ASUS P6T Series Features New Intel X58 Chipset for Intel i7

With the release of the new Intel X58 platform imminent, ASUS has consolidated plans around the P6T Series of motherboards. Specifically designed to provide outstanding performance that caters to increasing user needs, the ASUS P6T Deluxe motherboard will fully embrace the new Intel platform; and touches on several significant changes in terms of key components like the CPU socket, chipset and DIMM channels. With such a big leap in terms of technology, the P6T Deluxe will be slated to provide faster bandwidth, storage and enhance overall performance – allowing users to look forward to experiencing extreme overclocking performance.

The Coming New Intel Platform
The first obvious change on the P6T Deluxe is the migration of the chipset to the new Intel X58+ICH10R. This successor to the X48 chipset features support for 36 lanes – making it possible for 4 PCI-E x16 slots to run at x8 modes. This chipset evolution will also match Intel’s new CPU generation – the Nehalem family, and allow users to utilize 1366-pin Bloomfield CPUs with core frequencies of 2.66GHz, 2.93GHz and 3.2GHz (the very first Nehalem members in market). The memory controller will be integrated to support 3-channel (6 DIMMs) DDR3 1333 for the CPU; while the L3 cache is expected to reach up to the 8MB mark. The new generation of CPUs will support memory of up to 24GB with a total bandwidth of 3200MB/s; and differing from the X48, this new platform exclusively supports DDR3. What’s even more exciting is the fact that this new platform will adopt a new system bus structure – QPI (QuickPath Interconnect) which supports up to 6.4GT/s (3.2GHz) and a max bandwidth of up to 25.6GB/s (twice the bandwidth compared to current FSB 1600 standards). With such high specification standards, the P6T Deluxe truly looks set to unleash the ultimate in performance for hardcore PC users.

SAS Support for Server-level Storage
To match the supreme performance of the new platform, the ASUS P6T Deluxe will adopt the SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) controller to let users utilize SAS hard disks. These hard disks will provide higher data transmission speeds and better data storage reliability in comparison to current SATA interfaces; and could herald the start of a new standard for mainstream storage devices that caters to enterprise users. With this technological improvement, users will be able to connect 2 SAS hard disks to the P6T Deluxe without the need to purchase an extra SAS controller card. Performance-wise, an SAS hard disk gains a 39% improvement on PC Mark HDD Test benchmarks when comparing RAID 0 performances with SATA (supported by SB ICH10R) interfaces.

Real Power, Real Savings with 16-Phase Power Design
The P6T Deluxe adopts ASUS’ revolutionary 16-phase power design, and utilizes real hardware power regulation to guarantee genuine power efficiency and increased power efficiency. With this industry-leading design, the P6T Deluxe draws less power, operates at lower temperatures and delivers excellent performance – making the whole system more stable, and thus extends the life spans of key components such as the CPU and motherboard.

P6T Deluxe with DTS Proprietary Algorithms for Clear, Immersive Audio
The P6T Deluxe, much like selected ASUS Home Theater PCs, will utilize DTS SURROUND SENSATION ULTRAPC TECHNOLOGY* with proprietary DTS algorithms to provide professional level surround and cinema sounds. Able to create a center and rear channels even on two speakers or headphones, the P6T Deluxe with DTS SURROUND SENSATION ULTRAPC TECHNOLOGY will allow the listener to perceive sounds as if surrounded by audio from all sides for a fully immersive audio experience.

The DTS proprietary algorithms include: Dialog Clarity, which solves the problem of unintelligible dialog usually found in home theater environments through enhanced signal clarity; LFE Mixing, which mixes existing bass channel content into left and right stereo channels to allows users to obtain superb bass effects – even on two speakers or just headphones; and Bass Enhancement, which improves bass performance by utilizing proprietary psychoacoustic techniques to restore the perception of fundamental low-frequency tones – without the additional hardware costs of adding a subwoofer.

*DTS technologies are subject to product specifications and may require a driver update.

ASUS Rampage Extreme Motherboard

ASUS has for some time now had a very successful run with their Republic Of Gamer (ROG) motherboards, which started with quite humble beginnings and the Commando. Since then, the ROG brand has grown from strength to strength in the endeavour of providing the best hardware engineering; the fastest performance and innovation for PC enthusiasts the world over. ASUS' ROG motherboards could be considered the epitomy of a well rounded, high performing platform upon which to base your high-end system.

Today we have been fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to review the X48-based ASUS Rampage Extreme, which is the latest offering from ASUS marketed towards the performance user or overclocking enthusiast. In fact, the ASUS Rampage Extreme is "Designed for overclockers" according to the manufacturer and if first impressions are anything to go by then I agree wholeheartedly.

Before we begin the review let's take a moment to consider what kind of images that the name Rampage Extreme conjures up...
According to the Meriam Webster Online Dictionary it defines Rampage as: a course of violent, riotous, or reckless action or behavior. Woohoo I'm interested already :D

And Extreme is defined as: a very pronounced or excessive degree.

Summing up the name 'Rampage Extreme' we can now settle with the knowledge that this motherboard should provide us with an overclocking experience to the 'enth degree. And if that's the case then sign me up and strap me in!

Swiftech Releases Apogee GTZ Processor Water Block

It's been awhile since something new and interesting was released on the watercooling front. But today watercooling king Swiftech is introducing Apogee GTZ, the company's new flagship water-block for processors.

Apogee GTZ outperforms both its Apogee GT and Apogee GTX predecessors, thanks to an entirely new design that pushes and refines both thermal and mechanical specifications to the limits of today's technology.

The new Apogee GTZ combines the benefits of direct coolant impingement over the CPU area with an entirely new CNC machined C110 copper base plate design which is primarily characterized by a pin matrix composed of 225 µm (0.009") micro structures.

This results in a 20% improvement in thermal resistance compared to the Apogee GTX. In real world, a comparison chart shows that when used to cool an overclocked to 3500MHz C2Q6600 processor with 1.5V, Apogee GTZ beats Apogee GTX with 8'C. By default Apogee GTZ is compatible with LGA775 sockets only, but for $9.95 you can purchase optional hold-down plates for Socket 603/604, 771, Socket 754, 939, 940, F and Socket AM2.

The Apogee GTZ water-block sells for $69.95.

NVIDIA Intros New Quadro Fx Notebook Family of Graphics Cards

Demand for better graphics performance and programmability within the professional notebook market continues to increase as animators, designers and engineers work with larger 3D models, datasets and images. NVIDIA Corporation, the worldwide leader in visual computing technologies, continues to address the demand with the introduction of a new series of NVIDIA Quadro FX mobile GPUs, featuring an NVIDIA CUDA Parallel Computing Processor. Leading workstation manufacturers such as Dell, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, HP and Lenovo are now offering the new series of Quadro FX mobile GPUs across a wide range of professional notebook workstations.

Highlighting the flagship product of the series is the Quadro FX 3700M, with 128 CUDA Parallel Computing Processor cores, which offers an unprecedented 1 GB of dedicated graphics memory for graphics-performance hungry industries such as oil and gas exploration, mechanical design and digital content creation. Now, the power of a desktop workstation is available in a compact, notebook configuration.

"Design professionals who rely on the performance and features of a desktop workstation can now get this same level of performance in a notebook," said Jeff Brown, general manager, Professional Solutions, NVIDIA. "With the new Quadro FX 3700M visual computing solution, the notebook becomes a powerful workstation, allowing professionals to work anywhere, at any time, without sacrificing graphics quality or performance."

Engineered to deliver high-performance visualization of large datasets with extremely high image quality in an ISV-certified notebook platform, these notebooks also feature:

Up to 1 GB GDDR3 memory
Up to 256-bit memory interface
Up to 51.2 GBps graphic memory bandwidth
OpenGL 2.1, Shader Model 4.0, and DirectX 10
PowerMizer 8.0 adaptive power management tools

Additionally, the Quadro FX 2700M GPU, with 48 CUDA Parallel Computing Processor cores and 512 MB of GDDR3 memory, is an ideal graphics solution for 17-inch notebook platforms targeting high-end design and content-creation applications. The Quadro FX 1700M GPU with 32 CUDA Parallel Computing Processor cores, the Quadro FX 770M GPU with 32 CUDA Parallel Computing Processor cores, and the Quadro FX 370M GPU with 8 CUDA Parallel Computing Processor cores, are designed for 15.4-inch and 14.1-inch notebooks, which help round out the new Intel Centrino II-based platforms.

The complete line of NVIDIA Quadro FX notebook solutions is available worldwide through leading notebook manufacturers and workstation system integrators.

Intel Unveils Extensible Host Controller Interface Draft Spec to Support USB 3.0

Intel Corporation today announced the availability of the Extensible Host Controller Interface (xHCI) draft specification revision 0.9 in support of the USB 3.0 architecture, also known as SuperSpeed USB. The xHCI draft specification provides a standardized method for USB 3.0 host controllers to communicate with the USB 3.0 software stack.


Interoperability among devices from multiple manufacturers is important for consumer adoption of SuperSpeed USB products. The Intel xHCI draft specification revision 0.9 supports compatibility among various implementations of USB devices and will make it easier to develop software support for the industry.

This specification describes the registers and data structures used to interface between system software and the hardware, and are developed to be compatible with the USB 3.0 specification being developed by the USB 3.0 Promoter Group. The Intel xHCI draft specification revision 0.9 is being made available under RAND-Z (royalty free) licensing terms to all USB 3.0 Promoter Group and contributor companies that sign an xHCI contributor agreement; information is available online from Intel Corporation at intel.com/technology/usb/spec.htm.

"The future of computing and consumer devices is increasingly visual and bandwidth intensive," said Phil Eisler, AMD corporate vice president and general manager of the Chipset Business Unit. "Lifestyles filled with HD media and digital audio demand quick and universal data transfer. USB 3.0 is an answer to the future bandwidth need of the PC platform. AMD believes strongly in open industry standards, and therefore is supporting a common xHCI specification."

"Dell welcomes the availability of Intel's xHCI specification because it provides a single interface standard that will expedite the industry transition to next-generation USB 3.0," said Rick Schuckle, client architecture strategist. "This interface standard is important to ensure that our customers have interoperable USB 3.0 systems, devices and software drivers."

"Microsoft has developed driver support for the USB industry standard since its inception and is committed to supporting the latest hardware technologies on the Windows platform," said Chuck Chan, Microsoft general manager of Windows Core OS. "Microsoft intends to deliver Windows support for hardware that is compliant with the xHCI specification; this is a huge step forward in enabling the industry and our customers to easily connect SuperSpeed USB devices to their PCs for exciting new functionality and usages."

"NEC Electronics has supported Intel's EHCI specification for USB 2.0 and WHCI specification for Wireless USB 1.0, and developed solutions based on both of these standards," said Hiroshi Iguchi, NEC Electronics vice president of its 2nd SOC Operations Unit. "NEC Electronics will now provide USB 3.0 solutions based on Intel's xHCI specification to ensure interoperability of our solution with multiple products from various manufacturers. As we have done for USB 2.0, NEC Electronics would like to lead the USB 3.0 market with our discrete USB 3.0 host controller."

Intel plans to make available a revised xHCI 0.95 specification in the fourth quarter. The updated revision of the specification will also be released under RAND-Z licensing terms via an xHCI adopter's agreement.

Montevina - At Last!

The debut of the long awaited Montevina platform finally made its way down to our local region after having been launched at San Francisco on 14 July. While we would love to have been there for the initial launch, Intel hasn't let the speed of the Internet slow them down one bit with an exciting launch event held at the One Degree 15 Marina Club over at Sentosa Cove. Before we go into details on the event itself however, let's take a quick review of what the Montevina platform actually is and how it will affect you, the consumer.


Intel has decided to brand the new Montevina notebook platform under the same Intel Centrino branding that most people are familiar with, but positioning the Montevina platform as the second generation, i.e. the Centrino 2. It isn't really accurate, as the Montevina platform is actually the fifth generation of the Centrino platform, but Intel's deliberate branding by using Centrino 2 to differentiate the current generation from the older platforms may be the right kind of touch it needs to compete against AMD's equivalent new Puma notebook platform.

Let's start with the basics first. The Intel Centrino 2 platform's favorite number is 45, as the new platform will support the latest 45nm Penryn/Wolfdale based processors (similar to the Santa Rosa refresh) but offers up to 1066MHz FSB support compared to the 800MHz FSB support of the Santa Rosa platform. 45 also used for their Mobile Intel G45 Express Chipset, which promises to deliver a whole load of performance boosts in 3D graphics and decompression/acceleration of HD videos, thanks to the newer integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics engine. The graphics engine also boasts of DirectX 10 capabilities for quality integrated graphics gaming performance, but well, let's be fair here, we don't expect Crysis to run on "Very High" settings.

Apart from these newer features though, the Montevina platform seems more like a gradual increment that we've all have been used to since the days of the Napa, with minor enhancements that continue to build on the previous platform. While 45nm may seem like a big deal in Intel's marketing scheme, the availability of Penryn/Wolfdale based processors have been on notebooks since the beginning of this year for the Santa Rosa Refresh platform. As such, we aren't really too excited (yet) about the newer platform and while we do want to test out the newer laptops featuring the Centrino 2 platform, we aren't really expecting much of a performance boost (but we're still keen on being surprised).



Seen at the launch too were the various notebook models from the vendors that have already started embracing the Centrino 2 platform. Some of these models were also sporting WiMax dongles that are an optional feature for Intel Centrino 2 laptops

Lenovo's 15-inch ThinkPad T500 allows the user to switch between using the onboard integrated graphics and the discrete ATI Mobility Radeon graphics.

Toshiba's Qosmio G50 which is using an Intel P8600 mobile processor which features an 18.4-inch Full HD panel and a NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT. Note the WiMAX dongle at the side.

HP's addition to the Centrino 2 platform was the 14.1-inch HP Pavilion dv4 which features a Blu-ray combo drive.
The ASUS G50V featuring the Montevina platform with a NVIDIA GeForce 9700M GT and up to 8GB of DDR3 1066 RAM.

WiMax on the High Seas
As mentioned earlier, the Intel Centrino 2 platform comes with support for WiMax, the latest 4G broadband wireless technology that brings even more addictive Internet surfing experience to users on the go, being capable of easily covering entire cities and providing seamless surfing on-the-go. In Singapore, QMax is currently the sole WiMax provider and mainly caters to the marine industry but hopefully we should soon see more commercial usage soon. To fully experience WiMax, QMax took us out to sea while we surfed the World Wide Web on the newest Intel Centrino 2 laptops. Check it out.

Currently, QMax's WiMax coverage is currently only available for the southern parts of Singapore. This is due to the fact that QMax's WiMax currently caters to mostly the marine industry. Some parts of Singapore like the CBD areas are also covered.

In theory, you could probably drive around the entire island while still remaining connected with WiMax once the network infrastructure is fully deployed and the algorithms for base station transitions are up and running. QMax has said that they will soon be done with the migration of their older WiMax network to the newer version and will be able to provide their customers with a seamless Internet surfing experience. With that, we look forward to an even more seamlessly connected world without the interruptions and reconnections required on the current Wi-Fi networks.

OCZ Technology Unveils First Fatal1ty Brand DDR2 and DDR3 Memory

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and PC components, today announced the first memory modules available in their Fatal1ty Series after the partnership was announced last month. These high-performance memory kits were co-developed with the expertise of Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel, 12-time World champion, to meet the specific needs of fellow gamers. OCZ Fatal1ty Professional Series kits are the official memory modules of Championship Gaming Series (CGS), and feature incredible performance to power through the latest PC titles and contribute to the success of professionals and everyday gamers.

“OCZ worked closely with Fatal1ty and his team to design new memory kits that pair perfectly with the top selling motherboards for a superior gaming experience,” commented Alex Mei, Chief Marketing Officer of the OCZ Technology Group. “Fatal1ty knows what it takes to win at the highest level of eSports, and these new kits deliver superior stability and performance to gamers whether you are a professional player on the Championship Gaming Series, or a weekend warrior looking to dominate when playing the latest titles.”

“The launch of Fatal1ty Brand memory is very exciting because I am working with OCZ Technology who makes top quality products,” says Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel. “Fatal1ty Gaming Gear is all about bringing equipment to the highest possible level to improve the gaming experience."

OCZ is dedicated to delivering premium gaming solutions that meet the unique demands of enthusiasts on all levels. Fatal1ty memory modules are designed to help deliver exceptional gaming visuals and overclocking potential to ensure that high-powered gaming PCs maintain unsurpassed stability. Featuring aggressive latencies, high densities up to 4GB, and blazing frequencies, Fatal1ty memory helps DirectX-10 PC games reach their full potential. Select Fatal1ty modules also feature EPP (Enhanced Performance Profiles) as an additional “plug and play” overclocking tool on DDR2 NVIDIA® gaming platforms.

The first memory kits to be introduced under Fatal1ty Professional Series line include:

OCZ DDR2 PC2-6400 4GB Kits with CL 5-4-4-18 timings
OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 EPP-Ready 2GB Kits with CL 5-5-5-15 timings
OCZ DDR3 PC3- 10666 2GB/4GB Kits with 9-9-9-26 timings
Unleash the performance power of your gaming PC with Fatal1ty brand DDR2 and DDR3 memory. With the shared goal of strengthening the global gaming community, the OCZ Fatal1ty Series was tailored exclusively for the needs of gamers who require fast, reliable memory.

GeForce 9800M, 9700M Offer Performance and Energy Savings in a Broad Range

NVIDIA has released two lines of high performance graphics processors (GPU) for the notebook PC market, the GeForce 9800M series and the 9700M series. These are sub-classified into GT and GTS for the 9700M and GT, GTS and GTX for the 9800M. These new GPUs provide a wide range of options for manufacturers to choose from and design high-performance gaming and multimedia notebooks.

These 9800M GTX GPU is based on the same G92 core, and will outperform its previous generation 8800M GTX that also happens to be based on the same core. The rest are based on the G94 and the newer G96 cores. These GPUs are CUDA compliant and will be able to accelerate game physics using the PhysX API. They support NVIDIA Hybrid Power technology. Simply put, on notebooks with integrated graphics processors (IGP) along with these GPUs, the system will be able to switch over to the IGP when not gaming, and switch over to the GPU when heavy graphics tasks are running (such as gaming, 3D rendering, HD Video acceleration, etc.). Speaking of video, these GPUs support Powervideo HD technology, includes VP2 acceleration. There's no information on these GPUs' fabrication technology yet. Specifications provided below.

MSI Launches Montevina-based GX620 Notebook

MSI has launched the GX620 a Centrino 2-based notebook with the company's exclusive Turbo Drive Engine technology to enhance the speed of CPU. The GX620 includes the new ECO Engine power saving technology to extend battery running time. The ECO quick launch touch sensor allows consumers to switch among five different modes including Gaming, Movie, Presentation, Office, and Turbo Battery.

GX620 features a 15.4-inch LCD display, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT 3D graphics card and MSI's exclusive vivid image enhancement technology. GX620 also features Digital/Analog 5.1 Channel headphone output and SPDIF connection. The GX620 features Intel Centrino 2 processor technology, including Core 2 Duo processor and PM45 Express chipset, to deliver mobile solutions and provide HD capabilities, wireless connectivity, and long battery life for Blu-ray movie playback, highlighted MSI.

Intel Slashes the Prices of Several Core 2 Duo CPUs, Cuts the Price of C2Q6600

Pentium developer Intel, today slashed the prices of several Core 2 Duo processors, and most notably has slashed the price of its 65nm Core 2 Quad Q6600 CPU. The price of Core 2 Quad Q6600 drops 14%, from $224 to $193 in 1000 units tray quantity. In addition to making its most popular quad-core CPU cheaper, Intel has also slashed the prices of three 45nm dual-core Core 2 Duos. The Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 is now 31% cheaper, from $266 to $183. Intel's Core 2 Duo E8400 and E7200 CPUs are now 11% and 15% cheaper, fixed at $163 and $113 respectively.

PowerColor Radeon HD 4870 PCS OC Emerges

PowerColor is preparing an overclocked Radeon HD4870, the PCS (Professional Cooling System) model. This model uses 1 GB of GDDR5 memory and uses overclocked parameters, such as 800 MHz core. This card comes with a cooler made by Zerotherm comprising of heatpipes conducting to aluminum fins on either sides of a fan. According to TG Daily, this card could be based on the SuperRV770 concept, where high-performing parts are used along with 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. According to PowerColor, this cooler could keep the temperatures down by up to 20° C versus reference ATI cooler even at the overclocked 800 MHz core setting.

ZOTAC Unleashes GeForce 9800 GTX+

Powering the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ and GeForce 9800 GTX+ AMP! Edition is a new NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ graphics processor with 128 screaming-fast processor cores. Each individual processor core features an ultra-fast clock speed of 1836 MHz on the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ and 1890 MHz on the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ AMP! Edition; ready to take on all 3D related tasks from gaming to high-definition video playback.

"With the latest generation of ZOTAC GeForce 9-series graphics cards, the clock speed and performance of each individual processor core has become an important performance aspect," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "The highly clocked processor cores in our ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ and GeForce 9800 GTX+ AMP! Edition deliver higher performance in gaming as well as NVIDIA CUDA compiled applications, resulting in a graphics card that delivers phenomenal performance for work and play."

The NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ graphics processor in the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ is also highly clocked at 738 MHz and paired with 512MB of blazing-fast 2200 MHz GDDR3 memory for high-resolution gaming. Stepping up to the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ AMP! Edition yields even higher 750 MHz core and 2300 MHz memory clock speeds for even higher frame-rates and performance.

Featuring NVIDIA's Unified Architecture, the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ series deliver support for DirectX 10 with Shader Model 4.0 and OpenGL 2.1 enabled 3D games and applications for brilliant visuals and phenomenal frame rates.

The ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ series are ready for immersive gaming with NVIDIA PhysX technology. NVIDIA PhysX technology allows compatible games to offload physics processor to the graphics processor, allowing for more fluid and dynamic in-game physics such as more realistic weather and explosion effects.

"Environmental interaction and effects have always lagged behind life-like 3D visuals. With NVIDIA PhysX technology, environmental physics now catch up to visuals to deliver a fully immersive gaming experience that blurs the line between reality and the virtual world," Mr. Berger added.
When more graphics power is desired, up to three ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ series graphics cards can be installed in a single 3-way SLI ready platform. NVIDIA 3-way SLI technology delivers up to 2.8x higher frame rates for smoother game play.

NVIDIA HybridPower technology empowers the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ series with power savings technology. When installed in NVIDIA HybridPower compatible platforms, the system can turn off the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ or GeForce 9800 GTX+ AMP! Edition when it's not in use to reduce power consumption for mundane desktop tasks.
Enhanced with NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology and hardware decode acceleration technology, the ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ series is ready to deliver high-definition video playback with virtually no CPU utilization. PureVideo HD technology also enhances standard definition content to make standard DVDs rival Blu-ray movies for visual quality.

"Consumers are still happy with the quality of DVDs, which is why our ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ and GeForce 9800 GTX+ AMP! Edition with NVIDIA PureVideo HD processing enhances and cleans up standard-definition content to look beautiful on high-definition displays," Mr. Berger said. "However, when consumers are ready to upgrade to Blu-ray high-definition discs, our ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ and GeForce 9800 GTX+ AMP! Edition will be ready to decode the content in hardware for smooth playback and brilliant visuals."

It's time to play with the new ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ and GeForce 9800 GTX+ AMP! Edition.

General details
New ZOTAC GeForce 9800 GTX+ and GeForce 9800 GTX+ AMP! Edition
NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+
512MB of GDDR3 memory
128 processor cores
NVIDIA PhysX ready
NVIDIA CUDA ready
3-way SLI ready
HybridPower compatible
PCI Express 2.0 interface (Compatible with 1.1)
DirectX 10 with Shader Model 4.0 compatible
OpenGL 2.1 compatible
PureVideo HD technology
High-definition hardware decoding acceleration
Dual dual-link DVI - up to 2560x1600
XIII Century game bundle

Diamond Multimedia First to Launch All-in-wonder HD Series Cards

Being a niché product is never easy unless you pack what the public likes into a product. A graphics card, a sound card (HDMI output), a HD-DVR TV tuner, all rolled into one: ATI Radeon All-in-Wonder HD. This graphics card features ATI Theater 600 chip, a graphics core based on the RV635 (Radeon HD 3650).

Diamond Multimedia launched two products, the All-in-Wonder and the All-in-Wonder HD Premium, with the Premium featuring an expansion bracket with additional connectors.

Danamics Innovates the First Liquid-metal Based CPU Cooler

Here's something new: A CPU cooler that comprises of a circulatory mechanism of liquid-metal, the liquid-metal has higher thermal conductivity than other liquid media, flowing liquid metal across an array of metal fins to disperse heat, and the cycle continues. What's more, the liquid is inextinguishable. That's 'cool'. Danamics innovated such a cooler for today's CPUs called the LM10.

The cooler also has no moving parts. The pump that circulates liquid-metal across tubes doesn't have them either. The pump functions on the principles of electromagnetic flow, the ferromagnetic liquid is subjected to flow caused due to changes in polarity of electromagnets. With no moving parts, the MTBF is substantially increased. Of course, you can use a retention module of some sort to hook up a fan or two on each side of the heatsink. This product will be available soon.

Sapphire Intros Toxic Radeon HD4850 and Radeon HD4850 1GB

Following the introduction of the highly acclaimed HD 4800 series, SAPPHIRE Technology, the leading manufacturer and worldwide supplier of AMD/ATI based graphics solutions is now shipping two new models of HD 4850 providing a further choice of price:performance points for the enthusiast.

The new SAPPHIRE HD 4850 1GB is a new version of the HD 4850 designed by SAPPHIRE for the user who demands more memory for specific applications like rendering. It offers similar overall performance to the standard model, with clock speeds of 625MHz (core) and 993MHz (memory).

Delivering higher performance to the enthusiast for only a small price premium over the standard model, the SAPPHIRE HD 4850 TOXIC Edition has been designed by SAPPHIRE to run significantly faster – shipping with core clock speeds of 675MHz and fitted with 512MB of high speed memory operating at 1100MHz. It also features a Zalman heatpipe fan, providing more efficient cooling - running at much lower temperatures than the standard design – as well as quieter operation and more headroom for performance tuning.

Both models use the PCI-Express Gen2 interface, and feature dual connectors for CrossFireX cables, allowing two or more cards to be used together on a CrossFireX compatible mainboard for even higher graphics performance. Both are based on the powerful new graphics architectures from the ATI division of AMD, incorporating 800 process units, improved memory management architecture and an upgraded hardware video decoder.

All SAPPHIRE graphics cards in the HD 4800 series incorporate the latest ATI Avivo HD Technology for enhanced Video display and feature a new generation built in hardware UVD (Unified Video decoder) considerably reducing CPU load and delivering smooth decoding of Blu-ray and HD DVD content for both VC-1 and H.264 codecs, as well as Mpeg files. In addition to two, dual-link DVI outputs, and TV-Out, a dedicated HDMI adaptor delivers both audio and video output on a single cable for direct connection to an HDMI ready display.

SAPPHIRE HD 4800 series graphics cards are Microsoft Windows Vista Premium certified and supported by the ATI Catalyst suite of software, ensuring customers have ongoing access to software updates for performance, stability and added features. Like the previous generation, these cards support DirectX10.1 for enhanced rendering performance and lighting effects.

960 SP-laden RV870 in the Works, and more

Sources at TSMC told Hardspell that the next graphics processor (GPU) by ATI/AMD, the RV870 in the works have specifications such as:


40nm or 45nm fab process
140 sq. mm die size
192 ALUs, 960 stream processors
256-bit GDDR5 memory controller
It is believed that this GPU could perform 1.2 times better than RV770, purely based on the paper-specs.

Another interesting news is that R800, unlike its predecessors the R700 and R680, might not be a dual-GPU card but the world's first dual-core GPU.

Possible Specifications of the GeForce GTX 350 Emerge

Hardspell released is list of possible specifications for the GeForce GTX 350 graphics processor (GPU):



- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 350
- GT300 core
- 55nm technology
- 576 sq.mm die area
- 512bit GDDR5 memory controller
- GDDR5 2GB memory, doubled GTX280
- 480 stream processors
- Grating operation units are 64 the same with GTX280
- 216 GB/s memory bandwidth
- Default clock speeds of core: 830MHz, shader: 2075 MHz, memory: 3360MHz (effective)
- Pixel fill-rate 36.3G pixels/s
- Texture fill-rate 84.4Gpixels/s
- DirectX 10, no DX 10.1 support yet.

R700 Launch in for Wet-Weather, GTX 280 Slash Coming Up

In what could be a serious blow to AMD's R700 dreams as the company struggles to survive, NVIDIA could be working out another price-slash for the GeForce GTX 200 series, signs of which are already surfacing. You can get a GeForce GTX 280 for US $440. American e-tailer Newegg has already put several brands' GeForce GTX 280 on shelves for $440 (listed here), lower than the launch-price of the GeForce GTX 260.

Implications are:

This paves the way for a 'GeForce GTX 280 Extreme', a new model which has been put on pre-order on British website OCUK (covered here).

While board partners seemed displeased at the current market trend with the GTX 200 series (covered here), all of a sudden, they are all offering price-cuts. Could NVIDIA be subsidizing these products, given that some reports suggest poor reception of these products in the North American markets?

Assuming the R700 comes in at around $499 and $549, it loses badly to the GTX 280 at its newest price on both fronts of price/performance and performance per Watt.

No price-cuts for GTX 260 have been noted, showing this cut is very much specific to the GTX 280, serves two purposes: 1. Phasing out the 65nm parts, 2. striking R700 when it hurts the most, during launch.

While NVIDIA has the resources to maintain the leadership of GeForce GTX 200 (by affording to slash prices), AMD doesn't.

Although the new $440 price tag looks tempting, you could wait for the R700 to launch, following which a more informed decision on your part could be made.

WoW Turns Woo, New Achievements Added

World of Warcraft (WoW), the largest MMORPG, is fun. People have gone lengths and breadths to achieve higher in the game. Those endless hours of playing it comes at a cost, the WoW subscription. But once you reach a high level (say 70), and own lot of gold, and basically have all achievements under your belt, your inclination to play the game retards. The fact that you have to pay to keep your subscription alive only makes it worse. For you, it means that you're bored, WoW isn't fun anymore, and so you could join another MMORPG. For Blizzard (now Activision-Blizzard), it means losing revenue. Not that they're short of it, but no company would want to lose it.

In what can be seen as a bid to woo such players and maintain their patronage, new achievement levels have been added to the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King Expansion pack. Similar to the achievements you have with console gaming, players will now be awarded titles, gear, bragging rights for several tasks, serious thru trivial. They can be as serious as defeating scores and scores of enemies or as trivial as getting a hair-cut done. Custom animations and sounds would accompany each achievement earned and in-game pets, special clothing and titles will also be awarded. According to Blizzard, these rewards will be “purely cosmetic” and won’t affect actual gameplay.

NVIDIA Slates nForce 730i MCP for August 2008

This August, NVIDIA plans to release its latest desktop core-logic (chipset) for the current Intel platform processors, the nForce 730i MCP, also known as MCP7A. The MCP7A features a GeForce 9-series mGPU dubbed IGP. Two variants, the MCP7A-U with a GeForce 9400 graphics core and the MCP7A-S with GeForce 9300 are known so far. Both IGPs carry 16 stream processors, they differ in specifications such as the GeForce 9400 featuring a core frequency of 580MHz and shader frequency of 1500MHz, while the GeForce 9300 to be clocked at 450MHz and 1200MHz core and shader respectively. The MCP7A supports a FSB up to 1333MHz, dual-channel DDR2 or DDR3 memory, and PCI Express 2.0. The GPU is based on NVIDIA G86 graphics core, which supports DirectX 10 and Shader Model 4.0, supports HDMI, dual-link DVI, DisplayPort and D-sub connections. It will also support Hybrid SLI, PureVideo and CUDA technology.

Following the August launch, motherboard vendors could start shipping boards come September.