After waiting way too long before the game to be unlocked we wanted bring you guys one of our traditional graphics and processor performance articles. As such we'll take a card or ten today and have a look at DX11 performance with the newest graphics cards. We'll also show you the performance differential with a couple of different processors.

Each month here at Guru3D.com we feature one of you guys, your PC, your DIY project. It is quite honestly amazing how much detail and dedication you put into an PC, and every now and then it really shows. This months entry shines in an all white design, once you lay your eyes on it, it will make an indistinguishable impression. Alain-S who transformed one PC into something very shiny and glossy looking -- and he must love the 'color' white.

Check out the article right here.

The card will be known as the GTX 570 Jericho and it relies on a single 92mm fan and on a massive aluminum haetsink with five heatpieps in order to dissipate the heat produced when running.

This fan is PWM controlled and its speed can range from 1,000RPM to 4,200RPM depending on the temperatures recorded by the graphics core, and can also cope with the heat generated by an overclocked GTX 570.

According to Inno3D, noise also shouldn't be a problem as the Jericho cooler has an idle rating of just 18db, which makes it significantly quieter than Nvidia reference design.

Judging by the redesigned cooler there's a strong chance that the graphics card will come factory overclocked.

According to a recent report, the GTX 570 will soon get a smaller brother, known as the GTX 560 Ti (448 Core) that will feature similar specs for a smaller price tag.

AMD is slowly but steadily to release of its next-generation Radeon HD 7000 graphics cards as reports suggest the company has already started mass production of these GPUs which are fabricated using TSMC advanced 28nm technology.

The official launch of these chips is expected to happen in the first quarter of 2012, according to DigiTimes, the same source that revealed the graphics cores have entered mass production.

If this report turns out to be true, then AMD won't be able to deliver on its promise of releasing the first Southern Islands parts by the end of this year.

The main problem faced by the Sunnyvale-based chip maker seems to be TSMC's inability to improve the yields of its 28nm fabrication process.

Furthermore, the foundry just started volume production of chips based on the 28nm node at the start of this week.

From the leaks that made it to the Web in the last couple of months, we know that AMD's upcoming Radeon HD 7000 graphics card series will be comprised of low- and mid-range solutions based on the VLIW4 architecture introduced with the Radeon HD 6900 GPU series as well as from high-end solutions in the HD 7900 range.

The latter series will use the Next Generation Core (NGC) architecture that we have covered in a series of previous articles. The key aspect of this architecture is that it will improve the performance and functionality of GPGPU computing.

In addition to the new architecture, AMD has reveled a couple of weeks ago, that Tahiti GPUs will use a new cooling system that replaces the usual vapor chambers with a more advanced technology based on a liquid chamber design.

We can't wait :)

Gigabyte released a new chassis called the GZ-P5 Plus, an ATX mid-tower case for gamers on a shestring budget.

Measuring 180 x 420 x 380 mm, the GZ-P5 Plus is larger than the original GZ-P5 released about an year ago. It is also lighter, at 3.2 kg (compared to 3.5 kg of the original). The case is made almost entirely of SECC steel, with the front made of ABS plastic. Internally, the case uses the PSU-on-top layout. The motherboard tray supports ATX and micro-ATX cases. Drive bays include four 5.25-inch and five 3.5-inch. There's only one fan bundled with the case, an 80 mm exhaust on the rear panel. Pricing has yet to be disclosed, but we expect it to be just above the 50 EUR marker.

Gigabyte released its newest premium HTPC motherboard in the mini-ITX form-factor, the A75N-USB3. As the name might suggest, this is a socket FM1 motherboard based on the AMD A75 chipset, and features USB 3.0 connectivity as TPU reports today:

This board crams in everything a HTPC can benefit from. First, the FM1 socket seats AMD A-Series accelerated processing units (APUs), which pack up to four x86-64 cores with up to 4 MB cache, dual-channel DDR3-1866 integrated memory controller, and more importantly, a very powerful integrated graphics processor in the Radeon HD 6500 class. The FM1 socket on this board is powered by a 3+1 phase VRM that makes use of driver-MOSFETs. Power is drawn by a 24-pin ATX and a 4-pin CPU power connector.

The lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16. The CPU is wired to two full-length DDR3 DIMM slots, which can take in up to 32 GB (that's right, future 16 GB DIMMs are supported) of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory. The AMD A75 chipset gives out four internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and one eSATA 6 Gb/s port on the rear panel. Display outputs include HDMI 1.4a and DVI. Analog outputs are done away with. Audio is handled by a high-quality Realtek ALC889 HD audio codec. Although this codec supports 8+2 output channels, it is wired to a 5.1 channel shared audio jack cluster, apart from the internal HDA_FP header. Those needing 7.1 channel output can still use the TOSLINK connector, that supports 7.1 channel output with 24-bit, 192 kHz resolution and Dolby Home Theater support. If even that's not enough, the HDMI connector gives you 7.1 channel HDMI audio with Dolby Prologic support.

Colorful unveiled a new GF114-based GEFroce GTX 560 Ti graphics card with high-grade components and very strong power delivery. Quite intriguing is that the card seems to have a mini PCIe slot, but the function of this is unknown. Details from TPU:

The additional length is put to use by an innovative arrangement of VRM phases in two rows of four phases. This card employs high-grade chokes with driver-MOSFETs (a component that integrates up/down MOSFETs and driver IC into a single compact package). This 8-phase VRM draws power from three 6-pin power connectors, and can deliver 300W of power to help with record-seeking overclocking feats. There are consolidated voltage measurement points to help manually measure voltages.

The clock speeds of the GPU and memory out of the box are unknown at this point but one can expect them to be pretty high. The card features redundant VGA BIOS loaded into separate EEPROM chips, which can be switched between using a push-switch on the rear-panel. The GF114 GPU is backed by eight Samsung-made 0.4 ns GDDR5 memory chips that are binned to offer the highest overclocking potential.

OmniTouch is a wearable depth-sensing and projection system that enables interactive multitouch applications on everyday surfaces. Beyond the shoulder-worn system, there is no instrumentation of the user or environment. Foremost, the system allows the wearer to use their hands, arms and legs as graphical, interactive surfaces. Users can also transiently appropriate surfaces from the environment to expand the interactive area (e.g., books, walls, tables).

On such surfaces - without any calibration - OmniTouch provides capabilities similar to that of a mouse or touchscreen: X and Y location in 2D interfaces and whether fingers are "clicked" or hovering, enabling a wide variety of interactions. Thus, it is now conceivable that anything one can do on today's mobile devices, they could do in the palm of their hand.

SandForce has its foot deep down in many SSDs, but it looks like it's finally about to settle down, and get hitched. 

LSI announced plans to acquire the flash storage company, as part of a $370 million agreement. The deal brings SandForce's processors and energy efficient DuraClass technology under LSI's roof, giving the semiconductor designer some new flash firepower and an extra boost into a burgeoning market. Tangible results, of course, remain to be seen, though it's certainly not the first time these two have danced. SandForce, after all, provided the motor for LSI's WarpDrive lineup, and will presumably do much more, once the deal goes through. Pending regulatory approval, the acquisition should be finalized by the first quarter of 2012.

SandForce, meanwhile, has a more straightforward startup story: Founded in December 2006, the company raised $60 million in four rounds of venture capital from investors including DCM, Storm Ventures, TransLink Capital, UMC Capital, Red Maple Ventures, Darwin Ventures and Canaan Partners.

The $400 million payback to SandForce

AMD is working on a B3 stepping for its Bulldozer processors as anand found out. Perhaps the new stepping will somewhat improve the performance of the chip, but the site adds that if the past has any meaning, a new stepping won't arrive anytime soon. For instance, the C3 stepping came about 9 months after the release of the Phenom II X4 with C2 stepping.

The initial CPUs use B2 stepping, but an AMD BIOS and kernel document already shows reference to unreleased B3 stepping. A stepping update should bring improvements (usually minor) to performance and power consumption, as well as possible bug fixes. Stepping updates are a normal way to provide small upgrades in between bigger ones, such as die shrinks and microarchitecture changes. While B3 stepping may help Bulldozer a little bit, it's very unlikely that a stepping update would provide huge benefits and thus make Bulldozer significantly better than Intel's equivalent CPUs - so waiting for this update is not exactly a good idea.

Enermax presents a wireless edition of the Aurora Lite. The new Aurora Lite Wireless uses 2.4GHz RF wireless technology and promises an operating range of up to 10 meters (30 feet). The keyboard has a brushed aluminium enclosure, flat key caps, and Scissor key switches with a lifetime of 10 million keystrokes. A cover cloth is included in the package to protect the keyboard against scratches and dust.

Power is delivered by two AAA batteries, there's a power saving mode and the USB receiver is "nano" sized. The Aurora Lite Wireless measures 460mm x 160mm x 9.2mm (L x W x H) and weighs 895g.

Pricing in retail stores should be around 59.90EUR, and you can choose between a black or silver edition.

MSI intro's its new Z68MA-G43 (G3) motherboard with PCIe 3.0 support. Leading global graphics card and motherboard brand and manufacturer MSI officially announced the Z68MA-G43 (G3) motherboard today. The new motherboard will be the first in the industry to adopt the next-generation PCI Express Gen 3 high-speed data transfer standard to deliver unprecedented levels of performance with a staggering 32GB/s of bandwidth. The motherboard will also feature MSI's proprietary ClickBIOS II that will allow enthusiasts to use the mouse or even touch control panel to adjust the system and overclocking settings through UEFI BIOS or Windows applications. In addition, OC Genie II is included and can be used to optimize the CPU, memory, integrated graphics card, and storage devices for maximum stability and performance in just one second. When combined with Intel Smart Response Technology the performance of conventional HDDs can be increased by as much as 457%. With support for all solid capacitors, USB 3.0, SATA 6G, HDMI / DVI / D-Sub video-out, and multiple CrossFireX graphics cards, the new motherboard meets enthusiasts' demands for system stability, expandability, and extreme game graphics.

First in the Industry to Introduce the New PCI Express Gen 3 Standard
In June, 2011, MSI put the Z68A-GD80 (G3) on display at ComputeX. The new motherboard was the first in the world to feature PCI Express Gen 3 technology and its industry-leading specifications delivered a staggering 32GB/s of bandwidth; double that of the current standard at the time. MSI first brought the next-generation high-speed data transfer standard to the general public at ComputeX, and now, to satisfy DIY enthusiasts

Featuring the intense melee skills of Nightwing, a.k.a Dick Grayson, the trailer showcases the character's punishing arsenal of fighting moves that can be used against Arkham City's hardened thugs.

Nightwing comes complete with his own unique gadgets and special moves, and is playable in all challenge maps in the game, as well as two additional challenge maps that are included with the pack: Wayne Manor and Main Hall. The pack also contains a bonus Animated Series Nightwing character skin.

Corsair went back to the drawing board and improved that 400R model towards an updated SKU, the 500R.

They added more meshed vents, a new 200 fan was added, a three step fan controller and tweaked the overall design a little as well with removable and relocatable hard drive cages allowing you to even insert a 452mm in length graphics card. But wait Dave .. there's more.

Click here for the review.

ASUS today lifts a bit of the NDA on theior X79 line of motherboards, and there is some impressive stuff to be found there. 

ASUS Rampage IV Extreme

The Rampage IV Extreme will be the hot mamma of them all, with a finger licking digital PWM circuitry that supports heavy voltage-assisted overclocking with Vdroop control.

To the left of those you can see four switches that are on the board to enable/disable the PCIe x16 slots on the RIVE. Just below those you'll find eight voltage check points along the edge of the motherboard.  These are monitoring CPU, DRAM, PCH voltages among others. The board also has a switch called 'LN2 Mode' and this is for very extreme users who want to use liquid nitrogen cooling. 
 

The LGA2011 socket is wired to eight DDR3 DIMM slots (two per channel). CPU and memory VRM areas are located along three sides of the socket, all cooled by heatsinks that are connected by heat pipes. These VRM heatsinks share heat with the one over the X79 PCH, which is actively cooled by a fan.

Intel X79 platform is capable of supporting 40 PCIe 2.0 bi-directional lanes off the CPU and 8 more PCIe 3.0 lanes that are not bi-directional off the chipset.

This board has eight SATA ports. The four black ones are SATA II and the other four red ones are SATA III, the four black ones are all SATA II and run of the X79 chipset.

ASUS TUF Sabertooth X79

Following the R4E is the SaberTooth, the Sabertooth X79 comes with an ASUS-designed Digi+ VRM to power the CPU, which is spread across two sides of the socket (north and west). The heatsink cooling the VRM components is actively cooled by a 40 mm fan, the one over the X79 PCH is cooled by a similarly sized lateral blower, too. Like with the other two top-tier boards from ASUS' stable, this one provides eight DDR3 DIMM slots supporting quad-channel memory.

This board will feature a five year warranty in some countries and is built to last. We were told by ASUS that the X79 Sabertooth is codenamed 'TANK' internally due to how well this board is built.

ASUS P9X79 Deluxe

The P9X79 Deluxe will be loaded with features and connectivity options. To begin with, the LGA2011 socket is powered by a next-generation Digi+ VRM design by ASUS, driven by Dual Intelligent Processors III (next-generation Energy Processing Unit (EPU) chip and TurboV Processing Unit (TPU)).Among the six expansion slots, there are four PCI-Express x16 slots, and two PCIe x1. The PCH gives out six SATA ports, two 6 Gb/s (white), four 3 Gb/s (blue), the two additional 6 Gb/s ports come from a third-party controller. There are two power-eSATA ports on the rear panel. The eight USB 3.0 ports on this board are spread across as six ports on the rear-panel, and two via standard header. Other connectivity includes 8+2 channel HD audio, two gigabit Ethernet connections, USB 2.0, and Bluetooth.

This series offers an update to ASUS

Tthird party processor cooler makers may not be able to release their products in time for the launch of Intel's Sandy Bridge E series. The site heard the delay is caused by design issues due to the large footprint of the LGA2011 socket.

As the new processors has a larger footprint and occupies almost 1/4 of the motherboard, heatsink manufacturers have to factor in design considerations to ensure that it doesn

Word out on the cyber street is that NVIDIA reportedly is preparing to ship the GeForce GTX 560 Ti (448 Core), a new card that uses the GF110 GPU instead of the GF114 from the original GeForce GTX 560 Ti.

The card is basically a GeForce GTX 570 with 1 SM disabled, and likely lower clockspeeds. 

Unlike the GTX 560 Ti, which is based on a fully enabled GF114 die, the GTX 560 Ti (448 Core) will be based on the GF110 die. In essence, it is GTX 570 with 1 SM disabled, and likely underclocked. It features 14 active SMs, which include 448 SP / CUDA Cores and 56 TMUs; 320-bit memory and 40 ROPs - a very similar configuration to the old GTX 470. Along with increased performance, power consumption is expected to rise over the 384 SP GTX 560 Ti. A benefit to using GF110 means the revised 560 Ti will feature 2 x SLI connectors, enabling 3-way SLI. In terms of display outputs, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort are included. Visually, the reference GTX 560 Ti (448) is expected to look identical to the reference GTX 570.

The revised GTX 560 Ti is expected to compete with overclocked SKUs of the HD 6950 2GB, and fill in the gap between HD 6950 2GB (~$280) and GTX 570/HD 6970 (~$340). Priced right, the GTX 560 Ti (448) could be an enticing option until the next-gen GPUs hit.

Guess this new model is designed to boost holiday season sales as the next-gen GPUs aren't expected until Q1 2012, or even later if you don't want to pay top buck.

Jon Peddie Research announced it expects PC gaming hardware will grow at a rate of 11 percent through 2014 to $27 billion:

In 2011, over 250 million game capable home and personal use PCs will ship. To get a sense of perspective, only 220 million PS3, the Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles have shipped since the era of the modern console began in 2005.

PC gaming hardware will grow at a rate of 11% through 2014. However, the ongoing economic recession is having its effect on even the gaming market. Taking the reality into consideration, JPR has reduced its 2011 global PC Gaming hardware market estimate to US$19 billion from US$22 billion.

Nevertheless PC gaming activity (as opposed to sales) has increased in 2011 as evidenced by ongoing game sales and online activity. JPR has raised estimates of the number of people playing PC games from their previous forecast by 3% for 2011. With a base of about a half billion people who regularly engage in PC gaming, gaming is an attractive market for hardware manufacturers, many of whom consider gamers in their product design and marketing.

AMD is planning to refresh its Brazos lineup in Q1 2012 with Brazos 2.0. This new platform will feature a new chipset and higher clocked Zacate APUs. The new A68M chipset is a more energy efficient chip that cuts some features that were unnecessary for sub-notebooks, while adding RAID 0/1, native DisplayPort support, APU fan control and SD controller.
Codenamed Brazos 2.0, the platform will feature updated Zacate APUs. (Ontario/C-Series refresh is not mentioned) The E-450 will be replaced by E2-1800. Fundamentally the same chip, E2-1800 features a slight boost to 1.7 GHz, while the GPU is rebranded as HD 7340 and is clocked higher at 523 MHz and 680 MHz with Turbo. Computerbase also mentions in the possibility of a CPU turbo which will help E2-1800 differentiate itself from E-450. CPU turbo is already available on C-60 which is based on the same chip.

E-300 will be replaced by E1-1200, clocked at 1.4 GHz, up 0.1 GHz from E-300. The HD 6310 GPU will give way to HD 7310 which features an insignificant 12 MHz overclock.
Q1 2012 will also see the launch of the Brazos-T platform for tablets. This platform will feature a cut-down, optimized A55T chipset and a power optimized Hondo APU. Later in the year Brazos 2.0 will be replaced by the 28nm Wichita and Krishna APUs.