IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 17/08/2012

Ask the Experts: Should I upgrade my Core i5 750 processor for 1080p gaming?
Another question has been asked in our Ask the Experts section, this time from Anos who is based in India.

Q: I am currently running GTX 560 ti OC SLI with an I5-750 at 3.5ghz, is it time to update my processor or still hang on as i only game at 1920 and its all pretty smooth for now

A: You can view the answer to this question here.

DriverTT: AMD Catalyst 12.8's are now available
AMD have just released a tasty version of their Catalyst drivers, version 12.8. The biggest gem in this driver is most likely going to be the Windows 8 support, which includes AMD's first logo certified and unified driver for Windows 8 production. This includes:

AMD's first official unified and logo certified driver for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista
Target-Independent Rasterization (TIR): TIR is a new rendering path that enables superior anti-aliasing in Direct3D driver applications
Native Stereo 3D Support: Windows 8 natively supports stereoscopic 3D gaming and videos via compatible applications
Unified Video API: Video playback has been integrated into the DirectX® 11 API, enabling simultaneous video and gaming content. Transcoding performance may also be improved for supporting applications.
Optimized screen rotation for rotation aware devices
Improved sleep/resume performance
Optimized GPU power consumption

Major technologies / features also supported under Windows 8:

AMD Eyefinity technology
OpenCL
OpenGL
Unified Video Decoder (UVD)
AMD Dual Graphics
AMD CrossFire technology
AMD Overdrive
AMD Catalyst Control Center
Vision Engine Control Center

There's also some performance improvements with Catalyst 12.8 when versed against Catalyst 12.6:

Up to 25% in Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Up to 3% in Battlefield 3
Up to 6% in Batman: Arkham City
Up to 3% in Dues Ex: Human Revolution
Up to 6% in Crysis 2
Up to 15% in Total War: Shogun
Up to 8% in Crysis Warhead
Up to 5% in Just Cause 2
Up to 10% in Dirt 3

AMD haven't stopped there, they've also released the latest Catalyst Application Profile: AMD Catalyst 12.7 CAP 3 (to be used with the new Catalyst 12.8 drivers). This has now included The Secret World (DX11) which resolves some corruption issues when running CrossFire on the HD 7000 Series. TorchLight 2 seems some improvements in single GPU performance, and disables CrossFire due to some compatibility support when running a multi-GPU config. Spec Ops: The Line gets some improved CrossFire performance, and finally, Hawken receives "improved" CrossFire performance.

There's the usual bug fixes and resolved issue highlights of Catalyst 12.8:

Over/underscan settings are correctly restored on system reboot
Audio is no longer disabled if the connected HDTV Is switched off/on
Shogun 2 : Flickering text is no longer experienced
Star Wars - The Old Republic : In game cinematic no longer experience flicker when using the arrow keys
Dirt Showdown: 8-Ball track No longer hangs with Crossfire enabled
Max Payne 3 : A black screen is no longer observed when launching game in DirectX 11 mode with Crossfire enabled

And lastly, AMD have included Linux support for Ubunutu 12.04 production support.

MPEG releases draft for a new video codec, H.265, would halve video bandwidth
The Motion Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) has released a new draft which should see the release of a new video codec, H.265. The proposed High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) looks to save on space by up to 50% of the current MPEG-4 H.264 standard, with its aim of reducing the amount of bandwidth used by online video applications, making room for more.

mpeg_releases_draft_for_a_new_video_codec_h_265_would_half_video_bandwidth

A group of 450 people met in Stockholm during July in order to approve the new codec, which if adopted, would see double the amount of TV channels broadcast, all in the same amount of spectrum. Per Fröjdh, chairman of the Swedish MPEG delegation and manager for Visual Technology at Ericsson Research has said it will "have an enormous impact on the industry", and rightly so. He also notes that it is currently predicted that video could account for "90 percent of all network traffic" by 2015.

Fröjdh also believes that the new HEVC format could see a launch in the commercial product space as soon as next year. Apple would hopefully be an early adopter in H.265, as they were in H.264. Nokia and Microsoft also recommend H.264 as an alternative to plugins for video in the HTML5 specification. We should hear more about H.265 over the coming months.

The above screenshot has Qualcomm showing off some H.265 tech that squeezes a video into close to half the file size. Impressive.

Microsoft has banned the name 'Metro' from its own Windows Store
Developers who submit a Windows 8 app to the Windows Store using the word 'Metro' will "fail certification". This is a move from Microsoft that will see the Metro name die a horrible, horrible death. A recent change to the "Naming your app" instructions appears despite the heavy use by Microsoft of the term elsewhere.

This means that developers are now having to rebrand their apps in order to pass the new, stricter, non-Metro requirements. One big example is Windows-based Twitter client, MetroTwit, which already has a great following, and it now risks losing users when they go through a now required name change.

This is a big change, and its getting so close to the launch of Windows 8 I fear the Microsoft may be poisoning the Windows 8 name by this huge tectonic shift in renaming Metro, and the domino effect its having on developers, and their apps. Time will tell, I guess.

DayZ project lead wants the game on consoles
It all started out as a mod for ArmA II, but it looks like DayZ might be headed for consoles in the near future. Project lead Dean Hall "really hopes" DayZ is successful enough to justify a console-based version of the game.

Hall spoke with Joystiq at Gamescom, which is happening right now in Cologne, Germany, where he said that the only problem with DayZ, is that it needs to be successful enough to justify a console version. He said:

You're not going to put it on the consoles if you're only going to sell 100,000 units or something like that. DayZ will be driven by its PC development and it will innovative on that. And, once we're at a point, we'll take it and do a Mac version, 360 and PS3.

When pushed if he was talking to any console developers, he says "we're meeting with them here". I don't see why there wouldn't be a console release, but with the constant updates to the game, and the heavier requirements of the ArmA II engine, I suspect it might hit next-gen consoles, or there'll be a watered down version of the game on current-gen consoles, when, and if it hits.

MSI GEFORCE GTX 660 Ti 2GB Power Edition Video Card Review

Introduction

Much to the horror of NVIDIA and a number of their partners, we had the opportunity to look at the new GTX 660 Ti GPU in both stock form and overclocked form well ahead of the official launch today. Today we look at our first retail sample based on the new GPU and that comes from MSI in the form of the GTX 660 Ti 2GB Power Edition.

Being a Power Edition video card our approach would be to overclock this bad boy, but because it's the first retail GTX 660 Ti that we've received, we want to see just how this model compares out of the box compared to the reference clocked version we looked at the other week. Once we've done that we'll revisit the card in another article that will be published soon and see just what the Power Edition name brings to the table when it comes to achieving an overclock and how it differs to the overclock we got out of the reference card.

As always, though, we've got a number of things to do before we get into the performance side of things at stock speeds and the first piece of information we'll be looking at is the package which will also give us a chance to cover some of the main features that are on offer. Once we've done that we'll move onto the card itself to see what is going on with the cooling side of things before we look at the specifications of the model to see just what kind of clocks this model comes with when compared to the reference NVIDIA clocks.

Then it will be time to get into the testbed, cover the cards that we'll be using in our graphs today and then get into the performance of the new model. As mentioned, though, let's first take the time to look at what's going on with the package here today on the MSI GTX 660 Ti 2GB Power Edition.

Package

Looking at the front of the box we can see that we've got the typical Power Edition color scheme. Opening the flap up you can see MSI expand on some of the information. With highlights on the Triple Overvoltage features; probably one of the larger standouts for the Power Edition cards along with the Military Class components. We can also see a couple of the other highlights here include an Enhanced PWM design and of course MSI Afterburner support.

As we move to the bottom half of the box you can see we get a glimpse of the card itself and MSI move the focus to what exactly the Twin Frozr IV cooler is capable of with its dual 80mm fans, multiple heatpipes, High-Density heatsink and nickel-plated copper base to name just some of the features. Turning the box over goes into some mode specific details in regards to the GTX 660 Ti itself. We'll cover this information a little later on when we move into the specification side of things.

Finally the last thing we need to look at before we move onto the card is the actual bundle. We really don't have heaps going on with the normal line up of paperwork and driver CD present. Along with that we've got a single DVI to VGA connector and two dual Molex to 6-pin PCIe power connectors to round everything off.
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Razer Announces the DeathStalker Ultimate - The World's Smartest Keyboard
Razer, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, set a technological benchmark today with the release of its new Razer DeathStalker Ultimate gaming keyboard, featuring Razer's award-winning Switchblade User Interface (UI).

The Switchblade UI on the Razer DeathStalker Ultimate is the same acclaimed, customizable LCD trackpad and LED keypad combo introduced on the Razer Switchblade concept, which can currently be found in production on the Razer Blade gaming laptop and the Star Wars: The Old Republic gaming keyboard. This unique interface transforms gaming keyboard functionality into a customizable control panel with 10 dynamic, adaptive tactile keys that can be used to bind commands, macros, skills and spells for an unparalleled in-game competitive advantage. Each key can display any image by using Razer's Synapse 2.0 software, offering gamers the smartest keyboard on the market.

The LCD panel below the keys is capable of two modes. The first setting displays critical in-game information, such as damage dealt and heals-per-second on the new Star Wars: The Old Republic Battle Logger application, or countdown timers that keep track of in-game events with the Razer Gamer Timer application. This display also allows for intuitive multitasking, running external applications like YouTube and most social media platforms, which allows gamers to stay connected to the world by instantly updating their status for friends and followers to see, all on the LCD panel.

The second mode of the panel functions as a highly sensitive, multi-touch trackpad with intuitive gestures built-in, offering an alternative method of navigating games or PC desktops.

The Razer DeathStalker Ultimate features an anti-ghosting infrastructure of up to 10 keys in game mode. Users may actuate as many keys as they have fingers, and have them all register accurately and swiftly in-game.

Powered by Razer Synapse 2.0, the world's first cloud-based storage software, the Razer DeathStalker Ultimate automatically saves all of a user's custom settings and profiles for the gaming keyboard on a cloud server. These settings can then be accessed from any computer, with any Razer DeathStalker Ultimate, to ensure the keyboard is instantly ready for use.

"With the Switchblade UI on the Razer DeathStalker Ultimate, we wanted to offer gamers an enriching and intuitive gaming experience built for total game control," said Robert "RazerGuy" Krakoff, president of Razer USA. "We continue to work closely with independent software vendors to integrate the API of their games on the Switchblade UI, so that you can see more of the game as you play. I'm excited that we are making such cutting-edge technology available to gamers everywhere, and look forward to bringing more game-specific apps."

In addition to the revolutionary Razer DeathStalker Ultimate, Razer also introduced the Razer Deathstalker gaming keyboard. The Razer DeathStalker maintains a standard keyboard layout, replacing the Switchblade UI with a numpad instead. The Razer DeathStalker features the same unique design and features of the Razer DeathStalker Ultimate - a 10-key anti-ghosting infrastructure, chiclet-style keycaps, and Synapse 2.0 support.

About the Razer DeathStalker Ultimate gaming keyboard

Experience a revolutionary and innovative level of gaming immersion and control with the Razer Deathstalker Ultimate gaming keyboard, designed with Razer's award-winning Switchblade User Interface. It features 10 fully programmable dynamic, adaptive tactile keys and an LCD panel capable of two modes: one for displaying critical in-game information, and another that serves as a highly sensitive trackpad with natural gesture recognition built-in, making the Razer DeathStealker Ultimate the world's smartest gaming keyboard.

An anti-ghosting infrastructure of up to 10 keys over the entire keyboard ensures no key is left behind as you orchestrate your multi-key press of destruction. The Razer Deathstalker Ultimate is also Razer Synapse 2.0-enabled, and has customizable multi-colored backlit keys to give this hardcore gaming keyboard a personalized look.

Price: US $249.99 / EU €249.99

Features

4.05" touch screen able to run widget apps

Track pad with gesture support

10 dynamic display keys with 80hz response time

Chiclet style key caps

Tri-colour backlit keys

1000Hz Ultrapolling

Fully programmable keys with on the fly macro recording

Razer Synapse 2.0 enabled

Dedicated Gaming mode

5 additional macro keys

Anti-ghosting capability for up to 10 simultaneous key presses

Braided fiber cable

Fixed wrist rest

For more information about the Razer Deathstalker Ultimate, please visit the product page.

Hauppauge Introduces HD PVR 2 Game Recorder
Hauppauge Digital, Inc., the world's leading developer and manufacturer of TV tuners and HD video recorders, has launched their latest high definition video game recorder, HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition at the Gamescom, Cologne, Germany. HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition will have a list price of £159.99 and features high definition HDMI and Component video recording up to 1080p/30, plus HDMI 'no delay pass-through' so gamers can record their game play while playing on a TV monitor.

The HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition is a complete kit for gamers who want to record their Sony PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 game-play in high definition. HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition has near perfect video quality and records HD video from either HDMI or Component video at up to 1080p/30. Gamers can share their best video game-play with friends on YouTube by using the included Showbiz application to record and then upload videos to YouTube. HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition allows any user to produce their own video movies from their game-play. All cables necessary to record game-play, including HDMI in and out cables plus a special PS3 Component video cable are included.

The best HD game recorder yet

HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition includes a pro-quality HD video encoder so gamers will get the best video quality when they record game play. All recordings are in H.264, which is the video format used to make HD Blu-ray discs. To make installation easy, HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition has "no delay" HDMI pass-through. This means that gamers can connect HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition between their game console and a HD TV set using HDMI and play their games on the HD TV set live without any delay.

HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition comes with Arcsoft ShowBiz, which has a record and YouTube upload button to make posting game recordings onto YouTube easy.

AVADirect Now Offers Intel CAP08, 21.5" Full HD LED LCD All-In-One System
At a time when simplified systems are at all time demand, AVADirect emerges to provide a state-of-the-art, touch-screen enabled, all-in-one system for individuals seeking a more high-end side of spectrum. The Intel CAP08, 21.5" Full HD LED LCD all-in-one system is ready to provide a simplistic solution to those who don't want to mess with a tower, monitor, keyboard, and mouse in space restricted areas. The Intel CAP08, 21.5" Full HD LED LCD all-in-one system boasts a variety of features, such as a Built-in Mic and card-reader, speakers, and wall-mount ready VESA chassis. It houses the INTEL, DQ77KB, LGA1155, Intel® Q77 thin mini-ITX motherboard, capable of utilizing support processors, SODIMM RAM kits, and PCI-E 1x low-profile add on cards. All backed by Intel's standard 2-year limited warranty. Hurry to purchase yours today, before they're all gone!

To build your very own Intel CAP08, 21.5" Full HD LED LCD all-in-one system click Intel CAP08, 21.5" Full HD LED LCD all-in-one System at AVADirect.com

To view all all-in-one systems we carry click All-In-One Systems at AVADirect.com

New SAPPHIRE HD 7950 gets Vapor-X Cooler Dual BIOS and performance features
SAPPHIRE Technology has just added a new HD 7950 Vapor-X model to its successful series of high performance graphics cards based on the latest GCN (Graphics Core Next) architecture from AMD.

The SAPPHIRE HD 7950 3GB Vapor-X Edition shares many of the features of the recently announced industry-leading HD 7970 Vapor-X Editions, but at a more affordable price point. With the versatile output configuration of Dual-link DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI and DisplayPort it is ideally suited to multi-screen gaming as well as providing the performance required for demanding professional applications such as content creation, video editing or rendering.

On its standard settings, the SAPPHIRE HD 7950 Vapor-X Edition engine clock runs at 850 MHz with 3GB of the latest DDR5 memory clocked at 5000 MHz effective. When the Dual BIOS button is operated, the base clocks are the same but the PowerTune Dynamic Boost is enabled allowing the clocks to rise to 950 MHz or more on the engine. The fan profile and PowerTune limit is also changed to performance settings. In addition, users will be able to individually tune the card with SAPPHIRE TriXX, the company's free to download software tool that allows key parameters to be adjusted for maximum performance.

The Vapor-X cooler on this model is based on a new vapor chamber designed especially for this series. Heat is carried away by four heatpipes (2 x 8mm plus 2 x 6mm), and finally dispersed by two 90mm fan with aerofoil blades and dust repelling bearings. The Vapor-X cooler easily handles the heat generated from the HD 7950 Vapor-X Edition quietly and efficiently even under extreme load conditions.

The SAPPHIRE HD 7900 series Vapor-X Editions are based on AMD's Graphics Core Next architecture and support all the latest demands of multi-screen applications, multi-threaded Application Acceleration with stream processing, fast HDMI support for high resolution and stereoscopic 3D displays and all the Direct Compute features incorporated in the latest operating systems.
All trademarks acknowledged.

Further information at http://www.sapphiretech.com

Razer Unveils e-Sports editions of DeathAdder mouse and Goliathus mouse mat
Razer, one of the world's pioneering supporters of e-Sports, along with Counter Logic Gaming, MOBA pro-gaming juggernauts, are releasing a special edition Razer DeathAdder mouse and Razer Goliathus mouse mat. Emblazoned in the team's iconic logo and colors, fans of the fearsome elite team will get the same game performance boosting features CLG pro-gamers use to cinch countless victories.

Counter Logic Gaming's massive contributions to the e-Sports scene in recent years, including exciting live-streamed matches, a well-managed online platform and serious ownage in tournament circuits, have made them immensely popular amongst e-Sports fans. Counter Logic Gaming was crowned Razer Team of the Year 2011 after a voting amongst the Razer community, a title not easily awarded in a pool of more than 30 top competitive e-Sports teams.

"We're happy to give back to a team that gives so much to the community. Not only is it fun to watch 'HotshotGG' and the rest of his team tear up the MOBA tournaments on live-stream, they also share their strategies and encourage discussions on forums for the betterment of gamers everywhere," said Robert 'RazerGuy' Krakoff, president of Razer USA. "Both the players and fans will get to wear the CLG banner on their peripherals with pride."

"This is the stuff dreams are made of," said George "HotshotGG" Georgallidis, pro-gamer, Counter Logic Gaming. "To have CLG win Razer's Team of the Year award and have our logo featured on their products is a milestone honor and a truly surreal experience. I'd like to thank Razer and all of our fans for making this a reality. You are what enables and drives us to play harder and achieve more so that we may rightly receive your overwhelming continued support!"

The Counter Logic Gaming Razer Goliathus and Razer DeathAdder e-Sports Edition are both available for purchase from Razerzone.com and clgaming.net.

About the Razer Goliathus e-Sports edition mouse mat
Engineered to exceed the exacting demands of the world's top professional gamers, the Razer Goliathus e-Sports edition is now better and stronger with an anti-fraying stitched frame for extended durability. Retaining its slick speed-enhancing surface that blends high acceleration with razor-sharp responsiveness and unyielding control, the competition-grade Razer Goliathus e-Sports edition perfectly balances glide and resistance suitable for all playstyles and mouse sensitivity setups.

Price: USD$19.99/ EU €19.99

Availability:
Razerzone.com and clgaming.net store - Aug. 14, 2012

Product features:

Slick cloth weave for unbridled speed and effortless control
Anti-fraying stitched frame extends mat durability
Pixel-precise targeting and tracking
Exclusive team design
Size: 355 mm (length) x 254 mm (width) x 3 mm (height)
Rubber base for a secure grip on smooth surfaces
For more information about the Razer Goliathus e-Sports edition, please visit http://www.razerzone.com/clg-goliathus

About the Razer DeathAdder e-Sports edition mouse
The Counter Logic Gaming Razer DeathAdder e-Sports edition was made after CLG was named Razer Team of the Year 2011. This limited edition mouse is a testament to their contributions in the e-Sports scene. It's their weapon of choice delivering a combination of comfort with its right-handed ergonomic form factor and unbridled gaming precision with its 3500 dpi Razer Precision 3.5G infrared sensor.

Price: USD$69.99/ EU €69.99

Availability:
Razerzone.com and clgaming.net store - Aug. 14, 2012

Product features:

3500 dpi Razer Precision 3.5G infrared sensor
Ergonomic right-handed design
1000 Hz Ultrapolling / 1 ms response
Five independently programmable Hyperesponse buttons
On-The-Fly Sensitivity adjustment
Always-On mode
Ultra-large non-slip buttons
16-bit ultra-wide data path
60-120 inches per second and 15g of acceleration
Zero-acoustic Ultraslick mouse feet
Gold-plated USB connector
Seven-Foot, lightweight, braided fiber cable
Approximate size: 128 mm (length) x 70 mm (width) x 42.5 mm (height)

System Requirements

PC / Mac with USB port
Windows 7 / Windows Vista / Windows XP or Mac OS X (v10.4 and above)
Internet connection (for driver installation)
At least 35 MB of hard disk space
For more information about the Razer DeathAdder e-Sports edition, please visit http://www.razerzone.com/clg-deathadder

Available Tags:AMD , Catalyst , Microsoft , Windows , MSI , GEFORCE , GTX , Keyboard , Intel , SAPPHIRE ,

Friday, August 17, 2012

IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 17/08/2012

Introduction

Package

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