Articles

Nvidia GTX 400 Series Video Cards: My Opinions

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:22:00 -0400

Nvidia has officially announced that its new DirectX 11 graphics cards will hit retail stores in the week of April 12th. Review sites have already got their hands on them, though, and these new cards have been the new topic around the whole internet. I wanted to express my opinions on these new cards. This might also act like a mini preview of the cards .

First off, I would like to start with the new announcements, for those of you who might not know them yet. Nvidia has released two new DirectX 11 graphics cards: the GTX 480 and the GTX 470. The GTX 480 competes directly with AMD's Radeon HD 5870, and the GTX 470 competes directly with the AMD Radeon HD 5850. Reviews on both of these cards have been released at numerous places around the internet.

Generally, the benchmarks show that these cards are faster than their AMD counterparts. In most games the FPS the Nvidia cards provided were a bit higher than what the AMD cards could pull off, but in some cases, the AMD cards performed better. AMD still holds the fastest-card title, which is the Radeon HD 5970. I had previously thought that the Nvidia cards were supposed to completely destroy the AMD cards in terms of performance, according to words from Nvidia. This, however, clearly wasn't the case.

These new cards also have a major draw back, which is the price. The GTX 480 will come in at $500, while the GTX 470 will come in at $350. Currently, the AMD Radeon HD 5870 sits at $400, and the 5850 at $300. The GTX 480 will cost $100 more than the HD 5870, and the GTX 470 will cost $50 more than the HD 5850.

Lastly, the power consumption of the two new Nvidia cards were considerably higher than what the AMD cards used up. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 480 used up more power than the HD 5970, and much more than the HD 5870. Mostly the same goes for the GTX 470: while it consumed less power than the dual-GPU HD 5970, it still consumed more than both the HD 5870, and the HD 5850. Temperature had mostly the same trend as the power consumption; since most of the time, the more power a card needs, the hotter it gets. Testing showed that the new GTX 480 and GTX 470 were hotter than the HD 5850, the HD 5870, and the HD 5970. Noise is all tied in to this, and both of the Nvidia cards, as expected, were louder than all AMD 5800 series video card.

Now, my opinions on these new cards. First of all I would like to say that I am in no way associated with any of these companies, and have owned products made by both of them in the past. It is clear that now, Nvidia holds the crown for the fastest single-GPU card. To me, however, I still think the AMD cards are the better buy.

The cards do provide a performance increase, but at costs. First, is the price. These new cards are more expensive than their AMD counter parts. I think the performance increases are not worth that much extra money; we'll have to wait, though: active competition in the market may lower prices. The Nvidia GTX 480 provides about 12% more performance than the HD 5870. The GTX 470 provides about 5% more performance than the HD 5850. The choice is yours to make.

The temperature, power, and noise are all much worse on the Nvidia cards than on the AMD ones. In most cases, all the HD 5800 series cards beat the Nvidia cards by a considerable margin. This ultimately means that you may need a higher wattage power supply to run the new Nvidia cards. You may need more case fans and better cooling solutions for the Nvidia cards. And the Nvidia cards will be louder than the AMD cards.

Eyefinity allows you to run up to three displays from one graphics card. This feature is only available to AMD 5000 series video cards. Nvidia has created a similar type of feature for their new cards: Nvidia Surround. This new feature hasn't been released yet, but people say it will need more than one graphics card in order to run. Again, another win for the AMD side.

So there it is. I was very happy to hear that these new cards were released. Active competition in the market could mean ultimately lower prices for the end consumer. You have to keep in mind, however, that these new cards were released a whopping six months after the AMD ones were released, and they weren't exactly what I had expected.

Intel Brings Affordable Solid-State Computing to Netbooks and Desktop PCs

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:30:00 -0400

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 15, 2010 – Intel Corporation announced today a new addition to its award-winning lineup of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs):the Intel® X25-V Value SATA SSD. Priced at $125, the 40 gigabyte (GB)drive is aimed at value segment netbooks and dual-drive/boot drive desktop set-ups to offer users the performance and reliability advantages of solid-state computing at an affordable, entry-level price.

SSDs can replace or coexist with traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). With no movable parts or spinning platters, SSDs are more reliable and higher performing than HDDs. This makes users more productive as they experience faster overall system responsiveness. With the affordable price point, consumers can now enjoy the benefits of an SSD by adding an SSD option to their current desktop PC in a dual-drive or "boot drive" set up. In a dual-drive configuration, the Intel X25-V SSD is added to a desktop with an existing HDD. The SSD is loaded with the operating system and favorite applications to take advantage of the speedy performance which is nearly 4x faster than a 7200RPM HDD.**Users keep their existing HDD as a means of higher capacity data storage. This capability is commonly referred to as a "boot" drive since the SSD accelerates boot or start up time.

For example, with 40GB of boot drive capacity, a user could load the SSD with the Microsoft* Windows* 7 operating system, Microsoft Office applications and their favorite gaming application, such as Dragon Age:Origins*, and experience up to 43 percent faster overall system performance or 86 percent improvement in their gaming experience.** The SSD also speeds operations such as system start up, the opening of applications and files or resuming from standby."The Intel solid-state drive is our top-selling SSD," said Stephen Yang, product manager for solid-state drives at e-tailer Newegg.com."This new value entry from Intel means more customers will have the chance to experience the benefits of SSDs, not just in notebooks or high-end PCs, but in mainstream desktops as a boot drive. This is the right price point to help convert more users to SSD computing."

The Intel X25-V features 40GB of 34nm NAND flash memory. This non-volatile memory retains data, even when the power is turned off,and is used in applications such as smart phones, personal music players, memory cards or SSDs for fast and reliable storage of data.SSD benefits over a traditional HDD include higher performance, battery saving and ruggedness."Adding the Intel X25-V to our existing family of high-performance SSDs gives our resellers a full range of high-performing, quality SSDs for notebook upgrades, dual-drive desktop set ups or embedded applications," said Pete Hazen, director of marketing for the Intel NAND Solutions Group. "SSD adoption continues to be one of the more exciting trends in personal computing, and this entry-level product enables users to enjoy the productivity and performance benefits of Intel SSDs at a new price point."

The 40GB Intel X25-V complements Intel's higher performance Intel®X25-M Mainstream SATA SSD product line that offers 80GB and 160GBcapacities. All Intel SSDs are designed and manufactured by Intel using its own NAND flash memory from IM Flash Technologies (IMFT) and include a proprietary controller and updatable firmware. The X25-V is priced at $125 for 1,000-unit quantities and is currently stocked and available in worldwide distribution.

In addition, the X25-V supports the Microsoft Windows 7 Trim function via the Intel® SSD Optimizer. Also included is the Intel® SSD Toolbox, a set of utility tools developed by Intel to help better manage and retain the out-of-box performance of Intel SSDs. Windows* XP and Vista* users can also use these enhancements which can be downloaded at: www.intel.com/go/ssdtoolbox.

To review the specifications of the Intel X25-V please visit www.intel.com/go/ssd.

Nexus Technology Releases RX-1.1K GOLD and RX-70000 Power Supplies

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:24:00 -0500

Rotterdam, 14th of January 2010

Nexus Technology is pleased to announce the release of two new PSU's the RX-1.1K GOLD, an 1100Watt, modular, +88% efficiency (The Nexus RX-1.1K Gold received the 80PLUS GOLD certification with a typical efficiency of 90.8% and an average efficiency of 89.2%) single 12V line high end PSU.

The RX-1.1K Gold is equiped with:

- 20+4pin ATX Connector

- 2x 8pin EPS/12V connector (1x 8pin 1x 4+4pin)

- 6x 6+2pin PCI-E connectors

- 9x SATA connectors

- 10x Molex 4-Pin connectors

- 2x FDD Connectors

And the RX-7000, a 700Watt, modular and sleeved, 82% efficiency, single 12V rail tranquility power supply.

The RX-7000 is equipped with:

- 20+4pin ATX Connector

- 1x 8pin EPS/12V connector

- 1x 4pin

- 2x 6+2pin PCI-E connectors

- 6x SATA connectors

- 6x Molex 4-Pin connectors

- 2x FDD Connectors

Major Updates to TechsHome.net

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:09:00 -0500

Hello, to our fellow readers.

As you may have seen already, we have made some major updates, and added new features to our website. As we continue to grow, we felt the necessary need to change, add, and remove components of the site. The first segment of the website that we changed is the home page. The latest videos tab is now at the very top of the page. We felt this was needed as we continued to make and upload more videos. Instead of the news and updates tab, we now only have news, which is located right under the latest video tab. We have removed the twitter updates, and instead added a better looking, larger, hardware news section. The last two tabs of the home page are the same as before.

The next major update that I am going to mention is actually an addition to the site. It is a new page- forums. Forums are a great way to increase interaction between our community. People who may have questions about tech related topics may come to the forums, post the question, and they are sure to get a reply. Enthusiasts and gamers will be coming to the forums to discuss the latest in computer hardware. Consumers who haven't made a decision on what to buy will be coming for suggestions. Overall, it a great way to increase interaction, and have people coming back to visit every time.

Anther page that we have added is the members page. This page will include a list of the members on the site, and will allow visitors to visit each member's page; which will include their latest activity on the site, as well as some information about the user, and will give you some options regarding the user. Some of the options will include: sending them a message, adding them as a friend, as well as commenting on their page. Again, this was added to increase interaction and grow the site.

Finally, I will talk about two not-so-big updates which I have made; the first being some minor changes to the sidebar on the left. I have removed one tab and added two news ones to the left sidebar. I removed the Live Show Schedule tab, because it wasn't being updated, and the user could easily click on the live page in order to get the same information it was presenting. The two new tabs I have added are the Welcome, and Recent Forum Posts tabs. The welcome tab should attract more people to become members of the site, and will allow a member to check their inbox, edit their profile, as well as invite other members. The Recent Forum Posts tab will display the latest forum posts automatically from the forums. This should bring more visitors to the forums, as well as make visitors aware of the current discussion in the forums.

The second not-so-big update which I have made to the site is that you now have to be a member if you would like to comment on videos or blog posts, post in the forums, and interact with other members. This act was fulfilled in order order to make users more aware that they could become members as well as to invite more visitors to become members; also to put out the word that you get much more of the site by joining it.

ATI Eyefinity Technology Explanied

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 02:02:00 -0500

With many gamers and enthusiasts now switching over to ATI because of the new 5800 series graphics cards and support off DirectX 11; one of the main technologies of ATI graphics cards is Eyefinity Technology.This new technology was released two weeks before ATI released the first 5800 series graphics card, and has really had a lot of hype from the media since then. In this article, we are going to explain exactly what this news technology is, how it works, and what is so revolutionary about it.

To start off, let me explain exactly what this new technology is, and what that means. This technology is basically a new GPU technology, from ATI, which lets you run up to six monitors from one, single, graphics card. It doesn't just run six monitors at once, but it also runs them with at a tremendously high resolution. Remember, this is all from one graphics card.

Some examples you can run it at are:

Single monitor setup with a resolution of 2560x1600
Dual monitor setup with a resolution of 2560x1600 per monitor
Three monitor setup with a resolution of 2560x1600 per monitor
Six monitor setup with a resolution of 1920x1080 per monitor

As you can see, this technology allows you to have an incredible amount of desktop real estate.

The way to get Eyefinity to work is very easy. Of course, you will need an ATI 500 series graphics card, and more than one monitor- up to six. The reference HD5870 graphics card has two DVI, one HDMI and one display port connector. With this many connectors at the back; you can connect two monitors through DVI and one through Display port. After doing this, install the latest Catalyst Control drivers, and restart your computer. In the drivers, make sure to match the monitors on the drivers with the physical ones; for example, the monitor on the very left should match with the monitor on the very left on the drivers. After finishing this, it should work, and you should have all three working, with somewhat bigger resolution alright.

You have to use this technology at least once in order to appreciate it. With this new technology, gamers could now game at an even higher resolution- which means you see more of the game; and that, definitely gives you an advantage over your opponent. It allows you to see him before he sees you.

Just gaming with this technology in use- the experience is completely grand.

Pictures: In Win Maelstrom

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 22:42:00 -0500

Front 120mm Fan

Case with the front bezel removed.

Power and reset button as well as a microphone and headphone jack, 4 USB ports, a firewire port and two eSATA ports; located on the top of the case.

Rear 120mm exhaust fan.

This picture shows the four water-cooling holes, where the power supply would get installed, and the opening on the bottom of the case for the power supply's fan to intake cool air.

Top 120mm fan.

Large 220mm blue LED fan located on the left side panel.

Closer Look: Asus Crosshair III Formula Motherboard

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:18:00 -0500

Simply put, this is the best socket AM3 motherboard currently on the market. It is made by the Republic of Gamers division of Asus, and they are known for their extreme products. This one is no different. This motherboard is great for gamers and overclockers. It has many gaming and overclocking features which really make it stand out.

This motherboard supports the AM3 socket CPUs from AMD, and comes with the 790FX/SB750 chipset from AMD. Of course, it supports DDR3 memory; up to 16 GBs of it. Unlike the earlier Crosshair Formula motherboards from Asus, this one supports Crossfire, instead of SLI. This is great because it follows the "Dragon Update" platform, laid out by AMD.

Some Republic of Gamers Advantages/Features:

MemOK!

Any memory is A-OK!

Memory compatibility is among the top concerns when it comes to computer upgrades. Worry no more, MemOK! is the fastest memory booting solution today. This remarkable memory rescue tool requires nothing but a push of a button to patch memory issues and get your system up and running in no time. The technology is able to determine fail safe settings that can dramatically improve system booting success.

Pin Fin Thermal Module

Profession grade OC instantly

Compare with traditional stacked-fin heat pipe solution, the new generation pin-fin thermal design result in better thermal performance, which enlarges the “heat-exchange” surface area surface and breaks the"Boundary-layer" phenomenon for effective airflow. The Pin-Fin Thermal Module is the most efficient thermal system there is on the motherboard.

External LCD Poster

Debug and read system problems with an new external look!

The new LCD Poster now posts critical POST information in an ever friendly and flexible external display. When system malfunction occurs, the LCD Poster automatically detects device failure and translates the errors on the LCD during POST.

Voltiminder LED

Friendly reminder on the intentional madness

In the pursuit of extreme performance, over voltage adjustment is critical but risky. Acting as the "red zone" of a tachometer, the Voltiminder LED displays the voltage status for CPU, NB, SB, and Memory in an intuitive color-coded fashion. The voltiminder LED allows quick voltage monitoring for overclockers.

Loadline Calibration

Optimal power boost for extreme CPU overclocking!

Maintaining ample voltage support for the CPU is critical during overclocking. The Loadline Calibration ensures stable and optimal CPU voltage under heavy loading. It helps overclockers enjoy the motherboard´s ultimate OC capabilities and benchmark scores.

ASUS Q-Connector

Make connections quick and accurate

The Q-Connector allows you to connect or disconnect chassis front panel cables in one easy step with one complete module. This unique adapter eliminates the trouble of plugging in one cable at a time, making connection quick and accurate.

Find more at: http://ca.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=2Y4dQFaJ6gPN18cQ&templete=2

Get Windows 7 for $29.99!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:10:00 -0500

I have been on Windows 7 since the Release Candidate; and I have to say that I absolutely love it. It had been great to me: faster boot-ups and shut-downs, easier to use, looks better, faster; the list could go on forever. That is not the point of this article though. The point is; if you are a student - Go Party!

Until January 3rd, 2010, students in the U.S will be able to get their hands on Windows 7 for only 29.99 U.S dollars. That is cheaper than most of your textbooks! All you need is a valid .edu email address.

If you live in Canada, you could get Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional for $39.99.

If you live in the UK, you could get if 38.95 Pounds.

In Australia, for $49.95 AUD.

There are many more countries in which this offer applies; find the complete list by visiting: Win741.com. This is a great offer, and if you are a student, you don't want to miss on this opportunity.

Nexus Technology Releases an Updated Version of the NX-5000

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:50:00 -0400

Rotterdam, September 30 2009

Today Nexus technology BV, have launched an updated NX-5000. The Nexus NX-5000 Real Silent Power Supply has been a best seller since its introduction in 2003. Now we have put our engineers to work to make a true revision to improve the product in every aspect possible. And we are proud of the result. The new NX-5000 has more power, has a higher efficiency and is quieter - a lot quieter in fact.

TheNew NX-5000 provides 530 Watt True Power and the efficiency level meetsthe 82 Plus Bronze standard. We sticked to the Black and White appearance, but made the chassis a bit smaller. In the years components get smaller and more efficient so lesser space is needed to house allthe necessary parts. Your system benefits from this little bit of extra space as there is more room for airflow and cooling. And as icing on the cake the new NX-5000 has a great looking X-mesh sleeving to keep the cables nice and tidy.

We are proud to offer this amazingly silent 530 Watt power supply to you: Nexus NX-5000 R3

The NX-5000 is a single 12V rail power supplies and offer over 82%efficiency. The NX-5000 comes with X-mesh sleeved cables and got an inaudible performance.

For more information and specifications check: http://www.nexustek.nl/Nexus_NX-5000_Quiet_Power_Supply_530W.htm

HIS Unleashes the New HD5870

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:37:00 -0400

It is finally here, with a card from HIS. The HD5000 series is now finally on the market. This revolutionary card was released in Hong Kong- Today- Sept. 23/09.

Key Features:

1GB GDDR5 memory
1600 Stream Processors
ATI Eyefinity technology with support for up to three displays*
ATI Stream technology*
Designed for DirectCompute 11 and OpenCL
Accelerated Video Transcoding (AVT)*
Compliant with DirectX® 11 and earlier revisions
Supports OpenGL 3.1
ATI CrossFireX multi-GPU support for highly scalable performance*
ATI Avivo HD video and display technology*
Dynamic power management with ATI PowerPlay technology*
PCI Express® 2.0 support

DirectX® 11 Support:

It is the World`s Fastest GPU:

Designed with Windows 7 in Mind:

Find out more at the product website: http://www.hisdigital.com/un/product2-472.shtml.