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AMD

Submission + - AMD's Leo six-core desktop platform analyzed

Submitted by J. Dzhugashvili
J. Dzhugashvili writes: Earlier this week, AMD introduced its new Leo enthusiast platform with six-core Phenom II processors starting at just $199. By now, reviews of not just the processors themselves, but also new motherboards based on the simultaneously launched AMD 890FX chipset have made their way onto the web. The verdict might surprise you. While Intel still wins from a power efficiency pesrpective, the new Phenom II X6s dethrone the famous Core i5-750 in value comparisons, and 890FX motherboards from Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI show AMD has a more compelling overall enthusiast platform than Intel. 890FX mobos don't just have more PCI Express lanes than their Intel X58 counterparts; they have built-in Serial ATA 6Gbps connectivity and excellent all-around performance, too. Could AMD be on its way to becoming an enthusiast darling at the high end once again?
Hardware

Submission + - Psyko offers new approach to surround sound headph 1

Submitted by EconolineCrush
EconolineCrush writes: Surround sound makes games and movies much more immersive, but it hasn't translated well to headphones. No one's come up with a surround headphone design that's really caught on, and software-based speaker virtualization schemes don't always work right. Psyko Audio Labs thinks it's solved the problem with a new 5.1-channel headset that uses waveguides to direct sound accurately to the user's ear from five discrete speakers mounted in the headband. It's a unique approach, and one that reportedly offers a lot of positional audio precision. However, the heaphones appear to otherwise have rather poor sound quality, which seems like a tough pill to swallow given their $300 asking price.
Hardware

Submission + - System guide recommends five desktop PC configs

Submitted by EconolineCrush
EconolineCrush writes: The Tech Report has updated its system guide, providing a comprehensive set of recommendations for desktop PCs at around $500, $850, $1400, and well over $3,000. This latest guide takes into account recent releases like Intel's six-core Core i7-980X and Nvidia's Fermi-derived GeForce GTX 400-series graphics cards. It also features a new one-off build designed to be a quiet yet powerful microATX system. Recommended reading for anyone putting together a new desktop PC.
Intel

Submission + - Intel caught cheating in 3DMark benchmark (techreport.com) 3

Submitted by EconolineCrush
EconolineCrush writes: 3DMark Vantage developer Futuremark has clear guidelines for what sort of driver optimizations are permitted with its graphics benchmark. Intel's current Windows 7 drivers appear to be in direct violation, offloading the graphics workload onto the CPU to artificially inflate scores for the company's integrated graphics chipsets. The Tech Report lays out the evidence, along with Intel's response, and illustrates that 3DMark scores don't necessarily track with game performance, anyway.
AMD

Submission + - The fastest GPU you need: AMD's $259 Radeon HD 585 (techreport.com)

Submitted by
J. Dzhugashvili
J. Dzhugashvili writes: "Hot on the heels of the Radeon HD 5870, the world's first DirectX 11 graphics processor, AMD has released a slightly slower but quite a bit more affordable derivative: the Radeon HD 5850. As The Tech Report found in its review, the new card delivers a potent cocktail for its $259 price tag. Not only does it outperform all previous single graphics processors in today's games, but it does so with impressively low power consumption, noise levels, and operating temperatures. You even get better image quality in current games, thanks to an improved anisotropic filter and supersampled antialiasing. If you're looking for a graphics card to buy this fall, this may well be all you need."
Windows

Submission + - Windows 7: Should desktop users buy into the hype? (techreport.com) 4

Submitted by J. Dzhugashvili
J. Dzhugashvili writes: We've all seen blog posts hyping up Windows 7, often with cut-and-pasted MS screenshots and feature descriptions. But what's it like to sit down and use the operating system on a desktop PC? Do new features deserve the hype? Do they work as advertised? The folks at The Tech Report have been using the final version of Windows 7 since shortly after its release to manufacturing, and they've posted an article that tries to answer those questions. A number of improvements, like the updated Backup and Restore functionality and Remote Desktop Direct3D support, have slipped through the blogosphere's radar. On the flip side, those who migrate from Vista shouldn't expect flawless compatibility or performance from the new additions. HomeGroup, for instance, interfaces in bizarre ways with the regular File Sharing interface, and Device Stage doesn't do much yet. The article also breaks down the different Windows 7 editions and explains why Home Premium now looks like a better choice for most users.
AMD

Submission + - AMD's Phenom II 965: 3.4GHz, 140 Watts, $245 (techreport.com)

Submitted by AnInkle
AnInkle writes: At a time when power consumption is a top concern and most applications are rarely constrained by the CPU, AMD bolsters it's lineup by releasing a new top-end 140-watt TDP rated processor. The Phenom II X4 965 clocks in at 3.4GHz and debuts at about the same price as Intel's Core 2 Quad Q9550, indicating it's not intended to steal the performance crown. Nevertheless, this processor could further enhance AMD's competitiveness across the middle of the market, where even most performance-minded shoppers make their selections. Check out The Tech Report's benchmarks and analysis for the scoop, including a careful look at total system power use and those oh-so-much-fun scatter graphs, which illustrate the value proposition among 21 processors from both teams.
Graphics

Submission + - $700 may be all you need to spend on a gaming PC (techreport.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The recession is hitting hard, but this doesn't have to be a bad time for PC gamers. On the contrary: hardware has gotten cheap enough that you can build a surprisingly powerful gaming desktop for surprisingly little. The Tech Report's latest system guide is a prime example. The fourth page details a $689 configuration that has a triple-core AMD Phenom II, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 (with 216 SPs), four gigs of RAM, and an accompaniment of fast, quiet, and high-quality components (including an 80%-efficient PSU). The result? A PC that lets you play every current game at 1920x1200--usually with a healthy dose of antialiasing--which should be enough for the vast majority of gamers out there.
Intel

Submission + - Intel's kid-friendly tablet netbook turns heads (techreport.com)

Submitted by J. Dzhugashvili
J. Dzhugashvili writes: The first two generations of Intel's Classmate PC were little more than glorified netbooks, but the latest model looks to turn the platform on its head... literally. Featuring an 8.9" swiveling touch screen, a rugged design, and a variety of education-centric applications, the new Convertible Classmate PC aims to revolutionize the way children learn—and steal the One Laptop Per Child project's thunder in the process. The Tech Report's in-depth review of the Convertible Classmate PC concludes, "[this] might very well be the ideal netbook for kids. Adults who are simply looking for a durable, ultra-portable tablet may find the system interesting, as well." Indeed, unlike with the OLPC XO-1, you can cough up the $500 and buy a Convertible Classmate PC for your personal use (or your kid's) right now.
Input Devices

Submission + - Das Keyboard vs. Model M: fight! (techreport.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Can a newfangled clicky keyboard with a $130 price tag outdo the venerable Model M in terms of comfort and tactile feedback? The Tech Report got to the bottom of the issue in a thorough review of the Das Keyboard Professional, comparing the purported 'best keyboard on the planet' with IBM's old-fashioned classic. Which one comes out on top? The author says it's like picking between 'two slightly different flavors of delicious ice cream.'
Portables

Submission + - Intel's third-gen Classmate PC tablet previewed (techreport.com)

Submitted by J. Dzhugashvili
J. Dzhugashvili writes: As the OLPC organization cuts huge chunks of its staff, Intel has revealed its third-generation Classmate PC for kids in developing nations. The Tech Report has posted a hands-on preview with plenty of photos and a look at the machine's hardware and capabilities. Apparently, the new Intel netbook has plenty of perks, including a convertible tablet design with a stylus and 8.9" touch-sensitive screen, a 1.6GHz Atom processor, Windows XP, and 3.3-5 hours of battery life (depending on the model).
AMD

Submission + - 45nm Phenom II matches Core 2 Quad, trails Core i7 (techreport.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: AMD is debuting its 45nm Phenom II processors today, and The Tech Report has already run them through a complete suite of benchmarks to see how they perform compared to Intel's latest and greatest. The result? The new 2.8GHz and 3GHz Phenom IIs are in a dead heat with like-priced Core 2 Quads, but they generally fall well behind Intel's new Core i7 chips. TR concludes that AMD's future doesn't look as bleak as some say, and future Phenom IIs could compete favorably with more affordable Core i7 derivatives.

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