Tech News
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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.
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ECS X79R-AX Intel LGA 2011 @ techPowerUp
Published: Sunday, December 18, 2011 | By: DennisRegular readers will know that I rarely post ECS stuff but their new line of gaming boards have gotten my attention. They aren't particularly "pretty" but the design is very unique.
With the launch of Intel's latest well under way, ECS has sent us another warrior to battle the twin dragons of injustice, the ECS X79R-AX. Undoubtably the best board ECS has ever released, the ECS X79R-AX is ready for battle, after receiving training no ohter boards has. Set to finally banish the dragons back to the demise they planned for humanity, the ECS X79R-AX has hit the TechPowerUp testing battlefield.
Not sure what this talk of Dragons is about but the board does come feature packed supporting 4way graphics cards and twelve SATA ports. It's almost like ECS didn't get the memo that X79 wasn't supposed to have that many.
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NL: Review Block - KItchen Edition
Published: Sunday, December 18, 2011 | By: DennisJust a quick list from the past week of news and reviews you may have missed.
Accessories
- Logitech Wireless Keyboard K360 Review @ Techgage
- Corepad Keira mouse mat Review @ XSReviews
- Tritton Gears of War 3 Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound Headset Review @ HardwareLOOK
- Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard @ PureOverclock
Cases
- Lian Li PC-TU200 Case Review @ HardwareHeaven
- Antec Solo II Review @ XSReviews
Power Supplies
- Cooler Master Silent Pro Hybrid 1050 W @ techPowerUp
- PC Power & Cooling Silencer MK III 500 Watt PSU Review on Technic3D
- Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 1000W Power Supply Review @ HardwareHeaven
- NZXT Hale82 750W and 850W @ PureOverclock
Fans and Cooling
- Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 @ LanOC Reviews
- Noctua NF-F12 120mm PWM Fan Review @ Viperlair
- Noctua Focus Flow 120mm NF-F12 PWM Fan Review @ Legit Reviews -
The Internet Explorer 6 Countdown
Published: Thursday, December 15, 2011 | By: DennisMoving the world off Internet Explorer 6
10 years ago a browser was born that changed the world and killed Netscape, its name was Internet Explorer 6. Now its 2011 an era of modern web standards so it’s time to say goodbye.
Most developers have completely written off IE6 and rather than trying to adopt there websites to support the old browser they simply let it fail gracefully. Ninjalane.com is one of those sites, but is also a site who hasn't fully embraced "all" of the modern standards as an attempt to support the 90%.
It would seem that Miscrosft is trying to get the world to stop using IE6 by launching an IE countdown in hopes that the world will upgrade.
Other sites are reporting that MS will forceably upgrade computers to the latest version of IE which begs the question, if the user isn't using a genuine version of windows, and has turned off automatic updates, how are they going to get it? On a similar notes assuming MS is going to ignore the legness of the OS, what is stopping them from installnig a time bomb with the browser to remote disable the system after a certain amount of time?
Sources
- Microsoft Is Nuking Internet Explorer 6 With Worldwide Automatic Upgrade
- IE 6 deep-sixed in Microsoft browser overhaul
- The Internet Explorer 6 CountdownEither way this should be fun to watch.
