NVIDIA Launches QUADRO FX 4800 Graphics Card

NVIDIA Launches QUADRO FX 4800

Today, mechanical computer-aided design (MCAD), digital content creation (DCC) and broadcast applications received a major performance boost with the introduction of the NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 ultra-high-end professional graphics card. With advances in GPU architecture, added graphics memory and 30-bit color, the Quadro FX 4800 gives professionals the right toolset to dramatically push the boundaries of realism, performance and quality. The NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 is available today and has a MSRP of $1,999 USD.
"In this increasingly competitive landscape, it's imperative that professionals deliver better, faster and more cost-effective results," said Jeff Brown general manager, Professional Solutions, NVIDIA. "NVIDIA is not only addressing this challenge, but is raising the ultra-high-end visualization bar by creating specialized solutions to meet the direct needs of professionals - whether it be a geophysicists or MCAD designer."

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Compro Introduces PCI Tuner Card--VideoMate M800

Compro Introduces PCI Tuner Card--VideoMate

Multimedia products and graphics card maker Compro Technology announces availability of the VideoMate TV Ultra PCI Tuner Card. Featuring 3D Y/C separation, remote controlled computer power up, Power Up Scheduling, and ComproPVR software, VideoMate TV Ultra brings a superior video experience into your life by combining an exceptionally clear picture, powerful remote control functions, and personal digital video recording (DVR) functionality in your PC.
At its introduction VideoMate TV was praised on Internet forums for its high quality picture. VideoMate TV Ultra adds an NEC 3D Y/C separation and noise reduction chip found on expensive, high-end television sets. The 3D Y/C separation chip provides sharper details and more vivid colors compared to standard comb filters found in most TV sets and TV cards. The included Tweak Y/C utility lets users fine tune the Y/C separation function to best match the type of programming they watch, providing better picture quality than high-end TVs. The 3D Y/C separation and video noise reduction functions can also be used when transferring video from videotapes.

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Oakley O ROKR Pro Bluetooth Sunglasses Review

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  Oakley O ROKR Pro Bluetooth Sunglasses

Introducing Oakley’s Newest Performing Optics
A few years ago when we looked at Oakley’s popular Thump 2 MP3 Player Sunglasses we wondered how Oakley could improve their wearable electronic device. Sure the Thump 2’s were a bit bulky and to some gaudy. But we liked the bold statement it made while working out and the huge output the speaker drivers gave even in windy conditions.
Now Oakley – with the help of the engineers at Motorola – gives us a way to wirelessly stream and control our favorite music from our Bluetooth enabled mobile device. The introduction of the O Rokr Pro Bluetooth Sunglasses, Oakley adds to their Sport Performance catalog of eyewear which now has 6 models of electronic sunglasses.
The $350 (MSRP) O ROKR Pro works like a traditional Bluetooth headset except there is nothing that has to clip to or around your ear for communication. Motorola helped to integrate their hands-free technology in one of Oakley’s most lightweight sports frames. The 15-mm Mylar Speakers can be positioned to almost any angle for a custom fit and can pivot away from your ear when you need hear.
The Oakley O ROKR Pro also features a sweat-resistant frame and includes user-changeable High Definition Optics (HDO) lenses. The lenses are even coated to repel water and dust from leaving streaks and sheens that can impair your vision. Even skin oils, fingerprints and lotions can easily be wiped away easily to preserve the life of the lens – not to mention help avoid running into a street sign!
Key Features:
Absolute music freedom with no wires or cords to dangle and tangle
Advanced sweat-resistant design, optimized for sport use
User-changeable lenses that allow you to change your look or adapt quickly to any environment
Patented XYZ OPTICS
Pure PLUTONITE lens material that filters out 100% of all UVA, UVB, UVC and harmful blue light up to 400nm
Custom Mylar speakers with six directions of movement for precise positioning
Bluetooth 2.0
Up to 5 hours of playback time on a single charge
Three-color indicator light to show battery level
Easy pairing capability

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MSI announces new GX630 gaming notebook for only $799

MSI announces new GX630 gaming notebook for only $799

MSI Computer announced the newest addition to it Gaming Notebook Series – the GX630-028US this afternoon. The new GX630 SKU features the new AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core Processor and are available now in time for the Holiday season at all of the top retailers.
At just $799.99, the GX630-028US is an incredible bargain when you consider all this notebook is packing – NVIDIA GeForce 9600 graphics card, 4 GB of DDR2 Ram, a 250 GB SATA hard drive, a 15.4 WXGA glare LCD, Bluetooth, 802.11bgn modem, and a 2.0M webcam. And like all the MSI Gaming notebooks the newest GX630 features exclusive MSI Turbo Drive -engine Technology, allowing user to overclock the notebook up to by as much as 15%, and the MSI ECO Engine which allows users to alternate between 5 different operating modes to conserve battery life.

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Kingston Technology Launches HyperX T1 Series Memory

Kingston Technology Launches HyperX T1 Series Memory

Kingston Technology today announced it is shipping select DDR3 and DDR2 HyperX memory modules with new T1 heatspreaders. The taller heatspreaders utilize HyperX Thermal Xchange (HTX) technology to further diffuse heat buildup when overclocking. HTX technology is the latest innovation from Kingston's engineers who are dedicated to building the fastest memory for enthusiasts who push system performance.

"The HyperX T1 Series heatspreaders are made of heavy-duty extruded aluminum with extended fins and HTX technology for maximum thermal conditions when users take their systems to the extreme,” said Dara Sun, product manager, Kingston. "Any gamer or overclocker who intends to dominate with memory will want to use Kingston's T1 series, which is a great complement to our existing line of HyperX modules with the lower profile heatsink.”

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Hercules Delivers XPS 2.150 Multimedia Speaker System

Hercules Delivers XPS 2.150 Multimedia Speaker System

Hercules, the computer DJ and entertainment specialist expands their successful XPS branded multimedia speakers with the new XPS 2.150 Multimedia Speaker. This modern system delivers performance and style with a black high gloss finish and subwoofer at a great price. These speakers were designed for a contemporary home and will be available just in time for the holiday gift giving season with an MSRP of $69.99. In case you are wondering this is the same Hercules company that used to make GeForce graphics cards nearly a decade ago when the GeForce MX series was all the rage.
Based on the results of extensive consumer research, Hercules has created a system that reflects the evolving consumer tastes for design and finish as well as quality sound. Hercules developed the speakers to be competitively priced while at the same time delivering on style and audio quality. Components used to manufacture these speakers were hand-picked and of superior standard, in order to guarantee optimal sound reproduction and well-balanced bass, medium and treble sound emission – perfect for music and video games.

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Hardcore Computer Unveils Affordable Liquid Submersion PCs - Reactor

Hardcore Computer Unveils Affordable Liquid Submersion PCs - Reactor

Hardcore Computer, Inc. announced today the unveiling of more affordable versions of its total liquid submersion PC, Reactor, which was launched last month to critical acclaim. The new models are set to broaden the range of high-performance, liquid cooled PCs into more markets across the globe. All Reactor models are available for sale now through the company’s web site starting at $3482.00 according to what we configured on the site today.
Designed for hardcore computer users such as gamers, graphic artists, audiophiles, industrial designers, engineers, medical imaging technicians and military technologists, all Reactor™ models include five industry firsts for a desktop system:
--Hardcore Computer’s patented total liquid submersion cooling
--Dual additive and redundant, board-edge connected, 650 Watt power supplies provide up to 1300 Watts
--Creative X-Fi 7.1 surround sound embedded on the motherboard
--SATA ports surface-mounted to the back of the motherboard allow for three solid-state drives to create an ultra-fast RAID 0 array
--Two truly hot-swappable external hard drives

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AMD Announces Stream Computing Will Be Mainstream

AMD Kicks Off Stream Technology
AMD has been talking about CPU and GPU 'fusion' for many months now as they believe using both a processor and a graphics card is the way of the future. Today that reality has come one step closer with the announcement of a new technology brand called ATI Stream.
It has been known for a couple years now that graphics cards and computer processors are better at handling different types of work loads and now software applications are able to work with both types of processors. In an ideal world the computer processor would handle the serial and task parallel workloads, while the graphics card would handle the data parallel workloads and the traditional graphics workloads.
Since serial and parallel computing terminology can confuse just about anyone not in the tech industry, the marketing team over at AMD has termed it 'ATI Stream Technology,' which isn't a bad idea. ATI Stream uses the massive parallel processing power of AMD graphics processors to enable new capabilities to users that go beyond the traditional usage scenarios of graphics rendering and video processing. Based on that definition anything that uses a video card for operations other than graphics rendering and video processing would be considered Stream Technology.
ATI Stream Technology has been in the works since 2006, but only now that the market has seen the performance improvements has it really been able to catch on with mainstream applications.
It's hard to believe, but it was back in 2006 that the stream computing development platform was developed and application projects like Folding @Home began. Less than a year later with the release of the R600 GPU, the Folding @Home application was released and that really began the movement for stream computing from the enthusiast and power user perspective. In 2007 AMD released the FireStream 9170, which was the first GPU stream processor with double-precision floating point. Today, AMD is releasing the AMD FireStream 9270, which is capable of 240 GFLOPS of double-precision floating point performance for those wanting HPC-class performance.
Currently, AMD has manufactured and sold over 2 million ATI Radeon HD 4000 series of graphics cards and all of which are more than able to take advantage of ATI Stream Technology, but there is a catch. In order to unlock the built-in ATI Stream capabilities one must update their drivers with some new software code that will be part of the upcoming ATI Catalyst 8.12 drivers that will drop roughly a month from today.

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ASUS EEE PC 1000HA Netbook Review

Introducing the EEE PC 1000HA
With Netbooks growing in popularity, and more and more companies jumping in with there own variants, it was clear that it was time for Legit Reviews to throw our hat into the ring and do our first review on a product in the category. ASUS started the entire genre with the introduction of their EEE PC, which has since grown to a whole family of netbooks and small form factor PCs. Here we have the higher end netbook, the ASUS EEE PC 1000HA.
Above we have the ASUS EEE PC 1000HA's specification. On paper, this netbook seems to be no slouch in the processing department, and ASUS has spared no expense in packing this netbook with a plethora of features like a spacious hard drive, web cam and a long battery life. With the inclusion of a high quality LED Backlight screen, an oftentimes high end feature that is reserved only for the best notebooks, ASUS hopes to grab even the biggest notebook snob off guard, and gain even more converts to the netbook clan. At an MSRP of $429.99, the ASUS EEE PC 1000HA is a bit pricey, but does its features make up for the price, and make it the must buy for the perspective netbook buyer? Read on to find out!

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Intel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Processor Review

The Core i7 Series Arrives
Intel has finally lifted the embargo on the yet-to-be-launched Intel Core i7 processors and the Intel X58 Express chipset. Intel strongly believes that this new platform will be the must have work horse for digital media & gaming enthusiasts for many months to come. With so much to talk about this new platform we made the decision to focus just on processor performance for this article and then take a deeper dive at other features in the weeks to come. This should work out nicely as the processors won't be available to purchase until later this month and many companies are just now getting us production grade triple channel memory kits and video card drivers for this new platform.
The Intel Core i7 Processor (known as Nehalem internally) has some very big architecture changes as you can tell from the picture above. The new Core i7 processor has 1366 pins and as a result the size of the processor, socket and heat sink mounting brackets are all larger than LGA 775 based processors that have been out now for a couple of years. The die size of Core i7 processors is 263 mm2 and the transistor count is 731 Million.
Taking a look at the die of the Core i7 processor we see a first for Intel processors -- the integrated memory controller. This on-die, triple channel, DDR3 memory controller is unique in the fact that it allows consumers to run three memory modules together for optimal performance. By moving to an integrated memory controller and triple channel memory the platform has over 25GB/s of throughput between the processor and DDR3 memory modules!
For those that follow processor architecture you will notice a brand new cache structure on the Core i7 diagram shown above. All Intel Core i7 processors feature L1, L2, and shared L3 caches. Before, Intel Core 2 Duo and Quad processors had just an L1 and L2 cache. The break down on the cache is as follows: there is a 64K L1 cache (32K Instruction, 32K Data) per core, 1MB of total L2 cache, and an impressive 8MB chunk of L3 cache that is shared across all the cores. That means that all Intel Core i7 processors have over 9MB of memory right there on the 45nm processor!
Can it get any better than this?
Of course it can! The new Core i7 processor has a huge list of improvements that have been made to it.
New SSE4.2 Instructions
Improved Lock Support
Additional Caching Hierarchy
Deeper Buffers
Improved Loop Streaming
Simultaneous Multi-Threading
Faster Virtualization
Better Branch Prediction
Intel always told us that Hyper-Threading was not dead and they were right as the technology has surfaced again and is enabled on all of the Core i7 processors. With Hyper-Threading enabled on quad-core Core i7's processors the operating system sees eight virtual cores that can be used. Intel has told Legit Reviews that when Hyper-Threading originally came out the idea was solid, but that the Pentium 4 processor might not have been the best processor to bring it to market. The Core i7 series should highlight all the strong points of Hyper-Threading as they are calling it Hyper-Threading "done right" now. If you want a deeper look at the Intel Core i7 architecture take a look at this presentation that was given at the Spring 2008 IDF and this one that was given at the Fall IDF.
Intel will be releasing three Core i7 processors and all have a TDP of 130W and an on-die shared L3 cache of 8MB. All current Core i7 processors are not intended for multi-processor motherboards, so it has only one Quick Path Interconnect (QPI).
Core i7 965 Extreme Edition - 3.2GHz with 8MB Shared L3 cache and a 1x6.4GT/s QuickPath interconnect - $999
Core i7 940 - 2.93GHz with 8MB Shared L3 cache and a 1x4.8GT/s QuickPath interconnect - $562
Core i7 920 - 2.66GHz with 8MB Shared L3 cache and a 1x4.8GT/s QuickPath interconnect - $284
Now that we know what the general processor improvements are let's take a closer look at the chipset changes.

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OCZ Gladiator Max HDT CPU Cooler Review

The OCZ Gladiator Max
The first heat-pipe direct touch (HDT) cooler Legit Reviews looked at from OCZ was the Vendetta HDT CPU cooler. Today, we get a chance to run their newest HDT cooler, the Gladiator Max, through the paces in the LR lab. The Gladiator Max was announced in September and is the newest performance cooler in the OCZ arsenal. Before we get started let's take a quick look at the features and specifications for the Gladiator Max.
Features:
4 Pure Copper heat pipes for superior heat dissipation
Pure Aluminum alloy fins for ultimate durability
120mm Fan with rubber connectors
Generic Thermal Compound
Specifications:
Part Number: OCZTGLADM
CPU Compatibility
AMD 754/755/939/940/AM2
Intel LGA775 *may not fit all motherboards
Fan Specs
Size: 120mm x 120mm x 25mm
Rated Voltage: 12V DC
Fan Speed: 800-1500RPM
Noise Level: 19.6-26.4 dBA
Bearing type: rifle
Life Expectancy: 40,000 hours
Connector: 4 pin with PWM
Weight: 780g (with fan)
Dimensions: (L)63x(W)120x(H)165mm
Packaging
The Gladiator Max comes in a snazzy looking box with the fan upfront in a window and the features listed on one side and specifications on the other.
Inside everything is snuggly packed and well protected.

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Thermalright T-Rad2 Video Card GPU Cooler

Thermaltake T-Rad2

Video card vendors always seem to manufacture graphic cards that have undersized heatsinks with incredibly loud fans and that are almost as hot as the surface of the sun. One would think that after decades of building these things they'd take a hint and build reference cards with thermal solutions that are adequate for stock performance. However, due to this inadequacy many other companies have found a market to fill and Thermalright is a company with proven designs and great success.

Today I've got the Thermalright T-Rad2 for review. Thermalright is most well known for its HR-03 VGA cooler and Ultra 120 Extreme CPU cooler, both of which have a reputation for being some of the best heatsinks on the market. Unfortunately, the HR-03 is large heatsink that takes three slots by itself and Thermalright has taken notice of this with the launch of the T-Rad2. The heatsink itself is only two slots thick, just as thick as the stock cooler for the HD 4870 or GTX 280. Strapping a necessary fan to the heatsink makes it three slots thick -- just as thick as the HR-03 without a fan.

The T-Rad2 has an incredibly thin and unique design that makes it incompatible with a few card designs. Before deciding to purchase the card, make sure to check out Thermalright's ATI and NVIDIA graphics card compatibility check list to insure that your card will be able to fit the T-Rad2. During testing I checked some of the cards I had lying around and had a few non-reference cards that did not fit due to capacitors and chokes being in the way of the heatpipes.

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OCZ NIA - Will Gaming With Brain Waves Take Off?

What is the NIA?
Gamers are often willing to do almost anything to get an edge on their opponents. They will invest in better graph

ics cards, overclock their motherboards to the max, even buy $50+ mousepads so the mouse will glide around easier with no interference! But, what about a device that can read your mind as you play? Just think about what you want your character to do, and he does it? Well, OCZ brings us one step closer to that futuristic gameplay with their Neural Impulse Actuator, or NIA. Legit Reviews has been following the NIA since word of it became public back at CeBIT 2007, so many of you have been following our updates and news posts about the NIA. Last month OCZ finally launched the 64-bit Windows drivers and with the drivers completed it is time for a review!
The NIA is designed to work in conjunction with the mouse in order to enhance gameplay. It is a headband with carbon nanofiber-based sensors that can, according to OCZ, translate your electrical biosignals into computer commands! OCZ has created some default profiles that should work for just about anyone to use the NIA out of the box, but also allows you to create your own profiles and configure the settings to read your biosignals. By shifting your eyes or wrinkling a brow, you should have that added control over your character, increasing your reflexes and hopefully getting that proverbial edge over your opponents.
The NIA headband is one-size-fits all and has an adjustable elastic band to help you get that balance of comfort and contact with the sensors. The NIA "black box" is 4.1"x3.1"x1.2", so it doesn't take up much space for travelling and shouldn't be in the way while you game. It interfaces with an A-to-B USB cable to your Windows XP, Vista, or Vista 64-bit operating system. OCZ recommends at least a 1GHz processor and 512MB of memory on your PC.

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OCZ Gladiator Max HDT CPU Cooler Review

Table of Contents CHAPTER_TITLE The OCZ Gladiator Max The first heat-pipe direct touch (HDT) cooler Legit Reviews looked at from OCZ was the Vendetta HDT CPU cooler. Today, we get a chance to run their newest HDT cooler, the Gladiator Max, through the paces in the LR lab. The Gladiator Max was announced in September and is the newest performance cooler in the OCZ arsenal. Before we get started let's take a quick look at the features and specifications for the Gladiator Max. Features: 4 Pure Copper heat pipes for superior heat dissipation Pure Aluminum alloy fins for ultimate durability 120mm Fan with rubber connectors Generic Thermal Compound Specifications: Part Number: OCZTGLADM CPU Compatibility AMD 754/755/939/940/AM2 Intel LGA775 *may not fit all motherboards Fan Specs Size: 120mm x 120mm x 25mm Rated Voltage: 12V DC Fan Speed: 800-1500RPM Noise Level: 19.6-26.4 dBA Bearing type: rifle Life Expectancy: 40,000 hours Connector: 4 pin with PWM Weight: 780g (with fan) Dimensions: (L)63x(W)120x(H)165mm Packaging The Gladiator Max comes in a snazzy looking box with the fan upfront in a window and the features listed on one side and specifications on the other. Inside everything is snuggly packed and well protected

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OCZ NIA - Will Gaming With Brain Waves Take Off?

What is the NIA?
Gamers are often willing to do almost anything to get an edge on their opponents. They will invest in better graphics cards, overclock their motherboards to the max, even buy $50+ mousepads so the mouse will glide around easier with no interference! But, what about a device that can read your mind as you play? Just think about what you want your character to do, and he does it? Well, OCZ brings us one step closer to that futuristic gameplay with their Neural Impulse Actuator, or NIA. Legit Reviews has been following the NIA since word of it became public back at CeBIT 2007, so many of you have been following our updates and news posts about the NIA. Last month OCZ finally launched the 64-bit Windows drivers and with the drivers completed it is time for a review!
The NIA is designed to work in conjunction with the mouse in order to enhance gameplay. It is a headband with carbon nanofiber-based sensors that can, according to OCZ, translate your electrical biosignals into computer commands! OCZ has created some default profiles that should work for just about anyone to use the NIA out of the box, but also allows you to create your own profiles and configure the settings to read your biosignals. By shifting your eyes or wrinkling a brow, you should have that added control over your character, increasing your reflexes and hopefully getting that proverbial edge over your opponents.
The NIA headband is one-size-fits all and has an adjustable elastic band to help you get that balance of comfort and contact with the sensors. The NIA "black box" is 4.1"x3.1"x1.2", so it doesn't take up much space for travelling and shouldn't be in the way while you game. It interfaces with an A-to-B USB cable to your Windows XP, Vista, or Vista 64-bit operating system. OCZ recommends at least a 1GHz processor and 512MB of memory on your PC.

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ATI All-In-Wonder HD Video Card Review

ATI All-In-Wonder HD Video Card Review ATI All-In-Wonder HD Video Card Review ATI’s All-In-Wonder line has always held a special place in the heart of multimedia enthusiast. From 1996 to 2006 ATI stepped up each generation to provide a great gaming experience along with the added benefit of being able to watch TV and video from an external source, such as Cable TV or a Video Camera just to name a few. In 2006 ATI announced what was considered to be the last of the AIW cards, the AIW X1900. Fast forward to June 2008 and the revamped ATI now owned by AMD launches the next generation of the AIW, the ATI HD All-In-Wonder. Any great piece of video hardware has to have a solid base, the ATI HD AIW is based on the ATI HD 3650 GPU. In the past, AIW cards were generally based on near the top of the heap video cards, being that the AIW HD is based on something a little less formidable we see a big change in that regard. The HD 3650 is no slouch for gaming, but you are not going to be able to crank visual settings up much if you plan to game at HD resolutions. If you need more background info on the HD 3650, we covered the launch back in January. The card is a little oddly colored with a purple PCB and red heatsink shroud. The gold piece on the top is the tuner. On the bottom left, we see the connector for the included daughter card. While gaming performance may be off the pace there is good reason, in the past watching TV on your PC was a niche market and most gamers didn’t mind the extra noise and heat that went along with it. Today things have changed, owning a Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC) is growing trend and moving closer to mainstream. Power, heat, and noise play a critical role in what devices builders use to keep the correct atmosphere for their living room or “theater room.” This is why the HD 3650 was spec’d for the job of the AIW HD. ATI has handed over the video processing duties to their Theater Pro 650 chip. With plenty of features built in it is more than capable of handling your needs. Below are just a few of the specifications: 125 channel TV tuner with stereo audio New worldwide video decoder NTSC, PAL, SECAM support 5-line 2D comb filter Motion adaptive 3D comb filter Worldwide audio decoder 3:2 pull-down Motion compensated noise reduction Edge enhancement Hardware MPEG compression engine MPEG-2 720x480 compression CBR and VBR from 1 to 15 Mbps FM radio reception Digital audio processing Hardware DRM engine VBI slicing Audio/video input support ATSC digital TV support (optional) DVB-T digital TV support (optional) Now that we know a little more about our card, let’s get an idea of the layout.

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Intel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Processor Review

Table of ConIntel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Processor Reviewtents CHAPTER_TITLE Intel has finally lifted the embargo on the yet-to-be-launched Intel Core i7 processors and the Intel X58 Express chipset. Intel strongly believes that this new platform will be the must have work horse for digital media & gaming enthusiasts for many months to come. With so much to talk about this new platform we made the decision to focus just on processor performance for this article and then take a deeper dive at other features in the weeks to come. This should work out nicely as the processors won't be available to purchase until later this month and many companies are just now getting us production grade triple channel memory kits and video card drivers for this new platform. The Intel Core i7 Processor (known as Nehalem internally) has some very big architecture changes as you can tell from the picture above. The new Core i7 processor has 1366 pins and as a result the size of the processor, socket and heat sink mounting brackets are all larger than LGA 775 based processors that have been out now for a couple of years. The die size of Core i7 processors is 263 mm2 and the transistor count is 731 Million. Taking a look at the die of the Core i7 processor we see a first for Intel processors -- the integrated memory controller. This on-die, triple channel, DDR3 memory controller is unique in the fact that it allows consumers to run three memory modules together for optimal performance. By moving to an integrated memory controller and triple channel memory the platform has over 25GB/s of throughput between the processor and DDR3 memory modules! For those that follow processor architecture you will notice a brand new cache structure on the Core i7 diagram shown above. All Intel Core i7 processors feature L1, L2, and shared L3 caches. Before, Intel Core 2 Duo and Quad processors had just an L1 and L2 cache. The break down on the cache is as follows: there is a 64K L1 cache (32K Instruction, 32K Data) per core, 1MB of total L2 cache, and an impressive 8MB chunk of L3 cache that is shared across all the cores. That means that all Intel Core i7 processors have over 9MB of memory right there on the 45nm processor! Can it get any better than this? Of course it can! The new Core i7 processor has a huge list of improvements that have been made to it. New SSE4.2 Instructions Improved Lock Support Additional Caching Hierarchy Deeper Buffers Improved Loop Streaming Simultaneous Multi-Threading Faster Virtualization Better Branch Prediction Intel always told us that Hyper-Threading was not dead and they were right as the technology has surfaced again and is enabled on all of the Core i7 processors. With Hyper-Threading enabled on quad-core Core i7's processors the operating system sees eight virtual cores that can be used. Intel has told Legit Reviews that when Hyper-Threading originally came out the idea was solid, but that the Pentium 4 processor might not have been the best processor to bring it to market. The Core i7 series should highlight all the strong points of Hyper-Threading as they are calling it Hyper-Threading "done right" now. If you want a deeper look at the Intel Core i7 architecture take a look at this presentation that was given at the Spring 2008 IDF and this one that was given at the Fall IDF. Intel will be releasing three Core i7 processors and all have a TDP of 130W and an on-die shared L3 cache of 8MB. All current Core i7 processors are not intended for multi-processor motherboards, so it has only one Quick Path Interconnect (QPI). Core i7 965 Extreme Edition - 3.2GHz with 8MB Shared L3 cache and a 1x6.4GT/s QuickPath interconnect - $999 Core i7 940 - 2.93GHz with 8MB Shared L3 cache and a 1x4.8GT/s QuickPath interconnect - $562 Core i7 920 - 2.66GHz with 8MB Shared L3 cache and a 1x4.8GT/s QuickPath interconnect - $284 Now that we know what the general processor improvements are let's take a closer look at the chipset changes.

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Corsair Launches DDR3 Triple Pack Memory Kits for Intel Core i7 Platforms

Table of Contents Corsair Launches DDR3 Triple Pack Memory Kits for Intel Core i7 Platforms Corsair announced today that it is launching a full line of DDR3 performance memory products designed for Intel Core i7 processor. The kits range in price from $120 to $475 depending on what speed and accessories you want to go with your memory kit. Corsair also has a new AIRFLOW fan it seems as the press picture for the TR3X6G1866C9DF 6GB Kit of 1866MHz memory shows two fans in a wider than normal housing. The original AIRFLOW used three fans and was not as wide. Designed to take advantage of the Core i7 processor’s triple-channel memory controller, Corsair will offer memory solutions supporting three different DDR3 memory speeds in triple memory packs: 1333MHz, 1600MHz and 1866MHz. The 1866MHz Corsair DDR3 modules will be the world’s fastest Intel Core i7 solution. Each memory speed will feature kits of three 1 Gigabyte or 2 Gigabyte modules for a total of 3 Gigabyte or 6 Gigabyte kits. The 1600MHz and 1866MHz DDR3 memory kits will also feature the industry’s highest performance memory technology, Corsair’s patented Dual-Path Heat Exchange (DHX), for maximum performance and reliability. With six total products available, Corsair is launching the most comprehensive product line available for the Intel Core i7 processor

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AMD Radeon HD 4830 512MB Graphics Card Review

Table of Contents AMD Radeon HD 4830 512MB Graphics Card Review AMD Introduces a $129 Radeon HD 4830 Graphics Card AMD has been pretty aggressive in the video card market lately and with the success of the Radeon HD 4800 series who could blame them. Today AMD is announcing the ATI Radeon HD 4830 graphics card, which looks like the Radeon HD 4850 at first glance. It would be easy to confuse the two cards as they use similar printed circuit boards and both use 512MB of GDDR3 for the frame buffer. What is the difference then? The Radeon HD 4830 has lower clock speeds across the board in conjunction with 160 fewer stream processors and eight fewer texture units than the Radeon HD 4850. With less features comes a lower price tag and at $129 the Radeon HD 4830 can still offer great performance for the price being paid. When you compare the specifications on the three single GPU Radeon HD 4800 series cards you can see how they stack up across the board. Notice that the max board power remains the same on the Radeon HD 4830, so power consumption and temperatures should be close to what is seen on the Radeon HD 4850 graphics card. The clock rate on the Radeon HD 4830 is 575MHz with the memory clock being 900MHz. The Radeon HD 4830, 4850 and 4870 all have 956 Million transistors and are built on the 55nm process. AMD has a very nice product stack in the market now with mainstream gaming graphics cards from the $79 price point all the way up to the $300 mark for those looking to spend a little more for performance. The Radeon HD 4830 is set for the $100-$150 price point, which makes it direct competition to the GeForce 9800 GT graphics card from NVIDIA. Now that we have a basic understanding of the specifications, let's take a closer look at the card itself.

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Rexus PST-3 20/24pin Power Supply Tester

Rexus PST-3 20/24pin Power Supply Tester A Power Supply Tester Is Something Every Enthusiast Should Have Today I thought that it would be interesting to review something that doesn't get much attention, a power supply tester. This is one of those products that does not get sent out for review much, but is often used by those that work on computers for a living as it is a quick and simple diagnostic tool that can be easily used at the shop or on the road. Power supply testers have come a long way since 2005 and the days of having just a green or red LED light to tell you the status of the power supply are long gone. Let's take a look to see what you get when you spend $20.99 on the Rexus PST-3 digital power supply tester. The new models are now metal, which means that it is tougher to melt the housing and that the tester is a little more durable for those of you that like to be rough on things. The old plastic power supply testers like the Antec ATX12V Power Supply Tester would get so hot that after a few minutes the plastic housing would melt like the one pictured above. For those curious how this happened, I just plugged the Antec tester into a power supply and then the phone rang. To make a long story short I didn't unplug it and a few minutes later I returned to find a melted, but still working device. The Rexus power supply tester is sleeker, better made and has LCD display to give you the actual reading of the voltages. For those curious about size it measures 150mm (l) x 64mm (w) x 18mm (t). The Rexus power supply tester is compatible with both 20-pin and 24-pin power supplies, so no worries on that front. The power supply tester has the ability to the following connectors: 20-pin and 24-pin power supplies SATA power Pentium 4 power connector PCI-Express power connectors Xeon power connectors Floppy drive connectors standard 4-pin molex power supply connectors Accurate voltage indicator +/-V(+12V1/+5V/+3.3V/5VSB/+12V2/-12V) As you can tell, power supply testers have come a long way since the last time one was reviewed here on the site in 2005. On the bottom of the tester is the 4-pin molex connector (shown above) and at the top of the tester is the SATA connector (not shown). Now that the basic features of this simple to use power supply tester are known let's take a look at how it works in real life.

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Lian-Li launches the all new Classic PC-9 Midi Tower Chassis

Lian-Li launches the all new Classic PC-9 Midi Tower Chassis
Lian-Li has launched the PC-9 midi-tower incorporating outstanding quality with a clean simple style. Standing at 209 x 435 x 488mm (W,H,D), with removable front panel around front bezels consisting of 5x 5.25” bays which can support all your ODD needs, while the lower part of the front bezel has an integrated HDD Hot swappable SATA cage with a front facing securely lockable door. The HDD Cage is ventilated uniquely from the sides of the case and exemplifies the innovation and attention to detail present in every chassis made by Lian Li.
The PSU bay is at the bottom, and has a specialized bracket to support your PSU component directly from below, with an adequate gap for airflow keeping them cooler for longer and in peak condition. In addition, rubber strips give insulation as well as prevent annoying vibration. The top mounted multimedia ports include 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x Firewire (IEEE1394), and HD + AC97 Audio ports. The PC-9 has water pipe access holes, should you wish to use them.

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ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe Motherboard Review

Introduction and Specs
It was not that long ago that we introduced you to the Asus M3A78-T motherboard that was built on the 790GX/SB750 chipsets. That board was a good performer, but was not poised to be the cream of the crop in the AMD chipset line-up. That spot was still taken by the 790FX chipset, but none of the boards had the updated SB750 southbridge. That is, until now. Today we introduce to you the Asus M3A79-T Deluxe motherboard which finally brings together the 790FX and the SB750. It will certainly be interesting to see if this new board sets itself up in a class of its own and warrants the extra expense that is usually associated with high end products. First off, let’s take a look at the specs...

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Lian Li PC-A7010 All Aluminum Full Tower Case

Lian Li PC-A7010 All Aluminum Full Tower Case
The Lian Li PC-A7010 Aluminum Full Tower ATX Case
If you were ask any enthusiast who makes a quality all-aluminum case, I would bet 9 out of 10 times the answer you would get is Lian Li. Lian Li is known for making high end, high quality, all aluminum cases. I’m not going to lie; there is no such thing as a “cheap” Lian Li case. Today I have the pleasure of reviewing the new PC-A7010 from Lian Li. This new full tower case may not look like all too much from the outside, but inside is a whole other story. Let's take a look at the features and specifications from the Lian Li website before we get too far.
Features
PC-A7010 equipped SATA HDD Raid HDD cage to help make your life easier. You can have more time to enjoy your life; no more working with wire. It also features Raid function. (Still need the support from the M/B or SATA Raid Card chipset.)
PC-A7010 has equipped four 120mm cooling fans in the front of the chassis, there are two fans to intake the cool air into the case, and two fans next to the HDD cage to draw the air to improve the air flow. The fans not only cool the HDD down, they also help the motherboard's North & South bridge chipset, and the graphics card.
Huge internal space fits E-ATX motherboard and graphics card, which can up to 345mm long and there is room for 10 hard drives and for dual power supply units. There are a total of 6x 12cm cooling fans to cool the system down, and a lot of internal space for a liquid cooling system. It is ideal for gamer and pro user!
PC-A7010 equipped a total of six fans to keep the system cool. To reduce the noise, PC-A7010 has fitted a three-speed fan speed controller, which can adjust six fans, speed from 1020 to 1240 to 1500 RPM. Factory setting is to Middle (1240RPM). User can adjust the fan speed to get the best balance of silence and cooling.
Specifications
Model: PC-A7010
Case Type: Super Full Tower
Dimensions: 220 x 595 x 590mm (W, H, D)
Front bezel Material: Aluminum
Color: Black
Side Panel: Plain
Body Material: Aluminum
Net Weight:
5.25" drive bay (External): 5
3.5" drive bay (External): 1 (Using 1 x 5.25)
3.5" drive bay (Internal): 10 (SATA Radi x 7)
Expansion Slot: 7
Motherboard: EATX, ATX, M-ATX
System Fan (Front): 120mm Ball-Bearing Fan x 4 (1020~1240~1500RPM)
System Fan (Top): N/A
System Fan (Rear): 120mm Ball-Bearing Fan x 2 (1020~1240~1500RPM)
I/O Ports: USB2.0 x 4, IEEE1394 x 1, ESATA x 1, HD+AC97 Audio

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ECS GeForce 9800 GTX+ Hydra SLI Video Card Kit

ECS GeForce 9800 GTX+ Hydra SLI Video Card Kit
ECS Hydra GeForce 9800 GTX+ SLI - Watercooled
The NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ graphics card was announced the same day that AMD released the Radeon HD 4850 series graphics card and performance on the card was found to be solid. It was able to perform better than the Radeon HD 4850, but it cost more and used significantly more power at idle and was slower than the Radeon HD 4870. The one highlight of the GeForce 9800 GTX+ that couldn't be ignored was the stellar overclocking that could be had for those that wanted to squeeze the most performance out of this graphics card. With new graphics cards coming out on a near monthly basis, more focus has been given to cards like the GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 and the GeForce 9800 GTX+ has been slowly losing ground in the lime light. How could this be though? For a cutting edge graphics card with a refined core thanks to a die shrink and the ability to run NVIDIA PhysX GPU acceleration as well as CUDA-enabled applications like F@H, one would think these cards would be flying off the store shelves. The original price on the GeForce 9800 GTX+ was $229, but today one of these cards can be had for just $152.99 after a $40 rebate. Since it's already proven that the GeForce 9800 GTX+ can't win the top spot on the benchmark charts, what can be done to put it back in the spotlight?
Our friends over at ECS Elitegroup figured putting two cards and a water cooling kit together in a nice little package with a popular PC game would be just the right thing. When I first got the ECS Hydra GeForce 9800 GTX+ the first thing I noticed was the size of the retail box. It was the largest retail box I have seen since I started Legit Reviews back in 2002. It has to be that large though as inside are a ton of parts that you need to build one of the sickest water cooled SLI setups around.
Inside the ECS retail box you'll find two GeForce 9800 GTX+ cards with pre-assembled Thermaltake waterblocks, the Thermaltake Bigwater 760is watercooling system, and all the water tubes, connectors and coolant needed to get the setup running. ECS offers a two year warranty that covers parts and labor with all of its graphics cards which should include the Thermaltake blocks and water cooler that comes with this kit. The first year of the warranty is handled by the retailer where you purchased the card, while the second year is covered by ECS directly. With this kit having an MSRP of $519.99, a warranty longer than a year is a must.
For $519.99 you get a bundle that not too many cards come with today since it has a game title! Included in the bundle are four, 4-pin molex conectors to 6-pin PCIe power adapters, two DVI to VGA connectors, two S/PDIF cables, two DVI to HDMI adapters, a full length SLI bridge and a full DVD copy of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2. If that isn't enough, the bundle also includes the user's guide, instruction manual, and the driver CD. The bundle is impressive, so let's take a closer look at the parts that make up the kit.

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intel processors

Intel Processors
Processor Number
Percent Decline
Desktop Products
Core™ 2 Extreme processor, 2.93GHz, LGA775 package
QX6800
17%
Core™ 2 Quad processor 2.4 GHz, LGA775 package
Q6600
44%
Core™ 2 Duo processor 2.00 GHz, LGA775 package
E4400
14%
Pentium® Dual-Core processor 1.8Ghz, LGA775 package
E2160
3%
Pentium® Dual-Core processor 1.6Ghz, LGA775 package
E2140
16%
Celeron® processor 2.0 GHz, LGA775 package
440
3%
Celeron® processor 1.8 GHz, LGA775 package
430
4%
Celeron® processor 1.6 GHz, LGA775 package
420
5%
Celeron® D processor 3.46 GHz, LGA775 package
360
3%
Celeron® D processor 3.46 GHz, LGA775 package
356
3.5%
Celeron® D processor 3.46 GHz, LGA775 package
352
4%
Celeron® D processor 3.46 GHz, LGA775 package
347
5%
Celeron® D processor 3.46 GHz, LGA775 package
336
5.5%
Celeron® D processor 3.46 GHz, LGA775 package
331
5.5%
Celeron® processor on D201GLY Board (Box Package)
215
15%
Celeron® processor on D201GLY Board (Bulk Package)
215
16%
Mobile Products
Celeron M® processor 1.73 GHz, FCPGA6 package
530
20%
Celeron M® processor 1.6 GHz, FCPGA6 package
520
20%
Intel Server Processor Pricing Declines in Percent:
Intel Processors
Processor Number
Percent Decline
Server Products
Quad-Core Xeon® processor 2.66 GHz, FC-LGA6 package
X5355
36%
Quad-Core Xeon® processor 2.33 GHz, FC-LGA6 package
E5345
45%
Quad-Core Xeon® processor 2.0 GHz, FC-LGA6 package
E5335
52%
Quad-Core Xeon® processor 1.86 GHz, FC-LGA6 package
E5320
42%
Quad-Core Xeon® processor 1.6 GHz, FC-LGA6 package
E5310
33%
Quad-Core Xeon® processor 1.86 GHz, FC-LGA6 package
L5320
36%
Dual-Core Xeon® processor 1.6 GHz, FC-LGA6 package
5110
13%

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Intel® Core™2 Quad Processors

Intel® Core™2 Quad Processors
Introducing Intel® Core™2 Quad processor for notebook and desktop PCs, designed to handle massive compute and visualization workloads enabled by powerful multi-core technology. Optimized for the longest possible battery life without compromise to performance, Intel Core 2 Quad processors for notebooks allow you to stay unwired longer while running the most compute-intensive applications.
Providing all the bandwidth you need for next-generation highly-threaded applications, the latest four-core Intel Core 2 Quad processors are built on 45nm Intel® Core™ microarchitecture enabling faster, cooler, and quieter mobile and desktop PC and workstation experiences.
Plus, with optional Intel® vPro™ technology, you have the ability to remotely isolate, diagnose, and repair infected desktop and mobile workstations wirelessly and outside of the firewall, even if the PC is off, or the OS is unresponsive.

Features and Benefits
With four processing cores, up to 12MB of shared L2 cache,¹ and up to 1066 MHz Front Side Bus for notebooks, and up to 12MB of L2 cache² and up to 1333 MHz Front Side Bus for desktops, the Intel Core 2 Quad processor delivers amazing performance and power efficiency enabled by the all new hafnium-based circuitry of 45nm Intel Core microarchitecture.
Whether you're encoding, rendering, editing, or streaming HD multimedia in the office or on the go, power your most demanding applications with notebooks and desktops based on the Intel Core 2 Quad processor.
Plus, with these processors you get great Intel® technologies built in:

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Intel® Dual-Core Technology

Intel® Dual-Core Technology
Designed from the ground up for revolutionary energy-efficient performance, Intel® dual-core processors enable exceptional productivity enhancing features and rich multimedia experiences. As the catalyst for new processor architecture design, Intel dual-core processors have become the standard for our desktop, mobile, and server platforms.
Do more at once than ever before with Intel inside

The Intel dual-core processor consists of two complete execution cores in one physical processor. Imagine that a dual-core processor is like a four-lane highway—it can handle up to twice as many cars as a two-lane road without making each car drive twice as fast.
Similarly, with an Intel dual-core processor, you can do more at once than ever before, without slowing down:
Boost multitasking power with improved performance for highly multithreaded and compute-intensive applications
Reduce costs and use less power with energy-efficient Intel dual-core processors built on Intel® Core™ microarchitecture
Enjoy flexibility and the performance to handle robust content creation or intense gaming with multimedia-enabling technologies built in

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