NVIDIA Shows Tegra DirectTouch and $249 ASUS Tegra 3 Tablet

Subject: Mobile | January 10, 2012 - 12:26 AM | Matt Smith
Tagged: tegra 3, tablet, nvidia, mobile, CES

Much of today’s NVIDIA CES conference focused on small milestones, including the implementation of apps and new app features. The company showed multiplayer LAN gaming, easy access to your PC’s desktop via an app called Splashtop, and highlighted the NVIDIA Tegra Zone curated gaming app store. All of this is interesting – but not new 

There were a couple tricks up the green team’s sleeves, however. One is a new feature for use with Tegra 3 processors called DirectTouch. This allows the fifth low-power hardware core on Tegra 3 to act as a touchscreen controller. Usually an independent piece of hardware performs this task, and it’s much slower than the low-power Tegra 3 core. As a result, touchscreen sampling speed can be increased by up to three times – allegedly resulting in a smoother touch experience. We’ve yet to see how it pans out in execution, but the idea is promising.

Another interesting piece of tech that will be made available by Tegra 3 is called PRISM. It attempts to compensate for the image fidelity reduction that occurs when a mobile device is used with its display at a low brightness setting.

Availability for both of these features is not yet clear. 

The remaining big announcements came via ASUS. First was the decision to release Ice Cream Sandwich on the Prime today, January 9^th.  As of the time of this writing it should be available for download via the built-in OS update functionality of Honeycomb. 

Second was an ASUS 7” tablet featuring ICS, Tegra 3 and a low $249 price point. Oddly, the tablet was not named at the conference, but it appears to be the ASUS Eee Pad MeMO 370T. To clarify earlier information, the MeMO 171 is the version with a Qualcomm processor, stylus and cellular networking support, while the MeMO 370T offers Tegra 3.

The reasons for being excited about a $249 Tegra 3 tablet are obvious. That’s the same as a Nook Color and not much more than a Kindle Fire – both of which run far older versions of Android (Gingerbread) and use older dual-core OMAP processors.

Last, and unfortunately least, was a demonstration of Windows 8 on a Tegra 3 reference platform. While Microsoft’s new OS looks very sleek on the device, nothing new was announced, nor were new features introduced. It seems we’ll have to wait awhile longer to see products pairing Tegra 3 and Windows 8.

PC Perspective's CES 2012 coverage is sponsored by MSI Computer.

Follow all of our coverage of the show at http://pcper.com/ces!

CES 2012 Day 1 Podcast - 1/8/2012

Subject: Editorial | January 9, 2012 - 02:34 AM | Ken Addison
Tagged: podcast, CES, Intel, amd, nvidia, ocz, ssd, thunderbolt, hdd, Lenovo, laptop, ultrabook

PC Perspective CES 2012 Day 1 - 1/8/2012

Join us tonight as we talk about our first day of CES 2012 - including Storage Visions, CES Unveiled and more!

You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.

The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!

• iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
• RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
• MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file

Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Josh Walrath, Matt Smith and Allyn Malventano

PC Perspective's CES 2012 coverage is sponsored by MSI Computer.

Follow all of our coverage of the show at http://pcper.com/ces!

CES 2012 Day 0 Podcast - 1/7/2012

Subject: Editorial, General Tech | January 8, 2012 - 02:20 AM | Ken Addison
Tagged: ultrabook, podcast, nvidia, Intel, CES, amd

PC Perspective CES 2012 Day 0 - 1/7/2012

Join us tonight as we talk about our CES predictions for this year, from Las Vegas!

You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.

The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!

• iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
• RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
• MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file

Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Josh Walrath, Matt Smith and Allyn Malventano

PC Perspective's CES 2012 coverage is sponsored by MSI Computer.

Follow all of our coverage of the show at http://pcper.com/ces!

Podcast #184 - Asus Llano Notebook, a Quad Core Sandy Bridge-E CPU, HD 7000 Series rumors and more!

Subject: Editorial | January 5, 2012 - 04:12 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: snb-e, podcast, nvidia, llano, Intel, HD7000, asus, amd, 7970

PC Perspective Podcast #184 - 01/05/2011

Join us this week as we talk about an Asus Llano Notebook, a Quad Core Sandy Bridge-E CPU, HD 7000 Series rumors and more!

You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.

The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!

• iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
• RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
• MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file

Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Josh Walrath, Jeremy Hellstrom, and Allyn Malvantano

This Podcast is brought to you by MSI Computer, and their all new Sandy Bridge Motherboards!

Program length: 1:19:23

Program Schedule:

1. 0:00:32 Introduction
2. 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
3. http://pcper.com/podcast
4. http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
5. 0:01:41 ASUS K53T Review: Mainstream Llano Offers Inexpensive Mobile Gaming
6. 0:04:34 Seasonic Platinum 80 Plus 1000W Power Supply Review
7. 0:06:25 GSkill Ripjaws X 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR-3 1866 Review
8. 0:12:50 Video Perspective: Corsair Carbide 500R and 400R Case Review
9. 0:16:00 Intel Core i7-3820 Processor Review - Quad-Core Sandy Bridge-E under $300
10. 0:27:30 Cooler Master Cosmos II video
11. 0:31:30 This Podcast is brought to you by MSI Computer, and their all new Sandy Bridge Motherboards!
    
12. 0:34:00 HDD Warranties Slashed By More Than Half - But Why?
13. 0:45:10 AMD Radeon HD 7700-series Details Leak - $149, 896 SPs, 128-bit
14. 0:49:00 Does AMD have a 2304 stream processor GPU in waiting?
15. 0:56:30 ... and the winner is Shamino with a world record 3DMark11 score on an HD7970
16. 0:59:30 Lenovo Unveils ThinkPad Ultrabook, ARM-Powered Laptop Ahead of CES
17. 1:03:50 Email Rapid Fire 
    1. Email from Nabokovfan8
    2. Email from Tom about 7970 CrossFire
    3. Email from Mike about SSD purchases
18. 1:05:10 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
    1. Ryan: Transcend USB 3.0 Super Speed Multi-Card Reader
    2. Jeremy: OCZ Agility 3 240GB only $300 after you count the stupid MIR
    1. Josh: Only if on special for $99  A lot of fun, decent game titles with it.  Powered by the Beard!
    2. Allyn: This- just got 50% better. (HDD model with fans here).
19. 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
20. http://pcper.com/podcast   
21. http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
22. Closing

Podcast #183 - AMD Radeon HD 7970, HDD Price Analysis, a 4K Display, GTX780 Rumors, and more!

Subject: Editorial | December 29, 2011 - 02:11 PM | Ken Addison
Tagged: ssd, podcast, nvidia, Intel, hdd, amd, 7970, 780

PC Perspective Podcast #183 - 12/29/2011

Join us this week as we talk about the AMD Radeon HD 7970, HDD Price Analysis, a 4K Display, GTX780 Rumors, and more!

You can subscribe to us through iTunes and you can still access it directly through the RSS page HERE.

The URL for the podcast is: http://pcper.com/podcast - Share with your friends!

• iTunes - Subscribe to the podcast directly through the iTunes Store
• RSS - Subscribe through your regular RSS reader
• MP3 - Direct download link to the MP3 file

Hosts: Ryan Shrout, Josh Walrath, Jeremy Hellstrom, and Allyn Malvantano

This Podcast is brought to you by MSI Computer, and their all new Sandy Bridge Motherboards!

Program length: 1:13:37

Program Schedule:

1. 0:00:30 Introduction
2. 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
3. http://pcper.com/podcast
4. http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
5. 0:02:08 Galaxy GeForce GTX 570 MDT X4 Overclocked Graphics Card Review
6. 0:12:33 AMD Radeon HD 7970 3GB Graphics Card Review - Tahiti at 28nm
7. 0:29:25 SSD and HDD Price Analysis: End of Shortage In Sight?
8. 0:37:15 The EIZO DuraVision FDH3601 is a 4k x 2k Display, and We Want It
9. 0:41:53 GeForce GTX 780 Leak
10. 0:45:47 Battlefield 3 Frame Rate Drop Issue with GeForce GPUs
11. 0:49:42 AMD Refreshes the A-Series APUs for the New Year
12. 0:53:40 Richard Huddy is now Intel Inside. Well I'll be d'AMD.
13. 0:55:40 Intel Releases New Cedar Trail Atom Processors
14. 0:57:35 http://www.pcper.com/news/Processors/Intel-Medfield-x86-SoC-Targets-Android-Phones-and-Tablets
15. 1:04:00 Hardware / Software Pick of the Week
    1. Ryan: AIDA64
    2. Jeremy: Ice Machine
    1. Josh: If you haven't bought one before...
    2. Allyn: Google Voice to PSTN (OBi100)
16. 1-888-38-PCPER or podcast@pcper.com
17. http://pcper.com/podcast   
18. http://twitter.com/ryanshrout and http://twitter.com/pcper
19. Closing

The GTX 560 Ti 448 has a long name and a big secret

Subject: Graphics Cards | December 21, 2011 - 05:16 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: nvidia, gtx 560 ti 448

The Tech Report just polished off their review of the Zotac GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448, the GF110 version of the GTX560.  Apart from the SM count the card is exactly the same as a GTX570, though it is priced lower at $300.  It seems that this card is intended for people playing above 1920x1200 resolutions, below that you are tossing away money on performance you will never need, for those with high pixel counts, the 560 Ti 448 shows off its stuff.  You will need another card in SLI if you want a multi-monitor setup and a pair of these should handle it reasonably well for a much lower cast than pairing GTX570 or 580s.

"The video card market has been surprisingly static in the second half of 2011, so Nvidia's recent introduction of a new product—the GeForce GTX 560 Ti 448—was a happy occasion on several counts. First, it was a chance for something different to perhaps offer a little extra value to Christmas shoppers. Second, it was an opportunity for us to revisit some fancy new GPU testing methods with the latest games. Thus, we fired up the graphics test systems in Damage Labs, installed titles like Skyrim and Batman: Arkham City, and set to work. Finishing up this review has taken a little longer than we'd have liked, but we've managed to include some fresh insights on several fronts. Read on for our take."

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

Graphics Cards

• eForce GTX 580 Showdown: ASUS Matrix vs.EVGA Classified @ Legit Reviews
• MSI GeForce N570 Twin Frozr III Power Edition OC @ kitguru
• AFOX GeForce GT 430 1GB LP, AFOX GeForce GT 440 D5 1GB, AFOX GeForce GTS 450 1GB, AFOX GeForce GTX 560 2GB and AFOX Radeon HD 6850 1GB LP Graphics Cards @ iXBT Labs
• ASUS GTX560Ti 448 Core DirectCU II @ OC3D
• Sparkle GTX560 2GB OC Edition @ Kitguru
• NVIDIA 2011 Driver Year In Review @ Phoronix
• NVIDIA Chips Comparison Table @ Hardware Secrets
• Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide @ Tech ARP
• AMD Catalyst 12.1 Preview Profiles and Performanc​e @ [H]ard|OCP
• Catalyst 11.12 Windows 7 Driver @ Tweaktown
• Sapphire Radeon HD 6970 2 GB DualFan @ X-bit Labs
• AMD Catalyst 2011 Driver Year In Review @ Phoronix
• PowerColor HD6970 Devil 13 @ OC3D
• Sapphire Radeon HD 6450 FleX Edition Graphics Card Review @ eTeknix
• MSI Radeon HD 6950 1GB Twin Frozr III Power Edition OC Review @ Hardware Canucks
• Sapphire Radeon HD 6970 2GB Dual Fan Review @ Neoseeker

Just because you gave your GPU new clothes doesn't mean we won't notice it is the same inside

Subject: Graphics Cards | December 20, 2011 - 03:38 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gpu, amd, nvidia, turks, Caicos, graphics core next, GCN, cape verde, HD7770, kepler

Rebranding and rebadging is becoming a very bad habit for both major GPU manufacturers. It is fair to imply that NVIDIA was the first to start doing so on a regular basis but AMD has noticed that they have successfully managed it on several different chip families and has since joined in on crushing enthusiasts hopes in the holy name of the profit margin. On the other hand, with the financial difficulties that both companies are experiencing it is a viable strategy no matter how much enthusiasts dislike the practice.

Just two weeks ago we received information about the mobile chips from NVIDIA and AMD and the news was not good. From AMD we have rebranded Turks and Caicos chips with improved clock speeds but the same base technology already on the market. NVIDIA didn't even go that far and released the exact same chips as the previous generation, under new names.

We have heard rumours that AMD will also be applying that marketing strategy to at least some of the upcoming HD 7xxx series cards but thanks to a link from VR-Zone we know where the new chips will start. The HD7770 will feature Graphics Core Next and a 128-bit memory interface, replacing the ageing Juniper chips. As far as power there seems to be only a single PCIe 6 pin connector needed, which should keep the power draw to around 100W. If you are planning on picking a new AMD card when they arrive on the market ensure you do not look lower in the family as you will be picking up a rebranded card.

There was also a leak on the NVIDIA side today, with a single slide marked for internal use only appearing at a site called EXP Review. These types of slides and the benchmarks on them should always be taken with at least your daily allowance of sodium, if not more as the rules for what optimizations can be done to the benchmarks are very different for internal testing. They do show a nice performance difference, the GTX780 ranges from 190% to 230% of the performance of a GTX580. Astute readers will immediately start wondering what happened to the GTX6xx family, as according to this slide NVIDIA seems to be skipping an entire series with Kepler. Perhaps that is where rebranded Fermi chips could find a niche?

The coming year looks dangerous for GPU buyers, with older cards masquerading as newer models, thanks to AMD mixing VLIW4/5 cards with GCN cards and NVIDIA's suspicious naming scheme. While we have a bit of information about AMD's new cards, no indication of their performance has tipped up on the net. If NVIDIA's benchmarks are even close to reality a doubling of performance in a single generation would be a coup for them, as that type of increase in such a short time is almost unheard of. Then again, NVIDIA has been working on this architecture for a long while now. We will find out more over the coming months as both products come closer to their first appearance on the market, likely by the end of Q1.

Squeaky Wheel: NVIDIA Driver Fixes GTX 560 Ti 2Win and X79 Issue

Subject: Graphics Cards | December 20, 2011 - 10:39 AM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: evga, GTX 560 Ti, 2win, x79, nvidia

Sometimes we are surprised when big companies listen to the community when they have a legitimate complaint about a product.  Late last night NVIDIA passed over a driver that finally fixes the issue we discussed last Friday with the EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win dual-GPU graphics card and the new X79 chipset.  The issue arose from the inability to actually enable SLI on the card thus leaving one of your GTX 560 Ti's on the board sitting there limp.  And for gamers that pay $500+ for a graphics card, that is just unacceptable.

In a driver package that NVIDIA told me will be released tomorrow, 290.53, you can now enable SLI when this card is installed on an X79 motherboard.

We needed to verify the performance to make sure SLI was actually functioning as we expect so we ran a handful of tests, starting with 3DMark11 on the Extreme preset:

Compared to two separate GTX 560 Ti cards running in SLI, the 3DMark11 score was 2949 - performance was right on target.

For a bit more of a sanity check, just a couple of game tests too:

• Metro 2033 (1920x1080)
  • EVGA GTX 560 Ti 2Win - 64.2 FPS
  • NV GTX 560 Ti SLI - 65.1 FPS
• Batman: Arkham City (1920x1080)
  • EVGA GTX 560 Ti 2Win - 87.4 FPS
  • NV GTX 560 Ti SLI - 87.5 FPS

If you have an EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win card and already own or were planning to upgrade to Intel's new Sandy Bridge-E platform then you should be looking for this driver to drop on Wednesday the 21st.  Just in time for the holiday's NVIDIA is answering our requests for a commitment to gamers. 

Sometimes it just takes the squeaky wheel...