Featured Reviews
Motorola H680 Bluetooth Headset Review
The Motorola H680 Bluetooth wireless headset was designed to be fashionable, small and comfortable, but it also just happens to be affordable. Available for under $40 the Motorola H680 is sure to be popular for California drivers that are now no longer able to hold their cell phones up to their ears while behind the wheel without getting a ticket. With a first-time offense fine of $20 and a second-time fine of $50, now is the perfect time to pick up a bluetooth headset.
AMD Phenom X4 9950 and 9350e Quad-Core Processor Review
AMD was busy last month with the launch of the ATI Radeon HD 4850 and Radeon HD 4870 graphics cards, which have both proved themselves to be price versus performance winners. This month, AMD is starting off by launching three new processors: the Phenom X4 9950 processor and the energy-efficient Phenom X4 9350e and 9150e processors. Read on to see how these new processors do!
Toshiba Qosmio x305 Gaming Notebook - 9800M GTX Graphics
The Toshiba Qosmio x305 notebook will be released in mid-July and is already making ripples in the industry ever since it was announced and posted on the Toshiba website. The graphics on the Qismio x305 will be powered by the yet to be announced NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTX graphics card, which has 1GB of video memory. NVIDIA hasn't said much about this un-released graphics card, but they did have the Toshiba Qosmio x305 notebook on display at a Microsoft event this week called the Games for Windows Presents: The Big Picture.
ASUS EN9600GT TOP Video Card Review
The GeForce 9600 GT has been on the market for some time now and prices seem to keep dropping. The ASUS EN9600GT series feature a 10% core clock frequency boost and improved cooling for those looking to push the limits of their graphics. The ASUS EN9600GT Series uses the Glaciator Fansink, which reduces temperatures and is ultra quiet with operating levels of only 25dB. If your budget doesn't allow you to get a $229 GeForce 9800 GTX+ then check out this card as it's $100 less at $129 after rebate.
Are NVIDIA PhysX Drivers Cheating on 3DMark Vantage?
Ever since we published the article on the NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+ graphics cards last week Legit Reviews has been getting a ton of e-mail complaining about NVIDIA's paper launch spoiler and the fact that the drivers we used for are not fair. We talk with Futuremark and NVIDIA about the cheating claims and try to figure out if anything is being done that shouldn't be.
HIS Radeon HD 4870 CrossFire Video Card Review - GDDR5 Arrives
Last week, AMD was forced to release the ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics cards early since some retailers had already started selling the card to the public before it was launched. This week AMD has released the the Radeon HD 4870, which is priced at $299. This is the big brother to the Radeon HD 4850 and features higher clock speeds and newer cutting edge technology like GDDR5 memory ICs for improved memory bandwidth.
Legit News
AMD Radeon HD 4870 X2 Graphics Cards To Be Ready By August
Following the recent launch of the ATI Radeon HD 4850 and 4870 GPUs, AMD plans to introduce the high-end dual-GPU HD 4870 X2 by the end of July, according to sources at graphics card vendors. This is bad news for NVIDIA as they might lose the performance lead when it comes to discrete desktop gaming graphics cards.
In mid-August, AMD will also begin shipping the 4870 X2 (RV770XT) GPU to partners wishing to design custom cards, the sources added. HD 4870 X2 graphics cards are expected to be priced around US$499, the sources detailed.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 03, 2008 - 02:09 PM
NVIDIA Botches Notebook Video Cards and Chipsets
NVIDIA Corporation stated that it would take a $150 million to $200 million charge against cost of revenue to cover anticipated customer warranty, repair, return, replacement and other consequential costs and expenses arising from a weak die/packaging material set in certain versions of our previous generation MCP and GPU products used in notebook systems. All newly manufactured products and all products currently shipping in volume have a different and more robust material set. NVIDIA has not made an official comment as to what notebooks are impacted or even what products are having issues. I've personally seen an increase in the number of dead MXM notebook video cards this year, so this explains a ton. Ever priced a replacement video card for the Dell M1710 or 1730 notebook? You better have at least $500 on hand!
The previous generation MCP and GPU products that are impacted were included in a number of notebook products that were shipped and sold in significant quantities. Certain notebook configurations of these MCP and GPU products are failing in the field at higher than normal rates. While we have not been able to determine a root cause for these failures, testing suggests a weak material set of die/package combination, system thermal management designs, and customer use patterns are contributing factors. We have developed and have made available for download a software driver to cause the system fan to begin operation at the powering up of the system and reduce the thermal stress on these chips. We have also recommended to our customers that they consider changing the thermal management of the MCP and GPU products in their notebook system designs. We intend to fully support our customers in their repair and replacement of these impacted MCP and GPU products that fail.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 03, 2008 - 09:15 AM
Nvidia Slashes Forecast - Q2 Sales Down Nearly 25%
Nvidia cut its financial forecast for the current quarter, and disclosed that defects in certain graphics chips would result in at least $150 million in charges. The Santa Clara, Calif., chipmaker said it now expects sales in the quarter ending July 27 to range between $875 million and $950 million. That represents a 17% to 23% sequential drop in sales, compared to the 5% falloff to $1.09 billion in quarterly revenue expected by analysts polled by Thomson Financial.
Last month, Nvidia introduced its newest generation of graphics processors, touting the chips raw horsepower for delivering high-end graphics performance. Rival ATI took a different tack, with a more moderately priced and less-beefy family of graphics chips. According to news reports in recent weeks, Nvidia was forced to cut the price of its newest midrange chip out of the gate, in order to keep its product competitive with the ATI offerings.
Posted by | Thu, Jul 03, 2008 - 07:23 AM
Gainward to launch AMD Radeon products
Graphics card vendor Gainward, previously an exclusive AIB partner of Nvidia, has begun working with AMD and will launch ATI Radeon HD GPU-based products soon, according to market sources.
Initially Gainward plans to launch Radeon HD 4850 and 4870-series products, and will follow HD 3800-series cards later, the sources said.
Posted by | Wed, Jul 02, 2008 - 01:23 PM
July 1 News from Around the Web
Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Ultimate Review @ ASE Labs and other reviews from around the web can be found by visiting our forums!
" While the next generation of graphics cards from ATI are just around the corner, you can get some amazing performance with full open source support for a great price. Some of the readers might also be looking for a silent solution while having good performance and the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Ultimate steps up to provide that. It combines a truly massive heatsink with the powerful 3870 GPU to create a fast and completely silent graphics card for your quiet PC. "
Posted by | Tue, Jul 01, 2008 - 11:49 AM
Lian-Li launches the all new PC-A77 Full Tower Chassis
Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd has launched the PC-A77 full tower case incorporating outstanding quality with a clean simple style. Standing at 220mm x 595mm x 590mm (W,H,D), with every part of the front cover decked out in 5.25” bays. In total this case has an impressive twelve 5.25” bays which can support all your needs. The PC-A77 also includes a blue lit LED fan speed monitor that surveys the temperature zones and determines the best speed for your fans, keeping your rig cool and well ventilated. Pretty interesting feature list!
The PSU bay is at the bottom, and has a specialized grill to allow cool air to enter your PSU components directly from below, keeping them cooler for longer and in peak condition. Traditional cases always pump in hot air over the PSU, which lowers the life expectancy considerably. In addition, rubber strips give both insulation as well as prevent annoying vibration. The PC-A77 has water pipe access holes, should you wish to use them. The structure is very customizable, and almost any aspect can be removed, and upgraded, including the top cover, which removes very easily. The HDD cages are also easy to use and tool-less. The HDD’s will fit snugly with rubber housings on thumbscrews used to mount the HDD’s. This is to prevent movement and vibration from spreading throughout the chassis.
Posted by | Tue, Jul 01, 2008 - 10:27 AM
OCZ Announces Core Series SATA II 2.5 Solid State Drive
OCZ Technology today unveiled the OCZ Core Series SATA II 2.5" Solid State Drives (SSDs). The OCZ Core Series delivers the performance and reliability of the latest SSDs at a 50% less price per gigabyte than other high speed offerings currently on the market. For the first time, OCZ is putting SSD technology within reach of the average consumer. MSRPs at time of launch are USD $169, $259 and $479 for 32GB, 64GB and 128GB models respectively.
OCZ Core Series Solid State Drives enable enhanced productivity in everyday computing and intensive multi-tasking applications. Perfect for notebooks, the Core Series is ideal for energy-efficient mobile computing to extend battery life, increase access time, and provide a durable alternative to conventional hard disc drives with superior shock resistance. High capacities and low power consuming NAND flash technology provide the necessary performance and battery life boosts generated by the proliferation of mobile gaming and new ultra-thin laptops. With fast access and seek times combined with excellent reliability, the OCZ Core Series SSDs are the answer for consumers demanding this latest storage technology.
Posted by | Tue, Jul 01, 2008 - 10:03 AM
NZXT Unveils Sentry LX High-Performance Fan Controller
Our friends over at NZXT just gave us a heads up that they will be launching a new high-performance fan controller later this afternoon. The new high-performance aluminum fan controller is called Sentry LX and it looks pretty slick. The Sentry LX will retail for $59.99 and is said to be available later this month.
- Simple Installation – Sentry LX slides easily into any dual 5.25” drive bay
- Complete Control – 5 Temperature Probes keep tabs on all areas of your system while the 5 Fan controllers adjust the fans’ RPM speed
- Auto/Manual Modes – Allows users to automatically adjust the fan speeds to correspond to a specific temperature or manually set your system for extreme overclocking capabilities or absolute silence
- Temperature Alarm – Instant notification if temps rise above a designated point
- Sleek Design – Aluminum plated front panel is designed to match any high-end chassis
Posted by | Tue, Jul 01, 2008 - 09:56 AM
AT&T to sell 3G iPhone without contract
AT&T will sell the new version of the iPhone without a service contract for $400 more than the price with a two-year plan, a break from the rules set when Apple's popular touch-screen gadget made its debut last year.
Two new models of iPhones go on sale July 11 for $199 and $299, depending on the amount of memory, with two-year AT&T contracts. The no-contract versions will cost $599 and $699 and will be sold sometime "in the future," AT&T said. Buyers would then go month-to-month on AT&T's service. AT&T said the no-contract phones would be "locked" to work only on AT&T's network, as the contract-laden phones will be.
Posted by | Tue, Jul 01, 2008 - 09:47 AM
Microsoft reportedly to cut price of Xbox 360 to $299
Microsoft Corp plans to cut the price of its best-selling Xbox 360 Pro model by $50, to $299 in the next few weeks, the Hollywood Reporter reported citing anonymous sources. The price cut for the Xbox 360 model with the 20 gigabyte hard drive will come before the video game industry's biggest trade show, E3, taking place in Los Angeles on July 15-17.
Microsoft last cut the price of the Xbox Pro in August, from $399 to $349, prior to the release of "Halo 3" the following month. A cut to $299 would make the Xbox 360 Pro $100 less than one of the console's major rivals, Sony Corp's PlayStation 3 with a 40 gigabyte hard drive. Microsoft is locked in a three-way competition with Nintendo's Wii and the PlayStation 3, which comes with a high-definition Blu-ray video player.
Posted by | Tue, Jul 01, 2008 - 09:46 AM
Antec Introduces Super-Premium Line of Power Supplies - Signature Series
Antec today announced the Signature Series, its newest and most advanced family of power supply units. Available in 850 Watts and 650 Watts, the Signature Series features several cutting-edge innovations that set it above the competition, several of which have never been offered in a consumer power supply. The Signature 650 and Signature 850 are available now and will retail for estimated street prices of $249.00 and $299.00, respectively.
The Signature Series utilizes active DC-to-DC voltage regulation as opposed to the standard passive magnetic amplifier method, providing for shorter transient response times and greater system stability. The Signature Series' transient response times can be as low as 10 microseconds, in contrast to the standard power supply transient times of 1000 microseconds (1 millisecond). In addition, the Signature Series boasts an advanced cooling system with a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) fan. By adapting its speed to the power output of the unit, a PWM controlled fan can run at speeds as low as 15% of its maximum, as opposed to a traditional fan which can only run at about 40%, thus ensuring the quietest possible operation.
Posted by | Mon, Jun 30, 2008 - 12:00 PM
Microsoft to stop selling Windows XP today
Microsoft Corp. is scheduled to stop selling its Windows XP operating system to retailers and major computer makers today, despite protests from a slice of PC users who don't want to be forced into using XP's successor, Vista.
Once computers loaded with XP have been cleared from the inventory of PC makers such as Dell Inc. and Hewlett-Packard Co., consumers who can't live without the old operating system on their new machine will have to buy Vista Ultimate or Vista Business and then legally "downgrade" to XP. Microsoft will still allow smaller mom-and-pop PC builder shops to buy XP for resale through the end of January. A version of XP will also remain available for ultra-low-cost PCs such as the Asus Eee PC.
Posted by | Mon, Jun 30, 2008 - 09:55 AM
Firefox 3.0 wins memory battle - uses less system memory
Mozilla's Firefox 3.0 browser uses memory much more efficiently than its rivals, according to an independent tester who wrote a memory-monitoring utility to track usage by Firefox, Internet Explorer (IE), Flock, Opera and Safari.
The poorest marks went to Apple's Safari 3 .1 for Windows -- Allen tested only the Windows versions of each browser -- which consistently consumed more memory the longer it was used. "Safari on Windows shows extremely poor memory management," he said. Other browsers, including Microsoft's IE 8 Beta 1, Flock's Flock 2.0, and Opera Software's Opera 9.5, were in the middle, memory management-wise, he argued.
Posted by | Mon, Jun 30, 2008 - 08:51 AM
Samsung SDI to invest $529 million to up OLED output
South Korean display maker Samsung SDI Co said on Monday it would boost production of next-generation organic displays to six times the current level by mid-2009, spending $529 million in the process. The move comes as leading panel makers try to grab a piece of the fast-growing market for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AM-OLED) displays, which make better-quality, slimmer and more energy-efficient screens than liquid crystal displays.
Samsung SDI, which produces small-sized AM-OLED screens used in handheld devices, said in a filing with the local exchange that it would invest 551.8 billion won ($528.6 million) until mid-2009 to expand its AM-OLED output. When the investment is completed, its production capacity will reach 9 million units a month in 2-inch screen terms, compared with 1.5 million currently, the company said. Other makers are also moving fast to launch OLED products and build scale.
Posted by | Mon, Jun 30, 2008 - 08:50 AM
Asustek to launch new Eee PCs with bigger keyboards
Asustek is planning to launch new Eee PC models, the 904 and 905, which have an 8.9-inch panel but use a similar chassis and keyboard as the company's 10.2-inch models, according to sources at channel vendors.
The Eee PC 904 and 905 will adopt Atom processors and the major difference between the two and the previous 901 model is that they feature a bigger keyboard. Asustek is still evaluating whether to make changes to the two models' battery and storage capacity. The company expects the Eee PC 904 ad 905 to come out at a similar price range as the current 900 and 901, and will eventually replace them. Asustek is also considering whether to drop prices for the 900 and 901 to completely clear its inventory or leave them in the market to defend against Acer's Aspire One, noted the sources.
Posted by | Mon, Jun 30, 2008 - 08:47 AM
AMD expected to grab 40% discrete graphics card market share in 3Q08
With AMD's ATI Radeon HD 4800-series graphics cards successfully cutting into the US$200-300 mainstream market forcing Nvidia to cut the price of its previous generation GeForce 9800 GTX down to US$199, sources at graphics card makers see AMD's discrete graphics card market share as having a chance to increase to 40% in the third quarter this year from around 30% at the beginning of 2008. Since Nvidia's GeForce 9800 GTX does not provide advantages in power consumption or performance over the same priced Radeon HD 4850, graphics card makers are more optimistic over AMD's upcoming performance.
“The ATI Radeon 4800 series represents a 2X performance jump over the ATI Radeon HD 3800 GPU, the biggest generational increase since the game-changing launch of the Radeon 9700 in 2002,” said Rick Bergman, senior vice president and general manager, Graphics Products Group, AMD. “AMD made a strategic decision to focus on GPU designs that maximized our efficiency and allowed us to provide enthusiasts, performance and mainstream users with the most compelling value proposition at every price point. The ATI Radeon 4800 series sets a new industry standard in key metrics such as performance-per-watt, performance-per-mm2 of chip die size, and performance-per-dollar.” AMD customers expressed excitement with the introduction of the ATI Radeon HD 4800 series.
Posted by | Fri, Jun 27, 2008 - 10:24 AM
Microsoft Hyper-V now available
Microsoft on Thursday released its Hyper-V virtualization technology, a day after it was widely reported the software was about to go into final release. People can now download Hyper-V for Windows Server 2008 on Microsoft's Web site . The technology allows people to run multiple OSes -- including Linux -- using one physical hardware running Windows Server, and is available slightly ahead of the latest schedule Microsoft had for the software.
Virtualization is becoming a key way companies are driving costs out of the datacenter by running OSes in virtual machines (VMs) rather than physically on servers. Microsoft aims to catch up to virtualization leader VMware in providing this technology for hardware systems not only running on Windows, but also Linux and other OSes. The company has said it aims to make virtualization a key part of its system-management strategy going forward, and is also expanding beyond hardware into desktop and application virtualization.
Posted by | Fri, Jun 27, 2008 - 10:22 AM
Lian-Li launches the all new Tyr X500 HTPC/Gaming Chassis
Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd has launched the Tyr X500 chassis designed as a stylish midi-tower HTPC/Gaming chassis. Combining the usual toned down profile of HTPC cases with the arresting larger profile of traditional Lian Li chassis; the Tyr X500 stands out in style. Similar to the X2000 Chassis, there is no hiding of this case as it proudly resembles multimedia speakers, and boldly displays your tasteful style.
Lian Li is well known for craftsmanship and quality, and the Tyr X500 is no exception. The stylish and unique side panels accept 2x 5.25” Optical Device Drives and one 3.5” drive, which are accessible from either the left or right side, while the front face is for ergonomics with a stylish diamond cut and airflow from side intake vents. Showcasing the new style, with an all black anodized interior, an easily removable front panel which covers 2x 120mm silent intake fans, protected by the removable and washable nylon dust cover and 2x 120mm exhaust fans, one for each heat zone. The top mounted multimedia ports include 4x USB 2.0 ports, 1x Firewire (IEEE1394), 1x E-SATA, and HD AC97 Audio ports. The patented tool-less latch allows easy access to the compartmented heat zones inside with enough room to support 300mm long VGA cards, plus 4x HDD’s. Other traditional Lian Li innovations have been improved upon such as the removable motherboard tray with holes for better CPU cooling and added anti-vibration couplings, as well as the specially filed and brushed finish to reduce sharp edges giving the case both style, and an aspect of safety.
Posted by | Fri, Jun 27, 2008 - 10:20 AM
VIA Pico-ITX Goes Low Profile, Integrates Power Supply
VIA Technologies today announced the VIA EPIA P700 Pico-ITX board that couples more features within a streamlined, ultra compact footprint designed for low profile systems, with extended I/O port options through two companion boards.
Now featuring native S-ATA II support, Gigabit LAN, and support for GPIO, SM bus and LPC devices, the 10cm x 7.2cm VIA EPIA P700 is based on the VIA VX700 unified digital media IGP chipset and is powered by a 1GHz VIA C7 or fanless 500MHz VIA Eden ULV processor. An integrated power adapter coupled with the 5-volt S-SATA power cable negates the need for a separate power daughterboard, saving considerable space for ultra compact systems.
Posted by | Fri, Jun 27, 2008 - 10:16 AM
Sony PS3 losses in the Billions!
Sony has lost over $3 billion on the PS3, Mario and Master Chief seen hi-fiving. Think you paid too much for your Playstation 3? Don't expect any sympathy from Sony. In the company's fiscal 2008 annual report, Sony revealed that they've now lost roughly $3.3 billion (that's billion with a B) on the Playstation 3 since its launch. That breaks down to $2.16 billion in 2007, followed by a notably smaller but equally daunting $1.16 billion loss in 2008.
The reason? Pricing the console below its production cost. That's right - that hefty $599 you paid for the PS3 back when it first launched was significantly cheaper than the cost of producing it in the first place, and while the retail price has come down some, the losses keep piling up. Investors have reason to sweat. In a statement, Sony claimed "the large-scale investment required during the development and introductory period of a new gaming platform may not be fully recovered." They went on to note that they've invested a great deal of money into R&D for the console, a sum they might not be able to recoup if the PS3 "fails to achieve such favorable market penetration."
Posted by | Fri, Jun 27, 2008 - 12:23 AM