[H]ardNews 3rd Edition

Watercooling Done...Wrong?

This is were it probably all went wrong, and I can say without a doubt that this product stinks. First things first, when I switched on the device, the pump wouldn't react, so there was NO waterflow what so ever. If you would have installed this, and you weren't entirely sober, you would probably find yourself shopping for a new cpu."

X600 Hardware Monitoring:

It is not in English, but you will get the idea...especially if you own a SiS Xabre600 card.

[H]ardNews 1st Edition - Merry Christmas!

AMD or Intel?

Once you finish arguing with drunk relatives, you always have the option of heading over to ViperLair debating with them on that age old question of which CPU to use. This is a follow-up to their original editorial.

Both companies allow for relatively easy overclocking, but AMD does provide more flexibility. Although both AMD and Intel lock in their multipliers, it is possible to unlock an AMD processor by connecting the bridges. Overclocking is a free way to gain some extra performance, and as a lot of 2400+ reviews have shown, it is a very overclocking friendly CPU.

MS Sees the Sun:

Sounds like it will be time for Java again as earlier mentioned, but just in case you missed it. Thanks Scout Bender.

WASHINGTON — In a significant victory for Sun Microsystems Inc. in its long-running battle with Microsoft Corp., a federal judge yesterday ordered Microsoft to take steps to give its rival a better chance of competing in the emerging market for personal computer platform software.

ATI Interview:

Terry Makedon has the bright interrogation lights on him over at the DriverHeaven Forums.

Mandrake Linux:

This is a review of a fairly popular flavor of Linux OS that many of you will find at home on your desktop.

Today we are looking at Linux Mandrake, a relative newcomer but which has picked up a large user base through the years which keep its development alive and well. The first version of Mandrake was based on Red Hat which is a fine distro in itself. The makers wanted too keep all that was good with Red Hat and get rid of all the bad, such as using KDE instead of GNOME as default desktop. Over the years, though, it has changed from simply being Red Hat repackaged into a separate distro in its own right. However if you dig deep enough you can still see the Red Hat roots but we are not really interested in that.

[H]ardNews 3rd Edition

Festivus Is Upon Us:

No matter what flavor you take your holiday in, we here at the [H] hope you have a good one. Remember to unplug and spend some time with the family that you love so much. And if you don't love them, then at least pretend you do. Trust me on this one.

So merry Christmas, good Kwanzaa, happy Chanukah, or whatever blows your religious skirt up. For you nonbelievers out there, hey, you just got a freebie day off. w00t!!1

SiS & UMC Buddy Up:

According to the chipmakers, to ensure the best interests of their clients, SiS and UMC decided to form an alliance. In addition to mutual technology licensing, the two companies will cooperate in production capacity and process technology in the future. Details of the agreement will be released shortly.

While this at first may not seem like much, this could actually have a huge impact on the chip business. With SiS and UMC teamed up (to what extent we do not know though), we could possibly see some serious competition brought to TSMC? Anyone? Anyone?

More Fab News:

In a somewhat related story, EETimes is talking about the Fab biz on this Christmas Eve Day as well. While this is not exactly gamer or enthusiast news, it is a nice peek into what goes on behind the scenes.

The foundries have sound reasons for wanting to be at the receiving end of the funnel. As they prepare to shift to 90-nanometer process design rules, many chip designers will have no choice but to purchase more third-party IP to complete their designs.

AOpen Tube Plays Dressup:

Thomas DesRochers sends us a link over that shows us that AOpen is getting wise to blue LEDs. This could not be aimed at all those guys with windows in their cases!

Nothing more stylish than combining the light gentle blue with heart-felt tube sound that brings you an enjoyable audio environment. Stiff impression PC might have brought you, but definitely not the motherboard with our BlueTouch!

We first showed you this board back in June from the floor of Computex. After the whoopla over the pictures died down we have heard little about the board.

Barton in English:

Cynic, over in the FlickerDown forums has translated the 2500+ Barton review that was posted in Chinese a couple days ago. The boost in L2 cache seems to give about 5% or so performance increase. Also, this is an interesting note that is new to me on changing the stock FSB. Thanks Chris.

Evil NVSantas:

Hey, we don't make this stuff up! Thanks St. Nick.

[H]ardNews 2nd Edition

DIY TeleZapper:

Give the gift that keeps on giving! Something to run off those telemarketers with is here and it is almost free if you already have an answering machine. Thanks Chefboy!

The TeleZapper is a device that plays the first tone in the three tones that precede the telephone company's historic "This number has been disconnected" message. Most telemarketing predictive dialers listens for that tone, and when it is present the dialer assumes the number is disconnected, The result is, the telemarketing dialer will immediately disconnect and delete your phone number from it's data bank list.

2400s In the GWNorth:

In this corner we have the 2400+, and in the other corner we have the 2.53GHz Pentium 4. They fight to the death at OCersClubCanada.

This once again proves that clock speed alone is not the more important factor in determining the overall performance of a processor.

CPL Shuts Out id and Intern'l:

I had a talk with Angel Munoz. He told me that the spring event is 99.9% going to be UT2k3...He said Quake 3 was 100% not going to be the game played. The reason behind this is that ID wants to charge the CPL to use their game for the event (because they see the CPL as a competitor to Quakecon). Angel said that he will never have anything to do with exchanging money between his organization and a developer.

I guess it is OK for the CPL to take tens of thousands of dollars out of BYOCers pockets (an estimated US$45,000.00 at this last event) and then take all that sponsor cash, but when it comes down to paying a company for making a great game and paying for using it for your own gain; that is out of the question. Also it seems that you fraggers from outside North America are going to have to pony up some coin simply to qualify for this "international" event as qualifiers will not be held outside the USA.

MS Goes After PDF:

Analysts said Microsoft's move onto Adobe's turf is overdue.

Whodathunkit? Thanks Fam Money.

[H]ardNews 8th Edition

MS Loses To Sun:

MS was ordered to distribute Java with their OS as part of a lawsuit filed by Sun Microsystems. Even though this no doubt just tickles Sun, I am sure this is not the end of this if MS has anything to say.

U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz handed down a preliminary injunction at the request of Sun Microsystems that will force Microsoft to carry Java. He said Microsoft had "leveraged its PC monopoly to create market conditions in which it is unfairly advantaged."

Clear Case Review:

Blynk.Net has a review of the latest acrylic case to hit the market. The case itself is pre-assembled with front mounted USB ports and pre-installed hardware ( buttons and lights ). Certainly a better deal than those more expensive kits that you have to assemble yourself. Personally I am still a big fan of the original clear cases from Clearview.

Linux Guide:

Hardware Accelerated has posted a Linux Guide today. There is a brief synopsis of each flavor of Linux to help you make a more informed choice.

Linux has over a hundred different offerings, each with it’s own strengths and weaknesses. What’s right for an organization or corporate environment may not be suitable for home use. This guide offers a short description of the qualities that each major distribution can provide.

[H]ardNews 7th Edition - Blair Tech Ed.

Clockless Computers:

Hardly anything inside a computer would seem to be more basic, or more necessary, than the processor "clock"—the little crystal oscillator whose rhythmic ticks ultimately regulate everything the computer does. Indeed, we often define computers by their clocks, as in, "I just bought a 2-GHz PC." Yet clocks aren't necessary for the workings of digital devices, and some researchers predict that clock-regulated circuits will increasingly give way to clockless, or asynchronous, circuits.

Online Auctions:

It's hard to argue with the prices. Some IT executives say auctions help them save up to 75% off list prices. In some cases, such savings make it feasible to buy spare servers or routers in case one turns out to be a dud. Nevertheless, the arguments against buying hardware at auction are many and persuasive. For example, the money you save on a server that you use as a network access point will seem like chump change if the server fails and sensitive corporate data is released.

Spam Conference:

Interested in spam filters? Come join us in Cambridge in January at the first conference on spam filtering. While anyone will be welcome, we're hoping most of all to make this an opportunity for hackers working on spam filters to get together and compare notes. Arrangements will be very informal: no fees.

Storage Area Networks:

A good Storage Area Network must be able to connect to as many different technical devices as possible -- servers, laptops, CD-ROMs and other devices -- so that no matter where data is created originally, it can be backed up by the SAN. The growing heap of computer files, which includes companies' most sensitive data, leads to a daunting question that can no longer be ignored: Where in the world can enterprises store data when ordinary hard drives and conventional backup devices start bursting at their seams? Fortunately, a solution is out there. IT departments are implementing what are known as SANs, or Storage Area Networks.

[H]ardNews 6th Edition

MS Customers Upset:

Imagine that, MS customers are upset with all the security updates, and the attempts by MS support staff to get customers to upgrade their software instead of patching their existing software.

A growing number of Microsoft Corp. customers are angry and frustrated with what they say are the company's thinly veiled attempts to use its well-publicized security initiative to get them to upgrade or buy new software. Users contacted by eWeek last week reported various technical problems with Microsoft's automated services that let customers download and install patches for applications such as Internet Explorer 5.5 or Windows NT 4.0.

More CAK4-86 Reviewage:

FrostyTech takes their turn with the CAK4-86 copper cooler from Globalwin. Along with their regular battery of tests, you can also hear sound clips of the HSF in action in their review and compare it to others in their database.

The Globalwin CAK4-86 comes very close to the Thermalright SLK800 and AX-7, but still sits a few degrees short despite the fact that all three heatsinks were tested with the same model fan. Never the less, the CAK4-86 shows remarkable performance scaling with the increase of fan speed RPM and CFM values.

1-Gbit DDR SDRAM:

Micron Technology Inc., said today that it has demonstrated a 1-Gbit double data rate synchronous DRAM manufactured on 0.11-micron process technology, which it claims is the industry's first such device. The device requires a 2.5-V supply and is packaged in a 400-mil thin small outline package, the company said. The company did not say who received the demonstration.

[H]ardNews 5th Edition

Radeon 9500 Pro Review:

Radeon 9500 Pro reviewage by the Liquid Ninja crew. If you are looking at bad ass video cards on a budget, then you should seriously look into the 9500 Pro.

If you’re looking on something to spend your Christmas money on and you need a video card I can’t help but to recommend this card. It’s quite fast for a under $200 card and think it’s a great alternative to a Ti4200.

Swiftech MCX462+T Review:

ClubOC reviews the big, brawny, peltier powered HSF from Swiftech, the MCX462+T. The fellas even friend an XP 2100+ in the process of this review.

If you are an extreme Overclocker and are looking into getting into active cooling, this HSF is for you. This HSF is ClubOC approved, but just remember to take into consideration the power requirements and be extremely cautious during installation.

Hammer Benchmarks:

Take them for what they are worth, but this German site has posted Hammer 64 benchmarks. Not sure how long they’ll last, so you’ll want to hustle over and check them out.

Initial Measurements of the Performance of an Athlon 64 Prototype. It will still take some time before AMD´s 64-bit processors from the Hammer Series appear on the market. In the meantime, though, a prototype of the desktop version "Clawhammer" just happened to stray onto c't´s test bench -- here are the results of the trial heat.

[H]ardNews 4th Edition

RAM Prices Stabilize:

Following a two-week rally in U.S. spot market SDRAM prices, and a five-week decline in Double Data Rate (DDR) SDRAM tags, pricing for both types of memory is largely unchanged this week. However, the present pricing situation may be the calm before storm, as a possible influx of DDR supply could send prices falling by the end of the year.

DX9 Uninstaller:

3DCenter has a DX9 Uninstaller available for download. I have yet to try it out, so you are on your own with it. Thanks to everyone who sent the link in.

Swiftech MCX-4000 Review:

OcPrices reviewed the Swiftech MCX-4000 HSF. The MCX-4000 is one of the largest HSF’s currently available on the market. The huge copper base and spiral aluminum pins give it a distinctive look that is recognizable anywhere. Here is a clip from the review:

If you're looking to get the most out of your Northwood Pentium 4, you need look no further than the MCX-4000. It easily outperformed the rest of the coolers I tested it against, even with a very modest fan.

[H]ardNews 3rd Edition

MSI K7N2-L nForce2:

A little nForce2 reviewage from across the pond. AMDWorld.uk has reviewed the MSI K7N2-L nForce2 mainboard and seemed pretty impressed with the performance.

Performance was competitive and again it showed that the use of the NForce2 platform is the optimum choice for the current AMD XP processors certainly when it comes to the use of a XP2700 or similar AMD processors based on the use of a 166MHz bus.

Mainstream Tube Coverage:

You ever notice that it isn’t considered “mainstream” news until News.com or the likes does an article on the subject? Well, the AOpen mainboards with the old style vacuum tubes on them, that have been covered by just about everyone, are now getting press from the folks at News.com.

The idea, according to AOpen, is to replicate the "warm" sound of traditional tube-driven audio equipment inside PCs, which are increasingly being used as stereos by digital music lovers. The company quietly released a first version of the product in the United States in August, and an updated version, now available in Taiwan, will reach U.S. shores in January, just missing the holiday shopping season.

Itsy, Bitsy Xpider:

The fellas at OCIA have a thermal monitor called the Xpider 2000 being reviewed today that is pretty interesting. The unit is not only a temperature monitor, but a port relocator that occupies a 5.25” drive bay. Here is a clip from the review:

If you own a brushed aluminum case with a free 5 1/2" bay, I would recommend this nifty unit without a second thought. The brushed aluminum used on the front will no doubt match your case better than any painted CD-ROM bezel.

[H]ardNews 2nd Edition

8X AGP Ti4200:

The MSI G4Ti4200-VTD8X (MS-8894) is on the test bench at Viper Lair. The Ti4200 is currently one of “THE” budget cards to have right now, see how this 8X part from MSI fairs against the competition.

Overall, we can see that the card has performed well. As with most of their products, it is apparent that MSI has put a lot of thought into the manufacturing and marketing of this product. The included software bundle and features of this card such as TV-Out make the MSI G4Ti4200-VTD8X a great value.

CAK Eaters:

hardCOREware has a little CAK on their plate today in the form of the GlobalWin CAK4-86 dual use HSF. This is one of the handful of HSF’s that can be used on both the socket A platform as well as a socket 478.

Make no mistake. This is an incredible piece of work from Globalwin and I am thoroughly impressed. As with many other high-performance HSF combos, the CAK4-86 is loud. I just about expected it after seen 5700rpm stamped on the box.

Chaintech nForce2:

For some reason I cannot get passed the half naked dancing girls on the first page of this Chaintech Zenith 7NJS nForce2 review. I am sure there is more to this 12 page review, but the 4 dancing girls might keep you from ever leaving the first page of the review.

In a word…excellent! We would really like to congratulate the manufacturer for a job (product) well done, as well as on the courage to embark on producing motherboard for demanding users, in a time when the majority of manufacturers looks for much more certain revenues from low-end models.

[H]ardNews 1st Edition

Albatron PX845PE Pro II:

PCStats is all over the i845PE mainboard from Albatron, the PX845PE Pro II. This review just goes to show you that when performance between leading motherboards is close, it is the “other things” and features that make a board attractive.

While reviewing this motherboard, I got the impression that Albatron engineers spent a lot of time and care designing their motherboard for easy use and expandability. The board is just so well labelled you know exactly what everything does and goes.

Gigabyte 8GE667 Pro:

The Gigabyte 8GE667 Pro is reviewed by the Digital Daily crew. The 8GE667 Pro board sports integrated graphics which doesn’t mean much to most of you, but it could be a selling point to some people.

The main area of application for this board is the multifunctional office computers with numerous peripheral devices. It's just for these computers the integrated video core and wide expansivity options are aimed at.

The Doctor Is In:

The Dr. Thermal V7035TN is on the bench at the Overclocker Café today. A very interesting looking unit that resembles the copper cored sunflower styled Pentium 4 cooler with a variable speed fan.

The Dr. Thermal's variable rate fan during testing confirmed our suspicions. The highest individual recorded temperature we got was 32.8 for the Dr. Thermal unit. The measured fan speed hovered at 2300 RPM throughout our testing. This higher temperature is perfectly acceptable and you won't be running into any thermal issues at this level.

[H]ard Photo:

Dan Silvers sent me this ass kicking picture today that I thought I would share with everyone. Dan was messing around with some lights in his room and came up with this photo.