E-tailer leaks Phenom II X6 prices
by Cyril Kowaliski — 6:00 AM on March 22, 2010

AMD's six-core Thuban processors will soon go head on against Intel's Core i7s, if prices leaked by Bahrain-based online retailer Advanti are accurate. The folks at AlienBabelTech have encountered a posting on the e-tailer's Facebook page, and the contents don't leave much to the imagination:

We just received the official prices from AMD:

Phenom II X6 Six Core

1090T Black Edition: 125(W), AM3 Socket, 9MB Cache, 3.2 GHz Freq @ 295 USD

1055T: 125(W), AM3 Socket, 9MB Cache, 2.8 GHz Freq @ 199 USD

So, the fastest Phenom II X6 might end up priced a little bit higher than Intel's Core i7-860 and identically to the freshly released Core i7-930. The rumored Phenom II X6 1055T, meanwhile, could fight it out with the Core i5-750.

AMD could very well be competitive on the performance front, especially if these six-core processors have that core "overclocking" feature we heard about last month. In either case, though, 125W thermal envelopes will look a little high next to the LGA1156 chips' 95W TDPs.

Interestingly, this latest batch of leaked information doesn't quite fit with last week's rumors. A posting by TC Magazine last Wednesday hinted that the fastest Phenom II X6 would run at just 3GHz and bear a 1075T model number. The same story also mentioned a third Thuban processor, the 2.6GHz Phenom II X6 1035T.

5 comments —
Last by Hattig at 6:49 AM on 03/22/10

World Water Day Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 2:57 AM on March 22, 2010

World Water Day

1. AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition & 1055T launch on...
2. ABT: Official AMD Phenom II X6 6-core CPU prices revealed
3. DigiTimes reports Intel and AMD update desktop CPU lineups
   and Intel shows no plans to resume IDF Taiwan
4. The Register reports Intel Labs unveils PC power plans
5. Channel Register reports Dell order status website suffers second server meltdown
6. HotHardware reports Digital Storm puts Core i7-980X EE into Davinci workstation
7. Engadget reports Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 shipping to small businesses
8. Ars Technica writes RIP Palm: It's over, and here's why
9. Engadget counters with Palm, this is your survival guide
10. C|Net reports Chinese media slam Google as 'politicized'
11. C|Net: What does Google really know about advertising?
12. Engadget: T-Mobile USA eyeing iPhone launch this year or next?
    and Kindle for iPad and tablets makes the scene
13. TUAW reports Apple's iPad ad goes viral
14. NYT: Clean out your closet for a free iPad
15. Dealzon's deals: $70 off 15.6" Compaq CQ60, $350 off 15.6" hp dv6t Core-i7 laptop,
    $150 off Lenovo IdeaCentre D400 home server & $204 off 13.3" Lenovo IdeaPad U350

Software

1. Ubuntu 10.04 LTS technical overview (first 10.04 beta release)
2. TweakTown's Catalyst 10.3 Windows 7 driver analysis
3. DownloadSquad reports popular Firefox add-on AdBlock Plus blocking "Spread Firefox" images
4. DigiTimes reports CyberLink launches PowerDVD 10
5. 10 years of OpenOffice.org
6. Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver v9.6.0.1014 for Intel desktop boards
7. Nvidia OpenGL driver v3.3
8. DownloadSquad reports Microsoft's Bing iPhone app gets a big update, lots of new features
9. Computerworld on 10 must-have free Palm webOS apps

Gaming

1. Big Download reports new version of Steamworks to include support for microtransactions
2. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - Points awarded after death don't count
3. inCrysis has Crysis 2 concept art
4. VGChartz: When it comes to review scores, gamers are part of the problem
5. Why behavioral economists love online games
6. Ars Technica reviews Pokémon HeartGold

Hardware

1. Motherboards.org reviews 128GB A-Data AS596B-128GM-C SSD
2. Techgage reviews 120GB OCZ Vertex Turbo SSD
3. Engadget reports T-Mobile's HTC HD2 gets purchased and unboxed early (video)
4. BayReviews on Nokia N97 mobile phone
5. TecCentral reviews Razer Lycosa gaming keyboard (in German)
6. Overclockers Online reviews Thermaltake V3 Black Edition case
7. OCC reviews Thermaltake Silent 1156 heatsink

3 comments —
Last by wira020 at 5:22 AM on 03/22/10

National French Bread Day Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 11:40 AM on March 21, 2010

National French Bread Day

1. Bing's market share at all-time high
2. TechFlash reports Microsoft ranks no. 1 in patents
3. Engadget reports something 'big' is coming from SanDisk, complete with cape
4. Digital Trends: Should you buy the Apple iPad or wait?
5. TUAW reports Sprint features iPhone in 4G ad
6. PreCentral reports Palm stock ends day down 29%, but
   Elevation Partners stand strong with Palm (thanks dpaus)
7. TC Magazine reports Asus offers World of Warcraft bundle with GeForce GT 240 / 250 cards
8. Engadget HD reports a CableCARD replacement is due by December 2012, band aids by this fall
9. Engadget 188
10. Engadget HD 183
11. SuperSite's Windows weekly 148
12. Newegg's Sunday shell shocker

Software and gaming

1. Nvidia CUDA Toolkit 3.0
2. TUAW: iPad support for hardware Dvorak keyboards in latest SDK beta
   and TUAW reader accidentally downloads 10.6.3 pre-release
3. t-break: Backup online accounts with Backupify
4. Google Chrome 5.0.356.2 beta for Windows, Mac, and Linux
5. New Opera 10.51 UNIX packages and Macintosh stability improvements
6. Miranda IM v0.8.17
7. TweakTown reviews BioShock 2 (PC)
8. Mashable reports the iPhone Lightsaber Duel is coming
9. t-break reviews Call of Duty Zombies for iPhone

Hardware

1. Engadget reports Asus Express Gate 2.0 instant-on OS demoed on video
2. Tech ARP's BIOS option of the week - AGP read synchronization
3. hardCOREware reviews MSI 890GXM-G65 motherboard & AMD 890GX chipset
4. Madshrimps review Gigabyte GA-790FXTA-UD5
5. Engadget takes the Windows Phone 7 Series emulator for a test drive (video)
6. Engadget HD reviews Logitech Harmony 650 remote
7. TestFreaks review Canon PIXMA MX870 all-in-one printer
8. Rbmods on SteelSeries Sibera V2 headset
9. Legit Reviews on NZXT Sentry 2 fan controller

25 comments —
Last by djgandy at 5:31 AM on 03/22/10

Vernal Equinox Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 9:02 PM on March 20, 2010

Vernal Equinox

1. AppleInsider reports Apple preps 27" LED cinema display, 12-core Mac Pro
2. Fudzilla reports AMD is working on another Phenom II X6
3. Engadget reports Dell rolls out Vostro 230 Slim Tower, Mini Tower
4. VIA announces integration with Microsoft RemoteFX technology
5. EETimes reports forcaster sees DRAM shortages on the horizon
6. C|Net cites report: Memory card exposed 3,000 phones to virus
7. DSLReports on satellite: The 'Rodney Dangerfield' of broadband connectivity
8. DailyTech on YouTube legal bombshell: Viacom uploaded
   clips to YouTube, then tried to hide its tracks
9. PCWorld reports Facebook considers 'panic button' for kids in U.K.
10. Microsoft privately testing a 'Twitter for business' service
11. Internet piracy taking big toll on jobs
12. Techdirt reports yet another DRM failure leaves customers high and dry
13. Steve Jobs: "I almost died"
14. NYT interviews 4chan's Christopher Poole
15. Scientists create fully-functioning, 3D invisibility cloak

Software

1. Is Windows 7 RTM so good that SP1 needs no real improvements?
2. DailyTech reports Charlie Miller to unveil 20 zero-day OS X exploits at CanSecWest
3. Ars Technica on IE9, standards, and why Acid3 isn't the priority
4. Computerworld reports Google launches 3D graphics driver project for Chrome
5. SuperSite's Windows 7 tip of the week: Checkbox select
6. Tech ARP's Microsoft Windows 7 hints & tips guide
7. Microsoft Outlook Mobile Update
8. [H]ard|OCP on AMD's Catalyst 10.3a driver performance
9. Expreview reports MSI Afterburner utility updated to v1.5.1
10. InfoWorld reports Apple sets March 27 deadline for first iPad apps

Gaming

1. Switzerland passes violent games ban
2. Wii, PS3 shortages to continue for several months, says GameStop
3. Eurogamer's PlayStation Move lag analysis
4. TechFlash on PlayStation's Project Natal spoof: Hilarious and a little misleading
   and RealGames resets strategy with former MySpace, Yahoo execs
5. Shacknews on 2009 BAFTA winners: Batman takes best game
   and video games to be released next week
6. New Mass Effect 2 DLC coming on March 23
7. Dawn of War II 2.2 balance patch notes preview
8. AtomicGamer has NBA2K10 patch 1.1
9. Gamasutra's analysis: On Half-Life 2 - Build it and they will come
10. L4D Blog has 12 terms from the Left 4 Dictionary
11. Greywardens.com's Dragon Age Awakening walkthroughs
12. TweakPC reviews Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight (in German)
13. Team Fortress 2 update released on Steam
14. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Squad Pack available now on Steam

Hardware

1. TestFreaks review MSI Wind12 U230 netbook
2. InsideHW reviews Asus Eee PC 1008P Karim Rashid Collection
3. OC3D's MSI motherboards sneak peek
4. iXBT Labs review Intel DP55WB "Whitesburg" motherboard
5. ITShootOut reviews Asus EAH5870 1GB
6. NetworkWorld has 8 things you didn't know about Windows Phone 7
7. IGN's history of the iPod
8. DragonSteelMods review Trust SoundForce USB-powered portable speakers
9. OverclockersHQ and ProClockers review NZXT Tempest case
10. Meisterkuehler reviews Antec ISK 300-65 Mini-ITX case (in German)
11. Hardware Heaven's hard drive enclosures roundup

43 comments —
Last by Meadows at 12:20 AM on 03/22/10

Deal of the week: A 64GB SSD upgrade kit for $145
by Cyril Kowaliski — 5:29 PM on March 19, 2010

Are solid-state drives really getting this cheap this quickly? Barely more than a month has gone by since Kingston launched a trio of SSDNow V solid-state drives, including a 64GB model priced at $208 (or $216 as part of an upgrade bundle). Today, Newegg is selling one of those 64GB upgrade bundles at a discount for a cool $144.99 before shipping.

The solid-state drive has a 64GB capacity, 2.5" form factor, multi-level-cell flash, and a 300MB/s Serial ATA interface. Kingston ships it with some 2.5" to 3.5" drive adapter rails, screws, and cables. On the performance side of things, the company quotes top sequential transfer speeds of 200MB/s for reads and 110MB/s for writes. And because Kingston has implemented TRIM support, performance shouldn't drop too much as the drive reaches a used state.

Factor in shipping, and this bundle sets you back $146.98—still quite a bit cheaper than other, similar-capacity SSDs on the market today. This is no refurbished or barebone product, either; it comes in a proper retail box with three years of warranty coverage.

37 comments —
Last by Freon at 10:01 AM on 03/21/10

Gigabyte puts USB 3.0 on Mini-ITX H55 board
by Geoff Gasior — 3:05 PM on March 19, 2010

Zotac's H55 ITX was the first Mini-ITX motherboard to hit the market using Intel's H55 Express chipset. Now, it looks like the board will be getting some competition from Gigabyte. SemiAccurate has come across pictures of an H55N-USB3 mobo posted on the XFastest forums.

Although no specifications are posted, USB 3.0 support looks to be a given. The picture also reveals dual DIMM slots, a PCI Express x16 slot, four internal SATA ports, and a port cluster that features DVI, HDMI, S/PDIF, and eSATA connectivity. Although the board's price is unknown, we can apparently expect it to arrive around the middle of next month. For reference, Zotac's H55 ITX is currently selling for $145 at Newegg.

17 comments —
Last by derFunkenstein at 7:49 PM on 03/20/10

Report: HP Slate coming in June, will cost €400 in Europe
by Cyril Kowaliski — 11:58 AM on March 19, 2010

Remember that HP Slate Steve Ballmer showed just three weeks before the iPad's launch? Although somewhat overshadowed and out-hyped by the Apple product, the device is no mere proof of concept. Spanish site Clipset has dug up a few juicy nuggets of information about the tablet, and it says HP is gearing up for a June release.

The device will come outfitted with an Atom processor, a card reader, a rear-facing camera, a non-slip rubber back, and Windows 7. Clipset points out that you'll be able to run Adobe Flash, as well—a key selling point, since Flash doesn't look to be headed to the iPhone OS (which also powers the iPad) anytime soon.

Finally, Clipset says the HP Slate will cost €400 when it hits European store shelves by September. Whip out your favorite currency converter, and that figure translates to $541. Pay HP's website a visit, however, and you'll see the company's Mini 210 netbooks start at €299 in Europe and $280 stateside. So, you can probably count on the HP Slate handily undercutting the iPad's $499 price tag. (Thanks to Engadget for the tip.)

28 comments —
Last by wingless at 1:17 PM on 03/20/10

Microsoft readies first Windows 7 service pack
by Cyril Kowaliski — 10:11 AM on March 19, 2010

A mere five months after its retail release, Windows 7 already awaits its first service pack. As ComputerWorld reports, Microsoft has started revealing details about the upcoming update, which should come out simultaneously for Win7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

Quoting a Microsoft spokesperson, ComputerWorld says Windows 7 SP1 will focus on "minor updates" and eschew major new features. Presumably, in service pack tradition, Microsoft will roll all previously released updates, patches, and hotfixes into SP1—but it sounds like there won't be much else on the menu.

The Windows Server 2008 R2 version of SP1, meanwhile, will introduce new remote access technologies labeled RemoteFX. In a post on Microsoft's Virtualization Team Blog, the company says RemoteFX will let users "work remotely in a Windows Aero desktop environment, watch full-motion video, enjoy Silverlight animations, and run 3D applications – all with the fidelity of a local-like performance when connecting over the LAN."

So, when can we look forward to the two service packs? ComputerWorld writes that Microsoft is staying mum on scheduling matters just now, but "a Web site" has pointed to the fourth quarter of the year as a possible release time frame. Windows Vista SP1 came out in early February 2008, almost exactly a year after Vista's retail debut, so a fourth-quarter rollout for Win7 SP1 sounds about right.

64 comments —
Last by AMDisDEAD at 8:13 PM on 03/21/10

Saint Joseph's Day Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 9:19 AM on March 19, 2010

Saint Joseph's Day

1. Bloomberg reports Google may shut down China unit on April 10
2. The Register reports Apple board member Jerry York dies at 71
3. Comcast confirms 100Mbps is coming
4. Fudzilla: AMD personnel ramp-up details confirmed
5. Sales growth spurs $8 million additional investment in LucidLogix
6. C|Net on Palm's future: A vicious cycle
7. DailyTech cites report: Copy / paste will come to
   Windows Phone 7 Series some time after launch
8. VR-Zone shares rumor: Intel to release 3.6GHz Core i5
   and reports hp refreshes Pavilion dv3
9. DigiTimes reports Intel sees chipset demand from motherboard makes exceed CPU
   shipments by 20%, say sources and DDR2 gains stronger momentum, says inSpectrum
10. Fudzilla reports overclocked GTX 480 possible
11. First 500 Inno3D GTX 480 / 470 cards come with free gaming mouse mats
12. GTX 480 / 470 boxes from XFX and Zotac
13. C|Net on one pair of 3D glasses to rule them all
14. Sharky Extreme on weekly CPU prices
15. Ars Technica reports Amazon threatens more publishers with freeze-out over prices
    and years late, Universal cuts CD prices to combat poor sales
16. "Piracy" sounds too sexy, says rightsholders
17. Hexus.net reports Scan announces exclusive Nvidia Fermi launch event
18. Dealzon's deals: $150 off 15.6" Toshiba L505D, $150 off 14.1" MSI X400,
    $5 off 2GB iPod shuffle, and $40 off PSP 3000 Slim

Software

1. Windows XP Mode now accessible to more PCs
2. The Windows Blog: Talking about Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
3. Dynamic memory coming to Hyper-V
4. IT begins shift away from Windows XP, survey suggests
5. Fudzilla reports Apple makes developers swear bizarre secrecy oaths
6. The Register reports Dell bars Windows 7 refunds from Linux lovers
7. t-break: Read and write NTFS volumes with Mac OS X
8. HardwareOC tests Catalyst 10.3a Mobile on Asus G73JH (in German)

Gaming

1. NYT reports GameStop shares jump on 4Q profit and 2010 forecast
2. Joystiq reports Xbox 360 gaining USB storage support in 2010 update
3. Shacknews reports Bungie reveals Halo: Reach matchmaking and social features
4. Command & Conquer 4 installation / online update
5. Shacknews reports StarCraft II beta friend code issues resolved
6. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 patch fiasco: Before and after comparison
7. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 sets pace to become the top selling title for March 2010
8. Splinter Cell: Conviction demo is Xbox 360 only
9. Legion Hardware's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 tuning guide
10. Ars Technica and TweakPC (in German) review Metro 2033
11. [OC]ModShop's Heavy Rain walkthrough
12. Team Fortress 2 update released on Steam
13. Steam's weekend deal: Aliens vs. Predator 33% off
14. AMD Foundation to sponsor game design workshop at 2010 Games for Change festival

Systems and storage

1. Real World Technologies: Westmere arrives
2. TWL on top 10 things to do with a new computer
3. Phoronix on Intel's Atom: Nvidia Ion vs. Radeon HD 4330 graphics
4. OC3D's Asus Rampage III Extreme sneak peek
5. OCC reviews Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R
6. TechSpot's 4-way Intel H55 motherboards shootout
7. PureOC reviews ECS A890GXM-A
8. Legit Reviews on 4GB Patriot Viper II Sector 5 2000MHz memory kit
9. Big Bruin reviews 6GB Crucial Ballistix Tracer DDR3-1600 memory kit
10. HotHardware reviews 2TB Seagate Barracuda XT SATA 6G
11. AnandTech reviews Intel's X25-V & Kingston's 30GB SSDNow V Series
12. LanOC Reviews on 60GB OCZ Agility Series SSD

Multimedia

1. Guru3D and TweakTown reviews HIS HD 5870 iCooler V Turbo
2. OC3D reviews XFX Radeon HD 5750 XXX
3. Tweaknews reviews HIS HD 5670
4. Ultimate Hardware reviews Ladybird GeForce GTS 250
5. [H]ard|OCP: Eyefinity 5x1 8400x1050 LCD in action (video)
6. TestFreaks review CiragoTV Pro CTP1000 multimedia player
7. Hardware Secrets reviews Epson WorkForce 610 all-in-one printer
8. VR-Zone compares McGear MCSP03 vs. Mobile+ Go Rock portable speakers
9. Technic3D reviews Edifier S2000 speaker (in German)
10. OverclockersHQ reviews LG Pop GD510 GSM smartphone

Power, casing, and cooling

1. Hardware Heaven reviews 450W Chill Innovation CP-450F PSU
2. Legit Reviews on Thermaltake Level 10 case
3. ThinkComputers reviews Aerocool PGS Qx-2000 Cube case
4. Bona Fide Reviews on Brenthaven Stylis III-XF TV289ZM/A notebook case
5. DragonSteelMods on MusicSkins custom netbook skin
6. Hardware Heaven reviews akasa Orion notebook cooler
7. PureOC reviews Koolance VID-AR587 GPU water block
8. DeXgo reviews Scythe Yasya CPU cooler (in German)

27 comments —
Last by Farting Bob at 7:41 AM on 03/21/10

WSJ: Print content going on back burner for iPad launch
by Cyril Kowaliski — 4:58 PM on March 18, 2010

The iPad might not be the next-generation magazine and newspaper reader some were expecting. At least not initially. Apple CEO Steve Jobs seemed to skirt that topic entirely at the device's unveiling, and now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is instead focusing on TV shows and other content for the device's launch.

Here's the tasty nugget of news, straight from the WSJ piece:

Yet the company is still negotiating with media companies for a price cut on TV shows that people can download onto the device, said people familiar with the matter. Apple also hoped to work closely with newspaper, magazines and textbook publishers on new ways to digitally present print content on the iPad, but has for now put the effort on backburner in favor of focusing on other content, said one of those people.

The Journal also says Apple is scrambling to finish negotiations ahead of the iPad's April 3 ship date, which is now just over two weeks away.

That's not to say all newspaper publishers are turning up their noses at the iPad, however. The guys at TechEye have come upon a video interview with News Corp Chairman, CEO, and founder Rupert Murdoch, who seems quite enthusiastic about the upcoming tablet. Murdoch predicted, "All media is going to go on to the iPad, whether it be music or books or newspapers or movies, you'll be able to get it on your iPad."

11 comments —
Last by henfactor at 3:18 PM on 03/21/10

GeForce GTX 400-series pricing could start at $350
by Cyril Kowaliski — 3:25 PM on March 18, 2010

How much will Nvidia charge for its first DirectX 11 graphics processors? Few people will know for sure until the actual launch, and Nvidia recently shot down some leaked numbers. Nevertheless, VR-Zone now claims to have the real scoop. According to that site, you'll be able to grab a GeForce GTX 470 for just under $350.

VR-Zone also claims to have it on good authority that the higher-end GeForce GTX 480 will sell for $499. Those prices would place the GTX 470 at a slight premium over AMD's Radeon HD 5850, which starts a little over $300, with the GTX 480 coming in well above the $400 Radeon HD 5870—AMD's fastest single-GPU product. At the same time, Nvidia would be aiming south of the $700, dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970.

Those figures ought to paint a pretty good picture of potential performance, too, but VR-Zone also has some tips about that. The site claims the GeForce GTX 470 and GTX 480 will have 5-10% overall performance leads over the Radeon HD 5850 and 5870, respectively.

In related news, members of the VR-Zone forums have posted images of official-looking presentation slides showcasing the GeForce GTX 480. The images actually have a DonanimHaber watermark, but that site appears to have taken the content down. In any case, the pictured GTX 480 looks to have four heat pipes, a large fan, and a generous number of vents on the cooling shroud. The slide quotes a sub-300W thermal envelope and a 10.5" board length, as well.

124 comments —
Last by aatu at 6:56 AM on 03/22/10

Report: Acer squeezes mobile Nehalem CPU supply
by Cyril Kowaliski — 12:25 PM on March 18, 2010

Acer ultraportables with mobile Nehalem-based processors are on the horizon, and it's looking like they may not have too many competitors at first—or at least, their competitors might be harder to come by. Quoting anonymous notebook industry sources, the folks at DigiTimes write that Intel's mobile Core i3, i5, and i7 processors are currently in short supply because of overzealous orders from Acer.

Reportedly, Acer is optimistic about notebook demand and has subsequently placed a "large volume of orders for the processors." Those orders are leaving smaller notebook vendors waiting for their fill, since Intel gives preferential treatment to its biggest customers. And Acer is, after all, number two in the PC market as of last quarter.

As we noted yesterday, Acer is expected to unleash Core i3- and i5-powered Aspire Timeline consumer ultraportables by the end of the month. Pricing information hasn't leaked out yet, but if Acer is indeed bracing for high demand, then it might price the upcoming systems somewhat aggressively.

24 comments —
Last by JustAnEngineer at 9:00 PM on 03/21/10

Six-core Thuban could run at up to 3GHz
by Cyril Kowaliski — 10:44 AM on March 18, 2010

For a good while now, we've known AMD is cooking up six-core desktop processors code-named Thuban and officially branded Phenom II X6. The rumor mill even gave us some model numbers and a launch date (April 26) last month, but specifications have thus far eluded us.

Luckily, TC Magazine now reports that a pair of Gigabyte BIOS updates have revealed the clock speeds of three Phenom II X6 processors claimed to be in AMD's roadmap. If that information is correct, the Phenom II X6 1035T will run at 2.6GHz, the Phenom II X6 1055T will tick away at 2.8GHz, and the fastest of the three, the Phenom II X6 1075T, should hit 3GHz.

Other specifications will include 9MB of L3 cache, thermal envelopes in the 95-125W range, and Socket AM3 packages—so, these puppies may well work in existing motherboards.

TC Magazine makes no mention of that Turbo Boost-like feature we first heard about over a month ago, however. Assuming that information was correct, Phenom II X6 CPUs will be able to "overclock" individual cores and shut the other ones off in applications that require more single- or dual-threaded brawn than anything. If it indeed has a base clock speed of 2.6GHz, the Phenom II X6 1035T may otherwise have trouble keeping up with its Intel rivals, not to mention quad-core Phenom IIs that now reach up to 3.4GHz.

65 comments —
Last by StuG at 6:53 AM on 03/21/10

AMD releases Catalyst 10.3 preview drivers
by Cyril Kowaliski — 6:00 AM on March 18, 2010

Hot on the heels of the new GeForce driver update, AMD has put up a preview version of its Catalyst 10.3 graphics drivers. This release brings forth one major new feature for notebook users: official support for Mobility Radeon HD 2000 through 5000 GPUs in laptops offered by "most major OEM and ODM . . . manufacturers."

For many folks with Radeon-powered notebooks, the 10.3 Catalysts should remove the need to hunt down for GPU driver updates on the notebook manufacturer's (or vendor's) website. Nvidia has been offering a similar service since December 2008.

AMD offers separate versions of the Catalyst 10.3 preview for laptops and desktops. In both cases, 32-bit and 64-bit variants of Windows 7 and Vista are supported, but Windows XP users need not apply. You'll find download links right here on the official Catalyst preview page.

What's in store for desktop users? As we wrote last month, AMD has enhanced its Eyefinity multi-display scheme with bezel correction, per-display monitor controls, multiple display group support, and better display configuration switching. AMD's information page also mentions a new Direct 3D driver updated to "enable 3rd party middleware vendors such as iZ3D to output stereo L/R images at 120 Hz (60 Hz per eye)."

27 comments —
Last by leor at 9:21 AM on 03/20/10

National Biodiesel Day Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 5:57 AM on March 18, 2010

National Biodiesel Day

1. TC Magazine reports AMD Phenom II X6 clocks leaked
2. DigiTimes: Intel notebook CPUs in tight supply, says sources
3. VR-Zone reports Biostar BIO-unlocKING on AMD 8xx chipset
4. The Register on desktop refresh cycles: How long is yours?
5. Ars Technica reports iMacs expected to boost desktop market growth in 2010
6. AMD: OEMs primed for Opteron 6100s
7. The Register reports WD adds 1TB portable Mac drive
8. VR-Zone reports USB 3.0 thumb drives will have to wait
9. SemiAccurate rpeorts Nvidia tapes out GF108
10. Donanim Haber claims to have an official pciture of GeForce GTX 480 (in Turkish)
11. Guru3D reports PowerColor HD 5770 Eyefinity 5 official
12. VR-Zone reports Asus announces Designo series LCD monitors
13. Engadget on Google TV: Android-based web platform for
    the living room with help from Intel, Sony & Logitech
14. After Google dustup, Ars asks should the U.S. ban Chinese computers?
15. C|Net reports expect fireworks Thursday in Viacom vs. Google
16. DigiTimes: Nexus One sales to reach 1 - 1.2 million units in first year, say sources
17. Google loses Nexus One trademark to Portland-based Integra Telecom
18. Were Google an ISP, they'd be the third biggest
19. DailyTech reports Sprint gets Nexus One, Verizon gears up for HTC Incredible
20. DigiTimes reports HTC dismisses Apple claims
21. Comcast continues to expand usage meter availability
22. C|Net reports emergency Internet control bill gets a rewrite
23. NBP: Broadband for everyone by 2020, but who foots the bill?
24. Nvidia announces extension of its stock repurchase program
25. DigiTimes reports Foxconn says no plans to split company
26. MCV reports Blockbuster admits bankruptcy danger
27. VentureBeat: Fastest site on the web: The IRS?
28. TechFlash posts video: Ballmer's dancing avatar
29. DailyTech reports Avatar comes outs on DVD April 22
30. Syfy eyes new 'Battlestar Galactica' spinoff
31. Hexus.net touts its own promotions (win free stuff)
32. Dealzon's deals: $101 off Dell Mini 10 w/ TV, $300 off 15.6" Lenovo U550,
    $20 off Logitech LX310 Cordless Desktop, and $175 off Motorola Droid

Software

1. [H]ard|OCP and Legit Reviews on Catalyst 10.3a
2. Microsoft: IE9 won't run on XP
3. AnandTech and SuperSite for Windows on Microsoft Internet Explorer 9
4. TechSpot: Customize your Windows 7 Start Menu button
5. Ars Technica reports Ubuntu prerelease testing made easy with TestDrive
6. Phoronix reports Phoromatic 1.0 unleashed & Ubuntu joins the party
7. Google Chrome 4.1.249.1036 for Windows
8. Mozilla Firefox 3.7 Alpha 3
9. Fudzilla reports DivX releases new package
10. TC Magazine reports new Bing Maps app lets you contemplate the stars
11. TechFlash reports Amazon releases Kindle for Mac plays hardball with publishers

Gaming

1. Shacknews reports Ensemble veteran disputes reports
   of crunch culture and inefficient, expensive development
2. SemiAccurate: Is Microsoft working on new, smaller Xbox 360?
3. Ars Technica reports PlayStation Move ad mocks Natal, attacks Nintendo Wii
4. Shacknews reports Microsoft patent hints at new DLC purchasing method
5. CrunchGear on how gaming will change the 3D equation
6. Yahoo! News reports video games may hinder learning for boys
7. Shacknews reports Supreme Commander 2 Xbox 360 videos: Controls and multiplayer action
8. Supreme Commander 2 update released on Steam
9. Engadget reports Ben Heck completes the Bill Paxton pinball machine

Systems and storage

1. OCC reviews Asus P6X58D Premium
2. X-bit labs review Asus P7H57D-V Evo
3. ITShootOut reviews ASRock H55DE3
4. bit-tech investigates Kingston's new LoVo memory kit
5. Benchmark Reviews on Patriot Gamer-Series DDR3-1600 memory kit
6. BCCHardware reviews 128GB Plextor PX-128M1S SSD
7. TweakPC reviews Axus FiT500E external HDD (in German)
8. Hardware Heaven reviews Synology DS410j NAS

Multimedia

1. Björn3D reviews Gigabyte Radeon HD 5870
2. Hardware Canucks review XFX Radeon HD 5830 1GB
3. InsideHW on Radeon HD 5770 cards from MSI and PowerColor
4. X-bit labs review NEC MultiSync EA231WMi monitor
5. CCE Reviews on 46" Samsung LN46B550 LCD TV
6. Tweaknews reviews Able Planet NC300B headphones
7. MegaTech Reviews on Arctic Cooling's Arctic Sound E361-BM & E351-WM stereo headsets
8. Hi Tech Legion reviews Razer Abyssus gaming mouse
9. XtremeComputing reviews SteelSeries 7G gaming keyboard

Power, casing, and cooling

1. Rbmods on Corsair TX950 PSU
2. Technic3D reviews 630W Nexus NX-6000 R3 PSU (in German)
3. VR-Zone reviews Energizer Engergi To Go rechargeable power packs
4. OverclockersHQ reviews Fractal Design Define R2 case
5. Hi Tech Legion reviews Azza Helios 910 case
6. PureOC reviews Cooler Master USP 100 case
7. ThinkComputers reviews Icy Dock MB662US-2S external RAID dual-HDD enclosure
8. TweakTown reviews CoolIT Systems Eco A.L.C. CPU cooler
9. X-bit labs review 4 AMATech coolers

18 comments —
Last by Machupo at 6:06 PM on 03/18/10

GeForce 197.13 drivers address fan speed bug
by Cyril Kowaliski — 3:58 PM on March 17, 2010

Got an Nvidia graphics card? Good news, then: the latest drivers no longer throw off fan speed regulation and subsequently induce overheating. You know, like the last GeForce driver release. Nvidia has put up new 197.13 drivers it says "resolve the customer reports of fan speed issues with 196.75 drivers."

You can grab the 197.13 drivers for Windows 7 and Vista x86, Windows 7 and Vista x64, Windows XP x86, and Windows XP x64.

This release re-introduces many of the changes of the 196.75 drivers (shocking, we know), such as support for next-generation Ion graphics processors, performance increases in a handful of older titles, the addition of SLI profiles for a decent number of newer games (including Assassin Creed II and Battlefield: Bad Company 2), the addition of ambient occlusion support in a few other games, and an "override anti-aliasing" option for Mass Effect 2. There are bug fixes, too. Nvidia provides a list on the download page and more details in the official release notes (PDF).

On the subject of the ill-fated 196.75 release, Nvidia provided us with this fresh statement:

NVIDIA apologizes to any GeForce owners that installed the 196.75 driver and experienced quality issues. For the small number of customers that did experience problems, in almost every case reverting back to our 196.21 driver immediately resolved their issues. We continue to work closely with our add-in-card partners and PC manufacturers to help resolve any additional customer issues not solved by reverting to the earlier driver. Any GeForce owner who has questions about their board as a result of downloading the 195.75 drivers should contact their board supplier.

The company says affected users can find out more details (including driver roll-back tips) on this page.

40 comments —
Last by Shining Arcanine at 10:13 AM on 03/18/10

Bad Company 2 to shed SecuROM DRM on Steam
by Cyril Kowaliski — 1:00 PM on March 17, 2010

Here's one non-Valve Steam game that won't impose a second layer of crusty digital rights management anymore. As Shacknews reports, EA DICE will soon remove SecuROM DRM from the Steam version of Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

An official change log provides little in the way of background information, merely stating that the game "will no longer have SecuROM on the exe file" and "will use Valves own DRM instead." Don't go restarting your Steam client just yet, though; according to this thread on the Steam forums, the Steam patch will go through compatibility testing "as soon as possible"—and the latest posts suggest users are still waiting.

Multiple layers of DRM have become an unfortunate fact of life on Steam. While Valve promotes its own DRM tied to the service, game publishers tend to tack on additional copy protection, often of the disc-based variety, like SecuROM. That can mean having to deal with Steam, additional background software, installation limits, plus a separate app to revoke installations.

Steam aside, the Bad Company 2 patch addresses a plethora of issues in both the single-player and multiplayer modes. Shacknews lists the bug fixes and changes here.

31 comments —
Last by ssway at 10:17 PM on 03/18/10

Report: Larrabee is set for a comeback
by Cyril Kowaliski — 11:09 AM on March 17, 2010

Is Larrabee a sleeping beauty or a slain beast? Intel recently canned the first generation of its x86-derived graphics processor, relegating it to a development platform. Now, however, the folks at TechEye have heard from a "key member" of the team at Intel that Larrabee "will come back with a vengeance when you least expect it."

The source, purportedly a former member of the Larrabee design team, told TechEye that Intel brought in "some really big hitters" to work on the project. Many of those big hitters are "still hovering around waiting for Larrabee to come online again."

In spite of that, the effort has suffered public relations blows. The insider believes Intel mishandled last December's cancellation announcement, leading some to believe the company had given up on building a discrete GPU altogether. To make matters worse, disgruntled staffers have purportedly been spreading negative, factually incorrect rumors about Larrabee—for example, that Intel licensed elements from Imagination Technologies to fill "gaps" in the design.

Last we heard, Intel planned to offer the first-gen Larrabee design as part of a software development platform for both internal and external use some time this year. We'll presumably have to wait for a second-generation design based on new silicon before a full-fledged Larrabee GPU hits the market, and Intel has yet to release a schedule for that.

49 comments —
Last by Shining Arcanine at 5:53 PM on 03/21/10

Core i5-toting Aspire Timeline laptops on the way
by Cyril Kowaliski — 10:14 AM on March 17, 2010

Intel's Core i3 and i5 processors finally look primed to shake up the consumer ultraportable world. We recently wrote about MSI's attempt to bring forth the shakeup—the 13-inch X-Slim X360—and now, DigiTimes brings word that Acer will soon counterattack with a whole range of Timeline notebooks based on the new mobile chips.

DigiTimes' sources talk of a March 22 launch; officially, the site says Acer can only promise that the new Timeline laptops will be out "by the end of March," and that the Taiwanese launch is primed for March 30.

Hardware-wise, we can reportedly look forward to 13", 14", and 15" display sizes, nine-cell batteries with eight-hour run times, and thickness in the same league as that of existing, CULV-based Acer Timeline systems. Nevertheless, DigiTimes claims the new notebooks will be "slightly heavier due to the cooling modules."

The article doesn't go into pricing, but one would expect Core i3- and i5-powered consumer ultraportables to be priced at a premium over their Core 2-derived forebears. The only mobile, Nehalem-based processor with a sub-35W thermal envelope we can find on Intel's ARK product database is the Core i5-520UM, which has a $241 bulk price tag. By contrast, the dual-core Celeron SU2300 sells for just $134 in volume. (The SU2300 has a lower thermal envelope, too, although unlike the Core i5, it doesn't have integrated graphics and a memory controller on the CPU package.)

17 comments —
Last by UberGerbil at 12:17 PM on 03/19/10

St. Patrick's Day Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 9:56 AM on March 17, 2010

St. Patrick's Day

1. Ars Technica notes survey: Macs cost notably less to support than Windows PCs
2. Apple iPad orders drop sharply
3. TechEye claims Intel's Larrabee to do a Lazarus
4. DigiTimes reports Acer to globally debut Calpella Timeline notebooks March 22
   and Taiwan-based industrial PC makers suffer short supply of components
5. Fudzilla reports 6-core i7 980X makes it to notebooks from Eurocom
6. TC Magazine reports Shuttle's X50V2 all-in-one barebone starts shipping
   and Sony Vaio M netbook goes official
   and ExoPC Slate delayed, to receive tweaks
7. The Register reports Intel wants vintage x64 servers on rubbish heap
8. Fudzilla reports Opteron 6000 6-core platform is out
9. Intel launches its most secure data center processor
10. Xeon 5600 ("Westmere") processor launch (video)
11. Record breaking performances with Gigabyte's P55 UD3 motherboards
12. EVGA Classified SR-2 motherboard
13. The Register reports LSI and Seagate take on Fusion-io with flash
14. Fudzilla reports GeForce GTx 480 massive availability April 6th
    and AMD fights 58x0 shortage
15. ATi-Forum on Razer Death Adder Left Hand Edition (in German)
16. DailyTech reports Nexus One is a sales failure, Google
    and extends unlocked phone sales to AT&T network
17. Ars Technica reports Windows Phone 7 Series in the enterprise: Not all good news
18. DSLReports on what you need to know about the national broadband plan
19. TechFlash reports Amazon warns Connecticut lawmakers over sales tax bill
20. Ars Technica reports Canada's $75 iPod levy returns (and might legalize P2P)
    and U.K. House of Lords gives thumbs up to 3 strikes, site takedown
21. Facebook becomes bigger hit than Google
22. Ars Technica on using keyboard bacteria as a (not quite) unique ID
23. Website du jour: Microsoft Hardware Blog
24. AnandTech's giveaway: Win a Lenovo ThinkPad X100e powered by AMD
25. Big Bruin's spring giveaway: Win a NZXT prize pack
26. Win $10,000 from TrendMicro's what's your story? contest
27. Newegg's 24-hour sale (3/17 only)
28. Dealzon's deals: $170 off 12" Lenovo IdeaPad S12, $260 off 14" Lenovo IdeaPad U450p,
    $190 off 23" Lenovo B500 AIO PC bundle, and $10 off AirCurve iPhone amplifier

Software

1. SuperSite Blog: Jeffrey Zeldman just doesn't get it on IE 9
2. C|Net notes study: Businesses start to embrace Windows 7
3. Ars Technica reports Canonical's new COO gets religion on Linux desktop
4. C|Net reports Firefox 3.0 reaching end of the line
5. [H]ard|OCP on AMD's Catalyst 10.3a driver update
6. TC Magazine reports Nvidia releases GeForce 197.13 beta drivers
7. Nvidia updates Optimus profiles
8. Opera 10.51 RC2 for Windows
9. Google Chrome 5.0.342.5 beta
10. Trillian for Mac alpha 1.0.0.105

Gaming

Microsoft: Blu-ray absence boosted Xbox 360
1. Shacknews reports Battlefield: Bad Company 2 PC patched; SecuROM DRM removed
   from Steam version and Batman: Arkham Asylum 'Game of the Year Edition' coming to
   North America with 3D glasses
2. Gamasutra reports Stardock's Wardell details Impulse Reactor specifics
3. Digital downloads spell trouble for GameStop
4. Day one content: BioWare explains to Ars why it's sometimes legit
5. Fudzilla reports StarCraft II Mac development continues
6. Diablo II ladder reset coming on 3/23 PC-Luchs on Ubisoft's DRM (in German)
7. ARMA 2 Operation Arrowhead - Alliance forces deploy (video)
8. Shacknews reports Battlefield: Bad Company 2 grenade spam PSA parodies MW2 video
9. Ars Technica on PlayStation Move: What we hate, what we love
10. TheTechLounge dissects BioShock 2 and reviews
    The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
11. PC World: Did video games wreck 1,000 marriages?
12. Gamasutra: Gaming can save a life
13. Kotaku reports Brits build real-life Modern Warfare 2 level
14. Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight now available in North America on Steam
15. Steam's midweek madness - Dragon Age: Origins and
    EverQuest 11th-year anniversary sale is on

Systems and storage

1. HTPC building - A HotHardware how-to
2. Verdis Reviews on Overclockers UK Titan Goliath Core i7 system
3. Hardware Heaven reviews Novatech X1 CA gaming notebook
4. Digital Trends reviews Acer AspireRevo R3610 nettop
5. AnandTech reviews Asus Eee PC 1001P
6. 2CPU on Intel's 5600 series "Westmere EP" Xeons
7. AnandTech on Xeon 5670: Six improved cores
8. iXBT Labs have AMD 890GX chipset overview
9. TweakTown reviews Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H
10. Guru3D reviews ECS AMD 890GX motherboard
11. ThinkComputers reviews Asus P7P55D-E Pro
12. Björn3D reviews 4GB G.Skill PIS DDR3-2000 memory kit
13. PureOC reviews 4GB OCZ DDR3-1600 Intel XMP memory kit
14. Modders-Inc reviews 750GB Seagate Barracuda ES.2 HDD
15. Benchmark Reviews on JMicron JMF612 SSD processor
16. Big Bruin reviews 500GB Seagate BlackArmor PS110
17. TWL reviews LiteOn iHOS104-08 Blu-ray drive

Multimedia

1. TweakTown reviews MSI Radeon HD 5870 Lightning
2. ASE Labs review SanDisk slotRadio player
3. Hardware Secrets reviews Arctic Cooling E361-WM earphones
4. PCShopTalk and TweakTown review Arctic Sound E352 earphones
5. OverclockersHQ reviews iFrogz CS40 headphone
6. LanOC Reviews on Microsoft SideWinder X4 keyboard
7. Hardware Secrets reviews Mionix Naos 5000 mouse

Power, cases. and cooling

1. OC3D reviews 700W Enermax Modu87+ PSU
2. Madshrimps have 7-way 600W PSUs roundup in Venlo
3. DeXgo reviews 430W be quiet! Pure Power PSU (in German)
4. OCC reviews Xclio A380 Color Plus case
5. Tweaknews reviews Cooler Master CM 690 II Advanced case
6. Legit Reviews on Thermaltake Element V case
7. PureOC reviews Thermaltake V3 case
8. ABT on Cooler Master's ErgoStand
9. BayReviews has Coolink SWiF2 series cooling fans roundup
10. UMLan reviews Thermaltake SpinQ VT
11. techPowerUp! reviews Thermaltake SpinQ
12. Legit Reviews on Coolink Corator DS CPU cooler

14 comments —
Last by burntham77 at 9:45 AM on 03/18/10

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