Hardware Post: 05/02/11

Monday, May 2, 2011

The computer for gamers: Acer Aspire G3100 Predator: High-end PCs for gamers

On board is an AMD processor, which offers two to six depending on the model of processor cores. Acer installed a maximum of eight and up to three hard drives. Practical: The housing has a removable frame that allows you to upgrade easily when needed additional storage. The graphic representation is provided by a Nvidia or AMD graphics chip with DirectX 11 support.

With up to twelve USB, three audio, and a network jack and a card reader, the Predator G3100 shows outgoing. On request, a Blu-ray drive including burning, and a wireless-n module. "Acer Arcade Deluxe" is pre-installed: The software provides a single platform to manage with your media files.

Data-case scenario: Sony: PlayStation Network soon back online

The Playstation Network (PSN) is in the next few days online. The Sony has been on a special on PSN hack convened press conference. An exact date does not name the company. With functions of the network takes its service to back: To continue to be immune from attack, Sony increased the safety standards of the online service and moved to the server.

A mandatory update to the starting forces all registered users to change their password. If you have an account on the Playstation Network, beckons you to compensation. Sony announced the following measures to: Sony will be available soon known about which free downloadable content is concerned.

Ubisoft: Assassin's Creed - Revelation

Intentional or not? Ubisoft put for a few minute video for "Assassin's Creed - Revelations" on Facebook online. Then it disappeared as quickly as it came. But that was enough, already, to put the Internet into a frenzy: Resourceful fans of the series have saved the assassination and analyzed minutely.

Many productive came out of it not - with one exception: In the video several times to light up a logo in Arabic letters. It shows the name of "Assassin's Creed" main character: Altaïr Ibn La-Ahad. This probably means: Altaïr plays the main role in the new branch. More is the trailer is not applicable.

Test: Laptop in Aldi Aldi laptop in 15 inch: Medion Akoya E6224 (MD98630)

The Aldi-Notebook Akoya E6224 has no separate graphics processor, but uses the graphics chip of the Sandy Bridge processor Intel HD 3000, which borrows up to 1696 megabytes of 4096 megabyte RAM. For simple games, offerings, complex games with 3D effects run but very choppy. Working with Office programs, the Aldi-Notebook E6224 with Intel Core 2.1 GHz clock speed i3 2310M completed quite quickly.

Blu-ray for 3D Radeon HD 5000

Interestingly, AMD clearly fails in its communication, the 5000 cards are compatible with Blu-ray 3D. At the launch of the 6000 family, the support for Blu-ray 3D was put forward by the company. But in practice, it is not necessary to use a map of "new generation" to read a Blu-ray 3D map of the 5000 family is enough, and it says AMD.

Concretely, the only thing really needed to play a Blu-ray compatible 3D card AMD HD3D and - obviously - a device compatible with 3D viewing, be it a television, monitor or projector. In fact, HD3D requires only a compatible HDMI 1.4a output, which sends the synchronization information and the type of feed used 3D.

[Extreme-V mod] GeForce GTX 590 "Untouchables" by TiN

The GeForce GTX 590 has proved to be exceptional in the field of gaming card but it has disappointed the expectations of fans of extreme overclock. On this model, to reduce the overall size and "contain" energy consumption, nVidia has used an undersized power supply circuitry of the potential of GPUs: power on paper are high as the two GPU GF100 GTX 590 are fitted to the specially selected to operate stably with a supply voltage less than that used on the GTX 580.

11.4c Catalyst Hotfix for HD 6600

AMD has released the third version of Catalyst driver hotfix 11.4. This release is dedicated to the Radeon HD 6600 series and solves the problem of flicker seen with some DirectX 9 applications. The following notes provided by the manufacturer and the download link: AMD Catalyst Driver Hotfix 11.4c Feature: Resolves intermittent flickering issues seen in The following applications in a system using an AMD Radeon HD 6600 Series graphics card with DDR3 memory and running in DirectX 9 mode

FerriSSD, the world's smallest SSD

Silicon Motion, the company team much of the current Compact Flash cards, has announced the FerriSSD. This SSD is a "DSS on a chip", a chip that combines flash memory and controller. Sandisk already offers this kind of chip, but indicates that Silicon Motion's own, with its 16 x 20 mm is the smallest in the world.

This type of SSD is obviously intended to memory cards: neither the performance nor the ability do to compete with conventional SSDs. But in a Compact Flash or simply as storage in a tablet or smartphone. The chip Silicon Motion offers two capacities: either 32 GB or 64 GB SLC flash memory flash MLC.

Zotac Fusion-ITX WiFi A-series: Small and quiet.

Zotac announces motherboard in Mini-ITX format for the platform arms AMD, AMD has a E-350 APU, support for DirectX 11 and USB 3.0 and SATA 6.0Gbps. Ideal for small computers, Zotac has included in its new motherboard an AMD APU E-350 with two cores at 1.6Ghz, and graphics solution uses a Radeon HD 6310.

The Fusion-ITX WiFi Zotac A-series features two slots for RAM SO-DIMM DDR3 1066, with total capacity of 8GB, also has four SATA 6.0Gbps ports and two USB 3.0 ports, 1 port also features PCI Express x4, Gigabit Ethernet, integrated 7.1 channel Audio, 1 x eSATA, DVI video outputs, HDMI and DisplayPort.

The return of an Eee PC with Linux?

At the launch of Eee PC in January 2008, Asus netbooks running Linux, with a distribution centered "education," Xandros. And it seems that society, at least in France, wants to (re) start the free system. The idea, supported by the specialist question Blogeee, would provide a machine cheaper and better equipped, which is obviously a plus.

Indeed, the Eee PC 1001PX offer Linux would reduce its price by eliminating the cost of licensing Windows 7 starter of the equation, but also provide a machine paradoxically more powerful. Because if you remove Windows 7, it also removes the limitations imposed by Microsoft. It is therefore possible to switch to 2 GB of RAM by default (instead of 1 GB) and hard drive 320 or 500 GB, while Microsoft "forces" the manufacturers not to exceed 250 GB for the rest, is the classic: a Atom N455, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a 10 inch screen in 1024 x 600 and a 6 cell battery.

A fiber that carries 100 Tbit / s

A Japanese team has created a fiber to 7 cores capable of delivering 15.6 Tbit / s per core. In the end we are left with a total of 109 Tbit / s. Another group from NEC combined the data sent by 370 lasers. These two studies are independent of each other, but reach the same goal, to move more than 100 Tbit / s using an optical fiber.

The first method is the simpler of the two on paper. Arriving to combine cores and eliminating the interference, we get a cable that is expensive to produce for the moment, but beyond what we have seen so far. Scientists at NEC have cons by a more complex approach. They say they were first allocated a piece of the infrared spectrum to each of the 370 data stream to combine into one laser capable of carrying 101.7 Tbit / s.

Asus P8B-X: Sandy Bridge server version

While Sandy Bridge platforms are beginning to invade the mainstream market, Asus has just unveiled its X-P8B, a motherboard LGA 1155 for the markets for servers and workstations, accepting Sandy Bridge processors and dual quad-core but based C202 on a chipset from Intel. Compatible with the Xeon E3-1200, i3-2100 Core or Core G8x0/G6x0, this motherboard has four DIMM DDR3-1333 (for up to 32 GB of RAM) and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, one PCI-Express x8 (wired x4), two PCI-Express x1 and two PCI slots.

Radeon E6760: the GPU slots

AMD has a new graphics card, the Radeon E6760. As its number indicates, it is dedicated to the embedded world and not to our PCs. So-called "embedded" are all areas that incorporate components of PC without your knowledge. It is a very broad definition, which goes from the machine in a factory specializing in the slot machine via the 3D X-ray systems for physicians.

For this very special market, AMD has in recent years of dedicated maps, which use a specific connector. Instead of using the MXM, PCI-Express or classic interface cards, the family E is in the form of a PCB to connect BGA and integrates a GPU and its memory. The only thing to do is for integrators to interface the chip and install VRM for food.

The tower case Enermax SpineRex in Europe

Enermax manufacturer has announced the European launch of its case SpineRex, a format model tower displaying dimensions of 544 x 213 x 591 mm. Entirely black, outside and inside, this box is compatible with E-ATX motherboards, ATX and Micro ATX. It has a steel frame and 1 mm SECC has five bays at 5.25 inches.

3.5-inch hard drives - up to eight - will meanwhile take place in dedicated cages, modular. The SpineRex can also accommodate graphics cards with a maximum length of 310.74 mm (337.60 mm if no hard disk does gene). Up to 6 fans can be installed within the housing. Two 120 mm (equipped with light emitting diodes and operating at 1000 revolutions per minute) and a 250 mm (600 to 900 revolutions per minute) are also supplied with SpineRex.

What actually changes in iPhone White

The iPhone 4 white, actually available since last week when it was announced in June 2010, is finally a bit different from the iPhone 4 black. Indeed, the white hull has obviously put a lot of problems to Apple and the company had to make some minor modifications on the aircraft. First thing, the camera.

Indeed, and the model of "preproduction" we have removed this problem arose, the white hull amplifies the effect of the flash "LED" of the device and creates a whiteout on the photos when it is used. Apple has changed the camera, the sensor is placed much further back than the black version.

The Sunday Quiz (S02E05) - on Facebook

And here's season 2 of our quizzes Sunday, after 10 episodes in Season 1. The goal is to try to guess what is the image (yes, nothing changes). You have 24 hours to find the right answer, and another shot - easier - will then be posted on the Facebook page of Tom's Hardware. At the end of the season, we offer a small gift.

The scale? 2 points for the first who answers correctly in comments, 1 point for others. Important point is to avoid "spoilers" place your response between the following tags. [# Ffffff] Your answer [/ # ffffff]. The answer is written in white, which will avoid seeing the responses of other competitors "unintentionally." The comments give an answer without being placed in these tags will be ignored.

Mini-ITX WiFi at Fusion and Zotac

The manufacturer Zotac has added a new mini-ITX motherboard in its catalog: FUSION-ITX WiFi A-series. As its name might rightly assume, that card for the HTPC and other mini PC based on AMD's Fusion platform. Usually keep an APU E-350 (with its two cores clocked at 1.6 GHz x86 and Radeon HD 6310 integrated), two connectors DDR3-1066 SO-DIMM (up to 8 GB of memory), qoatre ports 6 Gbps SATA and PCI-Express 4x.

Gigabyte Radeon HD 6970 to 920 MHz

Gigabyte has unveiled a new Radeon HD 6970 overclocked from the factory, the second of the manufacturer. If R697OC previously launched using a GPU clocked at 900 MHz, the new GV-R697OC-2GD features a graphics chipset running at 920 MHz. The reference model used to recall a GPU running at 880 MHz Cayman.

Side memory, there are 2 GB of GDDR5 memory running at 1375 MHz on a 256-bit bus. To cool all the pretty people, Gigabyte has chosen an imposing Windforce 3X cooler consists of a dual-slot cooler and three fans. Compatible with CrossfireX, the Radeon HD 6970 finally has two DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort output.

A shelf 10 "low-cost Pioneer

The manufacturer Pioneer Computers Australia has added a new touch pad in their catalog. The DreamBook ePad 10 Plus is a model with a screen of 10 inches diagonal, capable of displaying a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels. It displays the dimensions of 272 x 170 x 10 mm and weighs 700 grams and runs on Android 2.2.

An embedded ARM11 CPU running at 1 GHz, this tablet has 512 MB of RAM, storage space and 4GB flash controller 10/100 Mbps Ethernet and 802.11n WiFi (but no 3G). There is also a 1.3 MP webcam, an accelerometer, a USB port and an HDMI output. The DreamBook ePad 10 Plus has finally delivered with a battery of 3800 mAh allowing maximum autonomy - perhaps a bit weak - 4 hours.

Radeon HD 6750 Passive Club 3D home

While the Radeon HD 6750 and 6770 "retail" are just been formalized by AMD, the Club 3D builder already offers a version fitted with a passive cooling system of the Radeon HD 6750. Unlike the models of other manufacturers, graphics card Club 3D thus enjoys a cooling fanless and composed of a single but impressive aluminum radiator, connected to a copper base by four heat pipes also copper.

The Radeon HD 6750 Edition CoolStream also embeds a Juniper THE GPU clocked at 700 MHz and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory running at 1150 MHz on a 128-bit bus. Compatible CrossFireX, the Radeon has finally DVI (x2), HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort. The price of this silent graphics card is unfortunately not yet known.

Club 3D (homepage) Club 3D (wikipedia) Radeon (wikipedia)

Asus unveils its new LED monitors Designo Series ML.

Asus launches new displays with sizes of 21.5 ", 23" and 24 "in 16:9 format, have low power consumption and will be available this May. These new Designo Series monitors feature a base that consists of two rings and has touch buttons front, plus size monitors 21.5 "and 23" LED have a IPS panel, while the 24 "model features a panel LED VA.

In the story of performance, ML229H models (21.5 "), ML239H (23") and ML249H (24 ") have 1080P resolution also whether color level to 72% of the NTSC spectrum, its luminescence is up to 250cd / m2 and has a contrast ratio of 3000:1 in the model equipped with VA panel and 1000:1 on models equipped with IPS panel in terms of viewing angles of 178 degrees we both vertically and horizontally on both models.

Case PSN: Sony apologizes to Japanese

For several seconds are surprised the entire press, three directors have considered the head Sony apologizing for the fiasco last week's PSN. "We sincerely apologize for the hurt we have caused," said Kazuo Hirai, who is head of the PlayStation division. He then explained that the Playstation Network is back online this week and that consumers could enjoy all its services free for 30 days from receiving gifts that await players who decided to return.

TDJ: A-Data Nobility N005, Corsair HS1

Our fellow Cowcotland recently posted a review of the N005 Nobility of manufacturer A-Data, a USB key with the model tested has a capacity of 32 GB storage Showing dimensions of 90 x 20.5 x 11.5 mm for a weight of 20.5 grams on the scale, this USB drive is USB 3.0. But what about performance? For his part, Brother 59 Hardware just look at the Corsair HS1 headset, model 7.1 Surround Series "Gaming Audio.

9 USB 3.0 high speed on the grill

We have compared you to nine USB 3.0 16 to 128 GB ... and we found performance from 200 Mb / s at a snail's pace. Finally, two products stand out. A comparative view completely before buying.

Universal Serial Bus (wikipedia)

Intel chipsets next year

Documents that appear to come from Intel gives details on Ivy Bridge chipsets that should emerge in the first quarter of 2012. The consumer models are Z77, Z75 and H77. Professional applications are Q77, Q75 and B75. Ivy Bridge architecture will replace the current Sandy Bridge (see "Intel Core 2000: The test of Sandy Bridge"), hailed by its performance despite an output marred by bugs chipsets (see "Intel's Sandy Bridge Bug: point ").

AMD wants ARM SoC

ARM's CEO Warren East, ARM would try to persuade propose ARM chips the last ten years, without success yet. In fact, AMD is focused on x86 processors in the world, but nothing was forbidden to use ARM core or even - like Intel at a time - to develop a complete processor. AMD has licensed the ARM instruction set, it is after the acquisition of ATI was one for its GPU "Imageon.

And even if this branch of the company was sold to Qualcomm in 2008 - Adreno is the ATI - AMD still has a license. In the past, another major microprocessors proposed ARM chips: Intel has long marketed the StrongARM and XScale, before selling all at Marvell. SoC - System on a chip, a chip that integrates GPU, CPU and chipset - based on AMD technology could have some success, and the arrival of Brazzos showed that AMD is able to offer products of interest on this type market, even if Brazzos is not really a SoC, since it requires a southbridge.