MSI unveils pricing, launch date for Wind laptop
by Cyril Kowaliski — 4:47 PM on May 13, 2008

We knew the specifications, we knew what it will look like, and now we know how much it'll cost and when it'll come out. As Laptop Magazine reports, MSI has revealed pricing and launch details for its "Eee PC killer," the Wind.

In an interview with the site, MSI U.S. Sales Director Andy Tung stated that the Wind will hit U.S. stores on June 3. Shoppers can expect to pay $399 for the Linux version with 512MB of RAM and $549 for the Windows XP model with 1GB of RAM, according to Tung, although MSI plans to release a cheaper, sub-$500 WinXP model.

As we've already reported, Wind laptops will pack Intel Atom processors, 80GB 2.5" hard drives, and display sizes of 8.9" to 10" with 1024 x 600 resolutions. The systems will weigh in at around 2.2 lbs (1 kg), and they'll include keyboards with 0.69-inch (17.5-mm) keys, which should be larger than those on the Eee PC. Notebook Review also mentions that the Wind will get six hours of battery life using the standard, six-cell battery, and that folks will be able to order Wind laptops in black, white, silver, and pink.

9 comments —
Last post by swaaye at 9:07 PM on May 13, 2008

Ubisoft releases Assassin's Creed PC patch
by Cyril Kowaliski — 2:45 PM on May 13, 2008

The first patch for Assassin's Creed PC has generated a substantial amount of controversy since it was announced a few weeks back, and now the patch is out. As Shacknews report, the 1.02 update is mainly a bug-fixing release. You can grab it here at FileShack, and the official release notes describe resolved issues as such:

Fixed a rare crash while riding the horse in Kingdom

Fixed a corruption of Altair's robe on certain graphics hardware

Cursor is now centered when accessing the Map

Fixed a few problems with Alt-Tab

Fixed a graphical bug in the final fight

Fixed a few graphical problems with dead bodies

Fixed pixellation with post-FX enabled on certain graphics hardware

Fixed a small bug in the DNA Menu that would cause the image to disappear if the arrow was clicked rapidly

Fixed some graphical corruption in Present Room with low Level Of Detail

Character input is now cancelled if the controller is unplugged while moving

Of course, the patch also strips DirectX 10.1 code from the game. Ubisoft describes the move simply as "fixed broken post-effects on DirectX 10.1 enabled cards" in the release notes, but as we learned last week, there's a lot more to this story. For now, DirectX 10.1 support remains in limbo—perhaps until the next patch, perhaps indefinitely—despite the performance gains users of Radeon HD 3000-series cards have reported.

Another element of note is Ubisoft's mention of "added support for x64 versions of Windows." We've played the launch version of Assassin's Creed on Vista x64 without any hiccups, and as far as we can see, the patch doesn't add a 64-bit executable to the mix. Perhaps Ubisoft is simply referring to compatibility improvements.

10 comments —
Last post by DrDillyBar at 8:43 PM on May 13, 2008

GeForce 6, 7, 8 (and 9) cards finally get new Vista, XP drivers
by Cyril Kowaliski — 1:21 PM on May 13, 2008

At last! After a six-month lull during which it focused solely on GeForce 9-series graphics cards, Nvidia has finally released new ForceWare drivers for older GeForce 6, 7, and 8 offerings. Numbered 175.16, the new drivers are available for Windows Vista x86, Windows Vista x64, Windows XP, and Windows XP Pro x64. These drivers also support new 9-series GeForces and 8-series "motherboard GPUs," effectively closing the gap between Nvidia's software support for new and old hardware.

According to Nvidia, the ForceWare 175.16 release improves performance in DirectX 9, DirectX 10, and OpenGL applications and adds several new configuration screens to the Vista version of the Nvidia control panel, including "Manage Custom Resolutions," "Adjust Television Color Settings," "Adjust Screen Size and Position," and "Move CRT Position." The drivers also support three-way SLI, Quad SLI, and Hybrid SLI on compatible cards (mostly GeForce 9 models) in Windows Vista.

For a detailed list of fixes, changes, and new features, check out Nvidia's PDF release notes for the Windows Vista and Windows XP versions of the new ForceWare 175.16 release.

17 comments —
Last post by herothezero at 7:13 PM on May 13, 2008

Photos, specs of another 'Eee PC desktop' emerge
by Cyril Kowaliski — 12:08 PM on May 13, 2008

Since word started getting around about a desktop version of Asus' popular Eee PC low-cost notebook, Asus has showcased several systems that could bear the title. Among those are the Nova P20 and Digital Home System EP20, both small-form-factor desktop offerings with low-end hardware.

Chilehardware has now gotten hold of pictures and specifications for a third contender to the desktop Eee PC title. The machine will reportedly be dubbed Eee BOX B202, and it will sport an Intel Atom processor, an Intel 945-series chipset, 1GB of DDR2 memory, and a conventional 80GB hard drive. In keeping with the tradition of its Eee PC notebooks, Asus will pre-load a copy of Linux onto the Eee BOX. The whole system will weigh in at just 2.2 lbs (1 kg), and judging by the photos, it will look like a flatter version of Apple's Mac mini propped up on its side.

According to Chilehardware, Asus plans to unveil the Eee BOX 202 at the Computex trade show in Taipei, Taiwan early next month. Retail availability may not follow for a while, though, considering several months passed between the original Eee PC's Computex launch last year and its arrival in U.S. stores.

7 comments —
Last post by Valhalla926 at 5:31 PM on May 13, 2008

AMD CPUs hit Sun servers, head to new Alienware desktop
by Cyril Kowaliski — 10:59 AM on May 13, 2008

With the quad-core Opteron delays and TLB erratum fiasco largely behind it, AMD is seeing its popularity rise among server and desktop PC vendors. News.com reports that boutique PC maker Alienware will unleash a low-cost gaming PC based on AMD's Spider platform later this month.

The Alienware machine will pack a 2.2GHz quad-core Phenom 9550 processor, 4GB of RAM, dual Radeon HD 3870 graphics cards, and a high-end Asus motherboard based on AMD's 790FX chipset. Alienware will price the system at $1,699—a fairly affordable price tag by Alienware gaming PC standards. Interestingly, Alienware desktop marketing head Marc Diana tells News.com, "We're seeing huge demand [for AMD-based systems] from customers . . . AMD is a good entry point." Coupled with the expected discontinuation of Dell's XPS gaming PCs, the new machine should put AMD under the spotlight.

On the server front, AMD tells us Sun Microsystems has begun selling eight new server systems based on quad-core Opterons. The machines start at $1,240 and include two-socket Sun Fire X4140, X4240, X2200 M2, X4100 M2, and X4200 M2 servers, as well as the four-socket Sun Fire X4440. In addition, AMD says Sun plans to unveil quad-core-Opteron-powered Sun Blade X8440 and Sun Fire X4600 M2 servers by the end of next month. Fitting with yesterday's announcement, some of the new Sun servers include AMD's low-power, HE-series Opterons with 55W thermal envelopes.

6 comments —
Last post by ludi at 12:24 PM on May 13, 2008

Details of GT200's cooler, launch pricing seep out
by Cyril Kowaliski — 9:57 AM on May 13, 2008

Nvidia's next-generation GT200-based graphics cards must be close to ready, because details and pictures of them are leaking out at a quickening pace. Yesterday, we had a look at purported mechanical renders of GT200 graphics boards. Today, we see Chinese site PC Online has nabbed pictures of the matching dual-slot stock cooler, which looks half-way between what's on current GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB and GeForce 9800 GTX graphics cards.

According to PC Online, this cooler will fit onto GT200-based "GeForce 9900 GTX" products that will feature 240 stream processors, 32 raster units, 1GB of GDDR3 memory, and 512-bit memory interfaces. Supposedly, the first GT200 chips will be built on a 65nm process, so the cards will have power envelopes as high as 240W. 55nm GT200 GPUs may follow later on, however.

Separately from the PC Online report, Fuad Abazovic over at Fudzilla says he's learned that Nvidia will launch the GeForce 9900 GTX at $499. While previous rumors have pointed to a July launch date, Fudo says the cards will arrive in June.

27 comments —
Last post by albundy at 7:16 PM on May 13, 2008

AMD to tap TSMC for processor production?
by Cyril Kowaliski — 9:28 AM on May 13, 2008

Recently, we've heard faint whispers that AMD could spin off its manufacturing business into a new company—whispers that recent statements from AMD CEO Hector Ruiz would seem to corroborate. Now, DigiTimes quotes industry sources as saying AMD will outsource more of its processor production in the second half of the year.

AMD has been getting other firms to make some of its CPUs for some time (just ask Chartered Semiconductor), but DigiTimes claims the chipmaker has picked an unlikely partner this time: TSMC, a.k.a. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the pure-play foundry that already handles the lion's share of graphics processor manufacturing for both AMD and Nvidia. DigiTimes says the foundry has begun testing a silicon-on-insulator fabrication process in preparation for AMD CPU orders.

AMD partners reportedly believe further CPU production outsourcing might let AMD auction off some of its manufacturing equipment, thus cutting operational costs. Interestingly, DigiTimes says its sources also claim AMD wants to return to profitability in the first half of 2009 and increase its global market share to 30% by the second quarter of the same year. The latest word from AMD itself is that the company aims to become operationally profitable in the second half of this year.

8 comments —
Last post by Dodger at 5:03 PM on May 13, 2008

Tuesday Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 8:14 AM on May 13, 2008

Tuesday

1. DigiTimes reports AMD plans to outsource CPU production to TSMC in 2H08
   and Asus and Gigabyte gear up for Intel P45 chipset launch
2. hp strikes deal to buy EDS for $12.6 billion
3. Fudzilla reports GT200 to retail for $499 and R770 to launch in the
   last week of June and AMD Taiwan confirms eight-core Montreal
4. VR-Zone posts 55nm GeForce 9800 GT final clocks
5. ComputerBase has the latest AMD mobile CPU roadmap (in German)
6. DailyTech reports Sprint struggles, loses 1 million subscribers in Q1 2008
7. [H] Enthusiast on getting the Best Buy on a power supply
8. TweakNews has an editorial on buying a new computer today
9. HotHardware's Memorial Day sweepstakes: win a new rig

Software and gaming

1. WorldWide Telescope (rich web application) brings space exploration to Earth
2. Ars Technica's first look: OpenSolaris 2008.5 is a work in progress
3. Microsoft issues first SP1 betas for VS 2008, .Net Framework 3.5
4. Opera Mini 4.1 is out
5. Massively on player vs. everything: putting raiding on your resume
6. Ars Technica tells a history of the Amiga part 7: game on
7. Legit Reviews does game testing: 2GB vs. 4GB of memory on Vista 64-bit
8. bit-tech on a picture-perfect quandary: copy protection editorial
9. Primotech and Shacknews share first Guitar Hero IV details
10. bit-tech and XSReviews review GTA IV
11. [H] Enthusiast on Rainbow Six Vegas 2 gameplay performance and IQ
12. FileShack and GamersHell have World of Warcraft 2.4.2 patch
13. FileShack and GamersHell have Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock 1.3 patch

Systems

1. ChileHardware posts a picture of the Asus Eee Box B202
2. Techgage reviews Hypersonic Avenger AG2 12" notebook
3. Digital Trends reviews Alienware Area-51 m15x laptop
4. Overclock3D reviews MSI TurboBook GX600 gaming notebook
5. VIA Arena reviews Sungju TangoX Nano 7" mini-notebook
6. Ultimate Hardware considers Athlon XP gaming performance with X1950 Pro AGP
7. VR-Zone previews Asus P5Q Deluxe
8. Hardware Canucks review ASRock Penryn1600SLIX3-WiFi

Multimedia

1. Phoronix on overclocking the Nvidia Quadro FX1700
2. Big Bruin reviews Sapphire Toxic Radeon HD 3870 512MB
3. HotHardware's overclocked Radeon HD 3650 showdown: Asus vs. HIS
4. ProClockers review Sapphire Radeon HD 3650 OC
5. Overclock3D reviews XFX GeForce 9800 GTX Black Edition 512MB
6. Guru3D reviews Point of View GeForce 9600 GSO 386MB
7. Elite Bastards review XFX GeForce 9600 GT XXX Alpha Dog Edition
8. HardwareZone reviews Asus EN9600GT TOP & Silent
9. TheTechLounge reviews Asus EN8600GT TOP
10. AnandTech reviews Rosewill RHUB-310: seven USB 2.0 ports to go
11. techPowerUp! reviews Everglide DKTBoard gaming keyboard

Power and cases

1. Hardware Canucks and JonnyGuru Corsair HX1000W PSU
2. PC Perspective reviews 625W Enermax Modu82+ case
3. TweakTown reviews In Win B2 Stealth Bomber case
4. Overclockers Club reviews Apevia X-Telstar red / black case
5. CPU3D reviews Antec Three Hundred case
6. Modders-Inc reviews Sunbeam Quarterback case
7. MetkuMods review NZXT Tempest case

7 comments —
Last post by UberGerbil at 1:08 PM on May 13, 2008

Dell to shelve XPS gaming desktops
by Cyril Kowaliski — 6:00 AM on May 13, 2008

Following its purchase of Alienware all the way back in May 2006, Dell has continued selling high-end PCs for gamers under its own XPS brand name. That's about to come to an end, says Engadget.

Quoting a report by the Wall Street Journal, the gadget site claims Dell is about to shelve part of its XPS line and rely solely on Alienware for high-end, gaming PC sales. The change will reportedly come into effect next month, when Dell will discontinue "four models of XPS performance PCs." The move may very well hit the XPS Gaming Desktop range, which includes four models: the XPS 630, XPS 720, XPS 720 H2C, and XPS 730.

Of course, Dell's XPS line extends far beyond gaming desktops. The company also offers XPS-branded all-in-one PCs and laptops—laptops that largely don't overlap with the Alienware notebook range. Engadget says it's currently unclear what will happen to those other XPS systems.

13 comments —
Last post by indeego at 6:24 PM on May 13, 2008

AMD shakes up management, internal organization
by Cyril Kowaliski — 5:03 PM on May 12, 2008

As part of its ongoing drive to transform into a leaner, more profitable business, AMD has announced a couple of moves that will see two executives depart and a new internal organization come into being.

For starters, AMD says Computing Solutions Group Senior VP Mario Rivas will depart the company, leaving his position to Randy Allen, who previously headed AMD's server business. Allen will report to President and COO Dirk Meyer and will be "responsible for the development and management of AMD’s . . . consumer and commercial microprocessor solutions and platforms." Along with Rivas, former Senior VP and Chief Talent Officer Michel Cadieux will leave AMD to "pursue new opportunities."

Additionally, AMD has formed a new Central Engineering organization that will be led by Freescale and IBM veteran Chekib Akrout as well as existing AMD Design Engineering Corporate VP Jeff VerHeul. According to an AMD spokesperson quoted by News.com, this new team will "work with customers and the internal business units to develop AMD's future plans for its processor designs." Like Allen, the Central Engineering organization will report directly to Dirk Meyer.

14 comments —
Last post by flip-mode at 11:43 AM on May 13, 2008

Asus' Eee PC 900 hits Newegg in WinXP, Linux flavors
by Cyril Kowaliski — 3:48 PM on May 12, 2008

True to its word, Asus unleashed its new Eee PC 900 sub-notebook upon the U.S. public earlier today. The machine is available in both Windows XP- and Linux-based variants from Newegg as well as other U.S. online retailers such as Buy.com and ZipZoomFly.

Newegg pegs the two new notebooks at the official $549.99 MSRP. The Eee PC 900 12G comes with Windows XP Home Edition, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, and 12GB of flash storage, while the Eee PC 900 20G has Linux pre-installed and also packs 1GB of RAM, but with a meatier 20GB of flash storage capacity. Both laptops also have 8.9", 1024 x 600 displays, Intel Celeron CPUs, Intel integrated graphics, 802.11g Wi-Fi, 100Mbps Ethernet, VGA video and high-definition audio outputs, 1.3-megapixel web cameras, MMC/SD card readers, and four-cell batteries.

The Eee PC 12G and 20G are currently listed as in stock at Newegg, which charges $11.62 for three-business-day shipping. Right now, the only color available seems to be "Pearl White," whether at Newegg or at other e-tailers.

11 comments —
Last post by stmok at 9:14 PM on May 12, 2008

Eurocom squeezes quad-core Xeon into notebook
by Cyril Kowaliski — 2:55 PM on May 12, 2008

If you're male and want to forever ruin your chance of having kids, this is the notebook to do it with. At least, we assume the searing heat from Eurocom's new D901C Phantom-X will render you infertile in a matter of minutes should you dare prop it on your lap.

Inside the D901C's 2.05"-thick chassis, Eurocom says it can fit a 2.83GHz quad-core Intel Xeon X3360 processor (that's the 95W desktop model), 8GB of DDR2-800 memory, three 500GB Serial ATA hard drives in a RAID 0/1/5 config, a Blu-ray writer, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, and an "uninterruptible power supply." In this case, the UPS is actually the notebook's battery, which Eurocom rates for only one hour of use. Considering the D901C has a 17" display and weighs around 12 lbs (over 5 kg), though, you probably won't be taking it to Starbucks.

Eurocom already offers the notebook on its website, although it only allows users to choose between Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, and Core 2 Extreme processors for now. Buyers can also select dual GeForce 8800M GTX graphics modules, an integrated TV tuner, and an optional secondary Gigabit Ethernet controller.

Judging by the cut-away shot of the notebook you'll see in the image gallery below, Eurocom uses four fans and a network of heat pipes to cool the aforementioned parts. The machine probably generates as much heat as a reasonably powerful desktop, but users who actually need to carry around their workstation may not mind.

13 comments —
Last post by toetag at 12:38 PM on May 13, 2008

Nvidia CEO rules out VIA acquisition
by Cyril Kowaliski — 1:37 PM on May 12, 2008

Could Nvidia purchase Taiwanese processor and platform designer VIA and harness its intellectual property to fight Intel head-on? That's exactly what the rumor mill conjured up a couple of months back, citing anonymous sources in Taiwan's motherboard manufacturing industry.

According to Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, however, a buyout like that probably isn't going to happen. News.com quotes Huang as saying of VIA, "They don't need our money. I don't need theirs. . . . They're doing fine. People want to create drama." Reiterating what he said at Nvidia's Financial Analyst Conference last month, Huang also told News.com, "Our shtick is that we just focus on one thing. We said we're a visual computing technology company and we're completely focused on this."

Huang was nonetheless eager to point out that Nvidia supports other companies' CPUs when it needs to. For instance, Nvidia's APX 2500 handheld applications processor includes an ARM processor core, and Sony's PlayStation 3 console integrates a Cell processor and an Nvidia graphics processor. Additionally, Nvidia is prepping a low-cost platform with integrated graphics for VIA CPUs.

Of course, Huang didn't go as far as to rule out any future involvement in CPU design. After stating last month, "I would build CPUs if [it] could change the world," he told News.com Nvidia could shift its focus if innovation in the visual computing world was to stop.

10 comments —
Last post by poulpy at 7:38 AM on May 13, 2008

Microsoft exec blames HP, others for SP3 hiccups
by Cyril Kowaliski — 12:32 PM on May 12, 2008

As new service packs often tend to do, Windows XP Service Pack 3 caused problems for some early adopters when it came out earlier this month. We reported last Friday that users had witnessed all kinds of problems, from crashes to reboot loops, and that software and driver conflicts could be to blame.

In a post on his personal blog, Microsoft Windows Security MVP Jesper Johansson has shed some light on several of the culprits for the SP3 install hiccups. According to Johansson, who ran into problems on his own PC, the "endless reboot" problem seems to mainly affect HP z-series computers with AMD processors. The reason? An apparently simple oversight: HP uses the same operating system image on its AMD and Intel machines.

That OS image includes an intelppm.sys Intel processor power management driver. Having the file installed on an AMD PC normally doesn't do any harm, but Johansson says that's not the case on the first reboot after a service pack installation. "The computer either fails to boot, as in my case, or crashes with a STOP error code of 0x0000007e. If you see that error code you almost certainly have this problem," he explains.

Good news for folks running into the issue, though. Johansson provides simple instructions for disabling the Intel processor driver and sidestepping the problem on AMD-powered machines:

Boot into Safe Mode by hitting the F8 key as above, but select Safe Mode instead. You will need your Administrator account to log on in safe mode. To disable the driver, take the following steps:

If you booted into the recovery console, from a command prompt, run "disable intelppm"

If you booted into safe mode you can run "sc config intelppm start= disabled"

Johansson mentions another problem, which this time causes a "STOP: 0x000000A5" error and tells the user, "The BIOS in this system is not fully ACPI compliant." This issue reportedly affects only custom-built AMD systems, and it may be tied to Asus' A8N32-SLI Deluxe. Johnasson says he doesn't know the details, but he adds that the fix is quite simple: "insert a USB flash drive, or some other form of secondary storage mechanism, before booting the computer. The people have that have seen this problem report that it goes away when they do."

The remainder of Johansson's blog post details other, apparently less common errors and includes tips for how to fix them. In most cases, he claims post-SP3-install STOP errors could be due to anything from malware and corrupt data to bad hardware.

22 comments —
Last post by clone at 12:58 PM on May 13, 2008

Windows XP on low-cost laptops: Microsoft sets its terms
by Cyril Kowaliski — 11:46 AM on May 12, 2008

Last month, Microsoft revealed plans to keep selling Windows XP Home Edition to low-cost laptop makers until at least 2010. IDG News now has the skinny on exactly which machines will qualify—and which ones will have to contend with either Linux or Windows Vista.

Quoting "confidential" Microsoft documents, IDG says PC makers will need to limit laptops to 10.2" displays without touch-screen features, 1GHz processors, 1GB memory capacities, and 80GB storage capacities. The 1GHz CPU speed limitation might seem draconian, but IDG says Microsoft will make an "allowance" for some processors, particularly VIA's C7-M and Intel's Atom, which can hit clock speeds of 1.6GHz+ but aren't as fast clock-for-clock as conventional laptop CPUs.

In other words, the limitations should cover most low-cost PCs shipped this year and perhaps the next, although they may be a little tight in 2010. That's just the point, though: IDG says Microsoft doesn't want low-cost PCs to eat into the market for Windows Vista machines. At the same time, Microsoft expects 10 million to 13 million low-cost laptops to sell this year, and it doesn't want Linux to take over that entire market. Reportedly, low-cost laptop makers will only need to cough up $32 for a copy of Windows XP Home Edition. If they sell their laptops in developing markets, that price tag will dip to $16-26.

24 comments —
Last post by Perezoso at 6:37 PM on May 13, 2008

55W quad-core Opterons start hitting servers
by Cyril Kowaliski — 10:23 AM on May 12, 2008

AMD isn't letting Intel's process technology advantage discourage it from competing it in the low-power, quad-core server processor space. In a press release, AMD brags that its HE-series quad-core Opterons have made their way into servers from global vendors and smaller system builders alike.

The HE series spans 2P-capable Opteron 2300-series and MP-capable Opteron 8300-series chips, and it includes models clocked at modest speeds of 1.7GHz, 1.8GHz, and 1.9GHz. However, true to their suffix (which stands for "Highly Efficient"), the chips all have power envelopes of just 55W—that's 20W less than other, non-HE quad-core Opterons that run at up to 2.3GHz. AMD says buyers will find the new CPUs in two-, four-, and eight-way rack servers and blades alike.

We took a cursory look through server lineups from major vendors for machines based on the HE CPUs, and we found that HP's ProLiant DL165 G5 comes with an optional 1.8GHz Opteron 2346 HE. We didn't see any HE chips in servers from Dell, IBM, or Sun, though.

26 comments —
Last post by Xylker at 8:19 AM on May 13, 2008

Is this Nvidia's next top-of-the-line graphics card?
by Cyril Kowaliski — 9:13 AM on May 12, 2008

We've been reporting on rumors about Nvidia's next-gen GT200 graphics processor for a few weeks now, and the latest word is that it'll show up in GeForce 9900 GTS and GTX cards in July. No pictures of those cards have leaked so far, but over this past weekend, folks at the XtremeSystems forums have exchanged mechanical renderings of purported GT200-based products.

A newcomer to the forum posted the first shots on Friday, and following an incredulous response from other members, he linked to a 35MB STEP file containing the actual geometry data. A couple of forum regulars later used the file to produce some more detailed renderings, which certainly look authentic—either that, or the original file comes from a hoaxer with both extensive knowledge of CAD software and far too much time on his hands.

The cards in the renderings look surprisingly similar to G80-based GeForce 8800 GTS, GTX, and Ultra graphics cards. We can spot the same over-sized GPU heat spreader (likely concealing an equally gigantic GPU die), as well as an external chip (perhaps used for I/O, like on G80 cards), and a couple of PCI Express power connectors. Things get a little weird when we look at the memory chips, though: there are eight of those on the front face of the card and another eight on the back, arranged in 3:3:2 patterns around the GPU. Nvidia's GeForce 8800 GTX and Ultra cards, by contrast, have 12 chips surrounding the GPU.

This unusual memory arrangement corroborates the latest GT200-related rumors, which claim the top-of-the-line GT200 card will feature a 512-bit memory interface. The presence of an external I/O chip also suggests Nvidia might have wanted to save up as much die area as possible for the actual GPU, unless the chip has another function altogether.

32 comments —
Last post by Meadows at 2:11 PM on May 13, 2008

Nvidia touts 'best first quarter ever'
by Cyril Kowaliski — 6:00 AM on May 12, 2008

Jon Peddie Research reported last month that graphics processor shipments tumbled in the first quarter by the largest amount since 2005. Judging by Nvidia's latest financial results, though, the drop hasn't quite hurt everybody. For its first 2009 fiscal quarter, which ended on April 27, Nvidia has posted revenue of $1.15 billion and net income of $176.8 million.

That revenue figure represents a 37% year-over-year increase compared to the $844.3 million Nvidia posted for its first 2008 fiscal quarter, and the net income number is 34% bigger than last year. Nvidia didn't do too badly compared to its record-breaking fourth 2008 fiscal quarter, either: its revenue only dipped 4%, and its profits went down around 31%.

Overall, Nvidia seems pretty pleased with itself. In the results announcement, Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang calls this first fiscal quarter the company's "best first quarter ever," crediting a 42% year-over-year growth in GPU sales for the good results. Nvidia also saw "record revenue" in its Professional Solutions Business, which grew 44% compared to last year.

23 comments —
Last post by Silus at 2:06 PM on May 12, 2008

Monday Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 3:48 AM on May 12, 2008

Monday

1. Expreview reports Intel claims upgrade GPU has no benefit to users
2. Fudzilla's GPU news: GT200 is 512-bit and sampling and RV770Pro supports 256-bit memory
3. EVGA introduces UV Plus+ USB VGA display port
4. Fudzilla's motherboard news: Gigabyte adds watercooling to motherboard
   and Asus puts PCI-X slot on Nvidia 780a board
5. Expreview on Intel products reaching EOL soon: CPUs and P35 chipset
6. RIM's new BlackBerry Bold targets business market
7. Nvidia CEO details his beef with Intel
8. TG Daily on 10 things you didn't know about OCZ Technology's Ryan Petersen
9. CPU3D covers Gigabyte Spring Break Plug-Fest 2008
10. TweakTown covers Gigabyte Spring Break Plug-Fest: GK-K8000 keyboard, benchmarking,
    GA-P45-DQ6 w/ 4 LAN ports, more details on the GA-P45-DQ6, and probably the
    biggest mobo in the world

Gaming and software

1. bit-tech reports on Nvidia: we didn't request to pull DX10.1 from Assassin's Creed
2. GamersHell has GTA IV secrets FAQ
3. Ars Technica reports IE8 to boost ActiveX security on Vista
4. Chronic Productions report there is undoubtedly going to be a 3G iPhone
5. News Opera (browser) snapshot featuring profile-guided optimization (PGO)
6. Ars Technica on throwing things at things: a review of Boom Blox
7. TechConnect Magazine has Nvidia 175.70 beta drivers ready for download

Hardware

1. bit-tech reviews DFI LANParty LT X48-T2R
2. HardwareLogic reviews Asus M3N-HT Deluxe
3. ProClockers review Gigabyte GA-X48-DQ6
4. Benchmark Reviews on DDR3 RAM: system memory technology explained
5. Overclockers Club reviews 2GB Mushkin Ascent XP3-12800 dual channel kit
6. Futurelooks reviews 32GB Corsair Survivor USB 2.0 flash drive
7. ThinkComputers and TweakTown review Palit GeForce 9600 GT 1GB Sonic
8. Techgage reviews Razer / THX Mako advanced 2.1 desktop audio
9. ProClockers review Cyber Snipa Warboard™ gaming keyboard
10. XtremeComputing reviews SilverStone TS01B 2.5" external storage with RFID

9 comments —
Last post by UberGerbil at 7:17 PM on May 12, 2008

Mother's Day Shortbread
by Ronald Hanaki — 12:49 PM on May 11, 2008

Mother's Day

1. Fudzilla tells how Intel did the overclock lock on LGA1160
   and shares more Nehalem details
2. Firefox 3 RC1 code complete
3. Advocacy groups take aim at Google-Yahoo partnership
4. Apple agrees to settle iPod lawsuit
5. Hard drive recovered from Columbia shuttle solves physics problem
6. Office virtual machine servicing tool - beta program now available
7. More Windows XP Service Pack 3 installation woes
8. bit-tech interviews Jamie Keen, multiplayer producer for Battlefield: Bad Company
9. Shacknews on video games to be released this week
10. Website du jour: Mike Magee's IT Examiner

Hardware

1. t-break reviews MSI X48C Platinum
2. HardwareOC Austria reviews 2GB Aeneon XTune PC-12800 dual channel kit (in German)
3. Tech ARP reviews 1TB Western Digital Caviar GP SATA HDD
4. [OC]ModShop reviews Razer Lycosa™ gaming keyboard
5. techPowerUp! reviews Lian Li Armorsuit PC-P80R Spider Edition case
6. ThinkComputers reviews NZXT Cryo LX notebook cooler

8 comments —
Last post by TREE at 9:07 PM on May 11, 2008

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