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:: PC Perspective . News Archive
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.:News Archive ( 8/2007 )
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: General Tech
Upgrade fever has hit just about every component on the PC lately, it's getting to the point where even buying a mouse can be a major decision, along with the rest of the PC. Then you have to tweak the OS, assuming you can decide which one to use, to make sure you are getting everything out of your internet connection.
Some members aren't ready to upgrade yet, they are waiting to see what Barcelona can do, and how much the chips will cost when they are released, and whether they will explain the hyper-abundance of kilowatt PSUs. Others are hoping that nVIDIA's G92 will be coming out soon, and then there are the Gibbon fans. Dig through the forums, and see if you can't find something that will help you in your quest to get the system you want.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: DV Hardware | Subject: Mobile
AC Ryan has released a universal notebook external battery, called MobiliT. It weighs about 1.5lbs, and provides 6600 mAH (105WH), and lives up to it's universal claim by coming with 8 output tips and input connectors. DV Hardware found adding 2 hours or more of power on the go was well worth the price.
"Over the years notebooks have dropped significantly in price and according to recent market data from research firm
IDC notebooks are on course to take the lead over desktops by 2011. Notebooks have become more powerful but one of
the biggest problems is still the relatively short battery life. Firms like Samsung are working on this problem by
developing fuel cells which will give your notebook a battery life of several days/weeks but it will still take a
few more years before fuel cells will be commercially available.."
Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PCStats | Subject: Memory
PC Stats tries to find the sweet spot for RAM on Vista. Trying 512MB, 1, 2 and 4GB they see just what you can get away with, and if the 4GB helps you out. Gaming and productivity software will start to respond a lot better if you can keep Vista happy.
"Do you need as much memory when you're running office applications as you do when you're gaming? How much memory do
you need in Vista to game comfortably, and spreadsheet smoothly? Usually a hardware upgrade isn't required for a new
operating system. Yet if you are planing to upgrade Microsoft Windows XP to Microsoft Windows Vista, it's almost
impossible to avoid a PC overhaul. If the PC doesn't have enough RAM to satisfy Vista's intense thirst, you'll be
the slowest thing on two wheels."
Here are some more Memory articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: X-Bit Labs | Subject: Case and Cooling
X-bit Labs looks a two very different coolers, the Zalman CNPS8700 LED and the Thermaltake V1. The Zalman is aimed at those without the room in their case for a huge cooler, and the V1 is a unique looking cooler with a special fan that fits in between it's fins. Take a look and see which one would fit your needs best.
"Today we are going to introduce to you two new CPU cooling solutions. The cooler from Zalman is targeted for
compact and low-profile system cases, while the Thermaltake solution is expected to be appealing to overclocking
aesthetes who enjoy a cooler’s appearance no less than they do its performance. Read more in our article!"
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Mechanic | Subject: General Tech
PC Mechanic looks at some very simple ways to keep yourself and your private data secure when browsing the web. Some of the tips may seem very simplistic, but there are those who don't follow them .. . and will probably be calling you to fix their PC soon, if they haven't called already.
You can also catch the 11th PC Perspective Podcast at the top of the page, if you haven't given it a listen already.
"In many ways, the internet today resembles a digital version of the wild, wild west. There are a lot of ways that
you can potentially open up your computer and allow “bad guys” in. Then you have companies like Symantec that turn
all this into a game of “cops and robbers”, with your PC as the battleground and your wallet as collateral."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: OCZ Technology | Subject: Case and Cooling
Sunnyvale, CA - August 30, 2007 - OCZ Technology Group, Inc. a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and computer components, today announced the OCZ Vanquisher CPU cooler, a much-anticipated expansion of their cooling product line. Using a highly efficient and compact design, the Vanquisher is an enthusiast-grade thermal solution for the latest high performance processors. Catering to the needs of gamers and enthusiasts, the Vanquisher will become an integral addition to any extreme-performance gaming rig.
The OCZ Vanquisher aggressively cools your CPU thanks to a pure copper base plate and three copper heat pipes that rapidly transfer heat away from the processor up to the dense, aluminum fin array where the thermal load is quickly dissipated by the included 92mm fan. The efficient heatpipe design moves so much heat that the fin array is able to transfer up to 200 Watts. The Vanquisher also utilizes a unique low speed fan mounted with rubber connectors to effectively decrease vibration and noise, ensuring minimal distractions at your workstation.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: VIA Arena | Subject: System
VIA Arena shows you just how easy it is to build a PC that consumes less than 60W. It's not a crippled system either. It doesn't have the power to max out the settings in some intense games, but it handles World of Warcraft perfectly.
"The VIA pc3500 mainboard has been specifically designed to build PCs that have low power requirements. Just how
simple is it to build a PC that consumes less than 60W? We tested various components in order to build a sub-60W PC
and then compared the power consumption during various tasks to a mid-range PC, with some surprising results."
Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Report | Subject: Storage
The Tech Report reviewed Hitachi's Deskstar 7K1000 terabyte HDD earlier this month, and liked the performance, but not the noise when the drive was seeking. It turns out that they had disabled Hitachi's Automatic Acoustic Management, which is supposed to limit the noise produced. Head over to find out how well it works, and what performance costs you can expect to see from enabling it.
"Earlier this month, we lauded Hitachi's Deskstar 7K1000 terabyte hard drive for its industry-leading capacity. We
weren't as impressed with the drive's noise levels, though. Under a seek load, the 7K1000 tipped our digital sound
level meter at over 57 decibels, putting it at the loud end of 7,200-RPM drives on the market.
The drive we used for testing was a standard retail model, and by default, those drives come with Hitachi's Automatic Acoustic Management (AAM) disabled. Some of you suggested we test with AAM enabled, and we have." Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: TweakTown | Subject: Graphics Card
GECUBE is back with the Gemini 3, two overclocked HD2600XT cards in one. It gives you a chance to essentially run 2 cards while taking up one slot and a lot less space. It will be interesting to see if this board can be run in Crossfire before the new Quad-GPU support of the upcoming AMD 790 chipset. Get a good look at this board, and what it can do, at TweakTown.
"Remember the Gemini 3 from GECUBE? If not, let us refresh your memory. The Gemini 3 is the second dual GPU card
from GECUBE, the previous one was the Gemini 2 and it was based on a pair of Radeon X1650 XTs. The Gemini 3 features
a pair of Radeon HD 2600 XT GPUs and they’re clocked at 800MHz. Each GPU is paired with 256MB of 500MHz DDR2 memory
(1GHz effectively).
This might not sound like anything all too remarkable so far, but it seems like GECUBE will beat all the other AMD partners that are working on dual GPU cards, this by simply being the first to market. GECUBE is expecting the Gemini 3 to be available in retail some time next month, but we weren’t given an exact launch date or a price for that matter." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Hi-Tech Reviews | Subject: Case and Cooling
Antec's 850 TruePower Quattro has four 18A 12V rails that can handle up to 768W, as well as a nice modular design that makes it very easy to spot the dedicated PCI Express plugs. Hi-Tech Reviews was worried that the single 80mm fan wouldn't be enough to keep this PSU cool, but it did the job admirably, and Antec offers a 3 year warranty in case anything goes wrong.
"Antec has recently hit a couple of home runs in the chassis department with their P190 and P-180 cases. Both of
these cases offer excellent noise dampening qualities as well as providing huge amounts of storage. The one little
secret that everyone seems to have forgotten about is that Antec also has an outstanding power supply division.
For those keeping score the True Power Quattro comes in two different sizes ranging from the 850-watts, which we are reviewing today to 1200-watt unit. Either unit is bound to provide you with more power than most system would ever require." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Boot Daily | Subject: General Tech
Users of AVG anti-virus were in for a nasty shock this morning; if they were planning on calling in sick today and tomorrow to start the Labour Day weekend early. Something, probably a patch from 2K, AVG or SecuROM, has changed. AVG now prevents BioShock from launching because it is tagged as a virus.
Do not attempt to heal the file, back up your save games and follow the instructions provided at Boot Daily to get yourself back up and running.
"A multitude of users are reporting that they are unable to play Bioshock on their PC today due to what is likely a
patch by either 2k or AVG or perhaps a combination of the two.
When users try to launch the Bioshock Main Executable to play, if AVG Antivirus is installed, it hits on Bioshock as a virus and will not allow it to launch. Even if users tell AVG to ignore the file, it will not launch. Healing or quarantining the file leads to equally messy results. Healing the game’s .exe file renders it unplayable, though the virus warnings will stop." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Intel Press Room | Subject: Storage
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 30, 2007 - Intel Corporation today announced it has received a request for additional information from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in connection with the agency's regulatory review of the proposed transaction with STMicroelectronics and certain affiliates of Francisco Partners to form a private, independent semiconductor company that will design, develop and manufacture non-volatile memory products.
While no estimate is being provided for a specific transaction closure date, Intel intends to respond promptly to the information request by the FTC (also known as a "second request"). The company will also continue to work closely with the agency as it conducts its review under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act. Once the FTC determines that the company has substantially complied with the second request, the HSR Act requires a waiting period of 30 days before the transaction may be closed.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: TECHGAGE | Subject: General Tech
The Logitech G9 gaming mouse does offer a lot of features, from adjustable weights, a dual mode scroll-wheel and on the fly DPI changes. The price is certainly a drawback, but TECHGAGE soldiered on with a full review, so you can find out if it is worth it, or not.
"Looking for the ultimate gaming mouse? Logitech's latest G9 offers a lot... and then some. Included is a switchable
body, color-changing LEDs, 3200 DPI capabilities, MicroGear scroll-wheel, braided cable and much more. The question:
Is it worth your $99?"
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Cooler Master | Subject: General Tech
Since the introduction of the COSMOS PC Chassis from Cooler Master, people have begun to experience the refinement and performance of a truly revolutionary PC case. To celebrate its release, Cooler Master is pleased to open the MyCOSMOS Contest to Cooler Master fans worldwide. From September 3rd to 28th, COSMOS owners around the world can enter the MyCOSMOS contest simply by creating a written or video review of their COSMOS experiences and filing in the entry from on the MyCOSMOS contest site. Every Friday, Cooler Master will be giving a way a veritable boatload of fantastic prizes, including CPU coolers, VGA coolers, power supplies, and more!
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: TweakTown | Subject: Motherboard
We still don't know when AMD will announce their upcoming RD790 chipset, but TweakTown managed to get a sneak peak at it at the World Cyber Games. This is a big step for AMD, as this is the chipset that will run Phenom processors, and add support for PCI Express 2.0.
"Nathan, our man on the scene in Sydney, reported that the system was putting out over 12,000 points in 3DMark06 and
we would assume that is at stock clocked settings. AMD will launch their AMD RD790 chipset, which includes support
for their upcoming range of Phenom processors along with PCI Express 2.0 support, when the processors are ready and
that date is still not really confirmed at this stage.
GIGABYTE's particular board pictured below supports a grand total of four PEG slots running at x16 each which supports rumors that AMD shouldn’t be too far away from releasing Quad Crossfire to the world before the end of the year." Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: techPowerUp! | Subject: Case and Cooling
Zaward's Twin Towers have incorporated some nice flexibility into their design. They are fanless, which means they are a very large and not compatible with all motherboard/case combos, but more so than other huge coolers on the market now. techPowerUp's testing also proved that you can expect better cooling from this heatsink than the one shipped with retail C2Ds.
"In the quest for silent performance, users are looking toward heatpipes for most of their cooling needs. Today we
are looking at the new fanless chipset cooler from Zaward, called the Twin Towers. This chipset cooler has two
heatpipes, one of which can rotate around the other to reduce compatibility issues. We put the Twin Towers to the
test to see what kind of performance comes with its silence."
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: [H]ard|OCP | Subject: General Tech
[H]ard|OCP continues the quest to find something useful about DX10, this time examining the performance and image quality of Call of Juarez. There is good news for AMD, the the 2900XT can keep up with the 8800 GTS for the first time in a series of benchmarks. There is also good news on the quality side, there are very striking differences between DX10 and DX9, for the first time you don't even have to give the game the benefit of the doubt, you can see the differences easily. It makes the small hit to your FPS worth it.
"Call of Juarez enjoys a very large and noticeable visual difference in DirectX 10 versus DirectX 9. This is the
first game to make us say “Wow!” at the visual quality improvements using DX10. We will explore GPU performance
scaling and image quality comparisons using the 8800 Ultra, GTS, & 2900 XT."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Inquirer | Subject: General Tech
The Gphone is coming, and we should know what it's all about in September. Running Linux and projected to be very cheap, it will be interesting to see what the phone is capable of, and if Google has plans to emulate Apple's locked service. According to what the Inquirer learned, Google seems to hope to make money from ads (Ad Words?) piped directly to the phone.
"THE GPHONE is set to be announced in September and it will be cheap, according to rumours spread by bogger Mark
"Rizzn" Hopkins.
Hopkins, who has a deep throat inside Google, claims that the device runs a modified version of the Linux kernel and has a built in GPS. This will mean that it can power Google Maps and other with other Google apps like Gmail, Calendar and Docs. The phone will appear in the US by the end of the year." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Pro-clockers.com | Subject: General Tech
Transcend's T.Sonic 820 has some good points, and some bad points. While it is able to show photos and video on it's 1.5" colour OLED, it only has 2GB of storage. The good news is that it's price is well under $100. If you are looking to get a small cheap portable music and video player then check out Pro-Clockers review.
"One very portable and attractive player is Transcend's T.Sonic 820. This 2GB device is miniature in stature, but
makes up for its small size with a host of features like voice recording, FM recording, and e-book reading via text
files. But, that's just the tip of the iceberg for this multi-functional device. Our review will dive into every
feature available on the T.Sonic 820, and also evaluate each one to make sure it will meet the consumer's demanding
expectations."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Overclockers Club | Subject: Storage
The Cirago Smart Mobile Storage System sports a Compact Flash, XD and SD card readers, as well as USB, and contains a standard 2.5" drive, making it very handy. OCC did notice 2 troubling problems with this otherwise perfect mobile storage device ... it only supports FAT 16/32, and the LCD is very hard to read.
"While I was performing the testing, there were some things that came up that were not related to speed, transfer
times, or anything technical. For instance, a few things are a little annoying about the unit, including the power
button and the LCD display. To even see what is on the LCD, an almost 30 degree tilt is needed. This is so bad, that
the first time I looked at the unit, I thought that I had a defective one. The power button also has some small
things that irked me. To power the unit on, a simple press will not do. The button has to be held down for a period
of about half a second, then released before the unit will power up. Everything else about the unit was very
satisfactory."
Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: X-Bit Labs | Subject: System
NMEDIAPC HTPC 288 SA offers a cheap way to get into HTPCs. With plenty of features, inputs and cooling, you can skip a lot of the planning that otherwise goes into building an HTPC, and overall X-bit Labs decided this is a great entry level case. Those who are old hands at building HTPCs will probably prefer other models, though.
"Today we are going to review a system case from NMEDIAPC that can be used to build an all-purpose HTPC system for a
wide range of applications. It proved to be a great choice for those who need a universal HTPC system free from
compatibility issues."
Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: AMD | Subject: System
While not available on the entire lineup, the OptiPlex 740 and 745 can be customized to include the 2400Pro or XT, giving you an advantage over systems with an Intel IGP. If you are looking at picking up a cheap PC for friends or family, or even a new line of PCs to supply your company with, these new options are worth checking out.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Legit Reviews | Subject: Processor
It is essentially the end of the road for AMD's Athlon series, and the 'on' suffix, as we anxiously await the arrival of Phenom. Legit Reviews pulls out some of their old ceramic buddies for one last benchmarking session to see how the line changed over the years, with the 1800+ being the baseline. It looks like the Black Edition spells the end of the line for this venerable series.
"After going back five years and looking at the performance of the Athlon XP 1800+, it is amazing to see how far we
have come in just five years. A good number of our readers still have Athlon XP systems in use and this article was
a great opportunity to show them what they are missing out on as none of the major hardware review sites include
these processor in updated performance charts any longer. The new Athlon 64 X2 6400+ processor is a welcomed
addition to the Athlon series of processors, but it's sad knowing that this will likely be the last speed step for
the Athlon series..."
Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Ars Technica | Subject: General Tech
It has been quite a while since Intel first introduced the idea of a Trusted Computing Platform, which was originally named Palladium. The new vPro platform is a less ambitious project, and one which will see the light of day. Ars Technica takes the time to explain exactly what this platform will do for you, in terms of security benefits and recovery and how TXT + VT-x and VT-d equals DRM, sort of.
"Today's launch of the latest version of Intel's vPro platform is a much bigger deal than you might think, with
implications for end users that extend far beyond the enterprise arena at which vPro is initially aimed. The 2007
version of vPro represents the culmination of two of Intel's most ambitious and important plans for the PC platform:
the transformation of x86 into a fully virtualizable ISA complete with virtualized I/O, and the first fully-complete
implementation of all the parts of Intel's controversial contribution to "trusted computing" technology, formerlly
codenamed "LaGrande" but now called Trusted Execution Technology (TXT)."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: AnandTech | Subject: Mobile
If you are going to spend the money to get an Alienware laptop, what is the point in going with the basic model? AnandTech asked themselves that when they decided to review the Area-51 m9750, and then busied themselves adding the extras that make Alienware the envy of laptop gamers everywhere. Read on to see what they ended up adding to the machine, and how much it set them back to get blazing hot graphics on a laptop.
"A few months ago, Alienware asked us if we would like to take a look at their new top-end laptop, the Area-51
m9750. We were naturally interested to see what they might be able to offer, and we spent the past several weeks
putting the laptop through its paces. Make no mistake: this laptop is blazing fast! It's also pretty large, and
portability rather than mobility seems to be the focus. The base level m9750 starts out at around $2100, but
purchasing an entry level Alienware m9750 would be a lot like picking up a sports car but only getting a
four-cylinder engine, four speed automatic transmission, and basic Goodyear tires. Since we're enthusiasts at heart,
we wanted a little bit extra and Alienware obliged."
Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: HARDWARELOGIC | Subject: Case and Cooling
Thermaltake's new case design bears the name Wing RS 100. Aimed at those that don't want to pay $100 or more for a case, but still want a 120mm fan and a nice look. HARDWARE LOGIC found it to be a good example of it's kind, a low budget case you won't be disappointed with.
"New in Thermaltake’s unrelenting foray of its 2007 enclosure lineup is the Thermaltake Wing RS 100, an affordable
mid-ATX chassis. The Wing RS 100, part of the RSI series of enclosures manufactured by Thermaltake, are designed to
accommodate those enthusiasts on a limited budget with an enclosure solution that offers plenty of features but
won't break the bank. Let’s take a look at the Wing RS 100 and see if it can deliver the goods!"
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: [H]ard|OCP | Subject: Case and Cooling
1600W!!! Seriously, think about that for a second. The 12v rail can run up to 117A, and 1404W! Originally Ultra had planned this model to be 2000W, but they couldn't get certification, and you would probably have needed to plug it into a 240W plug, and possible install 3-phase circuits. [H]ard|OCP struggled to get this PSU up to it's full load, but did finally manage.
"Ultra makes a huge statement with their 1600 watt rated power supply. This is so much power that we had difficulty
fully load testing the PSU, but we did finally realize the 1600w rating. Yep, all 1600w without burning down the
house and your household wiring is something you will want to take into very serious consideration."
Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Boot Daily | Subject: Graphics Card
BFGTech's GeForce 8600GTS OC2 increases the default speeds 720MHz GPU and 1110MHz RAM, which does give you a good jump over a non-overclocked 8600GTS. The problem is that a 320MB 8800GTS can be had for almost the same money, and Boot Daily's benchmarks show it takes two to compete with the faster card.
"Always the innovator, BFG Technologies has released an updated version of its 8600GTS dubbed the OC2 and
incorporates the company’s latest thermal technology which it calls ThermoIntelligence."
Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Tech ARP | Subject: General Tech
After the non-launch of Athlon 64 X2 Black Edition CPU, AMD held a quiet press event in Singapore. The speculation ran from Phenom information to Bobcat and Fusion. TechARP can tell you just how bizarre this conference ended up being.
"Recently, we told you that AMD was organizing a hush hush press event in Singapore. No one we talked to knew what
it was about. So speculations ran a little wild from a Phenom event with benchmarks and other juicy details to a
pre-emptive launch of the Quad-Core Opteron (Barcelona) processor."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Intel Press Room | Subject: Processor
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 27, 2007 - Intel Corporation today further reinforced desktop PC security by unveiling the newest generation of Intel vPro processor technology for businesses and IT with new innovations that add better protection against hacking, viruses and other threats.
Intel vPro processor technology packages a powerful new Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Intel Q35 Express chipset and several technology innovations offering a host of security and management capabilities for desktop PCs, including some that were previously impossible, such as the ability to wake and repair a computer with an inoperative operating system or hard drive. As a result, businesses can reduce costs by limiting expensive and time-consuming deskside visits, and by improving power savings through the ability to turn off PCs and securely wake them when required. Security features included in this latest Intel vPro processor technology (formerly codenamed Weybridge) are designed to protect against software-based attacks and also filter and defend against viruses and other threats. "Today, the business desktop PC just got more secure," said Robert B. Crooke, vice president and general manager of Intel's Business Client Group. "This generation of Intel vPro processor technology arrives with new security and management capabilities along with support from every leading PC manufacturer and software solution vendor in the world." |
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