Nvidia Released 266.58 WHQL Driver

The NVIDIA driver team has released their first update of the 2011, and if it was the team’s New Year resolution to deliver only jam packed driver updates, then they are well on their way to a success. Along with the typical updates to PhysX and HDMI Audio, the driver holds a bit in the way of game specific performance improvements and a large focus on NVIDIA 3D, Vision and SLI.

New in Release 266.58

Download: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us

GPU Support

• Supports the newly released GeForce GTX 580 and GeForce GTX 570 GPUs.

Performance

• Increases performance for GeForce 400 Series and 500 Series GPUs in several PC games vs. the latest Release 260 drivers. The following are examples of some of the most significant improvements measured on Windows 7. Results will vary depending on your GPU and system configuration:

GeForce GTX 580:

• • Up to 7% in Battlefield Bad Company 2 (1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF)
  • Up to 12% in Battleforge (SLI 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF Very High)
  • Up to 11% in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (SLI 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF)
  • Up to 7% in Dirt 2 (SLI 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF)
  • Up to 7% in Far Cry 2 (1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF)
  • Up to 5% in Just Cause 2 (1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF Dark Tower)
  • Up to 5% in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (SLI – 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF)
  • Up to 9% in Stone Giant (SLI 1920×1200, DOF on)
  • Up to 8% in Unigine Heaven v2.1 (SLI 1920×1200 4xAA/16xAF)
• Improves performance in Final Fantasy XI on GeForce 400 Series and 500 Series GPUs.

Visual Quality

• Adds ambient occlusion support for one of the most popular games of the year: Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty. Ambient occlusion improves the quality of lighting, shadows, and depth perception in many parts of the game. Learn more on GeForce.com.

NVIDIA 3D Vision

• With Release 260 and 265 drivers, the installation process for 3D Vision has changed. Please view thisknowledgebase article for more information on the changes.
• Adds support for 3DVisionLive.com Beta 2:
  • Adds supports for 3D photo sharing and viewing
  • Adds new 3D video clips to the website
• Improved scaling quality with video streaming content from 3DVisionLive.com over previous 266.35 Beta driver
• Adds 3D Vision Window Mode support for the following games and applications:
  • Games
    • Aion
    • Crazy Racing Kart Rider
    • Crossfire
    • Dragon Nest
    • EverQuest 2
    • Guild Wars 2
    • NED
    • PopKart
    • QQ Dance QQ
    • QQ Xian Xia
    • Tian Long Ba Bu
    • World of Warcraft – Burning Crusade
    • World of Warcraft – Wrath of the Lich King
    • Xun Xian
    • Zhu Xian 2
  • Google Earth
  • Improvements to 3DVisionLive
• Adds support for new 3D Vision Desktop LCD monitors: Acer GN245HQ, Acer HN274H, Hannstar HS233, I-O Data 3D231XBR, Lenovo L2363dwA, Planar SA2311W
• Adds support for new 3D Vision projectors: Acer X1261P, Sanyo PDG-DXL2000
• Adds support for new 3D Vision All-in-On PC: ASUS ET2400XVT
• Adds support for new DLP HDTVs: Mitsubishi WD-83838, WD-83738, WD-73838, WD-73837, WD-73738, WD-73638, WD-73C10, WD-65838, WD-65738, WD-65638, WD-65C10, WD-60738, WD-60638, WD-60C10, L75-A91.
• Added the following 3D Vision game profiles:
  • • Arcania: Gothic 4
    • Crazy Racing Kart Rider 크레이지레이싱 카트라이더
    • Crossfire 穿越火线
    • Darksiders
    • DC Universe Online
    • Dragon Nest
    • Front Mission Evolved
    • Guild Wars 2
    • Hank Haney’s World Golf
    • Lineage 2
    • Medal of Honor (2010) Multiplayer
    • Medal of Honor (2010) Single Player
    • NED
    • Need for Speed Hot Pursuit
    • NVIDIA Demo: Aliens vs. Triangles
    • NVIDIA Demo Endless City
    • PopKart 跑跑卡丁车
    • QQ Dance QQ 炫舞
    • QQ Xian Xia Zhuan QQ 仙侠传
    • Tian Long Ba Bu 天龙八部
    • TRON: Evolution
    • Vizerra (fullscreen version)
    • World Rally Championship 2010
    • Xun Xian 寻仙
  • Update the following 3D Vision game profiles
    • Lost Planet 2 – rating is now changed to Fair
    • Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2- rating has been changed to 3D Vision Ready

NVIDIA Surround

• Improved performance for 3-way and 4-way SLI configurations
• Updated 3D Vision Surround and NVIDIA Surround game support list.
• Please visit the 3D Vision Surround web page for a full list of supported games

NVIDIA SLI

Adds SLI profiles for the following PC games

• Alien vs. Triangles Demo
• Endless City Demo
• Lionheart: Kings Crusade
• Moscow Racer: Legends of USSR
• Rift: Planes of Telara
• Shaun White Skateboarding

Enhances SLI profiles for the following PC games:

• Age of Conan
• Arcania: Gothic 4
• Civilization V – DX11
• Lost Planet 2
• World Of Warcraft

Other

• Installs HD Audio driver version 1.1.13.1
• Installs PhysX System Software to version 9.10.0514
• Supports playing back Blu-ray 3D discs when connecting your GPU to an HDMI 1.4 3D TV. Playback requires compatible software application from CyberLink, ArcSoft, Roxio, or Corel. For GPU and system requirements, visit the NVIDIA Blu-ray 3D website.
• Supports lossless DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD audio bitstreaming support for compatible Blu-ray movies with GeForce GTX 460, GTS 450, and GT 430 GPUs.
• Supports high definition 24-bit, 96 and 192 KHz multi-channel audio sampling rate support for compatible Blu-ray movies with GeForce 400 and 500 series, GT 240, GT 220 and 210 GPUs.
• Supports the new GPU-accelerated features in Adobe CS5.
• Supports GPU-acceleration for smoother online HD videos with Adobe Flash 10.1. Learn more here.
• Supports the new version of MotionDSP’s video enhancement software, vReveal, which adds support for HD output. NVIDIA customers can download a free version of vReveal that supports up to SD output here.
• Supports DirectCompute with Windows 7 and GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
• Supports OpenCL 1.0 (Open Computing Language) for all GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
• Supports OpenGL 3.3 for GeForce 8-series and later GPUs.
• Supports OpenGL 4.1 on GeForce 400 series and later GPUs.
• Supports single GPU and NVIDIA SLI technology on DirectX 9, DirectX 10, DirectX 11, and OpenGL, including 3-way SLI, Quad SLI, and SLI support on SLI-certified Intel X58-based motherboards.
• Supports GPU overclocking and temperature monitoring by installing NVIDIA System Tools software.
• Users without US English operating systems can select their language and download the International driver here.

Spot Signs of SATA Performance Degradation on Cougar Point P67/H67 Chipset

Apparently there's a "slim" chance of users actually being affected by the recently-discovered chipset design error plaguing Intel's Cougar Point 6-series chipsets that drive the SandyBridge processors. Intel pegs this at 5% performance degradation caused due to data transfer errors over a period of 3 years. Users of Romanian tech community Lab 501 found out a way of detecting if your hard drives connected to the damage-prone SATA ports are already showing signs of errors.

To do so, you need the HD Tune Pro software, you can try out the Pro version. Select a hard drive connected to the damage-prone SATA 3 Gb/s port, click on the "Health" tab. HD Tune checks out various self-diagnostic parameters of the drive, including SMART values. A drive connected to an affected port should fail a number of tests as shown in the screenshot below. As a stopgap solution, you can connect the drive to one of the SATA 6 Gb/s ports available. Most motherboards should have 2 internal 6 Gb/s ports, some have additional 6 Gb/s ports driven by 3rd party controllers. It's advisable to use ports of those controllers. This stopgap fix should pull you through till April-May, when motherboard vendors are expected to have motherboards with B3 revision of the Cougar Point chipset. You can then claim replacement of your board under warranty.

Source: Lab 501

Roccat Introduces Alumic Double Sided Mouse Pad For Both Speed and Control

Pro gamers are often faced with the awkward choice between a mousepad the offers speed, and that which offers control, which makes them carry both kinds of them to tournaments, and swap based on the usage. Roccat attempted to solve this with the Alumic. This double-sided mousepad offers a surface that's optimized for speed, and the other side that's all about control. So, switching between a sniper and a grunt in a match would just need you to flip the mousepad to suit the role.

The two surfaces sandwich an anodized aluminum core that maintains its shape and flatness. On both sides, the corners are decked up by rubber feet that prevent slipping. A gel-based attachable wrist-rest is also bundled. The Alumic mousepad measures around 331 x 272 mm, with 3 mm thickness. Slated for market release by the end of this month, the Roccat Alumic double-sided mousepad will be priced at €39.99.

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Happy Chinese New Year - 2011 Year of Rabbit

Happy Chinese New Year ! Daisyoix wish everyone has prosperity, healthy and happiness year ahead !

Asus Introduces New High-End DirectCU II Series Graphic Cards

ASUS has launched an entire range of DirectCU II-enhanced graphics cards that include the latest technologies from both AMD and NVIDIA GPU rosters. On the AMD side, ASUS offers the HD 6970 and HD 6950 graphics cards with DirectCU II while for NVIDIA, the GTX 580, GTX 570 and new GTX 560 Ti all ship with the advanced cooling technology.

Based on ASUS DirectCU, which uses copper heat pipes in direct contact with the GPU core for up to 20% cooler performance, DirectCU II adds a custom cooler that uses twin 100mm fans for a massive 600% increase in airflow on HD 6970, HD 6950, GTX 580, and GTX 570 DirectCU II cards. ASUS has also launched the GTX 560 Ti DirectCU II TOP graphics card with dual 80mm fans for the best performance in its segment through doubled air power.

The new DirectCU II graphics cards also include exclusive ASUS Super Alloy Power technology, which uses a unique alloy formula in power components such as chokes, capacitors, POSCAPs and MOSFETs to ensure a 15% performance boost, 35°C cooler operation and 2.5 times longer lifespan. In addition, ASUS overvolting utility Voltage Tweak allows gamers to realize the full potential of their PC’s graphics performance with an easy to use and intuitive user interface.

The newly-arrived GTX 560 Ti DirectCU II graphics card from ASUS uses specially-selected TOP GPUs clocked at 900MHz by default, representing a huge 80MHz overclock over reference. This indulges hardcore overclocking demands out of the box, something gamers around the world eagerly anticipate.

Product highlights

• ASUS exclusive cooling technology DirectCU has pioneered the use of 100% copper heat pipes that come in direct contact with the GPU core, removing the metal shielding usually used between the core and the cooler in traditional graphics card designs. Compared to reference graphics cards, DirectCU models have shown up to 20%* lower temperatures under load.
• New DirectCU II technology is an evolution of the DirectCU concept. In addition to the copper heat pipes, it includes a custom cooler fitted with two 80mm or 100mm sound-dampened fans. Unlike other graphics card cooling systems that sacrifice fan size and airflow to maintain quiet operation, the quality engineering of DirectCU II technology makes it capable of deploying two large fans that still remain quiet and unobtrusive. Testing has shown DirectCU II results in up to 600% greater airflow and up to 20%* cooler operation than respective reference designs. This massive increase in cooling translates into an immediate performance gain, as the card can take on heavier loads. Users can also overclock the hardware further thanks to higher tolerances and lower temperatures.
• Super Alloy Power technology is based on proprietary research and development of a unique alloy formula in critical power delivery components. Used in chokes, capacitors, POSCAPs and MOSFETs, Super Alloy Power technology boosts graphics card performance by 15%*, lowers operating temperatures by 35°C, and lengthens lifespan by 2.5 times when compared to reference designs. With added POSCAPs providing the most efficient power supply possible, DirectCU II graphics cards gain 28%* greater stability during overclocking.
• All of the new DirectCU II graphics cards cater to the needs of power users wishing to experiment with radical overclocking and performance enhancement. Each ships with exclusive overvolting utility Voltage Tweak, which allows modification of the card’s power delivery for up to 50% faster clock speeds.
• The ASUS GTX 560 Ti DirectCU II TOP features specially-selected and factory overclocked cores for maximized performance at 900MHz, an 80MHz gain over generic core clock speeds, which guarantees premium overclocking experiences for gamers.

Asus Introduces GeForce GT 440 Graphic Card with Super Alloy Power Circuitry

An instant upgrade over integrated graphics, the new ASUS GT 440 graphics card is ideal for driving multimedia center PCs while enabling smooth gaming. It features ASUS exclusive technology Super Alloy Power, which delivers a 15% performance boost, 35°C cooler operation and 2.5 times longer lifespan. The GT 440 further ships factory-overclocked at 822MHz, or 12 MHz more than reference cards, and comes with ASUS’ Voltage Tweak for easy overvolting for up to 50% faster clock speeds. The proprietary ASUS Dust-proof Fan contributes additional protection against heat and wear and tear, while GPU Guard strengthens the card for an extended product lifespan.

Product Highlights

• ASUS factory overclocks the GT 440 to 822MHz, which is 12MHz over reference. This delivers DirectX 11 and Windows 7-optimized performance, with support for the newest effects in PC graphics, including enhanced tessellation and real-time ray tracing.
• The ASUS GT 440 includes Super Alloy Power technology, featuring a special alloy formula used in power delivery components such as capacitors, chokes and MOSFETs. It instantly lowers average operating temperatures by 35°C, extending product lifespan 2.5 times and improving overall performance by 15%. This gives users access to greater overclocking potential, as the GT 440 can withstand higher-grade operation than its reference counterparts.
• Taking advantage of the better power delivery offered by Super Alloy Power formulation, ASUS exclusive overvolting utility Voltage Tweak is capable of increasing clock speeds by up to 50%.
• ASUS Dust-proof Fan design ensures up to 25% longer fan lifespan than generic offerings due to its double-sealing build, which repels dust and other debris to improve cooling and longevity. It runs quieter than the coolers on reference cards, creating a more pleasant environment for home theater enjoyment.

Asus Proactively Responding to the Intel Sandy Bridge Design Error

Intel on January 31, 2011 announced the detection of a design error in the new Sandy Bridge-based Intel 6 Series support chip, also known as Cougar Point. The shipment of existing Sandy Bridge products has been suspended by Intel, and the production of an updated support chip has commenced. The design error affects only the support chip, and not 2nd generation Intel Core processors such as the i5 and i7.

Acting on our philosophy and promise of inspiring innovation and persistent perfection, we've created a comprehensive response to this development to safeguard the best interest of ASUS customers around the world. We will provide total warranty services to maximize computing and usability, as each ASUS product is delivered with an uncompromising quality pledge. This includes the hassle-free return and/or replacement of all affected ASUS products. We’re doing all this effective immediately – and as a first step, shipments of current ASUS Sandy Bridge-based products have been halted. The suspension covers all distribution and retail channels — ASUS only sells quality-assured products, at all times and across all product segments.

For all customers who already own any ASUS product affected by the design error identified by Intel, simply visit this page for detailed warranty and service hotline information. We’ll be happy to address any questions or concerns you may have regarding this issue, as well as provide information on future updates to Sandy Bridge technology.

ASUS notebook and desktop products are covered by a warranty service that addresses the design error, with both swap and sales return offered as options to customers.

For motherboards, we’ve confirmed with Intel that the Cougar Point design error does not affect SATA ports 0 and 1. Additionally, ASUS has been a pioneer in including extra SATA 3Gb/s and SATA 6Gb/s ports beyond Intel specifications on a wide range of motherboards. These ports are not affected by this design error, offering customers an option for uninterrupted computing. However, we’re also offering you the option of returning any possibly affected motherboard for a swap or sales return. All warranties for affected motherboards will be reset to give you enough time to carry out any exchanges.

ASUS has also started an initiative to contact customers regarding this issue, and we’ll cover all channel partners, distributors and registered buyers of affected ASUS products. As mentioned above, you may opt to return any affected products to ASUS for a swap or sales return.

We’ll post updates through our official website and other channels regarding any developments or fixes to Sandy Bridge products. Thank you for your understanding, support and cooperation, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

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EVGA Introduces GeForce GTX 570 HD Graphic Card

EVGA rolled out a new custom-design GeForce GTX 570 graphics card that makes use of a shorter PCB and a cooler design inspired from that of the GeForce GTX 560 Ti, which offers better high-definition display connectivity compared to the standard model. Called the EVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD (model: 012-P3-1571-AR), the card makes use of a shorter GTX 570 PCB the company earlier displayed at CES with a yet unreleased dual-fan GTX 570. Display connectivity on this card includes two DVI, a full-sized (standard) HDMI 1.4, and a full-sized DisplayPort.

The cooler design is largely borrowed from NVIDIA's reference GeForce GTX 560 Ti, consisting of a circular heatsink with spirally-projecting aluminum fins, spreading heat to additional aluminum fin blocks on its either sides. It is ventilated by a large centrally-located fan. The card sticks to NVIDIA reference clock speeds of 732 MHz core, 1464 MHz CUDA cores, and 950 MHz (3800 GDDR5 effective) memory. Based on the 40 nm GF110 core, the GPU packs 480 CUDA cores, and connects to 1280 MB of memory over a 320-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. EVGA's GeForce GTX 570 HD is priced at $349.99, on par with the reference base model.

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MSI Announces Two New GeForce GT 440 Graphic Cards

MSI kicked off its GeForce GT 440 offer with two models, the low-profile N440GT-MD1GD3/LP, and the base-model N440GT-MD512D5. The former uses 1 GB of GDDR3 memory, and the latter uses 512 MB faster GDDR5. The low-profile card uses a miniaturized version of MSI's Twin Frozr II heatsink, which uses two 40 mm fans. The N440GT-MD512D5 uses a full-height PCB and a standard-looking GPU-heatsink with MSI's own cooler shroud design. The GPU features 96 CUDA cores, and a 128-bit wide GDDR3/GDDR5 memory interface. The GPU is clocked at 810 MHz, 1620 MHz CUDA cores, and 900 MHz memory. Display outputs include one each of DVI, HDMI, and VGA. Expect sub $100 price points.

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Intel Identifies Sandy Bridge Chipset Design Error, All Shipment Stopped

As part of ongoing quality assurance, Intel Corporation has discovered a design issue in a recently released support chip, the Intel 6 Series, code-named Cougar Point, and has implemented a silicon fix. In some cases, the Serial-ATA (SATA) ports within the chipsets may degrade over time, potentially impacting the performance or functionality of SATA-linked devices such as hard disk drives and DVD-drives. The chipset is utilized in PCs with Intel's latest Second Generation Intel Core processors, code-named Sandy Bridge. Intel has stopped shipment of the affected support chip from its factories. Intel has corrected the design issue, and has begun manufacturing a new version of the support chip which will resolve the issue. The Sandy Bridge microprocessor is unaffected and no other products are affected by this issue.

The company expects to begin delivering the updated version of the chipset to customers in late February and expects full volume recovery in April. Intel stands behind its products and is committed to product quality. For computer makers and other Intel customers that have bought potentially affected chipsets or systems, Intel will work with its OEM partners to accept the return of the affected chipsets, and plans to support modifications or replacements needed on motherboards or systems. The systems with the affected support chips have only been shipping since January 9th and the company believes that relatively few consumers are impacted by this issue. The only systems sold to an end customer potentially impacted are Second Generation Core i5 and Core i7 quad core based systems. Intel believes that consumers can continue to use their systems with confidence, while working with their computer manufacturer for a permanent solution. For further information consumers should contact Intel at www.intel.com on the support page or contact their OEM manufacturer.

For the first quarter of 2011, Intel expects this issue to reduce revenue by approximately $300 million as the company discontinues production of the current version of the chipset and begins manufacturing the new version. Full-year revenue is not expected to be materially affected by the issue. Total cost to repair and replace affected materials and systems in the market is estimated to be $700 million. Since this issue affected some of the chipset units shipped and produced in the fourth quarter of 2010, the company will take a charge against cost of goods sold, which is expected to reduce the fourth quarter gross margin percentage by approximately 4 percentage points from the previously reported 67.5 percent. The company will also take a charge in the first quarter of 2011which will lower the previously communicated gross margin percentage by 2 percentage points and the full-year gross margin percentage by one percentage point.

Updated 2011 First Quarter and Full Year Outlook
Separately, Intel recently announced that it had completed the acquisition of the Infineon Technologies AG Wireless Solutions business, which will now operate as the Intel Mobile Communications group. The company also expects to complete the acquisition of McAfee by the end of the first quarter.

The effects of the chipset issue and these transactions are incorporated into the company's revised outlook. The company now expects first-quarter revenue to be $11.7 billion, plus or minus $400 million, compared to the previous expectation of $11.5 billion, plus or minus $400 million. Gross margin percentage is now expected to be 61 percent, plus or minus a couple percentage points, compared to the previous expectation of 64 percent, plus or minus a couple percentage points. Spending (R&D plus MG&A) is now expected to be approximately $3.6 billion, compared to the previous expectation of approximately $3.4 billion.

The full-year revenue growth percentage is now expected to be in the mid-to high teens, compared to the company's prior expectation of approximately 10 percent. Full-year gross margin is now expected to be 63 percent, plus or minus a few percentage points, compared to the previous expectation of 65 percent, plus or minus a few percentage points. Spending (R&D plus MG&A) is now expected to be $15.7 billion, plus or minus $200 million, compared to the company's previous expectation of $13.9 billion, plus or minus $200 million. Research and development (R&D) spending is now expected to be approximately $8.2 billion, compared to the previous forecast of $7.3 billion.

All other expectations for the first-quarter and full-year remain unchanged. With the exception of McAfee, the outlook for the first quarter and full year do not include the effect of any acquisitions, divestitures or similar transactions that may be completed after Jan. 31. The acquisition of McAfee is subject to customary closing conditions.

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