We test the ECS A890GXM-A. AMD's new 890GX chipset is merely out for what, two weeks ? This already will be the third AMD 890 based motherboard review. This time around from the good folks at ECS. The AMD 890GX based motherboard chipsets proof their strength and by all means is really fun to work and play around with. When you plant the two chips from AMD on a mainboard from ECS, they'll try to do some more stuff. It's the ECS Black series style - with a bucket load of features like integrated graphics sub-D, DVI, HDMI and display port connectors, passive cooling, 8-channel sound, dual GigE Ethernet, Crossfire ready ... and pretty decent overclockabilty.

3D is up and coming, something ignited last year and the industry is excited. A lot of movies are being shot in 3D and and of course games as well.

NVIDIA is now expanding its portfolio with a software solution, dubbed NVIDIA 3DTV Play, that will allow GeForce-powered PCs to connect to 3D TVs, enabling big screen 3D gaming.

By help of software over HDMI or DVI connectors you can output to bigger 3D TVs. The software has full support for HDMI 1.4-compatible 3D TVs and can playback 3D in 1,080p24, 720p60 and 720p50 formats. The content thus rendered can be enjoyed through use of both active-stutter and passive polarized glasses. This means all games that are converted in 3D, though use of NVIDIA 3D Vision, can become even more immersive when played on screens of larger form factors.

NVIDIA 3DTV Play can also play Full HD 3D content, handle streaming 3D movies and display 3D photographs. The software will be available later this spring, at a MSRP of $39.99 or for free for NVIDIA 3D Vision customers. The company has also teamed up with Panasonic on its coast-to-coast 2010 "Panasonic Touch the Future Tour," where customers can have a go at playing 3D games on the recently launched Panasonic VIERA Full HD 3D TVs.

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Download Realtek HD Audio 2.44 Driver for Windows XP, Vista Windows 7

Well, these leaked out all over the web alright. If you are interested to see what a Fermi GTX480 Die Shot looks like (photo's of the chip), then head on over to this forum thread. Click here
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Competition for OCS latest Onyx SSD. If you want an affordable SSD just for primary and fast OS reasons, this might be something for you. Intel announced the X25-V Value SATA SSD with a capacity of 40GB, this new entry-level disk will retail for around $125.  Admitedly, the write performance does dissapoint though.

• Sustained Sequential Read: up to 170 MB/s
• Sustained Sequential Write: up to 35 MB/s

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 smartphones, 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

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Kingston reportedly developed a new Intel-certified dual-channel DDR3 memory kit. The KHX2400C9D3T1K2/4GX runs at a blazing 2400MHz at 9-11-9-27-2 timings at 1.65V, this is an announcement only as the memory will be available in Q2 2010.

The 2400MHz kit runs at 9-11-9-27-2 timings at 1.65 volts and was developed for enthusiasts, gamers, and benchmarkers looking to scale new memory heights. As with all Kingston memory, the 2400MHz kit was created with the highest design-engineering principles and subjected to OEM-quality production and testing standards to gain Intel XMP certification. The memory was tested to great success on several P55-based systems including the GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P motherboard. The 2400MHz kits will be available in Q2. Kingston HyperX memory is backed by a lifetime warranty and free 24/7 technical support.

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The colleagues from digitimes report that motherboard components such as MLCCs, solid capacitors and LAN connectors are reportedly suffering from tight supply due to the recent labor shortages, according to sources from motherboard makers.

First-tier motherboard makers Asustek Computer, Gigabyte Technology, Micro-Star International (MSI) and Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) are all aggressively placing orders to avoid the shortages causing any impact on their motherboard shipments.

Currently, motherboard MLCCs are mainly supplied by Walsin Technology Corporation (WTC) and Yageo, while solid capacitors are supplied by Sanyo Electric and Chemi-con. LAN connectors are supplied by Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), the sources noted.

Since the labor shortages are expected to improve significantly after April, while the motherboard market will have entered the slow season by then, the tight supply of components should improve, the sources noted. However, component makers are concerned that their performance will be affected in the second quarter as the first-tier motherboard makers may stop orders suddenly to prevent inventory buildups.

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This monitor definitely is impressive. The Dell G2410H 24"W 1920x1080 Monitor comes with WLED and ensures 60% less typical average power consumption than that of comparable Dell widescreen monitors. That means this screen is using less than 20W.

• Ambient Light Sensor adjusts brightness to help minimize power use, and increase user comfort.
• Dynamic Dimming is designed to automatically decrease brightness when an image contains a high proportion of bright areas.
• 3 Energy Modes for a perfect blend of energy efficiency, display brightness and viewing comfort.
• PowerNap can dim the monitor to minimum brightness level, or put it into Sleep mode, depending on user preference.
• All of the above features can be turned on or off through the available Dell Client Manager^TM .
• Less than 0.15W standby power when in sleep mode.

It's green all the way as:

• External chassis uses more than 25% post-consumer recycled materials
• Arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED backlight
• No expanded polystyrene foam in packaging, instead utilizing highly recyclable corrugated cardboard

The screen has a 16:9 ratio and full HD 1920x1080 resolution, DVI-D Digital connector and Up to 1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. So yeah this might be the most green screen i've ever seen. Available for 339 USD on the Dell website.

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You can  download NVIDIA's all new  Nforce 15.53 WHQL Windows 7 64-bit motherboard driver.

Windows 7 64-bit Driver Versions:

• Ethernet Driver (v73.20) WHQL
• Network Management Tools (v73.16)
• SATAIDE Driver (v11.1.0.33) WHQL
• SATARAID Driver (v11.1.0.33) WHQL
• RAIDTOOL Application (v11.1.0.30)
• SMBUS Driver (v4.74) WHQL
• SMU Driver (v1.71) WHQL
• Installer (v7.57)

Supported:

nForce 7 series:
790i SLI, 790i Ultra SLI, 780i SLI

nForce 6 series:
680i SLI, 680i LT SLI, 680a SLI

nForce 5 series:
550, 570 Ultra AMD, 590 SLI AMD, 570 SLI AMD

Download:

 NVIDIA Nforce 15.53 WHQL Windows 7 32-bit
 NVIDIA Nforce 15.53 WHQL Windows 7 64-bit

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The latest download of Realtek's HD audio driver version available for Windows Vista, it runs under Windows 7 too.

The HD audio driver version for Realtek chips is available for download on our server. This download offers both the Windows XP and Vista binaries, the files contain drivers for the 32 Bit and 64 Bit versions. All Realtek HD audio chips, which are common on many motherboards and in notebooks, are supported.

History:
--------
Driver Package R2.44
    Realtek HD Audio Driver support all of Realtek HD Audio Codec .
    1. Vista/Windows 7 WHQL Supporting: ALC882, ALC883, ALC885, ALC888, ALC889, ALC892, ALC861VD, ALC660, ALC662, ALC663, ALC665, ALC260, ALC262,ALC267, ALC268, ALC269, ALC270, ALC272, ALC273, ALC887,ALC670, ALC275, ALC680
    2. Windows 2000/XP WHQL Supporting: ALC880, ALC882, ALC883, ALC885, ALC888, ALC889, ALC892, ALC861VC, ALC861VD, ALC660, ALC662, ALC663, ALC665, ALC260, ALC262, ALC267,ALC268, ALC269, ALC270, ALC272, ALC273, ALC887,ALC670, ALC275, ALC680
    3. HDMI Device WHQL Support: ATI HDMI Devices
    4. OS Supporting: Microsoft WindowsXP, Widnows2000, Windows Server 2003, Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows7 - x86/x64
    5. Pack with Microsoft High Definition Audio UAAV1.0a(5013)
    6. Add/Fix
        1.) Driver :
            1. Customizations.

Download

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Gamigo, the developer of Black Prophecy, one of the most beauifully rendered Space Games I ever saw, is opening up it's BETA participation. You can sign in and Test-Play the Game for Free and help them improve it.

"Black Prophecy is the first Sci-Fi Space MMOG that dares the step towards action-oriented gameplay from a third-person and first person perspective. Register for the upcoming Closed Beta and be one of the few that get a first glimpse of Black Prophecy and help us improve the game's quality."

Go to Black Prophecy and sign up, just taking a look at the pictures you will know how good this game can be.

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GDC was THE place to go if you're ever interested in Gaming matters and this year a very OLD game (by my standards) is going to get it's third part, Deus Ex, that's right, that innovative game, combining different styles into one unique is back.

Deus Ex 3 is comming, to XBOX360, PC and PS3, the team behind it is Square Enix at the hand of EIDOS Montreal, this third part is called "Human Revolution", the Trailer does not show actual in-game footage but, for a fan of the series, this should be more than enough for the time being.

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Wowzers, that took them a while. How long does it take to get an 8GB memory card to the market?  If you
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A group of photographers at HDRLabs have created their own. Called the Open Camera Controller (OCC), it's based on an older Nintendo DS portable gaming console that controls the functions of Canon DSLR cameras, as well as Olympus and Sigma shooters. Along with some coding and a new hardware interface, the HDRLabs staffe claim they can make the connected DSLRs do things their manufacturers never intended.

This includes the ability to capture timelapse shots with a built-in alarm and triggering the shutter by clapping your hands instead of pressing the button.

The HDRLabs team came up with the idea after having to shoot HDR images for film production using Canon cameras. Canon only allowed them to a three-shot method for bracketing shots, when the users preferred to have as many as 11 stops to bracket their metered exposure.

While HDRLabs does not sell the OCC, it does provide comprehensive instructions on how other people can build their own. HDRLabs does offer five open-source apps to download for free once users have the interface created and ready to go. This includes the aforementioned Sound Trigger, Bracket, Intervalometer for timelapse as well as Astro Script for creating advanced shooting programs for astral photography and eManuals for quick referencing in the field.

The OCC was tested with the Canon 30D, 40D, 50D, 5D and 5D Mark II, with Sigma DSLRs, the Casio EX-FX1, and the Olympus E-P1 also working, albeit with some issues and limitations.

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Check it out, the Premiere video from EA Games for Medal of Honor, which aired via GameTrailers on Spike TV.


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MSI R5870 Lightning test

We test the MSI R5870 Lightning. The MSI R5870 Lightning is from ground up a custom board design. I mean literally; the only thing original on that graphics card is the GPU from ATI and even on the GPU MSI tries to tweak a little. Custom PCB, specific component usage, a bucket load of VRM phases (15 phases) and Twin Frozr II cooler. This Mc Daddy of graphics cards should be ready for some good overclocks. What will also be of interest are V-Check points that allow you to check GPU and memory voltage, and a series of twelve LEDs on the rear of the card showing active vGPU power phases.

Read the full Guru3D review right here.

 

 

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We test the MSI R5870 Lightning. The MSI R5870 Lightning is from ground up a custom board design. I mean literally; the only thing original on that graphics card is the GPU from ATI and even on the GPU MSI tries to tweak a little. Custom PCB, specific component usage, a bucket load of VRM phases (15 phases) and Twin Frozr II cooler. This Mc Daddy of graphics cards should be ready for some good overclocks. What will also be of interest are V-Check points that allow you to check GPU and memory voltage, and a series of twelve LEDs on the rear of the card showing active vGPU power phases.