[H]ardNews 8th Edition

GFFX Cheaper:

Lake Bluff, IL – (August 26, 2003) – BFG Technologies, Inc., a leading U.S.-based supplier of advanced 3D graphics cards, announced today that the Asylum™ GeForce™ FX 5900 high performance 3D graphics card is now available at Best Buy, Best Buy.com and Fry's Electronics for $299.99.

Back Up:

I do it when no one is looking and usually while I am in bed. Yes, I back up my entire C: drive, and PCStats talks about why you should to and how you can.

If you do not wish to use the built in Windows backup software, there are several other choices available for archiving and making drive images. Of course, there are many comprehensive commercial packages available, but there are also several excellent freeware utilities.

Non-paste Paste:

The guys over at Nanotherm have a new approach to mating HSF and CPU interfaces. PirateSoftware tells us about the new PCM+.

Wow. Now there are only a few times that I'm ever this impressed when looking at something new and computer-like: this is one of these times.

PC3700:

Hexus has a look at PC3700 from Corsair.

The Samsung chips on this sample of XMS3700 do not like low latencies in any way, shape or form. Previous Corsair modules used premier Winbond BH chips, chips which didn't mind lower latencies if accompanied by lower speeds. These chips, however, would barely function at 2.5-3-3-7 at DDR400 speeds. That's not a major criticism, because the modules aren't required to do anything other than perform to specification, which they do without question.

This is what we have found to be the case with all major brands of DDR500. They are not capable of running the low latencies we are used to even at DDR400 levels. So don't assume that your DDR500 will run as well as your DDR400...at 400MHz.

Netgear DOS:

Network hardware maker Netgear has warned its customers of a flaw in some of its router products that could set off an "accidental" denial-of-service attack.

Thanks Joseph Alpert.

GFFX 5900U:

If you have not seen the reference card reviews yet, PCStats gives you the full NVIDIA GeForceFX 5900 Ultra tour.

As a consumer, I'm quite happy that nVIDIA is back in the game as well. Like the ever lasting Intel/AMD fight, if ATi or nVIDIA were ever to go under who would stop the victor from charging us through the nose for high end videocards? You think they're expensive now, just imagine if the world didn't have nVIDIA or ATi to counter each other!