IT-Code-News: IT News HeadLines (techPowerUp) 19/01/2011

Thursday, January 20, 2011

IT News HeadLines (techPowerUp) 19/01/2011

techPowerUp!

(PR) PNY launches new 4GB high density memory modules
Upgrade your laptop or desktop with some of the best high density memory modules on the market thanks to PNY's new DIMM DDR3 4GB 1333MHz and SODIMM DDR3 4GB 1066 MHz. Raising the bar for mid-range modules, PNY ensures that your PC's memory is given a proper boost and its performance is improved. Exceptionally fast, these 4GB components are also new to the PNY memory range.

(PR) Antec Introduces the Six Hundred V2 Gaming PC Enclosure
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 announced the Six Hundred V2, the latest addition to Antec's line of gaming cases. The Six Hundred V2 occupies the mid-range space, both in terms of price point and performance attributes, and is designed for gaming purists looking for simple gaming design.

The Six Hundred V2 is equipped with several new features, including a front-loaded 2.5" hot swap hard drive caddy (SSD compatible) which allows users to access and swap their drives quickly and easily from the front panel. The Six Hundred V2 also sports a CPU cutout for installation of after-market coolers, a cable management compartment for tidier routing and a windowed top panel for unique "moonroof" visibility.

(PR) Lian Li's Lancool Brand Launching First Knight Series
Lancool, maker of mid to high-end computer chassis for over twenty years, has launched three, new, mid-tower PC cases: the PC-K57, the PC-K59, and the PC-K63. Utilizing their affiliation with high-end chassis manufacturer Lian-Li, Lancool has designed all three of these PC cases with anti-vibration, tool-less installations of components, all-black SECC steel exteriors, and superior thermal performance capabilities, while providing exceptional aesthetic appeal.

Buffalo Intros Trio of Security-Enhanced USB Drives
Buffalo Technology released a trio of USB 2.0 flash drives that are an evolution of the RUF2-JVS series released last year. The series starts with RUF2-HSCLT, which gives you 256-bit AES data encryption. Next up, is the RUF2-HSCLTV, which gives you 256-bit AES data encryption, plus Trend Micro antivirus protection (update subscription) for one year. Lastly, there's the RUF2-HSCLTV3, which gives you encryption, plus Trend Micro with three years subscription. All three drives are available in capacities of 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 gigabytes, and depending on the model, the price ranges between US $76.6 and $360.

Source: TechConnect Magazine
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AMD Catalyst 11.1a Hotfix Update Driver Leaked
In the wake of impending competition from NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560Ti, AMD is busy fine-tuning its performance-segment offer. It is lowering prices of Radeon HD 6950 with the introduction of a new 1 GB variant, and reportedly working on Radeon HD 6870 "Turbo" models. Combined with the two, AMD is also planning a new driver which is out and out focussed on performance enhancements for Radeon HD 6000 series GPUs.

Catalyst 11.1a Hotfix introduces performance improvements specific to Radeon HD 6800 and HD 6900 series, in turn specific to games. One can expect performance improvements of up to 35% with Anti-Aliasing in some games. Catalyst 11.1a is also going to give users full control over the way the driver handles tessellation, allowing users to override applications' tessellation settings (much like AA and AF). In the future, there's also scope for an AMD-optimised tessellation setting that adjusts tessellation detail to give the best details with minimal performance impact.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst 11.1a Hotfix Update

A list of changes follows.
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HIS Intros Radeon HD 6850 IceQ X Series Graphics Cards
HIS started shipping two new models of graphics cards based on the AMD Radeon HD 6850 GPU, that use the company's in-house IceQ X design board and cooling solution. The two consist of a base model that sticks to AMD reference clock speeds, and a Turbo model that comes overclocked out of the box. The IceQ X cards use a standard length blue-colored PCB on which sits the IceQ X cooler. The cooler makes use of a slightly large aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by 8 mm thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes, which is centrally ventilated by a 92 mm fan. The cooler is covered by a frosty-looking shroud. The base model uses 775/1000 MHz (core/memory actual) clock speeds, and the Turbo model runs at 820/1100 MHz.

(PR) AMD Delivers the World's First and Only APU for Embedded Systems
AMD today announced immediate availability of the new AMD Embedded G-Series processor, the world's first and only Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) for embedded systems. The AMD Embedded G-Series, based on AMD Fusion technology, delivers a complete, full-featured embedded platform and incorporates the new low-power, x86 CPU based on the "Bobcat" core with a world-class DirectX 11-capable GPU and parallel processing engine on a single piece of silicon.

"AMD's commitment is to ensure the game-changing technologies we develop for consumers and the enterprise are also available for the vast and growing embedded market," said Patrick Patla, corporate vice president and general manager, Server and Embedded Division, AMD. "Today, we have a record number of embedded launch partners. They are using the unique advancements of the AMD Embedded G-Series APU to develop a brand new generation of highly differentiated, energy-efficient, small form-factor embedded systems that can deliver the vivid visual experience expected in our always-connected world."

(PR) TYAN Announces S8225 Workstation Motherboard Supporting AMD Opteron 4100 Series CPUs
TYAN, an industry-leading server platform manufacturer, and a subsidiary of MiTAC International Corp., announces the S8225 workstation motherboard. With support for two six-core AMD Opteron 4100 series processors and up to four double-wide PCI-E 2.0 GPGPU compute accelerators, the S8225 is ideal for graphics workstation and personal supercomputing applications.

"The S8225 workstation motherboard enables price sensitive customers to experience GPU computing performance," stated TYAN Director of Product Marketing, Kevin Hart. "The AMD Opteron 4100 series processors provide improved power efficiency at a lower cost."

(PR) V3 Gaming PC Announces Convoy Desktops with the 2nd Generation Intel Core Processors
V3 Gaming PC, manufacturer of high-end computer systems, has announced the integration of Intel's 2nd Generation Core Processor Family to their product line with the Convoy and Convoy 3DS Desktop Gaming Computers. Intel's latest processors, previously code-named "Sandy Bridge", offer several features that provide tangible performance benefits of their predecessors.

Among the benefits of the new processors is a more aggressive Turbo Boost 2.0, which will automatically overclock some of the processor's cores when the others are not in use. For those who desire a more traditional overclock, the Intel has launched K-series parts that can be overclocked through an unlocked multiplier to very impressive speeds. "We have managed overclocks exceeding 5.0GHz in our testing of the Intel Core i7-2600K processor," remarked Chuck Morris, System Engineer at V3 Gaming PC, "we've got some pretty incredible performance out of it too."

(PR) Eurocom Unleashes the Most Powerful 15'' Notebook on the Planet: The Eurocom Racer
Eurocom announces an addition to its already extensive line of fully configurable, performance based Mobile Notebooks with the EUROCOM Racer. This new model will feature next generation technology from ATI, Intel and NVIDIA and will support Intel's new seventh generation chipset platform, the Huron River HM 65. The EUROCOM Racer is expected to ship February 1, 2011.

The EUROCOM Racer will support up to a 100W GPU which will allow it to run up to an NVIDIA Geforce GTX 485M, AMD Radeon Mobility HD6970M or NVIDIA Quadro FX 3800M graphics solution. A major innovation in the EUROCOM Racer model is support for four memory modules which can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM. The EUROCOM Racer supports both DDR3-1333 and DDR3-1600 memory.

Cooler Master Ships 120 mm Turbine Master Fans
Cooler Master shipped its Turbine Master 120 mm series fans. As the name suggests, the fan has many blades (16 in number), shaped to look like an aircraft turbine. This design allows the fan to achieve high air flow at lower rotation speeds. The Turbine Master 120 is available in three variants based on rotation speed: Mach 0.8, that spins at 800 rpm, Mach 1.2 with 1200 rpm speed, and Mach 1.8 with 1800 rpm speed. Of these, only the 1200 rpm variant is out now, with the other two slated for a little later.

The Turbine Master 120 Mach 1.2 with its 1200 rpm rotational speed pushes 56.5 CFM of air with a rated noise output of 21.1 dBA. The fan uses a round frame with holes for 120 mm spacing, with both rubber and metal screws bundled. The motor uses a barometric ball bearing with a high lifespan. It uses standard 3-pin fan input, but a Molex to 3-pin cable is bundled. The impeller is detachable to help clean better. The Cooler Master Turbine Master 120 Mach 1.2 fan is priced at US $16.

Source: TechConnect Magazine
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(PR) WD Expands Line of SAS Hard Drives for Enterprise Applications
Western Digital, a leader in the desktop, mobile, high-capacity enterprise and consumer markets for hard drives, today announced the availability of its second-generation WD S25 SAS drives (photo) and its latest WD RE SAS 3.5-inch drives for the traditional enterprise market. Shipping now, the 2.5-inch, 10,000 RPM, WD S25 with SAS 6 Gb/s interface hard drives offer IT professionals ultra-reliable and efficient, high-performance storage with new 450 GB and 600 GB capacities. The WD S25 line, including the previously released 147 GB and 300 GB capacities, is designed for mission-critical server and storage systems.

Also shipping now to OEMs, the new 3.5-inch, 7,200 RPM, WD RE SAS with 6 Gb/s interface hard drives offer 1 TB and 2 TB capacity points, and represent a key addition to WD's expanding enterprise product portfolio. The WD RE SAS drives mark an important commitment to the expansion of WD's SAS portfolio for high-capacity data center storage, storage area networks (SAN), network attached storage (NAS), direct attach storage (DAS), networked surveillance systems and cloud storage.

(PR) Silicon Power Unleashes 32 GB MicroSDHC Memory Card
Due to the global fervor of smart phones, the upsurge needs of mobile storage is inevitable. Silicon Power- the world's leading manufacturer in the flash memory industry releases today (Jan 18), its super-large capacity of 32GB microSDHC Class4 memory cards to fulfill all needs of worldwide consumers. Aimed at the needs of entertainment for mobile users, the super-large 32GB microSDHC memory card is perfect for your content-rich devices.

Silicon Power has broken the limits of technology by increasing the capacity to 32GB, adding more convenience for the user. While smaller than a finger nail, this micro SDHC memory card has an extremely high data storage capacity, it can store over 9000 photos, nearly 500 minutes of full HD videos, more than 6000 songs and thousands of files. No matter you are holding a digital camera, smart phone, ebook reader or photo frame, 32GB micro SDHC is all you need for a colorful streaming life.

NVIDIA GeForce 266.58 WHQL Driver Suite Released
NVIDIA released its latest version of GeForce software suite, the unified package that installs GeForce drivers, PhysX system software, 3D Vision software, HDMI audio driver, and related system software. Version 266.58 released by NVIDIA is WHQL-signed and available for all current versions of Windows. All GeForce GPUs from 6-series onward, and ION series, are supported. Version 266.58 WHQL installs PhysX system software v9.10.0514 and HDMI audio driver version 1.1.13.1. In terms of performance improvements, 266.58 WHQL introduced a number of game-spcific performance improvements for GeForce 400 and GeForce 500 series GPUs. SLI profiles were added and improved for several games.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 266.58 WHQL

A list of changes follows.
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MSI GeForce GTX 560 Ti Twin Frozr II Pictured, Listed
One of MSI's first graphics cards based on NVIDIA's upcoming GeForce GTX 560 Ti GPU got listed on a European store. The N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II OC from MSI features the company's iconic Twin Frozr II GPU cooler, paired with the GTX 560 Ti GPU, overclocked out of the box at 880 MHz core and 1050 MHz (4.20 GHz GDDR5 effective) memory, against reference speeds of 820 MHz core and 1000 MHz (4.00 GHz) reference.

The Twin Frozr II, used on several MSI graphics card models till date, uses a dense aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by 8 mm thick heatpipes, ventilated by two 80 mm fans. MSI claims this cooler to keep the GPU up to 20°C cooler compared to NVIDIA reference cooler. It is currently listed at Â€280.33, but one can take this pricing with a pinch of salt, as pre-release prices tend to be a little higher.

Source: XtremeSystems Forums
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1 GB Radeon HD 6950 to Cost US $279
Priced point of US $279, AMD's new 1 GB Radeon HD 6950 stands testament to the competitiveness AMD left for itself in the performance segment, a crucial market segment. AMD's Radeon HD 6950 with 1 GB of memory will be launched by partners soon, along with 1 GB Radeon HD 6970. The two will compete with NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 560Ti which is slated for 25th of this month.

The new Radeon HD 6950 was able to shed $21 of its price by halving its memory amount. The original 2 GB version sells for an average $300. The 1 GB cards use eight 1 Gbit memory chips over a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. Memory clock speeds and bandwidth remain unchanged. Apart from memory amount, partners will most likely use cost-effective board and cooler designs. Apart from the HD 6950, AMD will also introduce "Turbo" variants of the Radeon HD 6870, which will feature very high GPU core clock speeds.

Source: X-bit Labs
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(PR) ECS H67H2-I Brings New Lifestyle for Home Entertaining Enthusiasts
Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) is delighted to introduce the latest Intel based mini-ITX motherboard Â– ECS H67H2-I motherboard, designing to support the 2nd generation Intel Core processors and redefining home theater PC of the new era.

ECS has been very experienced and professional at Research & Development of small form factors motherboards, and we have envisioned that there will be a growing trend for HTPC. At both CeBIT & Computex exhibitions in 2010, ECS H55H-I was the first HTPC platform of mini-ITX form factor; it definitely caught visitors' attention among all similar categories. ECS H55H-I motherboard has successfully fulfilled product differentiation from the origins and ECS H67H2-I motherboard definitely will break the record in 2011. ECS H67H2-I motherboard continues carrying the advantages of space-saving, power-efficiency and surely brings much more vivid 3D visual experience as it supports amazing GPU O.C capability along with features of blu-ray HD playback and 3D gaming experience.

(PR) Active Media Products Debuts 22-Caliber Silver Bullet Shaped USB Flash Drive
Active Media Products, a leading manufacturer of SSDs, DOMs and USB drives, today launched a 22-caliber silver bullet shaped USB 2.0 flash drive. "The Bullet-2 drive is the ultimate USB drive because it is rugged, reliable, waterproof, dustproof, small enough to comfortably fit on your keychain, and is a classical icon of form", stated Active Media Products VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson.

The Bullet-2 is AMP's second style of bullet shaped USB drive. Both Bullet-1 and Bullet-2 models are encased in air tight aluminum enclosures that protect all data from harsh environments such as water, snow, sand and dust. Bullet-1, in gold color, is shaped like a 50-caliber bullet, while the silver-colored Bullet-2 is in the form of a 22-caliber shell.

(PR) Zalman Announces HDD Enclosure with Virtual Drive Feature
Zalman announced its first external HDD enclosure. Unlike any other External HDD enclosures, we have spiced it up with world's first virtual drive function on ZM-VE200. Now, end users do not need to carry around uncomfortable CD/DVDs. All they need to do is simply extract ISO image from the CD/DVDs and store them in the ZM-VE200. ZM-VE200 comes with the LCD that displays the list of the ISO files that have been loaded. Then they can install various OS / software by user's choice with faster USB connection. Also with its stylish slim design will definitely attract customers to take anywhere they go.

(PR) SanDisk Announces SDHC Card Featuring UHS-I Technology
SanDisk Corporation, the global leader in flash memory cards, today introduced the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-I card. The card features Ultra High Speed (UHS) technology from the newly released SD 3.0 specification and achieves up to 45 MB/sec read and write performance with long-term reliability by distributing data rapidly and efficiently using SanDisk's proprietary Power Core Controller.

"SanDisk has a long history of developing fast, highly reliable cards for photography enthusiasts and professionals," said Susan Park, director, retail product marketing, SanDisk. "Our new SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC card lets consumers take their skills to the next level by capturing high-resolution still images, fast-moving action shots and HD videos of the highest quality."

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti Graphics Card Pictured
Here are the first pictures of a Gigabyte branded NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti graphics card. Carrying the model number GV-N560OC-1GI, Gigabyte's card is based on the 40 nanometer GF114 GPU, featuring 384 CUDA cores, and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory. The card itself doesn't look much different from some of Gigabyte's GTX 460 graphics cards. This can be attributed to the rumor that GF114 is pin-compatible with GF104, to minimize R&D costs partners have to incur. They would probably just have to use the new GPU and its appropriate BIOS.

Being an "OC" marked model, Gigabyte's card could feature factory-overclocked speeds. Taking this and the GPU itself into account, Gigabyte claims its GTX 560 Ti card to be competitive with Radeon HD 6950. The card uses Gigabyte's Ultra Durable VGA construction which combines a copper-rich PCB with high-quality components, and is cooled by the company's in-house design WindForce2X GPU cooler that uses a large aluminum fin heatsink using two fans.

Update (01/18): Gigabyte commented on this article. The company outright denied to have anything to do with whatever is in those pictures, and alleged it to be some kind of a "malicious attack" on it. In a statement, it said: "the information is false and the data is simulated from our old card. The picture is incorrect and was obviously photoshopped from our previous GTX460 model. The GTX560 card looks nothing like pictured on the article. We have good reason to believe this is a malicious attack."

Source: Escdigi.Taobao.com
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(PR) Transcend Upgrades SSD Lineup with Latest Advanced Controller
Transcend Information, Inc., a global leader in storage and multimedia products, today announced the launch of its upgraded 2.5" solid state drives (SSDs). Built on a faster and newer controller, the revamped SSDs provide random read speeds of up to 40MB/s, resulting in significantly faster system boot up and application launch performance.

The newly released SSDs are available in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities. Thanks to their use of the new advanced controller chip and 64MB of built-in DDR2 DRAM cache memory, the new SSDs feature sequential read and write speeds up to 260MB/s and 240MB/s, and random read/write speeds of 40MB/s and 27MB/s. This dramatically improved performance not only reduces average system boot times, but also offers stutter-free response and stability for netbooks, notebooks, high-end gaming PCs and industrial computers. Users can also take advantage of their cool, noiseless operation to enjoy the perks of silent and practical computing.

(PR) Transcend Announces StoreJet 35T3 USB 3.0 External HDD
Transcend Information, Inc., a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, today introduced the StoreJet 35T3, its latest 3.5" external hard drive featuring the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface. The black, sleek-looking StoreJet 35T3 delivers real-world transfer rates of up to 130 MB/s, offering dramatically enhanced external storage performance for today's speed-conscious users.

As technology marches forward, large files generated by modern devices such as digital cameras and camcorders can quickly fill an internal hard drive and slow the computer down. Designed for users with high-capacity requirements, the StoreJet 35T3 not only offers an enormous 2TB of storage space for large files, but also supports the next-generation USB 3.0 standard that boosts data transfer rates up to 130MB/s in real world testing-fast enough to transfer an entire DVD movie in a mere 30 seconds. Instead of wasting time transferring gigabytes of files and data to an ordinary USB 2.0 drive, users now have a much faster and easier way to store their digital content.

Toshiba Intros 3D-ready Dynabook T551 15.6-inch Notebook
Toshiba released its latest stereoscopic 3D ready notebook in Japan, the Dynabook T551. This 15.6-inch notebook is driven by Intel's Huron River (Sandy Bridge mobile) platform, consisting of Intel Core i7-2630QM quad-core processor clocked at 2.00 GHz. Up to 8 GB of memory can be opted for, 4 GB being standard. Graphics duties are assigned to NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M GPU with 1 GB of dedicated memory. The 15.6-inch screen offers native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. 3D viewing requires putting on 3D glasses.

Other features include an almost full keyboard with number pad cluster, 750 GB of hard drive based storage, a Blu-ray drive that supports BD-3D, and a webcam. Connectivity includes USB 3.0, WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, and HDMI 1.4a to extend the display. Windows 7 Home Premium x64 is the OS of choice, and comes pre-installed. The company did not give out pricing details yet.

Source: Softpedia
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(PR) Axtremex Technology and IndieGrip Ship First 128 GB CompactFlash 600X Card
Axtremex Technology and their distributor, IndieGrip.com LLC, are proud to announce the immediate availability of the world's first 128 GB CompactFlash cards. While others have announced 128 GB CompactFlash cards, no one has announced or shipped a high performance 128 GB 600x card. The Axtremex Ultra DMA 128 GB 600x card supports up to 90 Megabytes per second Read Speed and up to 60 Megabytes per second Write Speed.

In addition Axtremex is announcing the availability of a very high performance 64 GB CompactFlash card. The Axtremex Ultra DMA 64 GB 600x Plus card supports with up to 90 Megabytes per second Read and Write Speeds. Both cards are built using premium memory chips and may be used in a wide variety of devices, such as audio recorders, video recorders, still cameras, and other devices that use CompactFlash cards. Of course not all devices will support these cards.

New Value 13-inch Dell Adamo Variant Surfaces
After giving its price-performance ratio a huge boost in late December, Dell introduced an even newer value variant of the Adamo ultra-slim ultra-portable notebook. The company's latest offer includes a 13.4-inch Adamo priced at US $799 ($100 less than the performance variant introduced last month), and driven by Intel Core 2 Duo SU9400 (clocked at 1.40 GHz), and 2 GB of memory. The 13.4-inch screen offers 1366 x 768 pixels resolution, and the chipset embeds Intel GMA X4500 graphics. Storage is care of a 128 GB SSD. Connectivity includes WiFi and Bluetooth. Other features include a 1.3 megapixel webcam. Windows 7 Home Premium x64 comes preinstalled.

FSP Group Unveils Aurum Series 80Plus Gold Certified PSUs
FSP Group, a channel brand distributor of reputed PC and server power supply manufacturer Fortron, unveiled its latest line of high-efficiency PSUs for PC enthusiasts. Named FSP Aurum (Latin for Gold), the PSUs are 80Plus Gold certified, with over 90 percent efficiency at all times. The first wave of Aurum series will consist of 400W, 500W, 600W, and 700W models. The PSUs use granite-touch casing which is starting to get common with high-end PSUs from manufacturers such as Enermax, Cougar, Cooler Master, etc.

The 400W and 500W models feature a double "Hybrid Synergy" 12V rail design, while the 600W and 700W ones feature a quad-rail design. A "Multiple Intelligence Ability" (MIA) chip keeps control over various performance and protection functions. The PSUs use high-grade Japanese capacitors to contribute to the efficiency. The PSUs are ATX12V v2.3 & EPS12V v2.92 compliant. A 120 mm fluid dynamic bearing fan keeps the units cool. The PSUs will be backed by a 5-year warranty. The FSP Aurum series will be officially released at the upcoming CeBIT event in early March.

Source: TechConnect Magazine
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Socket Pin Burnout Returns to Haunt LGA1155?
Last year, credible reports of a design defect with LGA1156 sockets made by a certain component manufacturer in particular, made headlines. Reviewers found that extreme overclocking using increase voltages, in test cases, caused certain pins of the socket to burn out, damaging both the board and processor. The defect was found to be caused by shorting between the pins and the socket causing tiny electrical arcs. Motherboard reviewer from TechReaction.net discovered that his Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD4 and GA-P67A-UD7 samples showed signs of socket burn. The publication is yet to receive a reply from the board manufacturer.

LGA1155 and LGA1156 are very similar in physical pin layout, chip package, and retention clips, although the pin-maps are significantly different. TechReaction comments that while only "extreme conditions" cause such pin burnouts, 24/7-stable overclocked settings could, over a period of time, create similar conditions. Only time, and extensive testing will reveal if burnouts are a cause for concern to enthusiasts.

Source: TechReaction
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(PR) MSI Announces New N500GTX Twin Frozr II Series Graphics Cards
Globally-renowned graphics card and mainboard manufacturer MSI today officially unveils its N500 series of graphics card featuring the award-winning Twin Frozr II Thermal Design. The Twin Frozr II Thermal Design has garnered unanimous praise from professional media and end-users for providing the best balance between cooling performance and lowest sound levels. With the Twin Frozr II cooler, noise output is reduced by up to 8.4dB (when compared to the reference design). More importantly, operating temperatures are reduced by up to 20°C versus other cooling solutions. Thanks to MSI Afterburner, unsurpassed clock speeds can be achieved with the combined features of the excellent Twin Frozr II Thermal Design and MSI's N580GTX and N570GTX GPU.

HIS Intros Radeon HD 6950 1 GB Fan Edition Graphics Card
HIS unveiled one of its first Radeon HD 6950 1 GB graphics cards. The HIS HD 6950 1 GB Fan Edition features AMD's high-end GPU with 1 GB of memory, and a cost-effective design that makes it competitive with upcoming GeForce GTX 560 Ti. HIS used its own design PCB that's shorter in length, and uses cost-effective VRM since the card isn't dealing with high-density 2 Gbit GDDR5 memory chips anymore. It uses a GPU fan-heatsink that uses a large fan to ventilate an aluminum fin array that cools the GPU and other components. the cooler is covered by a well-ventilated shroud.

That and the memory aside, other specifications are the same: the 40 nm Cayman GPU features 1408 VLIW4 stream processors, and connects to 1 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 256-bit wide memory interface. The core is clocked at 800 MHz, and the memory at 1250 MHz (5.00 GHz GDDR5 effective). HIS did not release pricing yet, but it will be well below the $300 mark.

(PR) Antec Unveils New Sonata IV Enclosure
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 announced the new mid-tower Sonata IV Â– the latest elegantly-silent addition to Antec's critically acclaimed Sonata line of Quiet Computing enclosures.

Re-designed from the ground-up, the Sonata IV builds on the Sonata legacy of Quiet Computing by combining the features and performance that enthusiasts demand with the highest standard of build quality. The Sonata IV is crafted to accommodate future component upgrades, with a USB 3.0 front panel port for faster data transmission and redesigned front bezel intake to maximize natural case airflow. This enclosure is also the first Sonata model to include an 80 PLUS certified 620W power supply with whisper-quiet 120 mm double ball bearing low-noise fan, giving users a near-silent, functional solution for the home, office or corporate workspace.

Gigabyte Intros Overclocked GTX 570 WindForce3X Graphics Card
Gigabyte released a new overclocked non-reference design GeForce GTX 570 graphics that makes use of its WindForce3X custom cooler. The GV-N570OC-13I from Gigabyte uses clock speeds of 780 MHz core and 1560 MHz CUDA cores, against reference speeds of 732 and 1464 MHz, respectively. The WindForce3X cooler keeps the beast cool. It makes use of a dense aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by a number of copper heat pipes, and ventilated by three 80 mm fans. The blue Ultra Durable VGA PCB by gigabyte makes use of top-quality components and 2 oz copper layer board. Other specifications are standard: 480 CUDA cores, and 1280 MB of memory across a 320-bit GDDR5 memory interface. Gigabyte did not give out pricing information.

(PR) Intel Reports Record Year and Record Fourth Quarter
Intel Corporation today reported full-year revenue of $43.6 billion, operating income of $15.9 billion, net income of $11.7 billion, and EPS of $2.05 - all records. The company generated approximately $16.7 billion in cash from operations, paid cash dividends of $3.5 billion, and used $1.5 billion to repurchase 70 million shares of common stock.

For the fourth-quarter, Intel posted revenue of $11.5 billion. The company reported fourth-quarter operating income of $4.3 billion, net income of $3.4 billion, and EPS of 59 cents. Fourth-quarter revenue, operating income, net income, and EPS were also all records. "2010 was the best year in Intel's history. We believe that 2011 will be even better," said Paul Otellini, Intel president and CEO.

Head-Direct Displays New HiFiman Headphones, Prototypes
Head-Direct had a lot with them to this years CES. On the in-ears side they had the RE-242s which is a brand new design that uses a 6 mm dynamic driver instead of the 10 mm driver in the RE-252s and RE-262s. The little new comer will be priced very reasonable according to the owner of Head-Direct and they sounded quite good at the show despite the fact that the booth across the aisle was demonstrating power tools. The RE-242s real force is that they are very small and thus you will be able to get a good fit with them almost no matter how odd the exterior part of your ear is shaped.

Another interesting newcomer at CES for Head-Direct was the HE-6P headphones, which are basically a more efficient version of the HE-6 headphones. The HE-6Ps can be run straight out of a normal portable device to OK results, tried it briefly with the iPhone 4 and was able to get the amount of volume needed. On the HM-801 with the new power module from Head-Direct the performance was better, albeit the listening situation was less than ideal the HE-6Ps will surely be a headphone to watch. Also on display was a balanced amplifier card for the HM-801 which was a prototype, unfortunately we did not get to listen to it.

Sleek-Audio Shows off Platinum Circumaural and SA7 In-Ear Headphones
Sleek-Audio announced their brand new circumaural headphones dubbed Platinum by 50 Cent. These headphones have integrated Kleer wireless system, and can be used with a regular cable as well. The prototype at CES 2011 was not functional, but the designed looked great. Sleek-Audio seems commited to use carbon fiber on all their high end models which looks quite good.

Sleek-Audio also debuted the all new SA7 dual armature in-ears which to these ears sounded good but slightly sibilant with the treble plus tip, unfortunately we never got to listen to them with the normal treble tip which we suspect would cure this completely. The SA7s feature an aluminum housing and the side covers are made from carbon fiber. Sound tuning wise these use the same system as the SA1s which means that the treble port screws on to the housing. Cable wise Sleek are still going for what looks to be the cable from the original SA6s even though this has gathered a lot of critique only for being too fragile.

Westone Shows off New Westone 4 In-Ear Headphones
Westone showed off their new Westone 4 in-ears at CES 2011. The Westone 4s has the exact same exterior dimensions as the Westone 3s but a completely different package inside. The 4-series in-ears uses an all new three way crossover designed by Westone. Like the name suggests the Westone 4s carry four balanced armatures, dual lows, single mid and high drivers. The sound of these new in-ears from Westone is somewhat like that of the Westone 3s but with a slightly more forward midrange and a little more highs as well.

The slight sibilance issue with the Westone 3s plus normal single flange tips seemed to be cured which is great because that really limited your tip selection for the 3s if you wanted optimum sound quality. Due to the tricky listening conditions at CES you will have to wait for our full review for further comments. Westone will begin shipping the Westone 4s shortly and they will come at a hefty price tag of $449.

GeForce GTX 560 called GTX 560 Ti and releases Jan 25th
About a decade ago when programmable shaders were new, NVIDIA identified its first graphics processors that used them under the GeForce 3 series and 4 series with the "Ti" marker (for example, GeForce 4 Ti 4800), to demarcate them from mainstream "MX" series, which lacked them (eg. GeForce 4 MX 440). Exactly a decade later, there are faint indications that NVIDIA is reintroducing the Ti marker. This was found out on close examination of a leaked 266.44 GeForce driver, which recognized an unreleased NVIDIA GPU as GeForce GTX 560 Ti. This baffles us. To begin with, this doesn't seem like a notebook GPU, second, we don't know of anything big in works at NVIDIA. One plausible explanation we can come up with is that NVIDIA is using "Ti" to simply make its GTX 560 SKU "look" presentable on paper, especially since the SKU may face competition from Radeon HD 6950 1 GB the moment it's released.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti is being introduced to restore competitiveness to NVIDIA in the sub-$270 "performance" segment, after it was depleted by AMD's introduction of the Radeon HD 6870 and Radeon HD 6850. With GTX 560 seeming imminent, AMD is preparing two new SKUs, Radeon HD 6950 1GB and HD 6970 1GB, which, coupled with cost-effective board designs, are expected to significantly drive down prices, restoring AMD's competitiveness in the crucial market segment. The GeForce GTX 560 Ti is based on new GF114 silicon, features 384 CUDA, a 256-bit GDDR5 memory interface, and core clock speeds of 820 MHz. The new SKU is slated for January 25th.

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