Audiovox to buy Klipsch
There are a lot of companies in the home theater and audio business that make some really nice speakers and other audio gear. One of the companies that many people really like is Klipsch. Klipsch makes some seriously high-end speakers for home theaters that will run you $30,000 or more and the company has much cheaper offerings for us normal folks.
Klipsch used to be in the PC speaker market and my favorite set of surround sound speakers ever for a PC came from them. Audiovox is a company that used to be big in the consumer electronics and radio market and is still part of the market; I just rarely hear about them or see their products today. Audiovox has announced that it has signed an agreement to purchase Klipsch.
The deal will cost Audiovox $166 million and will make Klipsch a wholly owned subsidiary of Audiovox. The Klipsch brand will live on and the company will be run separately and remain in its current US headquarters. The deal is expected to close in the next 30 days. I would bet that the move would see some new tech coming to Audiovox gear.
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Gigabyte offers official statement on Intel Sandy Bridge issue
If you are a tech fan, you would have to have been in a coma the past week or so to not know whatr is going on with Sandy Bridge chipsets right now. The flaw in the Sandy Bridge chipset known by the code name Cougar Point had a major problem that means the silicon had to be redesigned. The redesign also means that all the Cougar Point packing mainboards and PCs on the market already will need a recall.
MSI has made its official announcement concerning what it will do with its affected mainboards. As of today, Gigabyte has announced that as of today it is no longer selling and of the 6 Series B2 stepping chipset based board. The B3 replacements for the board will be available in April according to Intel.
Gigabyte also says that all of the affected boards are being retrieved from its dealers and distributors. Any consumers with the boards in their hands should return them to an authorized dealer. The B3 boards aren't due until April, but the revised chipset is expected to ship at the end of February.
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Thief nabbed after leaving his mobile phone charging in the home he robbed
I think you should be able to kick thieves in the balls until they pass out as part of their punishment. I hate thieves, stealing stuff from people that work hard to get what they have is one of the lowest things you can do in my book. A thief from Washington was nabbed recently because he is a complete moron in addition to being a douche bag.
The dude is one Cody Wilkins and he was in the middle of robbing a house when the homeowner came in and caught him. Wilkins jumped out the window and ran off. The problem for Wilkins the moron douche bag was that in the middle of his robbery he decided he needed to recharge his phone.
He plugged his phone into an outlet in the house and went on about his thievery. When he leapt out the window, he left the phone behind. Police found it, called a number on the phone, and told the lady who answered Wilkins had been in an incident. She gave the cops his name and the rest is history. Wilkins is in jail on a $1 million bond.
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Download of the Day: Sandra Lite 2011 SP1 (17.36)
Our Download of the Day today is Sandra Lite 2011 SP1 (17.36).
SiSoftware Sandra (the System ANalyser, Diagnostic and Reporting Assistant) is an information & diagnostic utility. It should provide most of the information (including undocumented) you need to know about your hardware, software and other devices whether hardware or software.
It works along the lines of other Windows utilities, however it tries to go beyond them and show you more of what's really going on. Giving the user the ability to draw comparisons at both a high and low-level. You can get information about the CPU, chipset, video adapter, ports, printers, sound card, memory, network, Windows internals, AGP, PCI, PCI-X, PCIe (PCI Express), database, USB, USB2, 1394/Firewire, and so on.
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Deal of the Day: Coupon Code for Buffalo Tech 2TB DriveStation Axis Black External USB 2.0 Hard Drive for $79.99 with FREE Shipping!
Our Deal of the Day today is the Dell Small Business - Coupon Code for Buffalo Tech 2TB DriveStation Axis Black External USB 2.0 Hard Drive for $79.99 with FREE Shipping!.
Offer: This is a GREAT deal on a 2TB BuffaloTech DriveStation Axis external USB 2.0 hard drive. Use coupon code: R2RLD7LT?JP22M to drop the price down $30 from $109.99 to $79.99 with FREE shipping. This expires 2/6/11. If it shows out of stock, you can still order it with coupon anyway. Get it while you can.
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Xigmatek Elysium Super Tower Case exclusive video preview
During CES 2011 in Las Vegas last month, we got a chance to get an exclusive video preview of Xigmatek's upcoming Elysium super tower case.
Chris went on video as you can see above and talked about the Elysium and what makes it special. One of the big things about the Elysium is that it was designed to fully and properly support the massive and much spoken about EVGA SR-2 motherboard that supports two Intel Socket LGA-1366 processors, a bunch of RAM and loads of PCI Express slots.
Besides that, the Elysium comes with support for a lot of large cooling fans that should keep things running just nicely. There is support for large radiators on the top and bottom of the case. Not only that, but there is also support for 12 hard drives and even an additional 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drive that can be slotted in easily at the top front area of the case.
Moving forward past that area is two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, a single eSATA port as well as your typical audio ports. These ports can be hidden by a sliding cover if they are not in use. Inside the case, there are no less than seven water pipe holes as well as handy cable management holes, which should allow you to build a very clean looking system.
Watch the video above for your exclusive look and there are some pictures below in the gallery, too.
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Poll Results - What do you want most these holidays?
Over 3,500 people voted on our previous poll and we asked, what do you want most these holidays?
This time around the votes were well mixed and not one-sided. 22% of TweakTown readers voted that they wanted either a new AMD or NVIDIA video card for the holidays. Who ended up getting one?
Second with 19% of the votes went to love and world peace, third with 15% of the votes showed that getting a super fast SSD was popular and forth 11% of the votes showed that still many wanted a new laptop or PC.
For the actual numbers, go here. In our latest poll, we want to know, will AMD Fusion platforms be hot in 2011? Let us know! Please go here to vote!
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Verizon to begin throttling top five percent of data users
Beware, Verizon data hogs! Hiding behind the announcement of preorders starting for the iPhone 4 was another smaller and less publicized note. A new policy has been found on Verizon's site that states that download speeds are going to be reduced for the top five percent of data users on Verizon's network.
With the large influx of iPhone users expected to begin gobbling up data at a frenetic pace due to the size of the App Store, Verizon is launching a pre-emptive strike at possible network slowdowns by easing up the most egregious data eaters. Verizon stated that "Our proactive management of the Verizon Wireless network is designed to ensure that the remaining 95% of data customers aren't negatively affected by the inordinate data consumption of just a few users."
There's no way to tell whether you are one of the unlucky top five percent or whether you've been throttled without doing the checking on your own. With early reviews stating that Verizon's iPhone data service is slower than that on AT&T, those changing brands may not be able to tell whether they are getting regular or throttled speeds. It will most likely be more noticeable for those on other devices being throttled as they will have a better idea of the speeds they have been getting.
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AT&T could be tabbing Inspire 4G, not the iPhone, for exclusive mobile hotspot capability
And the hotspot rumors continue! AT&T is taking an odd turn when it comes to introducing officially supported mobile hotspotting via smartphone; the Android route. With Verizon recently releasing that the service will be an option on their version of the iPhone 4 at an extra $20 per month, AT&T is including the service in their $45/4GB DataPro plan. The catch? The only phone offering it anytime soon is the upcoming HTC Inspire 4G, due for release with the app on February 13th.
AT&T was vague on the possibility of mobile hotspot functionality returning to their version of the iPhone 4, simply stating that "We are working with Apple to bring it to iPhone. Nothing else to share at this time." How much work could it possibly take? Tethering was available at launch and Verizon's iOS update allows it to work; what's the holdup? An about-face by AT&T is still possible within the next 10 days and is probably a good idea; it's not like iPhone fans are exactly lacking reasons to make the jump to Verizon.
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Sony giving away a 46" Bravia 3DTV and Move bundles via Little Big Planet 2
My six year old son got Little Big Planet 2 a couple of weeks ago and I'm surprised that my PS3 hasn't gone up in flames with the amount of time he's spent playing it. If you or someone you know and love has the same addiction, it could net you a new Sony Bravia 46" 3DTV and a Playstation Move bundle.
Here's how you can win. First, download the level called "LittleBigPrius 2" via PSN. Play the level and collect items hidden throughout, then use those items to build your own level inspired by the LittleBIgPrius. Make sure it's good, because this is a popularity contest; Sony will be checking out community feedback before choosing a top ten. Those ten will be whittled down to five, with the #1 level winning the TV with a Playstation Move hardware bundle and the four runner ups scoring a PlayStation Move Sports Champions bundle.
If you need me, I'll be with my son so he can teach me to play LBP2.
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Beavis and Butthead to make a triumphant return to MTV!
Reports of this surfaced last year and personally, I was running around the house screaming "I need TP for my bunghole!" Mike Judge is now back as creative extraordinaire and of course, the voices behind the title characters - Beavis and Butthead.
EW.com reports that MTV made the announcement at their Upfront presentation in New York yesterday. I for one cannot wait, nostalgia is a great thing and I just hope the humor that Beavis and Butthead had in the 90's is continued in today's society somehow. *insert Beavis's laugh here*
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Steam rakes nearly $1 billion in sales for 2010
Forecasting and Analyzing Digital Entertainment (FADE) who is a market research firm that produces monthly and annual reports for bunch of gaming markets such as Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, WiiWare & Virtual Console and mobile markets - Valve pulled in an estimated revenue of US$970 million in 2010.
Benjamin Schlichter, Director of Research and Analysis said "Steam's growth has been remarkable during the year. Over 180 titles were estimated reaching over $1 million USD in revenue for the year, painting a very healthy market for developers and publishers, with more room for growth in the future."
Below is a list of the top selling games on Steam for 2010:
Call of Duty: Black Ops (Activision) - $98.2 Million USD
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Activision) - $39.4 Million USD
Left 4 Dead 2 (Valve) - $36.0 Million USD
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (Electronic Arts) - $25.4 Million USD
Sid Meier's Civilization V (2K Games) - $21.9 Million USD
Portal (Valve) - $20.0 Million USD
Fallout: New Vegas (Bethesda Softworks) - $17.0 Million USD
Metro 2033 (THQ) - $13.4 Million USD
Mafia II (2K Games) - $11.9 Million USD
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising (THQ) - $10.8 Million USD
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Kenneth Cole teaches us all how not to use Twitter for advertising
The eyes of the entire world have been glued to the troubles plaguing Egypt and its people. Apparently Kenneth Cole thought that using this current event to advertise their new spring collection was a great idea. He released the following tweet, which has since been removed but not before the Twitter world went into an uproar:
Yeah Kenneth Cole, definitely too soon. Apparently the tweet cannot be blamed on an employee with bad taste because the tweet was signed with the -KC of Kenneth Cole himself. Thousands of angrys responses have since hit the Twitter universe. He has since posted an apology on both Twitter and Facebook, but this is just one more instance to learn from for the rest of us. Remember kids, think before you tweet. The Internet always remembers.
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Koolance introduces super high airflow 120mm fans
Looking for the ultimate 120mm fan for your radiator? If you don't care aout noise, Koolance may just have your ticket with their new release. The new fans, bearing the FAN-12038HBK-184 product code, are120x120x38mm fans that are rated for an impressive max airflow of 183.5 CFM at a tornado-inducing 4,000 RPM.
Silence freaks will cringe at the 59 dBA noise ratings, but these fans are not meant for you. Rated to run at 12V and 2.0 amps, these fans will take all the juice you can (reasonably) throw at them. They also have a 3-pin connection with a tachometer for fan speed control if needed. These fans spin so fast, Koolance recommends installing fan grills for safety. Check them out for $11.99 a piece if you're ready for life in the fast fan speed lane.
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4chan has hacked Egyptian, Yemen government websites
Anon is at it again - this type targetting Egyptian and Yemen government websites. Supposedly 500 Anonymous users took down websites for the Egyptian Ministry of Information and the ruling National Democratic Party in Egypt.
As for Yemen, websites targeted included the Yemeni Ministry of Information, the tax office, and the website for Yemen's long-serving president, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Anon used their infamous Low Orbit Ion Cannon to take the websites down, the same trick used last year to take MasterCard, Visa and PayPal down.
Supposedly Anon is quite interested in targeting countries that are usntable, Anon is currently focusing on anti-government protests in the Arab world. Just last month Anon took down websites that belong to the Tunisian government and the stock exchange in support of the uprising that forced the country's dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, to flee.
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RumorTT: Apple to unveil the iPad 2 next week?
Apple are holding an event next week to discuss the introduction of in-app subscriptions within iOS 4.3 - the flip side of this? They also intend to introduce the next-generation iPad at the conclusion of the event.
Rumor has it Apple will use it's "one more thing" at the end of the event to announce the iPad 2, something they're famous for. Apple's new in-app subscription feature debuted with the launch of The Daily for iPad. iTunes chief, Eddy Cue, declined to comment on whether the functionality would make it to other content providers and developers - he did say Apple would provide more details in the near future.
An event for iOS 4.3 could be the perfect place to do so.
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Battlefield 1943 and Bad Company 2 Onslaught have been officially cancelled - all efforts put into Battlefield 3
The news could be sad to some, but it is also a sign of greatness for the potential of Battlefield 3. Karl Troedsson, GM of DICE has stepped forward to tell the eager community that Battlefield 1943 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Onslaught have been officially cancelled.
He mentions that there was a crossroads where a decision needed to be made - putting effort into those 2 (and now older) games or going full steam ahead and putting all concentration into Battlefield 3. I think the decision was a good one, as BF3 is using the next-gen Frostbite 2 engine which should really shine on PC given that it fully supports DX11.
Frostbite 1.5 (which powered Bad Company 2) looked hands-down amazing compared to the wizards sleeve that is Call of Duty... especially given that FB1.5 was only a DX9-based engine. FB2 should really push the boundaries and I think this is what DICE are going for.
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HEX to launch Sport Watch Band for NIKE+ and iPod nano in April
Back in late December, I mentioned that a company called HEX had a cool silicone watchband in several colors that would turn your new iPod nano into a watch. The only downside to that is that geeks that like to use their nano for working out with the NIKE+ accessory couldn't use the HEX band. HEX has announced that in April it will have a new version of its cool watchband.
The new version of the watchband is called the Sport Watch Band and it is fully compatible with the NIKE+ accessory. The change for compatibility appears to be nothing more than cutting the side out of the case so the little dongle for recording your workout parameters can be installed. I would think if you already own a HEX watchband a sharp knife and a steady hand could mod yours to work with NIKE+ too.
HEX also has a new armband that you wear around one of your guns to hold the cable in place so it doesn't flop around on you while you run. Having cables bouncing on your arm as you workout is irritating after a while. The silicone of the watchband also projects the nano while you work out. Pricing is unannounced at this time, but it should be very close to the $30 the original cost.
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Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 2.1 Speaker System Review
Introduction
Last year we took a look at the very first audio product from long time memory manufacturer, Corsair. We were impressed to cut a long story short; it was a great headset. In fact, it was one of the best through our doors, and for a seriously competitive price.
We actually made reference to how much we are looking forward to an expansion of this series in the coming months, after this headset got chosen for a special encore mention in the XMAS Buyers Guide.
And expanded it was; this to the tune of two fresh from the drawing board desktop speaker systems. The first is a fairly standard looking affair. But the second (high-end) model, well, haven't they been busy engineers at Corsair HQ over the time between products.
By now surely interest levels have been raised somewhat, and not without good reason. Let's get to the bottom of what makes this such a special little 2.1 system.
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Quick Review: G.Skill Ripjaws-X Series PC3-17066 4GB Kit
P67 memory has come in so thick and fast that it's not even funny, and over the coming weeks you'll see a heap of memory reviews from us covering all the major brands.
Already we've looked at a couple of kits from Corsair. Today, though, it's time to see what G.Skill can offer us with the new high performance Ripjaws-X series. I saw an ad for this kit on TweakTown actually and admired how great it looked. I was embarrassed, though, to ask G.Skill for a sample to then find out it was sent weeks ago and already in my hot little hands. Really, that's how much memory I have at the moment; if only I could install some into my brain and improve its memory.
Anyway, on to the RAM. As far as the package goes we've got nothing except the modules themselves included. G.Skill hasn't included any fancy cooling etc. - Most of the time we find we don't need it and if the modules run perfectly without it, we're happy not to have it.
The overall profile of the modules isn't that high and the design isn't really anything we haven't seen before with it being identical to the standard Ripjaws modules. In this case, though, we've got a black heat spreader and blue Ripjaws-X labelling which looks great.
The F3-17066CL7D-4GBXH is a PC3-17066 kit which translates to 2133MHz DDR. As you may have guessed from the naming, it's a 4GB kit. What makes it really stand out is the timings, though, at these speeds.
Out of the packet we've got a 7-10-7-27-1T @ 1.65v setup which is more aggressive than other P67 kits we've looked at, but with slightly more voltage as well. Saying that, 1.65v isn't a worrying number at all, as it's what we've been used to seeing over the last few years with high performance DDR3 memory kits.
To get the kit to run at its default speeds we set the XMP to profile one and booted into Windows. We're not sure which side of the XMP profile doesn't play nice with P67 at the moment (if it's RAM, chipset or motherboard), but the timings we got were 9-10-10-27-1T. It's not the first kit to do this and we're sure it won't be the last, so we went back into the BIOS and set them manually.
With that sorted, we got back into Windows, checked CPU-Z again and discovered everything was looking right. You can see that CPU-Z validation here. So with that running all good, it was time to see how the modules performed in some of our memory benchmarks.
Under AIDA64 we ended up with Read / Write numbers of 21,562 MB/s / 18,224 MB/s, Copy speed of 22,446 MB/s and latency of 39.1ns. Looking at SiSoftware Sandra, our memory bandwidth numbers are 27,740 MB/s for Integer and 27,760 MB/s for Float. These are impressive numbers.
As we've mentioned a number of times, overclocking RAM is really quite limited on the P67 platform. We did, however, try to bump up the BCLK a few MHz and see what we could get. What we ended up with was getting into Windows at a 103 BCLK which pushed our RAM to 2198MHz DDR at the same timings.
You can see that CPU-Z validation here. Since we managed to get a bit of an overclock, it was now time to see what happened in our benchmarks.
Under AIDA64 we ended up with Read / Write numbers of 22,218 MB/s / 18,737 MB/s, Copy speed of 23,362 MB/s and latency of 37.9ns. Looking at SiSoftware Sandra, our memory bandwidth numbers are 28,550 MB/s for Integer and 28,580 MB/s for Float - More impressive numbers across the board.
I was actually talking to G.Skill and they said if we pushed the CPU up it would help boost memory performance even further due to how well the P67 handles memory. Since I know our i7 2600k is good for around 4.7GHz, I left the BCLK at 103 and moved to a 45 divider.
We ended up at just over 4.6GHz and the same memory speed as above; 2098MHz DDR. We then fired up AIDA64 and you can see our Read / Write numbers are 25,199 MB/s / 23,942 MB/s.
This is a great kit of memory that managed to achieve some fantastic speeds without the need for any extra cooling. While the 1.65v default is a little higher than some newer low voltage P67 kits, as we mentioned it's a number we've been dealing with for a long time, so we don't have any issue running our RAM with this voltage.
Throw in the fact that you can nab this kit for $139.99 USD with the Turbulence II Fan which we didn't have here, and this is a fantastic kit of memory for P67 enthusiast users.
G.Skill is normally aggressive with their pricing, but this is just ridiculous considering the super tight timings they're offering us at 2133 MHz DDR. This is going to be a kit that you should keep an eye out for.
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NZXT Bunker USB Locking Device Review
Introduction
NZXT is a company that we have all come to admire in one way or another. If it wasn't the small and compact nature of the Vulcan, or the very unique looking Phantom, NZXT has many other products that should still pique your interest in them. Testing almost everything they offer has shown that NZXT has a plethora of ideas that they are incorporating into products that not only improve the looks of chassis', but also offer practicality in some of the others.
Since NZXT has made just about every case style imaginable, they, like many other companies, are doing quite well with case accessories. They have already offered the Sleeved LED kits, and I seem to see them in quite a few case mods these days. Whether under the motherboard or around the open side of the chassis as case lighting, they have been a great success. There was also the IU01 USB Expansion device that offers connections for up to three more USB connections from the front panel, but also added a pair of USB 2.0 connections on the end. The idea was to add a power line to dedicate more power to drive all the devices we tend to hook up to our computers these days.
Speaking of USB connectivity, that brings me to the product we are taking a closer look at today; the Bunker from NZXT. This device not only will add four USB 2.0 connections to the front of any chassis via the use of a 5.25" bay of your choice, it also adds security built right in. NZXT offers a 20 Key system to vary the keys that ship in the box. So even if the guy next to you at a LAN has a Bunker, he only has a one in twenty chance of a matching key. The thick plastic and metal construction makes this device strong, yet light and easy to use.
I was informed that the Bunker would release at the beginning of January, but have yet to see it listed anywhere in Google shopping. I was given the MSRP from NZXT, and that pricing was set at $24.99. To be real honest, that is a really good price considering you not only get four additional USB connections, but some serious security for any of the peripherals attached within the Bunker once the door is closed and locked in place. Now that we have the finer points out of the way, let's delve deeper into the Bunker and see what provisions are in place for our peripherals survival.
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Plextor Launch Super-Speedy 12X External Blu-ray Writer
Plextor Launch Super-Speedy 12X External Blu-ray Writer
Plextor have expanded their high-performance optical storage portfolio with the addition of the PX-LB950UE - their first external Blu-ray Writer. The PX-LB950UE boasts a combination of an incredibly fast 12x writing speed with USB 3.0 technology, advanced software applications and a stylish external chassis designed to offer reliability, accuracy and low noise.
Every facet of the PX-B950UE has been designed to provide home and business users with a high performance, easy to use and versatile solution for backing-up large quantities of data or enjoying their favourite Blu-ray movies. The PX-LB950UE is available across the UK and Europe from February at an RRP of approximately £179.
Key Features:
• Exceptionally fast 12x Blu-ray Writing Speed
• Portable and Stylish External Design
• USB 3.0 for faster data transfers
• Advanced Software including PlexUtilities
• LightScribe disc labelling technology
• 2 year on-site warranty
High speed and high capacity for the most convenient archiving solution:
With an incredibly fast recording speed of 12x, the PX-LB950UE writer makes use of super-speedy USB 3.0 and eSATA connections to optimise the transfer times when writing and playing-back data - and maintains compatibility with older USB 2.0 systems for full versatility.
The PX-LB950UE is a perfect solution for home and business users who want to back-up large quantities of data without the hassle of waiting around. Double-Layer Blu-Ray media allows up to 50GB of storage per disc - that's the equivalent of 10 DVDs, 72 CDs or over 9 hours of HD video.
Thoughtful external design offers portability, accuracy and reliability:
The PX-LB950UE is usefully packed inside a portable and stylish external casing. Its design not only looks the part in a high-gloss piano black, but has been constructed to ensure maximum reliability and accuracy whilst using the drive.
The external chassis channels airflow to keep the drive cooler and extending its lifetime and reliability. A low vibration system and high 8MB buffer ensures greater accuracy at higher writing speeds, whilst the low noise output leads to smooth Blu-ray playback for uninterrupted movie enjoyment.
These top features combine to bring users a full movie experience on any suitable PC, including superb surround sound, mind-blowing HD quality and fluid visuals.
High performance software for effortless back-ups:
The PX-LB950UE is bundled with the advanced CyberLink Blu-Ray and DVD Playback software and recording applications, including 3D compatibility.
PlexUtilities software is also included with the drive, which offers a comprehensive and user-friendly selection of tools to assist users to test, tune and view information about the drive and writing performance.
LightScribe adds a professional finishing touch:
Lightscribe is an innovative technology that uses the laser in compatible drives to'draw' high quality images on the top of specially produced discs. It provides the ultimate professional finish and makes creased labels and smudged pen a thing of
the past.
Exceptional warranty terms offer complete peace of mind:
Unlike many others of its kind, the PX-LB950UE offers an added level of reassurance with the Plextor 'Fast Warranty Service' - a 2 year on-site warranty across the EU, Norway and Switzerland (1 year elsewhere) - so users can feel secure in the knowledge that their must-have device is covered for longer.
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ECS USA's Commitment to its Intel 6 Series Express Chipset Motherboard Customers
ECS USA's Commitment to its Intel 6 Series Express Chipset Motherboard Customers
ECS ELITEGROUP USA branch office has worked with Intel and has been made aware of a design flaw in its newest generation Intel 6 Series Express Chipsets (codenamed Cougar Point, B2 Stepping) which could, under normal operation, experience an issue with SATA ports 2-5 that may result in these SATA ports experiencing a functional issue over time.
ECS USA, along with all motherboard manufacturers, is working closely with Intel (who has identified the problem) on containing the distribution of the B2 Stepping of this product on its motherboards. ECS USA takes pride in its products' quality and is passionate about offering the best possible customer experience. ECS USA stands by its products and is committed to its customers by offering the following:
• Immediate suspension of all sales of Intel 6 Series Express Chipsets (codenamed Cougar Point, B2 Stepping) in its channel.
• Upon availability of the new B3 Stepping of the Intel 6 Series Express Chipsets, ECS USA will replace customer's product with a brand-new one. New motherboards are expected in April. ECS USA will keep its customers updated on this schedule.
• Replacement for products currently in the market that are affected: P67H2-A(1.1), P67H2-A2(1.0), P67H2-A3(1.0), H67H2-M(1.1), H67H2-M3(1.0)
• Work closely with its distributors and reseller channel on the return and replacement of current inventory
• For end users in the U.S. (48 contiguous states), ECS USA offers the following:
o Customers who wish to keep the product or have any issue returning the product at the point of purchase, ECS USA will absorb the cost of the product exchange 100% by offering a product swap. If a customer has one of the above products, please communicate with ECS USA via one of the following methods to arrange a replacement once they become available: 1. Via e-mail (preferred method): elite@ecsusa.com 2. Via voice-mail: 510-771-0208. This is a voicemail, only.
o Whichever method is used, customers should provide the following information in order to create a case number and allow for ECS USA to respond: Customer Name, Model Name, Serial Number, Purchased From (optional), Contact Number, E-mail Address, Shipping Address
o All support questions not related to the Intel 6 Series Express Chipset based motherboard replacement, can be sent to our regular support channel.
"All motherboard manufacturers are affected by this news, but we want to minimize our customers' exposure to the error detailed by Intel. This is why we want to offer our faithful customers the opportunity to get a refund. Or, if they want to wait for the fix we can get them a brand-new motherboard delivered to them at no charge" commented Ray Lin, Vice President of Motherboard and Graphics Card Business Unit of ECS USA.
ECS USA does not see the replacement of the Intel 6 Series Express Chipset based motherboards as a negative impact. Rather, it permits ECS USA to better tune its already greatly praised/ awarded Intel P67/H67 series and offer an even more perfect ECS Intel P67/H67 motherboards series, once Intel releases the new B3 Stepping chipset fixing the current issues.
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Antec Boosts Performance One Series and Gaming Case Lines
Antec Boosts Performance One Series and Gaming Case Lines
Original models enhanced to offer increased flexibility and performance capabilities
Fremont, CA - February 3, 2011 - In its 25th anniversary year, Antec, Inc., the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets, today introduced the next-generation of the popular P183, P193, Nine Hundred Two and Twelve Hundred models, expanding the Performance One and Gaming Case series' portfolios, respectively, by adding new convenience options and performance features for PC enthusiasts, gamers and high-performance users.
Antec has taken the fundamentals of its previous P183, P193, Nine Hundred Two and Twelve Hundred enclosures and enhanced them to accommodate the newest component standards with the new P183 V3, P193 V3, Nine Hundred Two V3 and Twelve Hundred V3 models.
Each model is equipped with three key upgrades:
• Front panel USB 3.0 port for faster data transmission
• An internal 2.5" SSD drive bay (two drive bays in the Performance One enclosures and one drive bay in the Gaming Case series) for an unmatched combination of performance and convenience
• A CPU cutout that allows for easy heatsink replacement
"We're excited to release these new models in the Performance One and Gaming Case series as they offer users enhanced features to keep their leading-edge performance," said Scott Richards, senior vice president of Antec. "With the new upgrades, these new models exemplify the customer-driven innovation that Antec is known for - users are going to love the increased flexibility and performance offered in these enclosures."
Antec's exclusive three-layer side and front panel design (aluminum, plastic, aluminum) in the P183 V3, and dual-layer design in the P193 V3, is retained to reduce noise and ensure Quiet Computing™, and offer excellent cooling capabilities. The P183 V3 also includes a double-hinged front door that opens to 270 degrees, external fan controls on the rear panel, rubber grommet ports on the rear to allow builders to easily mount external water-cooling hardware, and cable management behind the motherboard tray to reduce cable clutter.
Additional attributes of the P193 V3 include space for up to seven variable-speed fans, and features compatibility-enhancing attributes such as its unique power supply mounting option for both standard size power supplies as well as Antec's exclusive CPX form factor PSUs.
The Nine Hundred Two V3 and Twelve Hundred V3 build upon their predecessors and offer the gaming community an unrivaled combination of cooling and compatibility, delivering performance and convenience in mid-tower and full-tower gaming cases. The hard-hitting cooling systems of the Nine Hundred V3 and Twelve Hundred V3 utilize a top Big Boy 200™ blue LED cooling fan, two rear blue LED 120 mm fans and three front blue LED 120 mm fans to maximize airflow.
Additional features of the Nine Hundred Two V3 include built-in washable air filters (right in the front panel,) room for up to 10 drive bays and eight expansion slots for even greater versatility.
The Twelve Hundred V3 boasts 13 drive bays, space for graphics cards as large as 17.5," a perforated front bezel with washable air filters. Apart from standard size power supplies, the Twelve Hundred V3 can also accommodate Antec's CPX form factor PSUs.
The P183 V3, P193 V3, Nine Hundred Two V3 and Twelve Hundred V3 are available now for an estimated price of $179.95, $209.95, $159.95 and $209.95, respectively, through major retailers, e-tailers and distributors and are backed by Antec's Quality 3-Year (AQ3) limited warranty on parts and labor.
For up-to-date information and product videos, follow the official Antec Facebook page www.facebook.com/AntecInc or the official Antec blog at http://blog.antec.com. For official product videos please visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/watchAntecTV.
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GIGABYTE Releases 6 Series SATA Check Utility to Help Optimize Performance of P67 & H67 Motherboard
--GIGABYTE Releases 6 Series SATA Check Utility to Help Optimize Performance of P67 & H67 Motherboard--
City of Industry, California, February 03, 2011 - GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards and other computing hardware solutions, the news of the SATA 2.0 issues with Intel 6 series chipsets has sparked a lot of uncertainty about how this will affect those of us who upgraded to the new Sandy Bridge architecture. Essentially, if you're using 1 or 2 SATA devices then this chipset issue need not affect you at all because you can connect your devices to the 2 white SATA 3.0 ports. However, if you're using 3 or more SATA devices, you may want to prioritize your more important devices on the white SATA 3.0 ports (e.g. hard drive with your operating system on it) and the less important devices on the Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports (e.g. a DVD-ROM).
To help our customers optimize SATA performance on their 6 series motherboards, GIGABYTE has created an easy to use utility called the GIGABYTE 6 Series SATA Check that tells you if the SATA ports that you are using are in fact the affected Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports. It also recommends that you change your SATA devices to the white SATA 3.0 ports. The utility is a simple program that will work on any 6 series chipset based motherboard, and has 3 possible scenarios that offer different advice for users to configure their SATA devices. Please copy this utility to P67/H67 system's Windows desktop and unzip, double click the "67sfck.exe" file.
The 1st scenario is where there are no devices connected to the affected Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports, and the utility will let you know that your "SATA configuration (is) OK".
The 2nd scenario is where your devices are all connected to the affected Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports, and the utility will advise you to "(Please) move 1 or 2 devices from (the) Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports to the free SATA 3.0 ports.
The 3rd scenario is where you have devices connected to the affected Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports and the SATA 3.0 ports are also populated. Here the utility will advice you that "Use of (the) Intel PCH SATA 2.0 ports is not recommended".
The GIGABYTE 6 Series SATA Check utility will soon be available for download on the GIGABYTE website.
About GIGABYTE Upgrade Your Life
GIGABYTE, headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, is known as a global leading brand in the IT industry, with employees and business channels in almost every country. Founded in 1986, GIGABYTE started as a research and development team and has since taken the lead in the world's motherboard market. On top of motherboards and graphics accelerators, GIGABYTE further expanded its product portfolio to include notebook and desktop PCs, digital home entertainment appliances, networking servers, communications, mobile and handheld devices, servicing every facet of people's lives at home or business. Everyday GIGABYTE aims to "Upgrade Your Life" with the most innovative designs and impeccable quality and services. Visit www.gigabyte.us for more information.
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