Tech News
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GIGABYTE Firmware (BIOS) Update on Certain X79 Series Motherboard Models
Published: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 | By: DennisIt is always a good idea to keep your BIOS up to date but the truth of the matter is you dont "need" to update the BIOS unless there is something wrong. Or, in this case something wrong with your motherboard.
City of Industry, California, December 27, 2011-- It has come to our attention that certain X79 Series Motherboards (see models below) may malfunction due to excess heat when performing Extreme Overclocking beyond the board’s limit. To address this issue and to ensure our product is being used as intended, we urge existing X79 users to either visit GIGABYTE’s official website to download and update their X79 series BIOS, or contact GIGABYTE’s regional service center.
The GIGABYTE X79 Series Motherboards in question are ONLY limited to the following models: G1.Assassin 2 , GA-X79-UD7, GA-X79-UD5 and GA-X79-UD3. The X79 series motherboards not named above are outside the scope of this statement and not applicable.The BIOS update is to address issues with the PWM and how it may overheat and catch fire. If you happen to have one of these boards you can use the @BIOS software and update your firmware from within Windows.
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Beginners Guides: 99 Performance Tips for Windows XP v1.7
Published: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 | By: DennisWindows 7 is already pretty fast provided you are using modern hardware but there are still things you can do to improve overall performance.
From faster boot times, to speeding up your current hardware, PCSTATS has 99 Tips to make your computer run quicker, better, and more efficiently. Whether this means booting and shutting down quicker, achieving better 3D gaming performance, or just making your PC feel more 'snappy,' chances are there's a tip or two in here to help you speed your current PC up
Worth checking out if you are looking to get more from your Win7 install.
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NL: Review Block - Boards and Cases
Published: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 | By: DennisBoards and cases, they go together right?
Motherboards
- ASUS Rampage IV Extreme @ ocaholic
- Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3P Z68 Motherboard Review @ APH Networks
- ASRock Z68 Pro3 Gen3 Intel LGA 1155 Motherboard Review
- ASUS 990FX Sabertooth @ Bjorn3D
- Funky Kit Review: Gigabyte 990FXA-UD5 AM3+ Motherboard
- ASRock X79 Extreme4-M @ PureOverclock
- ASUS P9X79 Deluxe Intel LGA 2011 @ techPowerUp
- MSI X79A-GD65 8D Review @ Bjorn3D
Cases
- NZXT Phantom 410 PC Case Review @ Real World Labs
- Streacom FC5 Silent HTPC Chassis Review @MissingRemote
- Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow Edition @ LanOC Reviews
- Diablotek Fly Mid Tower Case Review @ ThinkComputers
- BitFenix Merc @ PureOverclock
- Xigmatek Gigas Case Review @ HardwareHeaven
- NZXT Phantom 410 Case Review @ Legit ReviewsSome real exciting stuff happening in the world of chassis design, stay tuned.
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ARM Cortex-A9 PandaBoard ES Benchmarks @ Phoronix
Published: Tuesday, December 27, 2011 | By: DennisThe majority of ARM based computer systems are found in mobile devices like PDAs and smart phones, of course that isn't all the technology is good for.
The performance of the dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 OMAP4460 configuration as found on the PandaBoard ES is quite commendable and in this Phoronix review the dual-core 1.2GHz ARM system with PowerVR SGX540 graphics is being compared to several Intel Atom, Pentium M, and Core Duo configurations running Ubuntu Linux throughout. To spice things up, the pre-production OLPC XO-1.75 was also thrown into the testing mix with its single-core ARMv7 800MHz Sheeva processor.
The PandaBoard seems pretty good for a system that is smaller than Mini-ITX and still supports desktop technologies.
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AMD launches 28nm processed Radeon HD 7970 graphics card
Published: Thursday, December 22, 2011 | By: DennisSay hello to the AMD HD 7970, if only on paper
The AMD Radeon HD 7970, through AMD App Acceleration, enables high-definition video images and performance improvements for everyday applications. Advancements with AMD Eyefinity technology enable gamers and desktop enthusiasts to connect up to six displays to one graphics card, delivering 3D experiences and 16,000 x 16,000 display resolutions.
It is also armed with the latest PCI Express 3.0 standard to enable image quality, and is additionally equipped with GDDR5 memory, enabling accelerated GPU performance. Through its AMD PowerTune and AMD ZeroCore Power technologies, the AMD Radeon HD 7970 enables higher performance levels while maximizing power efficiencies, the vendor said.
Source: DigitimesHD 7970 Reviews from around the web
- AMD Radeon HD 7900 Series Graphics Preview @ Madshrimps
- AMD Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card Review @ Legit Reviews
- AMD Radeon HD 7970 review @ Guru3D
- AMD Radeon HD 7970: 28nm Tahiti GPU Reviewed @ HotHardware
- AMD Radeon HD 7970 CrossFire Performance Review @ HardwareHeaven
- AMD Radeon HD 7970 Graphics Card Review @ HardwareHeaven
- AMD Radeon HD 7970 @ techPowerUp
- AMD HD7970 Graphics Card Review @ Kitguru
- AMD Radeon HD 7970 3GB Review @ Hardware CanucksEstimated street cost: about $550 US
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American tycoon's fortune to be divided up after 92 years
Published: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 | By: DennisThis guy really didn't like his family.
The $100 million (£60 million) fortune of an American timber and iron tycoon, which has been out of reach for the past 92 years due to the terms of his will, is finally to be divided between his descendants.
When Wellington Burt died in 1919 at the age of 87, in Saginaw, Michigan, he ordered that the majority of his fortune not be distributed until 21 years after the death of his last surviving grandchild.
The unusual arrangement has been attributed to family feuds and to the eccentricity of Mr Burt, who was once among America's 10 richest men, but no one has been able to say conclusively why he chose it.The story is from early this year but stories like this can live on forever and be a model for all rich folks to come. Of course the moral of the story, be nice to your elders.
Check out the link below for the full story.
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Know-How: Digi+ Power Control Rampage IV Formula @ ocaholic
Published: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 | By: DennisI do wish there were more guides like this running around.
On one hand the BIOS of recent motherboards has become much easier to handle when you look at it from a user interface perspective. But on the other hand you'll find even more settings and options and almost nobody knows what the different entries are here for. For us this is reason enough to jump in and explain in a series of articles what the different features are about. First we start with the Digi+ Power Control features from a brand new Rampage IV Formula motherboard, which we think is a very good example.
There is a good chance that information like this can be found on the ROG Forums, either way it is worth a read.
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Zotac Z68-ITX WiFi Supreme Motherboard Review @ ThinkComputers
Published: Wednesday, December 21, 2011 | By: DennisZotac is one of the biggest names in SFF systems with a huge lineup of Mini-ITX motherboards and appliances and it is good to see they have Z68 enabled products to replace the previous generations.
Small form factor systems are nothing new, but with the Mini-ITX form factor they keep on getting smaller. Today we are going to take a look at a motherboard that is perfect for a small form factor or media center application. The board is the Zotac Z68-ITX WiFi Supreme and it features support for second generation Intel Core processors, discrete Nvidia GeForce GT 430 graphics processor, support for DDR3 memory, USB 3.0, SATA 6GB/s support and of course built-in WiFi. Read on as we check out this tiny motherboard!
Given our experences with Z68 and P67 it is pretty easy to assume the overall level of performance so it really comes down to overall features.
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NL: Review Block - Inbox Wrap Up
Published: Monday, December 19, 2011 | By: DennisLittle bit of everything
- OC3D: PowerColor HD6970 Devil 13 Review
- GeForce GTX 580 Showdown: ASUS Matrix vs.EVGA Classified @ Legit Reviews
- G.Skill Ripjaws Z F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH 16GB Quad Channel Memory Kit @ Bjorn3D
- Liquid Cooler Lineup: Intel, Corsair, MainGear Square Off @ HotHardware
- Gigabyte Z68XP-UD4 Review @ HCW
- ASUS Rampage IV Formula @ ocaholic
- OCZ RevoDrive 3 PCI-Express SSD Review @ OCIAStay tuned more news to come along with a few reviews in the works.
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Crucial Ballistix 6GB DDR3 2133 MHz RAM Triple Channel Kit Review @ TechwareLabs
Published: Monday, December 19, 2011 | By: DennisOk normally I would make some comment about how I live in the same town as Crucial HQ and how they do produce some really good memories but wow what a review. Three pages long and only one low quality product image.
The price of DDR3 has fallen rapidly lately, making it much more affordable to populate all of your RAM slots. Crucial introduces their new DDR3 2133 MHz Ballistix RAM in a triple channel kit. Find out if you should be using this with your i7.
This is a triple channel kit for Core i7 900 series processors but has timings and speed equal to that of a Sandy Bridge setup so we have to wonder if the modules are really tuned for the 900 series or if they took some extra SB modules and bundled them three to a pack.
Might have to go ask.
