Review of the Abit TH7 RAID mainboard
June 29, 2001
Abit, one of the most active manufacturers in market, recently sent us a sample of their latest motherboard for the Intel platform - the TH7 (RAID edition). The Abit TH7 RAID is based on the i850 chipset, and takes it lead from the Intel D850GB Pentium 4 reference board. Only a slight lead however, as the TH7 has quite a few of its own tricks to share. These include the SoftMenu BIOS system, an integrated RAID controller, and a diagnostic panel - all of which combines to form a much different beast than the D850GB
Posted by Chris Verr
SiS 315 32MB SDR Reference Card Review @ Chick's Hardware
June 29, 2001
Chick's Hardware have posted the first review of the new 3D graphics chipset from SiS, the 315. The reference card is made with the final silicon and sports 32MB SDRAM, TV-Out and DVI! The new chipset is made as a budget card and is targeted to take on NVIDIA's MX200 range. Will they succeed?
Here's a snip:
"SiS are taking a step forward in the development of their graphics division, they introduce the new SiS 315 3D video chipset, will it be the next generation 3D chipset or will it just be another wild goose chase, leaving NVIDIA back at the top?"
Click here to read the rest.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Enermax 350 Watt Power Supply Review @ The Tech Zone
June 29, 2001
The Tech Zone takes a look at a nice 350 watt power supply from Enermax. The Enermax EG365P-VE doesn't cost much more than most 300 watt power supplies (in some cases it cost less) but it packs a lot more features and a much bigger punch. Intel P4 ready too!
Check out the full review here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Prolink Pixelview PlayTV Pro Review @ Tweak Town
June 29, 2001
TweakTown have posted a review of the cheap yet quality Prolink Pixelview PlayTV Pro all-in-one TV/FM Tuner & Video Capture Card, which they awarded their Editor's Choice award.
Read the complete review at here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
AMD'S multiprocessor platform receives NOVELL'S Sever Software Certification
June 29, 2001
SUNNYVALE, CA- JUNE 28, 2001-AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced that Novell Inc., a leading provider of Net services software, has certified the AMD Athlon(tm) MP processor and the AMD-760(tm) MP chipset, AMD's multiprocessing platform for one- and two-way servers. This certification, known as "Yes, Tested and Approved," assures business users that through rigorous testing, Novell has evaluated AMD's multiprocessing platform as providing the highest degree of reliability and interoperability with the Novell NetWare operating system.
Novell NetWare is a server operating system that brings non-stop access and Internet-ready security to all types of networks.
"Novell is proud to be the first server operating system to certify the AMD Athlon MP processor and the AMD-760 MP multiprocessing chipset," said Carleton Watkins, director of Worldwide Developer Support for Novell. "The union of Novell NetWare with AMD's innovative hardware provides a stable and robust enterprise and Internet server platform, and we look forward to more collaborative efforts with AMD in the future."
"AMD is excited to earn Novell certification of our one- and two-way server platform," said Ned Finkle, director of Software Infrastructure Relations for AMD. "With Novell's official certification, commercial customers can be assured that servers built with AMD Athlon MP processors provide users with robust and reliable platforms."
Novell has certified server systems using Tyan's Thunder K7 S2462 system board, the world's first dual-processor, DDR-based platform for AMD's new line of AMD Athlon MP processors for servers and workstations. Tyan's Thunder K7 system board utilizes breakthrough chipset technology and includes a host of integrated features.
"Novell certification is certainly a significant milestone in the validation of this breakthrough platform," said Don Clegg, vice president of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Tyan. "This certification empowers IT managers to choose Tyan and AMD server technology that delivers performance at previously unmatched values."
The AMD multiprocessing platform has been certified for a number of Novell products, including Novell NetWare 5.1 with Support Pack 2a, GroupWise 5.5, Novell Distributed Print Services 2.1, NDS eDirectory and Novell BorderManager 3.5.
Based on the state-of-the-art AMD Athlon MP processor and the AMD-760 MP chipset, AMD's multiprocessing platform supports Double Data Rate (DDR) memory technology and incorporates AMD's latest innovation, Smart MP technology. AMD's stable Socket A infrastructure is planned to exceed enterprise users' long-term business needs while lowering their cost of doing business. Smart MP technology enables the combined power of the processor and chipset to deliver better overall performance on widely available, x86-based, dual-processor platforms.
About the AMD Athlon(tm) MP Processor
The AMD Athlon MP processor is a seventh-generation x86 processor designed for high- performance multiprocessing servers and workstations. It provides up to a 38 percent performance increase over widely available x86 multiprocessor-based systems on benchmarks such as WebBench, ServerBench and 3D Studio Max.
A key advantage of AMD's multiprocessing platform is Smart MP technology. It greatly enhances overall platform performance by increasing data movement between the two CPUs, chipset and memory system. Smart MP technology features dual point-to-point, high-speed 266MHz system buses with Error Correcting Code (ECC) support, designed to provide up to 2.1GB per second per CPU of bus bandwidth in a dual-processor system. Smart MP technology also has an optimized Modified Owner Exclusive Shared Invalid (MOESI) cache coherency protocol that manages data and memory traffic in a multiprocessing environment.
The AMD Athlon MP processor, with stable Socket A infrastructure and support for DDR memory technology, has a high performance, full-speed cache with hardware data pre-fetch, a fully pipelined superscalar floating point engine, and an exclusive L2 Translation Look-aside Buffer (TLB). It also incorporates 3DNow!(tm) Professional technology. 3DNow! Professional technology has 52 new instructions that extend AMD's 3DNow! technology, enabling smoother, richer and more lifelike images, more precise digital audio and an enriched Internet experience.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy awarded AMD an ENERGY STAR® Certificate of Recognition for its energy-efficient processors, including the AMD Athlon MP processor. These processors help manufacturers meet stringent ENERGY STAR specifications for a variety of appliances, equipment and other products. Products with the ENERGY STAR label are designed to use less energy, save money and help protect the environment.
AMD Athlon MP processors are manufactured using AMD's 0.18-micron copper process technology at Fab 30 in Dresden, Germany.
About the AMD-760(tm) MP Chipset
The AMD-760 MP chipset, the world's first AMD Athlon multiprocessor chipset to support DDR memory technology, is AMD's high performance two-way multiprocessor core logic solution for the AMD Athlon MP processor. It consists of two chips -- the AMD-762(tm) system controller (northbridge) and the AMD-766(tm) peripheral bus controller (southbridge). The AMD-760 MP chipset unleashes the power of DDR memory technology, which, combined with other sophisticated core logic in data, memory and I/O control as well as system and power management, provides a powerful solution for server and workstation platforms. The AMD-760 MP chipset supports up to two AMD Athlon MP processors with independent 266MHz front side buses, as well as PC2100 DDR memory and AGP 4x graphics.
About AMD
AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Asia. AMD, a Fortune 500 and Standard & Poor's 500 company, produces microprocessors, flash memory devices, and support circuitry for communications and networking applications. Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD had revenues of $4.6 billion in 2000. (NYSE: AMD).
Visit AMD on the Web
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
CRN selects AMD ATHLONT processor for 'ULTIMATE PC'
June 29, 2001
AMD Athlon(tm) processor chosen ahead of Pentium® 4 processor at PC EXPO
NEW YORK-JUNE 26, 2001-AMD today announced that CRN has selected the AMD Athlon(tm) processor for its "Ultimate PC" demonstration at PC EXPO in New York. CRN Test engineers chose the AMD Athlon processor ahead of the Pentium® 4 processor, combining the AMD Athlon processor with the fastest, most robust and reliable PC components selected by CRN to create the most powerful PC in the industry today.
CRN, a leading trade newsweekly of computer industry news and analysis for solution providers, integrators and e-businesses, constructs the Ultimate PC every year at PC EXPO and Comdex, two of the computer industry's largest trade shows. CRN Test Center engineers build the Ultimate PC every day before a live audience at the Crystal Pavilion entrance of the Jacob Javits Convention Center at PC EXPO.
"Through rigorous testing, we found that the 1.4GHz AMD Athlon processor combined with DDR memory is an excellent performer," said CRN Test Center Director John Yacono. "In many test applications it outperformed competing processors with higher clock speeds, which indicates the AMD Athlon processor's architecture gets the most out of each tick of the clock, making it the natural choice for the Ultimate PC."
"AMD is delighted that CRN recognizes the AMD Athlon processor as the processor of choice for the Ultimate PC," said Pat Moorhead, vice president of desktop and mobile marketing for AMD's Computation Products Group. "Clearly, megahertz alone is not the best indicator of processor performance. The most important aspects to business and consumer PC users are better software performance, higher productivity in real-world environments, system longevity and proven reliability. AMD Athlon processor-based systems with DDR memory consistently outperform competitive PC processor systems, and truly form the most powerful PC solution in the world."
The Ultimate PC award is the latest in a series of honors given to the AMD Athlon processor. The highly decorated AMD Athlon processor has already received more than 90 awards worldwide. In addition to CRN's Ultimate PC award, it has won a "triple crown" of computing accolades, receiving Maximum PC magazine's "CPU of the Year Award" for 2001, PC World's "Product of the Year" in June 2000, and PC Magazine's Technical Excellence prize for Best Component in Hardware Category for 1999.
The award is just one of many AMD highlights at PC EXPO. AMD is showcasing its mobile AMD Athlon 4 processor in notebooks, and is featuring the AMD Athlon MP processor in dual processor-based servers and workstations. The AMD Athlon MP processor represents AMD's first multiprocessing-capable platform for one- and two-way servers and workstations, enabling AMD to further penetrate the commercial market. Already more than 20 manufacturers are developing multiprocessing workstations and servers based on the AMD Athlon MP processor.
About the AMD Athlon(tm) Processor
The AMD Athlon processor is an x86-compatible, seventh-generation design featuring a superpipelined, nine-issue superscalar microarchitecture optimized for high clock frequency; the industry's first fully pipelined, superscalar floating point unit for x86 platforms; high-performance cache architecture, featuring 384KB of total on-chip cache (256KB of on-chip level two (L2) cache and 128KB of on-chip level one (L1) cache); enhanced 3DNow!(tm) technology with 24 additional instructions designed to improve integer math calculations, data movement for Internet streaming, and DSP communications. The AMD Athlon processor features either a 266MHz Front-Side Bus (FSB) or a 200MHz FSB based on the Alpha(tm) EV6 bus protocol. AMD Athlon processors are manufactured using AMD's 0.18-micron process technology in Fab 25 in Austin, Texas and Fab 30 in Dresden, Germany.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy awarded AMD an ENERGY STAR® Certificate of Recognition for its energy-efficient processors, including the AMD Athlon processor. These processors help manufacturers meet stringent ENERGY STAR specifications for a variety of appliances, equipment and other products. Products with the ENERGY STAR label are designed to use less energy, save money and help protect the environment.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the DFI WT70-EC Pentium 4 socket 423 mainboard
June 28, 2001
The WT70-EC is a Pentium 4 board designed by DFI. Ever confident of its technical abilities, DFI has seldom shied from developing products for new platforms. Because of this, the company has developed a myriad of motherboards over the years, all of which have met with the strict standards of consumers. The DFI WT70-EC - which we'll be looking at today - is based on the i850 chipset from Intel, and thus supports RAMBUS PC600 and PC800 memory, as well as the Pentium 4 CPU.
Posted by Chris Verr
ECS K7AMA @ Legion Hardware
June 28, 2001
At Legion Hardware have had an extremely in-depth look at the DDR-RAM. They have covered how it works and what it has to offer.
Over the past few months numerous Pentium III and Athlon DDR boards have passed through the lab that all have one thing in common; they all sported VIA’s DDR chipsets whether that was the Apollo 266 or KT266. Well finally the drought has been broken as ECS present with the new K7AMA featuring ALi’s flagship chipset called the ALiMAGiK 1.
Click here to read the full article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
NVIDIA GeForce2 Go & Dell Inspiron Review @ Adrian's Rojak Pot
June 28, 2001
Adrian's Rojak Pot just posted the a short and sweet look at the Dell Inspiron and the NVIDIA GeForce2 Go GPU!
"Looking for a laptop? Try to get a GeForce2 Go to go with it! How's that for a tongue twister?
Today, Marauder takes a look at his latest baby - the new Dell Inspiron with a NVIDIA GeForce2 Go GPU inside! So, how well does the GeForce2 Go perform?
There's only one way to find out - click here!"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
ThermalRight SK6 Review @ Iamnotageek.com
June 28, 2001
John Apps, from Iamnotageek.com just finished up the review of the ThermalRight SK6. Here's a snip:
"If you are in the market for a new heatsink, you have to check this one out. It beat out all the heatsinks I put up against, it and I gave it some tough competition. Above the heatsink in the middle you can see a plastic bag which contains a thermal pad, you can just throw that out, no I am serious, throw it out and get yourself some silver thermal paste.
I didn't even bother testing the thermal pad on this heatsink. I was glad to see ThermalRight had the foresight not to ship it with the thermal pad on the heatsink it saves me the trouble of scraping it off."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Transcend’s 512MB DDR 266 Memory Module Debuts at Incredibly Low Price
June 28, 2001
Taipei, Taiwan, June 28, 2001/Various Agencies—Expand your system’s memory capacity without bursting your budget. Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), the professional memory manufacturer, proudly introduces the 512MB DDR (Double Data Rate) 266MHz DRAM memory module at an incredibly low price.
DDR266 bandwidth is double that of the PC133, and can attain a data transfer speed of 2.1GB per second. The newly announced 512MB DDR modules from Transcend are the DDR266 series using Samsung or Winbond 32Mx8 bit DDR chips, with a capacity of 512MB and an 184pin form factor. All Transcend DDR memory modules have passed compatibility testing of the NSTL/VIA Join Logo Program, which is a testing program conducted by the National Software Testing Laboratories, Inc. (NSTL) in coordination with VIA Technologies, Inc. (VIA). This objective, quality assurance testing, as defined by the NSTL, verifies correct operation, functionality and compatibility of system products.
Roy Wang, product manager for Transcend, stated, “The Transcend 512MB PC-266 DDR memory module will not only create an incredibly powerful and stable DDR system environment for users, but they also get the best cost/performance ratio. With the continuing drop in chip costs, the price for these modules has been set at more than $200USD below the projected retail price anticipated several months ago. This allows users to get an unprecedented bargain.” Transcend promises that all memory modules are made with 100% original DRAM chips, further strengthening the stability and performance of the Transcend DDR memory modules. In addition, every memory module is backed by a lifetime warranty.
Ordering information:
TS64MLD64V6F5: Standard DDR memory module
TS64MLD72V6F5: ECC DDR memory module
TS64MDR72V6F5: ECC Registered memory module
Company Introduction:
Established in 1988, Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend) is one of the world's leading memory module and motherboard manufacturers. Transcend was the first company in Taiwan to gain ISO 9001 certification for memory products, and the first company in the world to offer its customers memory with a lifetime warranty. Transcend broke into the motherboard market in 1998, and now offers award-winning designs for Socket 370, Socket A, Slot 1, and Slot A processors, with a plethora of chipsets, form factors, leading edge features, and a two-year warranty on every motherboard. The company operates a global manufacturing and logistics network with over 400 employees in eight offices located in Taiwan, The USA, The Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, and China. This network means customers get local technical support, and can expect product delivery within 24 hours. As a result of continuous, sustained growth, Transcend's total global annual revenues in 2000 exceeded US$250 million.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
ECS e-letter
June 28, 2001
ECS E-LETTER – 28th June, 2001
Dear Customers and Friends,
Welcome to this week’s e-letter, designed to keep you up to date with company news, product information and market conditions. ECS Elitegroup (ECS) is a manufacturer of mainboards, PDAs, IA products and barebone system units.
K7S5A2 with SiS 735 chipset out soon
We are pleased to announce that the socket A K7S5A2 DDR mainboard will soon be available. It is an ATX board that supports Athlon and Duron processors up to 266 MHz FSB. The board comes with the highly acclaimed SiS 735 chipset that has received favourable comments from such influential reviewers as Tom’s Hardware Guide, t-Break and OC Workbench. This high performance chipset supports a range of features, including AC97 Audio Codec. There are 2 DIMM DDR sockets for up to 1GB of DDR SDRAM (DDR266/200) and 2 DIMM SDRAM sockets for up to 1GB of SDRAM (PC133/100), to cater for each user’s choice of memory platform. For expansion options, the K7S5A2 comes equipped with 5 PCI slots, an AGP 4X slot and AMR slot.
There are 6 USB ports (4 as headers on-board), an EPP/ECP parallel port and two 16550 high-speed serial I/O ports. A range of audio ports is supplied, comprising line-in, line-out, microphone-in, CD-in and game port. Two PCI IDE interfaces support 4 IDE devices (PIO mode 4, DMA mode 2, ATA 33/66/100). There are also PS/2 keyboard and mouse connectors.
The K7S5A2 comes with our popular LAN/modem wake-up, Magic Setting (allows the CPU frequency to be adjusted without fiddling with jumpers) and hardware monitoring functions (provides information on voltage, temperature and fan speed conditions). Furthermore, the Keyboard Power-On function allows the PC to be turned on by using a password.
Combining typical ECS rock-solid stability with the powerful SiS 735 chipset, the K7S5A2 is your best choice in socket A DDR motherboards.
K7VMA wins Motherboard Homeworld’s Editor’s Choice Award
Motherboard Homeworld, a very popular US-based review site, has reviewed our K7VMA and awarded it their Editor's Choice Award. Among the board’s strengths, the reviewer was particularly impressed by the board’s stability and feature range, given the board’s low cost. “For what you get, versus what you pay, this is a champion of a motherboard,” MBHW wrote. To see the complete review, please go to: http://www.motherboards.org/articles.html/aid=888/pg=1 ..
The K7VMA is a socket A, ATX board which comes with the VIA KM133 chipset and ATA66/100. Memory capacity is 1.5GB. For expansion, there are 4 PCI slots, as well as AGP and AMR slots.
K7VZA, “one of the fastest KT133A boards on the market today,” exclaims Australia’s Tweaktown, and “a great value motherboard,” says Spain’s Noticias3D
Tweaktown, a popular review site in Australia, recently published a review of our socket A K7VZA (version 3.0) which they rated 9/10. The review commented that the board had excellent stability, good performance and was available at a low price. In the benchmark tests, the K7VZA beat products from Asus and FIC, leading the reviewer to remark that, “Blowing the other test boards away makes it one of the fastest KT133A boards on the market today.” For the complete review, please go to: http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/ecs_k7vza/ ..
The K7VZA was also recently reviewed by Noticias3D, a Spanish review site. They concluded that it was “a great value motherboard.” The reviewer at this site liked the board’s top rate performance and excellent stability, even at high frequencies. The space around the CPU socket for large heat sinks and the board’s low price tag also were also pluses for the board. To see this review (in Spanish), please visit:
http://www.noticias3d.com/articulos/200106/k7vza/1.asp .
Intel launches Tualatin chip for servers
This week Intel launched its Tualatin 0.13-micron process, 1.13GHz Pentium III processor aimed at the server market. Compaq has already confirmed that it will soon announce a new line of servers using Tualatin, according to EBNews (www.ebnews.com). Intel also intends to launch mobile PC versions of the Tualatin sometime during the third quarter, that industry sources say will probably be in July.
Compaq to overtake Palm in the PDA revenue race
According to Dataquest, Compaq may overtake Palm in the PDA revenue race this quarter, Digitimes (www.digitimes.com) reports. Palm estimates that its shipments from March-May were 700,000 units, with revenue from hardware sales to be US$130-135 million. In comparison, Compaq will ship about 500,000 units this quarter of its much higher priced iPAQ, and expects that its 2Q PDA sales will exceed US$200 million. Dataquest predicts that Handspring should come in third, with 2Q sales of US$60-65 million and shipments of 330,000 units.
We hope you have enjoyed this issue of our e-letter. Please let us know if there is anything you would like us to include in future issues. On the other hand, if you would rather not receive our newsletter, or if the newsletter is not being sent to the appropriate person in your company, please let us know.
For information about ECS and our products, please visit our websites at:
www.ecs.com.tw (English/Taiwan HQ/Chinese)
www.ecs.uk.com (English/UK)
www.ecsjpn.co.jp (Japanese)
www.elitegroup.de (German)
www.ecs.ru (Russian)
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the MSI 12X DVD-ROM drive
June 27, 2001
Now that we've finished off the review of the MSI 52X CD-ROM, it's time to take a look at the MSI 12X DVD-ROM - a jack of many trades that's also capable of reading CDs at 40X speed. Let's take a look at ai while comparing the CD-ROM read speed with MSI's own 52X CD-ROM drive.
Posted by Chris Verr
STMICROELECTRONICS and IMAGINATION TECHNOLOGIES extend partnership to new generations of POWERVRT technology
June 27, 2001
STMicroelectronics to develop Graphics Accelerators based on PowerVR Series4 and Series5
Kings Langley, England and Geneva, Switzerland, 26 June 2001 - Imagination Technologies Group (LSE: IMG), the leading provider of human computer interface intellectual property (IP), and STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM), a world leading supplier of system-on-chip solutions, today announced that they have extended their successful partnership to include the development and manufacture of a range of high performance PC graphics and video accelerators based on PowerVR Series4 and Series5 technology designed by Imagination Technologies' PowerVR Technologies division.
This move follows the success of ST's KYRO(tm) and KYRO II(tm) graphics accelerators, which are based on PowerVR Series3. A dozen leading manufacturers of PC Graphics Add-In-Boards have already adopted KYRO and KYRO II technology for their products.
The partnership agreement between ST and Imagination Technologies was forged in April 1999 and combines Imagination Technologies' acclaimed PowerVR tile based rendering technology with ST's world-class digital video know-how, process technology expertise, and manufacturing capability.
"Our KYRO family of graphics accelerators has proven the considerable advantages of PowerVR's Tile Based Rendering over traditional graphics renderers to both manufacturers and end-users. The advantages of PowerVR will only increase as future applications increase in complexity and PowerVR Series4 and 5 will offer users unrivalled performance without the price premium enforced on other graphics solutions by their outdated designs", said Tim Chambers, VP and General Manager of ST's Graphics Product Division.
"ST has made KYRO into one of the strongest emerging brands in the marketplace and offers a viable alternative to the 'brute-force' technologies of its competitors. With ST's commitment to a roadmap based on PowerVR Series4 and Series5, the KYRO family of graphics accelerators will continue to provide outstanding performance, features and unrivalled value", said Hossein Yassaie, CEO of Imagination Technologies.
PowerVR takes a different algorithmic approach to 3D, aiming to eliminate redundant processing and avoid memory bottlenecks. By doing only what is absolutely necessary, and by keeping as much 3D processing as possible on-chip, PowerVR's combination of Tile Based Rendering, 32-bit True Colour, 8 Layer Multitexturing and Hidden Surface Removal allows maximum performance to be extracted from the available memory bandwidth.
About STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics is the world's third largest independent semiconductor company. The Company shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial automation and control systems. In 2000, the Company's net revenues were $7,813.2 million and net earnings were $1,452.1 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
About Imagination Technologies
Imagination Technologies Group plc is an international company that develops, licenses and supplies market-leading 2D/3D graphics, digital video, Digital Signal Processing, audio and speech technologies and products for consumer entertainment and PC Markets. The company has deployed and planned technologies for games consoles, PC's, arcade entertainment machines, digital set-top boxes, in car information/entertainment systems, and mobile devices. Since it was founded in 1985, the company has introduced, via licensing arrangements or directly, a succession of innovative technologies, silicon chips and add-in boards, which have played a major role in the development of multimedia and computer-based entertainment systems. Imagination Technologies Group plc has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE:IMG). More information is available on the Imagination Technologies web site at www.imgtec.com
About PowerVR Technologies
PowerVR Technologies - a division of Imagination Technologies - develops and markets the unique PowerVR graphics/video technology. Existing partners licensing the technology include NEC and STMicroelectronics. PowerVR Technologies design wins have included Sega's latest video games console, Dreamcast, the Naomi arcade system, which is used in the majority of new arcade machines worldwide, and numerous PC add-in and OEM customers. More information is available on the PowerVR Technologies web site at www.powervr.com
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
BIT88 Universal Sound Enhancer @ The Hardware zone
June 27, 2001
The BIT88 promises to convert any audio source to truly stunning high-fidelity music without changing any of your current hardware.
Incorporating vacuum tube amplification and SRS Labs' patented "WOW" and TruBass technologies, does this S$199 (USD 109) add-on accessory have what it takes to keep you glued to your current audio setup for a few more years?
Find it out here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Abit's TH7-Raid mainboard review @ Hardware-test.dk
June 27, 2001
Hardware-test.dk have released their test of Abit TH7 mainboard, here's an excerpt from what they say:
"Abit has since the beginning of 1998, been known as a motherboard maker who will not compromise either stability and/or performance. This is also the case with this motherboard. This motherboard is a representative of the latest on the market; a Pentium 4 motherboard, the full name is Abit TH7-RAID. As the name implies, the motherboard features an onboard software RAID controller, buildt on the Highpoint HPT370 chip. Will this motherboard be able to live up to earlier supreme boards from Abit?"
Read on here and se how they rate it.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Thermaltake Dragon Orb 3 @ The Hardware Zone
June 27, 2001
With a price of only U$S 33, the new Thermaltake Dragon Orb 3 comes with a speedy 7,000RPM fan and a solid copper base for enhanced cooling.
Touted to support up to 1.5GHz AMD Athlon and 2.0GHz Tualatin processors, does this new cooler have what it takes to impress the hard core overclocker? Check out the latest article from CPU-zilla as he takes the Dragon Orb 3 out for a ride.
Don't miss it!!
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Performance Enhanced SDRAM review @ Adrian's Rojak Pot
June 27, 2001
Adrian's Rojak Pot just posted the review of the OCZ Performance Enhanced SDRAM.
Here's a clip - "Now, what's so special about this 150MHz 2-2-2 SDRAM? Take a look at this clip - "Check out the chip label. A check reveals that the chips is actually Infineon's 7.5ns SDRAM which is designed to run at only 133MHz 3-3-3! So, how does this DIMM actually make it up to 150MHz 2-2-2?"
Enjoy!!
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Lian-Li Mini PC-31 Case Review @ The Tech Zone
June 26, 2001
The Tech Zone has a case review for you today. The Lian-Li Mini PC-31 is a black mini tower case that provides two 5.25" bays and a server filling six 3.5" drive bays. Special features includes all aluminum construction, 100% tool free entry, and a fit and finish that would do a Lexus proud!
Check out their full review here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
RomTec USA Interview
June 26, 2001
Romtec, an extremely new company, hit the market a couple months ago when websites everywhere started to review the Romtec TRIOS, a hardware device that enables any PC user to switch up to three hard drives in one computer.
While it looks a bit fruity looking, one thing is clear. It's innovative.
It's unique. And clearly, Romtec is here to stay. Check out their latest interview with the folks at G3D:Gaming In 3D.
"Why should gamers choose one of your products, the Romtec TRIOS, over a simple RAID setup?
Trios allows user to Isolate an O/S for a dedicated Game use,
and yet move with another O/S that is dedicated in another interest of the End User."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Kyro2 Review @ Hexus.net
June 26, 2001
Finally after moving server again, Hexus.net have got their Kyro 2 Review live. They have had a somewhat different approach with this card to other sites and have come out with different results, showing it isn’t all that it is made out to be.
Here's a Snip:
"The Kyro II follows on in the line of PowerVR cards that do the rendering in a completely different way; to put it simply the Kyro chipset only renders what is visible in a 3D scene. When an object is in front of another it blocks the object behind it, with a traditional
render device such as a GeForce, it renders everything in the scene and then just before the scene is displayed the hidden objects are hidden, the Kyro, only renders what is visible, thereby saving a whole lot of memory bandwidth on hidden objects, the hidden objects are taken out of the equation long before a rendering call is given. The picture below shows the differences between the two different rendering platforms."
Read the rest here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Actual Rev. 6.0 of the BIOS Opt. PDF eGuide Released! @ Adrian's Rojak Pot
June 26, 2001
Adrian's Rojak Pot just posted the new revision 6.0 BIOS Optimization PDF eGuide! and includes the "missing" rev. 5.8 update that they forgot to post earlier.
Check it out here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
AMD'S mobile AMD ATHLON(TM) 4 processor powers HP'S latest retail notebook PC's
June 25, 2001
- Systems based on the new 1GHz mobile AMD Athlon 4 processor immediately available from HP -
- 850MHz mobile AMD Duron(TM) processor delivers leading performance in value notebook systems -
SUNNYVALE, CA-JUNE 25, 2001-AMD today announced that its new 1GHz mobile AMD Athlon(TM) 4 processor featuring AMD PowerNow!(TM) technology-which delivers up to 30 percent more battery life without compromising performance-is being incorporated in the latest notebook PCs from Hewlett-Packard Company.
In addition, the 850MHz mobile AMD Duron(TM) processor, which provides a superb combination of features and performance in value notebooks, is expected to be available in HP notebook PCs on July 1.
The new AMD processor-based products will be featured in HP's best-selling retail notebook PC line-the HP Pavilion n5000 series-available through HP retail partners and hpshopping.com.
"With AMD PowerNow! technology's battery-saving capabilities, the new 1GHz mobile AMD Athlon 4 processor delivers up to 50 percent more performance than competitive systems while running on batteries," said Pat Moorhead, vice president of desktop and mobile marketing for AMD's Computation Products Group. "HP's endorsement shows continued manufacturers' support and momentum, as well as market acceptance of AMD mobile processors."
"HP was the first company to incorporate an AMD mobile processor with AMD PowerNow! technology into a retail notebook product line," said Hilary Glann, worldwide marketing manager, HP Mobile Computing Division. "HP Pavilion notebook PCs with mobile AMD Athlon 4 and mobile AMD Duron processors provide our retail customers a broad range of performance and value options to help meet their all-in-one mobile computing needs."
The 1GHz mobile AMD Athlon 4 and 850MHz mobile AMD Duron processors support AMD's stable Socket A infrastructure and provide performance on demand for both business and consumer users.
About the Mobile AMD Athlon(tm) 4 Processor
The mobile AMD Athlon 4 processor features a new lower power design for notebook computing, 384KB of on-chip, full-speed cache with hardware data pre-fetch (256KB of on-chip level two (L2) cache and 128KB of on-chip level one (L1) cache), a superscalar floating-point unit, support for AMD's 3DNow! Professional technology instructions for enhanced multimedia capabilities, and AMD PowerNow! technology for extended battery life.
The mobile AMD Athlon 4 processor is compatible with AMD's Socket A infrastructure, and supports the advanced 200MHz AMD Athlon front-side bus (FSB), providing the highest bandwidth available for notebook PCs.
Mobile AMD Athlon 4 processors are manufactured using AMD's 0.18 micron copper process technology in Fab 30 in Dresden, Germany.
About the Mobile AMD Duron(tm) Processor
The new mobile AMD Duron processor is designed to provide an optimized solution for value-conscious business and home users. Employing an innovative design, the new mobile AMD Duron processor features AMD PowerNow! technology, a sophisticated cache architecture with 192KB of total on-chip cache and data pre-fetch, a high-speed 200MHz front-side bus, and a superscalar floating point unit with support for AMD's 3DNow! Professional technology.
The new mobile AMD Duron processor offers value-conscious buyers access to technology and performance that stands out among other processors in its class. It reflects AMD's 30 years of design and manufacturing expertise and sales of more than 150 million PC processors.
About AMD PowerNow!(TM) Technology
AMD PowerNow! technology can significantly extend the battery life of notebook PCs up to 30 percent. It also provides performance on demand and enables a cooler and quieter-running notebook computing experience. AMD PowerNow! technology is a combination of software and hardware support that allows the processor to run at different frequencies and voltages based on user preference or application demand.
A simple Windows® control panel interface allows the user to select between three modes of system operation:
* AMD PowerNow! technology provides a unique "automatic" mode that allows the system to determine the appropriate level of power and performance based on application demand, delivering the best of both worlds- extended battery life with no compromise in performance.
* In the high-performance mode the CPU always runs at maximum performance.
* In battery-saver mode the CPU always runs in its lowest power state, enabling the longest system battery life.
About AMD
AMD is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets with manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Asia. AMD, a Fortune 500 and Standard & Poor's 500 company, produces microprocessors, flash memory devices, and support circuitry for communications and networking applications. Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD had revenues of $4.6 billion in 2000. (NYSE: AMD).
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the MSI Pro266 Master R mainboard
June 25, 2001
The MSI Pro266 Master R has no equal in the current marketplace. It's literally packed with features, sports an integrated RAID controller, PC-2-PC communications, and a D-LED diagnostic panel - among other things. It's main attraction however, is its VIA Pro266 chipset, which not only allows it to support 133MHz FSB processors, but also both DDR and SDR SDRAM memory.
Posted by Chris Verr
Samsung 570v TFT Review @ Iamnotageek.com
June 25, 2001
The people at Iamnotageek.com posted the following review:
"The 570v is Samsungs entry level flat screen monitor. Its a great looking monitor and its at a price most people can now afford. If you spend long hours in front of a computer how you owe it to you eyes to at least look into a flat panel monitor."
Read the rest at here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Rumble FX's 3D Sound Amp Review @ Gamingin3d.com
June 25, 2001
Despite the fact that you have a pair of $100+ Sennheiser headphones and $75+ sound card, your sound experience on your PC is still lacking
something. Well, what is it? Well...the folks at Rumble FX believe it's their new offering, the 3D Sound Amp. While it appears cheesy and looks like it's targeted for the N64 crowd, it still has a few features. Check out its' latest review at G3D:Gaming In 3D today.
"While the documentation on how to install the amp was pretty mediocre and standard, I thought the fact that they included like a 15-foot cable was pretty nice. While it's definitely not a must have item on the list, it's still nice to know that they were concerned about some users with those huge living rooms."
Read the complete review here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
SiS 635/735 DDR Chipset Preview @ The Tech Zone
June 24, 2001
The Tech Zone takes a sneak peek inside the gargantuan powerhouse chipset maker, SiS! Wait a second? Isn't SiS the company who's all but dropped off the map, except for highly integrated low-end mainboards? Well, SiS's latest chipset offerings are highly integrated products, but it appears that SiS might be ready to enter the mainstream, with chipsets that offer both value and performance with DDR memory. Yes, we're talking about SiS's 635 and 735 chipsets.
Read their full preview over here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
OCZ Gladiator HSF Review @ Tweak Town
June 24, 2001
TweakTown have posted a review of the impressive new OCZ Gladiator copper HSF which is their first review product to receive a perfect 10 / 10 rating and of course their Editor's Choice Award.
Enjoy the rest of the article at Tweak Town.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Asus v8200 Pure Review @ Iamnotageek.com
June 24, 2001
One of few non-reference GeForce 3's the v8200 is a good overclocker and comes with a nice software package. I have given the v8200 the best value award so read the review and find out why.
Quote:
"If you take a close look at the wires coming from the fan you will notice there is three not just two. The third is for counting the RPM's, ASUS comes with a utility that allows you to monitor fan speed as well as voltages and temperatures. This feature probably exists on other cards but this is the first video card I have reviewed that has it."
Click here to read the rest.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Digitek MediaPad Elite PX 31000-LTE III Notebook @ Hardware Zone
June 24, 2001
Fancy a top-of-the-end Pentium III 1GHz notebook but don't want the effort to blow a bazooka-sized hole in your wallet? Try Digitek's MediaPad Elite PX 31000 and you might walk away with great savings to boot.
Here's an excerpt from the review:
"Though the Digitek MediaPad Elite PX 31000-LTE III notebook boasts an attractive price and value-for-money configuration, it is however, not the fastest 1GHz mobile performer we know. Still, if you want something that holds well with your wallet and yet touts speed, agility and remarkable battery life over other similarly priced notebooks, then this Elite is probably one of the better offerings around right now."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
CommunicAsia 2001 (Part 1 of 2) @ Hardware Zone
June 23, 2001
If last year's CommunicAsia 2000 event is any indication on the direction of our communication, connectivity and broadcasting advances in this region, this year's 2001 showcase is a reality of what that could be. The Hardware Zone team pays a visit and gives you the scoop.
Taking place from 19-22 June 2001, the show consumes all of 75,800 square metres of floor space (meaning lots of walking around and bumping into unfamiliar faces) and as the organiser, Singapore Exhibition Services, puts it in a press statement -- "is undeniably the largest infocomms trade event in Asia". CommunicAsia is hosted by the Infocomms Development Authority of Singapore (IDA).
Check the rest of the article here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI GF3 Review @ HardOcp.com
June 23, 2001
Microstar enters the GeForce3 market with their new StarForce 822.
Is it stable, is it fast, will it make you look cool in front of all the hotties?
All your questions will be answered...maybe.
If you want to find out, click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
ADi i610 15-inch TFT LCD Monitor @ Hardware Zone
June 23, 2001
Offering a unique design and unconventional placement of control buttons and speakers, the ADi i610 15-inch TFT LCD monitor would definitely catch the attention of visitors to your office (or even co-workers). We take a close look at the low-cost i610 and evaluate whether the innovative design features incorporated into this Adi TFT LCD monitor enhance or diminish ease-of-use and performance.
All-in-all, the ADi i610 15-inch TFT LCD monitor offers unique design, fairly good performance, and very reasonable price of S$799 (with GST) with three-year warranty. What it lacks is ease-of-use in terms of button placement (especially for left-handed users) and optimized audio directional orientation for the two stereo speakers.
Enjoy the rest of the review at Hardware Zone.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Gigabyte ---K7 series news release
June 22, 2001
Gigabyte announces whole series of motherboards supporting AMD FSB266 CPU
Since the launch of AMD AthlonTM/DuronTM CPU, it has acclaimed good remarks from consumers. As technology advances, AMD has breakthrough itself with a 266Mhz FSB CPU. In order to satisfy the growing needs of our customers, Gigabyte announces a whole series of motherboards supporting this new standard to fulfill our commitment to the requirements of our customers.
As the FSB 266 CPU requires a higher power rating, the complexity in the design of the circuitry increases. Therefore, it is not an easy task to design a reliable board. The experience of Gigabyte plays an important role in delivering this whole series of motherboards that are stable and reliable to support these CPUs. We improved the design of the power supply and included LCL filter to ensure the stability when the system is running at 266Mhz FSB. It ensures a speedy and stable computing environment for everyone. The following are the different models available and a brief introduction is included for users.
1. DIY series
GA-7DXR AMD 761 + VIA 686B
GA-7VTX VIA KT266 + VIA 8233
GA-7ZXR/-C (rev. 3.0) VIA KT133A + VIA 686B
These three models have improved overclocking features. A heatsink and fan are mounted on top of the north bridge to improve stability during overclocking. The package comes with 2 free USB external connector for future USB connectivity. GA-7DXR and GA-7ZXR (rev 3.0) supports IDE RAID interface which improves data transfer speeds and data redundancy. GA-7DXR and GA-7VTX supports the PC1600/PC2100 DDR. The AGP Pro interface which is backward compatible with AGP 2X/4X allows you to immerse yourself in the 2D, 3D gaming world. GA-7ZXR (rev 3.0) supports PC133 SDRAM, another version GA-7ZXR-C is similar except that there is no RAID support. These three boards have obtained worldwide media recognition; they are definitely the ultimate warrior of Gigabyte series of AthlonTM/DuronTM motherboards.
2. Economy Series
GA-7ZXC VIA KT133A + 686B
GA-7SDX SiS 733
GA-7SRX SiS 735
GA-7ZXC and GA-7SDX supports PC133 SDRAM, GA-7SRX supports the PC1600/2100 DDR. These 3 motherboards mainly targeted at the economy market. Redundant and seldom used functions are removed to cut the costs. These 3 motherboards are excellent in quality and performance, it is definitely the knights of Gigabyte’s AMD Athlon/Duron series.
3. Integrated Series
GA-7ZMMH VIA KM133A + 686B
GA-7VMM VIA KLE133 + 686B
These models use the VIA integrated chipsets, which means that there is no need to buy an additional graphics card. In addition, there is integrated audio. These two boards have excellent cost-performance ratio and are suitable for business enterprises and internet users. These 2 motherboards are our Enterprise warriors for the Athlon/Duron.
The whole series of motherboards support AMD FSB 266 are also downward compatible with the FSB 200 CPUs. Why would you bother to buy a board that only supports 200Mhz when Gigabyte offers you the direct route to 266Mhz and saves you from future upgrading? No matter what are you computing needs, Gigabyte has the best product lines to cover all your computing needs.
http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Dragon Orb 3 Review @ Iamnotageek.com
June 22, 2001
The Dragon Orb 3 is Thermaltake's new heavy weight heatsink. It's got a whole lot of copper and a 7K RPM fan. If it is priced right this Orb could really take off.
Quote: "Most of you have probably seen that the Thermaltake is marketing the top part of the Dragon Orb 3 by itself as an upgrade for your current Orb. It is called the Storm Fan. The Storm fan is just an easy nice looking way to stick a 7000 RPM fan on your Orb. Sticking a 7K fan on any heatsink is obviously going to help out the performance. To see how much difference the increased copper makes in the Dragon Orb 3, I removed the fan inside the Mini Copper Orb and places the Storm Fan on top."
Enjoy the rest here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Computex Taipei 2001 (Day 5- Part 3) @ Hardware Zone
June 22, 2001
This is the final installation of the Computex 2001 coverage. Look out
for new products from Gigabyte, MSI, SOYO and ViewSonic. Plus, by popular demand, all the girls of Computex 2001 caught in action. Be forewarned, this article is huge, due to the amount of pictures.
Click here to read this article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI K7T266 Pro-R review @ PC Hardware
June 22, 2001
PC Hardware posted a review of the DDR motherboard MSI K7T266 Pro-R. As you may know many rumors appeared on the web when MSI launched this mobo. Many websites reported sub performance and stability problems. PC Hardware tested it and discovered that the new version plus the 1.3 version BIOS is a redoubtable performer in benchmarks like Content Creation Winstone 2001, Business Winstone 2001, Sysmark 2000, Sisoft Sandra 2001 and why not… Quake III Arena.
Stability and quality are also maximized by this MSI implementation of the VIA266 which feature a onboard Promise RAID controller.
The review is available at here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
ECS K7VZA Motherboard Review @ Tweak Town
June 22, 2001
TweakTown have posted a review of the ECS K7VZA KT133A motherboard.
Normally ECS are known for producing OEM based motherboards, however this mothreboard is certainly very different; it was the fastest KT133A motherboard tested in the review.
Enjoy!!
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the MSI 52X CD-ROM drive
June 22, 2001
Diversification is the name of the game for MSI. Already known as a prolific vendor of motherboards, MSI has chosen to present us with a little something else from their bag of tricks - the MSI 52X CD-ROM drive. Let's take a look.
Posted by Chris Verr
FIC AZ11EA Motherboard Review @ TweakTown
June 21, 2001
TweakTown have posted a review of the FIC AZ11EA motherboard which is based on the VIA KT133A northbridge and VIA 686B southbridge chipsets which gives support for AGP4x, ATA100 and what not.
Enjoy this review here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Seagate Cheetah 36XL Review @ Legion Hardware
June 21, 2001
Legion Hardware has posted a review of this SCSI hard disk drive, let's take a look:
"Seagate Cheetah 36XL SCSI is more mainstream in servers, however they are slowly becoming more affordable making them more popular for the high end user. SCSI has a lot to offer desktop users over IDE. Not only will data transfer rates be much faster but the average hard drive-intense application will perform much more quickly. Games like Quake III will load much faster and when installing programs from the hard drive significant speed increases will also become evident."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
SAMSUNG to license IMAGINATION TECHNOLOGIES' multimedia tuner patents
June 21, 2001
Imagination Technologies today announces that its patent licensing partner, Scipher plc, has granted a licence to Samsung Electronics for the use of Imagination Technologies' multimedia tuner patents. The technology covered by the patents enables TV to be watched on a PC / multimedia device and is used by manufacturers of PC-TV tuner cards.
The licensing agreement with Samsung follows on from successful licensing of the same patents to tuner manufacturers Temic Telefunken and Phillips Electronics. Together these companies and their customers represent a large majority of the world market for PC-TV tuner technology - delivering royalty streams for Imagination Technologies and Scipher over several years.
Imagination Technologies appointed QED, the patent licensing arm of technology development and licensing company, Scipher to exploit its PC-TV patents. This relationship has since been extended with QED appointed to manage the licensing of global patents covering multimedia architectures relevant to PCs, set-top-boxes, game consoles and other multimedia systems. In addition to licensing the patents to companies who are already using these technologies, QED will also be granting licences to companies who wish to incorporate them into new developments.
David Hulston, Managing Director of QED, said: '' We are extremely pleased to have again successfully licensed Imagination's PC-TV tuner patents - this time to Samsung. We are delighted with the relationship we have with Imagination Technologies and look forward to further successes with the intellectual property that we are licensing on their behalf.''
About Imagination Technologies
Imagination Technologies Group plc is an international company that develops, licenses and supplies market-leading 2D/3D graphics, digital video, Digital Signal Processing, audio and speech technologies and products for consumer entertainment and PC Markets. The company has deployed and planned technologies for games consoles, PC's, arcade entertainment machines, digital set-top boxes, in car information/entertainment systems, and mobile devices. Since it was founded in 1985, the company has introduced, via licensing arrangements or directly, a succession of innovative technologies, silicon chips and add-in boards, which have played a major role in the development of multimedia and computer-based entertainment systems. Imagination Technologies Group plc has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE:IMG). More information is available on the Imagination Technologies web site at www.imgtec.com.
About QED
Headquartered in the United Kingdom and with offices in both Japan and Sweden, QED is an intellectual property (IP) licensing company that provides proactive licensing services to a range of world-class international clients, helping them to generate income from their IP portfolios. QED combines commercial, technical, legal and patent expertise to help its clients secure their IP rights, identify IP opportunities and exploit the value of their IP assets. QED Intellectual Property Limited (QED) is the IP licensing arm of technology development and licensing company Scipher plc (FTSE:SIP). For further information please visit our web-site at www.qed-ip.com.
About Scipher
Scipher plc is a technology development and licensing company that creates value in two principal ways. It develops commercial applications for patent protected technologies derived from its own R&D resources, which are then licensed or sold in high-growth markets. Secondly, it provides IP protection and licensing services that enable its clients to exploit the full potential of their IP assets. Scipher's large and expanding portfolio of advanced technology products and know-how comprises a number of product streams that serve the markets for 3D Sound, Displays, Wireless Communications, Sensors, Broadcast Monitoring and Secure Identification.
Currently, around two-thirds of Scipher's revenues are earned outside the UK, with products sold or licensed in over 30 countries.
The distinct characteristics of Scipher stem from a tradition of advanced R&D and intellectual property management that dates back more than 70 years. They include inventions and developments of historic importance, among them stereo recording, television broadcasting, and the medical CT scanner, which won a Nobel Prize for its inventor.
Further information on Scipher can be found at www.scipher.com.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Computex Taipei 2001 (Day 5- Part 2) @ Hardware Zone
June 21, 2001
The guys at Hardware Zone keep producing reports from their trip to Computex 2001. Here is a part of the newest article:
"The second part of the fifth day coverage. In this article, we looked at new motherboards from ASUS, AOpen and Elitegroup. Looks like this will not be the last article on Computex 2001. Beware, there are a lot of pictures in this article and it may take some time to load if you are on a slow connection.
We saw lots of stuff at the AOpen booth, they had almost everything, from motherboards to casings and heatsinks. All you need is a CPU and a hard disk drive and you should be able to build a system from scratch using AOpen components. That's what I call a total solution (well, almost)."
Read the rest at Hardware Zone.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
G550 and HeadCasting Reviews @ Iamnotageek
June 20, 2001
Iamnotageek.com have just finished a review of the technology Matrox has announced with the G550. Matrox gone off into a whole new area with this card and its HeadCasting technology. Matrox is not after the gaming audience with this card, the GeForce2 MX will probably still beat this card in gaming performance.
Here is a quote about the G550:
"The G550 will be produced on a 0.18-micron process, just like the G450. This means the die size should be increased and it will probably run a little hotter, however that isn't much of a problem as the G450 runs very cool compared to most cards on the market. The G550 is also pin compatible with the G450 which means something very unfortunate. The G550 like the G450 is only capable of using 64-bit DDR SDRAM. This is a strongest indication that Matrox is moving far away from the gaming market. 64-bit DDR SDRAM is not going to cut it in the latest and greatest games. Don't expect to see this card in configurations higher then 32MB either."
Here is a quote about HeadCasting: "HeadCasting lets you see the head of the person your talking to but seeing that head doesn't give you anymore information. If you can see someone with video you can see the facial expressions they make. If someone rolls their eyes you would have no way of knowing that with HeadCasting. HeadCasting may make facial expressions but those could only be based on what the person on the other end says not the actual look on their face. You also can't show something like a chart or a new product that you could through video conferencing."
Read the complete article at Iamnotageek.com.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
OCZ Glacier II HSF Review @ Tweakers Asylum
June 20, 2001
The Tweakers Asylum just finished up the review of the OCZ Glacier II HSF..
This is the Intro of the review:
"OCZ has made a name for itself in the memory department, being one of the few companies that pretest their memory at a given speed before selling it.
Along with their memory products OCZ is also known for their line of HSFs.
Today we are taking a look at the OCZ Glacier II."
Go directly to the review by clicking here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Computex Taipei 2001 (Day 4- Part 2) @ Hardware Zone
June 20, 2001
In this article, The Hardware Zone looked at some copper heatsinks, new products from Promise Technology, new toys from Leadtek and cool mobile devices from FIC.
Here's a small preview:
"We were invited to visit the ATT (Advanced Thermal Technologies) suite at Grand Hyatt. These guys manufacture only copper heatsinks and have been pretty successful at making full solid copper heatsinks.
So far, most so-called copper heatsinks are made up of only copper fins glued to an aluminium base using some special thermal adhesive. We know that interfaces are the main problems to such designs and generally designs like that often suffer from less than desirable heat dissipation characteristics. Anyway, I shall reserve my comments until I actually test one of these heatsinks."
Click here to read the complete article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Tweakmonster RAMsinks Review @ Extreme Overclocking
June 20, 2001
Extreme Overclocking has their latest review posted of the Tweakmonster copper RAMsinks.
Here's an excerpt from the review:
"The Tweakmonster copper RAMsinks are made from a block of pure copper and CNC machined to perfection. These aren't for the average user as they are a little pricey, however the cost is worth it to have these precious jewels on your video card to show off!"
Read the rest and enjoy!!!
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Potential issues with Microsoft Transcriber! @ Adrian's Rojak Pot
June 20, 2001
Adrian's Rojak Pot just posted a warning about a potential cause of unnecessary crashes in your Pocket PC - Microsoft Transcriber.
Here's a clip:
"Have you tried the Casio E-125 overclocking procedure yet? If so, beware of Microsoft Transcriber. I don't know if this happens only with an overclocked processor but whenever I select Transcriber, it randomly causes Microsoft Reader to crash with an error message. Games like Metalion also crashes with Transcriber selected."
Read the rest at Adrian's web site.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
VIA Announces Second Annual VIA Technology Forum 2001
June 20, 2001
VIA Announces Second Annual VIA Technology Forum 2001 Taipei - Beijing - Tokyo - Munich
VTF 2001 will showcase the Company's Vision for Ubiquitous Computing through its Open Value Internet Architecture Technology Platform
Taipei, Taiwan, 20 June 2001 - VIA Technologies, Inc today announced that it will be hosting its second annual VIA Technology Forum, a two day event showcasing VIA's vision of an innovative, open standard technology platform for ubiquitous computing, at the Taipei International Convention Centre on September 4th and 5th 2001. VTF 2001 Taipei will be followed by a global roadshow of one-day events in Tokyo, Japan, on September 7th, Beijing, China, on September 8th and Munich, Germany, on September 13th.
VTF 2001 will build on the success of the inaugural VIA Technology Forum held in September 2000, and features a compelling programme of keynote speeches and technology track seminars hosted by VIA executives, industry experts and high level representatives of the industry's leading company's covering a broad range of subjects, including:
* Advanced Memory Technology & System Design
* Mobile Computing Platform Innovation and Diversification
* Enhancing System Connectivity and I/O Bandwidth
* Future Advances in Performance Desktop PC Systems
* Connecting to the Wireless Internet
* Extending the PC Footprint to High Potential New Market Segments
* Implementing Low Power, High Density Value Server Platforms
* Emerging New Digital Broadband Networking Technologies
* Future Trends in IC Design, Manufacturing, & Packaging Technologies
"VTF 2000 provided a truly open and interactive forum for industry partners and customers to share in our vision of the future of computing" commented Wen-Chi Chen, President & CEO of VIA Technologies, Inc. "We anticipate VTF 2001 as being even more successful as we explore exciting possibilities for generating future industry growth through our Value Internet Architecture strategy."
Information on VTF including sponsorship opportunities, agenda, locations and registration details can be found at www.viatech.com/VTF
VTF 2000
Over 1500 industry professionals and press attended VTF2000 making it a significant event on the global technology calendar. Over 29 Sponsors exhibited at VTF Taipei creating a mini tradeshow atmosphere over the two days. Keynote speakers from VIA, AMD, TSMC, 3Com, Micron and NEC launched the event followed by technology tracks on subjects including DDR memory, IEEE 1394 and Win CE. Roadshow events followed in Tokyo, Beijing, Munich and Prague making VTF2000 a truly global experience.
About VIA Technologies, Inc.
VIA Technologies, Inc. is the world's leading fables supplier of PC core logic chipsets, microprocessors, and multimedia and communications chips. VIA delivers value to the PC industry by designing, marketing, and selling high-performance VIA Apollo core logic chipsets for the full range of PC platforms, as well as cost-effective VIA C3(tm) processors for Value PCs and Internet Appliances. Its customers include the world's top OEMs, mainboard manufacturers, and system integrators. VIA is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, at the center of the Greater China high-tech manufacturing engine, and has branch offices in the US, China and Europe. The company is listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE2388), and achieved annual revenues of nearly US$1 billion in 2000.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Abit Weekly
June 19, 2001
In this week's ABIT Update:
-- Announcements
- ABIT Launches New English Website
-- REVIEWS
- Tech Report on VP6
******************************************************************
ANNOUNCEMENTS
******************************************************************
ABIT is pleased to announce it's newest drive towards target customer service. Now with ABIT's completely product orientated website, end users can now access all the information about their ABIT product from one page.
To take a look at the new ABIT website (English) please go to:
http://www.abit-usa.com/
******************************************************************
REVIEWS
******************************************************************
Tech-Report Gives VP6 a 10!
Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday 12 June 2001—Tech Report recently took a good hard look at the VP6 and came away impressed with its performance and reliability: “Whether or not you can make use of SMP, the VP6 is certainly a capable and reliable performer.” Rating the VP6 a solid 10 out of 11, the review is certainly comprehensive. Take a look at what else they had to say...
http://www.abit.com.tw/english/press/2001/press079.htm
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Shuttle AK31 Review @ Legion Hardware
June 19, 2001
Here is a review on Shuttle's new AK31 board featuring the KT266 Chipset! Take a look:
"Shuttle AK31 DDR is becoming more and more an industrial standard since the GeForceDDR. The support for this memory type has now been integrated into mainboard chipsets as main system memory. Legion Hardware has already looked at Intel DDR-RAM mainboards that added significant life back into the old Pentium III. One of the DDR P3 mainboards reviewed was the AV32, which is another Shuttle board. Today I’m going to take a look at Shuttle’s AMD DDR solution the AK31."
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
BIOS Optimization e-Guide - BIOS Features Setup section posted! @ Adrian's Rojak Pot
June 19, 2001
Adrian's Rojak Pot just posted another e-Guide based on the BIOS Optimization Guide Rev. 6.0!
This latest e-Guide covers the BIOS Features Setup section.
Enjoy!!
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
VIA vs. Intel: Pentium 4 + DDR @ SysOpt.com
June 19, 2001
SysOpt.com posted this article today:
"We have obtained undisclosed insider information on how VIA plans to circumvent the P4 bus license in order to legally manufacture their P4M266 chipset."
Don't miss the rest, click here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Computer How To Book Review @ The Tech Zone
June 19, 2001
The Tech Zone got an interesting piece of "hardware" to review. It's a book! Yes! A book that shows you how to put computer hardware together! Ever wanted to build your own comp from beginning to end but didn't because you just don't have the know how?
The book, Building the Ultimate P3 Value Computer can help!
Check the full book review here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the MSI K7T Turbo R
June 19, 2001
MSI has never been accused of lacking originality. For proof, one need look no further than their latest board - one that's based on the VIA KT133A chipset, and equipped with a RAID controller. The name of the beast is the MSI K7T Turbo R, and it's the latest fully-loaded Socket A board to show up at our HQ. Let's take a look.
Posted by Chris Verr
Computex Taipei 2001 (Day 5- Part 1) @ HardwareZone.com
June 18, 2001
There's another report from HardwareZone, about his coverage of Computex Taipei 2001:
Here's a quote:
"In the final day of our expedition to Computex 2001, we visited Chaintech, Richfield Innovations, AOC and also attended the launch of ELSA's new entry-level professional graphics card, the Synergy 2000.
The new ELSA Synergy 2000 is based on the NVIDIA Quadro2 EX graphics chipset that offers superb performance at an affordable price point for entry level professional graphics applications. The graphics board comes with 32MB of SDRAM memory with an AGP interface that supports up to 4x transfers. Embedded with a 350MHz RAMDAC for a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels at true 32-bit colors, the Synergy 2000 offers 350 million pixels/second of fill rate performance and a polygon rate at 20 million/second. Although its specifications pale in comparison with today's high-end gaming graphics card, what sets the Synergy 2000 apart from the rest is its exceptional driver support for professional graphics applications. Let's put it this way, no one uses a gaming card (e.g. a GeForce3) for AutoCAD or 3D Studio Max."
Don't miss the rest, click here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
One Tech's Eclipse Light Review @ Gamingin3d.com
June 18, 2001
How many of you have spent hours at a time on the computer at night?
With stressed eyes, headaches, and a sore neck, going on the computer for long durations cannot be pleasant. Next question. How many of you have heard of CVS? Next question, how many of you want to put your hard-earned money to some real good use? Check out G3D:Gaming In 3D today where they've reviewed the Eclipse Light, something every PC user should check out.
"Would it surprise you guys to know that over 91% of all PC users suffer from eyestrain? How many out of these 72 million people suffering do you suppose are gamers? Facing long nights watching a 21' monitor playing either Counter-Strike or some other cool game demo you just downloaded, it's not surprising to say that most gamers have suffered from CVS (computer vision syndrome) before. How many times have you been on the computer playing some game and you've had to stop, pause, and blink real hard? How many times has your vision gotten so bad that the monitor screen appears blurry and you have to stop, pause, and re-focus. All of these are causes of CVS and can give you headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes."
Enjoy the rest here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Updates @ Adrian's Rojak Pot!
June 18, 2001
Adrian's Rojak Pot ( http://www.rojakpot.com/ ) just posted the following updates :-
I. Rev. 1.3 of the Casio E-125 Overclocking Guide - Just updated the Casio E-125 Overclocking Guide with notes and a picture regarding the Transcriber crash problem I noticed. Be sure to try out the workaround before you give up your overclocking attempts! :)
Direct Link - http://www.rojakpot.com/Other_Articles/E-125_OC/E-125_OC_01.htm
II. Information about the shipping of Compaq iPAQs H3660 and H3630 with 32MB of ROM - "However, the specification sheets of all Compaq iPAQs will still only list the size of their ROM as 16MB. This is Compaq's marketing strategy - they want to get rid of their inventory of iPAQs with 16MB of ROM before "releasing" their iPAQs with 32MB of ROM."
Direct Link - http://www.rojakpot.com/Index.htm or
http://198.95.255.5/NonCGI/Forum13/HTML/000081.html
III. A forgotten update to the BIOS Optimization Guide was just posted. It was previously supposed to have been posted with rev. 5.9 of the guide but somehow, we missed it. So, the guide has now been updated with the "forgotten" BIOS function!
Direct Link -http://www.rojakpot.com/Speed_Demonz/BIOS_Guide/BIOS_Guide_Index.htm
Enjoy!!
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Thermaltake Mini Copper Orb HSF Review @ TechPlanet.com
June 18, 2001
The TechPlanet site just completed a review on Thermaltake's Copper Orb HSF.
Here's a snip:
"Thermaltake have made themselves renowned for the famous "Orb" coolers.
The next one in their "Orb" line is the Copper Orb. It's essentially a Chrome Orb, but with a copper base/inlet. I put it to the test against the SuperOrb by Thermaltake as well, to see if it really is worth buying."
Click here to read the rest of this review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Wind Tunnel II Gamer Case Review @ Tweaktown.com
June 16, 2001
TweakTown have posted a review of the Wind Tunnel II Gamer ATX Mid-Tower >Case which is sold by the Cooler Guys in the USA.
This case is an improvement over it's older brother, with many more features to keep the gamer in all of us happy.
Read it http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/windtunnelII/">here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Pocket PC Performance Guide Updated! @ Adrian's Rojak Pot
June 16, 2001
Adrian's Rojak Pot just posted an update of the Pocket PC Performance Guide!
Here's a snip:
"Check out the scores and compare them to your own scores! And please do send your scores to me. More scores make the comparison more accurate. I'm also looking for scores of unlisted Pocket PCs so if you own one, please run our GAPI Benchmark 2.0 and send us the scores! :)"
Read the rest here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
ECS D6VAA Dual Motherboard Review @ The Tech Zone
June 16, 2001
The Tech Zone has posted a review on the ECS D6VAA.
This motherboard offers support for two CPUs, three DIMMs, five PCI slots and RAID, all for under $100! Great price but how does it perform? Read the full review here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Iomega's new Peerless Drive System Preview @ Hardware Zone
June 16, 2001
Just launched recently, the Iomega Peerless drive system offers large storage capacity for professionals and power users. Using cartridges with 10GB or 20GB of storage capacity, the Peerless drive system offers performance, capacity and portability at a relatively low cost. The Hardware zone have a preview for you.
Here's an excerpt:
"Peerless leverages on hard drive technology for performance, cost and capacity. The disk cartridge is basically a small mobile hard drive with integrated springs and cushioning to keep the drive from damage against shock and abuse. Unlike Iomega's older Jaz cartridges, the disks are actually concealed inside the cartridge along with the disk motor and read/write head. This eliminates contamination which can cause reliability problems that is often associated with disk cartridges with exposed storage medias."
And click here to read the rest!.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the ECS K7VMA mainboard
June 15, 2001
The ECS K7VMA is an all-in-one solution for those who like their VIA KM133 motherboards with a touch of ProSavage graphics, and a hint of sound. Though primarily targeted at OEMs and low-budget consumers, the K7VMA also represents a compelling choice for anyone interesting in quickly slapping together a system with little more than some memory, and a processor. That said, Overclocking die-hards, and power-users will probably harbor little interest in the device, as they are not part of the market that ECS is attempting the cater to with their newest board.
Posted by Chris Verr
Gigabyte announces Universal motherboard GA-6VTX, supports Intel newest 0.13 micron Socket 370 Pentium III Processors
June 15, 2001
Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd, a leading high performance motherboard manufacturer, is launching an enhanced model, GA-6VTX, an Universal motherboard supports the current and future Intel Pentium III and other compatible processors.
Designed with VIA Apollo Pro133T chipset, it delivers great quality at an exceptional value and provides the ideal solution for future upgrades of processors up to 1.13GHz and above. Incorporated with the latest South Bridge VT82C686B, GA-6VTX also supports Ultra DMA 100 Bus Master interface which provides an excellent and faster connection for IDE devices. In order to provide a clear identification for the end user, Gigabyte uses blue socket so the end users can easily tell what kind of processors they can use. The
GA-6VTX is also named as Blue Thunder. What more important is that the GA-6VTX is backward compatible, it means this board can support the existing processors without any problems.
To optimize the system’s performance, Gigabyte provides 2 superior utilities, EasyTuneTM III and @BIOSTM. EasyTuneTM III is a Windows based program. Which allows the user to easily overdrive the PC without the need to meddle with jumper settings. @BIOSTM is another Windows based utility for updating new BIOS upgrades via the Internet. With only a few clicks, the user can update the latest BIOS.
For hardware hobbyists, the GA-6VTX gives overclocking options through offering multiple bus speed and multiple CPU voltage setting. There are more features, such as: AC 97 audio, one AMR slot, 3 DIMMs, one AGP 4X slot, infrared connector, wake-on-lan, external/internal modem wake-up and 4 USB ports (2 ports by optional USB cable ), 5 PCI slots, one ISA slot.
Equipped with these features, GA-6VTX delivers advanced technology, great quality and is your perfect choice for high-performance and cost-effective solution.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Creative Labs DT2200 Speakers Reviewed @ Jsi Hardware
June 15, 2001
Over at Jsi Hardware today they take a look at some cool looking speakers from Creative Labs the DTT2000.
Snippage :
"I first played a few games and some MP3s on my 2 speaker setup which to me sounded great, I spent the next 2 hours neatly setting up the speakers around my PC and powered it back up. To my horror and dismay I had reversed the left and left surround (left rear) speakers but once I realised that I fixed it within a few seconds and away I went"
Enjoy the complete review here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MSI K7 Master Reviewed @ HardOcp
June 15, 2001
MicroStar comes out swinging with their K7 Master board based on the AMD 760 DDR chipset. Winner? Loser? In between? Read Matt's first review with HardOcp.com, we really like the angle he took with it and he comes up with some valid points you will want to know about if you are going to be purchasing a DDR board sooner or later.
Enjoy the complete article here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Satellite Internet - What is it? Article @ Speedguide.net
June 15, 2001
Short and Sweet, Speedguide.net has a new article up discussing the ever popular growing Satellite Communications for internet access springing up all over the world, it's a great read on Satellite technology and methods.
Here's a Quote from the article:
"So you're waaaaaaay out in the country, and neither DSL nor Cable is an option. Like say ..in Kosova. Or Bosnia. Or, God forbid, North Dakota. Perhaps on a ship. You'd like to get the internet, but carrier pigeon seems to be your only option. Wherever you are, if you're north of the equator and have a view of the visible sky to the south of you, you may have another option. You can probably get internet ...via Satellite. Yes, just like Wolf Bliitzer and James Bond you too can have nearly instant communications with the vast internet."
Here's a direct link to the article.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Labtec LCS-2514 Speakers Review @ Gamingin3d.com
June 15, 2001
For the most parts this year there has been some fierce competition in the PC speakers area. While Klipsch has definitely develeloped a tight niche in the gaming community, companies like Cambridge and Altec Lansing are still churning out solid products to the community. Today at G3D:Gaming In 3D though, they have an alternative company you can choose from, Labtec.
Let's see how these speakers perform...
"As soon as I opened up the box, I knew I was in trouble. There was wire, and lots of it. You can place the rear satellites about 20' away from each other! So, where's the problem then? Well, this isn't standard speaker wire.
The cords are hardwired to the satellites (but thankfully not also to the sub). "Fine." I thought, "I can just use twist ties." Well, that didn't work out too well. Labtec has an odd way of wiring this system up. They have both pairs of satellites set up to connect to the subwoofer, which is alright, but then have two additional leads going from the sub to the front right satellite for volume control. Why they couldn't do this with one additional lead rather than 2 is beyond me. Needless to say, this only complicated the whole "rats nest" thing."
Click here to read the complete review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Computex Taipei 2001 (Day 4) @ HardwareZone
June 15, 2001
The continuation of the exclusive report of Computex 2001 at Hardwarezone.com. On the fourth day of this event's coverage, CPU-zilla visited Cooler Master, Iwill and Jazz Speakers and check out their newest offerings.
"The folks from Cooler Master invited us to their suite located at the Grand Hyatt Hotel to take a peek at their latest products. Ranging from cool aluminium casings to heatsinks, we were pretty impressed at what they can offer the overclocking community.
The newly designed ATCS chassis is fully constructed out of aluminium. It has a clear green acrylic cover on the front panel that gives the chassis an added touch of class. They also added bright blue LEDs to spice up the front panel display."
This links to our live report : Click here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the OCZ Performance Series PC2100 CAS2 memory
June 14, 2001
In our last article, we took a look at 4 different DDR PC2100 CAS 2.5 memory modules. The goal was threefold: to highlight to users the importance of RAM quality, to determine which brand offered the best performance, and to see which responded best to Overclocking. This time around, we'll be challenging those results as we take a look at a OCZ Performance Series PC2100 CAS2 memory that was put together under the highest level of quality-control and performance expectations - all in hopes of marketing the fastest memory under the sun.
Posted by Chris Verr
ATI's RAGE MOBILITY(TM)-M graphics chip selected for world's thinnest and lightest notebook PCs*
June 14, 2001
ATI's RAGE MOBILITY(superscript: (TM))-M graphics chip selected for world's thinnest and lightest notebook PCs*
ATI chip brings powerful graphics technology to three new Sharp notebooks
MARKHAM, Ontario - ATI Technologies Inc. (TSE:ATY, NASDAQ:ATYT), a world leader in the supply of graphics, video and multimedia solutions announced today that Sharp Corporation has selected ATI's RAGE MOBILITY(-M graphics chip for three new ultra portable notebook PCs for the Japanese market.
This design win reinforces ATI's technological and market leadership in delivering multimedia solutions to the ultra-portable notebook space.
ATI's RAGE MOBILITY-M graphics processor with 4MB (megabytes) of integrated SDRAM (synchronous dynamic random access memory) will be featured in Sharp's PC-MT1-H1 and H1S ultra-portable notebook PCs. With a thickness of just 0.7 inches (at its thinnest point), and weighing in at just 2.9 lbs., the PC-MT1-H1 and H1S are the world's thinnest and lightest notebooks.* Both feature the Ultra Low Voltage Mobile Intel Pentium III processor featuring Intel SpeedStep technology at 500/300 MHz (megahertz) CPU (central processing unit), a 20GB (gigabyte) hard drive, a 12.1-inch XGA low-reflective, black CTFT (color thin film transistor) display, and other leading edge components. ATI's RAGE MOBILITY-M also powers Sharp's new PC-SX1-H1 notebook, which features Transmeta's Crusoe TM5600 600 MHz processor and is less than one inch thick (at its thinnest point).
"Sharp's excellent reputation for developing leading edge ultra-portable notebooks is complemented by the graphics and video capability delivered by our RAGE MOBILITY product line," said Phil Eisler, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile and Integrated Business Unit. "Sharp's selection of the RAGE MOBILITY-M is further recognition that ATI has successfully met the perennial challenge of low power consumption while delivering high graphics and video performance."
Company Background
Founded in 1985, ATI Technologies Inc. is a world leader in the supply of graphics, video and multimedia solutions for personal computer and Mac platforms. The pioneer, innovator and market leader in the graphics industry, ATI provides cutting-edge technologies for the PC, set-top box, game console and other consumer appliances markets. The Company has more than 1,900 employees supporting customers from its headquarters in Markham, Ontario, Canada, as well as from offices in Barbados, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and the United States. ATI common shares trade on NASDAQ (ATYT) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (ATY).
* The PC-MT1-H1/H1S are the thinnest and lightest of all notebook PCs equipped with a 12.1-inch LCD screen. (As of May 2001, intra-company data, Sharp Corporation)
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Swiftech MC462 Cooler Review @ The Tech Zone
June 14, 2001
The Tech Zone reviews what has to be the biggest TBird cooler ever made! The MC462 uses a 3" fan, covers the entire CPU socket, weighs more than a pound and requires the removal of your motherboard to install!
Performance, as you can imagine, is out of
this world. Check out the full review here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
MemTach 0.89A released @ Cpureview.com
June 14, 2001
To find out how your memory is performing, you can read the article released by Cpureview.com, about the MemTach benchmark software.
Here's a quote:
"I wanted to be able to also measure the best achievable performance -
as well as the worst possible performance. I wanted to be able to analytically determine the performance characteristics of the memory subsystem in systems I test. Ideally, I should be able to determine the L1 size, L2 size, memory paging organization and miss penalties by
analyzing the performance of certain test routines. [Sorry, that's my Comp Sci background showing. I've been designing real-time software for too long...]"
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Computex Taipei 2001 (Day 3 - Part Two) @ HardwareZone
June 14, 2001
In this second part of the Day 3 report, the people at HardwareZone reported his observation and findings the Intel pavilion and the AMD suite. Check out the new Intel 845, AMD 760MP and the nVIDIA nForce chipsets.
Here's is brief part of the article:
"In this year's Computex, you can see that the two rivals are fighting hard against each other for supremacy in the microprocessor arena. Intel is promoting hard on their Pentium 4 processors, while AMD is trying to push the fact that its new 1.4GHz is faster than Intel's Pentium 4 at 1.7GHz clock speed. We know that Intel is fast losing market share as users are going to cheaper alternatives using AMD's Athlon or Duron processors. This is the reason why Intel's presence at Computex is especially strong this year."
Read the rest here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Mod_Gzip How-To Article Posted! @ ExtremeOverclocking.com
June 14, 2001
Extreme Overclocking decided to write up a quick little article on this very cool module for Apache Web Server called mod_gzip. Basically mod_gzip compresses your html/php/cgi/etc files on the fly before sending them out on the Internet. Then your web browser automatically decompresses the file and displays the web page. It's totally transparent and can really speed up a web site and reduce bandwidth usage!
Enjoy the complete article clicking here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Gainward GeForce3 Review @ [HardOcp]
June 13, 2001
Here's a quote from the great review that HardOcp has done with the Gainward GeForce3 graphic card:
"Now that we all know a GeForce3 is not going to cost US$600, we are starting to see a bunch more Vid Card companies jump in to the fray. Gainward is one of those companies and they are aiming squarely at the retail market here in the U.S. If this GeForce3 does not get your attention, then odds are, none of them will."
And enjoy the rest following this link.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Gigabyte GeForce2 MX400 review @ Technoyard.com
June 13, 2001
Technoyard.com has posted their latest review on the Gigabyte GeForce 2 MX400.
Here's a qoute;
"nVidia recently announced their latest chipset based on the GeForce2 MX; the GeForce 2 MX400. Does this new chip offer us any great deal of extra performance in contrast to the GeForce 2MX or is it just a new addition to confuse us more? We put Gigabyte's GA-GF 1280 to the test."
Don't miss the rest of this review
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
X-Micro Impact 5 Review @ Legion Hardware
June 13, 2001
Legion Hardware let us know about their latest review: the X-Micro Impact 5 graphic card... Here's a little preview of their article:
"It’s amazing how quick time flies in this business. Six months ago we saw X-Micro release their GeForce2 Ultra card, the Impact 4 Ultra. Now 6 months later X-Micro have unleashed the biggest and meanest 3D weapon the market has to offer. Introducing the Impact 5 featuring NVIDIA’s latest creation the GeForce3.
X-Micro has done well to gear their GeForce3 card so quickly, I wasn’t expecting to see the Impact 5 for quite a few more months."
Keep reading it here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Review of the DFI AK75-EC mainboard
June 13, 2001
DFI has always had a diverse catalog. In fact, if there's a new trend in motherboard industry, you can usually count on DFI hit the ground running. With that in mind, we'll be presenting you to the DFI AK75-EC, a feature-rich board based on the VIA KT133A chipset.
Posted by Chris Verr
Epox 8K7A DDR Motherboard Review @ Jsi
June 13, 2001
Over at Jsi Hardware today they have posted a review on a Socket A based DDR Motherboard from Epox the 8K7A.
Snippage : "So DDR what's that all about then?
Well with current SDRAM setups the memory and cache subsystems are the main bottlenecks, we have seen how much faster the original DDR geforce was compared to the Original SDR Geforce its the same with your systems main memory, the SDRAM is holding back the system."
Read the rest at Jsi Hardare
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Thermalphobia Non-Conductive Shim Review! @ ExtremeOverclocking.com
June 13, 2001
Extreme Overclocking has up their latest review of Thermalphobia's
non-conductive shim. It's basically their same great shim as before, except this one has an anodized coating!
If you're an Overclocking fan, don't miss this review
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
DIY PDA Holder Guide @ Adrian's Rojak Pot
June 12, 2001
Adrian's Rojak Pot posted a guide on how to create your own PDA holder! But why would anyone want to build a PDA holder?
Ever wanted to turn your PDA into a MP3 player while you are driving? Well, that's easily done by rigging a stereo line between your PDA and the car's sound system. But the question now is how does one arrange for the PDA to be solidly attached to the car while still remaining accessible to the driver?
Well, Ken recently came up with the idea of creating his own PDA holder! His design now enables him to hook up his HP Jornada Pocket PC to his car's sound system whenever he hops in for a ride, thereby enabling him to enjoy CD quality music without resorting to a CD player. The best part is that his Jornada remains fully accessible to him so he can easily select songs and mess with the Jornada during a traffic stop!
Here, check out a clip from the guide:
"I figured that it was the best place to install my PDA holder because no glue or even screws were required. Furthermore, it was right below the el-cheapo cassette player that came with my car. That's exactly where I want it to be because the stereo line jack can then be rigged between both devices to get me an ultra cool MP3 player right in my car!"
If you want to enjoy the res of the article, you can do it following this link
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Thermalsonic Thermoengine @ Tweakers Asylum
June 12, 2001
The Tweakers Asylum has just finished putting up the review of the Thermalsonic Thermoengine.
If you're thinking on buying a new CPU cooler, this review might be just right for you!
This is a small part of the article:
"After reviewing this piece of hardware for myself, I can understand why everyone likes these things so much. I realized right after I opened the box that my new Thermoengine would be a superb cpu cooler. It has a unique design and is made from quality material. We all know you can't judge a book by it's cover, however, so let's strap this baby in and abuse the living hell out of it! :)"
Don't miss the rest here
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Antec SX480 Mid Tower Review! @ ExtremeOverclocking.com
June 12, 2001
Extreme Overclocking has finished up their latest review on Antec's SX480 mid-tower case.
This case is truly geared towards the overclocker, featuring a 400w AMD approved power supply, 2 pre-installed 80mm fans, with mounting points for two more. This case is the same consistant quality that you would expect from Antec.
Click here to get the full review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Gateway Performance XL 1700 (1.7GHz Pentium 4) System @ Hardware Zone
June 12, 2001
As the top-of-the-line Gateway desktop computer, The hardware Zone tested the Performance XL 1700 driven by Intel's latest power chip for desktops--the 1.7GHz Pentium 4. Power users and multimedia enthusiasts will not be disappointed with this machine. Let's see what surprises lie inside this Gateway box.
Here's an excerpt from the review :
"If you have the cash to spend and want a powerful and top-of-the-line multimedia desktop computer, the Gateway XL 1700 is a must-have product. For those especially who want the performance without the hassles of a DIY system, this computer offers sleek design and innovative features, such as quick-release side panel latches, easy attach expansion card clamp mechanism (no need to use screws), 5.25-inch & 3.5-inch bay blue-colored tabs for quick drive removal, and an unused 3.5-inch bay (purchasers can opt for an Iomega drive if so desired for a few more dollars). Another plus is the generous three-year warranty offered from Gateway."
Follow this link to enjoy the entire review.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Revfiew of the Vantec FCE-62540D HSF cooler
June 11, 2001
Every once in a while, a new heatsink hits the market that stands out just enough to demand a review. This time around, it's the Vantec FCE-6254OD. Gifted with an imposing frame, and capped with a super Delta fan capable of 7000rpm, the Vantect FCE-6254OD is a worthy beast, and we're happy to be taking a look at it today.
Posted by Chris Verr
Canon C755 Printer Review @ The Tech Zone
June 11, 2001
The Tech Zone has another printer review!. Here's a snip for you:
"Okay, printers aren't the most exciting things in the world of PC hardware, yet they're essential items you simply can't do without. Today is installment #2 of their look into the "Canon Universe" with a look at one of their multifunction printers, the C755. Not only a printer, but a 360 dpi scanner, fax machine, and copier!"
Read the full review here.
Posted by Pablo Aguilar
Computex Taipei 2001 (Day 3- Part one) @ The Hardware Zone
June 11, 2001
The Hardware Zone continues to give us a detailed report from the Computex Taipei 2001. Here is a snip of their last article:
"In this first part of the third day coverage, we looked at some PC chassis, new dual CPU motherboards and USB 2.0 products.
The booth we covered are: Tyan, Enermax, Aten, Enlight, amongst others.
We came across two new dual CPU solutions, one based on the AMD 760MP chipset, and the second, is an Intel 860 chipset. The AMD 760MP chipset will support the new AMD Athlon MP processors for dual processing capability. The new AMD Athlon MP processor features a new cache architecture that offers exclusive L2 TLB (Translation Look-aside Buffer) and data prefetch. This basically means that data is automatically fed to the processor even before you need it. This has the effect of minimizing delays due to lengthy data search times and consequently, increases system performance and throughput. In addition to that, 52 new instructions were added to the current 3DNow! technology, and it
