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:: PC Perspective . System
Video: Building a New PC Tutorial and WalkthroughSystem - Nov 30, 2009 | 04:00 PM As a holiday gift to myself, I decided to upgrade my own personal machine this Thanksgiving holiday and thought it would be a good idea to record the physical construction process to share with our readers. 
Dell Studio One Touchscreen Windows 7 PC ReviewSystem - Oct 20, 2009 | 05:00 AM Right before Windows 7 hits the streets this week, we take a look at a Dell Studio One touchscreen PC that implements the improved touch capabilities included with the new operating system. The Dell system is a 19-in wide screen multi-touch capable all-in-one computer that uses an Intel Pentium CPU (yes that name continues) and an NVIDIA ION chipset. Come see if this PC will make you yearn for a monitor with fingerprints on it. 
Smooth Creations Dragon System PreviewSystem - Jun 12, 2009 | 09:00 AM Even though Smooth Creations is a new to the boutique system builders game, they have started developing a name for creating incredibly artistic designs, as well impressively performing ones. Today we are taking a quick preview look at an all AMD-based system that uses a Phenom II processor and HD 4870 GPUs.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Hardware Heaven | Subject: System
The ASRock ION 330HT-BD is a small HTPC system based around an Intel Atom 330 and an Ion GPU that work to play Blu-Ray movies at full definition. As it turns out, the system displayed absolutely no problems when Hardware Heaven tested it, the CPU peaked at roughly 25% utilization indicating that there is plenty power to play your movies. The testing they did with Oblivion did not go quite so well, so don't expect much gaming from this HTPC. "Today HardwareHeaven has one of the latest ION models released on their test bench, the ASRock ION 330HT-BD is one of the highest specification ION/ATOM systems HardwareHeaven have seen to date." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Intel Press Room | Subject: System
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 4, 2010 – Intel Corporation today unveiled its 2010 Intel Core vPro processor family to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes for PCs with greater, more flexible performance, theft prevention and cost savings in a rapidly changing business computing environment. These and several other capabilities are at the heart of many new Intel-based business laptop and desktop computers beginning to roll out from computer manufacturers worldwide.
The Intel Core vPro processors arrive as business computing evolves with the emergence of video, Internet telephony, social networking and other heavyweight applications – in many cases running at the same time – making a computer's performance an even bigger priority. "Businesses, particularly those that haven't purchased PCs for several years, face a computing environment that no longer handles the applications many workers and IT are adopting," said Rick Echevarria, vice president, Intel Architecture Group, and general manager, Business Client Platform Division. "The integration of intelligent performance along with smart security and cost-saving manageability features in the Intel Core vPro processor family provide IT and SMBs a no-compromise platform. We also are excited about how Intel vPro Technology gives IT the flexibility to look at client virtualization, consumerization and rich cloud applications." The platform based on the 2010 Intel Core vPro processor family includes the new Intel Q57 Express chipset, and new Intel 82577LM Gigabit Network Connection for notebooks and Intel 82578DM Network Connection for desktop PCs. Computer manufacturers worldwide, including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba, are rolling out business PCs based on the 2010 Intel Core vPro processor family. In addition, developers of software solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprises such as Bomgar, Kaseya, LANDesk, Level Platforms, LogMeIn, Microsoft, RealVNC, Spiceworks, Symantec and WinZip will support the new features in their upcoming products. IT service providers, including AT&T Tech Support 360 and PlumChoice, plan to adopt Intel Core vPro Technology capabilities into their SMB offerings. Thinking Fast
The 2010 Intel Core i7 processors and Core i5 processors feature Intel Turbo Boost Technology and Intel Hyper-Threading Technology for adaptive, "smarter" computing. Intel Turbo Boost Technology automatically adjusts the speed of the processor when it senses a workload change – faster when the user, for example, is multitasking or watching a video, and slower, more energy-efficiently when the worker goes for coffee and only background applications are running. Contributing to the industry-leading speed and energy efficiency of the processors, Intel Hyper-Threading Technology interconnects multiple processor cores with multiple "threads" that enable faster processing of instructions in parallel. Using standard benchmarks, a notebook with the 2010 Intel Core i5 vPro processor can run business productivity applications up to 80 percent faster1, multiple applications up to twice as fast1, and protect confidential data up to 3.5 times quicker1 compared to a 3-year-old mainstream notebook. Outsmarting Evil Doers
Thinking Straight on Management
As encryption becomes more prevalent in business PCs, Intel has added features that avoid productivity slowdowns. First, Intel incorporated new instructions for the Advanced Encryption Standard into the hardware, speeding up encryption and decryption. Second, new Intel Remote Encryption Management enables distant IT personnel to manage PCs with encrypted hard drives by more securely unlocking those drives, making all of the Intel vPro Technology capabilities available. Another new feature, PC Alarm Clock, can wake a PC from off at a predetermined time to perform maintenance, security and other tasks on its own. Boost for Small-, Medium-sized Businesses …
... and Enterprises
For wireless performance that complements the speed of the new Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, Intel unveiled the Intel Centrino Ultimate-N 6300 and Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 802.11n WLAN adapters. The adapters offer advanced 802.11n multi-stream capabilities, dual-band support, consistent coverage and higher speeds (up to 450 Mbps for the 6300 and 300 Mbps for the 6200). Intel also introduced the Intel Centrino Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 adapter, which offers up to 20-Mbps WiMAX and advanced 802.11abgn (up to 300 Mbps) WiFi for maximum versatile coverage. All three adapters support Intel vPro Technology.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Digital Trends | Subject: System
Whether you are setting up an HTPC, upgrading your stereo or picking up a new TV, it is a good idea to think about connections before you start. The chances are you will have multiple inputs to worry about; as an example a PC with a TV tuner may output the sound to a TV via an HDMI connection, while using an S/PDIF or optical connection to send audio directly to the stereo receiver. Digital Trends includes and goes beyond such matters in their new article with suggestions on matching your receiver to the requirements of your Blu-ray player and ensuring that the speakers you purchase match as well. That and more advice can be had by following the link.
"As if it weren't bad enough having to shell out thousands for a hot home theater system, here's the hidden catch so many often overlook. Sometimes it can be even tougher figuring out what equipment is compatible with other components when you are putting together your living room setup. Thankfully, in this short guide, we provide several handy tips for assembling a home theater that will make you feel like you're at the movies without blowing a fuse during installation." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Ars Technica | Subject: System
CyberPower has sent their newest Xtreme Gaming system to Ars Technica, with a price tag that has dropped from their previous system. Housed inside is a Gigabyte P55A-UD4P with an i5-750 @ 2.66GHz and 4GB of Kingston HyperX 4GB DDR3-1600 and perhaps most importantly an ATI HD 5870 1GB. That P55 board, with a pair of DIMMs seems to have allowed CyberPower to drop the price, even with a $410 HD 5870!
For those looking for inspiration to build their own PC, as opposed to buying one pre-built; the Hardware Leaderboard has had its first update of 2010. There is not a huge amount of change as we are waiting for the new parts expected this quarter to appear and push some of the long time recommendations off of the Leaderboard. "The last time we looked at a CyberPower system its price tag was $1599 and it was able to play every game currently available. This time around CyberPower has built us a system that can also play every game available, but this time it is $300 less! The CyberPower Gamer Xtreme 2000 Core i5 Gaming System features the new Core i5-750 processor and rocks a 5870 1GB video card, which is capable of playing DirectX 11 games. With all CyberPower systems this one comes with a 30-day money back guarantee and a 3 year labor and 1 year parts warranty. Let’s take a look…" Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Hack a Day | Subject: System
One alternative to the Windows Media Centre when building an HTPC is to go with a flavour of Linux and MythTV. The set up may be a little daunting to those who have never used or installed Linux, but the rewards are worth the time invested. MythTV does have an Achilles Heel, which is its inability to deal with streaming video from the net. Many have tried to integrate that capability into the program, with mixed results. There is a new plug in in the works that may solve this dilemma, MythNetVision which consists of a search screen and a site/RSS browser screen. Drop by Hack a Day for more information.
"Another group of developers has stepped up to the plate in the never-ending attempt to integrate online streaming video with MythTV. The new plugin is called MythNetVision and aims to bring streaming and downloading video functionality both easily and legally. That means without violating the terms of service of the providing website." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: VIA Arena | Subject: System
Taipei, Taiwan, January 5, 2010 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-P820, the first Pico-ITX form factor board to feature the high performance, 64-bit VIA Nano processor, bringing industry-leading digital multimedia performance and virtualization capabilities to the smallest of spaces with the VIA AMOS-3001 chassis system. The choice of VIA Nano processor means that the VIA EPIA-P820 offers a range of advantages over competitor offerings, including full 64-bit software support, a high-performance superscalar architecture and full support of the latest virtualization technologies for next generation server and virtual machine applications. Paired with the VIA VX855 media system processor, the VIA EPIA-P820 is well equipped to handle smooth playback of the most demanding codecs at resolutions up to 1080p. The VIA AMOS-3001 is an entirely fanless and thoroughly robust chassis system that is specially designed to work with the VIA EPIA-P820. Leveraging the digital prowess of the VIA EPIA-P820, the VIA AMOS-3001 offers a powerful, rugged and HD-ready industrial-class PC that combines all the benefits of high performance 64-bit computing and ruthless hardware acceleration of HD media across the latest display connectivity standards including native HDMI support. "Never before have developers had the opportunity to harness full 64-bit, superscalar processing in spaces as small as the palm of your hand," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "The VIA EPIA-P820 combines with the VIA AMOS-3001 to create a complete embedded system that takes the latest features and digital media standards to the very smallest of places." Measuring a mere 10cm x 7.2cm the ultra compact VIA EPIA-P820 supports 2GB of DDR2 system memory and leverages a power-efficient, high performance 1.2GHz U2500 VIA Nano processor to provide system developers with the most powerful Pico-ITX platform ever. The VIA EPIA-P820 features the highly integrated, all-in-one VIA VX855 Media System Processor, specially designed to provide flawless hardware acceleration for the latest HD video codecs including H.264, WMV, VC1 and MPEG 2/4 at high bitrates and display resolutions of up to 1080p with very low CPU utilization. The VIA Chrome9™ HCM 3D integrated graphics core boasts full DirectX 9.0 support and a 128-bit 2D engine with hardware rotation capability. The VIA EPIA-P820 uses a specially designed I/O add-on-board which supplements the native HDMI port to add a VGA port, a Gigabit LAN port and two USB 2.0 ports. The VIA Vinyl HD audio codec provides 6 channel, DTS capable audio with S/PDIF support. Storage is provided in the shape of an onboard 44-pin IDE connector and one S-ATA port. On board pin headers provide support for an additional 4 x USB 2.0 ports, an LPC connector, SMBus connector, PS/2 support, audio jacks, LVDS, 4 pairs of DIO and two UART ports.
Ryan Shrout | Source: SemiAccurate | Subject: System
Remember the ASUS Eee Keyboard we showed you LAST year at CES 2009? You can see a video of the impressive device that we have yet to actually see for sale anywhere, here.
A new competitor in the keyboard PC market has emerged just before CES 2010 and while the technology in it is less powerful and less visually appealing than what ASUS has come up with, you can't beat the price! For $99 you will be able to get this Norhtec Gecko Surfboard computer-in-keyboard running Linux, or for $150 it will have Windows XP on it. 
The system will reportedly only draw 5 watts and utilize a Xcore86 (Vortex86MX) SoC clocked at 1.0GHz - so don't expect any benchmark records to be set here. To quote the initial preview: NorhTec, which rebrands the Vortex86MX as the Xcore86, characterizes it as a "light-duty" processor, but says the SoC provides enough power to run Windows XP, Windows CE, or one of several different Linux distributions. The SoC runs fanlessly, and includes graphics and other typical northbridge/southbridge functions while using just five Watts, the company says.
What kind of connectivity will the unit have? 
There won' be any HDMI ports here, but you do get VGA and composite output along with 10/100 Ethernet, audio input and output, USB and even a legacy serial port if you need it. For storage connectivity there is an SD card reader as well as an IDE connection with room for a 2.5-in hard drive. While wireless technology isn't included in the $99 price tag it apparently does have an upgrade module that will support 802.11b/g and even 3G cellular connections! Expect to see more on this unique keyboard PC from NorhTec at CES in January!
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: VIA Technologies | Subject: System
Taipei, Taiwan, December 15, 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the latest VIA EPIA-M800 Mini-ITX and VIA EPIA-N800 Nano-ITX boards. Featuring the 64-bit, high-performance VIA Nano processor, these new embedded boards bring advanced digital multimedia performance to the next wave of embedded devices on forthcoming Windows 7-based technologies. Devices based on the VIA EPIA-M800 and VIA EPIA-N800 leverage the performance enhancements of the VIA Nano processor, offering an improved user experience with advanced human to machine interaction and a visually stunning multimedia experience through the latest HD codecs and media streaming technologies. Specific applications include the latest media-centric designs in digital signage and advanced information, ticket and kiosk machines. "By selecting the VIA Nano processor for the VIA EPIA-M800 and VIA EPIA-N800, we've managed to build on a successful product line and address the needs of the market as we move in to 2010," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "These new board designs will help facilitate the gradual transition toward technologies that are creating a new breed of graphically sophisticated and digitally vibrant devices." VIA Nano Processor & VIA VX800 Media System Processor
The key to the outstanding multimedia performance of both the VIA EPIA-M800 and VIA EPIA-N800 lies in the VIA VX800 unified chipset. The VIA VX800 features an VIA Chrome9™ IGP for DirectX™ 9.0 3D graphics, up to six-channels of VIA Vinyl HD Audio and the VIA Chromotion™ video engine, providing advanced hardware video acceleration for MPEG-2, MPEG-4, WMV9 and VC-1 video, plus a VMR capable HD video processor. The VIA EPIA-M800 Mini-ITX board
The latest display technologies are supported via a front panel DVI port with pin-headers for an additional DVI or HDMI port through a daughterboard. Support for 18-bit TTL signal output as well as a digital video input is available through pin headers supporting CCIR-656/601/ transport stream video. An S/PDIF connector is also supported. Storage includes both an IDE port with a shared Compact Flash port, 2 SATA II ports and up to 6 USB 2.0 ports, two through onboard connectors. Connectivity comes in the form of dual Gigabit LAN ports on the high speed PCI-Express bus. The VIA EPIA-M800 can withstand a wide temperature range from 0-60oC. For more information about the VIA EPIA-M800 Mini-ITX board, please visit:http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/embedded/ProductDetail.jsp?productLine=1&id=1010&tabs=1 The VIA EPIA-N800 Nano-ITX board
Aimed at compact digital display and signage applications the VIA EPIA-N800 offers VGA and a multi-configuration, 24-bit, dual channel LVDS transmitter, enabling display connection to embedded panels. As well as two onboard SATA connectors, expansion options include a Mini-PCI slot, with additional COM and USB ports and PS/2 support available through pin-headers. The DRAM slot has been relocated to the bottom side of the board for easy access and maintenance from system design perspective. To learn more about the VIA EPIA-N800 Mini-ITX board, please visit:http://www.via.com.tw/en/products/embedded/ProductDetail.jsp?productLine=1&id=1030&tabs=1 Samples of both the VIA EPIA-M800 and VIA EPIA-N800 are available to project customers now. Both boards include long term product manufacturing support of at least three years. 
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Motherboards.org | Subject: System
The Thermaltake RSI H Series - DS100 case is specifically built for miniITX boards, which in this case you can read as made for an ION based system. This means that the case can be built to a much smaller scale, 12.5 x 10.6 x 2.8 inches, just enough room to fit a system in and also remain inconspicuous in a living room. Motherboards.org takes you on a tour of the case as well as one possible system build to place inside the case in their latest review. "Not everyone wants or needs a computer with 2 TeraFLOPs of graphics computing power or 4 cores with Hyper-Threading. While such systems have their purposes, the majority of computer users use their computer to Surf the Internet, work on office products, check email and light gaming. There is also a crowd of people using their computers as Home Theater PCs that watch DVD or Blu-ray movies on their big screen TV and record TV shows as a DVR. The Thermaltake RSI Series H SD100 fits the bill for those users and more." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Elite Bastards | Subject: System
Cryo is a UK based custom computer shop with some good taste in components and a willingness to overclock. Their Cryo Quad is housed in a Lian Li PC7-YCF case and features a Core i5 50 CPU running 4GHz kept cool by a Corsair H50 cooler as well as 4GB of Corsair GT PC3-12800 and a BFG GTX295. Join Elite Bastards as they benchmark every piece of this system.
"With regard to our specific configuration however, at the heart of the Core Quad we find a sensible choice - Intel's latest Core i5 750 CPU, overclocked by hand to a speed of around 4GHz to offer up a huge amount of raw processing power without breaking the bank on a Core i7 part or the like. To guarantee those high clock speeds, we also find our Quad outfitted with ASUS' Republic of Gamers Maximus III Formula and a 4GB of Corsair RAM with a fair amount of overclocking potential itself. Graphics come courtesy of NVIDIA's current flagship, dual GPU GeForce GTX 295 (the latest, single PCB version incidentally) in lieu of Radeon HD 5800/5900 series stock, while that heavily overclocked CPU finds itself cooled by Corsair's effective H50 water cooling solution. Corsair also provide the power supply for this rig, via a 650 Watt unit that is just about ample for this specification. Samsung's lightining fast (for a regular hard drive) and spacious 1TB F3 hard disk makes up the Quad's storage capabilities, while the entire rig finds itself encased within Lian Li's simple yet elegant PC7-YCF aluminium chassis. Throw in a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium in its 64-bit flavour and a DVD writer, and you have yourself one complete PC raring and ready to go - Just add the peripherals you need." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: VIA Technologies | Subject: System
Taipei, Taiwan, December 1, 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced Mobile-ITX, the latest VIA-developed open form factor specification for the creation of ultra-compact and portable embedded devices. Mobile-ITX defines a uniquely compact 6cm x 6cm computer-on-module specification designed to enable an easier and less resource intensive development cycle for a range of ultra-compact, portable embedded systems. Vertical market segments including medical, transportation and military embedded markets have evolved to demand greater miniaturization and portability from today's x86 platforms. Mobile-ITX addresses the need for a simple, modular approach to portable IPC design, making it easier than ever to bring to market ultra-compact and lightweight devices that offer comprehensive connectivity options and a rich, flexible feature set. "With Mobile-ITX we have again pushed back the barriers that limit just how small an embedded industrial PC can be," said Daniel Wu, Vice President, VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Mobile-ITX enables the creation of a new breed of ultra-compact, portable networked devices suitable for a range of applications, particularly in modern medical and military segments." Mobile-ITX - The Science of Small
Mobile-ITX employs a modularized design that includes a CPU module card and an I/O carrier board. This offers greater flexibility for developers who can simply drop in the CPU module to a custom designed, application specific carrier board, negating lengthy developmental design and testing phases. CPU modules based on the Mobile-ITX form factor integrate core CPU, chipset and memory functionality and I/O that includes the CRT, DVP and TTL display support, HD Audio, IDE, USB 2.0, as well as PCI Express, SMBus, GPIO, LPC, SDIO and PS2 signals, through customizable baseboards. In keeping with VIA's signature low power philosophy, Mobile-ITX-based modules consume as little as 5 watts, ideal for always-on, mission critical systems. This comprehensive range of advanced technologies can be implemented on a variety of Mobile-ITX compatible carrier board designs that can be adapted to suit almost any environment, or application specific criteria. The CPU module I/O signals are mapped to two unique high density, low profile connectors on the under side of the module, with a distance between the CPU module and the baseboard of only 3mm, making it ideal for ultra-slim system designs. The connectors can also withstand vibrations of up to 5Gs making Mobile-ITX systems suitable for in-vehicle and industrial machining applications. More details about the Mobile-ITX form factor may be found at the VIA website where you can also find a detailed "Mobile-ITX Form Factor" white paper: www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/spearhead/mobile-itx/ 
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: MetkuMods | Subject: System
A Swedish company called Fractal Design offers custom systems with some interesting features. Their
Define R2
ships with a feature called ModuVent, which are pieces of bitumen in either 120mm or 140mm squares which you can install into unused fan holes to both reduce noise and stop dust from coming into your system. Since you can fit up to 7 fans in the system you can choose to make it either very quiet or fill all the holes and get a ton of airflow. You may not get out to Sweden often, but still drop by MektuMods to see what you are missing out on.
"A while ago I saw a case called Define R2 from a Swedish manufacturer, Fractal Design. I thought the specs were great and the price was very reasonable, if it was able to deliver what it promised. Now we will find out!" Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Digital Trends | Subject: System
The return of the tube amp is something that many wish for, but there is a lot of legacy components that
really do not belong in a modern stereo system, especially if you are using it in conjunction with an HTPC. There is little point in picking up a sound card that provides HD audio if you are hooking it up to an amp that has played a Velvet Underground album on the day it came out. Digital Trends takes a look at the modern A/V receiver and explains what the best features are, along with hints on price points for certain features. For instance, they recommend sticking with a 5.1 system if your budget tops out around $300, the 7.1 systems that are available at that price point will lack in other features.
"Think for a minute about all that has changed on the home theater/home entertainment front during the past decade. In 2000, the video source of choice was the VCR and all your music was on compact discs. Televisions were CRT-based monsters incapable of what we now commonly refer to as "high-definition." DVDs were just catching on, the terms "Blu-ray" and "HD DVD" hadn't even been coined, and you were one of the lucky few if you had something as advanced as a 5.1 speaker setup." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Techware Labs | Subject: System
The Popcorn Hour C200 bills its self as a Network Media Tan, theoretically able to manage anything you could accomplish by building your own HTPC, but without needing to set it up. Once you strip off the marketing speak, what you are left with is a NAS optimized for local networked media sources as well as YouTube, Blip.tv, Revision 3 and the like. The list of supported formats and sources on the second page of the Techware Labs review is impressive and you can catch a video of the interface in action in the full review. Overall they felt that this is a great device; hampered by beta firmware. "One of the best way to save money and still get a kick ass home theater set up has always been three words, “build it yourself”. Now the company Saybas is changing that and hopefully for the better with the Popcorn Hour C200. The Popcorn Hour C200 is a Network Media Tank that promises to pack a wallop when it comes to home theater set up’s. Thanks to Saybas you now have the option to purchase one of their sleek looking Popcorn Hour C200 units and still have enough in your budget to purchase a few of the latest blockbusters. Ladies and gentleman follow me as I review Saybas’s Network Media Tank, the Popcorn Hour C200." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Legit Reviews | Subject: System
Leadtek has an interesting new product, the PxVC1100 MPEG-2/H.264 Transcoding card based around the Toshiba SpursEngine BXA32110 chipset. It is designed specifically to provide Inter-transcoding between H.264 and MPEG-2 and up-convert SD/DVD video to HD like quality. Legit Reviews testing showed a 50% speed increase in DVD transcoding and a noticeable difference in video quality and file size. They do have a warning of an incompatibility with the new Intel P55 and X58 chipsets. You must use the PCIe slot that who's lanes are controlled by the ICH10. "Compared to even the latest CPU and Graphics hardware, the Spurs Engine held its own. Though testing different encoding/transcoding types and programs can be quite a headache, it’s easy to see that the Leadtek WinFast PxVC1100 is an MPEG-2/H.264 transcoding card can benefit those who do large amounts of this type of work. While there are only a couple of different formats to be used, they process very quickly and have outstanding quality. I have seen a lot of questions about taking SD quality video and converting to an HD format and most are answered with “don’t waste your time because it will be the same quality.” Well with the Spurs Engine, that answer can be thrown out. While taking SD quality video and reaching the quality of an original HD source would be impossible, the content was very clearly much higher quality than the source. Best of all was that this process was quick, encoding at about 20% faster than real time playback..." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: TechReviewSource | Subject: System
Apart from the obvious lack of Apple Genii, TechReviewSource has spotted a different reason to visit one of the two stores that opened in the USA. Microsoft sells Signature Series computers that come with a minimum of preinstalled bloatware. Bing is probably the most offensive thing on the computer, they don't even load it with trial MS Office software, according to the information on the link. Microsoft might not be the first brand to come to your mind when buying a new system, but maybe they should get at least some of your attention when shopping.
"One thing we hate about buying a new Windows-based computer is all the "bloatware" that comes with it. PC makers lower the cost of their computers by including trialware software from software makers, most likely security software and productivity software. Most users won't want any of this software because it expires after a short period of time or it is software they simply don't need. Microsoft is selling in its two retail and online stores that do not contain any of this bloatware and making the computer buying experience more streamlined and customizable for the user." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Techware Labs | Subject: System
If you have yet to play with recording and playing TV via a TV tuner card on a PC, perhaps the Haupauge HVR-1800 TV Tuner Card might change your mind. For ~$90 you will get a TV Tuner card that can handle ATSC HD (the over the air HDTV standard in North America), clear braodcasted QAM digital TV channels if you are lucky enough to live in an area where they are broadcast and a 125 channel cable ready TV tuner built-in
for analog signals. That will give you more flexibility than a cable box provided by your cable provider along with everything that the box provided originally. Drop by Techware Labs to see it.
"The notion of a personal Home Theater PC (HTPC) is becoming more prevalent lately. Many ideas can go into the planning of an HTPC. Will it be able to stream video across the network? Will it act as a central media hub? Will it be able to view online videos? The most important question being, will it be able to record and playback TV? This is where Hauppauge shines. Hauppauge has been producing quality TV tuner cards for quite some time now. In the Linux community, their cards are near synonymous with MythTV. So does their latest addition, the WinTV-HVR-1800, have the goods to make it into your next HTPC build? Read on, and we'll tell you." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Report | Subject: System
If the PC Perspective Hardware Leaderboard doesn't quite meet your standards or if you are simply looking for a second opinion on recommendation, The Tech Report has just updated their system setups, specifically for Windows 7. You will notice several similarities, especially in the graphics subsystem, though their top of the line rig doesn't sport three HD 5870s. Check out the systems, peripherals and alternatives.
"Windows 7 is upon us, as is a whole line of DirectX 11 graphics processors from AMD. Come see how we've updated our system guide to account for these new products and other changes in the hardware landscape." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: techPowerUp! | Subject: System
A.C. Ryan might not be the first name you think about when you are looking for a DVR but perhaps it should be. They have made HDD cages for a while now and branched out from that with the PlayOn! DVR TV. USB 2.0 and HDMI as well as as wireless or wired network connectivity offer a range of ways to get media on or off of the HDD as well as capturing live broadcast TV. Read on at techPowerUp to see if A.C. Ryan has found a sweet spot between HTPCs and a NAS device.
"The A.C.Ryan PlayON! DVR TV combines the benefits of a media player with the ability to record and playback analog and DVB-T signals and act as a wired or wireless NAS. It is capable of streaming and playback of up to 720p video as well as audio and pictures. To top things off, the PlayON! DVR TV also acts as an Internet radio for your living room." Here are some more HTPC Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Think Computers | Subject: System
The colour scheme is a little off and it is unlikely to pick up a warhorse or any other type of mount in the near future, what the iBUYPOWER Gamer Paladin E870 i7 PC does do is hit 20,533 in 3dMark06. Think Computers liked a lot of things about this prebuilt system but perhaps one of the best features was the extra software that came with the PC; there was almost no bloatware whatsoever. Do keep in mind the price, while the basic rig is $1739, the one that Think Computers tested runs you $2675.
“When it comes to gamers they want the newest and most powerful gaming systems out there. They really only have 2 choices, build a gaming PC themselves or get a custom gaming PC built for them. There are really only a few of reliable, well known custom builders out there and today we will be taking a look at a system from once such builder, iBUYPOWER. They have sent us their brand new Gamer Paladin E870 gaming system that sports an Intel Core i7 870 processor, 2x Radeon 4890's, 8GB of memory and liquid cooling. Let's take a look..." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
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