DOWNLOAD: Intel SSD Toolbox 3.0
DAISYOIX IT SOLUTION (001970830-V)
Friday, October 28, 2011
Intel Releases SSD Toolbox 3.0 Software
Intel released the Solid-State Drive Toolbox 3.0 system software, which it
recommends for use with its SSDs. SSDs have a limited number of times
they can rewrite data onto their NAND flash cells. The most common
20-nanometer class MLC NAND flash offers around 5,000 rewrite cycles.
This software monitors your Intel SSD for performance degradation, and
provides a measure of how many rewrite cycles are left, so you can plan
beforehand about backing up your data and replacing it. The software
also provides a suite of diagnostics for your Intel SSD. Lastly, the
software can update your drive's firmware without the need for a DOS
bootable disk.
DOWNLOAD: Intel SSD Toolbox 3.0
DOWNLOAD: Intel SSD Toolbox 3.0
EVGA Intros GeForce GTX 580 Batman: Arkham City Graphics Card
EVGA released a new Batman: Arkham City-themed GeForce GTX 580 graphics
card. Carrying the model number 015-P3-1582-A1, this card carries NVIDIA
clock speeds of 797/1594/4050 MHz (core/CUDA cores/memory effective).
Apart from the game-themed cooler shroud sticker and a themed box, we
can't really see what's new with this product. Perhaps it has a voucher
for a copy of the game?
Based on the 40 nm GF100 graphics processor, GeForce GTX 580 is the single fastest GPU on the planet. It packs 512 CUDA cores, and 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory across a 384-bit wide memory bus. The GTX 580 also packs features Batman: Arkham City can benefit from, such as PhysX. Available on American retailer Newegg.com, the EVGA GTX 580 Batman: Arkham City Edition is priced at $529.99. At $30 over the base model GTX 580, it has got to pack a copy of the game.
Source
Based on the 40 nm GF100 graphics processor, GeForce GTX 580 is the single fastest GPU on the planet. It packs 512 CUDA cores, and 1536 MB of GDDR5 memory across a 384-bit wide memory bus. The GTX 580 also packs features Batman: Arkham City can benefit from, such as PhysX. Available on American retailer Newegg.com, the EVGA GTX 580 Batman: Arkham City Edition is priced at $529.99. At $30 over the base model GTX 580, it has got to pack a copy of the game.
Source
Gigabyte Intros A75N-USB 3.0 Mini-ITX Motherboard for AMD A-Series APUs
Gigabyte released its newest premium HTPC motherboard in the mini-ITX
form-factor, the A75N-USB3. As the name might suggest, this is a socket
FM1 motherboard based on the AMD A75 chipset, and features USB 3.0
connectivity. Despite its compact dimensions, the board crams in
everything a HTPC can benefit from. First, the FM1 socket seats AMD
A-Series accelerated processing units (APUs), which pack up to four
x86-64 cores with up to 4 MB cache, dual-channel DDR3-1866 integrated
memory controller, and more importantly, a very powerful integrated
graphics processor in the Radeon HD 6500 class. The FM1 socket on this
board is powered by a 3+1 phase VRM that makes use of driver-MOSFETs.
Power is drawn by a 24-pin ATX and a 4-pin CPU power connector.
The lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16. The CPU is wired to two full-length DDR3 DIMM slots, which can take in up to 32 GB (that's right, future 16 GB DIMMs are supported) of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory. The AMD A75 chipset gives out four internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and one eSATA 6 Gb/s port on the rear panel. Display outputs include HDMI 1.4a and DVI. Analog outputs are done away with. Audio is handled by a high-quality Realtek ALC889 HD audio codec. Although this codec supports 8+2 output channels, it is wired to a 5.1 channel shared audio jack cluster, apart from the internal HDA_FP header. Those needing 7.1 channel output can still use the TOSLINK connector, that supports 7.1 channel output with 24-bit, 192 kHz resolution and Dolby Home Theater support. If even that's not enough, the HDMI connector gives you 7.1 channel HDMI audio with Dolby Prologic support.
The lone gigabit Ethernet connection is handled by a Realtek RTL8111E PCIe chip, there are just two USB 2.0 ports apart from two more via internal header, but there are as many as four USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel, driven by the AMD A75 chipset's integrated USB 3.0 controller. Despite severe space constraints, Gigabyte made room for two sets of BIOS EEPROM chips, to give you DualBIOS (your insurance against failed BIOS updates). The board uses traditional AwardBIOS, but features HybridEFI, which lets you boot from volumes greater than 2.2 TB in size. There is no word on the pricing of this board.
Source
The lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16. The CPU is wired to two full-length DDR3 DIMM slots, which can take in up to 32 GB (that's right, future 16 GB DIMMs are supported) of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory. The AMD A75 chipset gives out four internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and one eSATA 6 Gb/s port on the rear panel. Display outputs include HDMI 1.4a and DVI. Analog outputs are done away with. Audio is handled by a high-quality Realtek ALC889 HD audio codec. Although this codec supports 8+2 output channels, it is wired to a 5.1 channel shared audio jack cluster, apart from the internal HDA_FP header. Those needing 7.1 channel output can still use the TOSLINK connector, that supports 7.1 channel output with 24-bit, 192 kHz resolution and Dolby Home Theater support. If even that's not enough, the HDMI connector gives you 7.1 channel HDMI audio with Dolby Prologic support.
The lone gigabit Ethernet connection is handled by a Realtek RTL8111E PCIe chip, there are just two USB 2.0 ports apart from two more via internal header, but there are as many as four USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel, driven by the AMD A75 chipset's integrated USB 3.0 controller. Despite severe space constraints, Gigabyte made room for two sets of BIOS EEPROM chips, to give you DualBIOS (your insurance against failed BIOS updates). The board uses traditional AwardBIOS, but features HybridEFI, which lets you boot from volumes greater than 2.2 TB in size. There is no word on the pricing of this board.
Source
Logitech Introduces Gaming Keyboard and Mouse for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Logitech unveiled the Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105 and the Logitech
Laser Mouse G9X, specially made for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Ideal for power gamers, the new accessories make it easy and fun to
customize your path to victory.
“The Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105 and the Logitech Laser Mouse G9X are perfect for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 enthusiasts who want the best in precision and customization for their gaming experience,” said Chris Pate, senior product marketing manager for gaming at Logitech. “Both devices let you jump right into the action with the power to perform complex maneuvers with confidence.”
Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105
The Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105 – the official keyboard of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – lets you play long into the night with military-style, night-vision green LED backlighting. Featuring six programmable G-keys, each with three mode states, the Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105 provides up to 18 possible macro combinations per game. These macros let you perform single keystrokes or intricate multi-key combinations complete with mouse events, user-defined delays and repeating. New macros can even be recorded on the fly once you download the Logitech Gaming Software.
Multi-key input allows you to use up to five keys at once. You can perform multiple – and more complex – actions without the interference or ghosting that can occur on other keyboards. Plus, convenient media key controls put instant access to volume and mute, as well as start, stop, pause, forward and back functions, right at your fingertips. For added convenience, a game/desktop mode switch disables the Windows and Context Menu keys, so your game won’t be interrupted if you accidentally press the wrong keys.
Logitech Laser Mouse G9X
The Logitech Laser Mouse G9X’s gaming laser gives you game-changing precision at hand speeds up to 165 inches per second on the most popular gaming mouse pad surfaces. On-the-fly, adjustable dpi takes you from pixel-precise targeting (200 dpi) to lightning-fast maneuvers (up to 5700 dpi) without pausing the action, while full-speed USB delivers performance at up to 1000 reports per second. The MicroGear Precision Scroll wheel is perfect for weapon selection – or switch to frictionless hyper-fast scrolling to fly through long Web pages when you’re not playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
A weight-tuning system allows you to customize your mouse with up to 28 grams of extra weights that you can mix and match for more control. A custom color display also lets you choose the color of your LEDs from a wide color spectrum so you can match your mouse to your PC, your game, or your style.
Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105 is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in October, for a suggested retail price of $79.99. The Logitech Laser Mouse G9X is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in November, for a suggested retail price of $99.99.
For more information, visit the product pages of G105 and G9X.
Source
“The Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105 and the Logitech Laser Mouse G9X are perfect for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 enthusiasts who want the best in precision and customization for their gaming experience,” said Chris Pate, senior product marketing manager for gaming at Logitech. “Both devices let you jump right into the action with the power to perform complex maneuvers with confidence.”
Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105
The Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105 – the official keyboard of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – lets you play long into the night with military-style, night-vision green LED backlighting. Featuring six programmable G-keys, each with three mode states, the Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105 provides up to 18 possible macro combinations per game. These macros let you perform single keystrokes or intricate multi-key combinations complete with mouse events, user-defined delays and repeating. New macros can even be recorded on the fly once you download the Logitech Gaming Software.
Multi-key input allows you to use up to five keys at once. You can perform multiple – and more complex – actions without the interference or ghosting that can occur on other keyboards. Plus, convenient media key controls put instant access to volume and mute, as well as start, stop, pause, forward and back functions, right at your fingertips. For added convenience, a game/desktop mode switch disables the Windows and Context Menu keys, so your game won’t be interrupted if you accidentally press the wrong keys.
Logitech Laser Mouse G9X
The Logitech Laser Mouse G9X’s gaming laser gives you game-changing precision at hand speeds up to 165 inches per second on the most popular gaming mouse pad surfaces. On-the-fly, adjustable dpi takes you from pixel-precise targeting (200 dpi) to lightning-fast maneuvers (up to 5700 dpi) without pausing the action, while full-speed USB delivers performance at up to 1000 reports per second. The MicroGear Precision Scroll wheel is perfect for weapon selection – or switch to frictionless hyper-fast scrolling to fly through long Web pages when you’re not playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
A weight-tuning system allows you to customize your mouse with up to 28 grams of extra weights that you can mix and match for more control. A custom color display also lets you choose the color of your LEDs from a wide color spectrum so you can match your mouse to your PC, your game, or your style.
Pricing and Availability
The Logitech Gaming Keyboard G105 is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in October, for a suggested retail price of $79.99. The Logitech Laser Mouse G9X is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in November, for a suggested retail price of $99.99.
For more information, visit the product pages of G105 and G9X.
Source
Gigabyte Intros GZ-P5 Plus Case
Gigabyte released the new GZ-P5 Plus, an ATX mid-tower case for gamers
on a shoestring budget. Measuring 180 x 420 x 380 mm, the GZ-P5 Plus is
larger than the original GZ-P5 released about an year ago. It is also
lighter, at 3.2 kg (compared to 3.5 kg of the original). The case is
made almost entirely of SECC steel, with the front made of glossy ABS
plastic. Internally, the case uses the PSU-on-top layout. The
motherboard tray supports ATX and micro-ATX cases. Drive bays include
four 5.25-inch and five 3.5-inch. There's only one fan bundled with the
case, an 80 mm exhaust on the rear panel. There's no word on the
pricing.
Source: TechConnect Magazine
Source: TechConnect Magazine
Gigabyte X79 UD3 and UD5 Final Design Motherboards Detailed
Here are pictures of the release-grade revision (1.0) of Gigabyte's
socket LGA2011 motherboards in its main linuep, the GA-X79-UD3 and
GA-X79-UD5. These are the release-grade 1.0 revisions, that are
redesigned for X79 chipset with just six SATA ports (doing away with
SAS). With the LGA2011 motherboard lineup, Gigabyte is doing away with
the "UD7" model, in its segment there is GA-X79-OC. We saw this coming,
because UD7 was meant to be an overclocking motherboard identifier. On
the company website, for example, the product page of GA-X58A-UD7 (2.0)
shows GA-X58A-OC as a "newer model". The GA-X79-UD3 is poised to be the
most affordable LGA2011 motherboard from Gigabyte, while the GA-X79-UD5
offers some premium connectivity and memory expansion features.
The GA-X79-UD3 uses a simple 8+1 phase VRM to power the LGA2011 CPU. The memory is powered by a 4-phase VRM. There are just four DDR3 DIMM slots, one per channel. There are four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, among which two are x16 capable, and all four are x8 capable. There are two PCIe x1, and surprisingly, a legacy PCI slot (uncommon for LGA2011 platform). All six SATA ports from the X79 chipset are assigned as internal ports: two SATA 6 Gb/s (white), and four SATA 3 Gb/s (black). Three Marvell-made SATA 6 Gb/s controllers provide four additional internal ports (gray), and two eSATA 6 Gb/s. There are just four USB 3.0 ports, two on the rear panel, and two via internal header. 8+2 channel HD audio, a number of USB 2.0 ports, and one gigabit Ethernet connection make for the rest of the GA-X79-UD3.
The GA-X79-UD5, on the other hand, uses a different PCB from that of the UD3, with more room for memory expansion thanks to eight DDR3 DIMM slots (two per channel). It uses a beefier CPU VRM, with 14-phases and POSCAP capacitors. Again, the memory is powered by a 4-phase VRM. Unlike the UD3, the GA-X79-UD5 compromises with expansion slots. The UD3 uses all seven expansion slot bays on an ATX case, but the UD5 uses just six. What's more surprising here is that the scapegoat isn't the legacy PCI slot, but a PCI-Express 3.0! This board, unlike the UD3, has just three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, among which two are x16 capable, and all three are x8 capable. Storage connectivity is similar to the UD3, with two SATA 6 Gb/s (white), and four SATA 3 Gb/s (black) from the X79 PCH, four additional SATA 6 Gb/s ports (gray) and two eSATA 6 Gb/s ports from Marvell-made controllers. It has the same number of USB 3.0 ports as the UD3: 2 (rear) and 2 (header). Other connectivity is identical, except that this board also has Firewire.
Source: OCaholic.ch
The GA-X79-UD3 uses a simple 8+1 phase VRM to power the LGA2011 CPU. The memory is powered by a 4-phase VRM. There are just four DDR3 DIMM slots, one per channel. There are four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, among which two are x16 capable, and all four are x8 capable. There are two PCIe x1, and surprisingly, a legacy PCI slot (uncommon for LGA2011 platform). All six SATA ports from the X79 chipset are assigned as internal ports: two SATA 6 Gb/s (white), and four SATA 3 Gb/s (black). Three Marvell-made SATA 6 Gb/s controllers provide four additional internal ports (gray), and two eSATA 6 Gb/s. There are just four USB 3.0 ports, two on the rear panel, and two via internal header. 8+2 channel HD audio, a number of USB 2.0 ports, and one gigabit Ethernet connection make for the rest of the GA-X79-UD3.
The GA-X79-UD5, on the other hand, uses a different PCB from that of the UD3, with more room for memory expansion thanks to eight DDR3 DIMM slots (two per channel). It uses a beefier CPU VRM, with 14-phases and POSCAP capacitors. Again, the memory is powered by a 4-phase VRM. Unlike the UD3, the GA-X79-UD5 compromises with expansion slots. The UD3 uses all seven expansion slot bays on an ATX case, but the UD5 uses just six. What's more surprising here is that the scapegoat isn't the legacy PCI slot, but a PCI-Express 3.0! This board, unlike the UD3, has just three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, among which two are x16 capable, and all three are x8 capable. Storage connectivity is similar to the UD3, with two SATA 6 Gb/s (white), and four SATA 3 Gb/s (black) from the X79 PCH, four additional SATA 6 Gb/s ports (gray) and two eSATA 6 Gb/s ports from Marvell-made controllers. It has the same number of USB 3.0 ports as the UD3: 2 (rear) and 2 (header). Other connectivity is identical, except that this board also has Firewire.
Source: OCaholic.ch
Future Computers Could Be Powered By Living Gut Bugs
Boffins at Imperial College London have been researching the use of
bacteria to create standard logic gates such as AND, NOR & NOT to
construct a living computer with. They have actually created working
prototypes that give the correct logical outputs for the corresponding
inputs. The bacteria used was the common E. coli found in the gut and as
typical food poisoning in a meal from a bad restaurant.
The scientists have also shown that these gates can be connected together combinatorialy, to provide complex logic functions, something that's critical to building any kind of digital circuit that is to have a useful function, such as a processor, no matter how simple. This original work, published in Nature magazine is worded in highly technical scientific language and is not easily understandable by us mere untrained mortals. However, for those that wish to dare try, click here. Here's a small sample:
What?!
Despite this complexity, as with most ideas in science, the underlying idea is actually quite simple to understand: these living bugs are put together in such a way as to make a digital logic gate. However, these logic gates don't use signals in electrical form, but instead use proteins expressed by genes as their inputs and outputs. Because these gates are modelled on the standard forms used in digital computers for the last 60+ years, they function in an equivalent way.
No word on performance compared to silicon, which one would expect to be much faster, their operating lifetime (they die?) or the possible uses of such devices in a future PC, yet. It looks like these types of living circuits are best suited for such applications as use within the body to detect things such as cancer, preventing heart attacks by cleaning arteries, plus neutralizing toxins in the environment, among a host of other possibilities. Note that just because one can't currently think of a use for this in a desktop PC, it doesn't mean that it can't happen. Many scientific discoveries and inventions didn't find their true purpose for years, with a fine example being the laser. The principle was established in 1917 by Einstein in his work 'On the Quantum Theory of Radiation', but working devices didn't appear until the late 1940s and it took decades longer until lasers were fully exploited commercially, but now they are everywhere.
Sources: Nature, PC World
The scientists have also shown that these gates can be connected together combinatorialy, to provide complex logic functions, something that's critical to building any kind of digital circuit that is to have a useful function, such as a processor, no matter how simple. This original work, published in Nature magazine is worded in highly technical scientific language and is not easily understandable by us mere untrained mortals. However, for those that wish to dare try, click here. Here's a small sample:
The circuits were assembled using a parts-based engineering approach of quantitative characterization, modelling, followed by construction and testing. The results show that new genetic logic devices can be engineered predictably from novel native orthogonal biological control elements using quantitatively in-context characterized parts.
What?!
Despite this complexity, as with most ideas in science, the underlying idea is actually quite simple to understand: these living bugs are put together in such a way as to make a digital logic gate. However, these logic gates don't use signals in electrical form, but instead use proteins expressed by genes as their inputs and outputs. Because these gates are modelled on the standard forms used in digital computers for the last 60+ years, they function in an equivalent way.
No word on performance compared to silicon, which one would expect to be much faster, their operating lifetime (they die?) or the possible uses of such devices in a future PC, yet. It looks like these types of living circuits are best suited for such applications as use within the body to detect things such as cancer, preventing heart attacks by cleaning arteries, plus neutralizing toxins in the environment, among a host of other possibilities. Note that just because one can't currently think of a use for this in a desktop PC, it doesn't mean that it can't happen. Many scientific discoveries and inventions didn't find their true purpose for years, with a fine example being the laser. The principle was established in 1917 by Einstein in his work 'On the Quantum Theory of Radiation', but working devices didn't appear until the late 1940s and it took decades longer until lasers were fully exploited commercially, but now they are everywhere.
Sources: Nature, PC World
EVGA X79 FTW Motherboard Pictured
EVGA released a teaser picture of its X79 FTW motherboard. This is EVGA's third LGA2011 motherboard, after the E-ATX Super Record 3 and XL-ATX X79 Classified.
This board confines itself to the dimensions of a standard ATX
form-factor motherboard (240 x 300 mm). It targets the gamer-overclocker
market. The LGA2011 socket is powered by a 14-phase VRM, while the
memory, 4-phase. EVGA completely did away with cylindrical conductive
polymer capacitors, and used a 100% POSCAP capacitor design. Power is
drawn in from a 24-pin ATX (angled) connector, 8-pin EPS, and a 4-pin
Molex (for PCIe slot electrical stability). There are just four DDR3
DIMM slots, one per memory channel.
Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (two are x16 capable, all four are x8 capable), a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x8), and one PCIe x1. NVIDIA 4-way SLI and AMD CrossFireX are supported. The only internal SATA ports on this board are the ones the X79 PCH gives out, two SATA 6 Gb/s and four SATA 3 Gb/s. There are two eSATA ports, driven by a third-party controller. There are as many as eight USB 3.0 ports on the rear-panel, and two via internal header. 8+2 channel HD audio, two GbE connections, a Bluetooth connection, and PCH-wired USB 2.0 ports (for keyboard/mouse) make for the rest of the standard connectors. There is an EVBot header on the rear-panel, that lets you connect to the EVBot monitoring/control module. The UEFI BIOS is stored in two separate EEPROMs, and a 2-way switch lets you manually switch between the two. Expect the X79 FTW to be a part of the company's first wave of LGA2011 motherboards.
Source
Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (two are x16 capable, all four are x8 capable), a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x8), and one PCIe x1. NVIDIA 4-way SLI and AMD CrossFireX are supported. The only internal SATA ports on this board are the ones the X79 PCH gives out, two SATA 6 Gb/s and four SATA 3 Gb/s. There are two eSATA ports, driven by a third-party controller. There are as many as eight USB 3.0 ports on the rear-panel, and two via internal header. 8+2 channel HD audio, two GbE connections, a Bluetooth connection, and PCH-wired USB 2.0 ports (for keyboard/mouse) make for the rest of the standard connectors. There is an EVBot header on the rear-panel, that lets you connect to the EVBot monitoring/control module. The UEFI BIOS is stored in two separate EEPROMs, and a 2-way switch lets you manually switch between the two. Expect the X79 FTW to be a part of the company's first wave of LGA2011 motherboards.
Source
Intel Sandy Bridge-E Can Reach Close to 5 GHz on Air-Cooling
As
Sandy Bridge-E, as we know, can be effectively overclocked by increasing its base clock (BClk). On this particular setup, the BClk was set at 120 MHz, with a multiplier value of 41X, and core voltage of 1.51V. The memory used was DDR3-2400 MHz with CAS latency of 10T. This is particularly encouraging, not just to enthusiasts on a tight budget, but also the cooling products industry in general. Core i7 "Sandy Bridge-E" retail boxes don't contain a cooling solution, and Intel has been showing off its branded closed-loop water-cooling solution (to be purchased separately) as something that's "recommended" for Core i7 "Sandy Bridge-E". This gave many an impression that you need at least closed-loop water coolers for any hope of achieving decent overclocked speeds with these chips, and that perhaps these chips are bad overclockers in general. The likes of Xigmatek, Thermalright, Noctua, and Scythe can breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Source: OCWorkbench
Sandy Bridge-E, as we know, can be effectively overclocked by increasing its base clock (BClk). On this particular setup, the BClk was set at 120 MHz, with a multiplier value of 41X, and core voltage of 1.51V. The memory used was DDR3-2400 MHz with CAS latency of 10T. This is particularly encouraging, not just to enthusiasts on a tight budget, but also the cooling products industry in general. Core i7 "Sandy Bridge-E" retail boxes don't contain a cooling solution, and Intel has been showing off its branded closed-loop water-cooling solution (to be purchased separately) as something that's "recommended" for Core i7 "Sandy Bridge-E". This gave many an impression that you need at least closed-loop water coolers for any hope of achieving decent overclocked speeds with these chips, and that perhaps these chips are bad overclockers in general. The likes of Xigmatek, Thermalright, Noctua, and Scythe can breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Source: OCWorkbench
ASUS TUF Sabertooth X79 Detailed
ASUS' top-tier LGA2011 lineup is completed by the TUF Sabertooth X79. This board, along with the ROG Rampage IV Extreme and P9X79 Deluxe
makes up for it. There will be many more affordable LGA2011 boards by
ASUS, one such model we're hearing about is the P9X79 Pro. The TUF
Sabertooth family is based on the idea of rock-solid stability and
component durability, these motherboards are built to last, if not score
accolades with overclocking like the ROG boards are designed for.
The Sabertooth X79 uses an ASUS-designed Digi+ VRM to power the CPU, which is spread across two sides of the socket (north and west). The heatsink cooling the VRM components to the west is actively cooled by a 40 mm fan, the one over the X79 PCH is cooled by a similarly sized lateral blower, too. Like with the other two top-tier boards from ASUS' stable, this one provides eight DDR3 DIMM slots supporting quad-channel memory.
Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 wired to the processor, one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x8), and two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, wired to the PCH. There are eight internal SATA ports, including two SATA 6 Gb/s (brown) from the PCH, four SATA 3 Gb/s (black) also from the PCH, and two SATA 6 Gb/s (white) from a third-party controller. There are two eSATA ports on the rear-panel, one of which is power-eSATA.
Other connectivity includes 8+2 channel HD audio, one gigabit Ethernet connection, four USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel, two USB 3.0 ports by internal header, USB 2.0, and Firewire.
Source: LegitReviews
The Sabertooth X79 uses an ASUS-designed Digi+ VRM to power the CPU, which is spread across two sides of the socket (north and west). The heatsink cooling the VRM components to the west is actively cooled by a 40 mm fan, the one over the X79 PCH is cooled by a similarly sized lateral blower, too. Like with the other two top-tier boards from ASUS' stable, this one provides eight DDR3 DIMM slots supporting quad-channel memory.
Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 wired to the processor, one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x8), and two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, wired to the PCH. There are eight internal SATA ports, including two SATA 6 Gb/s (brown) from the PCH, four SATA 3 Gb/s (black) also from the PCH, and two SATA 6 Gb/s (white) from a third-party controller. There are two eSATA ports on the rear-panel, one of which is power-eSATA.
Other connectivity includes 8+2 channel HD audio, one gigabit Ethernet connection, four USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel, two USB 3.0 ports by internal header, USB 2.0, and Firewire.
Source: LegitReviews
ASUS P9X79 Deluxe Detailed
Here are the first pictures of ASUS P9X79 Deluxe, the company's premium
segment LGA2011 motherboard based on the X79 chipset. This features in
ASUS' main motherboard lineup, and not sub-lineups such as Republic of
Gamers (ROG) or The Ultimate Force (TUF). The P9X79 Deluxe is loaded
with features and connectivity options. To begin with, the LGA2011
socket is powered by a next-generation Digi+ VRM design by ASUS, driven
by Dual Intelligent Processors III (next-generation Energy Processing
Unit (EPU) chip and TurboV Processing Unit (TPU)). Like with the ROG Rampage IV Extreme,
VRM is spread across three sides of the socket, and each cluster of
MOSFETs is cooled by heatsinks. The socket is wired to eight DDR3 DIMM
slots in two sets of four slots, supporting quad-channel DDR3. The
memory VRM uses a Digi+ design, too.
Among the six expansion slots, there are four PCI-Express x16 slots, and two PCIe x1. The PCH gives out six SATA ports, two 6 Gb/s (white), four 3 Gb/s (blue), the two additional 6 Gb/s ports come from a third-party controller. There are two power-eSATA ports on the rear panel. The eight USB 3.0 ports on this board are spread across as six ports on the rear-panel, and two via standard header. Other connectivity includes 8+2 channel HD audio, two gigabit Ethernet connections, USB 2.0, and Bluetooth.
This board features USB 3.0 Boost (works to improve throughput), ASUS' proprietary SSD caching technology that's similar to
ASUS will use the same exact PCB on a slightly lower-priced model called the P9X79 Pro, which will lack some of the features and connectivity found on this board (such as one of the two GbE connections, a set of USB 3.0 ports, perhaps even BT GO!, etc.)
Source: LegitReviews
Among the six expansion slots, there are four PCI-Express x16 slots, and two PCIe x1. The PCH gives out six SATA ports, two 6 Gb/s (white), four 3 Gb/s (blue), the two additional 6 Gb/s ports come from a third-party controller. There are two power-eSATA ports on the rear panel. The eight USB 3.0 ports on this board are spread across as six ports on the rear-panel, and two via standard header. Other connectivity includes 8+2 channel HD audio, two gigabit Ethernet connections, USB 2.0, and Bluetooth.
This board features USB 3.0 Boost (works to improve throughput), ASUS' proprietary SSD caching technology that's similar to
ASUS will use the same exact PCB on a slightly lower-priced model called the P9X79 Pro, which will lack some of the features and connectivity found on this board (such as one of the two GbE connections, a set of USB 3.0 ports, perhaps even BT GO!, etc.)
Source: LegitReviews
ASUS Rampage IV Extreme Cometh
Here is ASUS' top of the line LGA2011 motherboard targeting the
gamer-overclocker market, the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage IV
Extreme. This board offers all the expansion room and connectivity
you'll ever need, plus a wealth of nifty features that help overclockers
and ease incremental upgrades. To begin with, the Rampage IV Extreme
employs a strong digital PWM circuitry that supports heavy
voltage-assisted overclocking with Vdroop control.
The LGA2011 socket is wired to eight DDR3 DIMM slots (two per channel). CPU and memory VRM areas are located along three sides of the socket, all cooled by heatsinks that are connected by heat pipes. These VRM heatsinks share heat with the one over the X79 PCH, which is actively cooled by a fan.
Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (red), of which two are x16-capable, and all are x8 capable, one PCI-Express 2.0 x4 (black, wired to the PCH), and an x1 slot. Storage connectivity includes four each of SATA 6 Gb/s (red) and SATA 3 Gb/s (black), and one eSATA, and a power-eSATA (unknown datarate). There are eight USB 3.0 ports (four each on the rear panel and front-panel headers). Surprisingly, there's only one gigabit Ethernet connection, the other connectivity option is Bluetooth, which plays a key role in some of the ROG-exclusive features such as ROG Connect. For once, ASUS did away with the Creative X-Fi soft-layer for its audio and the solution is pure Realtek ALC898 8+2 channel HDA codec (with Realtek driver).
Where do I even start with the toys overclockers get with this board? OK, first, the LGA2011 socket is designed in such a way that its Intel-spec retention bracket can be replaced by a custom ASUS-designed one, that modifies the cooler mount holes to make the socket compatible with LGA1366-ready coolers, so you can carry on with your expensive LGA1366-ready water-block. Second, there is a strong VRM that's backed by diagnostic phase and temperature LEDs, voltage direct-measurement points, and a EPU chip that marshals the power phases. There is redundant BIOS (in separate socketed serial EEPROM chips), with ASUS ROG-exclusive UEFI firmware. Thirdly, power is drawn, apart from the 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS, by a 4-pin ATX (CPU power) and a 6-pin PCIe, so electrical stability is maintained. The ROG connect feature lets you monitor and overclock your board from Bluetooth-enabled smartphones (hence the Bluetooth controller).
To top it off, every Rampage IV Extreme packs a free copy of Battlefield 3 Special Edition (bundles Physical Warfare and/or Return to Karkhand DLC(s)).
Source: VR-Zone
The LGA2011 socket is wired to eight DDR3 DIMM slots (two per channel). CPU and memory VRM areas are located along three sides of the socket, all cooled by heatsinks that are connected by heat pipes. These VRM heatsinks share heat with the one over the X79 PCH, which is actively cooled by a fan.
Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (red), of which two are x16-capable, and all are x8 capable, one PCI-Express 2.0 x4 (black, wired to the PCH), and an x1 slot. Storage connectivity includes four each of SATA 6 Gb/s (red) and SATA 3 Gb/s (black), and one eSATA, and a power-eSATA (unknown datarate). There are eight USB 3.0 ports (four each on the rear panel and front-panel headers). Surprisingly, there's only one gigabit Ethernet connection, the other connectivity option is Bluetooth, which plays a key role in some of the ROG-exclusive features such as ROG Connect. For once, ASUS did away with the Creative X-Fi soft-layer for its audio and the solution is pure Realtek ALC898 8+2 channel HDA codec (with Realtek driver).
Where do I even start with the toys overclockers get with this board? OK, first, the LGA2011 socket is designed in such a way that its Intel-spec retention bracket can be replaced by a custom ASUS-designed one, that modifies the cooler mount holes to make the socket compatible with LGA1366-ready coolers, so you can carry on with your expensive LGA1366-ready water-block. Second, there is a strong VRM that's backed by diagnostic phase and temperature LEDs, voltage direct-measurement points, and a EPU chip that marshals the power phases. There is redundant BIOS (in separate socketed serial EEPROM chips), with ASUS ROG-exclusive UEFI firmware. Thirdly, power is drawn, apart from the 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS, by a 4-pin ATX (CPU power) and a 6-pin PCIe, so electrical stability is maintained. The ROG connect feature lets you monitor and overclock your board from Bluetooth-enabled smartphones (hence the Bluetooth controller).
To top it off, every Rampage IV Extreme packs a free copy of Battlefield 3 Special Edition (bundles Physical Warfare and/or Return to Karkhand DLC(s)).
Source: VR-Zone
Sapphire Celebrates Battlefield 3 Launch with Special Edition HD 6970 Graphics Card
Celebrating the launch of the much anticipated Battlefield 3 game,
SAPPHIRE Technology is introducing the SAPPHIRE HD 6970 BF3 Special
Edition - featuring two SAPPHIRE exclusive technologies, SAPPHIRE FleX
and Vapor-X cooling as well as performance enhancing options for the
enthusiast and access to a FREE copy of the full game!
The SAPPHIRE HD 6970 BF3 Special Edition is based on AMD’s award winning second generation DX 11 graphics engine with the powerful configuration of 1536 stream processors and 96 texture processing units delivering smooth and detailed graphics to the latest generation of games and applications. SAPPHIRE FleX technology allows the direct connection of three DVI monitors in Eyefinity mode without the need for special adapters, making it the simplest solution to multi-screen enjoyment, and the highly efficient SAPPHIRE Vapor-X cooling enables performance to be maximised whilst keeping noise levels low.
On this card, a Dual BIOS switch allows users to choose between two performance settings delivering the best performance in its class. The ‘normal’ setting has clock speeds of 880MHz for the core and 1375Mhz (5.5Gb/sec effective) for the memory, and a quiet fan profile, whilst the ‘boost’ setting raises the core clock to 930MHz, as well as increasing the core voltage, fan speed and overclock limits to deliver higher performance. Enthusiasts can further optimise performance using the SAPPHIRE TriXX tool, free to download from the SAPPHIRE website, which allows users to adjust clock speeds, voltages and fan speeds whilst monitoring GPU temperature.
The SAPPHIRE HD 6000 series family all have on-board hardware UVD (Unified Video decoder), considerably reducing CPU load and delivering smooth decoding of Blu-ray and other video content for both VC-1 and H.264 codecs, as well as Mpeg files and including 3D content. The UVD can decode two 1080p HD video streams simultaneously and display HD video in high quality with Windows Aero mode enabled. HDMI output conforms to HDMI 1.4 which supports Stereoscopic 3D output.
SAPPHIRE graphics cards are supported by AMD's DirectX 11 WHQL certified graphics driver which delivers support for all of the key DirectX 11 level features required for new gaming experiences and acceleration of next generation high performance applications.
Source
The SAPPHIRE HD 6970 BF3 Special Edition is based on AMD’s award winning second generation DX 11 graphics engine with the powerful configuration of 1536 stream processors and 96 texture processing units delivering smooth and detailed graphics to the latest generation of games and applications. SAPPHIRE FleX technology allows the direct connection of three DVI monitors in Eyefinity mode without the need for special adapters, making it the simplest solution to multi-screen enjoyment, and the highly efficient SAPPHIRE Vapor-X cooling enables performance to be maximised whilst keeping noise levels low.
On this card, a Dual BIOS switch allows users to choose between two performance settings delivering the best performance in its class. The ‘normal’ setting has clock speeds of 880MHz for the core and 1375Mhz (5.5Gb/sec effective) for the memory, and a quiet fan profile, whilst the ‘boost’ setting raises the core clock to 930MHz, as well as increasing the core voltage, fan speed and overclock limits to deliver higher performance. Enthusiasts can further optimise performance using the SAPPHIRE TriXX tool, free to download from the SAPPHIRE website, which allows users to adjust clock speeds, voltages and fan speeds whilst monitoring GPU temperature.
The SAPPHIRE HD 6000 series family all have on-board hardware UVD (Unified Video decoder), considerably reducing CPU load and delivering smooth decoding of Blu-ray and other video content for both VC-1 and H.264 codecs, as well as Mpeg files and including 3D content. The UVD can decode two 1080p HD video streams simultaneously and display HD video in high quality with Windows Aero mode enabled. HDMI output conforms to HDMI 1.4 which supports Stereoscopic 3D output.
SAPPHIRE graphics cards are supported by AMD's DirectX 11 WHQL certified graphics driver which delivers support for all of the key DirectX 11 level features required for new gaming experiences and acceleration of next generation high performance applications.
Source
AMD Trinity Detailed Further, Compatible with A75 Chipset
AMD detailed its upcoming "Virgo" PC platform that consists of
next-generation "Trinity" APU (accelerated processing unit), and
current-generation AMD A75 "Hudson-D" chipset. A notable revelation here
is that the next-gen APUs will be compatible with AMD A75, although it
will be designed for a new socket called FM2. It remains to be seen if
FM1 and FM2 are pin-compatible.
"Trinity" packs four x86-64 cores based on the next-generation "Piledriver" architecture, arranged in two Piledriver modules. A module is a closely-knit group of two cores, with certain shared and dedicated resources. Each Piledriver module has 2 MB of L2 cache shared between the two cores. In all, Trinity, with its two modules, has 4 MB of L2 cache without any L3 cache.
AMD is talking about a 20% performance improvement over current-generation "Llano" APUs, which use K10 "Stars" architecture cores. Trinity will feature 3rd-generation TurboCore technology that adds a few new power-management and selective overclocking features.
The integrated memory controller will get an overhaul, too. Unlike with K10-based processors that have two independent 64-bit wide memory interfaces that can be configured to work ganged or unganged, Trinity will have a single 128-bit memory interface, the controller will support dual-channel DDR3-2133 MHz memory standard, with DRAM voltages of under 1.5V. Trinity will include a 24-lane PCI-Express root complex, it supports 2-way multi-GPU configurations.
Moving on to the integrated GPU component, AMD promises a 30% performance improvement over Llano's iGPU. The GPU component is DirectX 11 compliant, and features UVD 3 hardware HD video acceleration, with SAMU and native VCE. Featuring AMD Eyefinity technology, this integrated GPU will support up to three displays without needing a discrete graphics card. Eyefinity can be used to step up productivity.
Source: DonanimHaber
"Trinity" packs four x86-64 cores based on the next-generation "Piledriver" architecture, arranged in two Piledriver modules. A module is a closely-knit group of two cores, with certain shared and dedicated resources. Each Piledriver module has 2 MB of L2 cache shared between the two cores. In all, Trinity, with its two modules, has 4 MB of L2 cache without any L3 cache.
AMD is talking about a 20% performance improvement over current-generation "Llano" APUs, which use K10 "Stars" architecture cores. Trinity will feature 3rd-generation TurboCore technology that adds a few new power-management and selective overclocking features.
The integrated memory controller will get an overhaul, too. Unlike with K10-based processors that have two independent 64-bit wide memory interfaces that can be configured to work ganged or unganged, Trinity will have a single 128-bit memory interface, the controller will support dual-channel DDR3-2133 MHz memory standard, with DRAM voltages of under 1.5V. Trinity will include a 24-lane PCI-Express root complex, it supports 2-way multi-GPU configurations.
Moving on to the integrated GPU component, AMD promises a 30% performance improvement over Llano's iGPU. The GPU component is DirectX 11 compliant, and features UVD 3 hardware HD video acceleration, with SAMU and native VCE. Featuring AMD Eyefinity technology, this integrated GPU will support up to three displays without needing a discrete graphics card. Eyefinity can be used to step up productivity.
Source: DonanimHaber
Friday, October 21, 2011
Cooler Master Announces Silencio 450 Mid Tower Case
Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution, power supply, peripheral, and accessory manufacturer, today adds a new sibling to the Silencio 550, the Silencio 450.
The Silencio Series represents the best solution for sound absorption with system builds of all levels. Sound silencing foam padding seeks to severely reduce system noises produced by hard drives, numerous cooling fans, and other devices. Combine this with a solid-steel frame, vibration inhibiting rubber feet, two Cooler Master quiet-spinning fans and the Silencio 450 nearly becomes completely silent. Those that value a quiet computing space will immensely appreciate the Silencio Series.
Intelligent Interior
Look beyond the modest exterior of the Silencio 450 to find a clean, intuitive, and spacious interior. Three 5.25”, six 3.5”, and one 2.5” hard drive bay are set inside a solid steel frame. An easily-removable hard drive cage allows users to mix and match various hard drives for maximum flexibility and drive space. Removal of the included hard drive cage opens the door for the possibility of installing high-end graphics cards such as the AMD Radeon HD 6990 or NVIDIA GTX 590. Super Speed, backwards-compatible USB 3.0 and a versatile SD card reader provides users with several ways to connect data on-the-fly. A surprisingly efficient intake-exhaust cooling system throughout the interior provides for maximum airflow. Dust filters protect precious system components from potentially dangerous dust build-up over time. These can be accessed quickly for easy maintenance. Users taking the next step in silent cooling may opt for a custom watercooling setup. The Silencio 450 includes rear retaining holes that support optional water cooling radiator installations.
A switchable door hinge creates an added level of convenience as well. A clean exterior design, brimming with features and reasonable price make the Silencio 450 the perfect silent partner for any enthusiast.
The Silencio 450 will be available for 59€ MSRP.
For more information, refer to the datasheet.
Source
The Silencio Series represents the best solution for sound absorption with system builds of all levels. Sound silencing foam padding seeks to severely reduce system noises produced by hard drives, numerous cooling fans, and other devices. Combine this with a solid-steel frame, vibration inhibiting rubber feet, two Cooler Master quiet-spinning fans and the Silencio 450 nearly becomes completely silent. Those that value a quiet computing space will immensely appreciate the Silencio Series.
Intelligent Interior
Look beyond the modest exterior of the Silencio 450 to find a clean, intuitive, and spacious interior. Three 5.25”, six 3.5”, and one 2.5” hard drive bay are set inside a solid steel frame. An easily-removable hard drive cage allows users to mix and match various hard drives for maximum flexibility and drive space. Removal of the included hard drive cage opens the door for the possibility of installing high-end graphics cards such as the AMD Radeon HD 6990 or NVIDIA GTX 590. Super Speed, backwards-compatible USB 3.0 and a versatile SD card reader provides users with several ways to connect data on-the-fly. A surprisingly efficient intake-exhaust cooling system throughout the interior provides for maximum airflow. Dust filters protect precious system components from potentially dangerous dust build-up over time. These can be accessed quickly for easy maintenance. Users taking the next step in silent cooling may opt for a custom watercooling setup. The Silencio 450 includes rear retaining holes that support optional water cooling radiator installations.
A switchable door hinge creates an added level of convenience as well. A clean exterior design, brimming with features and reasonable price make the Silencio 450 the perfect silent partner for any enthusiast.
The Silencio 450 will be available for 59€ MSRP.
For more information, refer to the datasheet.
Source
Seagate Technology Reports Fiscal First Quarter Financial Results
Seagate Technology plc today reported financial results for the quarter
ended September 30, 2011. The company shipped 51 million disk drives and
reported revenue of $2.8 billion, gross margin of 19.5%, net income of
$140 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.32. On a non-GAAP
basis, which excludes the net impact of certain items, Seagate reported
net income of $146 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.34 for
the quarter ended September 30, 2011. For a detailed reconciliation of
non-GAAP to GAAP results, see accompanying financial tables.
Additionally, Seagate returned $75 million to shareholders in the form of a dividend and repurchased $128 million of ordinary shares during the first fiscal quarter.
Acquisition of Samsung's Hard Disk Drive Assets
The European Commission announced on October 19, 2011 that they have approved under the EU Merger Regulation, Seagate's proposed acquisition of Samsung's hard disk drive assets. The company will continue to work with other regulatory bodies to secure additional approvals in the coming weeks. Seagate believes the transaction will close by the end of calendar year 2011.
Investor Communications
Seagate will hold a conference call to review its first fiscal quarter today at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The conference call will consist of opening comments from Steve Luczo, CEO, followed by a question and answer session with the executive management team. During today's conference call, the company will provide an update on its Thailand operations. In light of the situation in Thailand, the company will provide limited guidance for the December quarter.
Seagate has issued a Supplemental Commentary document. The Supplemental Commentary will not be read during today's call, but rather it is available in the investor relations section of seagate.com.
Dividend
The Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.18 per share which will be payable on November 18, 2011 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 3, 2011. The payment of any future quarterly dividends will be at the discretion of the Board and will be dependent upon Seagate's financial position, results of operations, available cash, cash flow, capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by the Board.
For more information, visit this page.
Source
Additionally, Seagate returned $75 million to shareholders in the form of a dividend and repurchased $128 million of ordinary shares during the first fiscal quarter.
Acquisition of Samsung's Hard Disk Drive Assets
The European Commission announced on October 19, 2011 that they have approved under the EU Merger Regulation, Seagate's proposed acquisition of Samsung's hard disk drive assets. The company will continue to work with other regulatory bodies to secure additional approvals in the coming weeks. Seagate believes the transaction will close by the end of calendar year 2011.
Investor Communications
Seagate will hold a conference call to review its first fiscal quarter today at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The conference call will consist of opening comments from Steve Luczo, CEO, followed by a question and answer session with the executive management team. During today's conference call, the company will provide an update on its Thailand operations. In light of the situation in Thailand, the company will provide limited guidance for the December quarter.
Seagate has issued a Supplemental Commentary document. The Supplemental Commentary will not be read during today's call, but rather it is available in the investor relations section of seagate.com.
Dividend
The Board of Directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.18 per share which will be payable on November 18, 2011 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 3, 2011. The payment of any future quarterly dividends will be at the discretion of the Board and will be dependent upon Seagate's financial position, results of operations, available cash, cash flow, capital requirements and other factors deemed relevant by the Board.
For more information, visit this page.
Source
Razer Announces World's First Cloud-based Storage For Personalized Gaming Settings
Razer, the technology leader in gaming user interfaces, brings you the
next innovation in gaming peripherals by unveiling the all-new Razer
Synapse 2.0, the world’s first application for storing your personalized
peripheral settings in the cloud, making your settings for gaming
available anytime, anywhere.
In 2006, Razer invented Synapse, the world’s first onboard memory feature for gaming peripherals, which allowed the user to store gaming macros, key binds, and profiles directly to their Razer devices, and enabled gamers to bring their personalized settings with them on the go. Onboard memory for gaming devices, pioneered by Razer, has quickly become an industry standard for gaming peripherals all over the world.
The new Razer Synapse 2.0 software revolutionizes this concept by harnessing next-gen, cloud-based technology to ensure that you have full access to all of your peripheral hardware settings, anytime, anywhere at tournaments, LAN centers, at home and at the office. With the advent of Synapse 2.0, onboard memory for devices is now obsolete.
With Razer Synapse 2.0, all of your Razer peripheral settings for any next generation Razer gaming device will be automatically stored in a cloud server which is accessible from any computer. You will be able to take your mouse to a LAN center and instantly sync your custom settings simply by logging into Razer Synapse 2.0. You can even access your custom settings while using Razer peripherals provided by a tournament host, enabling you to spend less time setting up controls and more time gaming. Razer Synapse 2.0 also automatically downloads drivers, game add-ons, and firmware updates as they become available, ensuring your Razer devices are always updated.
“Razer Synapse 2.0 is a testament to our drive to continually innovate for the benefit of the gamer and end-user,” said Robert “RazerGuy” Krakoff, President, Razer USA. “Razer Synapse 2.0 gives gamers a convenient, single cloud-based platform to access, maintain, and store settings for all of their Razer devices. On-board memory, with its limited storage for user profiles, becomes obsolete when Razer Synapse 2.0 offers essentially unlimited space for all of your hardware settings.”
Razer Synapse 2.0 will be launched for all next generation Razer devices and the software is currently in an internal beta stage. The next stage of closed beta will be rolled out initially to selected users of the multi-award winning Razer Naga, where up to 500 Razer Naga users can get a first glimpse of Razer Synapse 2.0 by signing up here.
Source
In 2006, Razer invented Synapse, the world’s first onboard memory feature for gaming peripherals, which allowed the user to store gaming macros, key binds, and profiles directly to their Razer devices, and enabled gamers to bring their personalized settings with them on the go. Onboard memory for gaming devices, pioneered by Razer, has quickly become an industry standard for gaming peripherals all over the world.
The new Razer Synapse 2.0 software revolutionizes this concept by harnessing next-gen, cloud-based technology to ensure that you have full access to all of your peripheral hardware settings, anytime, anywhere at tournaments, LAN centers, at home and at the office. With the advent of Synapse 2.0, onboard memory for devices is now obsolete.
With Razer Synapse 2.0, all of your Razer peripheral settings for any next generation Razer gaming device will be automatically stored in a cloud server which is accessible from any computer. You will be able to take your mouse to a LAN center and instantly sync your custom settings simply by logging into Razer Synapse 2.0. You can even access your custom settings while using Razer peripherals provided by a tournament host, enabling you to spend less time setting up controls and more time gaming. Razer Synapse 2.0 also automatically downloads drivers, game add-ons, and firmware updates as they become available, ensuring your Razer devices are always updated.
“Razer Synapse 2.0 is a testament to our drive to continually innovate for the benefit of the gamer and end-user,” said Robert “RazerGuy” Krakoff, President, Razer USA. “Razer Synapse 2.0 gives gamers a convenient, single cloud-based platform to access, maintain, and store settings for all of their Razer devices. On-board memory, with its limited storage for user profiles, becomes obsolete when Razer Synapse 2.0 offers essentially unlimited space for all of your hardware settings.”
Razer Synapse 2.0 will be launched for all next generation Razer devices and the software is currently in an internal beta stage. The next stage of closed beta will be rolled out initially to selected users of the multi-award winning Razer Naga, where up to 500 Razer Naga users can get a first glimpse of Razer Synapse 2.0 by signing up here.
Source
AMD and BlueStacks Join Forces to Bring Android Apps to x86-based Tablets and PCs
AMD today announced an investment in BlueStacks, a venture-backed firm
developing innovative software. BlueStacks has introduced a solution to
enable Android applications to run fast and full-screen on Windows-based
devices.
AMD and BlueStacks are collaborating to optimize the BlueStacks App Player for Windows software for use with tablet and notebook PCs powered by AMD APUs with AMD VISION technology. With this combination of BlueStacks software and AMD technology, consumers will be able to access their favorite Android apps on virtually any AMD-powered Windows-based device, including more than 200,000 apps currently available in the Android Market.
“Bluestacks is a visionary software company that is, seamlessly, making the emerging Android mobile apps market part of the broader computing ecosystem and enhancing such experiences on our award-winning APU platforms,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “AMD is committed to support such game changing innovators through investment and other activity as we work together to usher in new experiences that allow consumers to enjoy the full capabilities of the brilliant graphics and computing performance enabled by AMD.”
“AMD’s investment in BlueStacks will help us to create an environment where your favorite apps can be accessed regardless of platform technology, providing greater entertainment and productivity value,” said Rosen Sharma, president and chief executive officer of BlueStacks. “Working with AMD enables us to do this faster by expanding our network of OEMs and retailers to reach a broad audience of consumers and businesses that want to get more out of Android.”
The AMD Fusion Fund program makes strategic investments in companies that are developing unique, digital consumer and professional experiences that harness the horsepower of AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) products. AMD Fusion APUs deliver powerful computing capabilities plus discrete-class graphics with dedicated HD video processing on a single chip. AMD Fusion APUs are powered by AMD VISION Engine Software, with regular driver updates designed to improve system performance and stability.
BlueStacks was founded by Rosen Sharma, a successful entrepreneur who has founded several companies that have since been acquired by industry leaders such as Microsoft, Google, Citrix and McAfee. BlueStacks’ software solution was publicly showcased in AMD’s Fusion Zone at the 2011 COMPUTEX Taipei conference.
Source
AMD and BlueStacks are collaborating to optimize the BlueStacks App Player for Windows software for use with tablet and notebook PCs powered by AMD APUs with AMD VISION technology. With this combination of BlueStacks software and AMD technology, consumers will be able to access their favorite Android apps on virtually any AMD-powered Windows-based device, including more than 200,000 apps currently available in the Android Market.
“Bluestacks is a visionary software company that is, seamlessly, making the emerging Android mobile apps market part of the broader computing ecosystem and enhancing such experiences on our award-winning APU platforms,” said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. “AMD is committed to support such game changing innovators through investment and other activity as we work together to usher in new experiences that allow consumers to enjoy the full capabilities of the brilliant graphics and computing performance enabled by AMD.”
“AMD’s investment in BlueStacks will help us to create an environment where your favorite apps can be accessed regardless of platform technology, providing greater entertainment and productivity value,” said Rosen Sharma, president and chief executive officer of BlueStacks. “Working with AMD enables us to do this faster by expanding our network of OEMs and retailers to reach a broad audience of consumers and businesses that want to get more out of Android.”
The AMD Fusion Fund program makes strategic investments in companies that are developing unique, digital consumer and professional experiences that harness the horsepower of AMD Fusion Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) products. AMD Fusion APUs deliver powerful computing capabilities plus discrete-class graphics with dedicated HD video processing on a single chip. AMD Fusion APUs are powered by AMD VISION Engine Software, with regular driver updates designed to improve system performance and stability.
BlueStacks was founded by Rosen Sharma, a successful entrepreneur who has founded several companies that have since been acquired by industry leaders such as Microsoft, Google, Citrix and McAfee. BlueStacks’ software solution was publicly showcased in AMD’s Fusion Zone at the 2011 COMPUTEX Taipei conference.
Source
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Noctua Announces Free Upgrade for LGA2011
Noctua today announced its new NM-I2011 mounting kit for LGA2011.
Continuing Noctua's tradition of supplying its customers with SecuFirm2
mountings free of charge, the NM-I2011 kit allows Noctua users to
upgrade to Intel's
upcoming LGA2011 socket for Core i7-3000 (Sandy Bridge-E) processors.
The new mounting is backwards compatible with all Noctua retail coolers
since 2005 and will be supplied to Noctua users free of charge after
uploading a proof of purchase on the company's website.
"We feel that product quality and service quality should always go hand in hand, so we're determined to give the best possible support to our customers. Having provided free mounting upgrades for the last generations of Intel and AMD platforms, we're happy to announce that we will continue this tradition with the NM-I2011 kit for LGA2011", says Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. "We always like to think of our coolers as safe long-term investments, and even if you bought one of our first models six years ago, you'll still be able to upgrade it to the latest socket technology free of charge."
The NM-I2011 set is backwards compatible with all Noctua retail coolers since 2005 and has been designed to combine outstanding reliability, optimal contact pressure and easy, straightforward installation. Bringing the trusted SecuFirm2 quality to Intel's new LGA2011 platform, NM-I2011 is an enthusiast-grade mounting that meets the highest demands in safety, performance and ease-of-use.
The new NM-I2011 kit can be ordered free of charge via Noctua's website. A proof of purchase (photo, scan or screenshot of the invoice) of both a Noctua CPU cooler and either a socket LGA2011 mainboard or socket LGA2011 CPU are required. The new mounting kit will also be available in stores at a low service charge.
Availability
The NM-I2011 kit can already be ordered on Noctua's website. Orders will ship by end of October.
For more information, visit the product page. The order form can be found here.
"We feel that product quality and service quality should always go hand in hand, so we're determined to give the best possible support to our customers. Having provided free mounting upgrades for the last generations of Intel and AMD platforms, we're happy to announce that we will continue this tradition with the NM-I2011 kit for LGA2011", says Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. "We always like to think of our coolers as safe long-term investments, and even if you bought one of our first models six years ago, you'll still be able to upgrade it to the latest socket technology free of charge."
The NM-I2011 set is backwards compatible with all Noctua retail coolers since 2005 and has been designed to combine outstanding reliability, optimal contact pressure and easy, straightforward installation. Bringing the trusted SecuFirm2 quality to Intel's new LGA2011 platform, NM-I2011 is an enthusiast-grade mounting that meets the highest demands in safety, performance and ease-of-use.
The new NM-I2011 kit can be ordered free of charge via Noctua's website. A proof of purchase (photo, scan or screenshot of the invoice) of both a Noctua CPU cooler and either a socket LGA2011 mainboard or socket LGA2011 CPU are required. The new mounting kit will also be available in stores at a low service charge.
Availability
The NM-I2011 kit can already be ordered on Noctua's website. Orders will ship by end of October.
For more information, visit the product page. The order form can be found here.
AMD Appoints Mark Papermaster as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced today that Mark Papermaster, 50, has joined as
the company’s senior vice president and chief technology officer. He
will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Rory Read and will
oversee all of AMD’s engineering, research and development (R&D),
and product development functions as the head of the newly-formed
Technology and Engineering Group. Papermaster, who was most recently
vice president of Silicon Engineering at Cisco, will be responsible for
establishing and executing the company’s technology and product
roadmaps, integrated hardware and software development, and overseeing
the creation of all of AMD’s products.
The advanced research and development team led by Senior Vice President of Research and Development Chekib Akrout, as well as the engineering teams residing in AMD’s Products Group, will now report to Papermaster. Akrout, 53, will maintain responsibility for leading AMD’s processor core development as well as system-on-a-chip (SoC) design methodology. In recognition of his ongoing technical and management contributions, Akrout will continue serving on AMD’s senior leadership team responsible for key decision making and strategy setting.
“Mark’s appointment significantly strengthens AMD’s senior leadership,” Read said. “Mark has held substantial engineering roles for three of the technology industry’s most innovative companies. He is a proven winner who knows the industry, knows our customers and flat out knows technology.
“The newly-created technology and engineering group aligns all of AMD’s outstanding technical talent into a centralized team which will improve our time-to-market and help lift our execution across the board. Most importantly, this new organization accelerates our ability to consistently deliver on our customer commitments and help our customers win.”
At Cisco, Papermaster was responsible for the silicon strategy, architecture, and development for the company’s switching and routing businesses. Prior to Cisco, Papermaster served as Apple's senior vice president of Devices Hardware Engineering responsible for the iPod and iPhone hardware development. He has also held a number of senior leadership roles at IBM, serving on the company’s Technical Leadership Team and overseeing development of key microprocessors and blade server technologies.
Papermaster has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from The University of Vermont. He is a member of the University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering Advisory Board and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation IT Advisory Committee. Papermaster will be based in Sunnyvale, California.
Source
The advanced research and development team led by Senior Vice President of Research and Development Chekib Akrout, as well as the engineering teams residing in AMD’s Products Group, will now report to Papermaster. Akrout, 53, will maintain responsibility for leading AMD’s processor core development as well as system-on-a-chip (SoC) design methodology. In recognition of his ongoing technical and management contributions, Akrout will continue serving on AMD’s senior leadership team responsible for key decision making and strategy setting.
“Mark’s appointment significantly strengthens AMD’s senior leadership,” Read said. “Mark has held substantial engineering roles for three of the technology industry’s most innovative companies. He is a proven winner who knows the industry, knows our customers and flat out knows technology.
“The newly-created technology and engineering group aligns all of AMD’s outstanding technical talent into a centralized team which will improve our time-to-market and help lift our execution across the board. Most importantly, this new organization accelerates our ability to consistently deliver on our customer commitments and help our customers win.”
At Cisco, Papermaster was responsible for the silicon strategy, architecture, and development for the company’s switching and routing businesses. Prior to Cisco, Papermaster served as Apple's senior vice president of Devices Hardware Engineering responsible for the iPod and iPhone hardware development. He has also held a number of senior leadership roles at IBM, serving on the company’s Technical Leadership Team and overseeing development of key microprocessors and blade server technologies.
Papermaster has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from The University of Vermont. He is a member of the University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering Advisory Board and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation IT Advisory Committee. Papermaster will be based in Sunnyvale, California.
Source
MSI X79A-GD65 8D Motherboard Smiles for the Camera
MSI is readying a new LGA2011 HEDT (high-end desktop) motherboard based on the Intel X79 chipset, which features eight DDR3 DIMM slots, two per memory
channel, letting you take advantage of the fast quad-channel DDR3 IMC of
Sandy Bridge-E Core i7 processors, as well as not letting you fall
short of memory expansion. The X79A-GD65 8D, as it's called, makes room
for eight DIMM slots, four on either sides of the socket. The CPU is
powered by a 5+2 phase VRM, and the memory by a 4-phase VRM.
Expansion slots include four PCI-Express x16, from which four are wired to the CPU socket, two are PCI-Express 3.0 x16 capable, four are PCI-E 3.0 x8 capable (depending on the way the slots are populated with add-on cards), one is PCI-E 2.0 x4 capable and is wired to the chipset. Then there's the lone PCI-E x1. NVIDIA 4-way SLI and AMD 4-way CrossFireX are supported.
Storage expansion includes four SATA 6 Gb/s and four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, all internal. There are no eSATA ports. Other connectivity features include 8+2 channel HD audio, four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two via header), one gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, and a number of USB 2.0 ports.
The X79A-GD65 8D will be driven by a UEFI BIOS that's rich in overclocking options, and will be backed by several other MSI exclusives such as OC Genie II, voltage measurement points, and POST readout. The board will feature in MSI's first wave of LGA2011 motherboards.
Source: VR-Zone
Expansion slots include four PCI-Express x16, from which four are wired to the CPU socket, two are PCI-Express 3.0 x16 capable, four are PCI-E 3.0 x8 capable (depending on the way the slots are populated with add-on cards), one is PCI-E 2.0 x4 capable and is wired to the chipset. Then there's the lone PCI-E x1. NVIDIA 4-way SLI and AMD 4-way CrossFireX are supported.
Storage expansion includes four SATA 6 Gb/s and four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, all internal. There are no eSATA ports. Other connectivity features include 8+2 channel HD audio, four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two via header), one gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, and a number of USB 2.0 ports.
The X79A-GD65 8D will be driven by a UEFI BIOS that's rich in overclocking options, and will be backed by several other MSI exclusives such as OC Genie II, voltage measurement points, and POST readout. The board will feature in MSI's first wave of LGA2011 motherboards.
Source: VR-Zone
Apple Reports Fourth Quarter Results, Reports All-Time Record Mac and iPad Sales
Apple Corporation today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 fourth quarter
ended September 24, 2011. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $28.27
billion and quarterly net profit of $6.62 billion, or $7.05 per diluted
share. These results compare to revenue of $20.34 billion and net
quarterly profit of $4.31 billion, or $4.64 per diluted share, in the
year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.3 percent compared to 36.9 percent
in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 63 percent
of the quarter’s revenue.
The Company sold 17.07 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 21 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 11.12 million iPads during the quarter, a 166 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4.89 million Macs during the quarter, a 26 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 6.62 million iPods, a 27 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.
“We are thrilled with the very strong finish of an outstanding fiscal 2011, growing annual revenue to $108 billion and growing earnings to $26 billion,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Customer response to iPhone 4S has been fantastic, we have strong momentum going into the holiday season, and we remain really enthusiastic about our product pipeline.”
“We are extremely pleased with our record September quarter revenue and earnings and with cash generation of $5.4 billion during the quarter,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the first fiscal quarter of 2012, which will span 14 weeks rather than 13, we expect revenue of about $37 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $9.30.”
Apple will provide live streaming of its Q4 2011 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on October 18, 2011 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq411. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.
Source: Apple
The Company sold 17.07 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 21 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 11.12 million iPads during the quarter, a 166 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 4.89 million Macs during the quarter, a 26 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 6.62 million iPods, a 27 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.
“We are thrilled with the very strong finish of an outstanding fiscal 2011, growing annual revenue to $108 billion and growing earnings to $26 billion,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Customer response to iPhone 4S has been fantastic, we have strong momentum going into the holiday season, and we remain really enthusiastic about our product pipeline.”
“We are extremely pleased with our record September quarter revenue and earnings and with cash generation of $5.4 billion during the quarter,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the first fiscal quarter of 2012, which will span 14 weeks rather than 13, we expect revenue of about $37 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $9.30.”
Apple will provide live streaming of its Q4 2011 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on October 18, 2011 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq411. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.
Source: Apple
Cooler Master Announces Hyper 412 PWM CPU Cooler
Cooler Master, an industry leading chassis, thermal solution,
peripheral, and accessory manufacturer brings a new CPU cooler to light,
the powerful Hyper PWM CPU Cooler, which targets a delicate balance
between cooling potential and noise. The Hyper 412 PWM perform
extraordinarily well while maintaining minimal noise levels.
The Hyper 412 PWM CPU Cooler is designed for optimum heat dissipation at low fan speeds. This is thanks to wider fin gaps and a precise heat pipe layout that directs each of their four heat pipes across CPU “hot zones”. These heat pipes are arranged using Cooler Master’s patented CDC™ technology, creating a virtual vapor chamber for maximum cooling potential. The 412 PWM comes with a high-grade PWM that is controllable via BIOS and OS-based tuning applications.
Easy installation of fans and dual fan design options
End your reliance on other, more time consuming, fan mounts with the included quick-snap brackets. With these brackets, changing, adding, and cleaning fans become a simple task that requires only a few moments of your time. Those with more extreme cooling needs may attach an optional second fan with the extra included quick-snap fan brackets. Whatever the application, the Hyper 412 PWM presents versatile cooling options that tailors noise and performance to any need. Covering all of their bases, Hyper 412 PWM comes ready to mount the latest Intel LGA 2011 and AMD FM1 processors.
For more information, visit the product page.
The Hyper 412 PWM CPU Cooler is designed for optimum heat dissipation at low fan speeds. This is thanks to wider fin gaps and a precise heat pipe layout that directs each of their four heat pipes across CPU “hot zones”. These heat pipes are arranged using Cooler Master’s patented CDC™ technology, creating a virtual vapor chamber for maximum cooling potential. The 412 PWM comes with a high-grade PWM that is controllable via BIOS and OS-based tuning applications.
Easy installation of fans and dual fan design options
End your reliance on other, more time consuming, fan mounts with the included quick-snap brackets. With these brackets, changing, adding, and cleaning fans become a simple task that requires only a few moments of your time. Those with more extreme cooling needs may attach an optional second fan with the extra included quick-snap fan brackets. Whatever the application, the Hyper 412 PWM presents versatile cooling options that tailors noise and performance to any need. Covering all of their bases, Hyper 412 PWM comes ready to mount the latest Intel LGA 2011 and AMD FM1 processors.
For more information, visit the product page.
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