HERE I WILL POST REVIEWS ON HARDWARE
2010
ASUS 3D MONITOR
With the release of their VG236H Monitor ASUS now jumps in the 3D segment as well. This is 23" monitor that will be selling at arather steep 589 USD, but the good news is that it includes a 3D Vision kit at that price.
LCD display has a refresh rate of 120 Hz allowing a smoot 60Hz per eye, and does so at a nice 1920 x 1080 resolution. We can't complain about the response time either, 2ms. As for connectivity to video output devices, the ASUS implemented DVI and HDMI inputs.
The "tape out" means that the artwork for the photomask of a circuit is sent to manufacturing.
Apple Ipad preview
Video demo of Ipad in action!
Wow! Like a big ipod touch!
Gaming should be interesting on it.
My first impressions of the device are largely positive. Apple has once again built a product that looks good and feels great in the hand, and the familiar user interface, borrowed from the iPhone and iPod touch, is perfectly suited to the bigger screen. The iPad whizzes along, opening applications, re-sizing web pages, and zooming in and out of maps almost instantaneously.
It's a great, fun gaming platform, and it's lovely to view full-size web pages while browsing the internet. Developers, no doubt, are already rubbing their hands with glee about the apps and services they could tailor specifically for this device.
But in several crucial areas, the iPad falls short of the functionality that would have made this more than just a large iPod touch. The lack of Flash support is a major issue; the iPad's big screen is designed to make the best of multimedia content and the full-screen browsing experience, but the sight of little blue squares dotted around web pages where embedded video should have been just makes you feel like you're being short-changed.
The iPad's inability to multi-task could also severely hamper its appeal. It's being pitched as a portable device that you could kick back and use on the sofa at home, but you can't listen to your Spotify playlists at the same time as writing an email, or browse the web while using an instant-messaging app to chat with friends. It's one or other, just as it is on the iPhone and iPod touch, but for the extra money you're paying for the iPad, you expect something more akin to a laptop computing experience.
There are pro's and cons to this IPAD although i would like to try out gaming on it.
The price will roughly be between £300-400 though so fair costly!
Keep an EYE out for them in the stores...
INTEL CORE I5 REVIEW - FIRST EVER CPU WITH GPU CORE ASWELL.
This new series is based on the 32nm Westmere die shrink of the Nehalem architecture and goes by the code-name Clarkdale. Of most relevance, all processors in the series feature a built-in GPU.
Obvious differences between the Core i5 660 and the 661 is that the latter doesn't support Intel's VT-d (Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O), vPro or Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT). The other key difference between the two is the GPU's clock speed. While the Core i5 661 operates its GPU at 900MHz, the other Core i5 600 series processors including the 660, use a GPU frequency of 733MHz. The reason for this distinction is unknown to us at this point, but that's the way Intel is playing it.
Therefore, for the first time ever it is possible to purchase a CPU that features a built-in GPU that is entirely separate from the chipset. This is known as a General-Purpose computation on Graphics Processing Units (GPGPU) and refers to the technique of using a GPU, which typically handles computation only for computer graphics, to perform computation in applications traditionally handled by the CPU.
One of the biggest architectural changes introduced by the Core i5 600 series is the 32nm design process . However the CPU and GPU do not belong to the same piece of silicon, rather this Multi-Chip Package (MCP) carries the 32nm CPU and the GPU which is still manufactured on a 45nm process.
The GPU or IGP (Integrated Graphics Platform) in the Core i5 600 is called the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD, which has been derived from an existing Intel graphics product.
Intel claims the Graphics Media Accelerator HD is considerably more powerful than the GMA X4500 HD featured in the Intel G45 chipset. The number of shaders has been increased to 12 from 10 offered by the G45, while they operate at either 733MHz or 900MHz depending on the processor, whereas the G45 runs at 800MHz.
Intel has also increased the amount of memory that the GPU can utilize from 768MB on the G45 to a massive 1.7GB on the built-in GPU for systems that have RAM to spare.
The Graphics Media Accelerator HD has a theoretical bandwidth of 21.2GB/s which is ~25% greater than the GMA 4500M HD using DDR3 memory. Overall Intel claims that Clarkdale graphics will work about 1.5x faster than the integrated graphics core of the G45 chipset, which nonetheless should still be insufficient to become a mildly capable gaming GPU.
Zotac has unveiled a new H55-based mini-ITX board. The H55-ITX WiFi can accommodate Intel's new 32nm Core i3 and i5 processors and features two DDR3 DIMM slots with support for up to 8GB of RAM, a PCIe 2.0 x16 slot, and six SATA II ports (one eSATA on the I/O panel).
Other details include 802.11n wireless, gigabit Ethernet, ten USB 2.0 ports, a PS/2 port, 7.1-channel HD audio, optical S/PDIF output as well as DVI and HDMI outputs, which serve video directly from the IGP in Clarkdale CPUs.
USB3.0 TECH
Tech company Active Media has introduced the Aviator 312, a new line of external solid state disks with USB 3.0 connectivity. These units promise read speeds of up to 240MB/s and write speeds of up to 160MB/s, considerably more than the max of 35MB/s typically achieved by USB 2.0 devices.
The Active Media Aviator 312 SSDs will ship in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities for $89, $119 and $209, respectively.
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 supports transfer speeds up to 4.8Gbits/sec -- ten times faster than USB 2.0. A312 SuperSpeed USB 3.0 external SSDs take advantage of USB 3.0's massive bandwidth, delivering unprecedented transfer speeds in an extremely compact mobile flash storage device. Measuring less than 3 inches long and only 0.2 inches thin, the A312 is smaller than a credit card and is designed to fit in a pocket. A312 SSDs can save a 25GB full-length HD movie in about two minutes. What used to take an hour to save will take only seconds with the A312 thanks to its scorching write speeds of up to 160MB/s and read speeds up to 240MB/s..
Aviator 312 SSDs are designed for external use, and include a carrying pouch and a USB 3.0 Micro-B cable for connection to any USB port. The 312 is fully backward compatible; it works in any USB 2.0 or 1.1 port, but requires a SuperSpeed port to reach its full performance capabilities. Unlike many other high speed external storage devices, the A312 does not require a separate power source. It draws all the power it needs directly from the USB bus. The A312 will be offered in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities.
SMOOTH CREATIONS POWERFUL BEAST !!
SmoothCreations released another portable desktop based on Core i7, this time named Bulldozer.
The company is looking to target two classes of consumers with this product: gamers, and graphics professionals, who will take advantage of its hardware for high-definition gaming or CAM/CAE/CAD, medical imaging, forensics, government or military use. The applications are broad thanks to the hardware, which just might come at the expense of a little portability.
* Smooth Creations launches World's First i7 Notebook with Intel i7 Quad Core and Xeon Processors; 1GB nVidia GeForce Go GTX 280M; 1.5TB of storage with RAID 0,1,5 for On-the-Road Mobile Workstation or Mobile Server use.
* The World's First workstation and server-class notebook with Intel i7 Quad Core or XEON processor; 1.5 Terabytes of storage, RAID 0/1 5 and internal 1 hour Battery!
* Smooth Creations, the world's leading developer of highly personalized, high-performance notebook PCs and energy efficient All-in-One PCs, introduced the Smooth Creations X58-i7 Mobile Workstation/Server powered by Intel's newest line of Quad Core and XEON LGA1366 processors.
* Smooth Creations X58-i7 provides workstation and server-calibre capabilities with 1.5 Terabytes of storage with three physical SATA-300 hard drives and RAID 0/1/5, super-powerful 3.2GHz Intel Core i7 Processor Extreme Edition I7-965; 3.2GHz XEON X5580 processors running at 2x 6.4GT/sec bus speed or 2.93GHz Intel Core i7 Processor I-940 running at 4.8GT/sec with 8MB L3 cache, Gigabit Ethernet port on-board, HDMI, eSATA, DVi ports, with a 17" WUXGA LCD display and full size keyboard.
* Featuring workstation-class or server-class Intel Core i7 or Xeon Processor and up to 12GB of DDR3-1366 memory, the X58-i7 also features the largest storage capacity on the market today - a whopping 1.5TB with RAID 0/1/5 - making it the perfect mobile workstation or server laptop for users who demand extra-large capacity storage and reliability for true portable server / workstation experience.
* Smooth Creations X58-i7 supports most of 64-bit operating systems available on the market for XP Pro 64-bit, Vista 64-bit or Microsoft Server 2008 and Red Hat.
The Bulldozer laptop features a nice 17-inch screen with a native resolution of 1900x1200 pixels.
As stated it is powered up by Core i7 (models 940 or 965 XE) or Xeon X5580 processor and comes with up to 16 GG. Its pricing is yet announced.
The AMD Phenom II processors are the most advanced processors for true multitasking offering true quad-core design. AMD Phenom II processors deliver virtually uninterrupted information flow between processor cores, main memory and graphics and video accelerators for amazingly rapid system response and phenomenal system performance. AMD Phenom II processors deliver unbeatable multi-core value with superior high definition computing, advanced multitasking performance, and innovative, energy efficient solutions.
- True Quad-core Desktop Processor
- 3.00GHz clock speed
- 2MB L2 cache
- 6MB L3 cache
- DDR2-1066 support
- 45nm process technology
- Integrated Memory Controller
- Fast Hypertransport 3.0 technology
- Cool & Quiet v3.0
- True Multi-core Processing
- Direct Connect Architecture
- Integrated Dual-Channel Memory Controller with up to
- AMD Balanced Smart Cache
- AMD Wide Floating Point Accelerator
- AMD Memory Optimizer Technology
- AMD Digital Media Xpress 2.0
- AMD Virtualization with Rapid Virtualization Indexing
This is a very nice AMD cpu, four cores at 3.0 g. This should overclock to about 3.5 g easily. The price is now under 200 uk pounds now, i am tempted to get one !
3.0 ghz for a cpu is very good for gaming, dual cores at 3.0 ghz run gta 4 nicely, if you have dual cores running at 2.4 you will notice the speed difference in some games, especially gta 4 as this game is coded for cpu usage and not gpu usage like say crysis or far cry 2.
The Twin2X4096-6400C5 G is a 4096MByte matched pair of DDR2 SDRAM DIMMs. This part delivers outstanding performance in the latest generation of dual-channel DDR2-based motherboards. It has been tested extensively in multiple DDR2 motherboards to ensure compatibility and performance at its rated speed. This memory has been verified to operate at 800MHz at the low latencies of 5-5-5-18. Corsair’s line of 4GB memory kits are designed for PCs featuring 64-bit operating systems. Please note: Installing 4GB onto PCs with 32-bit operating systems is not advised since 32-bit operating systems do not support 4GB of system memory.
This memory pack is a bargain for under 40 uk pounds and is well worth a purchase.
Engineered for extreme gaming performance, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 is the most powerful dual chip graphics card on the planet for gaming and beyond. Experience the hottest games such as Far Cry 2, Mirror's Edge, and Call of Duty 5: World at War at extreme HD resolutions and ultra high image quality with the power of two GeForce GTX 200 Series GPUs on a single card. And then go beyond traditional graphics with Graphics Plus and experience GPU accelerated NVIDIA PhysX gaming effects, Stereoscopic 3D gaming, video processing for transcoding HD videos in minutes to your portable video player, and lightning fast image processing using Adobe CS4.
- Bus Type: PCI Express 2.0 (Backwards compatible with PCI Express)
- Memory: 1.8GB (1792MB) GDDR3
- Core Clock: 576MHz
- Shader Clock: 1242MHz
- Memory Data Rate: 1998MHz
- Processor Cores: 480
- Shader Model: 4.0
- Texture Fill Rate: 92.2 Billion/sec.
- Memory Interface: 896-bit
- Memory Bandwidth: 223.8GB/sec.
- API Support: Microsoft DirectX 10 and lower, OpenGL 2.1 and lower for Microsoft Windows
- Display Connectors: 2 Dual-Link DVI-I, HDMI Out
- RAMDACs: Dual 400MHz
- HDCP Capable
- HDMI Capable
- Quad NVIDIA SLi Support
- Card Dimensions: 266.7mm x 95.25mm x 38.1mm
- 10 Year Manufacturer Warranty (Contact BFG representative on 001 866 234 3499 for warranty services)
- 24/7 Email Manufacturer Support (http://www.bfgtech.com/tech_redux.html)
- Geforce with CUDA
- PhysX enabled
This is an awesome beastly gpu with 480 processor cores, to say that a 8600 gt has 32 cores, it gives you an idea of the mega power of these cards, retailing for under 400 uk pounds.
New Sandisk memory card readers. The imagemate.
Very hand for copying files to camera/mobile memory cards. Vice versa.
Flash memory specialist SanDisk announced two new ImageMate memory card readers, the ImageMate All-in-one and the ImageMate Multi-card. Both readers feature faster transfer rates, packed into a smaller and attractive body compared to the older SanDisk readers.
The ImageMate All-in-one reader provides quick card-to-card copying functionality and supports SD, SDHC, miniSDHC, MMC, MS, MSPD, xD and CF. As for Multi-Card reader, it supports only xD, MS, SD, SDHC and MMC.
ImageMate All-in-one retailed for $29.99 and ImageMate Multi-Card will cost you $19.99. Both are available now from SanDisk.com
THE ASUS Eee top
The Eee Top is reminiscent of the all-in-one Apple iMacs and HP TouchSmart PCs -- only smaller and cheaper. It has a 15.6-inch touch-sensitive display, although it's not capable of sensing multi-touch inputs in the same way as the iPhone.
Inside, it uses a 1.6GHz Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, Intel integrated graphics, Windows XP, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, digital array mics, gigabit Ethernet and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi -- all par for the Eee course.
According to Play.com, which is taking pre-orders of the Eee Top as we speak, the system has six USB ports, an SD/SDHC/MS/MS Pro memory card reader and three audio ports for line-in, mic and line-out. Software includes Eee Cinema, which looks like Windows Media Center. You also get StarOffice, Adobe Reader 8.0, Skype and a 90-day trial of Norton Internet Security.
The Eee Top comes with a wired keyboard and mouse and even has ExpressGate -- a limited alternative to Windows, which boots in as little as 10 seconds. With this, users can quickly access multimedia files, the Internet and Skype.
Play.com is asking £399 for the Eee Top, which isn't bad considering you get a 15.6-inch touchscreen into the bargain. We can imagine it makes an ideal second PC, a kids' computer, or something geeks might want to use as a central control panel for their digital home.
bravenet.com