Tech News
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NVIDIA Unveils Turing, Reinventing Computer Graphics
Published: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 | By: DennisThe hardware community has been buzzing about the next NVIDIA GPU wondering how fast it would be, speculating on the name and it really was just that, a speculation. Well, the wait is over, the new GPU is here.
During SIGGRAPH, the professional graphics conference in Vancouver Jensen Huang announced Turing, and more specifically the new NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000, Quadro RTX 6000 and Quadro RTX 5000.
Sorry people no gaming GPU yet. I am humbled to realized that NVIDIA eluded to all of this at Computex but nobody was paying much attention it would seem
“This fundamentally changes how computer graphics will be done, it’s a step change in realism,” Huang told an audience of more than 1,200 graphics pros gathered at the sleek glass and steel Vancouver Convention Center, which sits across a waterway criss-crossed by cruise ships and seaplanes from the stunning North Shore mountains.
DellEMC, HPI, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise, Lenovo, Fujitsu, Boxx, and SuperMicro will be among the system vendors supporting the latest line of Quadro processors, he said. All three new Quadro GPUs will be available in the fourth quarter.
One thing that NVIDIA talked about during Computex is their new line of professional graphics computers, aka, Workstations built to use the power of NVIDIA graphics, this powerhouse is the basis of RTX Server and should put NVIDIA in the graphics and rendering space for a long time.
As if they weren't there already.
Another huge subject is "Ray Tracing". Anyone who has ever rendered a 3D image will know that the calculations required to do Ray Traced shadows is quite expensive. It is one of the major reasons it takes so long to render 3D animated movies and one of the stepping stones replicating the real world in computer games. With Turing NVIDIA claims this can be done in real time using dedicated RT (Ray Tracing) cores built into the GPU with a claimed 25x performance advantage over Pascal.
Of course the list of benefits goes on to include faster AI and generally faster rasterization performance. All things made possible by cranking that "stuff" up.
To read the full press/blog post check out the link below.
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GIGABYTE Raises the X399 AORUS XTREME Motherboard
Published: Thursday, August 09, 2018 | By: DennisA Champion is Reawakened for the Arrival of New 32-Core AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ CPUs
City of Industry, California, August 8th, 2018 – GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today added the X399 AORUS XTREME as the top of the line motherboard, engineered to support the powerful AMD 2nd Gen Ryzen™ Threadripper™ processors with up to 32 cores. The new design is inspired by the prowess of the AORUS falcon with unique contours, commanding armor, and an eye into the future. A stunning spectacle of lights is incorporated to forge color-rich environments and memorable gaming adventures. The perfect match with these new CPUs is achieved through the use of a robust 10+3 digital power design coupled with enhanced thermal solutions, superior expansion capabilities and up to 4-Way CrossFire™/SLI configurations. Our signature audio with ESS SABRE DAC returns and connectivity is paramount using multiple USB Type-C™, triple LAN with 10 GbE and Intel® 2x2 dual band Wireless.
The new AMD 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper CPUs are built on 12 nm technology and utilize the prominent AMD TR4 socket. To deliver 3.0 GHz of base frequency with an incredible core count of up to 32 cores and 64 threads, these processors can peak at 250W of power, a figure only a vigorous and durable motherboard can withstand while maintaining stable operation.
The X399 AORUS XTREME is in a class of its own equipped with a 10+3 power design using all digital PWM from IR accompanied by solid pin power connectors allowing energy sensitive components to enjoy a precise and reliable power delivery.
Thermal performance is of utmost importance and with this launch, AORUS presents an upgraded thermal design across the board. The critical VRM area takes advantage of the Direct Touch Heatpipe to rapidly transfer the heat from the components to the Fins-Array Heatsink, a design that increases the heat dissipation area by 300% when compared to traditional solutions. In case the airflow is not enough to rely on passive cooling, the X399 AORUS XTREME will automatically activate two 30mm fans cleverly located under the I/O Armor. The motherboard is prepared to operate under intense loads featuring a NanoCarbon base plate, an ingenious way to reduce the temperature of components mounted on PCB backside of the PCB.
Making the most out of the 48 of the 64 PCIe lanes directly provided by the CPU, the expansion slots on this motherboard allow for high-caliber setups with up to four graphics cards in CrossFire or SLI configurations. With this system, the level of immersion in games and VR experiences is phenomenal. To ensure a steady and consistant flow of power an additional 6-pin power connector was strategically placed on the motherboard to supplement the power delivery through the PCIe slots. Foreseeing the use of heavy graphics, the exclusive AORUS PCIe Armor and double locking brackets are essential to preserve the structural integrity of the slots.
Keeping up with this level of speed requires a strong disk performance. X399 AORUS XTREME boasts a triple PCIe Gen3 x4 M.2 design offering free support for ultra-fast NVMe RAID while enjoying the thermal throttling protection of triple Thermal Guards that elegantly mesh into the motherboard armor. The internal front panel USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C connector adds yet another layer of high-speed connectivity to the motherboard.
Networking capabilities receive a massive upgrade on this model with Dual Intel® i210AT GbE LAN and a 10 GbE LAN port controlled by an AQUANTIA® chip for 10X faster transfer speeds and truly future-proof network configuration from the motherboard. Furthermore, Intel® Dual Band 802.11ac Wireless with BT 4.2 is also available to provide more connectivity at blazing fast speeds.
Users heavily rely on the quality of onboard audio to experience all forms of entertainment. The real-life sensations and vivid sound effects during games, movies, and music with the X399 AORUS XTREME are brought to life using the renowned Realtek ALC1220-VB audio codec, filtered by high-end audio capacitors and fine-tuned to audiophile levels by the ESS SABRE DAC.
The premium details on this motherboard extend to its back panel. The integrated I/O shield adds to user convenience during the assembly process while the gold-plated audio jacks complete a definitive Hi-Fi sound solution. A wide range of the best connectivity options as well as power and reset buttons grant a superior level of functionality and control.
X399 AORUS XTREME boasts a colorful multi-zone digital LED light show powered by RGB Fusion with the new added dimension created by underglow lighting. The ever-growing list of compatible hardware, multitude of effects together with the support for external RGBW and Digital LED strips result in the most advanced lighting system with virtually unlimited customization options.
Only a cooling technology with the prowess of Smart Fan 5 with FAN STOP is a reliable fit for a dominant platform. It leverages a number of hybrid fan headers and temperature sensors with the remarkable software suite to maintain system temperatures and noise under total control.
GIGABYTE prides itself on setting the highest standards in durability and, the X399 AORUS XTREME includes trademark features such as the Ultra Durable™ design with PCIe and Memory Armor, UEFI DualBIOS™ technology and all solid caps.
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Pre-Sales Begin for 2nd Generation AMD Ryzen Threadripper Processor
Published: Monday, August 06, 2018 | By: DennisOver 80 Global Retailers and System Integrators offer Immediate Pre-Order Opportunities of flagship 32-core, 64-thread 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX Worldwide —
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Aug. 6, 2018 — AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) today announced immediate worldwide pre-order availability from over 80 global etailers and system integrators for the highly anticipated flagship 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper desktop processor. Breaking the world-record Cinebench R15 multi-threaded CPU test with the highest benchmark scores in the single-socket desktop processor category, the 32-core, 64-thread 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX is designed for professional content creators, developers, and PC enthusiasts. The 2nd Gen line-up features four total processor models coming to market in 2018, all of which are built on the 12nm “Zen+” core architecture, include the unique 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen processor feature set, and are compatible with existing and new X399 motherboards. With the 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX and 2970WX processors, AMD adds the new Ryzen Threadripper WX Series above the existing Ryzen Threadripper X Series processors, meeting creators’ demands for the ultimate desktop computing power for the most intense workloads.
“We created a new standard for the HEDT market when we launched our first Ryzen Threadripper processors a year ago, delivering a ground-breaking level of computing power for the world’s most demanding PC users,” said Jim Anderson, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics Business Group, AMD. “Our goal with 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper processors was to push the performance boundaries even further and continue innovating at the bleeding edge. Beginning on August 13, creators, enthusiasts, and gamers everywhere will get to experience the benefits of these new products.”
During an event in front of global press, industry analysts, and partners last month, 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX processors were put through their paces and have already broken world records in the Cinebench R15 multi-threaded CPU test. The AMD Ryzen Overclocking Team managed to push the 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX CPU to over 5.1GHz on liquid nitrogen, achieving record breaking performance with a score of 7,618, beating the current single socket record set by the competition’s Core i9-7980XE CPU at 5,828 points. The freely available Ryzen Master Software utility gives broad control of CPU[ii] settings allowing users to squeeze every drop of performance from their CPU.
2nd Generation AMD Ryzen Threadripper Desktop Processors Line-up
Following an aggressive 2018 roll out of global award-winning Ryzen mainstream desktop processors, the 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor line-up is tailored to the needs of creators and gamers.
Ecosystem Readiness
All 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors support the SocketTR4 platform, sporting sixty-four PCIe® Gen 3.0 lanes, and quad channel DDR4 memory with ECC support[iii]. All 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPUs are supported by a full ecosystem of new and existing X399 platforms at launch, with designs already available from top motherboard manufacturers including ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI. Along with the broad selection of motherboards, the SocketTR4 platform supports a wide range of new and existing cooling solutions, including the new Wraith Ripper air-cooler showcased at Computex 2018. This cooler is now available from CoolerMaster and features compatibility with the SocketTR4 platform and all 1st Gen and 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper processors.Availability
For customers eagerly waiting for 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper desktop processors, etailers around the world are primed to begin taking pre-orders beginning today, Monday, Aug. 6, 2018, for the 32-core, 64-thread AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX. A complete list of participating retailers and launch information can be found on www.AMD.com. The 16-core, 32-thread AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2950X CPU is expected to launch on Aug.31, 2018 and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX and 2920X models are slated for launch in October 2018.At Siggraph 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, the globally acclaimed annual conference for creators kicking off on Aug. 12, AMD will host compelling demonstrations highlighting the possibilities enabled by the 2nd Gen Ryzen Threadripper processors for computer professionals – Booth 1101.
Customer & Partner Support
“At Fox VFX Lab we use AMD technology extensively. Our workstations are custom built, based on water cooled Ryzen Threadripper processors. Unreal engine artists easily peg every core at 100% during lightmass calculations,” said Ron Fischer, Director of Information Technology, Fox VFX Lab. “We work in real-time at the front of the production pipeline, and things move very quickly here, at the speed of imagination. AMD helps keep the pace as we define the future of virtual filmmaking.”“From film, TV, animation and motion graphics to art design & visual development, Jellyfish Pictures’ focus is delivering uncompromised creative artwork to the world” said Jeremy Smith, CTO at Jellyfish Pictures. “Our goal is to empower creative professionals to freely imagine, design, build and create without limitations, and with AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper we know we are offering unrivaled high-performance computing technology.”
Supporting Resources
Learn more about 2nd Generation AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors -
Casting 3D Printed Parts @ LanOC Reviews
Published: Friday, August 03, 2018 | By: DennisI did a bit of metal casting in my past. Twas really fun stuff as you would pick a mold and then pack some special casting sand around it to transfer the shape. From there you would pour in liquid aluminum and wait a day or so for it to cool.
After that knock out all of the sand and start cleaning up some of the "flashing" that happens around the seams.
The best was using a lost foam cast where you would carve something out of dense foam and pack that in the casting sand. There was no need to remove the part so you could cast complex shapes that you normally couldn't do. The trick was to make sure the sand was packed extremely well as once the foam started to burn away it lost all support. Some castings would implode while others turned out really nice.
A funny side story, this is also how many engine cylinder heads are cast. If you look carefully you can sometimes see the imprint of the foam bead in the casting.
So you have had a shiny new 3D printer for a few months, your house now is full of little plastic tchotchkes. There are Little Yoda heads in the living room, some benchy boats in the bath, and an R2D2 on your desk. What’s next? You can buy fancy filaments with metal powders embedded in them so you can make your gnomes rusty or green but they’re still plastic. How does one make something metal with a 3D printer? You can spend a huge sum of money and buy a printer that can sinter metal powders together. Unless you’re NASA or SpaceX that is a lot of money. Sure, you could slap a MIG welder nozzle on your printer but that is not very precise and would take a lot of tinkering to get something useful out of it. Instead of going high tech, let’s go low tech. Casting liquid metal into sand molds is a process humans have been doing for centuries. What if you used a 3D printer to create the mold patterns for the sand in a few hours instead of the day(s) it would have taken to do by hand?
Seems you can now do a similar casting using 3D printed parts. They won't burn away like foam but, for many of you without any skill it can be a nice alternative.
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Patriot launches EP and LX series A1-rated microSD cards to unlock 4K potential and on-the-go experience
Published: Tuesday, July 31, 2018 | By: DennisFremont, California – July 26th, 2018 - Patriot, a global leader in performance memory, SSDs, gaming peripherals and flash storage solutions today announced the immediate availability of its new series of microSD memory cards. Nowadays, just about every gadget is designed to use microSD memory cards from smartphones, tablets, action cams, DV cams to dash cams and even drones - you name it, they all use microSD cards for massive DATA storage and the option to upgrade by just replacing the card. Even some domestic surveillance cameras have started to record directly to microSD cards giving owners an easy way to archive footage as a raw data stream. Recording and storing high-quality video and photos depend on two things, speed and capacity and is why you must select the right microSD card for the job.
Patriot EP series A1-rated microSD cards not only allow users to store apps in the device’s microSD card but also enables the device to run those apps from the same memory card. Devices such as smartphones and handheld game consoles can benefit from this greatly as the apps that run on these devices interact with memory space differently. Furthermore, EP series A-1 rated microSD cards meet the UHS Video Speed Class 30 (V30) standards set by the SD Association. These cards offer minimum write speed up to 30MB per second, which supports 4K Ultra HD video recording and is a minimum for many of the latest action cameras, DV cams and drones. In addition, smartphones benefit from the EP series to write high-resolution videos and images with little to no lag. The series offers capacities from 64GB to 256GB, and its read and write speeds are up to 100/ 80MB per second, Patriot EP series microSD cards are perfect for recording the fast-paced action and capturing Full HD and 4K Ultra HD videos smoothly. These cards work equally as well in drone cams, dash cams, smartphones, tablets for 4K ultra HD video capturing.
Users install more and more apps on their smartphones or tablets and the read and write speed is the key to how the apps perform. Patriot LX series microSD cards come equipped with an A1 App Classification rating and support the 1080P Full HD. The A1 spec also allows users to open apps, process accompanying tasks and clean up space on devices with ease. V10 Video Speed Class for full HD recording and read speeds up to 90MB/s keep devices running fast and smoothly. The LX A1-rated microSD card is the excellent addition to Android phones or tablets.
Patriot EP series and LX series microSD cards have launched with a number of capacity options to provide users with several choices when it comes to upgrading the storage speed, and capacity of Android devices. Available capacities include 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. Patriot’s limited lifetime warranty backs Patriot EP and LX series microSD cards. -
Next Generation NVIDIA GTX Release Dates Leaked!
Published: Monday, July 23, 2018 | By: DennisI feel I should start this post with a "Stop trying to make GTX 11 Series Happen, It Ain’t going to happen"
However, in the past I have noticed things with hardware companies have done and said to myself "Ya that makes sense" and then decided to not share it with the world because I didn’t think it would be a big deal or thought I might get in trouble.
However, it seems the new generation of YouTube is all about views and doing whatever they can to get them. I mean, why would you do that?
Fame?
Fans??
F-ed up sense of honor and respect???Based on what has been posted over at PCGamer I think it is a little of the three.
The latest rumor originates from Gamer Meld, a YouTube channel dedicated to gaming hardware news. Gamer Meld claims to have received an email from one of Nvidia's add-in board (AIB) partners stating that the release date for the GeForce 11 series has been pushed back. The staggered release will start at the end of August with the GeForce GTX 1180 and continue through the end of October. Here are the dates listed in the email, followed by the video outlining it all:
GeForce GTX 1180: August 30
GeForce GTX 1170/1180+: September 30
GeForce GTX 1160: October 30
First of all, if Gamer Meld got an email from an AIB, it was likey in error and out of respect for that vendor a honest person would mention it and then delete the email. Sure information has been leaked but that doesn't mean you should share. (Bound by NDA or not)Second of all, Mr NVIDA "Jen-hsun" mentioned that GTX 11 Series or 20 Series wasn't going to happen for awhile. Honestly, there isn't much competition and with the mining rush many gamers couldn't buy new cards so why rush it after saying "naa"
Thing is there are rumors that GPUs are being returned, miners stopped buying (that makes no sense) and that there is likely to be a FIRE SALE later this summer to dump old stocks of cards. All three of those things indicate a change is coming, or could be a normal reaction to a change in the market.
I for one welcome a new GPU, maybe there will be enough for hardware sites, like Hardware Asylum, to get a few cards in for review instead of us sitting back while JayzTwoCents complains about getting too many cards for review while also gloating that he gets dual quads because: million subs.
Its a messed up world, I'm telling ya. Come the 30th of each summer month it will get even worse.
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Arozzi Colonna Microphone Review @ TechPowerUp
Published: Tuesday, July 24, 2018 | By: DennisIt would seem that with the decline in PC hardware there is a sudden rise in "other" hardware including keyboards, mice and.. Microphones.
The Arozzi Colonna is a vintage-looking USB microphone with a fair price tag and satisfactory performance. For the moment, it doesn't seem to be available in the US, though, while going for 100 euros in the EU.
So call me crazy but, and I could be wrong here but, this mic sure looks A LOT like a Blue Yeti. I wonder if that was on purpose?
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Ballistix Sport Memory for Asus TUF Gaming Alliance Series Motherboards
Published: Tuesday, July 17, 2018 | By: DennisIn all my years working with computer hardware never have I seen anything look this good together. In the past hardware vendors strived to make their products stand out. This was great but usually at the expense of the end user left with trying to find something that matches. Ballistix Gaming and ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance have finally come together.
Check back for a full review!.
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Aorus B450 Series Motherboards
Published: Monday, July 16, 2018 | By: DennisIt’s all business baby!
One thing that was communicated to me during Computex is that Gigabyte is moving away from their Gaming segments. This is a result of the Aorus branding and an attempt to making their products more "edgy"
Edgy is something I have a hard time with, I know what it is, I can recognize when it happens and generally I enjoy it however I have a hard time "being edgy" and keeping my sanity. But... I try.
Gigabyte on the other hand is really going for the gold with names like "Xtreme Master", "Ultra Pro" and "Elite". I hope these names pay off and it would seem they are all starting with the Aorus B450 series motherboards.
The B series chipsets have always been a down market chipset supporting many of the high end features with a few things removed. For instance a reduction on PCI Express lane counts leading to a restriction in video card support. You still get the same number of USB ports and they appear to support Precision Boost Overdrive which means more power from a business/gaming ready machine.
Aorus B450 series motherboards will come with many other features including onboard wifi, high-end audio capacitors, NVMe heat spreaders, onboard RGB LEDs, native USB 3.1 and a kickass 8+3 digital VRM to not only lower operating temperatures but deliver more consistent power very efficiently.
Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available and be sure to look for these boards and the higher end X series to be released soon as a perfect complement to any Ryzen 2 based build.
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ADATA XPG Spectrix D40 16GB RGB DDR4 Memory Review @ Legit Reviews
Published: Wednesday, July 11, 2018 | By: DennisI'm only posting this because "most" ADATA Spectrix memory modules have a shuriken on them.
Long Live Ninjalane!!
Years ago picking out memory was fairly easy, as long as it was compatible with your motherboard you were good to go. Now there are many things to take into consideration, such as the heatsink, speed, timings, overclockability and design. The recent trend is to put RGB LEDs on everything possible, allowing the user to customize the color to their specific color scheme. Memory is just the latest product to get RGB LEDs installed on them. The XPG Spectrix D40, is part of ADATA’s gaming line that includes RGB LEDs...
I find it funny how review sites are changing their tune when it comes to memory. For "years" memory was boring with no innovation and no benefit for going with proper modules with good timings and fast speeds. In fact most were saying to buy the cheapest module and spend the rest on hookers and beer.
Well, now, all of a sudden, timings matter?
I blame youtube while shaking my head for those who never listen.
