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MSI's DKA790GX Platinum motherboard
The Phenom II has arrived, and unlike the Core i7, it'll drop right into existing and inexpensive motherboards. MSI's DKA790GX Platinum is one such board, packing AMD's 790GX chipset and CrossFire support for under $150. Keep reading so see how it performs with a Phenom II onboard. Read more...
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Last post by flip-mode at 10:01 AM on January 8, 2009
A year and a half after the first Eee PC made its debut in Taiwan, Sony has jumped on the netbook bandwagon—well, sort of. The company's new Vaio P seems to couple an Intel Atom processor and a small form factor, but it has little in common with the $500 sub-notebooks you can buy today.
For one, the Vaio P is very wide: its 8" display has a 1600x768 resolution, and Sony has thrown the trackpad concept out the window in favor of a TrackPoint-style pointing stick. The whole system also weighs less than 1.4 lbs, which is substantially less than an 8.9" Eee PC. However, the clearest hint this isn't your typical netbook is the price tag: a whopping $899.99.
That amount of cash will get you a 1.33GHz Intel processor (again, presumably of the Atom variety), 2GB of RAM, up to 60GB of mechanical storage or 128GB of solid-state storage, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Verizon 3G wireless WAN, Bluetooth, a GPS, and a battery rated for up to four hours of run time. (Sony sells an eight-hour battery separately, too.) On the software side of things, Sony offers either Windows Vista Home Premium or Home Basic, and it also includes an "instant-mode" Xross Media Bar option that lets you "rapidly boot up and access music, video, photos and the Web."
Sony is already accepting pre-orders for the system at its online store. Prices range from $899.99 for the base system to $1,499.99 for higher-end variants. Check out Gizmodo's hands-on report for a closer look at the machine.
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Last post by Hattig at 11:34 AM on January 8, 2009
Simultaneously with its new GeForce GTX 295 graphics card, Nvidia has released a batch of updated ForceWare drivers that bring both support for the new product and bug fixes. The ForceWare 181.20 release is available right now for Windows Vista x86, Windows Vista x64, Windows XP x86, and Windows XP x64.
The drivers also add support for the GeForce GTX 285—a new top-of-the-line single-GPU card based on the same 55nm GT200 "B" chip as the GTX 295. Aside from that, Nvidia has made some bug fixes pertaining to Age of Empires, Company of Heroes, Grand Theft Auto IV, Prince of Persia 4, Serious Sam 2, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and World of Warcraft: Wrath of Lich King, alongside other, non-game apps. Oh, and the new drivers apparently tweak power management for GeForce GTX 260 and 280 cards, too.
You can peruse detailed release notes for the ForceWare 181.20 drivers right here in PDF format. This release includes fixes from the 180.84 beta release, if I'm not mistaken, since that never received WHQL certification.
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Last post by TurtlePerson2 at 11:34 AM on January 8, 2009
We've known about the outlines of this one for a while now: the GeForce GTX 295 is a dual-GPU graphics card that sports a pair of GT200 "B" GPUs—a version of the GT200 that's been produced using a 55nm fab process rather than the 65nm process used on the original GT200. The lower power consumption (and thus heat production) of the 55nm chip has allowed Nvidia to cram two of these GPUs together on a single video card. Like the GeForce 9800 GX2 before it, the GeForce GTX 295 is a dual-PCB monster enclosed in a black shroud.
Although the 55nm GT200 has the exact same number of functional units as the GT200, Nvidia has disabled one of the ROP paritions in each GPU, so that like the GeForce GTX 260, each graphics processor on this card has 896MB of RAM associated with it, along with a little less per-clock oomph for painting pixels and doing AA resolve work. Each GPU's 240 stream processors is fully intact, though. All told, the GTX 295 is a beast, with 1792MB of graphics memory and enough theoretical peak fill rate and shader power to equal a fairly large array of Playstation 3s.
We've put the GTX 295 through its paces against the fastest single- and multi-GPU competition, along with a host of more reasonably priced options, and were entirely intending to publish a full review today. However, CES and the task of finishing up the Phenom II review intervened, and we had to push back the GTX 295 review a bit. Hang tight, please, folks.
In the interim, we have a little bit of the usual drama. Nvidia has likely recaptured the overall single-card performance crown with the GTX 295, for whatever that's worth in these days of somewhat oddly defined performance championships. ("Fastest two GPUs in one dual-slot card. Really?") They've priced the GTX 295 accordingly at $499. Preemptively, then, AMD has moved to cut the price of the Radeon HD 4870 X2 to $449 along with a $50 rebate, as we've recently reported. So things remain interesting and competitive as ever.
In a move AMD may not be able to counter immediately, Nvidia is also formally introducing its GeForce 3D Vision technology today. This tech combines a faster (120Hz LCD) monitor, specialized glasses, and some graphics driver hooks to deliver the impression of a vague headache—whoops, I mean of true, three-dimensional depth—in a host of popular PC games. We also have this bit of kit in house, and plan on giving you our impressions of it soon, as well. We may also test the effects of combining alcohol with such an apparatus in a special bonus section of our review. The early tech demos we saw of this equipment at Nvision this past summer were unusually good compared to earlier 3D vision schemes on the PC. Perhaps Nvidia will be able to bring this one into the mainstream.
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Last post by PRIME1 at 9:54 AM on January 8, 2009
Microsoft gave a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show late yesterday, and as the Associated Press reports, the company revealed that a public beta of Windows 7 is right around the corner. In fact, you should be able to download it tomorrow.
The AP says Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also gave the impression that Windows 7 is "almost ready for prime time," but CNet News heard a slightly more conservative pitch from Windows executive Bill Veghte. According to Veghte, Windows 7 may or may not ship in time for the coming holiday season. "I'm telling them that it could go either way . . . We will ship it when the quality is right, and earlier is always better, but not at the cost of ecosystem support and not at the cost of quality."
Going by a post on the Windows Team Blog, enthusiasts will be able to grab the public Windows 7 beta right from this page on January 9. MSDN and TechNet subscribers should have gotten early access on Wednesday, although pirates got an even earlier look when the beta leaked out on BitTorrent networks late last month.
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Last post by derFunkenstein at 11:32 AM on January 8, 2009
Thursday
- nV News Forums: Newegg
hashad GeForce GTX 295 listed for sale - TechCrunch reports investment group makes run for Yahoo, using Microsoft's money
- MTV Multiplayer: UGO chief tells us his side of 1UP purchase saga
- DigiTimes reports Lenovo to cut 11% of workforce in Q1 09
- Fudzilla reports Comcast claims BitTorrent throttling over
- TG Daily covers CES 2009: USB 3.0 slower than expected
- Is it the end of the desktop PC?
- Ars Technica reports OQO launches world's smallest Vista PC with OLED screen
- Tech Fragments reports Asus to unveil Windows 7 netbook with 512GB SSD
- Sony to launch world's lightest 8" notebook PC
- AnandTech covers CES 2009: Asus expands the Eee family
- DailyTech reports secure digital cards get a boost to 2TB with SDXC format
- Legit Reviews covers CES 2009: Corsair and MSI
- Ars Technica covers CES 2009: Sony pushes OLED tech with new TVs
- Engadget reports Samsung officially introduces 2233RZ,
the 22" 3D panel for gamers with two eyes - Gizmodo reports Pioneer drops below $300 with BD-Live Blu-ray player;
crazy vid tweaks on step-up models - HardwareZone's Macworld 2009 highlights and show floor highlights
- Microsoft's Ballmer announces availability of Windows 7 Beta and Windows Live
- Expreview reports Windows 7 beta 64-bit leaked to the web
- Microsoft: Windows 7 not a lock for '09
- ComputerWorld has a report: Microsoft to do free Windows 7 upgrades
- Microsoft preps to push IE 8; makes blocking tool available
- Toolkit to disable automatic delivery of Internet Explorer 8
- End of life extension for Sybari Antigen 8.0
- WorldWide Telescope - Solstice Borealis release
- Fudzilla reports Pioneer's TAD to introduce new Blu-ray audio format at CES
- Saints Row 2 (PC) on Steam now and Steam client update released
- Gaming Heaven reviews Saints Row 2 (PC)
- Shacknews on F.E.A.R. 2 videos: engine details, and ugh
- PCGH on GTA IV (PC): Core i7 far ahead of Core 2 Quad in CPU benchmarks
- bit-tech has games to watch in 2009
- AMDZone, AnandTech, bit-tech, Björn3D, Elite Bastards, FiringSquad, Guru3D,
Hartware, [H] Enthusiast, Hexus, Hi Tech Legion, HotHardware, Neoseeker,
Overclockers Club, and TweakTown review Phenom II X4 processors - Elite Bastards review MESH Matrix II 920 desktop system
- SuperSite for Windows reviews hp MediaSmart Server (2009)
- ITreviewed on Fujitsu-Siemens Esprimo Mobile U9210
- PCShopTalk reviews Jetway X-Blue P43 motherboard
- PureOverclock reviews 6GB Crucial DDR3-1333 tri-channel kit
- Hardware Bistro reviews AirLive PowerLine Homeplug HP-3000E
- ATi-Forum on GeForce GTX 285: over 100 benchmarks emerge (write-up in German)
- Hardware-Infos reviews 55nm EVGA GTX 260 216 (in German)
- DriverHeaven reviews Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 Toxic 1GB
- Techgage reviews Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 X2 2GB
- Digital Trends reviews Western Digital WD TV HD media player
- Maximum PC's hands-on with Logitech's G19 keyboard and G35 headset
- DriverHeaven reviews SteelSeries 7G keyboard
- TechwareLabs review Lian Li PC-888 exotic case
- Björn3D reviews Antec Twelve Hundred case
- Tweaknews reviews In Win Matrix mATX case
- PCShopTalk reviews Thermaltake Vi-On external hard drive enclosure
- [OC]ModShop reviews I-Star T5F-SS hot-swap hard drive bay
- DV Hardware reviews Logitech Comfort Lapdesk
- CowcotLand (in French) and DragonSteelMods review Thermolab Baram CPU cooler
- PCShopTalk reviews Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer
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Last post by Usacomp2k3 at 8:55 AM on January 8, 2009
Just as Nvidia prepares to introduce a new dual-GPU graphics card, AMD's dual-GPU Radeon HD 4870 X2 has coincidentally become a little more affordable—as long as you're willing to deal with a mail-in rebate, that is.
Newegg currently offers a Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 X2 for $449.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate, which takes the price down to $399.99 before shipping. The rebate form suggests that deal only applies to Newegg.com and Newegg.ca, though, and we haven't found similar offers at other online retailers.
As we wrote in December, Nvidia plans to introduce the GeForce GTX 295 tomorrow. The card will have two 55nm GT200 graphics processors each with 240 stream processors, a 576MHz core clock speed, and 896MB of 1,000MHz GDDR3 RAM.
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Last post by Xaser04 at 9:41 AM on January 8, 2009
Well, that's not something you see every day. Intel has announced preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter, and its revenue apparently fell considerably short of the revised estimate it published in November. Intel now says Q4 sales worked out to $8.2 billion, well below the revised estimate of $9 billion and the original forecast of $10.1-10.9 billion.
The new figure also represents a 20% sequential drop and 23% year-over-year decrease. If you'd rather not do the math in your head, Intel posted revenue of $10.3 billion in the third quarter, and it raked in the tidy sum of $10.7 billion in Q4 2007—both record-breaking figures.
Intel blames the worse-than-expected numbers on "further weakness in end demand and inventory reductions by its customers in the global PC supply chain." The company also says Q4 data will include a one-time charge of $950 million related to the company's recent investment in Clearwire.
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Last post by no51 at 11:05 AM on January 8, 2009
Giving credence to a recent report, Asus has revealed that it is considering the use of Google's Android cell phone platform for its Eee PC netbooks. TechRadar got the news straight from the horse's mouth—or in this particular case, that of Asus CEO Johnny Shih.
Shih reportedly credited Android for the "momentum" it has built up, and he said his company "is looking into using it . . . with an Eee PC." A number of firms are already working to import the Android interface to the "Eee PC model," the CEO went on to say.
Asus' aspirations for Android aren't limited to netbooks, though. Shih noted that Asus might also use it for an Eee phone, a device that could be "put in the pocket, play MP3s, offer GPS services, [work] like a PDA and [offer] Mobile TV altogether." For the record, Asus is no stranger to the cell phone market: the firm already produces a number of handsets based on Microsoft's Windows Mobile platform.
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Last post by Sc4Freak at 12:10 AM on January 8, 2009
Tired of the same old rectangular PC cases? Then you may want to give Lian-Li's PC-888 a look. The new aluminum enclosure looks like the unlikely lovechild of a Linksys router and Dubai's Burj Al Arab hotel, and it has perks like partitioned cooling zones and hard drives bays designed for hot-swapping.
A bit like on Apple's Mac Pro, the hard drive bays sit between the optical drives and the motherboard, and they allow four 3.5" hard drives to slide in from the side. Lian-Li also designed the case with a removable motherboard tray (which has a hole at the back to make installing aftermarket CPU coolers easier), an "extra long" power supply support bracket, and oodles of external ports—the top portion includes FireWire, external Serial ATA, audio, and USB ports alongside a card reader.
Lian-Li boasts about the unit's cooling system, too, which involves one 120mm exhaust fan, two 140mm intake fans, and a front bezel with a copious number of filtered vents. Unfortunately, this thing probably won't be cheap: the PC-888 supposedly takes four times longer to assemble than a regular case, and workers put it together manually using "125 custom designed parts." See the gallery below for some images.
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Last post by vince at 10:57 AM on January 8, 2009
After starting production of 25GB and 50GB solid-state drives for the enterprise last year, Samsung is back, this time with a higher-capacity 100GB model. The new drive has the same 2.5" form factor as its siblings, and Samsung claims it's ideal for applications like "video on demand, streaming media content delivery, internet data centers, virtualization and on-line transaction processing."
The drive reportedly combines a "sophisticated" eight-channel controller, single-level-cell flash memory, and special firmware—all developed by Samsung—to achieve speeds of 230MB/s for sequential reads and 180MB/s for sequential writes. In terms of input/output operations per second (IOPS), Samsung quotes 25,000 for random reads and 6,000 for random writes. That's supposedly "more than 10 times faster" than the speediest 15K-RPM Serial Attached SCSI hard drive, at least when looking at transactional data workloads.
Power-wise, the new SSD consumes only 1.9W in active mode and 0.6w at idle. Put the numbers together, and Samsung claims its latest drive can deliver 100 times as many IOPS per watt as a 15K-RPM mechanical hard drive. Impressive. The company expects its 100GB SSD to become available this quarter.
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Last post by Ethyriel at 10:12 PM on January 7, 2009
Asus isn't resting on its laurels. The company has chosen the Consumer Electronics Show to showcase some of its new and upcoming goodies, including Eee PC touch tablets and a contraption called the Eee Keyboard.
The Eee PC T91 tablet looks a lot like the Gigabyte M912 we reviewed a while back—essentially, it's a netbook with a pivoting touch-screen display that can fold back face up. Engadget has captured a video of Asus' launch presentation, which shows a 3D render of the system folding in and out of tablet mode. Apparently, the T91 will include an 8.9" LED-backlit display, an Intel Atom Z520 processor, Windows XP Home, and optional TV tuning and GPS capabilities.
Somewhat more unusual is the Eee Keyboard, which Asus describes as follows in one of its CES press releases:
Being the first multi-media center enabled by ultra wideband HDMI, the Eee Keyboard is not only a fully-functional PC; it also serves as a hub that wirelessly connects all multimedia devices to utilize any monitor or TV as a viewing platform.
Engadget has posted pictures of that device, too. The Eee Keyboard looks like a thin wireless keyboard, but it supposedly contains the guts of a PC, and it has a 5" touch-screen LCD mounted on the right side.
Aside from those novelties, Asus says it plans to introduce Eee PCs with built-in WiMax connectivity in North America "by the end of Q1 2009." The company also intends to ship a total of seven million Eee PCs by the end of this year.
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Last post by Imperor at 7:11 PM on January 7, 2009
Wednesday
- What is CFIUS & how important is its approval of AMD's plans for their foundries?
- C|Net reports AMD chipmaking spinoff gets OK from U.S.
and Obama picks RIAA's favorite lawyer for a top Justice post - Fudzilla reports AMD doesn't have GTX 295 dual answer
and dual-core netbook after Q3 2009 - Leak: new hp / Voodoo Envy 002 spotted
- DailyTech reports Asus showcases swivel screen Eee PCs at CES
- DigiTimes reports Intel hits into white-box netbook market in China
- VR-Zone reports SanDisk readies next gen. SSDs for netbooks
- PC Perspective Forums: Nvidia to fully unveil GeForce Stereoscopic 3D at CES
- Lian Li announces crazy PC-888 case
- Logitech gives gamers complete control with new G-series peripherals for PC gaming
- Best Buy offers used iPhones at lower price
- Ars Technica previews CES 2009
- DreamWorks joins Intel and NBC to create 'monstrous' 3D Super Bowl event
- TG Daily reports alternate collision method suggests
LHC may have been total waste of $9 billion - Next-generation space toilet ready in five years
- XSReviews 3rd year anniversary competition
- Do consumers need govt. protection from DRM? It's on the agenda at FTC Conference
- Attend an upcoming MSDN Developer Conference
and you will receive a Windows 7 Beta 1 DVD - Report: PC makers to provide free Vista-to-Win-7 upgrades starting July 1
- InfoWorld reports Vista's flaws surface again on eve of Windows 7 beta
and researchers hack into Intel's vPro - What does 256 cores look like?
- Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 released
- Phoronix on Phoenix Technologies HyperSpace
- ATi-Forum has Catalyst 9.2 beta for Linux (write-up in German)
- Skype 2.8 for Mac to launch Tuesday
- Saints Row 2 (PC) on Steam delayed
- Shacknews reports 'major' Gears of War 2 patch due this month
- New StarCraft II screenshots posted
- UpgraderGuides reviews Left 4 Dead
- Gaming Heaven reviews GTR Revolution (PC)
- TheTechLounge on choosing the right netbook
- [H] Enthusiast has NF200 "true" 3-way SLI preliminary results
- Hardware Canucks review EVGA X58 SLI
- t-break reviews ECS P45T-AD3
- PCStats reviews ECS A780GM-A
- HardwareZone demonstrates total recall - the past decade in memory
- TweakTown reviews 6GB Kingston 1333MHz triple channel memory kit
- IT168 reviews 500GB Seagate Barracude 7200.12 (in Chinese)
- Benchmark Reviews on 64GB Mtron MOBI 3500 SLC SSD
- TestFreaks review 4GB ATP ProMax II SD / SDHC card
- Elite Bastards and Overclockers Online review Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 Toxic 1GB
- Ultimate Hardware reviews POV GeForce GTX 260
- TweakTown reviews Leadtek WinFast PX9800GTX+ 512MB
- Rbmods review Asus VK246H 24" LCD monitor
- Digital Trends reviews Sony Bravia KDL-52XBR6 LCD TV
and shares 10 picture taking tips
- Overclockers Club reviews 1200W In Win Commander power supply
- bit-tech reviews 680W Hiper Type R II PSU
- Björn3D reviews Cooler Master Stacker 832 SE
- [OC]ModShop reviews NZXT Tempest case
- ProClockers review CoolIT Domino A.L.C.
- InsideHW reviews Cooler Master Aquagate Max
- Big Bruin reviews ThermoLab Baram CPU cooler
- FrostyTech reviews Cooler Master Hyper Z600 Black Label heatsink
- Technic3D's thermal compunds roundup (in German)
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Last post by indeego at 11:23 PM on January 7, 2009
How many exciting new goodies did Apple have in store at its latest Macworld keynote? Not too many, apparently. Phil Schiller announced only one notable hardware product this morning: the 17" MacBook Pro, a bigger and badder version of the 15.4" model that came out in October.
The 17" MacBook Pro has a 1920x1200 display with a 700:1 contrast ratio, and Apple offers a matte finish option for an extra $50. Aside from that, the $2,799 starting price gets you a 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, GeForce 9400M integrated graphics, GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics, and a battery Apple rates for up to eight hours of run time. As you'd expect, the machine has the same aluminum design as the other new MacBooks, too.
You can already pre-order the 17" MacBook Pro from the online Apple Store, although Apple quotes a three- to four-week delay for shipping.
Earlier in the Macworld keynote, Schiller also made some noteworthy announcements related to iTunes. The online music store should now include DRM-free songs from all four major record labels (not to mention countless independent labels), and in April, Apple will switch to a flexible pricing scheme. Instead of the perennial 99 cents per track, songs will be available from 69 cents to $1.29. Oh, and iPhone 3G users can now purchase songs from the iTunes Store via their carrier's 3G connection, as well.
Last, but not least, Schiller announced new versions of Apple's iWork and iLife software suites. iWork '09 users will also be able to share documents online using the new iWork.com beta. For complete coverage of the Macworld 2009 keynote, check out the liveblogs at both Engadget and Ars Technica.
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Last post by MadManOriginal at 8:24 AM on January 8, 2009
If most pre-built gaming PCs are little more than collections of off-the-shelf desktop parts, then HP's Firebird strays from the norm. Announced today alongside the dv2 laptop, the HP Firebird is a compact desktop that includes an Intel Core 2 Quad, dual Nvidia GeForce 9800S graphics modules, and a vertically mounted, slot-loading DVD or Blu-ray drive. Pricing will start at a fairly reasonable $1,799 when the machine becomes available on Friday.
Alongside the desktop CPU and mobile graphics processors, the Firebird features an nForce 760S SLI-based motherboard, a sealed liquid cooling system, 4GB of DDR2-800 memory, dual 2.5" hard drives, an external 350W power supply, and a mix of ExpressCard/54 and PCI Express x1 expansion slots. HP quotes dimensions of 7.5" x 17.8" x 18.9" and a weight of 24.4 lbs, so while the Firebird isn't exactly a small-form-factor build, lugging it away to LAN parties probably won't injure your back.
You can learn more about the system by visiting Voodoo PC's Firebird product page. Oh, and hit the image gallery below for some renders of the Firebird from different angles.
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Last post by TheBob! at 7:24 PM on January 7, 2009
In a little while, Apple Worldwide Product Marketing VP Phil Schiller will take the stage at the Macworld 2009 keynote and presumably announce some exciting new products. The Onion may have gotten an early scoop on one of Apple's latest creations, though. Behold, the MacBook Wheel:
"Senior Product Innovator" Brian Gilman rightfully points out, "Nothing is more simple than a single, giant button." Reportedly, the 8GB MacBook Wheel will cost $2,599, and the 40GB model will start at a slightly pricier $9,960.
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Last post by Rakhmaninov3 at 12:01 AM on January 8, 2009
Still pounding away on those two reviews in advance of CES. This could get hairy, although I do have an awful lot of work done. Just... writing is hard.
Remembered at random this morning that after a recent rebuild with a couple of component upgrades, my PC's Windows Experience Index is 5.9. What's yours? And what's the limiting factor, if any?
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Last post by eitje at 9:22 PM on January 7, 2009
Finally, AMD is countering Intel with a new mobile platform aimed at slim, low-cost notebooks. Previously code-named Yukon, the platform has now made its official debut: it includes a new Athlon Neo processor, an AMD M690 chipset with Radeon X1250 integrated graphics, and optional Mobility Radeon HD 3410 discrete graphics.
According to the official spec sheet, the Athlon Neo MV-40 processor runs at 1.6GHz with 512KB of cache and a 15W power envelope. AMD manufactures it using its current 65nm process, although it mounts it in a compact 27 x 27-mm package. The company doesn't explicitly mention the number of cores, but slides from its November Financial Analyst Day said the Yukon platform would only have one CPU core.
Unlike with Via's Nano, we apparently won't have to wait ages for the processor to show up in actual laptops. HP has simultaneously announced the dv2, a slim 12.1" notebook that's "just under 1-inch thick and starting at 3.8 pounds." Best of all, the dv2 will cost only $699 when it becomes available in April.
The dv2 will have a 12.1" 1280x800 LED-backlit display, an Athlon Neo MV-40, Mobility Radeon HD 3410 discrete graphics, 160GB to 500GB of 5,400-RPM mechanical storage, either Windows Vista Home Basic or Windows Vista Home Premium x64, and a 92%-of-full-size keyboard. Users will be able to choose between four- and six-cell batteries, and HP will offer optional extras like a Blu-ray drive and integrated wireless WAN connectivity. Not bad considering the price and form factor. Check out the image gallery below for pictures of the system.
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Last post by kitsunegari at 5:27 AM on January 8, 2009
A line of pricey pre-built PCs is hardly what you'd expect from a company that caters largely to enthusiasts. However, that's just what BFG Technology has up its sleeve. New Phobos desktops will soon join the firm's line of graphics cards, motherboards, and power supplies—and true to pre-built gaming PC tradition, they'll be expensive. Prices will apparently start at $3,000 for the Phobos Performance configuration and range up to a mind-blowing $8,000 for the Phobos Elite.
That top config will incorporate one of Intel's flagship Core i7-965 Extreme Edition processors, which it'll couple with dual Nvidia GeForce GTX 295 graphics cards, an auxiliary GeForce GTX 285 for PhysX processing, 6GB of DDR3-1600 RAM, quadruple Western Digital VelociRaptors (yes, four of 'em), a slot-loading Blu-ray drive, a 1.2kW power supply, liquid cooling from CoolIt, and an integrated dock for iPhones and iPods (still not kidding).
As if that weren't enough, BFG also outfits the Phobos enclosure with an 8" touch-screen LCD panel:
The panel provides users with a System Status Overview—a real time snapshot of the processor, memory, network, and storage data. Phobos owners can also make real-time performance adjustments based on desired use (Auto/Quiet/Max), monitor the capacity and health of internal storage devices, display and control audio and video files, and more.
Perhaps in a bid not to scare off non-geeks, BFG will offer each system with a complementary Concierge Service, which will entail "expert in-home installation and a six month follow up maintenance visit." If you're spending $8,000 on a gaming PC, you might as well hire a butler to point and laugh at console-owning commoners for you, too. BFG says prospective customers can hit www.bfgsystems.com after January 8 for all the details.
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Last post by PRIME1 at 11:31 PM on January 6, 2009
Tuesday
- BBC reports America's first CTO to be named
- New Comcast throttling system 100% online
- C|Net cites sources: Apple to expand DRM-free music, new pricing
- JVC unveils 32" LCD TV only 7mm thick
- OCWorkBench claims to have Nvidia GeForce GTX 285 and 295 launch dates
- Fudzilla reports Asus and XFX GTX 285 and 295 listed
- Newegg offers GeForce GTX 280 price cuts
- Symwave and Seagate demonstrate world's first USB 3.0 storage solution
- C|Net reports new hp ultraportable first to use AMD Neo chip
- Lenovo W700ds dual-screen notebook officially starts at $3663
- DailyTech reports MSI launches super thin X-Slim 320 13.4" notebook
- Ars Technica reports MSI offers details on the Wind U115 netbook
- DigiTimes reports AMD to introduce six 45nm business class desktop CPUs in Q3 2009
- Ahead of Macworld, Microsoft again says Macs cost more
- TG Daily has Macworld 2009: last-minute rumor round-up
- Australia takes home PCMark05 trophy
- Dolby makes push to bring 3-D home
- NY Times of Blu-ray's fuzzy future
- Tech ARP posts BIOS optimization guide rev. 10.4
- bit-tech's hardware buyer's guide for January 2009
- PCPer podcast #44
- Ars Technica on two views of life on the grid (book reviews)
- EULAlzer 2.0 released
- GPU-Z v0.3.1 released
- Website du jour: Flexilis Beta
- 2K Games and 2K Sports have coupons that get you $10 off their games
- Kotaku reports Xbox 360 finally gets mouse & keyboard support
- Major Nelson on the top 20 Xbox 360 Live games of 2008
- Left 4 Dead blog: art direction part 2: stylized darkness
- Crysis monthly update #8 discusses patch 1.3 and what's to come
- ITreviewed on Call of Duty: World at War
- XSReviews has budget gaming part 1: the basics
- HotHardware reviews MSI Wind U100 netbook
- HardwareZone's ZoneOut #3: Dell Latitude E6400 & hp EliteBook 6930p in a battery war
- [H] Enthusiast reviews EVGA X58 3X SLI motherboard
- Overclock3D reviews Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD5
- TechSpot reviews Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4P
- Legit Reviews on 6GB Corsair Dominator 1600MHz triple channel memory kit
- Overclockers Club reviews 32GB Cavalry Pelican 2.5" solid state drive
- Hardware Canucks review EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 55nm Superclocked
- Guru3D reviews HIS HD 4870 IceQ 4+ Turbo 1GB
- TweakTown reviews MSI Radeon HD 4830 512MB OC Edition
- bit-tech reviews ViewSonic VX2260WM 22" Full HD monitor
- Digital Trends reviews Samsung Omnia
- Tweaknews reviews Razer Moray noise isolating earbud headphones
- XtremeComputing reviews SilverStone Raven (RVM01B) mouse
- ThinkComputers reviews 700W OCZ Fatal1ty Series power supply
- PureOverclock reviews 650W AeroCool Horsepower power supply
- JonnyGuru reviews 500W Xigmatek NRP-PC501 power supply
- AnandTech reviews Thermaltake Spedo Advanced chassis
- Overclockers Club reviews Raidmax Wind Storm case
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Last post by UberGerbil at 1:29 PM on January 6, 2009
Although Via's Nano has been strikingly absent from netbooks so far, the processor should make its way into a sleek 11.6" laptop next month. The folks at Engadget got a sneak preview of the machine from a Via executive, and they say it's "surprisingly stylish and lightweight."
Rather than coming from a major PC vendor, the machine will be offered by Dr. Mobile—a Taiwanese firm that also produces Mini-ITX motherboards and other, lesser-known netbooks. The upcoming FreeStyle 1300n will feature an 11.6" 1366x768 display, a 1.3GHz Via Nano CPU, up to 4GB of RAM, support for 2.5" storage devices, 802.11g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and optional cell phone or WiMAX connectivity.
Dr. Mobile's spec sheet quotes a sub 2.87-pound weight and a thickness of 0.98", which sounds pretty competitive—especially since Engadget claims the system will cost only $500. No word yet on battery life, although the 1.3GHz Nano does have a larger thermal envelope than Intel's 1.6GHz Atom N270. Check out Engadget's photo gallery for more images.
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Last post by MadManOriginal at 11:19 PM on January 6, 2009
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