyte, more hardware vendors are said to be evaluating VIA's CPUs for their UMPC and low-cost PC products. With limitations imposed by Intel on the features hardware vendors can offer from Atom-based platforms, (which include limited single-channel memory support and a restriction on form factors below Mini-ATX) VIA's solutions give PC makers more flexibility.
Posted by | Mon, Apr 21, 2008 - 11:26 AM
WD Announces 300GB VelociRaptor Hard Drives
WD announced today that it is now shipping WD VelociRaptor hard drives, the next generation of its 10,000 RPM SATA "Raptor” series of drives. Designed with an enterprise-class foundation, the new WD VelociRaptor hard drive is modified specifically for PC and Mac enthusiasts and professional workstations. Destined to become the new high-performance favorite of these groups, the WD VelociRaptor hard drive comes packed with twice the capacity and a 35 percent performance increase over the previous generation. Be sure to check out our review on this new drive here.
From the bloodlines of the WD Raptor, the most popular hard drive for high-performance enthusiasts who demand the ultimate SATA drive, the WD VelociRaptor hard drive is built with enterprise-class mechanics and packs 300 GB of storage capacity into a 2.5-inch enterprise form factor. The 2.5-inch WD VelociRaptor drive is enclosed in the IcePack(TM), a 3.5-inch mounting frame with a built-in heat sink -- a customization that fits the drive into a standard 3.5-inch system bay and keeps this powerful drive extra cool when installed in a high-performance desktop chassis.
Posted by | Mon, Apr 21, 2008 - 11:19 AM
GameRail Network discontinued
On August 2, 2007 at the opening of QuakeCon 2007, GameRail announced the official launch of its private high-performance network exclusively for online games. The network was designed to give gamers an advantage through substantially lower latency, but like other companies before them it failed to take off. Many companies have tried to get a gaming network going, but with broadband prices falling and console gaming taking off it proved too tough again.
It is with deep regret to announce that the GameRail network has been discontinued at this time. Thank you to the gamers who have participated in the GameRail trial and support of its development as we worked to solve the issues of latency and network quality and their impact on gaming. We believe that latency and network quality will continue to affect the gaming experience and while we are still believers in the GameRail concept, the market does not appear to be ready to support a standalone network for gaming at this time.
Posted by | Fri, Apr 18, 2008 - 03:44 PM
Google earnings 'silenced the cynics'
The slowing U.S. economy did not seem to slow down Google, which reported a surprisingly strong surge in first-quarter profit Thursday. Google's net income jumped 31 percent to $1.31 billion and revenue swelled 42 percent to $5.19 billion compared with the same period last year. The report trumped many Wall Street analysts, who had reduced their forecasts for Google's growth based on third-party research that suggested fewer people were clicking on Google ads.
"Google has completely silenced the cynics," said Jeffrey Lindsay, a senior analyst with Bernstein Research. In a conference call with analysts, Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said Google was still not feeling the drag of the struggling U.S. economy. Google executives made similar statements in January. "It's clear to us that we are well-positioned for 2008 and beyond, regardless of the business environment we find ourselves surrounded by," Schmidt said.
Posted by | Fri, Apr 18, 2008 - 01:00 PM
AMD posts sixth straight quarterly net loss
Advanced Micro Devices Inc posted its sixth consecutive quarterly net loss on Thursday as the chip maker continued to lose market share to far larger rival Intel Corp. But shares of the company ticked higher in extended trading as its general comments on the second quarter were in line with normal seasonal trends.
AMD, which lost market share to Intel last year as its chip-making technology lagged that of its larger rival, said its first-quarter net loss actually narrowed to $358 million, or 59 cents a share, from $611.0 million, or $1.11 a share, a year ago. Revenue advanced 22 percent to $1.51 billion from $1.23 billion. AMD's adjusted loss per share was 51 cents, compared with analysts' average expectation of a loss of 47 cents, according to Reuters Estimates. Revenue was pegged at $1.50 billion. The poor results came even as Intel and other high-tech companies like International Business Machines Corp have so far posted generally positive earnings.
Posted by | Fri, Apr 18, 2008 - 05:37 AM
5.4 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles The Midwest At 4:35am
An earthquake measuring magnitude 5.4 with an epicenter in Southeastern Illinois rattled the Tri-State in the early morning hours Friday. The shaking, which started at about 4:35 a.m. CDT, lasted about 10 seconds. I've been in earthquakes in other cities, but that is the first for here in Missouri! The earthquake happened 3.1 miles down and was centered 128 miles from St. Louis, MO. Could the New Madrid be waking up?
A reporter at the Associated Press building in downtown Indianapolis reported feeling the earthquake as well. Scott Rosenburgh, a former Courier & Press advertising manager now working in a suburb northwest of Chicago, said the quake woke him there.
Posted by | Fri, Apr 18, 2008 - 05:02 AM
Universal joining Blu-ray bandwagon in the summer
Universal Studios, once Hollywood's top backer of the doomed HD DVD video format, will soon release all its new videos on the victorious Blu-ray rival at the same time as its standard DVDs. The studio is set to announce Thursday that the program will kick off in the summer with the recent box office flop "Doomsday."
Universal's Blu-ray strategy includes plans to release about 40 titles in the second half of the year. Among them are the studio's five big feature films of the summer, including "The Incredible Hulk," with Edward Norton, William Hurt and Liv Tyler; "Wanted," an action thriller starring James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie; "Hellboy II: The Golden Army"; "Mamma Mia," the adaptation of the musical starring Meryl Streep; and the sequel "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," with Brendan Fraser and Jet Li. Universal officially will enter the Blu-ray market July 22 with a trio of films from its "Mummy" action-adventure franchise: "The Mummy" and "The Mummy Returns," both starring Fraser, and the spinoff "The Scorpion King," with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Posted by | Thu, Apr 17, 2008 - 08:59 AM
Global demand lifts PC sales
Anemic U.S. growth didn't prevent computer makers from posting another double-digit gain in shipments worldwide in the first quarter, according to two technology research firms that said the increase beat their forecasts. The competition between HP and Dell for the title of world's biggest PC maker heated up in the first quarter, in part because of Dell's recent success selling through large retail chains such as Wal-Mart Stores and Staples - a departure from Dell's original direct-to-customer model.
IDC and Gartner on Wednesday also said Dell's recent initiative to offer computers in retail stores is helping it gain ground on Hewlett-Packard, which wrestled the title of world's largest PC maker from Dell in late 2006. Both firms ranked Dell the U.S. market leader, however, with about 31 percent of the market to HP's nearly 25 percent.
Posted by | Thu, Apr 17, 2008 - 08:58 AM
In Brazil, PC buyers accentuate Positivo
At a high-end computer store in Brazil, you'll find the same kinds of Dell, HP, and Sony models you'd see anywhere in the world. But in the department stores where Brazil's middle class do their shopping, a homegrown brand, virtually unheard of outside of Latin America, dominates: Positivo.
Positivo has the lion's share of Brazil's retail market, accounting for nearly a third of retail sales and selling more than a million PCs last year. At one key retailer, Casas Bahia, Positivo's desktops are the only ones on the shelves. Overall, Positivo says it sells more computers at retail than the next three players combined.
Posted by | Thu, Apr 17, 2008 - 08:57 AM
April 17 News from Around the Web
Ocinside has posted a review on Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red DDR2-800 4GB Kit BL2KIT25664AR804 Memory! Find this and other reviews from around the web by visiting our forums!
Sure, for most of us DDR2-800 RAM is nothing special anymore, but the new Crucial Crucial Ballistix Tracer Red PC2-6400 memory modules are worth a second look. The current DDR2 4GB kit consists of 2x 2GB PC2-6400 CL4 memory modules and they are a visual treat. This Ballistix Tracer Red edition offers not just more memory for the PC, but thanks to several integrated SMD light emitting diodes it lights up the PC in a bright red. Let us test the result of this new 4GB CL4 kit from Crucial compared to previous tested DDR2 modules. And let us see, if there is anything special with Windows XP or Windows Vista and 4 GB PC memory.
Posted by | Thu, Apr 17, 2008 - 08:19 AM
Rumor: Kingston the biggest beneficiary of NAND flash price recovery
In light of the sudden surge of NAND flash prices, Kingston Technology, which procured a considerable amount of NAND flash during the price lows, is said to be the biggest beneficiary. Spot prices for NAND flash posted an average growth of about 40% over the past two weeks, following news of production cuts or delays at major chipmakers including Hynix Semiconductor and IM Flash Technologies.
Kingston reportedly procured a batch of 100 million chips from Samsung Electronics at low cost in early 2008. The rapid shift in NAND pricing means this inventory now represents a significant return on investment for Kingston, sources at memory houses commented.
Posted by | Thu, Apr 17, 2008 - 07:45 AM
IBM profit rises on services, software strength
International Business Machines Corp reported higher-than-expected quarterly earnings on Wednesday despite a weakening U.S. economy, helped by strong revenue from technology services and consulting, sending its shares higher. First-quarter net income rose 26 percent to $2.32 billion, or $1.65 per share, from $1.84 billion, or $1.21 per share, a year earlier. Revenue grew 11 percent to $24.5 billion from $22 billion. Currency gains contributed seven percentage points to revenue growth.
Analysts, on average, expected profit of $1.45 per share and revenue of $23.7 billion, according to Reuters Estimates. IBM, the world's largest technology-services company, said in February that strong fourth-quarter growth in services contracts lasting a year or less was paying off. IBM said those benefits gave it more confidence in its U.S. business, even as other technology companies were seeing weaker spending amid concern over the U.S. economy.
Posted by | Thu, Apr 17, 2008 - 02:04 AM
April 16 News from Around the Web
Find reviews from around the web by visiting our forums! The following quote is from TweakTown's review of the ASUS EN9800 GTX 512MB Graphics Card:
"While the 9800 GTX might not be the revolutionary jump that we had hoped for, it’s still a very good card for someone looking at buying a new graphics card with this kind of budget. The first retail 9800 GTX we’re going to look at comes from ASUS and doesn’t carry with it any extra acronyms such as TOP. With the 9800 GTX in hand we took the time to see how it goes up against other high-end retail cards like the HD 3870 X2 from ASUS and the 9800 GX2 from Zotac. While Dual GPU cards are good in theory, if the application isn’t able to make full use of the power then high-end single core cards can outperform them. Let’s find out how the 9800 GTX goes against these Dual GPU wielding cards."
Posted by | Wed, Apr 16, 2008 - 11:43 AM
Seagate profit rises 62 percent, but key notebook market weakens
Hard-drive maker Seagate Technology's third-quarter profit jumped 62 percent from a year ago, though the company acknowledged weakness in the market for drives used in notebook computers. In the quarter ending March 28, Seagate earned $344 million, or 65 cents per share, compared with $212 million, or 37 cents a share, in the same period a year ago. Revenue grew 10 percent to $3.1 billion from $2.8 billion last year. Excluding one-time items, Seagate earned $369 million, or 70 cents per share. On that basis, analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial were expecting the company to post a profit of 69 cents per share on revenue of $3.25 billion.
Seagate Chief Executive Bill Watkins said the results were driven by strong global demand for storage, but the company fell short in the notebook and retail market. "We continue to believe that there is significant opportunity in the notebook and retail markets - two areas where the company recently has not performed to expectation," Watkins said Tuesday. "We expect to see improved performance in these areas in the June quarter and through the calendar year," Watkins said in a company statement."
Posted by | Wed, Apr 16, 2008 - 03:05 AM
Intel firm on margin target for year, shares jump
Intel Corp on Tuesday affirmed its profit-margin target for 2008, reassuring investors concerned about falling memory chip prices and the impact of a weak U.S. economy, sending its stock up 7.4 percent. The world's largest maker of semiconductors reported a fall in first-quarter net income to $1.44 billion, or 25 cents per share, from $1.64 billion, or 28 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue rose to $9.67 billion from $8.85 billion, slightly better than Wall Street expectations.
With both Intel and smaller rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD.N: Quote, Profile, Research) issuing results warnings in the first quarter, fears had been mounting about PC sales with the U.S. economy possibly in a recession. Intel's report on Tuesday went a long way toward easing those worries. "There was concern we were having a structural breakdown in demand -- that finally the weakness in the economy was starting to hurt PC consumption -- and this argues against that," said Cody Acree, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus.
Posted by | Wed, Apr 16, 2008 - 01:57 AM
Windows XP SP3 now set for April 29 debut
Nothing has been posted on Microsoft Technet as of yet and the latest releases notes for XP SP3 are still pointing to a release candidate. Nevertheless, Neowin has gotten its dates right before, so all there is to do now is cross our fingers and wait. If anything can be learned from the last build, we can expect that there will be at least three languages available, each flavor at just over 300MB.
Officially, Microsoft has been saying "the first half of 2008" whenever the company is asked to put a date for the release of Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3). However, various sources have been expecting the Release to Manufacturing (RTM) build to become available in the second half of April. Now, according to tech site Neowin, Microsoft's release schedule for XP SP3 is as follows: * April 14, 2008: Support is available for the release version of Service Pack 3 for Windows XP * April 21, 2008: Original Equipment Manufacturers, Volume License, Connect, and MSDN and TechNet subscribers * April 29, 2008: Microsoft Update, Windows Update, Download Center * June 10, 2008: Automatic Updates
Posted by | Tue, Apr 15, 2008 - 01:18 PM
New Futuremark 3DMark Vantage Screenshot Out
As we get closer to the launch of 3DMark Vantagewe will start seeing new screenshots from inside the benchmark and we see another one today. This is the first screenshot release since January when Futuremark released three! This benchmark will replace 3DMark06, which is one of the most popular gaming benchmarks available.
3DMark 06 is the worldwide standard in advanced 3D game performance benchmarking. A fundamental tool for every company in the PC industry as well as PC users and gamers, 3DMark06 uses advanced real-time 3D game workloads to measure PC performance using a suite of DirectX 9 3D graphics tests, CPU tests, and 3D feature tests. 3DMark06 tests include all new HDR/SM3.0 graphics tests, SM2.0 graphics tests, AI and physics driven single and multiple cores or processor CPU tests and a collection of comprehensive feature tests to reliably measure next generation gaming performance today. Futuremark's exclusive Online ResultBrowser web service tracks and compares 3DMark06 scores.
Posted by | Mon, Apr 14, 2008 - 02:34 PM
Japan Willcom shows off world's 1st Intel Atom phone
Carlyle-controlled Japanese handy-phone firm Willcom Inc rolled out the world's first phones featuring Intel Corp's Centrino Atom microprocessors, as it fights for new users in a saturated market. Willcom, which held 4 percent of Japan's mobile market at the end of March, said it aims to grab an annual 50,000 to 100,000 users with its D4 phone, which runs Microsoft Corp's Windows Vista operating system.
Dwarfed in a market dominated by mobile phone carriers NTT DoCoMo Inc and KDDI Corp, Willcom has been focusing on high-end, pricey phones with PC-like capabilities targeting corporate users and students. Willcom's newest phone, which comes with a touchpad made by Sharp Corp, goes on market in mid-June priced at 128,600 yen ($1,272). Earlier this month, Intel launched its Centrino Atom chips with integrated graphics, aiming to give PC-like power to mobile devices without burning out the battery.
Posted by | Mon, Apr 14, 2008 - 09:21 AM
NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT Coming in July with 55nm Goodness
Some more news has come out today about the upcoming GeForce 9800 GT and when the new GPU will arrive. It seems that the March/April launch is out of the question and July is the new target date. If this holds true that means the card will be on display at Computex in the months ahead. Rumors say that the new and improved GeForce 9800 GT will wage war against AMD's next-generation ATI RV770 powered graphics card.
VR-Zone first revealed Nvidia's plan to shift from 65nm to 55nm to lower costs and we have also told you a series of 55nm based mobile graphics GPUs based on G94b and G96b. Now we learned that the first desktop graphics card to be based on 55nm G92b core will be GeForce 9800 GT and it will be launched in July along with GeForce 9900 series. 9800 GT will support Hybrid Power. Apparently, GeForce 9800 GTS will be OEM only, not for channel.
Posted by | Mon, Apr 14, 2008 - 08:28 AM
April 14 News from Around the Web
Find reviews from around the web by visiting our forums, including Overclockers Club's article on the Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450
"Am I disappointed in the overclocking headroom available from this processor. Not in the least! With the insane speeds being offered up by the dual core variants, I was still searching for a bit more than the 3.7GHz I was able to pull from this quad core processor. But even though I was expecting more, a greater than 1 GHz overclock is nothing to laugh at. The clockspeed increase was also done with a relatively low 1.36 volts to the processor. Much less than I have needed with both my Q6600 and QX9770s to gain the maximum core speed. Temperatures were, for the most part, kept in check throughout the testing. 64 degrees Celsius under load was the highest temperature I saw on air cooling during my stability testing with Prime 95. With better cooling, could the max overclock be increased? Probably, but the vast majority of users will be on air, so that's where I spent my time testing."
Posted by | Mon, Apr 14, 2008 - 08:11 AM
Walton Chaintech Announces the Overclocked GeForce 9600GTC 512M Video Card
Walton Chaintech has introduced the performance enhanced CHAINTECH GSE96GT Overclocking Edition video card that is part of the NVIDIA GeForce 9600 series with the G94 GPU. The overall performance of new CHAINTECH 9600GTC 512MB has raised about 15% compared with 9600GT for benefiting a wide array of 3D oriented applications, is born with the well-proportioned beauty of descent price and performance for power users.
Positioned to be the next star of performance graphics card in 2008, the light-weighted, single-slot CHAINTECH 9600GT 512MB OC Edition is considered an evolution of 9600GT advancing itself from 650 MHz core clock to 735 MHz with running on a 256-bit bus. The full-throttle memory solution GDDR3 512MB which CHAINTECH 9600GT 512MB OC Edition adopts now enables the card to run up to 1900 MHz.
Posted by | Mon, Apr 14, 2008 - 07:33 AM
Blockbuster offers to buy Circuit City
Blockbuster Inc, the No. 1 U.S. movie rental chain, said on Monday it has offered to buy electronics retailer Circuit City Stores Inc in an all-cash offer in the range of $6 per share to $8 per share.
Blockbuster said it made the offer in a February 17 letter to Circuit City's Chief Executive Philip Schoonover on behalf of Blockbuster's board, but that Circuit City had so far failed to provide due diligence.
Posted by | Mon, Apr 14, 2008 - 03:22 AM
AMD Triple Core Phenom Processors For Sale
I was looking at Pricegrabber this afternoon and noticed that the upcoming AMD Triple Core Phenom processors are already up for sale! The AMD HD8450WCGHBOX Phenom Triple-Core 8450 processor is the entry-level triple core processor and operated at 2.1GHz with a power rating of 95W. The retailer selling all the Triple-Core processors is Amazon.com and they are charging $169.99 for these in stock part numbers.
Phenom 8450 2.1GHz
Phenom 8650 2.3GHz
Phenom 8750 2.4GHz
AMD Phenom triple-core processors, expected to be the world's first PC processors to integrate three computational cores on a single die of silicon, can help deliver the visual experience, performance and multitasking capabilities of true multi-core technology to a broader audience. Offering state-of-the-art platforms and a next-generation architecture with expected availability in Q1 2008, the industry's only x-86 triple-core desktop processor shows why AMD's the smarter choice, with its expanded portfolio for customers to offer platforms with unique multi-core options.
Posted by | Sun, Apr 13, 2008 - 03:52 PM
AMD's Chief Technology Officer Resigns
AMD's CTO Phil Hester, has resigned to 'search for new opportunities'
The decision to leave was Hester's, and he left on good terms, said Rob Keosheyan, an AMD spokesman. Hester hasn't announced what he's going to do or where he's going, Keosheyan said. The company has no plans to replace him. Hester wasn't responsible for product or silicon development, Keosheyan said. AMD divides those responsibilities between CTOs in five business units, and that will continue. Hester helped establish the breakdown of product development to unit CTOs, Keosheyan said. The business units in AMD are client, handheld, digital television, graphics, and server.
Posted by | Fri, Apr 11, 2008 - 11:45 PM
Centrino 2 processor details leaked by PC maker
Australian PC maker reveals details of Intel's latest Centrino 2 mobile platform, which will include five Core 2 processors running at clock speeds between 2.26GHz and 3.06GHz
Details of the first few processors belonging to Intel's latest Centrino 2 mobile platform have been leaked on a PC maker's Web site, preempting Intel's official launch of the platform at the middle of this year. The Centrino 2 platform, codenamed Montevina, is an upgrade to Intel's current Centrino platform and will include five Core 2 processors running at clock speeds between 2.26GHz and 3.06GHz. The processors will be offered by an Australian PC maker, Pioneer Computers, in its DreamBook Style 9008 Centrino 2 laptop, one of earliest based on Intel's latest mobile platform.
Posted by | Fri, Apr 11, 2008 - 02:16 PM
Corsair Receives 80 PLUS "Green" Certification on All Power Supply Units
Corsair announced late yesterday that it has been awarded 80 PLUS Certification across the entire Corsair line of Power Supply Units (PSUs), including the award winning modular HX Series, powerful TX Series and value-performance VX Series. The 80 PLUS specification requires computer and server PSUs to be at least 80 percent efficient at 20 percent, 50 percent and 100 percent rated load, ultimately improving computer stability and saving money on electricity bills.
“At Corsair, we feel like it is our responsibility to maintain high standards so our customers don’t have to make the choice between excellent performance and energy efficiency,” said Jack Peterson, VP of Corporate Marketing at Corsair. “They know that by choosing a Corsair power supply, they are getting premium performance, lower total cost of ownership and the smallest environmental footprint available,” added Peterson.
Posted by | Fri, Apr 11, 2008 - 10:56 AM
Kingston Technology Rolls Out 800MHz FB-DIMM Memory Kits
Kingston Technology Company today announced the release of 800MHz DDR2 fully-buffered dual-inline memory (FB-DIMM) specifically designed and validated for Apple Mac Pro workstations and Xserve server systems. Shipping immediately, the Kingston 800MHz FB-DIMM memory kits are available.
"Kingston is a member of the Apple Developer Connection and our new 800MHz FB-DIMMs were thoroughly tested at the Apple validation labs on their latest 8-Core Xeon Mac Pro Workstation to ensure product quality and compatibility," said Don Beauchamp, manager, product engineering, Kingston. "To optimize performance, we recommend upgrading Mac Pro memory to at least four FB-DIMMs to enable running in quad-channel mode."
Posted by | Fri, Apr 11, 2008 - 09:28 AM
IBM lays claim to cheaper, faster memory called 'racetrack'
IBM is developing a type of memory that it says could one day be faster and more reliable than today's hard drives and flash memory. Called "racetrack," it is a solid-state memory that aims to combine the best attributes of flash, like having no moving parts, and the low cost of hard drives for an inexpensive form of nonvolatile memory that will be stable and durable, said Stuart Parkin, an IBM Fellow.
Racetrack memory stores information in thousands of atoms in magnetic nanowires. Without the atoms moving, an electrical charge causes data to move swiftly along a U-shaped pipe that allows data to be read and written in less than a nanosecond, Parkin said. A nanosecond is a billionth of a second and commonly used to measure access time to RAM. The memory reads 16 bits of data through one transistor, so it reads and writes information 100,000 times faster than flash memory, Parkin said.
Posted by | Fri, Apr 11, 2008 - 09:20 AM
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