Tech News
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Albatron PX845PE Pro II Review @ guru3D
Published: Monday, December 16, 2002 | By: DennisThis board from Albatron is blue, has onboard raid, and a dual bios option. Who else do we know of that has these features? Yes, you guessed it Gigabyte. Makes you wonder if this really is a new company or just a fancy "offshoot".
All things aside the board does perform quite well and comes with a variety of overclocking options, definitely worth a look.
Or save some time and get a Gigabyte.
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Vantec Stealth 420 watt PowerSupply Review @ 3dXtreme
Published: Monday, December 16, 2002 | By: DennisI'm sold, peek output for this 420watt unit is 520watts!, Aluminum case, aux power plug, and triple fans.
"Overall the Vantec Stealth 420 Watt Power Supply is a winner. Combining an Aluminum housing with 3 Fan switchable operation along with rock solid performance you cannot go wrong with this unit...."
Though as with all powersupplies now days the power cables are numerous and way to long. -
Netscape 7.01 Released with Pop-up Blocker
Published: Friday, December 13, 2002 | By: DennisStop the popups with the new version of Netscape. The only drawback is that many sites, including this one, use popups to extend functionality and Netscape will allow you to add these sites to an exceptions list.
btw it is true that Netscape 7.x is very similar to the Mozilla style browser which has had popup blocking enabled for quite some time.
Just be sure to do a "custom" install to disable some of the more annoying "features" that Netscape installs. Get the new version here. -
Superflower SF-402 Review @ MadShrimps
Published: Friday, December 13, 2002 | By: Dennisphj34r d4 5hr1mp!!
This is one of the cleaner looking ALU cases that I've seen the only drawback would be in cooling. The current provisions are weak at best.
"I picked the case up @ ColorCase and just brought it home by bike. When I took the case out of the box, I was really amazed by the weight: only 3 kg! The front looked good ( unlike those SF 201’s, yuk) and was nicely finished. The side panels were rather of lower quality and didn’t have a mirror finish at all, but that’s okay for such a cheap housing ."
I think this says it all. -
3 Hercules Sound Card Reviews @ ExtremeTech
Published: Friday, December 13, 2002 | By: DennisThey take a look at the 3 newest sound cards from Hercules including the DigiFire 7.1, Fortissimo 3 7.1, and Muse 5.1. The reviews are informative but have that "biased" feel to them, not to mention the lack of product photos.
Personally, if given a choice, I would go with the Fortissimo 3 though would have liked to see more digital connectors. -
Asustek Intel Orders Said to be Springdale
Published: Thursday, December 12, 2002 | By: DennisA couple of days ago Digitimes reported that Asustek won a contract with Intel to create motherboards. At the time nobody was sure what boards they would be making.
"The motherboard orders Asustek Computer is said to have landed from Intel are the chip giant’s forthcoming Springdale products, industry sources revealed. Estimated at three to four million units in total, the orders are expected to start shipments in the first quarter of 2003 in time for Intel’s scheduled launch of its Springdale platform in the second quarter." -
DFI NB80-EA Granite Bay Review @ Hexus
Published: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 | By: DennisThis is really more of an overclocking review but still a very impressive display.
2.4b @ 3.1Ghz
4334/4331 Sandra memory score @ 172Mhz FSB!
"DFI have produced a exceptional motherboard in the NB80-EA, especially when you consider that it is using a brand new Intel chipset. There are reports of instability and problems with the Granite Bay chipset, none were evident on this board which is a real achievement." -
AMD's True Performance Initiative @ Tech-Report
Published: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 | By: Dennis" For the future, the company has big plans. AMD is promising "an industry-wide initiative to develop a new and more complete measure of performance that end-users can trust." This new performance metric is due for rollout in 2002. "
Scott Wasson from Tech-Report set up an interview with a Hal Speed, a TPI head honcho, to get details and progress info on the True Performance Initiative that AMD promised back in 2001. The details are sparse but it would appear to still be on track for release sometime next year. -
Asustek Said to Build Intel Mobo's in 2003
Published: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 | By: Dennis"Asustek Computer will become Intel’s new contract-manufacturing partner for own-brand motherboards for 2003, joining Foxconn Electronics (the registered trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry) and Mitac International, according to the Economic Daily News Chinese-language newspaper."
I've never really liked Asus but I will admit, the company has been releasing some very popular boards into the enthusiast market lately. Not to mention being "on the ball" when it comes to releasing products to market. All in all I think Intel will be making the right choice. I wonder, will the PCB’s still be that fugly yellow/brown color? or will Intel make them use green? -
Mass Production Key to AMD's K8 Business
Published: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 | By: Dennis"Despite new challenges from Intel’s Springdale specification changes, K8 processors from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) could still compete quite strongly against Intel’s P4s if they are launched on time and start mass production by the third quarter, motherboard manufacturers indicated."
This is really a very open topic since both companies are hush hush with their benchmark numbers. It will be a very exciting time in the hardware industry during Q1 of 2K3.
