How to Install NVIDIA Drivers Guide
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ASUS ROG Orion Pro Gaming Headset Review
ASUS ROG Orion Pro Gaming Headset Review
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Details On NVIDIA's Upcoming GTX 770 Revealed
The specifications for the upcoming NVIDIA GTX 770 graphics card have been revealed. Unlike the GTX 780, which is based on the new GK110 architecture, the GTX 770 is based on the GK104 architecture like the previous generation. It is going be a rebranded GTX 680 with higher clocks. It has 1,536 CUDA cores and a core clock of 1,046 MHz, which goes up to 1,085 MHz with NVIDIA's GPU Boost 2.0. It will be available in two variants, one with 2 GB and one with 4 GB of memory, both with a memory clock of 7,000 MHz, which is paired with a 256-bit memory interface.
The card will need a 6-pin and an 8-pin PCIe power connector, and it has a TDP of 230 W. The cooler is apparently going to be the same as the one used on the GTX Titan, which should keep the card rather cool and quiet. Two DL-DVI, an HDMI, and a DisplayPort output has been fitted on the board, so it should work with most modern monitors.
Performance has been estimated to be anywhere from 10 to 20 percent faster than AMD's HD 7970 GHz Edition; though in some games, like Tomb Raider, Crysis 3, and Max Payne 3, the GTX 770 will be on par or a little faster.
A price has not been revealed yet, but it is expected to be around the same as the HD 7970 GHz Edition.
Source: Fudzilla
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NVIDIA Changes Pre-order Date for SHIELD to Today
The other day NVIDIA announced Project SHIELD has been renamed to just SHIELD, and would arrive next month for $349. Pre-orders were going to go live on May 20, with anyone subscribed to the SHIELD newsletter getting a headstart. However, it appears NVIDIA had a change in plan and opened up pre-orders to everyone starting today. Interested gamers can get the Tegra 4-powered Android handheld online at the SHIELD website or at Newegg, GameStop, Micro Center, and Canada Computers. A carrying case and custom lids can also be pre-ordered at the SHIELD website, with the case running $39.99 and lids (carbon fiber or glossy black) at $19.99.
NVIDIA's website lists the SHIELD will ship by the end of June, but again no solid date is mentioned. Each SHIELD includes a copy of Expendable: Rearmed and Sonic 4 Episode II THD to get your gaming started right away.
Source: NVIDIA SHIELD
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Polariton Laser Created
Lasers are a special kind of device and when they were first created, they opened a new world to scientists of many fields. Since that day they have evolved as techniques improved and new technologies replaced old. Now researchers at the University of Michigan have created a completely new kind of laser that technically is not a laser because of how different it is.
Originally 'laser' was not a word but an acronym standing for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. This new device however operates quite differently as it uses polaritons to generate the photons, instead of other photons. This technique was first proposed in 1996 and works by electrically exciting electrons to higher energy states, creating an exciton; an electron-hole pair. By carefully tuning the microcavity these excitons are in and subjecting them to a magnetic field, it is possible to couple them to a photon, making them into polaritons. What that translates to is that when the electron and hole recombine, they will release a photon of a specific frequency. This fails to meet the definition of a laser because one photon does not cause other photons to be released.
While it may not technically be a laser, it could eventually be used to replace them as it can operate using 1000 times less energy. Before we can see them being used in modern electronics and networks though, they will have to be redesigned to function at room temperature, as they currently require cryogenic temperatures.
Source: University of Michigan
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Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition
Another week has come to a close, and what better way to celebrate than with some reviews. Today we have a look at two different storage solutions, with one of them being a multipurpose device. The ADATA DashDrive Air AE400 Wireless Storage Reader and Power Bank combines a USB drive, wireless access point, card reader, and even a rechargeable power pack for tablets and mobile phones. Quite the multitasker, so check out the review to see how well it performs each one. Patriot's Supersonic Magnum flash drive only has one task, but its 256GB of storage and USB 3.0 connection means it can accomplish it very fast, to the tune of a 250MB/s read speed and 160MB/s write speed. Read both reviews below, as well as listening to the latest PC Perspective podcast.
Storage/Hard Drives
ADATA DashDrive Air AE400 Wireless Storage Reader and Power Bank @ Madshrimps
Patriot Supersonic Magnum Flash Drive @ Benchmark Reviews
Miscellany
Podcast #251 @ PC Perspective
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ECS Now Supports Intel 4th Generation Core Processors
ECS has announced a series of new motherboards with the Intel 8-series chipset targeted at the 4th generation of Core processors. The new boards will be available in the second quarter of this year in Pro, Deluxe, and Essentials models. "Pro series optimized for power computing, Deluxe series optimized for small office and home, and Essentials series optimized for home and multi-media." All of the boards will feature support for SATA 6Gb/s, PCI-E 3.0, and Thunderbolt. Also included in the new boards is ECS Durathon durability technology, ECS Hyper Alloy Choke technology, and 4-way video output.
Source: Press Release
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ADATA Announces DashDrive UV150
The newest USB 3.0 flash drive from ADATA, the DashDrive UV150, is a value priced solution with a pearlescent exterior in glossy black and scarlet. The drive weighs only nine grams and has room for a lanyard strap, making it a perfect drive to carry around with you. Transfer speeds up to 90MB/s will allow for fast data transfers. The DashDrive UV150 will be available in capacities of 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB.
Source: Press Release
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Analog Cellular Circuitry Created for Calculations
Some people believe that in the future, man will be melded with machine to overcome our weaknesses. While there are definitely some efforts being made on advanced implants and prosthetics, some are looking to combine electronics and organisms in a different way. At MIT researchers have modified bacteria cells to act as calculators with the ability to perform the five geometric operations as well as logarithms.
This is not the first time that cells have been modified to perform calculations, but unlike many of those previous experiments, the MIT bacteria are analog instead of digital, which comes with many advantages. Analog signals exist on a continuum, so one signal can carry quite a bit of information, compared to a single digital signal that is either 0 or 1. This allows for simpler circuits, such as the square root circuit which only has two parts, compared to the digital equivalent that has over 100. Another important advantage for analog circuitry is that cells already respond to analog signals, so the circuits could take advantage of existing mechanisms.
The researchers created their calculator from just three basic parts and are now working to develop more parts, to potentially create a library of parts to be used in cellular circuits. Eventually this could lead to more advanced molecular sensors, gene expression, as well as cellular computation and actuation.
Source: MIT
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Lian Li Unveils New Mini-ITX Case
Lian Li has unveiled a new case called the PC-Q30, for those who want something a little different, something aesthetic, or those that just want to show off. It is a curved, small form factor case that supports mini-ITX boards. The case is made of brushed aluminum with an acrylic window in the front to show off the internal components. "Whether in the living room, bedroom, or office, the PC-Q30 with its curve-shape and brushed aluminum finish takes visual command without being ostentatious," Lian Li explains.
A 140 mm fan is installed behind the motherboard and there is room for two additional 140 mm fans in the sides. The case comes with two expansion slots, four 2.5" hard drive slots, and an optional SFX power supply. The case allows PCIe cards to be 200 mm long, power supplies to be 125 mm long, and the CPU cooler can be up to 130 mm high.
Source: Lian Li
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New Type of Quantum Computer Successfully Tested
In many cases before a new technology emerged to conquer a market, it existed in a variety of forms with different advantages and disadvantages inherit to their separate designs and constructions. Quantum computers are currently going through this phase as new and fundamentally different architectures are made and tested. Researchers at the University of Vienna have recently built and tested a 'boson sampling' computer, which uses photons, a type of boson, and a complex optical network to perform calculations.
Photons, the quanta of light, are being considered for use in many quantum computer designs, thanks to the relative ease they can be made with and their very high mobility. The design the researchers created takes advantage of this mobility by putting them through a network with multiple paths available to the photons. While a classical particle will be limited to a single path, a quantum mechanical particle can enter a superposition and take multiple at the same time. By then counting the number of photons to exit each output of the network, the computer is able to complete a calculation.
This ability of quantum computers to utilize superposition gives them the power to perform computations that are nearly impossible with a classical computer. Ironically though, to confirm this boson sampling computer was operating correctly, the researchers needed a classical computer to verify the quantum computer's output.
Source: University of Vienna
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AMD Launches World's Fastest Notebook Graphics Card
Today AMD launched the world's fastest notebook graphics card, the AMD RadeonTM HD 8970M. AMD managed to pack 1,280 stream processors on the card with an engine clock of 850 MHz (900 MHz with Boost) and a memory clock of 1,200 MHz. This gives the card 2,304 GFLOPS of single precision compute power and 144 GFLOPS of double precision compute power. Despite these impressive numbers, it is more efficient than previous generations, so your battery should last longer while you conquer the battlefield. The card supports Eyefinity, OpenCL, GPU acceleration, and DirectX 11.1.
AMD has provided some numbers on how much better the HD 8970M is compared to NVIDIA's GTX 680M, and it is clear that AMD has stepped up their game this time. The HD 8970M churns out about 20 frames more per second in Battlefield 3, which is quite impressive. The system used for the comparison contained a Core i7 3770k, 4 GB of DDR3 1600 MHz RAM, a Seagate Barracude 7200.11 hard drive, and a monitor with a 1920x1080 resolution.
Source: AMD
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Hardware Roundup: Thursday Edition
We have just a couple of items for you to check out today, but each one should be something to consider. There's another look at the XFX R7790 Black Edition video card, complete with a custom cooler and a factory overclock to give the performance you need without frying the card. We also have a review on the Azza Silentium 920 case. This case comes pre-loaded with sound dampening materials and quiet fans, so it could be just the thing for a silent system.
Video Cards
XFX R7790 Black Edition 1GB @ Bjorn3D
Cases
Azza Silentium 920 @ ThinkComputers
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ASUS Shows Off Its New Color Scheme for the Intel Z87 Motherboards
When the Intel Haswell processors and the Z87 chipset arrive next month, ASUS is going to be sporting a new color scheme for its motherboards. Instead of the blue look past motherboards have had, the ASUS Z87 line will have a gold scheme to highlight the fact that ASUS delivers the gold standard in terms of quality, reliability, and performance. The heat sinks are going to catch your eye first, as they not only sport the new gold color but also a custom design for more surface area. That means improved cooling and better heat dissipation, which is vital for any system builder regardless of how much performance they are trying to get. The DIMM and PCIe slots, as well as the SATA ports, all get a nice splash of gold without being too in your face. Oh, and the black PCB provides a very nice contrast to the amount of gold.
As for what exactly ASUS has in store with its Z87 line, well, the Z87-DELUXE offers a huge variety of features and connectivity options as it sits at the high-end. Mainstream users can look toward the Z87-A, which packs in a ton of performance and ASUS features at a friendlier price point. There's also the Z87-PRO and Z87-PLUS for those who don't need all the top-end of features yet still want great performance. The Z87I-DELUXE offers "best-in-class" features and design in the Mini-ITX form factor. Those needing workstation reliability and features can look toward the Z87 WS, but the fun doesn't end there.
The ASUS ROG line (still decked in red and black) includes the MAXIMUS VI HERO, which brings the ROG brand to a more budget-friendly level; the MAXIMUS VI GENE and its microATX size, which also includes mPCIe Combo II for the latest M.2 (NGFF) SSD connectivity; and finally the big daddy MAXIMUS VI EXTREME, which ships with the ASUS OC Panel - "a real-time overclocking and system monitoring console that can be placed in a 5.25” drive bay or used externally." More ROG motherboards are planned, so try not to salivate too hard just yet.
ASUS is also bringing the TUF series into the Z87 fold, with the SABERTOOTH Z87 and the GRYPHON Z87, which is the first microATX TUF motherboard. Both of those feature Japanese-made 10K Black Metallic capacitors for 20% greater temperature tolerance and five times the lifespan of traditional capacitors. The SABERTOOTH features TUF components like Thermal Armor to aid with airflow, the TUF Fortifier backplate reinforcement, and the Dust Defender enclosures to protect the slots and ports from dust and debris. The microATX crowd isn't left out with the GRYPHON Z87, as owners can purchase the GRYPHON ARMOR KIT separately to deck it out with the Thermal Armor, TUF Fortifier, and Dust Defender.
There's still plenty of time to go before Intel reveals everything on its newest platform, but for now you can get an idea at what ASUS has in store for the launch. Pricing for the motherboards isn't known at this time, but expect that, and a release date, before long.
Source: Press Release
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Available Tags:NVIDIA , ASUS , Gaming , GTX , Hardware , Intel , AMD , Notebook , Motherboards ,
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