VR-Zone Articles

Nvidia: Fermi in Q1 2010

Sub — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:21:15 +0800

There have been two camps of rumours on Fermi's launch date. The first have been saying Fermi is all set to launch in November/December, 2009. The second consider it entirely unlikely, and suggest a late Q1 2010 release, at best.

Now, we have the word straight from the boss. Nvidia CEO Jen Hsun-Huang suggests Fermi production will only be ramped in 2010.

More details next page.

I-O Data Unveils USB 3.0 External HDDs, Expansion Cards

d1m — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:43:00 +0800

HDJ-UT External Hdd

I-O Data has jumped onto the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed bandwagon with the announcement of its new HDJ-UT external hard drive, USB3-PEX PCI-Express x1 two port low-profile expansion card, and USB3-EXC ExpressCard 34 card.

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Nokia N97 Mini to arrive in Singapore tomorrow

saeba — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:01:00 +0800

The Nokia N97 Mini may look similar to its older N97 sibling, but this one comes with a smaller form factor and new design. It features a 3.2-inch touchscreen and full QWERTY keyboard, and claims to be the first Nokia phone to come with Lifecasting with Ovi. The Nokia N97 Mini will be available from 7 November.

*Update: Pricing revealed

The Nvidia-Lucid Controversy

Sub — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:54:00 +0800

Nvidia is in the news again, for all the wrong reasons. Lucid Logix' HYDRA has been a promising and anticipated product ever since it was announced back in 2008. Lucid claimed it would allow graphics cards from different manufacturers to scale better than current AFR solutions such as SLI or Crossfire. So, you could combine a Radeon card with a Geforce (or more cards) and they would scale accordingly, by using methods such as Split Frame Rendering.

Both AMD and Nvidia were understandably skeptical about this solution. Now, Lucid's Hydra 200 chip is ready and available in MSI's Big Bang Fuzion motherboard.

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Nvidia vs. Intel - now a war of images?

Sub — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:12:00 +0800

Nvidia have been at a war of words with Intel for a while now. Fudzilla have uncovered a website called "Intel's Insides" which features a collection of somewhat humourous comics parodying Intel.

Right below the comics, there's a small Nvidia logo, which has can lead people to believe that it is indeed Nvidia, the visual computing company, getting into a war of images with Intel.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, says the clock. A clock called "Larrabee" attached to what looks like a bomb. So, are images like these really Nvidia's work?

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[Rumour] ATI's next generation in 28nm?

Sub — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:04:00 +0800

Fudzilla reports that ATI's next generation will be fabricated at a 28nm process. This comes in direct contradiction of AMD's latest roadmap and previous rumours, which all suggest a 32nm process.

The release date has long been speculated as Q4 2010, so that seems likely. The next generation is codenamed "N. Islands" for now. It is unclear if Globalfoundries or TSMC will be contracted for fabrication - or a combination of the two. A 32nm process still seems the more likely, though Fudzilla feels it is 28nm. N. Islands is expected to be the first major new architecture since R600.

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[Rumour] HD 5800 series shortage causing delays

Sub — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:04:00 +0800

Six weeks on, and ATI Radeon HD 5850 and 5870 cars are still facing availability issues. TSMC and AMD just cannot ship enough Cypress products to meet the runaway demand. As a direct result, as we expected, the HD 5800 shortage is causing delays in ATI's release schedule.

Of course, the product most affected is Hemlock or HD 5900 series. Rumoured to be releasing late-October, now Hemlock seems delayed to late-November. The reason is simple - if AMD were struggling to put out a single Cypress die, what are the chances that they will have enough for a dual Cypress product?

More details next page.

Active Media Products Announces Koala USB Flash Drive

d1m — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:33:00 +0800

Active Media Products (AMP) has unveiled the Koala drive, adding on to its lineup of Endangered Species Series (Panda, Penguin and Polar Bear drives) launched earlier this year.

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Spire Launches CoolNess Laptop Cooler

d1m — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:32:00 +0800

Spire has announced the CoolNess Laptop Cooler, targeting mobile users who require an efficient thermal solution for their laptops. Measuring 326 x 268 x 27mm and weighing only 255g, the plastic CoolNess Laptop Cooler is equipped with a 200mm fan capable of up to 1400 rpm for cooling.

More details next page...

Beatles on Apple-shaped Flash Drive

d1m — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:31:23 +0800

Apple has joined with EMI to offer 30,000 limited edition apple-shaped USB flash drives pre-loaded with 14 remastered Beatles titles together with the album art, expanded liner notes, rare photos and mini-documentaries (about the studio albums).

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Vote for your Singaporean tourist spots to be visited by Street View Trike

saeba — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:23:00 +0800

The Google Street View Trike (Tricycles) is one of the vehicles used to cover areas that are inaccessible by cars such as narrow streets and alleys. Last month, Google and Singapore Tourism board gathered over a thousand suggestions to be visited by the Google Trike. From now till 20 November, public can cast their votes for the top locations in the various categories that Google Trike will visit. Read on for the news release.

ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity Edition previewed

Sub — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:03:00 +0800

Chinese website PCpop.com have unveiled a review of ATI's Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity⁶Edition. As the name suggests, the Eyefinity⁶variant is much similar to the standard HD 5870. The main difference is, of course, the Eyefinity⁶Edition features six displayport outputs, so you can connect to a whopping 6 displays at the same time. Four such cards in CrossfireX, and you have a 24-panel giant display.

More next page.

Olympus unveils PEN E-P2 interchangeable lens digital camera

saeba — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:14:00 +0800

The Olympus PEN E-P1 was launched in June and according to the manufacturer, the sales for the digital camera has achieved five times higher than their expectation. And today, Olympus has announced the new PEN E-P2 interchangeable lens digital camera.

Updated: Intel faces yet another Antitrust lawsuit

Sub — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:29:00 +0800

Intel has once again found itself in the middle of legal troubles. Following the mammoth $1.45 billion EU fine earlier in the year, an FTC complaint to be made soon, New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo has sued Intel for similar antitrust violations.

Cuomo accuses Intel of "abusing its dominant position in the chip market to keep its main rival, Advanced Micro Devices, at bay". Fair enough, considering this very accusation has been proven and penalized by EU, South Korea and Japanese authorities.

More details next page.

Super Talent Launches World's First USB 3.0 RAIDDrive

d1m — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:44:07 +0800

Super Talent SuperSpeed USB 3.0 RAIDDrive

Super Talent has unveiled the new SuperSpeed USB 3.0 RAIDDrive, the worlds first USB 3.0 flash drive. Measuring 95 x 37 x13mm, the compact SuperSpeed drive reportedly supports transfer speeds of up to 10 times faster than conventional USB 2.0 flash drives and is fully backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports (at a much slower speed).

More details next page...

Enermax Unveils Aurora Micro Wireless Keyboard and Trackball

d1m — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:41:00 +0800

Enermax Aurora Micro Wireless keyboard

Enermax has announced the Aurora Micro Wireless keyboard, aimed at HTPC enthusiasts. Measuring 319 x 193 x 33 mm and weighing 800g, the Aurora features a compact keyboard with a high-precision (1200 dpi sensor) trackball, eliminating the need for a mouse.

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Be Quiet! Launches SilentWings PWM Series Fans

d1m — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:39:00 +0800

Be Quiet! SilentWings PWM Series Fans

German based Be Quiet!, well-known for its Pure Power series of PSUs, has announced the SilentWings PWM series of case fans. Featuring a screwless mounting system for easy installation, the fans have Copper-Core Fluid Dynamic Bearing (for longer service life of up to 300,000 hours) and an embedded PWM controller.

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AMD releases revised Phenom II - X4 965 fits to 125W

Sub — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:43:00 +0800

As we expected, AMD is now releasing a new revision of the Phenom II X4 965, C3. The most notable feature is reduced power consumption, dropping from a seary 140W to 125W. In reality, the previous 965 was right on the boundary of 125W anyway, so the actual drop in load power is reported to be more to the tune of 10W. A thermal improvement is also expected to yield a greater overclocking headroom, though that needs to, and will be, tested soon.

In addition, there are a few other tweaks, such as official support for four DDR3 modules at 1333 MHz, and C1E is finally supported in hardware. AMD have struggled with power management, especially the original Phenom series, with slower software power switching costing big chunks of performance. Switching power states through hardware will have "virtually no impact" on performance.

More details next page.

[Rumour] Nvidia developing x86 CPU?

Sub — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:10:00 +0800

This is a rumour that has surfaced and died several times, and it has resurfaced again. However, this time, there is more evidence than usual. Over the last year or two, Nvidia have spent a lot of time and effort into marketing stream computing. GPUs, or parallel processors, are significantly more powerful than their CPU counterparts. However, parallel processors can only process specific instructions, and a CPU is still required for general processing. So, as much as Nvidia would convince consumers about the benefits of GPU, there is no doubt a GPU would be useless were it not run together with a CPU.

Recently, Nvidia reportedly presented a CPU+GPU for 2017. AMD Fusion is all about the same central idea - a GPU and a CPU on one die. Though Intel will be the first with a GPU and a CPU on one package, they will be on different dies, and the GPU will be a weak Intel IGP anyway. Now, rumours are suggesting Nvidia are keen to not be left behind by the CPU+GPU revolution, and are developing x86 CPUs.

More details next page.

Western Digital announces the S25 SAS drive for enterprise

tUx — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:59:00 +0800

Yes, Western Digital has now entered the traditional enterprise drive market with its first SAS hard disk drive, the S25.

It spins at 10,000 RPM, has a 2.5" form factor, and has SAS interfaces of 3Gb/s and 6Gb/s. Sequential transfer rate is clocked at 128MB/sec. And the drives have a 1.6 million MTBF estimate to go with them. With read and write seek times of just 3.6ms and 4.2ms respectively, these timings are even faster than the VelociRaptor.

More details from the full press release follows.

Updated: [Rumour] Nvidia Fermi to be demonstrated in January?

Sub — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:48:00 +0800

While Nvidia and a few other reporters (most notably, Fudzilla) claim Fermi based products are well on their way, a host of other reporters are now claiming Nvidia is "doing their best" to have a working Fermi demonstration at CES 2010, which is scheduled for 7th to 10th November.

Nvidia's original release date was apparently set for late November, but recently Fudzilla reported that this date was shifted to December. Meanwhile, most other sources claimed retail availability of Fermi would only happen in Q1 2010.

More details next page.

World's Largest Data Center

d1m — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:58:46 +0800

Microsofts new Data Center in Chicago

Cnet has an article on Microsofts new data center in Chicago. For those who are curious to know what goes on in a data center and how it looks like inside can check out the article here.

Read more...

Kingston, Paramount Join to Deliver Movies via Flash Drives

d1m — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:57:00 +0800

Kingston has announced its collaboration with Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) to deliver full-length movies on Kingston Flash memory products. These movies will be available to users as part of a bundle package and for sale. Paramount has claimed that as more and more movies are watched on portable devices like netbooks and handhelds, its only natural they form a strategic partnership with Kingston, the world's largest independent manufacturer of memory products, to distribute its movies to the masses. Backed by a five-year warranty and 24/7 tech support, "Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen" (comes in a 4Gb Kingston DataTraveler I drive) is now on sale at all OfficeMax stores for USD$29.99.

More details next page...

GELID Launches "Tranquillo" CPU Cooler

d1m — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:56:00 +0800

GELID Tranquillo

GELID Solutions has announced the Tranquillo CPU Cooler, targeting mainstream users. Measuring 74 x 125 x 153mm and weighing 645g, it comprises of 4 copper heat pipes fused to a copper base and aluminium heatsink.

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Noctua Launches NH-D14 CPU Cooler

d1m — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:55:00 +0800

Noctua NH-D14

Barely a week after the introduction of NF-P14 FLX 140mm fan, Noctua has unveiled a new CPU cooler, the NH-D14, aimed at overclockers and silent enthusiasts. Measuring 160 x 140 x 158mm and weighing 900g, the nickel plated cooler features six copper heatpipes, a copper base and a dual radiator aluminum heatsink which can be outfitted with two 120mm/140mm fans.

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Sony Ericsson announces XPERIA X10

saeba — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:14:00 +0800

Sony Ericsson has officially announced their new XPERIA X10 mobile phone that uses the new UX platform which promises superb user experience. The X10 will be available in first quarter next year. No pricing details available though.

Icy Dock Announces 2.5" to 3.5" SATA & SSD HDD Converter

d1m — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:53:17 +0800

MB882SP-1S-2B

Icy Dock has unveiled the MB882SP-1S-2B, a user friendly 2.5" to 3.5" SATA & SSD HDD converter which allows users to install 2.5 SATA or SSD HDD onto their PC easily. Measuring 145 x 101 x 25mm and weighing 163g, the lightweight plastic converter is able to support transfer speeds of up to 3Gb/sec.

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Simplicity at its best: Lancool PC-K62 Casing Review

alpha1ma — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:57:00 +0800

We managed to get hold of this pretty interesting casing. On first look, it does resemble some of the common cases, windowed side panel, vents in the front, and a rectangular build. However after trying it out, we'd say that it has more to offer than cases in its category.

[Rumour] AMD updates Phenom II/Athlon II roadmap

Sub — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:50:00 +0800

According to Digitimes, AMD is making several changes to its CPU schedules, particularly corresponding to the Phenom II line. Phenom II X4 910 and 945 are EOL already. AMD will stop taking orders for a whole raft of CPUs starting Q1 2010. These CPUs will be currently existing steppings of Phenom II X4 925, 965, 810; Phenom II X3 720; Phenom II X2 540; Athlon II X4 620; and Athlon II X3 425.

A new stepping of Phenom II CPUs is expected to hit, reducing power consumptions of several Phenom II products. Phenom II X4 955 is expected to move to 95W, Phenom II X4 965 to 125W. A new Phenom II X4 965, clocked at 3.6 GHz is also rumoured as part of this new stepping.

More details next page.

Mozilla unleashes Firefox 3.6 BETA

saeba — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:48:00 +0800

Mozilla has announced their Firefox 3.6 BETA, prior to the release of the latest stable version 3.5 in June. The Firefox 3.6 will be a minor upgrade and scheduled to be available by end of the year. You can download the Firefox 3.6 BETA from Mozilla's website.

Samsung to collaborate with Microsoft to push Green IT

saeba — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:57:00 +0800

Samsung has announced its collaboration with Microsoft to encourage users to use power-efficient PCs - through the use of the new Windows 7 operating system and 40 nanometer (nm) class DDR3 DRAM. Read on for the full story.

China Announces "Milky Way One" Supercomputer

d1m — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:13:36 +0800

NUDT's Milky Way One

China's National University of Defense Technology has announced the Milky Way One supercomputer, the worlds 2nd petaflop supercomputer. Weighing a whopping 155 tons, Milky Way One consists of 103 refrigerator-like cabinets lined up over 1,000 square meters.

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Enermax Unveils NAPPA External HDD Enclosure

d1m — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:12:53 +0800

Enermax NAPPA in black

Enermax has launched the NAPPA external HDD enclosure series for 2.5 HDD. Measuring 128 x 80 x 14mm, the NAPPA features an inner 1.1mm thick aluminium body encased in 0.8mm thick black or brown PU leather and USB 2.0 for external connectivity.

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Thermaltake Announces Element V Tower Chassis

d1m — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:11:00 +0800

Thermaltak Element V

Thermaltake has unveiled the Element V tower chassis, adding on to its Element series of gamer-centric performance tower cases. Measuring 532 x 220 x 537mm and weighing 14kg, the Element V features 12 drive bays (five 5.25", six 3.5" and one 2.5"), a top-side panel with four USB 2.0, one eSATA and audio connectors, pre-drilled holes for Liquid Cooling System (LCS) tubes and supports up to 8 fans (2x120mm front, 1x230mm side, 2x200mm top, 1x120mm & 2x50mm rear).

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AMD's latest Roadmap unveiled - entire Platforms till 2011

Sub — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:35:00 +0800

A Japanese website has leaked slides from a major presentation organized by AMD Japan. We have a roadmap with all details, not just CPU, but GPU, IGP, Chipset and entire platforms from AMD all the way till 2011 - for both Desktop and Notebooks.

More next page.

EVGA releases dual-GPU Geforce GTX 275 CO-OP PhysX

Sub — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:48:00 +0800

Remember the mysterious "new" dual-GPU from EVGA/Nvidia? It is here, and there are no surprises. It is a combination of GTX 275 as the "GPU" and a GTS 250 as the PhysX Processor, "PPU".

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Lenovo ThinkPad T400s Review

saeba — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:54:00 +0800

The Lenovo ThinkPad T400s has been raving with a lot of good feedbacks ever since it was launched a couple of months ago. We managed to get one in our test lab (but unfortunately its not the multi-touch version) to see how good it is to fit the busy road warriors.

Silicon Power Announces SDHC Class 10 16GB

d1m — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:52:00 +0800

Silicon Power SDHC Class 10

Silicon Power has launched its new line of speedy SDHC memory cards, targeted at photo enthusiasts who require adequate storage capacity for their pictures and fast write speeds for continuous photo shots. Fully compatible with todays digital handheld devices that support SDHC, they are backed by a lifetime warranty and available in 4Gb, 8Gb and 16Gb capacities. Pricing has not been announced yet but they should be available in stores by November.

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Arctic Cooling Unveils Arctic RC Pro

d1m — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:51:55 +0800

Arctic RC Pro

Swiss based Arctic Cooling has launched the Arctic RC Pro, its latest RAM cooler for both single and double sided DDR2 and DDR3 SDRAM modules. Measuring 126 x 76 x 1.5mm and weighing 74g, the aluminium cooler features long fins extended to 5cm and pre-applied highly conductive thermal pads for efficient heat dissipation.

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Photo-realistic images rendered by Fermi

Sub — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:25:00 +0800

A forum member on Chinese website PCZilla has leaked some stunning images purpotedly rendered on a Fermi GPU.

The images are close enough to photo-realistic and feature raytracing. Lighting and depth of field effects are particularly impressive, as are the facial hair and features.

More next page.