MSI Big Bang XPower Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets

Judging by the pics of this new motherboard from MSI I would say they have a winner on there hands. Then again you cannot always judge a book by it's cover or a motherboad by it sexy looks. So I guess we have to read the review to see the naked truth.

"MSI Big Bang XPower is an Intel X58-based socket 1136 motherboard that comes with six PCI Express x16 slots, SATA-600 ports, USB 3.0 ports, military-grade components on the voltage regulator circuit, gazillions of overclocking options and much more. Also it is one of the few motherboards around using an easy-to-remember name instead of a part number formed with several letters and numbers. We honestly hope that MSI and other manufacturers do this more often."

Wow! I think I have something on my mind during this news post.

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eVGA mainboard team defects to Sapphire? Inside Scoop @ KITGURU

As everyone knows Ninjalane is never into the rumormill game at all, but this is interesting enough to check out. From the Computex front our man Redmax is at groundzero and has talked to EVGA, and everything seemed like business as usual.

"Right now, the most hotly anticipated mainboard in a long time is the EVGA SR2. Brainchild of PCB wizard Peter ‘Shamino' Tan, it represents the cutting edge of design. While Peter Tan remains firmly at EVGA, KitGuru has heard that the mainboard design team itself has moved to Sapphire. But is it true and what does it mean for the industry?"

I guess time will tell the truth on this one.

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NL: Computex 2010 Roundup

Another day at Computex 2010 is another day of wonderful bliss for the hardware enthusiast. Here are some highlights of the New Computer Hardware Mecca.

- Gigabyte Technology Motherboard Marketing & Staff Interview @ Legit Reviews
- Computex news: Asus, Thermaltake, Kingston, Gigabyte, Kno @ TechReport
- Noctua Prototypes at Computex @ Pro-Clockers
- Computex - Corsair Graphite, eVGA 1200W PSU, OCZ Vertex 2, Suzy & Sylvie sex appeal @ KitGuru

That is pretty much it for outside info. I'm sure more will filter in through the night.

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Last "Real" Day of Computex

Computex generally runs from Tuesday thru Saturday each year which seems to work out pretty well for everyone.  The Monday before is typically reserved for pre-show activities while Saturday is the patented "free for all" day when the show floor opens to the public. 

I have only gone to the Saturday show once over my tenure and saying the show floor is a madhouse is putthing things lightly.    As a result Friday is what I would call the last "real" day of Computex.

On a side note, finding Pepsi this time around is considerably easier than last, heck my friends at Foxconn even bought a pallet of small Pepsi cans just for me.

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PSU Roundup: Coolermaster vs BeQuiet vs Antec @ XSReviews

Here is another roundup of PSU that tend to be very interesting. I'm not sure I completely agree with them picking on sites that do not have all the equipment for doing every kind of test on a PSU. As long as sites are up front about not having this equipment and readers still come to read the review is fine.

"One of the biggest criticisms that review sites can throw out against others of their ilk, is that certain reviews simply aren't detailed enough. HardwareSecrets famously bashed their fellow reviewers for not making use of the correct equipment needed to accurately test the performance and efficiency of power supplies leading to ultimately misleading reviews.

While XSR was lucky enough to not garner direct attention from this article we are just as guilty as those mentioned by name as in the past our PSU reviews simply didn't utilise the equipment necessary to test what's really important. However, today I am pleased that we've turned a corner and from now on all power supply reviews will be conducted with the utmost professionalism making use of fully fledged hardware testing suits.

Unfortunately we're still not quite ready to buy this equipment ourselves, but the kind folks at Coolermaster helped us out in that respect, flying me over to their facility in Venlo to get some testing done. So without further a do, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you XSR's first true power supply review, Coolermaster vs Antec vs BeQuiet: the PSU roundup. "

Also if you have not guessed it we do not have the equipment, but people still enjoy our reviews of PSUs.

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ATI CrossFireX: It Takes Two To Tango @ InsideHW

This article is not something new to the world of Graphic cards anymore, but an article more or less doing an updated state of CrossfireX is always enjoyable. Check out the graphs and check out how much a second can put into your gaming face.

"No need for excessive amounts of talk here - the charts are saying "yes" to CrossFireX, which was ripe last year already, but ironed out to near perfection now, and it seems to be getting even better as time goes by..."

Enjoy!

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Foxconn A88GM Deluxe Motherboard Review @ Hardware Secrets

In the sea of Asus, MSI and even Gigabyte AMD boards you tend to not find much more out there in the way of newest chipset support for AMD. Don't fear looks like Foxconn has gotten something for everyone with thier new 880GX chipset board that even includes lots of overclocking potential.

"The new AMD 880G chipset is based on Radeon HD 4250 graphics engine, which is a slower version of the graphics engine used on AMD 890GX (Radeon HD 4290). This way 880G-based motherboards are cheaper than 890GX-based ones. AMD 880G chipset is normally paired with AMD SB710 south bridge chip, but on A88GM Deluxe the manufacturer decided to use SB850, which is the south bridge chip from AMD 890GX, providing native support for SATA-600 ports. This way A88GM Deluxe is one step above other motherboards based on the same chipset."

I'm kind of diggin the colors as well. Makes me think of a giant bummble bee.

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NL: Computex 2010 Roundup

The frenzy is well under way of finding who has the coolest new hardware coming out of Computex 2010. Check out the blog section of the latest hardware we have for everyone to see. Here is some other sites Computex 2010 info floating around on the interwebs for all to enjoy.

- Computex 2010: Zalman Shows New Heatsinks, Fans, USB 3.0 Plans & More @ Hardware Canucks
- Computex 2010: Noctua and Coolink Show a Horde of New Heatsinks @ Hardware Canucks
- Computex 2010 Spotlight NZXT @ TechwareLabs
- Computex 2010 OCZ Technology Suite @ TechwareLabs
- Computex news: AMD, Microsoft, Gigabyte, OCZ, Shuttle, and Intel @ TechReport
- Computex 2010 Opening Ceremony @ TechwareLabs

Right here is the biggest frenzy at Computex 2010 with Dennis(Redmax) looking for a Pepsi while at Computex.

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Memory Freezer - LN2 pot for RAM @ ocaholic

I can hear the arguments already of why would you need that to cool your RAM. Please everyone stop and think this is Ninjalane and we like to freeze everything. Well almost everything. Needless to say it is freaking red and cool.

"Due to the fact that ten degrees less on a memory module can make a significant difference in overclocking ocaholic decided to develop its very own liquid nitrogen pot for Corsair Dominator modules. In combination with Corsair GTX2 modules Roger (splmann) Tanner and Marc (Besi) Voser gave their best in overclocking these modules driving them at 1.8 VDIMM and very tight 5-7-7-21 timings."

Pun intended!

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NL: Computex 2010 Roundup

Computex 2010 has been unleashed with all kinds of goodies this year. One of the biggest topics is that Computex turns 30 years old. Okay, maybe not the top topic, but it had to be said.

- Computex 2010 Day 1: Gigabyte shows off X58A-UD9, Notebooks, Tablets @ Legit Reviews
- Unreleased Intel 6-Series Chipsets on Display at Computex 2010
- Computex 2010 Spotlight Thermaltake @ TechwareLabs
- Computex 2010: Enermax’s New PSUs & Cases @ Hardware Canucks
- Computex 2010: ASUS CE Products: Smartphones, Apps, iPad Killers & More @ Hardware Canucks

Not bad for a first day. Also don't forget to check out our coverage as well.

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The EVGA SR-2 Motherboard Gets A Custom PC Case @ Legit Reviews

The new big bad SR-2 Motherboard from EVGA has a new case to hang out in. This Cooler Master case does not have a real name yet, but it looks freakin awesome for this serious setup.

"We had a chance to stop by and meet with EVGA at Computex 2010 and found that they are showing off their first ever PC case! The case doesn't have a name yet, but it has been developed to properly enclose their massive $599.99 EVGA Classified Super Record 2 (SR-2) motherboard. we have pictures from both of the original case prototypes that are a must see."

I take the whole setup, Thank You.

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NL: Computex 2010

Another wonderful year of Computex and Ninjalane is right in the middle of the coverage on all the newest hardware there. Let's get some other websites info as well to share in the wealth.

- Computex 2010: ASUS R.O.G. CG8490, Eee Pad's, ARES, A10 & More @ Legit Reviews
- Computex 2010 Show Floor Coverage - Day 0 @ Legit Reviews
- Follow Computex 2010 Live on PCSTATS

It is a short list for right now, but the party has just gotten started. So more stuff will be posted soon enough. Also don't forget to check out our Blogs for the latest info on Computex 2010.

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NL: PC Game Reviews Roundup

Here is some new PC games that are coming out with some attention from review sites. So let's check out these new PC games.

Alpha Protocol (PC) - Agent-RPG Review @ TweakPC

"Alpha Protocol is a RPG which is not playing in the fantasy world. We played it and tell you what we think about it." 

Splinter Cell Conviction @ HardOCP

"We look at performance in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction using four of the hottest video cards on the market. Come with us as we see if Sam Fisher still has what it takes to make our high-end video cards wish they were never born, or if today's GPUs leave Splinter Cell out in the cold." 

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NL: GeForce GTX 465 Roundup

The newest Graphic cards for the mid-range gaming market is out from NVidia. Let's read some reviews in this roundup to find out if the hype is worth it.

- ZOTAC GeForce GTX 465 @ techPowerUp
- Galaxy GeForce GTX 465 GC Video Card @ TweakTown
- Zotac GeForce GTX 465 Graphics Card Launch Review @ HardwareHeaven
- ASUS GeForce GTX 465 1GB Voltage Tweak Edition Review @ Hardware Canucks
- EVGA GeForce GTX 465 1GB Superclocked Review @ Hardware Canucks
- NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 465 Debuts @ HotHardware
- GeForce GTX 465 (single card & SLI) review @ Guru3D
- EVGA and Galaxy GeForce GTX 465 SLI Video Card Review @ Legit Reviews

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Bigfoot Networks Killer 2100 Gaming Network Card Review @ ThinkComputers

A new graphics card to a new faster processor will give you a better gaming experience, but will a Killer NIC do the same for your gaming. Let's read this review and see if it helps out at all, or just wastes a PCI-Express slot.

"Bigfoot Networks originally released the Killer NIC M1 and K1 models in 2006, with the suped-up network cards getting some major attention in 2007. Mid-2009, Bigfoot Networks released the Killer Xeno Pro, a slimmed down version of the first generation models, both in size and extra features. It didn't stop there, though. Bigfoot Network released May 11, 2010 the Killer 2100 Gaming Network Card. This new version focuses on the core features at the heart of the idea of a network processing unit: offloading and acceleration. ThinkComputers measures up the Killer 2100 in this extensive review. Read on for more information, pictures, and benchmarks."

Judgement is still out on this one.

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NL: Intel Unlocked Processors Roundup

The new unlocked Intel processors are now finally hitting out into the market, and here is a roundup of what other sites had to say about them.

- Intel's Core i7-875K and i5-655K processors reviewed @ TR
- Intel's Core i5-655K & i7-875K Unlocked Processors @ Techgage
- Intel Core i7-875K and i5-655K Processor Review @ Motherboard
- Intel Core i7-875K 2.93GHz Unlocked Quad-Core Processor Review @ LR
- Intel Core i7-875K (Socket 1156) Unlocked CPU @ TweakTown
- Core i5 655K and Core i7 875K processor review @ Guru3D
- Intel Core i7-875K and i5-655K Unlocked Processors @ HotHardware
- Intel Core i5-655K & Core i7-875K Unlocked Processors Review @ Hardware Canucks
- Intel Core i7-875K & Core i5-655K Processors Review @ HardwareHeaven

End of that roundup.

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Computex 2010 Pre Show Presentations - Day 0

Computex officially starts June 1st and marks the 30th anniversary of the show.  Aside from getting a visitors badge and studying the show floor map there isn't much to do at the actual show.  In the WTC Hall 1 you can still see some booths being assembled and no carpet on the floor.  This is likely to keep the carpet from getting damaged and to cover up the exposed wires afterwards.  

Some companies do host pre-show meetings and/or parties; sometimes you can get an invite to these, other times you have to know the special handshake and various passcodes just to get the time of day, either way it's all about who you know, and being in the right place at the right time.

I did get an invite to the nVidia 3D Experience presentation; several things were announced including 3D PCs (complete with nVidia 3D Vision glasses). GeForce 465GTX (Fermi), and something I'm rather interested in, 3D Video streaming using Microsoft Silverlight.

The last event of the day was the media welcome party hosted by Gigabyte, its one of those events that doesn't really serve a purpose other than pulling all of the worldwide media together in one place to drink beer and have a good time.

I may have mentioned this before but one of my favorite pastimes in Taiwan is to witness what I call "scooter rage".  Despite the name it is not a violent act but rather the intense sound of 50+ chainsaws running full bore when the traffic light changes.

All good fun.

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MSI 890GXM-G65 Review @ OC3D

Okay, I will admit that the quote does leave something to be desired here. I have had sometime to play with this board and a Phenom II X6, and this board is the real deal in a little tiny package. This board is able to overclock like no ones busniess.

"Want an AMD motherboard that's m-ATX and has all the latest tech? MSI might have just the thing."

Yeah, it also has USB 3.0, SATA 6.0, and its even Crossfire ready.

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Nvidia Removes Hybrid PhysX Blockage @ NGOHQ

I cannot confirm this to be true, but they are saying that NVidia has stopped the hybrid PhysX blockade. Let's hope this is true and this saga is over for everyones sake. So now everyone can have there cake and eat it too.

"It seems that Nvidia has removed the hybrid PhysX blockage in the recent 257.15 GeForce drivers. However, it is still a mystery for us if it was done intentionally or perheps it is just a bug. "I'm seriously amazed. I've tested it by myself on Windows XP and Windows 7 x64 - it really works out of the box with 257.15. And even more surprising - timebomb issue is gone too. It would be at least one respectable deed by Nvidia, and my mod would be obsolete, which is great for everyone. So we better hope this is permanent." said GenL."

Well that is if the cake is real!

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Intel's Core i5-655K & i7-875K Unlocked Processors @ Techgage

Looks like the AMD Black Edition idea is finally taking hold over in the Intel camp. Giving unlocked processors for the Intel overclocking community is going to be a huge success for them if the price is right.

"Most of today's desktop CPUs, including budget models, tend to be good for overclocking. But for those who are looking for the ultimate in tweaking ability, Intel's mainstream models have left a bit to be desired. With the K series, though, it aims to remedy that situation by offering unlocked models at affordable prices."

Which they say affordable prices, but I have to see it to believe it.

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