IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (AnandTech) 8/11/2014

AMD’s 5 GHz Turbo CPU in Retail: The FX-9590 and ASRock 990FX Extreme9 Review
While AMD’s FX-9590 CPU has been in systems for over a year, it suddenly comes to market as a retail package for end-users to buy with a bundled liquid cooling system. This 220W CPU that has a turbo speed of 5.0 GHz still sits at the top of AMD’s performance stack, despite subsequent improvements in the architecture since. We have decided to grab ASRock’s 990FX Extreme9 and an FX-9590 for a review to see if it still is the AMD performance CPU champion.

Best Desktops for Under a Grand

Following up on last week's Best Budget PC Guide, today we have midrange systems with roughly twice the cost. Of all the systems types to configure, the midrange market can be the most difficult. With budget systems you're often limited in what you can do by price constraints while at the high end the best components are usually pretty clear cut choices; for midrange builds there are many factors to consider. One of the core questions you always need to answer is: what do you want to do with the system? Office PCs will often have a different goal than something for a student, and there are many ways to adapt a particular system to fit the needs of the user. We have two configurations again, one AMD and one Intel, with optional graphics cards for those who want a system capable of handling the latest games. Let's start with AMD:

Midrange AMD System
Component	Description	Price
CPU	AMD A10-7850K (4x3.7-4.0GHz, 4MB, 95W, 28nm)	$170
Motherboard	MSI A88X-G43	$78
RAM	Team Vulcan 2x4GB DDR3-2133 CL10 1.65V	$78
Storage	Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB	$84
SSD	Crucial MX100 256GB	$109
Case	Fractal Design Core 3300	$63
Power Supply	Rosewill Capstone 450W 80 Plus Gold	$60
Subtotal		$642
GPU (Optional)	Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB	$190
GPU (Alternative)	Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB	$138
Total with GPU		$832

Right from the first component choice – the APU – we have plenty of things to consider. I've tailored the above build more towards performance than price or power, so the A10-7850K is really the only APU that makes sense. (You can make an argument for an AM3+ CPU like the FX-6300 or FX8320, but considering that platform has been around a while and is basically fading away I'm hesitant to recommend that route.) Besides the quad-core (dual-module) CPU portion of the APU, the 7850K has the full 512 core (eight Compute Unit) GPU. The A10-7800 is an option to consider at its $155 MSRP, but the only place I can find with the part in stock charges $166; for $4 more you might as well just go whole hog and get the 7850K. Dropping down to an A10-7700K will lose two of the GPU CUs and 200MHz off the CPU for $15, so it's also worth a thought, but if you don't need faster GPU performance you might as well go for the A8-7600 for $110 at that point.

For the rest of the system, the MSI motherboard has AMD's latest A88X chipset, we've selected DDR3-2133 RAM to provide increased bandwidth for the APU graphics, and the case is Fractal Design's latest Core 3300 (though you can use the case in the Intel build as an alternative). For storage, we've again included both an SSD for the OS and apps with a rather large 2TB HDD for mass storage; you could easily drop the HDD if you don't need that much storage, but for any modern system I simply refuse to leave out an SSD. The Crucial MX100 isn't the fastest SSD on the planet, but the price makes it incredibly attractive. Finally, the power supply may be overkill for the base build, but having some power to spare means adding a graphics card is always an option.
Speaking of graphics cards, while the APU graphics will do fine for most tasks and even light gaming, if you want to be able to play most games at 1080p with medium or higher detail settings, a dedicated graphics card is required. Here we've listed two options: NVIDIA's GTX 750 Ti (Maxwell) card and AMD's R9 270X card. The AMD card is faster and costs more, and it also uses a lot more power; if you want 1080p with high quality settings in most games, that's the card to get (and it's reflected in the price of the system with the GPU). NVIDIA's GTX 750 Ti on the other hand uses less than 75W and doesn't even require a PCI-E power adapter, and it can still run most games at medium to high settings and 1080p. Either GPU is certainly worth considering, at least if you want to play games – and if you don't, just get the core system and you can always add a GPU at some future date.

Midrange Intel System
Component	Description	Price
CPU	Core i5-4590 (4x3.3-3.7GHz, 6MB, 84W, 22nm)	$200
Motherboard	ASRock Z97 Anniversary	$90
RAM	ADATA 2x4GB DDR3-1866 CL10 1.5V	$77
Storage	Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB	$84
SSD	Crucial MX100 256GB	$109
Case	Antec Three Hundred Two	$64
Power Supply	Rosewill Capstone 450W 80 Plus Gold	$60
Subtotal		$684
GPU (Optional)	Sapphire Radeon R9 270X 2GB	$190
GPU (Alternative)	Zotac GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB	$138
Total with GPU		$874

The Intel system this round ends up costing about $50 more than the AMD setup, thanks to a more expensive CPU and motherboard. There are ways to keep the prices closer, but overall the i5-4590 strikes a good balance of price and performance. It's about $25 less than the slightly faster i5-4690 but only around 3-5% slower, and unless you plan on overclocking it should offer everything you need. As we discussed in our recent CPU State of the Part, looking at overall system performance Intel's processors make a lot of sense for those that want a faster system.

The motherboard this time comes from ASRock and features Intel's latest Z97 chipset, and for the RAM we elected to go with a 1.5V kit of DDR3-1866 memory. While faster memory can help with the processor graphics on AMD's APUs, for Intel's CPUs the HD 4600 is usually limited by other factors than bandwidth. The same caveats about the storage components apply here as well, but if you're looking for alternatives the Samsung EVO 840 250GB is generally slightly faster than the Crucial MX100 while costing about $20 more.
The case for our Intel setup is an Antec Three Hundred Two, which is another popular option. Optional graphics choices can add a boost to gaming performance if you need it, but again a faster GPU could easily be added later on. If you're sure you won't want to add a dedicated GPU later, you can also save money on the PSU by going with the 300W Seasonic we used in our budget PC guide.
On either system, it's of course possible to go for a smaller micro-ATX case and motherboard. The prices are typically comparable and these days the only thing you're really sacrificing are expansion options, but considering many people don't run anything more than a hard drive and SSD along with a GPU, you really don't miss much. For mATX cases, you might like the Rosewill Line-M or Silverstone SST-PS07B. As far as mATX motherboards, the ASRock Z97M Pro4 would work well for the Intel platform, or for AMD the Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H will even save you a few bucks compared to the MSI board we listed above.
As before, we've elected to leave out the OS, keyboard, mouse, and display; these are all commodity items and most people have existing accessories they can carry over from an old PC. You can always use a free OS like Ubuntu or some other flavor of Linux, whereas Windows will generally add $100 to the total. As far as displays go, I'm a sucker for larger displays and I've been using 30" LCDs for most of the past decade – one of the best investments I've ever made in terms of computer hardware! For a good midrange display, I'd give serious consideration to the 27" 2560x1440 panels that start at around $300; if you don't want something that large (or expensive), there are also plenty of 23-24" IPS/VA displays for around $150.
Finally, let's quickly talk about pre-built systems and why I don't generally recommend them. Really, it comes down to one thing: the refusal of the big OEMs and system builders to deliver a competitively priced desktop that includes at least a good quality 250/256GB SSD (or even a 128GB SSD). $500 will get you a Core i5 or AMD A10 processor, 4-8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, and whatever case and power supply the OEM uses. Generally speaking, you get fewer features, lower quality parts, and a less attractive design – but you do get a valid Windows license along with a low-end keyboard and mouse.
We could easily take the above systems and remove the SSD and drop down to a 1TB HDD to save $140. Using lower quality motherboards can shave off another $30-$50. Wrap things up by using a cheaper case and power supply (another $50 saved) and guess what you have: a less desirable system for one, with a base price of $450 or so. Buy a Windows license and you basically have the equivalent of a pre-built system.
It's not that OEM systems are necessarily terrible, but it's the age old story: you get what you pay for. I for one would much rather have a decent SSD, motherboard, case, and power supply. You can pay a system integrator to put something together as well, but even then your choice of parts is often limited and the prices are typically higher than if you DIY.

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WD Red Pro Review: 4 TB Drives for NAS Systems Benchmarked
A couple of weeks back, Western Digital updated their NAS-specific drive lineup with 5 and 6 TB Red drives. In addition, 7200 RPM Red Pro models with 2 - 4 TB capacities were also introduced. We have already looked at the performance of the WD Red, and it now time for us to take the WD Red Pro for a spin. In our 4 TB NAS drive roundup from last year, we also indicated that efforts would be taken to add more drives to the mix along with an updated benchmarking scheme involving RAID-5 volumes. The Red Pro gives us an opportunity to keep our word. Read on for our comparison of 10 different 4 TB hard drives (both consumer NAS-specific, as well as nearline units) targeting the NAS market.

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Revisiting SHIELD Tablet: Gaming Battery Life and Temperatures

While the original SHIELD Tablet review hit most of the critical points in the review, there wasn't enough time to investigate everything. One of the areas where there wasn't enough data was gaming battery life. While the two hour figure gave a good idea of what to expect in terms of the lower bound for battery life, it didn't give a realistic amount of time for battery life
One of the first issues that I attempted to tackle after the review was battery life performance in our T-Rex rundown when capping FPS to ~30, which was still enough to exceed the competition in performance, and avoid any chance of throttling. This also gives a much better idea of real world battery life, as most games shouldn't come close to stressing the Kepler GPU in Tegra K1.

By capping T-Rex to 30 FPS, the SHIELD Tablet actually comes quite close to the battery life delivered by SHIELD Portable with significantly more performance. The SHIELD Portable also needed a larger 28.8 WHr battery and a smaller, lower power 5" display in order to achieve its extra runtime. It's clear that the new Kepler GPU architecture, improved CPU, and 28HPm process are enabling much better experiences compared to what we see on SHIELD Portable with Tegra 4.
The other aspect that I wanted to revisit were temperatures, I mentioned that I noticed skin temperatures were high, but I didn't know what they really were. In order to get a better idea temperatures in the device, Andrei managed to make a tool to log such data from on-device temperature sensors. Of course, the most interesting data is always generated at the extremes, so we'll look at an uncapped T-Rex rundown first.

In order to understand the results I'm about to show, this graph is critical. As ambient temperatures were lower (15-18C vs 20-24C) when I ran this variant of the test, we don't see much throttling until the end of the test where there's a dramatic drop to 46 FPS.

As we can see, the GPU clock graph almost perfectly mirrors the downward trend that is presented in the FPS graph. It's also notable that relatively little time is spent at the full 852 MHz that the graphics processor is capable of. The vast majority of the time is spent at around 750 MHz, which suggests that this test isn't pushing the GPU to the limit, although looking at the FPS graph would also confirm this as it's sitting quite close to 60 FPS throughout the run.

While I was unable to quantify skin temperature measurements in the initial review, battery temperature is often quite close to skin temperature. Here, we can see that battery temperatures (which is usually the charger IC temperature) hit a maximum of around 45C as I predicted. While this is perfectly acceptable to the touch, I was definitely concerned about how hot the SoC would get under such conditions.

Internally, it seems that the temperatures are much higher than the 45C battery temperature might suggest. We see max temperatures of around 85C, which is edging quite close to the maximum safe temperature for most CMOS logic. The RAM is also quite close to maximum safe temperatures. It definitely seems that NVIDIA is pushing their SoC to the limit here, and such temperatures would be seriously concerning in a desktop PC, although not out of line for a laptop.
On the other hand, it's a bit unrealistic for games not developed for Tegra K1 to push the GPU to the limit like this. Keeping this in mind, I did another run with the maximum frame rate capped to 30 FPS. As even the end of run FPS is over 30 FPS, showing the FPS vs time graph would be rather boring as it's a completely flat line pegged at 30 FPS. Therefore, it'll be much more interesting to start with the other data I've gathered.

As one can see, despite performance near that of the Adreno 330, the GPU in Tegra K1 sits at around 450 MHz for the majority of this test. There is a bit of a bump towards the end, but that may be due to the low battery overlay as this test was unattended until the end.

In addition to the low GPU clocks, we see that the skin temperatures never exceed 34C, which is completely acceptable. This bodes especially well for the internals, which should be much cooler in comparison to previous runs.

Here, we see surprisingly low temperatures. Peak temperatures are around 50C and no higher, with no real chance of throttling. Overall, this seems to bode quite well for Tegra K1, even if the peak temperatures are a bit concerning. After all, Tegra K1 delivers immense amounts of performance when necessary, but manages to sustain low temperatures and long battery life when it it isn't. More importantly, it's important to keep in mind that the Kepler GPU in Tegra K1 was designed for desktop and laptop use first. The Maxwell GPU in NVIDIA's Erista SoC is the first to be designed to target mobile devices first. That's when things get really interesting.

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More X99 Teasers: GIGABYTE’s X99 Gaming G1 WiFi

The summer months are usually some of the quietest in the tech world, however motherboard manufacturers seem to be keen to release preview images of the upcoming X99 platform. Next in line is GIGABYTE with its X99 Gaming G1 WIFI. As GIGABYTE’s new gaming line is still gaining a foothold, synchronizing the GPU and Motherboard gaming ranges, the color scheme is a combination of red, black, white, grey and some green for audio.

The X99 Gaming G1 WIFI looks like it comes in at the top end of the range, featuring a full 4-way PCIe layout with 8 DIMM slots. We see 10 SATA 6 Gbps ports, two of the SATA with SATA Express which is complemented by the M.2 slot in the middle of the PCIe slots. The M.2 area also houses a mini-PCIe slot which contains the WiFi module, with the antenna connected via the rear panel next to the rear audio. It looks like that the M.2 and WiFi modules can be used at the same time along with GPUs however we might test if we get the motherboard in. The heatsinks are all connected via heat-pipes low to the motherboard to avoid conflict with other devices.
While we cannot see the rear IO, the bottom of the motherboard contains two USB 3.0 headers, two USB 2.0 headers and a thunderbolt header. The audio looks like a Sound Core 3D combined with filter caps, PCB separation, an EMI shield on the codec, an audio gain switch and a switchable op-amp. The top right of the motherboard houses several buttons and switches for dual BIOS/selectable BIOS functionality, along with voltage read points, a power switch and a two-digit debug. The extra power for the PCIe slots is provided by SATA power next to the SATA ports.
I would imagine the Gaming G1 WIFI to be nearer the top of GIGABYTE’s X99 launch range, but we will have to wait until launch day to see some full specifications and pricing.
Source: GIGABYTE Tech Daily

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NEC EA244UHD Review
The NEC EA244UHD is the first UltraHD (UHD) monitor from NEC. While it's not from their professional line, it has many of the features we've come to expect in their monitors: uniformity compensation, a wider color gamut but also sRGB and AdobeRGB support, and many user configurable settings. It also has a few things NEC has never done before including SpectraView calibration support on an EA-series model and full USB 3.0. Read on for our full review.

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ADATA Officially Launches XPG Z1 DDR4 Memory

Given that the supposed release date of DDR4, according to a pre-order listing which suggests it is almost three weeks away, DRAM module manufacturers are slowly initiating press releases to tie in with which products they will be releasing. This is good news for the rest of us, as we will get to see what timings and pricings to expect when the full release happens. Today it is ADATA launching some of its higher performance kits under the XPG Z1 branding. If you followed our Computex coverage, you will notice a striking similarity to the modules we saw on display at ADATA’s booth.

Aside from the regular quotes about reducing the voltage from DDR3’s 1.5 volts to 1.2 volts, ADATA is stating that its XPG Z1 range will offer speeds up to 2800 MHz with timings of CL 17-17-17, all within the 1.2 volts standard. The press release would also seem to suggest that ADATA is equipping these modules with a plug and play system, by stating ‘the SPD of XPG Z1 allows direct application without changing settings in the BIOS’. I am going to follow up with ADATA to find out what they mean by this, whether it will be plug and play or they are just referring to JEDEC.
The XPG Z1 design uses the angular heatsink tapering to a point, which underneath uses a 10-layer PCB with 2-oz copper layers. The heatsink is in direct contact with the ICs, and if the past serves me correctly this is mostly likely via an epoxy that is hard to remove.
The full list of kit capabilities is listed at ADATA’s website. Kits will be available in dual (2x4/2x8) and quad (4x4/4x8) channel variants, all in red to begin with, using the following speeds:

DDR4-2133 15-15-15 (CAS/CL = 142)
DDR4-2133 13-13-13 (CAS/CL = 164)
DDR4-2400 16-16-16 (CAS/CL = 150)
DDR4-2800 17-17-17 (CAS/CL = 165)

No pricing information as of yet, but given ADATA’s previous press releases, we usually get it around two weeks after the kit being announced.
Source: ADATA

Gallery: ADATA Officially Launches XPG Z1 DDR4 Memory

MSI’s Next Haswell-E Teaser: X99S Gaming 9 AC

The increase in leaks and teasers regarding X99 makes for some compelling reading. Shortly after showing off their X99S SLI PLUS on Facebook, a couple of Gaming 9 AC renders seem to have been posted as well. The X99S Gaming 9 AC, as the name suggests, represents the top member of MSI’s gaming motherboard range if previous range identifiers are to be continued. Along with the 802.11ac support, the board looks like it will have eight DDR4 slots, five PCIe slots with SLI and Crossfire supported, an M.2 slot up to 2280, SATA Express, ten SATA 6 Gbps ports, eight USB 3.0 ports, upgraded audio and a Killer E2200 series network interface.

Right in the middle of the motherboard is a feature called ‘Streaming Engine’, which is plugged into what looks like a mini-PCIe slot. Current internet chatter is wondering if this is some new proprietary feature from MSI, or something akin to onboard WiDi allowing video streaming without wires. MSI is remaining tight lipped until the full release.
It is interesting to see SATA Express and M.2 on X99, and we are still in the dark as to whether these features have shared bandwidth via the PCH due to Intel RST limitations or can be used concurrently.
Pricing is unknown, and will most likely be in the higher echelons of the X99 price bracket in. If MSI is going to release an X99 XPower type of motherboard, it will be either the XPower or the Gaming 9 AC that would be the most expensive.
Source: MSI US Facebook

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ROCCAT Integrates Keyboard and Smartphone: The Skeltr

Alongside the Nyth, ROCCAT is also announcing another hybrid technology at Gamescom in the form of a keyboard called the Skeltr. The purpose of the Skeltr is to bring the smartphone as an add-on device for the keyboard, allowing apps to be developed that integrate with either the game being played or the on-screen action.

I remember importing one of the original Logitech G15 models from the US almost a decade ago. I had the original black-and-white model, and used the display mostly for Battlefield 2 / 2142 at the time. I must say that with all due respect, I did not use it that much. There was not much time while playing to glance down at the display to see what was going on, although I did look at it between rounds to see the extra statistics it had collected. The concept of the Skeltr is perhaps a step beyond this, allowing users of any smartphone to have an interactive (key word there) integration with their game.
The keyboard will speak to the smartphone via Bluetooth, and use a sliding rail with a rotating holster fit to enable any size smartphone or tablet. This second screen will also allow the user to take calls, receive and make texts and other normal smartphone uses through the keyboard.

The initial issue I found with the Logitech G15 might rear its ugly head here: lack of app availability. It took a while before third-party developers were able to make interfaces for my favorite games back for the G15, but I believe ROCCAT might have more luck. Depending on whether users program using the proprietary ROCCAT application language or Android/iOS itself, the most popular games should be covered quickly by ROCCAT themselves or third-parties. With a full color display and direct interactivity, it might be a step forward as well.

The motherboard itself will feature RGB lighting (on a keyboard wide basis, not per key), a small selection of macro buttons and audio outputs. There is no indication if this is a mechanical keyboard as yet.
Currently ROCCAT is only showing their prototypes at Gamescom later this month, and release dates/pricing will be announced later this year.
Source: ROCCAT

Gallery: ROCCAT Integrates Keyboard and Smartphone: The Skeltr

ROCCAT Announces the Nyth Semi-Modular Mouse

The world of gaming peripherals is a tricky one. There are plenty of standard off-the-shelf peripherals that will do the basic job. In order to create a brand away from the cheap or ultra-cheap, each peripheral company has to add value to their product and introduce the feel of premium quality. This might mean using exotic materials, special lights, custom designs/aesthetics, or offer something that someone else cannot. ROCCAT believes it is doing something along those lines with their new Nyth MMO mouse.

The mouse is designed around the concept of semi-modular system. If a user does not like the side-button arrangement, or it does not work with their particular game, then it can be changed. With the wealth of MMO mice on the market with fixed button arrangements, ROCCAT is attempting to offer a mouse which can be configured in terms of buttons and applications on a per-game basis, allowing the device to extend beyond its initial MMO design origins towards FPS or RTS.

One would assume that the device uses laser optics, although there is no indication whether the weight is adaptable as well. It seems that the device will only come in a wired version, and significant customization for each title will be performed via the included software.
The Nyth MMO mouse will be on display at Gamescom later this month, with a full release later in the year. The price for the mouse or any add-ons has yet to be announced.
Source: ROCCAT

Gallery: ROCCAT Announces the Nyth Semi-Modular Mouse

LG G3 Finally Launches in China But Will be Sold Online Only
Device is nearly twice the price of China's top smartphone, the Xiaomi Mi4; iPhone 6 and Galaxy Note 4 loom

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China to Require Real Names for Chat Apps
It's not 100 percent clear how China will enforce these new regulations

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Report: 63% of [In-Store] Smartphone Shoppers Were Pushed Towards a Samsung Device
Samsung gets plenty of love from wireless carriers

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Microsoft Preps Lumia 730 "Selfie-Phone", Debian Red Firmware
Previous model was a solid seller for Nokia Devices

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Quick Note: Windows Phone Store Surpasses 300,000 Apps
It added 100,000 apps in six months

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Samsung Gear Solo Smartwatch Can Make/Receive Calls, Launches Next Month
Samsung Gear Solo will launch at IFA 2014 in Berlin

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Google, Yahoo Working Together on Encrypted Email Tool
It will use PGP encryption

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EDITORIAL: Microsoft Turns in Child Predator in Penn., Internet Critics Cry
Failing to compare anonymous image fingerprints protects only one group of customers -- child predators

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GM to Bring More Diesel Vehicles to U.S. Market Despite Laggard Cruze Diesel Sales
GM expects rapid diesel adoption through 2020

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Edward Snowden's New Residence Permit Allows Another 3 Years in Russia
He could apply for Russian citizenship in five years

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Windows 9 Ditches Charms, Adds Virtual Desktops, Fall Public Preview Prepped
Windows 9 will be a major overhaul of the Windows 8 user interface, as change list continues to expand

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Microsoft Looks to Open NYC Retail Store on Fifth Ave.
Maybe it could help Surface sales

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T-Mobile Beats Sprint in Prepaid Subscriber Numbers, John Legere Ribs New Sprint CEO
It now has 15.64 million prepaid customers

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Second Generation Chevrolet Volt to Bow at 2015 Detroit Auto Show
GM hopes to reduce its costs to produce the Volt by up to $10,000 with the all-new model

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BMW Aiming for a 400+ Pound Reduction on Next Generation 7-Series Sedan
BMW's next 7-Series will make heavy use of aluminum and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic

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Sunday, August 10, 2014

IT News Head Lines (AnandTech) 8/11/2014

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