Tech News March 2006

Gigabyte 7900 GTX Review
Technic3d :: Friday, March 31, 2006

Quote: “Several 7900GTX lie in the Technic3D Editorship. The beginning makes Gigabyte with the NX79X. Fast and Faster? See you in the follow Review on Technic3D”

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AVerMedia AVerTV Purity 3D MCE 500 Dual Tuner Card
Big Bruin :: Friday, March 31, 2006

Quote: Using Windows Media Center (and other popular scheduling programs) the The AVerMedia AVerTV Purity 3D MCE 500 worked flawlessly, and would record two channels at the same time. I did not have to specify which tuner to select, as the software recognized the card had the capability of two tuners, and would auto select the available TV tuner. Finally, I was pleased to see that I did not have to split the signal prior to attaching it to the card, just one less thing to have to install for a dual tuner.

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Silverstone LC17B HTPC Case
ViperLair :: Friday, March 31, 2006

“An all aluminum design would have been nice, albeit very expensive, but otherwise, we found the LC17 to be quite solid and well built. It is aesthetically pleasing, and looks great now that even the external connections are behind a small door. Definitely recommended if you’re in need of a HTPC case that won’t clash with your A/V components.”

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How to build a home theater PC
Corsair :: Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Based on the success of our first system build log (How to Build an Ultimate Gaming PC), Corsair has just published another system build log. This time we dive into the details of building a home theater PC. From component selection, system build, software installation, to watching and recording TV – we have every step covered in great details! Over 100 photos to document the process to show your readers how easy it is to put a HTPC together.

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ATI Presentation: The Product Stack
techPowerUp! :: Monday, March 27, 2006
In this presentation ATI talks about “The Product Stack” which is one way to measure how much bang you get for your buck. There is a comparison of different price segments against what the competition from NVIDIA has to offer. Also there is a hint of “cable-free CrossFire mode” with upcoming Catalyst 6.5.

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NVIDIA 1.0-8183 Display Drivers
Phoronix :: Monday, March 27, 2006

Summary: “When continuing our investigation for a recent article, it was found that Hewlett-Packard is hosting a NVIDIA Linux display driver that is numbered 1.0-8183. The interesting part about this is that the latest drivers available from NVIDIA’s official site are 1.0-8178, which was released toward the end of last year. If you had read our other related articles, you will also know that we have been testing the 1.0-8751 Beta display drivers for most of this month now, and NVIDIA is not expected to release a new set until early April. What is inside the drivers that are entitled 8183 Revision 1? What are the details involved? We have a small report today on these findings, as well as a download.”

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NGO NVIDIA Optimized Driver v1.8425
NGOHQ :: Monday, March 27, 2006
Quote: “The NGO NVIDIA Optimized Driver is a tweaked version of the NVIDIA ForceWare driver. The main purpose is to satisfy the users with better performance and image quality. The Driver has support for all Geforce cards.”

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HP: The SLI Godfather?
Phoronix :: Monday, March 27, 2006

Summary: “Here at Phoronix we have been covering the Scalable Link Interface support under Linux since its launch with the inception of the 1.0-8174 display drivers back on December 5, 2005. While this NVIDIA SLI support can still be considered very much rudimentary compared against the Microsoft Windows support with the ForceWare drivers, which were introduced back on November 9 of 2004, there is no clear sight for how it will ultimately fair in the world of Linux. According to some information we have obtained from our sources and research, NVIDIA’s motives for Linux SLI may largely dissent from the public opinion. In this article today, there are a few comments we would like to share about the big green manufacturer and their outlook on alternative operating systems.”

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Sapphire X800 GTO2 Review
The Tech Zone :: Thursday, March 23, 2006

The Sapphire X800 GTO2 is one of those product that bargain hunters love to find. You see, this card really isn’t an X800, it’s really a lot more. The limited edition X800 GTO2 is based on the ATI R480 core, not the R430 core used by other X800 video cards. For those out of the loop, the R480 core is the same core that drives the ultra fast X850 XT. So why is this card call an X800? Because four of its 16 pixel pipelines are turn off. That makes it just like any other X800 video cards, with 12 pixel pipelines. However, using a widely available BIOS tweak will enable the remaining four pixel pipelines, so you’ll have a graphics card with the same number of pipes as the X850XT.

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Albatron GeForce 7300GS128 PCI Express x16 Videocard Review
PCStats :: Thursday, March 23, 2006
nVIDIA addressed a couple of the main issues with the GeForce 6200TC that were bottle necking it, that being a relatively slow core clock speed and increasing memory on the PCB of the videocard. These alterations gives the Geforce 7300GS core its ability to perform in some cases 100% faster than the GeForce 6200TC was capable of. All this without having to raise videocard prices too. This we like. ;-)

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Samsung SyncMaster 214T Silver 21.3″ LCD Monitor
Bona Fide Reviews :: Thursday, March 23, 2006

The Samsung SyncMaster 214T is Samsung’s latest 21.3″ LCD display and is currently listed at an online price of around $670USD. The 214T features a gamer-friendly1600x1200 resolution, 178 degree viewing angle, and a quick 8ms Gray-to-Gray response time. In addition to supporting the standard Analog and Digital video inputs, the 214T is also equipped with a Composite and S-Video input.

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EVGA 7800GS CO Edition Review
Technic3d :: Thursday, March 23, 2006

Quote: “Faster than a 6800 Ultra, more quietly than a 6800 Ultra. Transfer? See you at the Review on Technic3D”

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PowerColor ATI X1600XT Bravo Edition
Think Computers :: Thursday, March 23, 2006

Quote: “ATI is quickly trying to take the top slot in the video card wars; with the release of there newest core comes the release of other lower clocked cards. Aimed at those can’t quite afford the top of the line technology, but still want to keep playing the newest games. NVidia does the same thing, they release a high end card and after a bit release the lower clocked siblings for those whose pockets aren’t as deep. Today for review I have one, what might be considered a mid-range card for review; it is the ATI X1600XT from PowerColor. Not long ago I reviewed the X1300 from PowerColor which would be considered a budget priced card. Let’s see how the X1600XT compares with the X1300 which is about half

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BFG nForce 4 Ultra Motherboard
The Tech Lounge :: Thursday, March 23, 2006

“Wouldn’t it be nice to buy a BFG motherboard to go along with that BFG video card? But BFG doesn’t make motherboards, do they? Why yes, they do! BFG sells a single motherboard model based on the NVIDIA nForce 4 Ultra series chipset. This single model thing is certainly odd for a company that lists so many different video card options on their product list, but hey, it’s their first shot at this, so give ‘em a break. This board is perfect for BFG to cut its teeth on and get a foot in the door of the motherboard market.”

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NGO ATI Optimized Driver v1.6.3
NGOHQ :: Thursday, March 23, 2006
Quote: “The NGO ATI Optimized Driver is a tweaked version of the ATI Catalyst driver. The main purpose is to satisfy the users with better performance and image quality. The Driver has support for all Radeon cards.”

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Nvidia GeForce 7600 GS Video Card Preview
Legit Reviews :: Thursday, March 23, 2006
“The NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS is a single slot card that features a 400MHz core clock speed with a GDDR2 memory clock speed of 400MHz (800MHz double data rate). The 7600 GS features 5 Vertex shading units with a total of 12 pixel shader pipelines. This is the same number of shading units and pipelines found on the GeForce 7600 GT, so the only difference on the card is the clock speeds and the memory type used. Thanks to the lower clock speeds NVIDIA has been able to get the peak power consumption down to 32 Watts from the 67 Watts found on the 7600 GT…”

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GeForce 7900 GTX review
Nordic Hardware :: Monday, March 20, 2006
The architecture is actually pretty much identical to its predecessor. Despite this there are actually many interesting things to say about NVIDIA’s new circuits, the most obvious being NVIDIA’s decision to use a 90mm manufacturing process for its high performance circuits.

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Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide Rev. 10.3 Posted!
Tech ARP :: Monday, March 20, 2006

Covering over 265 desktop graphics cards, this comprehensive comparison allows you to easily compare 15 different specifications for each and every card! If you need to find out about the specification of any card, just come over and check out our Desktop Graphics Comparison Guide!

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XFX GeForce 7900GTX
t-break :: Monday, March 20, 2006
Inside the box, the card is well packed for protection against any damages in shipping and handling. Along with the user manual and quick start guides, XFX throws in the drivers CD and a full version of Starship Troopers game. Strangely, no DVI-DSUB converter or any cable was included in the package which is weird as XFX puts an HDTV sticker on the front and some people might not have the 6-pin power connector needed for this card.

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Gigabyte Geforce 7800GT 256MB VIVO Review
XS Reviews :: Monday, March 20, 2006

“Recently I decided to upgrade myself from my rather aged x700 to a brand spanking new Gigabyte Geforce 7800GT 256MB VIVO. The all powerful 7800GT, but does it really live up to its name? Read on! This card was developed under the NX78 series. This is a card that targets the top end of the market, which means we will be expecting a lot from the NX78. Let’s see what it can do.”

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Creative’s Sound Blaster X-Fi Fatal1ty audio card
The Tech Report :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
IT’S RARE THAT a new product completely outclasses its competition, but that’s what happened when Creative introduced its X-Fi audio processor—not that there are many real competitors left in the PC audio market, mind you. Still, it’s hard to argue with the X-Fi’s attractive blend of exceptional sound quality and hardware acceleration for positional 3D audio. Those attributes, combined with the X-Fi’s flexible architecture and a well-stocked quiver of useful features, were enough to earn the chip distinction in our Best of 2005 Awards. The X-Fi XtremeMusic won an Editor’s Choice award when we reviewed the card back in October, too.

While the XtremeMusic’s reasonable price tag has made it our favorite X-Fi, the card doesn’t offer much in the way of extra I/O ports. It also lacks X-RAM—onboard memory that can be used by the X-Fi audio processor to store additional voices and higher quality audio assets. Creative claims X-RAM can ultimately improve gaming performance. Fortunately, both X-RAM and additional I/O ports are available on the X-Fi Fatal1ty, with a red LED riding shotgun, of course.

To explore the X-Fi’s potential with X-RAM onboard and a collection of extra I/O ports at its disposal, we’ve cornered an X-Fi Fatal1ty for testing. Read on to see if it can match the XtremeMusic’s impeccable audio quality—and whether X-RAM makes a difference in the games that support it.

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Roku Soundbridge M1000 Audio Bridge
The Tech Lounge :: Sunday, March 19, 2006

“Today I have just such a device in front of me. The M1000 from Roku labs allows the user to bridge their network using either wireless or wired Ethernet and output to standard RCA or optical audio jacks, allowing users to listen to their MP3 collection, iTunes and even Internet radio anywhere in their house. Just how well does the M1000 perform? Let’s find out.”

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BlueTake BT400 G5 Bluetooth Headset Review
The Tech Zone :: Sunday, March 19, 2006

Voice quality of the BT400 G5 is quite good. In the many phones call that I made with the unit, there was never any background sound or interference. The unit could use more volume however as it wasn’t able to get loud enough to overcome the wind noise created by me riding my bike. The unit is comfortable enough to wear all day and after awhile you forget you’re wearing it (until it rings).

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ATI Catalyst 6.3 Performance Analysis
TweakTown :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
QUOTE: “Never fear, our Catalyst performance analyst for March 2006 is here, so let’s take a look at what ATI have done this month. We would like to thank everyone for taking the time to comment last month on our monthly articles and we’re happy to mention that we’ll be including the Radeon X800XL from now on since it was the most requested graphics cards to be added to our benchmarks from our readers.”

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Gainward 7900 GT Review on Technic3D
Technic3d :: Sunday, March 19, 2006

Quote: “Technic3D wants to show how much achievement with Overclocking in the 7900GT puts.”

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HIS X1600 Pro IceQ Turbo DL-DVI 128MB PCIE Video Card Video Review #660
3dgameman :: Sunday, March 19, 2006

HIS X1600 Pro IceQ Turbo DL-DVI 128MB PCIE Video Card Video Review #660: “The HIS X1600 Pro IceQ Turbo DL-DVI 128MB PCIE Video Card has all the latest technologies: SM3, ATI AVIVO, and much more. While this is clearly not a hardcore video card, it does offer major value. If you are not a serious gamer, or simply can’t afford an X1900 series card, then this is a great alternative. This product makes it easy to get in the game at a great price! Watch the Video to find out more…” ~3dGameMan.com

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Samsung A950 Mobile Phone
Designtechnica :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
It’s no secret that Samsung makes high quality phones; in fact, today they are one of the main providers of mobile phones to cellular carriers. One of Samsung’s latest phone offerings, the A950 for Verizon Wireless, is a great mix of features and showcases Verizon’s new VCAST service stupendously. However, the phone does have a few flaws, such as a high price and crippled software. Read our full review for the whole scoop.

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HP z556 Digital Entertainment Center
Home Theater Magazine :: Sunday, March 19, 2006

Back in the age of acid-wash jeans, my dad brought home our first home computer: a MacPlus with 512 kilobytes of RAM. I would stay up late into the night playing Zork and Planetfall, all the light radiating from its small CRT screen keeping me warm. We kept the beige box in the spare bedroom of my house, far from our TV room. My parents claimed it was so I would not disturb them as they watched the nightly news, but, in my mind, it was just the opposite. For years, the computer and television were in separate rooms so that the use of one would not interfere with the use of the other. Now 512 K has turned into 512 mega-bytes or more, and PCs are begging to be near the TV. Only recently, while reviewing games for www.htgamer.com, have I started integrating my own PC into my home theater. But it is still a rather bulky, unattractive proposition to permanently move my computer to my equipment rack. HP has an aesthetically pleasing solution that can act as the source hub for the home theater of the future.

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MSI RX1800XT-VT2D512E RX1800XT Videocard Review
PCStats :: Sunday, March 19, 2006
Looking at memory bandwidth requirements, videocard’s also surpass CPU’s here as well. A single Pentium 4 operating on an 800 MHz front side bus (FSB) has access to up to 6.4GB/s worth of bandwidth. A dual core Pentium D will realistically can use up to 12.8GB/s, but only half is available. By way of comparison, ATi’s smoking hot Radeon X1800 XT has access to up to 48GB/s bandwidth. That’s eight times what a Pentium 4 will use!

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What Price TiVo?
Home Theater Magazine :: Sunday, March 19, 2006

March 11, 2006 — TiVo officially announced revised, “simplified” pricing plans that will go into effect for new subscribers to the TiVo service beginning the week of March 13. Previously, TiVo subscribers paid for a TiVo box and the TiVo service separately. Under the new plan, new customers will be able to “bundle” the purchase of a TiVo 80-hour Series2 box and the service together for a price based on a one-, two-, or three-year service commitment.

Pricing for the three box-with-service bundles are:

• $19.95/month (or $224 prepaid) for the TiVo box with a one-year service commitment
• $18.95/month (or $369 prepaid) for the TiVo box with a two-year service commitment

$16.95/month (or $469 prepaid) for the TiVo box with a three-year service commitment

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