Never Settle Reloaded Bundle Gets a Level Up Bonus

Subject: Graphics Cards | May 15, 2013 - 12:00 PM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: tomb raider, never settle reloaded, never settle, level up, Crysis 3, bundle, amd

AMD dropped us a quick note to let us in on another limited time offer for buyers of AMD Radeon graphics cards.  Starting today, the Never Settle Reloaded bundle that we first told you about in February is getting an upgrade for select tiers.  For new buyers of the Radeon HD 7970, 7950 and 7790 AMD will be adding Tomb Raider into the mix.  Also, the Radeon HD 7870 will be getting Crysis 3.

Here is the updated, currently running AMD Radeon Level Up bundle matrix.

Now if you buy a new AMD Radeon HD 7970, HD 7950 or HD 7870 today you will get four top-level PC games including Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinite, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and Tomb Raider. 

This is a limited time offer though that will end when supplies run out and we don't really have any idea when that will be.  Check out AMD's Level Up site for more details and to find retailers offering the updated bundles. 

I am curious to find out how successful these bundles have been for AMD and if NVIDIA has had a feedback on the Free-to-play bundle they offered or the new Metro: Last Light option.  Do gamers put much emphasis on the game bundles that come with each graphics card or does the performance and technology make the difference?

UPDATE: I have seen a couple of questions on whether this Level Up promotion would be retroactive. According to the details I have from AMD, this promotion is NOT retroactive.  If you have already purchased any of the affected cards you will not be getting the additional games.

AMD Open 3.0 Server Hardware Now Available To Reduce TCO In A Data Center Near Your

Subject: Motherboards | May 15, 2013 - 03:56 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: server, open source hardware, open source, open compute project, open 3.0, amd

Throughout last year, AMD worked with the Open Compute Foundation to develop open source hardware for servers. The goal of the project was to bring lower-cost, efficient motherboards (compatible with AMD processors) to the server market. Even better, the AMD-compatible hardware is open source which gives companies and OEM/system integrators free reign to modify and build the hardware themselves. The latest iteration of the project is called Open 3.0 and motherboards based on the design(s) are available now from a number of AMD partners.

According to a recent AMD press release, Open 3.0 motherboards will be available from AVnet.inc, Hyve, Penguin Computing, and Zt Systems beginning this week. The new motherboards strip out unnecessary and "over-provisioned" hardware to cut down on upfront hardware costs and electrical usage. Open 3.0 uses a base open source motherboard design that can then be further customized to work with a variety of workloads and in various rack/server configurations. Servers based on OPen 3.0 will range from 1U to 3U in size and can slot into standard 19" racks or Open Rack environments. The boards with their dual Opteron 6300-series processors will reportedly be suitable for High Performance Computing (HPC), Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Cloud applications, and storage servers. AMD claims that its Open 3.0 motherboards can reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of servers by up to 57% in data centers. AMD claims that a server based on Open 3.0 has a TCO of $4,589 while one based on a traditional OEM motherboard costs up to 57% more at $10,669. The AMD-provided example sound nice. Despite the example likely being the best-case-scenario, the idea behind the Open Compute Project and the AMD-specific Open 3.0 hardware does make sense. Customers should see more competition with motherboards that are cheaper to produce and run thanks to the open source nature. Further details on the status of Open 3.0 and the available hardware is being discussed at an invitation-only industry round-table this week between partners, interested enterprise customers, and a number of companies (including AMD, Broadcom, and Quanta).

For the uninitiated, the Open 3.0 hardware features a motherboard that measures 16" x 16.7" and is intended for 1U, 1.5U, 2U, and 3U servers. Each Open 3.0 board includes two AMD Opteron 6300 series processors, 24 DDR3 DIMM slots (12 per CPU, 4 channels with 3 DIMMs each), six SATA ports, 1 managed dual-channel Gigabit Ethernet NIC, up to four PCI-E slots, and a single Mezzanine connector for custom modules (eg. the Mellanox IO or Broadcom Management card). Board IO will include a single serial port and two USB ports.

I'm glad to see AMD's side of the Open Compute Project come to fruition with the company's Open 3.0 hardware. Anything to reduce power usage and hardware cost is welcome in the data center world, and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact the open source hardware will have, especially when it comes to custom designs from system integrators. Intel is also working towards open source server hardware along with Facebook and the Open Compute Project. It is refreshing to see open source gaining traction in this market segment, to say the least.

You can read more about the hardware availability announcement as well as an overview of the Open 3.0 specification (PDF) on the AMD website

Western Digital's SSHD Black magic revealed

Subject: Storage | May 14, 2013 - 05:53 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: sshd, cache, western digital, Black SSHD, Hybrid Drive

The Tech Report sat down with Matt Rutledge, Vice President of Western Digital's client computing group to discuss the software behind their new HDDs with an SSD cache.  Sandisk will be providing the hardware and WD who will be providing the custom caching software which will not be coded into the hardware but will function at the driver level.  Matt mentioned that this software can also make use of the system's memory and incorporate it into the cache as well though it was not completely clear if there will be many user editable settings.  Check the interview out.

"WD revealed that its hybrid drives will use SanDisk iSSD flash components. The announcement was devoid of details on how the caching system works, but we can now shed new light on the software-managed scheme."

Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:

Storage

• Seagate SSHD Thin 500GB Review @ Hardware Canucks
• Seagate Desktop HDD.15 4TB vs WD Black 4TB Hard Drive Review @ Legit Reviews
• Toshiba MK3001GRRB 300GB SAS 6Gb/s HDD @ NikKTech
• Intel 525 Series 120GB & 180GB mSATA SSD @ Hardware Canucks
• PNY Prevail Elite 240GB SSD @ Tweaktown
• Crucial M500 480 GB @ techPowerUp
• 120GB OCZ Vertex 3.20 Solid State Drive @ Benchmark Reviews
• Seagate Desktop HDD.15 4TB Review @ Techgage
• Crucial M4 256GB SATA III SSD Review @ PCSTATS
• Corsair Neutron 128GB and 256GB (2013 Hynix Edition) @ TweakTown
• Kingston Wi-Drive 64GB @ Kitguru
• Western Digital My Book Live 1TB Personal Cloud Storage @ Tweaktown
• OWC Envoy Pro EX USB 3.0 Bus-Powered Portable SSD @ SSD Review
• PQI Tiffany 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive @ Tweaktown
• 64 GB Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 G3 Flash Drive @ TechARP
• Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0 G3 32GB Flash Drive Review @ Legit Review
• Patriot Supersonic Magnum 256GB USB 3 Flash Drive @ SSD Review
• PQI i-mini USB 3.0 32GB @ techPowerUp
• LSI MegaRAID 9271-8i PCIe Raid Controller @ Funky Kit
• Icy Dock FlexCage MB975SP-B Tray-Less 5 x 3.5" HDD Dock @ Tweaktown
• SilverStone DS322 Dual-Bay RAID Enclosure @ Tweaktown
• Western Digital My Passport Enterprise 500GB USB3.0 External Hard Drive @ eTeknix

Knucker Plunger Keyboard, really Thermaltake?

Subject: General Tech | May 14, 2013 - 04:06 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: input, gaming keyboard, thermaltake, knucker plunger

The unfortunately named Thermaltake Knucker Plunger Keyboard gets its name from the Plunger switches that were used for the keys on this board.  They are not quite mechanical switches but do offer more feedback, both tactile and audible, when a key is depressed so that you get a feel similar to a mechanical switch but without the accompanying price tag.  With LED backlighting and easily removable keys it does offer the same benefits as high end gaming keyboards but at $40 it will not cost you as much as other models.  Benchmark Reviews tried out the newest member of the Tt eSPORTS lineup finding it more than acceptable for the price point.

"In today's throw away culture it seems that nothing is sacred anymore, spending ~$100 on a keyboard seems like nothing to some folks with seamlessly disposable income, but not all of us have that luxury. To this end Thermaltake's Tt eSPORTS division have created the Knucker Plunger Gaming Keyboard (model: KB-KNK008). The Knucker Gaming Keyboard was designed and priced to sit part way between a regular rubber dome keyboard and a mechanical switch keyboard. The end result is what Thermaltake call 'Plunger switch technology', a semi-mechanical rubber dome setup that gives tactile feel of mechanical switches at a much lower cost. Here at Benchmark Reviews we aim to give you the information you want without all the hype, so you can make an educated decision for yourself. Read on to find out if the Knucker Keyboard is all that it promises to be."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Logitech G19s Gaming Keyboard @ Tweaktown
• Xebec Tech Easy Eye Large Letter Keyboard @ eTeknix
• TteSports Saphira Gaming Mouse @ eTiknix
• Mionix Ensis 320 Luna Mousepad @ Rbmods
• Neo Reflection Wireless 3D Finger Mouse @ Hardware.info
• Func MS-3 Gaming Mouse and Surface 1030 XL Review @ Madshrimps
• Shogun Bros Ballista MK1 8200dpi Pro Gaming mouse @ Kitguru
• SteelSeries Call of Duty Black Ops II Mouse Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Tesoro GUNGNIR H5 Optical Gaming Mouse Review @ NikKTech
• Logitech G500s @ LanOC Reviews
• Func MS-3 Gaming Mouse and Surface 1030 XL Mouse mat @ Metku.net
• Logitech G500s Laser Gaming Mouse Review @ Techgage
• Corsair M95 MMO Gaming Mouse @ eTekix
• ROCCAT Roundup: Mice, Mousepad, and Bungee @ OCC
• TteSports Black Element Combat White MMO Gaming Mouse @ eTeknix
• Tt eSPORTS THERON Battle Ready Gaming Mouse @ NikKTech
• ROCCAT Hiro Gaming Mouse Pad Review @ Neoseeker

Haswell Laptop specs! NEC LaVie L to launch in Japan

Subject: General Tech, Graphics Cards, Processors, Systems, Mobile | May 14, 2013 - 03:54 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: haswell, nec

While we are not sure when it will be released or whether it will be available for North America, we have found a Haswell laptop. Actually, NEC will release two products in this lineup: a high end 1080p unit and a lower end 1366x768 model. Unfortuantely, the article is in Japanese.

IPS displays have really wide viewing angles, even top and bottom.

NEC is known for their higher-end monitors; most people equate the Dell Ultrasharp panels with professional photo and video production, but their top end offers are ofter a tier below the best from companies like NEC and Eizo. The laptops we are discussing today both contain touch-enabled IPS panels with apparently double the contrast ratio of what NEC considers standard. While these may or may not be the tip-top NEC offerings, they should at least be putting in decent screens.

Obviously the headliner for us is the introduction of Haswell. While we do not know exactly which product NEC decided to embed, we do know that they are relying upon it for their graphics performance. With the aforementioned higher-end displays, it seems likely that NEC is intending this device for the professional market. A price-tag of 190000 yen (just under $1900 USD) for the lower end and 200000 yen (just under $2000 USD) for the higher end further suggests this is their target demographic.

Clearly a Japanese model.

The professional market does not exactly have huge requirements for graphics performance, but to explicitly see NEC trust Intel for their GPU performance is an interesting twist. Intel HD 4000 has been nibbling, to say the least, on the discrete GPU marketshare in laptops. I would expect this laptop would contain one of the BGA-based parts, which are soldered onto the motherboard, for the added graphics performance.

As a final note, the higher-end model will also contain a draft 802.11ac antenna. It is expected that network performance could be up to 867 megabits as a result.

Of course I could not get away without publishing the raw specifications:

LL850/MS (Price: 200000 yen):

• Fourth-generation Intel Core processor with onboard video
• 8GB DDR3 RAM
• 1TB HDD w/ 32GB SSD caching
• BDXL (100-128GB BluRay disc) drive
• IEEE 802.11ac WiFi adapter, Bluetooth 4.0
• SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, USB3.0, 2x2W stereo Yamaha speakers
• 1080p IPS display with touch support
• Office Home and Business 2013 preinstalled?

LL750/MS (Price: 190000 yen):

• Fourth-generation Intel Core processor with onboard video
• 8GB DDR3 RAM
• 1TB HDD (no SSD cache)
• (Optical disc support not mentioned)
• IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi adapter, Bluetooth 4.0
• SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, USB3.0, 2x2W stereo Yamaha speakers
• 1366x768 (IPS?) touch-enabled display

Lian Li Announces New Mini-ITX Chassis with a Curve-Shaped Design and Front Acrylic Window – PC-Q30

Subject: General Tech, Cases and Cooling | May 14, 2013 - 03:20 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: Lian Li, PC -Q30, mini ITX, case

Lian Li has just released a very unique case for those who want to show off their internal components, the PC-Q30.  The unique curved chassis will certainly make your system stand out as no other competitor is offering a case with this particular look.  It is mini-ITX so their are some space constraints for the highest end systems but you can still fit a good system into the (W)223mm x (H)357mm x (D)300mm chassis.

May 14, 2013, Keelung, Taiwan - Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd, today announces a new brushed aluminum Mini-ITX chassis – PC-Q30. With its curve-shaped design and large acrylic front window the fully aluminum PC-Q30 allows users to show off their systems, and is sure to be the talking piece of any room.

Whether in the living room, bedroom, or office, the PC-Q30 with its curve-shape and brushed aluminium finish takes visual command without being ostentatious. Additionally, DIY builders can put their stylized internal components and intricate builds on full display – as they should not be hidden from sight.

Thanks to the two expansion slots on the top of the chassis, the PC-Q30 supports graphics cards up to 200mm (7.8”). For storage, up to four 2.5” hard drives or SSDs can be mounted in the removable hard drive cage at the bottom of the chassis.

A 140mm fan in the rear of the chassis expels hot air, while ventilation on the top and side allows for cool air to enter. A small form factor power supply up to 125mm (4.9”) is placed on rubber pads in order to reduce vibrations.

The front of the PC-Q30 is minimalistic in aesthetics and houses the dual LED illuminated power button that glows blue when on and red while loading. The I/O panel with two USB 3.0 ports and HD audio connections is located on the left side of the front of the chassis to not interrupt the elegant aesthetics.

Price and Availability
The PC-Q30 will be available in June in the US and Canada for the suggested retail price of US$149

Microsoft turns Windows Blue into a subscription based service pack?

Subject: General Tech | May 14, 2013 - 03:02 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: microsoft. windows blue, win8, oops

Windows Blue is now officially Win8.1, coming sometime before Christmas and free to anyone currently running Win8 according to the links at Slashdot.  We've talked about Microsoft's upcoming OS refresh many times at PC Per, from their plan to replicate the subscription model of Office365 to the inclusion of their Cloud services like SkyDrive.  This will not be a new OS, merely tweaks added to the existing kernel focusing on the GUI and especially the new Start Screen.  It isn't a reversal of the new look, nor does it lessen the emphasis on touch screens but it could make some compromises for those who prefer a mouse, keyboard and desktop.

"Several readers sent word that Microsoft has officially dubbed the upcoming revision to its flagship operating system "Windows 8.1," retiring the code-name "Windows Blue." They also said the update would be freely available to anybody with Windows 8. It will be available through the Windows Store. "Reller declined to provide an exact release date for Windows 8.1, but said that Microsoft is 'very sensitive to the timing of the holidays.' Ideally, Microsoft will be able to provide devices with Windows 8.1 pre-loaded in time for the holiday 2013 season, Reller said, but those who purchase a Windows 8 device later this year will be able to easily upgrade to 8.1."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Your Flying Car? Delayed again, but you WILL get it, says Terrafugia @ The Register
• Adobe lets you pay now and later and later again @ The Tech Report
• Intel's Thin Mini-ITX platform: nine months later
• Will your power supply work with Haswell? Seasonic announce compatible units @ Kitguru
• Blackberry announces Q5 QWERTY smartphone as BB10 hits 120,000 apps @ The Inquirer
• Blackberry announces BBM for iOS and Android @ The Inquirer
• http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2268009/blackberry-announces-bbm-for-ios-and-android @ TechARP

Dell XPS 10 32GB Dual-core Windows RT @ $300

Subject: General Tech | May 14, 2013 - 01:52 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: deals

If you know someone who is looking for a tablet that does a bit more than an eReader but doesn't need the power of an x86 based model, the Dell XPS WinRT tablet makes a good compromise.  The dual core Snapdragon S4 @ 1.5GHz will power the 1366 x 768 10.1" screen when surfing and the included Office Home & Student 2013 RT will help with productivity.  At $150 off the normal price it is a good deal.

To get the 10.1" XPS 10 32GB Tablet configuration, follow these steps:

1. Start here at Dell's direct store
2. Configure as per needs (optional), click Review & Add to cart button at the top
3. Proceed to final checkout/payment
 

Also available:
10.1" XPS 10 32GB Tablet + Soft-Touch Case $329.98
10.1" XPS 10 32GB Tablet + Dockable Keyboard $399.99
10.1" XPS 10 64GB Tablet + Dockable Keyboard + 4G LTE $549.99

NVIDIA Announces Shield Pricing, Taking Pre-orders

Subject: General Tech, Mobile | May 14, 2013 - 09:06 AM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: tegra 4, tegra, shield, project shield, nvidia

Solid information about the NVIDIA Shield (no longer called Project Shield) is finally becoming available with a blog post written up today on NVIDIA's website.  The company will begin accepting pre-orders from users that have previously signed up for the Shield mailing list while the rest of you will have to wait until May 20th to plop down your money. 

The cost?  $349.  Newegg, Gamestop, Micro Center and Canada Computer will carry it.

If you want to sign up for official June release schedule of the Tegra 4 powered mobile Android gaming device, you'll have to head over to shield.nvidia.com. 

NVIDIA does point out in the blog that the PC game streaming feature that I truly believe is the one thing that makes Shield a compelling gaming device, will be launching as BETA feature.

And GeForce game streaming, launching as a beta feature, will give SHIELD the power to access your NVIDIA GeForce GTX GPU-powered computer from the comfort of your couch. We’re working on streaming your favorite PC games to SHIELD, including great titles from Steam.

High level features of the device, for those of you that are unaware, include:

• Tegra 4 – The world’s fastest mobile processor delivers rich graphics and unbeatable performance thanks to 72 GPU cores, four CPU cores and 2GB of RAM
• Console-grade controller – Precise control thanks to dual analog joysticks, a full-sized D-Pad, left and right analog triggers, full-sized bumpers and A/B/X/Y buttons
• Multi-touch display – 5-inch, 720p retinal multi-touch display for high-fidelity visuals
• Integrated speakers – Custom, bass reflex, tuned port audio system – we think this is SHIELD’s sleeper feature
• Wi-Fi – 802.11n 2X2 MIMO game-speed Wi-Fi for seamless game streaming
• Pure Android – Latest Android Jelly Bean operating system from Google, for access to Android games and apps
• There’s more – We put into SHIELD everything we would want in a premium mobile gaming device: 16 GB memory, GPS, Bluetooth 3.0, a mini-HDMI output, micro-USB 2.0, a microSD storage slot, a 3.5-mm stereo headphone jack. See the full spec sheet, here.

We took a look at the NVIDIA Shield device at CES this year and posted a video of our experiences, so check it out below. 

NVIDIA has also posted a separate blog that talks about some of the upcoming Android games that will highlight the power of the Tegra 4 mobile processor including Broken Age and Costume Quest from Double Fine, Chuck's Challenge from Niffler and more. 

I think many people at NVIDIA as well as in the media are very curious to see what the reaction of Shield will actully be upon its release.  I am very excited to test it out in real-world, long term usage models but I definitely have doubts about the market's desire for another mobile gaming platform. 

Leave me your thoughts in the comments below!!

Sony Profitable, Expects Its PlayStation 4 Launch to Keep It That Way

Subject: General Tech | May 13, 2013 - 11:37 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: sony, semi-custom business unit, ps4, gaming, financial report, amd

Sony, a company with an annual profit of 436 billion Yen ($458 million USD) in its fiscal year ending March 31, 2013 saw PS3 and PS2 sales decline and a slight bump up in PSP and PS Vita sales. In a recent earnings call covered by Euro Gamer, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Masaru Kato stated that the company expects this year to be even better with the launch of its upcoming PlayStation 4 console. Sony does not believe it will incur any significant losses with the PS4 and that sales will "increase significantly." Unlike the PS3 which used a Cell chip that was expensive to develop, the PlayStation 4 uses mostly-traditional PC hardware. With the upcoming console, AMD did the majority of the development legwork which saved Sony money. As a result, Sony believes that the PS4 will turn a profit much faster than it took the PS3.

Looking into Sony's next fiscal year ending March 2014, the company is putting a renewed focus on smartphones and smart TVs. In the previous year, Sony saw combined PS3 and PS2 sales decline to $16.5 million from $18 million the prior year. Sony expects to sell approximately $10 million worth of PS3s in the upcoming fiscal year. While the company's PS2 console had a wild ride, it is no longer included in the company's sales forecast. Sales of Sony's mobile PSP and PS Vita gaming consoles are expected to decrease to a mere $5 million as well. Basically, Sony has a lot riding on its PlayStation 4 console. It expects to see its next-generation console make up for the decreased sales of its existing hardware.

Either way, a profitable Sony is a good thing, and I hope that the upcoming console is priced to sell while also resulting in a tidy profit for the company. I expect the Xbox-PS3-PC gamer flame-war to be especially entertaining this year, as the consoles are essentially using lower-end PC hardware (heh) and the two consoles specs are more-similar than ever.

Semi-Custom Business Unit Creates New Revenue Stream For AMD

Subject: General Tech | May 13, 2013 - 10:28 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: x86, SoC, semi-custom chip, Patent, ip, APU, amd

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has an extensive intellectual property (IP) portfolio. The company has a range of products from CPUs and graphics cards to video acceleration hardware. It is also the only other major player to have a license to build chips with the x86 ISA. With the launch of its Semi-Custom Business Unit, AMD plans to take advantage of the engineering experience and patent portfolio to create a new revenue stream. AMD will work with other companies to create customized processors that integrate custom IP cores and technology but use AMD's existing products as a base to cut down on engineering time and R&D costs.

The first such customized chip is the System on a Chip used in Sony's PlayStation 4 gaming console. AMD intends to market its modular SoC technology and custom IP integration services to makers of set top boxes, smart TVs, tablets, PCs, networking hardware, and High Performance Computing applications. AMD argues that using its Semi-Custom Business Unit to create a customized SoC is cheaper and faster to design and produce than a fully-custom design, which makes sense since most of the engineering work is already done. AMD could stand to make quite a bit of extra money here, especially if it can land design wins for governmental and industrial design contracts. Intel's x86 license scarcity may actually benefit AMD here, in fact.

AMD's Semi-Custom Business Unit consists of an engineering team led by AMD Corporate Vice President and General Manager Saeid Moshkelani. I think doing this is a smart move for the x86 underdog, and it will be interesting to see how well the division does for the company's bottom line.

Nokia Launching $149 Lumia 928 With WP8 On May 16th

Subject: General Tech | May 12, 2013 - 06:16 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: wp8, Qualcomm MSM8960, nokia, lumia 928, lumia

Nokia will be launching a new Windows Phone 8 smartphone next week that trades in the traditional colorful Lumia designs for a sleek black or white finish. The Nokia Lumia 928 smartphone will be available on Verizon Wireless in the US.

The smartphone features a 4.5” WXGA OLED display with a resolution of 1280x768. The front of the phone resembles a flat rectangle with slightly rounded corners while the back is slightly curved. On the front below the display are capacitive buttons and above the display is a 1.2MP webcam that is capable of shooting still images or 720p HD videos. Three high amplitude microphones are also included. The Nokia 928 smartphone also uses a rear PureView 8.7MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics capable of shooting 1080p30 HD video. This main camera has optical image stabilization and a Xenon flash for still images (and a LED flash for video).

On the inside, the Nokia Lumia 928 is powered by a dual core Qualcomm MSM8960+WTR processor clocked at 1.5GHz, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a 2000mAh battery. Wireless charging and an NFC radio are also included. Of course, the Lumia 928 is running Microsoft’s latest Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system.

The Lumia 928 will be available at Verizon (both in-store and online) for $149. A $50 mail in rebate will bring that price down to $99. On top of that, for a limited time, you can get $25 of Windows Store credit to spend on apps and games. From the specifications, it seems like a decent midrange smartphone so long as you do not need any Android or iOS exclusive applications.

Seasonic Releases Information On Its Haswell-Ready Power Supplies

Subject: General Tech, Cases and Cooling | May 11, 2013 - 09:17 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: seasonic, haswell, Power Supplies, PSU, 0.05A

Following the announcements from other power supply manufacturers, Seasonic has now released a list of its own power supplies that are compatible with Intel's upcoming Haswell processor. The new Haswell CPUs, set to launch June 3rd, incorporate new C6 and C7 sleep states that draw as little as 0.05A from the 12V PSU rail. Because of the low load, some existing power supplies will have issues with the new sleep states and could result in system instability. In light of that, many manufacturers are validating their existing lineups to determine which ones are compatible.

As of the time of publication, the following power supplies from Seasonic are compatible with Haswell and the new sleep states.

Platinum Series

• 1200W
• 1000W
• 860W
• 760W

Platinum Fanless Series

• 520W
• 460W
• 400W

X-Series

• 1250W
• 1050W
• 850W
• 750W
• 650W

G-Series

• 650W
• 550W
• 450W
• 360W

M12 II Evo Edition Series

• 850W
• 750W

Stay tuned to PC Perspective for more information on PSU and Haswell compatibility.

• Haswell-compatible PSU list(s):
  • Corsair PSUs
  • Enermax PSUs

HIS Launches Factory Overclocked HD 7850 IceQ X^2 Turbo Graphics Card

Subject: General Tech | May 11, 2013 - 08:12 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: radeon hd 7850, ICEQ Turbo, his, hd 7850, GCN, amd

HIS has launched a new factory overclocked graphics card based on AMD's Radeon HD 7850 "Pitcairn" GPU called the IceQ X^2 Turbo. The new card uses a custom PCB and IceQ X^2 cooler.

The IceQ X^2 cooler uses two 75mm fans to cool an aluminum fin stack that is connected to the copper GPU contact plate with copper heatpipes. The HSF is surrounded by a black shroud. HIS claims that its custom cooler runs at a quiet 28dB when the card is idle.

The HIS HD 7850 IceQ X^2 Turbo is a factory overclocked card. HIS has taken a standard HD 7850 GPU with 1024 stream processors and clocked it at 1GHz, which is a 140MHz overclock over the reference 7850 clockspeed. The card is further paired with 2GB of GDDR5 memory clocked at the reference 1200MHz (4800MHz effective) on a 256-bit bus. An 8-phase VRM keeps the overclocked components fed with stable power. It offers up a single DVI, one HDMI, and two mini-DisplayPort video outputs.

Because of the custom cooler, it should be possible to push the HD 7850 GPU even higher, although exactly how much higher will depend on the individual card.

The HIS IceQ X^2 Turbo does not have any official pricing information yet, but it should be priced somewhere around $220 since the already-available single fan IceQ X Turbo card is currently priced at approximately $210 at online retailers.

Also read: The AMD Radeon HD 7850 gets frame rated!

NZXT Launches $30 Sentry Mix 2 Fan Controller

Subject: General Tech | May 10, 2013 - 07:37 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: nzxt, sentry, sentry mix 2, fan controller

NZXT has launched its new Sentry Mix 2 fan controller. Featuring an audio equipment theme, the Sentry Mix 2 fits into a single 5.25” bay. It features a matte black bezel with six glossy black sliders that are recessed into the bezel to ensure compatibility with PC case doors. Below the fan speed sliders are LEDs that can be changed to one of five colors (white, blue, green, orange, red).

The Mix 2 is the successor and replacement of the original Mix fan controller, and it uses a redesigned PCB. The controller has six sliders that are connected to six 4-pin fan outputs. The fan controller is powered by two 4-pin Molex power connectors and can draw a maximum of 180W. Each fan channel can draw a maximum of 30W. The sliders are analog rheostats that are also compatible with PWM controlled fans.

The Sentry Mix 2 comes with a 2 year warranty. The fan controller should be available soon with an MSRP of $29.99. More information can be found on NZXT’s website. As far as fan controllers go, I could see myself using this one as it keeps the LED bling to a minimum.

Pushing $1000 cards to 5760x1200

Subject: Graphics Cards | May 10, 2013 - 07:25 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: titan, radeon hd 7990, nvidia, amd

If you have been wondering how the two flagship GPUs fare in a battle royal of pure frame rate you can satisfy your curiousity at [H]ard|OCP.  They have tested both NVIDIA's TITAN and the finally released HD7990 in one of their latest reviews.  Both cards were force to push out pixels at 5760x1200 and for the most part tied, which makes sense as they both cost $1000.  The real winner was Crossfired HD 7970's which kept up with the big guns but cost $200 less to purcahse.

If that isn't extreme enough for you, they also overclocked the TITAN in a seperate review.

"We follow-up with a look at how the $999 GeForce GTX TITAN compares to the new $999 AMD Radeon HD 7990 video card. What makes this is unique is that the GeForce GTX TITAN is a single-GPU running three displays in NV Surround compared to the same priced dual-GPU CrossFire on a card Radeon HD 7990 in Eyefinity."

Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:

Graphics Cards

• AMD's Radeon HD 7990 @ The Tech Report
• Diamond BV750 Low Profile 7750 @ Bjorn3D
• XFX Radeon HD 7790 Black Edition 1GB Video Card Review @ Madshrimps
• AMD Radeon HD 7790 2GB review: does another 1GB make a difference @ Hardware.info
• PowerColor HD 7790 Turbo Duo 1GB Video Card Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• AMD Radeon HD 7790 vs. Nvidia GeForce GTX 650 Ti BOOST @ X-bit Labs
• Sapphire HD7790 2GB OC @ Kitguru
• XFX R7790 Black Edition 1GB Review @ Neoseeker
• PowerColor Radeon HD 7790 TurboDuo OC 1GB @ eTeknix
• AMD Radeon HD 7990 6GB and HD 7970 GHz Edition Video Cards in CrossFireX @ Tweaktown
• AMD Radeon HD 7990 6GB Dual GPU Video Card Overclocked @ Tweaktown
• 15-Way Open vs. Closed Source NVIDIA/AMD Linux GPU Comparison @ Phoronix
• ASUS GTX650-E-2GD5 @ Hardware.info
• EVGA GeForce GTX TITAN 6GB SuperClocked Video Cards in SLI Overclocked @ Tweaktown
• Inno3D iChill GTX 650 Ti Boost 2 GB @ techPowerUp
• EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost SuperClocked 2GB @ Tweaktown
• ZOTAC GTX Titan AMP! Edition @ Bjorn3D
• ASUS GTX 650 Ti Boost DCII @ Bjorn3D
• Asus GTX 670 DirectCU Mini 2GB @ eTeknix

A last ride down Clover Trail? Asus' VivoTab Smart ME400C

Subject: Mobile | May 10, 2013 - 06:56 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: clover trail, asus, VivoTab Smart ME400C, atom

While the new Atom processors that we discussed are a long way off you can still pick up some interesting devices powered by the current generation.  The ASUS VivoTab Smart ME400C has a Z2760 @ 1.8GHz, 2GB DDR2 and a 64GB eMMC SSD which is not too shabby for a $400 device.  The 1366x768 resolution screen might not be the best but at 10.1" it is a reasonable choice for ASUS to make.  The Tech Report's testing showed you can expect about 10 hours of battery life and it is capable of running Windows 8 and legacy x86 software as opposed to the ARM powered WinRT tablets it competes with.  They do recommend you purhase the TranSleeve and a bluetooth keyboard and mouse combo seperately as you will save a good amount of money doing so.

"This Windows 8 tablet has an Atom processor, solid battery life, and a $430 price tag. Is it compelling as a tablet, and can it really double as a productivity PC?"

Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:

Mobile

• MSI GT70 0NE @ Hardware.info
• Microsoft Surface Pro @ Hardware.info
• Toshiba Kirabook Review @ TechReviewSource
• CyberPowerPC FangBook @ AnandTech
• Acer Aspire R7 @ The Inquirer
• ASUS VivoTab Smart ME400 10.1 inch Windows 8 Tablet Review @ Legit Reviews
• Gigabyte P2742G Gaming Laptop @ Modders-Inc
• Acer Aspire S7-191 Touchscreen Ultrabook @ Tweaktown
• Lenovo IdeaPad Lynx Review @ TechReviewSource
• ASUS VivoBook X202E Laptop @ Hardware Secrets
• Acer Aspire E1-531 Laptop Review @ Madshrimps
• AVATAR Mercury Ultrabook AVIU-145A2 Review @ OCC
• Acer Aspire S7-391 Touchscreen Ultrabook @ Tweaktown
• Samsung 5-Series NP540U3C-A01 13.3-inch Ultrabook Notebook Review @ PCSTATS
• Samsung Galaxy Note II Phablet @ Tweaktown
• Sony VAIO Fit 14 Review @ TechReviewSource
• Giada Q11 Android OS Mini PC @ techPowerUp
• Cooler Master NotePal A200 Laptop Cooling Pad Review @ Ninjalane
• ADATA DashDrive Air AE400 Review @ Legit Reviews
• Spire Power Bank 4000 Battery Charger Review @ Legit Reviews
• Thermaltake GOrb II Portable Laptop Cooler @ Tweaktown
• TYLT PowerPlant Portable 5200mAh Battery Pack @ Tweaktown
• Noreve Sony Xperia Z Leather Case (Tradition - 21038T) Review @ Madshrimps
• BlackBerry Q10 @ The Register
• Samsung Galaxy S4 vs iPhone 5 head to head @ The Inquirer
• Samsung Galaxy S4 @ Hardware.info
• Samsung Galaxy S4 @ The Inquirer