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Western Digital WD TV Media Player
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 The Western Digital WD TV has plenty of attributes to help it score at the top of the list of media players I have checked out so far. It has a slick but simple appearance, the user interface is attractive and easy to use, the system is quick to respond to commands from the remote control, it supports plenty of file formats, and it has HDMI connectivity.
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Paper Launch (?) Radeon HD 5000 series videocards
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 For the last few weeks we have been fielding our readers concerns about a shortage of HD5000 series cards, particularly the 5850, 5870 and the new 5890 - all of which have won top awards at DriverHeaven.
We managed to have a chat with one of the top men in AMD, John Byrne - Vice President of Worldwide GPU and CPU sales. We brought up the point that many enthusiasts can still not get a hold of one of their new mid to high end 5 series cards.
"Yes, we are impacted by TSMC's continued problems with production at the 40 nm process, however we feel we are tracking reasonably well to where we expected to be at this point, thanks in large part to our early start with 40 nm process technology with the ATI Radeon HD 4770. Yields for the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series, our most complex ASIC to date, are only slightly off from the aggressive targets we set. At the same time, we are actually tracking above target for the production of the ATI Radeon HD 5700 series.
In the very near future, as we overcome supply constraints, we will be increasing shipments of 5800 series graphics processors by roughly an order of magnitude, moving from thousands of units shipped per week to tens of thousands. This should alleviate some of the pent-up demand.
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ATI Radeon HD 5970 Dual-GPU Powerhouse Review
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AMD's "Sweet Spot" GPU strategy over the last few years has been fairly predictable. Instead of producing the biggest, most powerful GPU possible--yields be damned--the company sets out to produce a relatively high-end GPU, using a cutting edge fabrication process, that hits a proverbial sweet spot between cost and performance. Then derivatives, and even multiples, of that GPU are used to flesh out a top-to-bottom line-up of graphics cards, that hit a broad range of price points.
It began with the RV670, which powered the single-GPU based Radeon HD 3870 and dual-GPU Radeon HD 3870 X2--hence the X2. Then came the RV770, which powered the Radeon HD 4870 and eventually the Radeon HD 4870 X2. The strategy has obviously paid off, as AMD is once again a price/performance leader in the GPU space, after some not-so-great performances like the R600, better known as the Radeon HD 2900 XT. Knowing their strategy, it should almost come as no surprise that the graphics card we'll be showing you today, the Radeon HD 5970, has come to fruition. Although it doesn't follow the same naming convention as AMD's previous dual-GPU powered cards, the Radeon HD 5970 is nonetheless powered by a pair of ATI "Cypress" Radeon HD 5800 series GPUs, linked together on a single PCB by a PCI Express bridge, very much like previous X2 iterations. Come on by and check it out...
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Sapphire Radeon HD 5970 2GB Video Card
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The HD 5970 is ultimately what the previous X2 offerings are and what the GTX 295 to NVIDIA has been for a long time. They’re about a company getting on top of the soap box and shouting out at the top of their lungs, “We're the fastest”.
Dual GPU cards are a bit of a mixed bag for me. While I think they're a bit of a lazy mans model to create the fastest product on the market, I'm at the point now that there's no point fighting it. Instead, let's just embrace the power that's on offer from a card that only uses a single PCI-E slot on your motherboard."
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Windows 7 Was My Idea
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"Let’s review some of what we’ve seen over the past few years, and now that many of the campaigns have come and gone, the general response by the majority to each attempt. Keep in mind this is for computer-based ads only, not iPods or anything else. "
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ATI Radeon HD 5970 2GB in CrossFireX
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"So, we've looked at the HD 5970 in single form and we've also seen the massive OC potential of the card. You have to wonder what else there is to do? - We'll, that's easy; install our second HD 5970 into the system and see how CrossFireX goes.
Since the second card arrived from big red themselves, there isn't a whole lot to look at. We'll have a quick peek at the card, just in case you haven't had a chance to see what's happening with it. We'll also snag a quick GPU-Z screen shot to make sure CrossFireX is working before we simply get into the benchmarks."
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HP DM3 Laptop/Netbook
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When is a Laptop Not a Netbook or a Notebook? The answer is when it's the new HP DM3 powered by AMD's Athlon Neo processor. This 13.3 inch marvel combines properties of both a netbook and a notebook to achieve something truly remarkable. The DM3 has the thinness of a netbook, the resolution and size of an ultraportable laptop, the price of a netbook, and yet nearly the performance of a full laptop. The best thing about the DM3 . . . it does it all with HP styling. So is the DM3 the answer to consumer prayers? Should it be on your holiday wish list? Read on. . . .
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Elixir 6 GB 1600 MHz CL9 Tri-Channel
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Elixir is known for their standard JEDEC modules, usually found in budget and mid-range systems. Their 1600 MHz tri-channel kit tries to give you that same value with a hint of overclockability thrown in the mix, for those who want that magical 1600 MHz speed, while spending as little as possible.
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Radeon HD 5970 Overclocking
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When the Radeon HD 5970 launched, the product was extremely well received by the hardware enthusiast community. As we stated in our article -- the product is clocked a little conservative though.
We boosted the Radeon HD 5970 Core from 725 MHz towards 935 MHz and the 4000 MHz memory is running and purring steady at 5240 MHz --- and that's a baffling result on just the reference air-cooler.
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-DATA SH93 Waterproof and Shock Resistant Portable
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"We were first sent the SH93 320GB yellow waterproof and shock resistant portable HDD for video review two weeks ago or more, but on first attempt we managed to kill the device by getting a little too excited with it.
The A-DATA SH93 is a portable hard drive coming in sizes of 320GB, 500GB and 640GB with design choices of racing car style yellow or red. It is built using highly durable rubber and plastic and is able to stand drops and incidents with water, as long as it is turned off and the USB cable lid is closed."
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Patriot Box Office HD Media Player Review
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"The performance of the Patriot Box Office HD Media Player was incredible. High definition movies and lossless music played quickly and stutter-free. Even large-format images that we captured in JPG or TFF looked great on our TVs. Overall, we were really pleased with this device and would recommend it over others in this price range mainly because we can use a local hard drive. Unlike the Western Digital where the WDTV Live can "partner" with a USB connected drive externally, the Patriot Box Office solution is sleeker and more functional..."
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ASUS P7P55D Pro
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On the lookout for a P55 motherboard to match that shiny new Lynnfield CPU? Given the sheer selection available, deciding on one can be a hassle. ASUS' P7P55D Pro looks to appeal to a large crowd, though, by offering a slew of useful options, impressive overclocking abilities and a great design for an easy-to-stomach $170.
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Kingston SSDNow V Series 40GB Boot Drive
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"We've seen some very fast SSDs over the last while, but they remain very expensive, and for most people, a hotrod SSD just isn't in the cards for a system upgrade. High prices are always a stumbling block to new tech adoption, and SSDs are no different. However, there may be relief on the horizon, as Kingston has released a sub-$100 SSD that looks to be fast, in the hope that it will finally bring solid state drives into the mainstream. So what's the catch? Well, let's have a closer look and find out."
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Samsung SyncMaster LD190G 19-inch Lapfit USB LCD
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“So you have yourself a nifty laptop, working away diligently when you start to realize you might need more desktop space. Using a laptop, you find yourself locked into that 15-inch monitor but you need more room, what do you do? Well Samsung might have the perfect solution for you, if you have the extra space; the Samsung LD190G USB Monitor."
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Gigabyte MA-785GPMT-UD2H Motherboard
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TechwareLabs reviews the Gigabyte MA-785GPMT-UD2H, an AM3 board aimed at the HTPC market. See if this board has what it takes to deliver a star performance, or deserves an early curtain call. Is this board worth your cash and does it perform up to our standards? Read our review to find out.
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Inno3D Geforce GT 220
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"If you take a look at the increased performance brought to the table by overclocking, the GT 220 has a hard time competing with the performance delivered by the HD 4670 that is offered in the same price bucket at 65 to 79 dollars. This price point makes it a hard sell for those looking for an inexpensive gaming card. But this card was not built to push those limits, but to do the work that many a soccer mom does to preserve the family history in a digital format, convert media to a format usable by portable devices, or to clean up those shaky family movies."
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NVIDIA Pushes 3D Vision Outside the Gaming Box
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"As of this week NVIDIA has brought their 3D Vision to the mobile world. They have announced, in conjunction with ASUS, the world’s first mobile 3D Vision capable laptop. This is based off of the G51 line up and will be dubbed the G51J-3D. To do this ASUS has packed a 120Hz 15.6-inch LCD screen that is capable of handling the 3D Vision. But that is not all this new laptop brings to the table, it also has a Core i7 720QM (1.6GHz) processor under the hood along with 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a GTX 260 (1GB DDR3).
But just adding 3D Vision to a mobile platform is not enough. We talked with NVIDIA and found out a few things that are interesting to say the least. Traditionally, NV has offered 3D Vision with a single set of glasses; this had made it appear to be a single user product only. Now we find that not only is NV aware that this has greater potential (3D movies at home anyone?) for multiple viewers, but they are working on bundles that include more than one pair of glasses with the RF transmitter. They are also working on a new pricing structure for this (although no details were given at this time)."
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the ASUS Maximus III Formula LGA1156 Motherboard
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P55 motherboards come in all shapes and sizes while retailing for prices that are sure to fit anyone’s budget. On one end of the spectrum we have the budget friendly, basic products while on the other there are the high-end, feature rich enthusiast boards like the ASUS Maximus III Formula. This board looks to offer everything an overclocker could want and them some. Let’s hope it delivers.
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Sapphire Radeon HD5750 Vapor-X Review
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"Bottom of the DirectX 11 range in price, but not in features, the HD5750 has a lot to offer the HTPC and casual gamer. Equipped with Sapphire's Vapor-X cooler, join Rage3D as we look at how the HD 5750 fits in your media-centric lifestyle."
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| The best Guides by the best writers on the internet; PCstats Beginners Guides explain
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"Get the 'Stats and Stay Informed!"
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