NASA Unveils Hyperwall-2 Comprised of 128 Monitors

Category: Monitors
Posted: June 27, 2008 09:06AM
Author: Carl Dunham

NASA may call it Hyperwall-2 but I call it a lot of flipping monitors! NASA unveiled the monstrosity at their Ames Research Center in California. The 23 foot wide by 10 foot tall screen is comprised of 128 monitors that allows researchers to view, analyze and communicate results from modeling and simulation projects relating to space flight, weather, climate and anything else they can dream up. The system is made possible with the use of 128 graphics cores, 1,024 processor cores ( this give you about 75 teraflops of peak processing power) and 475 terabytes of storage. NASA states that it would take about 600 modern video game consoles to match Hyperwall-2’s graphical capabilities. NASA’s previous Hyperwall was made up of a measly 49 screens with 1/100 of the processing power that comprises the new system. Either way I want to try to play a game of solitaire or maybe even some Call of Duty 4 on that bad boy!

BenQ Announce Full HD 21.5" Monitor

Category: Monitors
Posted: June 20, 2008 03:32PM
Author: Ben Grantham

BenQ seem to be aiming squarely for those who like to play back high definition media with its new line of monitors. The 21.5" E2200HD will be the first monitor of its size to boast a resolution of 1920x1080, which means it will be able to play back full HD content without resampling or black borders. It also means BenQ is opting for the 16:9 format rather than the more common 16:10 found on most widescreen monitors. Other specs include DVI, VGA and HDMI inputs, 2ms GTG response time and 10,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio. There will be a couple of 24" displays joining the E2200HD, both also sporting the same 1920x1080 resolution. Pricing information for the upcoming displays is lacking, but they should be coming to Europe and other markets in September. North America seems to have been notably left out on this one.

HP DreamColor LCD Boasts Over A Billion Colors

Category: Monitors
Posted: June 10, 2008 06:24AM
Author: Ben Grantham

You will probably find that LCD displays sit on most consumers desks nowadays, however one area where LCDs still tend to fall over when compared with CRTs is color reproduction. The majority of LCD panels use 6-bit TN technology which just isn't up to the task if you are serious about color gamut. The HP DreamColor LP2480zx is a 24" LCD which uses LED backlighting and features 30-bit imaging to produce over a billion colors. That is far more than your standard LCD can produce and arguably far more than even the human eye can discern. So how much does this kind of color reproduction cost? That'd be $3,499, which while still expensive by everyday terms, is a lot less than you would have previously expected to pay for such a display. Not necessary if all you do is browse the web and play the odd game, but great if your job depends on the color accuracy of that latest film, game, graphics project you are working on.

Microsoft to Demo Vertical TouchWall

Category: Monitors
Posted: May 14, 2008 10:51AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Microsoft is reportedly gong to demo a new vertical incarnation of its Surface multi-touch technology today at the CEO Summit being held at its Redmond campus. The new device, called Touchwall, is a prototype developed by Microsoft researchers and is designed to let users manipulate content displayed on the screen much like its current Surface tabletop computer. However, TouchWall makes use of lasers and infrared lights to detect when a user touches the panel. Combined with software called Plex, users can drag images around, scroll through documents and manipulate multimedia content. One of the potential uses would be for business presentations.

Massive LCDs coming to an event near you!

Category: Monitors
Posted: May 3, 2008 06:18PM
Author: Andrew Robinson

BMP (Big Moving Pictures) in association with Strongbase USA are going to produce the worlds largest mobile high definition LCD display. BMP will be building several 40 foot by 22 foot hydraulically coupled truck mounted HD screens. BMP will truck them around to a number of events including concerts, product expos and other special events of all sorts. These screens aren't categorized as heavyweight just for their girth either, each 40' x 22' screen is expected to weigh in at 66,000 pounds. That screen size delivers a perfect 16:9 aspect ratio and displays perfect 720P high definition signals flawlessly.

NFL Stadium to Feature World's Largest 1080p LED Display

Category: Monitors
Posted: April 17, 2008 04:07PM
Author: Chris Benjamin

When the Dallas Cowboys open their new ultra-modern stadium in Arlington, TX for the 2009 NFL season, they will be adhering to the strict guidelines of a famous Texan edict - "Everything's bigger in Texas!"  Containing multi-level luxury suites that would surely please anyone with the Trump - or Jones - name, a retractable roof honoring the rich "open air" tradition of Texas Stadium, and club seating areas that resemble ultra high-end sports bars with full food and drink services - plus, sideline club areas will feature concourses designed to give fans the chance to cheer the players as they jog onto the field.  For tech fans, the best part of the new sports mega-plex might be the dual center-hung 159' long, 71' wide sideline displays.  These mammoth Mitsubishi Diamond Vision LED screens feature a maximum resolution of 4864 x 2176, easily allowing them to deliver full 1080p high-definition goodness, and are bookended by two end zone facing 50' long, 28' wide screens that will also give video the 1080p treatment.  If you'd like to see this incredible football coliseum in all of its glory, I eagerly suggest you go here.  My God, I can't wait for football...

How Does A 30-bit Color Display Sound To You?

Category: Monitors
Posted: April 14, 2008 05:36PM
Author: Ben Grantham

LCD monitors are now ubiquitous in the consumer PC market, with very few CRT models still being sold. However, CRT displays have still been the kings when it comes to color reproduction, meaning they still find homes for themselves in the creative industries where accurate color reproduction really matters. HP have been working with Dreamworks on a new display technology which may finally see the end of CRTs even in these circles. The HP Dreamcolor Display technology was previewed yesterday and uses and LED backlit LCD to generate true 30-bit color, which is a mind boggling range of 1 billion colors (far more than the estimated 10 million that the human eye can perceive). Of course, these are displays aimed at industry, but it is nice to know that there are developments in LCD color reproduction happening, in a time when the general trend for LCDs is a reduced color depth (and therefore price).

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

Category: Mobile, Manufacturers, Monitors, Prebuilts
Posted: April 2, 2008 12:35PM
Author: Carl Dunham

Apple is facing a lawsuit over its new MacBooks due to a discrepancy in its advertising. Apple has been marketing the MacBooks with the slogan "Millions of Colors", when in fact it is only a little over 250,000 colors. In order to cut costs with MacBooks apple opted to use a 6-bit LCD versus an 8-bit, if they had gone with the 8-bit they would have been in the clear. A similar case came up last year when a pair of MacBook owners filed a suit against Apple for similar reasons. Apple eventually reached a settlement with the pair last month bringing the case to a close. Apple is not the first manufacturer to have problems similar to this, many including Dell, Viewsonic, Samsung and others have had court related problems with the marketing of their LCD's.

Vuzix Increases Game Support for its VR920

Category: Gaming, Monitors
Posted: March 6, 2008 08:00AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Vuzix Corporation -

Vuzix Corporation manufactures and sells a line of personal display devices.  Designed to provide user with a immersive gaming experience, these 3D eyeware units provide users the experience of viewing a 62" screen from nine feet away. Vuzix has just announced its latest VR920 software version 2.0 that provides support for some of the most popular games and essentially any model graphics card regardless of make. Previously, support was limited to games supporting Nvidia 3D Stereo and a few of Nvidia's video cards.  With this new release, gaming support has been expanded to 40 titles including Microsoft Flight Simulator X, Quake 4, Half-Life 2, Crysis and Call of Duty 4 to name just a few. With additional developers adding native support look for this device to move into the mainstream as a must have for gamers.

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, Memory, Power Supplies, Mobile, Monitors, Prebuilts, Storage / Hard Drives
Posted: February 18, 2008 06:29AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Monday rolls around again and we have quite a few reviews in tour roundup this morning.  For the video card section Fudzilla dissects the PowerColor HD 3850 1GB complete with a factory overclock and a ZEROTherm after market cooler.  Also from the ATI camp Techgage reviews the ASUS EAH3870 X2 1GB.   Moving over to the NVIDIA side, there is the Leadtek WinFast PX8800 GT ZL 512Mb Video Card from Madshrimps.  This card also features a factory overclock and an after market cooler, but this one is from Zalman.  If you're curious to find out how the upcoming 9600 series of cards from NVIDIA will perform you need to check out the NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT 512MB G94 review from TweakTown.  We'll have to wait to see about NVIDIA's pricing and ability to deliver sufficient stock levels on this new card.  PC Perspective returns with its latest news with the release of Podcast #22 - Skulltrail, NVIDIA buying AGEIA, AMD merger talk and more!.  You've been treated to several articles in our roundup regarding Intel's new Skulltrail platform.  Some of Intel's partners are also scheduled to release boards based on the the dual socket LGA771 configuration and HotHardware has the Asus Z7S WS Skulltrail Motherboard Exclusive Sneak Peek for your perusal.  So where does that leave you if you want a single processor setup based on the LGA775 socket?  Check out the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Quad Core Processor at Tech ARP.  They also updated their Intel Core 2 Performance Comparison Guide to include the QX9650 numbers.  For the latest in DDR3 memory, Overclockers Online evaluates the Patriot Viper Extreme 2x1024MB PC3-15000.  Acrylic and home theater PCs are both segments of the specialty  case market.  Combine the two and you get the Sunbeam Acrylic HTPC Case and Overclocker Cafe checks it out.  RBMods has a look at the Ultra X2 Extreme Edition 750W Power Supply.  HotHardware also treats us to a look at a prebuilt performance system in their Maingear Ephex 3-Way SLI Gaming System review.  ThinkComputers offers up a look at a pair of notebooks today with its Lenovo ThinkPad T61p 14.1-inch & 15.4-inch Laptops.  With terabyte hard drives seeming to rule the roost in terms of size the sweet spot in terms of cost per gigabyte is in the 500GB-750GB models and ExtremeMHz has the Seagate 750GB SATA II Hard Drive up for review.  With drive prices falling and storage requirements increasing perhaps its time to invest in a nice RAID array.  The HighPoint RocketRAID 3120 at Bjorn3D is one way to achieve that goal without breaking the bank.  PCSTATS has a look at the Samsung Syncmaster 275T 27-inch LCD Display, a sweet-looking display offering good ergonomic features and HDCP support.

Samsung's 27" 275T Widescreen Display

Category: Monitors
Posted: February 17, 2008 11:59AM
Author: Andrew Robinson

PC Stats - Samsung's 27" Syncmaster 275T Widescreen Display is for anyone who wants a larger high quality monitor but would like to stay under 30 inches. This monitor is 1920x1200 native (16:10) which means that for the most part all of your HD content can be viewed on this monitor and look nearly identical to a 16:9 display, of course to some people the "slight" stretching might be more noticeable. With 3 different video inputs besides the basic DVI connector ( S-Video, Component, Composite) you can connect a plethora of video devices to your monitor and with a 6ms gray to gray response time, a contrast of 1000:1 and an excellent viewing angle 178 degrees in all direction you can ensure that they all look great. Another nice feature of the monitor is the fact that it has a built in 4 port USB hub so you can connect all of your peripherals to the front of your monitor which you'll be fairly close to during your computers usage. The monitor its self has a matte black finish which impedes fingerprints getting all over your nice new monitor, the bezel is is approximately ~1 inch, which makes for a very unobtrusive monitor despite its size.

Vuzix Corporation At GDC 2008

Category: Gaming, Monitors
Posted: February 7, 2008 09:34PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Vuzix -

Vuzix is a privately held company located in Rochester, New York that manufactures 3D eye ware, or "personal display devices", allowing users to experience a more immersive experience in gaming applications.  Not limited to just personal entertainment, Vuzik also offers products used in medical and military fields.  The company will be in attendance at the 2008 Game Developers Conference where they will be featuring two of the most recent products in the 3D eyecare product lineup.  The first is a set of upgrades allowing applications supporting the iWear VR920 to operate using virtually any video card.  The VR920 eye wear enables the user to experience a 62" virtual screen as if viewed from nine feet away.  Vuzix will also be showcasing th VR920-X for Xbox 360 users giving them the same experience already available for the PC.  GDC 2008 runs from February 18 -22 in San Francisco.

Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Cases, Cooling, Power Supplies, Monitors, Small Form Factor, General News, CPU Cooling
Posted: February 5, 2008 05:56AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our Tuesday wanderings turned up several sightings of the breaking news about NVIDIA and AGEIA.  NVIDIA Is Really Buying AGEIA! from Tech ARP and NVIDIA Moves In On PhysX IP. Ageia Acqusition Announced from HotHardware are just of few of the sites with the news item this morning.  The Vizo Ninja 2 Laptop Cooler from RBMods provides a way to keep your notebook (and other vital body parts) cool and has been updated to fit larger laptops than its predecessor.   Also in the cooling department is the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme Heatsink over at FrostyTech.  Thermalright's Ultra line of coolers has long been at the top of the cooling  performance charts so check out how well the next in the lineup performs.  For that growing collection of high-def media Viper Lair shows us nothing beats having something like the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000340AS 1TB Hard Drive  (you can also find OCC's review HERE).  As drive capacities increase, storage systems have also evolved and TweakTown evaluates the Promise SuperTrak EX STEX8650 8-port SAS.  Now that's a way to build a serious storage array.  If LAN parties are your thing then you know the value of having a well-designed small form factor case and the NZXT Rogue at MetkuMods could be just what you've been looking for.  The name Zalman means cooling and the Zalman ZM500-HP 500W Modular Power Supply reviewed at ThinkComputers shows how they apply that expertise to PSUs.  Neoseeker has a look at the Asus EAH3870X2 TOP today.  It seems as if the trend is towrd bigger monitors these days with 22" inch widescreen model becoming more and more common.  So where does that leave models like the Samsung 743B 17-inch Monitor?  Head on over to Techgage to see if there is still a place for smaller displays.  Tech ARP is back with  an article on Upcoming Intel Processor & Memory Technologies along with an update to their earlier Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Out Next Week! item.

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, Memory, Cooling, Power Supplies, Mobile, Monitors
Posted: January 28, 2008 07:04AM
Author: Dale Shuck

With the start of the new week our tour around the web leaves us with a lot of ground to cover.  From time to time we find ourselves in a position where a new product launch generates a lot of interest from various sites simultaneously and that's the situation we have today with AMD's recent launch of the HD 3870 X2 dual GPU video card.  If you read OCC's own ATI HD 3870 X2 Review then you already have a good idea what this card is all about - dual RV670 graphics processing units on a single-card in a dual-slot configuration offering Crossfire capability.  This configuration has obvious benefits in that it takes less space with reduced heat output and eliminates the need for the Crossfire bridge that a dual-card setup requires.  You can find additional coverage of the new card from: PC Perspective - Asus AMD Radeon HD 3870 X2 - AMD R680 Dual GPU Arrives, HotHardware - R680 Has Landed: ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 Tested , TweakTown - GECUBE Radeon HD 3870 X2 Graphics Card, Overclocker Cafe - HIS Radeon HD3870 X2, Bjorn3D - AMD HD3870X2 and [H]ardocp - ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 Dual GPU Video Card.  Our video card coverage next jumps over to the NVIDIA camp with the Sparkle 8800GTS 512MB Review: G92 Madness Continues from Madshrimps.  Viper Lair has a look at the factory-overclocked  MSI NX8600GT Twin Turbo.  If that wasn't enough for your daily dose of hardware, we have a double feature lined up for you with two Intel X38 chipset boards starting with PCSTATS' Gigabyte GA-X38-DQ6 Intel X38 Express Motherboard and the GIGABYTE X38T-DQ6 Motherboard from TweakTown.  FrostyTech has another chipset cooler review with their Zalman ZM-NBF47 Northbridge Chipset Heatsink.  Every cooling solution starts with a good thermal interface material so check out the Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Compound at RBMods.  Those new video cards are going to require a decent power supply and Bjorn3D gives us an opportunity to check out the Ultra X2 750W Extreme Titanium.  DDR2 memory is still a viable option for many.  Virual-Hideout reviews the OCZ 4GB Reaper X HPC PC2-6400 Memory which utilizes OCZ's HPC cooling.  For a complete home theater setup we have the Samsung HT-X250 home theatre system in a box from AcceleNation.  For those wanting to be one of only 10,000 lucky souls to own a unique case, check out the Thermaltake SwordM Full Tower Case brought to us by ThinkComputers.  While you're there, don't forget to check out their review of the Samsung SyncMaster 2232GW 22-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor.  In the mobile department we find the Samsung SGH-D880 Dual SIM Mobile Phone at Tech ARP and a review of the Palm Treo 750 from Techgage.  Tech ARP has provided an update to their Intel Core 2 Performance Comparison Guide.  Wrapping up, OCModShop examines the question Are Women Ignored as Technology Consumers?

Hardware Roundup: Thursday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, CPU's, Cases, Cooling, Gaming, Music / Video Players, Input Devices, Monitors, Gadgets, VGA Cooling
Posted: January 24, 2008 06:16AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Many hardware manufacturers are beginning to tout their products as supporting the ESA standard and are even prominently display the ESA logo.  Just what is ESA?  PC Perspective explains it all in their NVIDIA ESA: Enthusiast System Architecture article.  AMD/ATI has been getting some of the limelight with their HD 3850/3870 video cards.  TweakTown shares the MSI Radeon HD 3870 X2 OC Graphics Card with us and you need to pay attention to the "X2" in the name because this is the new dual GPU version!  Sharing the spotlight is the fact that AMD also just released two other cards as well and Legit Reviews looks at the ATI Radeon HD 3450 and Radeon HD 3650 Video Cards.  For NVIDIA fans there is always the Inno3D 8800 GT iChill at Overclocker Cafe which sports a factory overclock and an Arctic Cooling Accelero X1 cooler.  There's another new video technology making its way onto the market these days and you can head over to Techgage to read about DisplayLink - Multi-Display Setups with USB.  Crysis is a game known for bringing many a system to  its knees.  What does it take to play this game at the highest resolutions?  HotHarware has the Crysis v1.1 NVIDIA 3-Way SLI Performance Update.  What good is a new video card without a large monitor to show off all that eye candy?  That's where the Samsung SyncMaster 275T TFT LCD comes in and LAN Addict gives us a chance to check it out.  Madshrimps just posted their Foxconn P35AP-S Motherboard Revisited: New BIOS.  FrostyTech looks at the Xigmatek MAC-S3501 DDR/DDR2 Memory Heatspreaders and questions just how necessary is an active memory cooling solution.  The Lian Li PC-P80 Case garners some pretty strong superlatives in the video review from 3dGameMan.  Low power CPUs are more often found in mobile devices, not in enthusiasts' machines so find out what [H]ardocp has to say about VIA's New Centaur Designed Isaiah CPU Architecture.  TechReport has a quick look at SanDisk's Sansa Clip MP3 player for those of you looking for a small music player whose name doesn't begin with an 'i'.  When gaming, if your hands sweat like a kid on his first date then the Logitech ChillStream Actively Cooled Gamepad at Tweak News might be the answer for you.  Don't forget to check out the Geeks 7" Digital Picture Frame over at Monster-Hardware before you go.

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Memory, Gaming, Music / Video Players, Input Devices, Monitors, Gadgets, CPU Cooling, Trade Shows/Conventions
Posted: January 7, 2008 06:57AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Our Monday roundup marks the official opening of CES 2008 and OCC has already begun its coverage along with with some of our affiliates.  But first we need to see what else is up for review today.  We have a daily double from Tech ARP with their Crysis Benchmarking Guide and their updated Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide.  Virtual-Hideout takes on the Razer Lachesis Gaming Mouse.  Motherboards.org has a look at the V7 D24W33 24 Inch (HDMI) LCD Monitor from Video 7.  DD@ memory is still alive and kicking and TweakTown reviews the PNY DDR2 XLR8 PC2-9384 2GB Memory Kit.  For those of you looking for an easy way to get into water cooling, Tweaknews has the Thermaltake Bigwater 760i Liquid Cooling System up for review today.  In the budget motherboard department, Bjorn3D has a look at the Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L based on the Intel P31 chipset.  If you didn't get a new music player under the tree this year, head on over to RBMods for a review of the Apple iPod Nano 3rd Generation.  Now, on to CES coverage.  In addition to OCC's own coverage, today we have CES Unveiled 2008 at ThinkComputers.org, CES Unveiled & Logitech Announcements at Techgage and Warner Home Video Fallout Hits CES 2008 from Madshrimps.

Crysis Benchmarking Guide @ Tech ARP
Razer Lachesis Gaming Mouse @ Virtual-Hideout
V7 D24W33 24 Inch (HDMI) LCD Monitor @ Motherboards.org
Nyko Intercooler for Playstation 3 @ OCModShop
CES Unveiled 2008 @ ThinkComputers.org
CES Unveiled & Logitech Announcements @ Techgage
Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide @ Tech ARP
Warner Home Video Fallout Hits CES 2008 @ Madshrimps
PNY DDR2 XLR8 PC2-9384 2GB Memory Kit @ TweakTown
Thermaltake Bigwater 760i Liquid Cooling System @ Tweaknews
Gigabyte GA-P31-DS3L @ Bjorn3D
Apple iPod Nano 3rd Generation @ RBMods

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Cases, Cooling, Mobile, Monitors, Software
Posted: December 17, 2007 06:19AM
Author: Dale Shuck

Today's roundup includes a couple of gift guides for those last minute shoppers out there.  ThinkComputers brings us their Holiday 2007 Price Is No Object Gift Guide and the Griffin iClear & Headphone Adapter for iPhone.  Techgage has their TG Gift Guide 07 - Video Cards & Displays if you need to update your holiday wish list.  Also in the video card department are the ASUS GeForce EN8800GT TOP 512MB at TweakTown and the XFX 8800GT XXX 256MB Alpha Dog from Bjorn3D.  Next up is the NZXT Rogue LAN Case over at OC Cafe.  Tech ARP has a look at the Samsung SGH-F330 Mobile Phone.  There are two software utilities on tap today with Nero 8 Ultra Edition reviewed by Techgage and PC-Doctor Service Center 6 from Virtual-Hideout. OCModShop has a look at the Thermaltake iFlash + 120mm Cooling Fan.

Griffin iClear & Headphone Adapter for iPhone @ ThinkComputers
ASUS GeForce EN8800GT TOP 512MB @ TweakTown
Thermaltake iFlash + 120mm Cooling Fan @ OCModShop
NZXT Rogue LAN Case @ Overclocker Cafe
Samsung SGH-F330 Mobile Phone Overview @ Tech ARP
Nero 8 Ultra Edition @ Techgage
Holiday 2007 Price Is No Object Gift Guide @ ThinkComputers
TG Gift Guide 07 - Video Cards & Displays @ Techgage
PC-Doctor Service Center 6 @ Virtual-Hideout
XFX 8800GT XXX 256MB Alpha Dog @ Bjorn3D

Hardware Roundup: Saturday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Memory, Sound Cards, Operating Systems, Monitors, Gadgets
Posted: December 15, 2007 08:26AM
Author: Dale Shuck

We have several items from around the web to keep your mind of those last-minute shopping items you're supposed to be taking care of, so let's get started.  TweakTown has another 8800GT up for review with the Palit GeForce 8800GT Sonic Graphics Card. 3dGameMan has a look at the Super Talent ProjectX PC3-14400 Memory. That makes a perfect segue for us to head over to Madshrimps for their DDR2 Memory Roundup Autumn 2007.  PCSTATS has published an updated version of its Beginners Guides: 99 Performance Tips for Windows.  If you're looking for a new wide screen monitor, then head over to Overclockers Online for their review of the Samsung SyncMaster 2232GW.  Tech ARP looks at the Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 Sound Card and came away quite impressed with what they heard.  And now for something completely different - the Boyng ToastIt 7-in-1 USB Card Reader from OCModshop.  I'll let you figure out why a company would name a product 'ToastIt'.

Palit GeForce 8800GT Sonic Graphics Card @ TweakTown
Super Talent ProjectX PC3-14400 Memory @ 3dGameMan
DDR2 Memory Roundup Autumn 2007 @ Madshrimps
Beginners Guides: 99 Performance Tips for Windows @ PCSTATS
Samsung SyncMaster 2232GW @ Overclockers Online
Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 Sound Card @ Tech ARP
Boynq ToastIt 7-in-1 USB Card Reader @ OCModShop

Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Optical Drives, Cooling, Monitors, CPU Cooling
Posted: December 14, 2007 06:10AM
Author: Dale Shuck

We finish up the week with a look around the web starting with the Thermal Paste Roundup 2007 from Madshrimps.  Tech ARP has added the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB (G92) graphics card to its Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide Rev. 13.0.  [H] has AMD's ATI Hybrid CrossFire Sneak Peek Exclusive where they get a look at new technology that allows users to combine a single Crossfire video card with one of ATI's new integrated graphics processors.  Pretty cool stuff.  FrostyTech reviews the Scythe Mugen SCINF-1000 Heatsink along with the Glacialtech Igloo 5710 Silent Heatsink.  TweakTown also has an entry in the cooling department with a review of the ASUS Silent Knight II CPU Cooler.  Bjorn3d has the Foxconn Mars motherboard along with the PowerColor HD 3850 Xtreme.  We round out the reviews this morning with two products from Samsung.  Bonafide Reviews evaluates the Samsung HP-T4264 42" Plasma HDTV and ExtremeMHz offers up a look at the Samsung SH-S203N LightScribe DVD Writer.

Spreading it Thin, Thermal Paste Roundup 2007 @ Madshrimps
Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide Rev. 13.0 @ Tech ARP
AMD's ATI Hybrid CrossFire Sneak Peek Exclusive @ [H]ardocp
Scythe Mugen SCINF-1000 Heatsink @ FrostyTech
Foxconn Mars @ Bjorn3D
Glacialtech Igloo 5710 Silent Heatsink @ FrostyTech
Samsung HP-T4264 42" Plasma HDTV @ Bonafide Reviews
Samsung SH-S203N LightScribe DVD Writer @ ExtremeMHz
ASUS Silent Knight II CPU Cooler @ TweakTown
PowerColor HD 3850 Xtreme @ Bjorn3D

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Cooling, Monitors, Speakers/Headphones, Software
Posted: December 10, 2007 06:22AM
Author: Dale Shuck

We get things rolling this week with a series of video card reviews.  Leading off is TweakTown's look at the HD 3850 Crossfire vs. 8800GTS 512MB G92. Tech ARP has the Galaxy GeForce 8600 GTS and TechSpot looks at the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS 512 reference card.  TweakTown also reviews the Inno3D GeForce 8800GT OC 512MB along with a review of the GIGABYTE GP-S7500 2.1 speaker system. You'll definitely need a decent monitor to put a new video card to the test so why not check out the ASUS PG221 22-inch Wide-Screen over at Techgage.  [H]ardocp takes us on a tour of UT3 Gameplay and IQ.  Virtual-Hideout looks at the Thermaltake iXoft Notebook Cooling Pad.  Bjorn3D examines Uniblue RegistryBooster 2 (which was also reviewed by OCC).  Finally it's time to relax and check out the Holiday 2007 Wish List from ThinkComputers.

HD 3850 Crossfire vs. 8800GTS 512MB G92 @ TweakTown
Galaxy GeForce 8600 GTS Rev. 2.0 @ Tech ARP
ASUS PG221 22-inch Wide-Screen @ Techgage
Holiday 2007 Wish List @ ThinkComputers.org
GIGABYTE GP-S7500 2.1 Speaker System @ TweakTown
UT3 Gameplay and IQ @ [H]ardocp
Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS 512 @ TechSpot
Inno3D GeForce 8800GT OC 512MB @ TweakTown
Thermaltake iXoft Notebook Cooling Pad @ Virtual-Hideout
Uniblue RegistryBooster 2 @ Bjorn3D

Hardware Roundup: Friday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Motherboards, Power Supplies, Monitors, Software, Storage / Hard Drives, Gadgets
Posted: November 30, 2007 06:00AM
Author: Dale Shuck

We finish up the month with several reviews and guides from around the web.  Tech ARP has just updated their graphics card comparison guide which now covers over 300 cards. If you don't know where to start on your Christmas wish list, TechSpot brings us their 2007 holiday gift guide full of items geared toward technology lovers.  PCSTATS reviews the Samsung Syncmaster 971P display.  If you're looking for a new video card for that monitor, we have three NVIDIA graphics solutions today. ThinkComputers looks at the Leadtek WinFast PX8600 GTS and motherboards.org brings us the XFX Alpha Dog XXX 8800GT 256MB.  The third offering isn't a stand-alone video card, but rather the GIGABYTE GA-73UM-S2H motherboard that uses NVIDIA’s GeForce 7150 chipset paired with the 630i southbridge. As system components demand more power, your old power supply may just not be enough any more.  Bjorn3D reviews the latest offering from ABS-Tagan - the TG800-U88 BZ which is an 800W modular unit.  Tweaknews has a look at SpeedUpMyPC optimization software (also reviewed by OCC here).  Rounding out the offerings this morning is TweakTown's review of Apacer’s new USB 2.0 flash that combines 4GB of flash storage with compression and security program features.

Desktop Graphics Card Comparison Guide Rev. 12.9 @ Tech ARP
Samsung Syncmaster 971P 19inch LCD Display @ PCSTATS
Leadtek WinFast PX8600 GTS Video Card @ ThinkComputers.org
Apacer Handy Steno AH421 4GB Flash Drive @ TweakTown
TechSpot Holiday Gift Guide 2007 @ TechSpot
XFX Alpha Dog XXX 8800GT 256MB World Exclusive @ motherboards.org
UniBlue SpeedUpMyPC Optimization Software Review @ Tweaknews.net
ABS-Tagan TG800-U88 BZ 800 Watt Power Supply @ Bjorn3D
GIGABYTE GA-73UM-S2H - GeForce 7150 IGP @ TweakTown

Eizo Announces 24-inch LCD for Colorblind Users

Category: Monitors, General News
Posted: November 26, 2007 04:44PM
Author: road-runner

Daily Tech - Are you color blind or know someone who is and have a difficult time distinguishing colors on a computer monitor? Well Eizo may have just what you looking for. Eizo announced today the release of a new 24-inch LCD display dubbed the FlexScan SX2461W-U that is built specifically for users who are colorblind. The display uses Color Universal Design technology which uses different color schemes, and shapes to help colorblind users distinguish between different colors. The monitor features a contrast ratio is 850:1, a brightness of 300 CD/m2, two HDCP DVI ports for use with two computers, and also some USB ports. The display can also be set up with different profiles for both color blind and non-colorblind users. The display will be available in December and will cost around $1,275.

Hardware Roundup: Tuesday Edition

Category: CPU's, Cases, Memory, Gaming, Monitors, Small Form Factor, CPU Cooling
Posted: November 20, 2007 02:35PM
Author: kingdingeling

A lot of items are on the review benches around the web today, lets dive right in. The [OC]Mod Shop review the Zalman CNPS-8700 LED Heatsink today, a relatively recent addition to Zalman's cooling lineup. Madshrimps is taking a look at the Coolermaster COSMOS Case, notable for it's spacey design. Bjorn3D takes a look at the AMD Spider Platform, a platform based entirely on the AMD/ATI gaming lineup. Your computer is too slow? Why not try the Uniblue RegistryBooster 2 Tweaking Software reviewed by TweakNews, maybe that can speed your computer up a little bit. If you're looking for a nice screen to use with that new computer you just built, check out the Samsung SyncMaster 2232GW Wide-Screen tested by TechGage. HTPC's are becoming more and more common among the computer world, and with that comes a variety of cases. The Virtual-Hideout checks out the GlacialTech Altair A380 HTPC Enclosure for you. Continuing with computer cases, Bonafidereviews has the Antec Sonata III Midsize Tower Computer Case on the test bench. Neoseeker has got a sample of the new Intel Penryn QX9770 in the test system, which will be Intel's top processor for the time being. PCStats is looking at some DDR3 today, being the Patriot Memory 2GB DDR3-1600 Memory Kit.

- Zalman CNPS-8700 LED Heatsink Review @ [OC]ModShop
- Coolermaster COSMOS Case Review @ Madshrimps
- Bjorn3D takes a look at the AMD Spider Platform @ Bjorn3D
- Uniblue RegistryBooster 2 Tweaking Software Review @ TweakNews
- Samsung SyncMaster 2232GW Wide-Screen Review @ TechGage
- GlacialTech Altair A380 HTPC Enclosure Review @ Virtual-Hideout
- Antec Sonata III Midsize Tower Computer Case Review @ Bonafidereviews
- Intel Penryn QX9770 Review @ Neoseeker
- Patriot Memory PDC32G1600LLK 2GB DDR3-1600 Memory Kit Review @ PCStats

Hardware Roundup: Monday Edition

Category: Video Cards, Cases, Memory, Power Supplies, Mobile, Gaming, Monitors, Software, Storage / Hard Drives
Posted: November 12, 2007 01:08PM
Author: kingdingeling

Today we have a lot of reviews around the net, ranging from CPUs to Video Cards with pretty much everything in between. Lets start with the 3DGameMan, who is reviewing the Aeneon XTUNE DDR3-1333 Memory today. Next, ThinkComputers has the Meizu M6 Mini Player up for reviewing, which is a neat alterantive to the iPod. They also have a review on the QNAP TS-109 Pro All-in-one NAS Server, a nice addition to home networks with a constant demand for storage. The Virtual-Hideout is giving us a nice Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Overview, showing how COD4 is a worthy successor of the Call of Duty series. TechARP has two articles for us today, one is a review of the Samsung SGH-F500 Ultra Video Mobile Phone, the other examines the NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT Graphics Card. To view the images your graphics card spits out, you might consider the Hanns.G HW223DP 22" Widescreen LCD monitor, which is on the test bench at Accelenation. The OverClockers Cafe is looking at the Tuniq Ensemble 1200W PSU today, with which Tuniq is trying to make the jump into the higher-end PSU market. Madshrimps is testing the Pantone huey Monitor Color Correction-Calibrator, a tool that exists because not everyone perceives colour the same. Further, they have posted a 20-inch LCD comparison of the Samsung 204B and the H20 20.1. The [OC]ModShop is looking inside the Sony VAIO VGP-XL1B3 Media Changer for us today, a new type of extra storage. TechGage posted a recap of the 30th AsylumLAN. TweakNews on the other hand is looking at the Zalman Z-Machine GT1000 High End Gaming Enclosure, a great case for which you however have to pay top dollars. TweakTown has got their hands on one of the new 45nm Intel Penryn cores, namely the QX9650. [H]ardOCP took a closer look at a DX10 game, this time being Lord of the Rings Online. PCStats posted an article about the most common ways to kill a PC, something the 'noobs' should read before getting too far into the enthusiast world of computers. Last but not least, Motherboards.org is having a vote on people's favorite video card company.

- Aeneon XTUNE DDR3-1333 Memory Review @ 3DGameMan
- Meizu M6 Mini Player Review @ ThinkComputers
- QNAP TS-109 Pro All-in-one NAS Server Review @ ThinkComputers
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Overview @ Virtual-Hideout
- NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT Graphics Card Review @ TechARP
- Samsung SGH-F500 Ultra Video Mobile Phone Review @ TechARP
- HANNS.G HW223DP 22-inch Widescreen LCD Review @ Accelenation
- Tuniq Ensemble 1200w PSU Review @ OverClockers Cafe
- Pantone huey Monitor Color Correction-Calibrator Review @ Madshrimps
- 20inch LCD Comparison: H20 20.1 & Samsung 204B @ Madshrimps
- Inside the Sony VAIO VGP-XL1B3 Media Changer @ [OC]ModShop
- AsylumLAN 30 Recap @ TechGage
- Zalman Z-Machine GT1000 High End Gaming Enclosure Review @ TweakNews
- Intel Core 2 Evolves QX9650 45nm Penryn Review @ TweakTown
- DX10 Fails AGAIN! Lord of the Rings Online Pretty, But Slow as a Dog @ [H]ardOCP
- Beginners Guides: Most Common Ways to Kill a PC @ PCStats
- Vote For Your Favorite Video Card Company @ Motherboards.org

News: Gateway Reveals High Resolution 30" Display

Category: Monitors, General News
Posted: October 4, 2007 04:33PM
Author: road-runner

Daily Tech - Gateway announced today a new 30" LCD PC display, the XHD3000. Gateway unlike Dell and HP promotes the 1600p HD resolution. All 30-inch LCD displays for PC use share the same resolution of 2560 x 1600, so Gateway has nothing new to add here. Gateway has added a wealth of connectivity options over other LCD's, allowing for connection of up to six devices and the ability to upscale 1080p content from HD DVD or Blu-ray players to the 1600p resolution and an IR remote that controls up to six devices without line-of-sight. Connectivity options include HDMI with HDCP, VGA, DVI, two composite inputs, S-Video and six USB ports. The contrast ratio is 1000:1 and the screen brightness is 400 Cd/m2, and a 5 millisecond response time. The LCD is listed as available for purchase now at Gateway.com for $1,699.99.

OCC Affiliate Reviews: Monday Morning Edition

Category: Cooling, Power Supplies, Mobile, Gaming, Monitors, Software
Posted: September 24, 2007 10:19AM
Author: kingdingeling

Today we have a variety of new reviews published around the net, including one of the game BioShock over at Bjorn3D. If a widescreen is not enough for you, you might want to take a look at the Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital Edition review over at [H]ardOCP. As this is the OverClockersClub, a lot of people might be interested in the newest gadgets in the cooling sector, today being the ZEROtherm ZT-100 Thermal Grease reviewed by virtual-hideout. PCApex has two interesting reviews today, the first one being the PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750W Quad CrossFire Edition. The second review focuses on a program called TopDesk, which aims to brighten the day for Windows XP users, by creating a Vista-like option to flip through tasks and programs. For the mobile user who likes his/her hardware to last a while, XYZ Computing has a review up for the new Panasonic Toughbook W5.


- BioShock Gameplay Review @ Bjorn3D
- Matrox TripleHead2Go Digital Edition Review @ [H]ardOCP
- ZEROtherm ZT-100 Thermal Grease Review @ Virtual-Hideout
- PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750W Quad CF Review @ PCApex
- TopDesk Software Review @ PCApex
- Panasonic Toughbook W5 Notebook Review @ XYZ Computing

News: Samsung Intros New Widescreen Monitors

Category: Monitors
Posted: July 11, 2007 07:40PM
Author: Ben Grantham

Engadget - Samsung today announced a couple of new widescreen models for it's monitor line-up. The 245BW and 226CW are 24" and 22" respectively, featuring resolutions of 1920 x 1200 and 1680 x 1050. The 22" model also brings Wild Color Gamut CCFL backlighting technology to the table. They should be available immediately for $550 and $380.

OCC News: ASUS Announces the PG221 22

Category: Monitors, OCC News
Posted: July 3, 2007 12:33PM
Author: Josh Jones

OverclockersClub -

We've all heard of the reputation ASUS holds for being a long-time manufacturer of motherboards. ASUS is not as well known throughout the LCD world, but its latest performance LCD has opened a few eyes amongst LCD enthusiasts. The ASUS PG221, a 22" widescreen display sporting an unusual, yet stylish, industrial look is hyped to be a great addition to a multimedia PC. What makes this monitor more special and better equipped to be used with our multimedia rigs than any other 22" LCD? For one, the PG221 comes equipped with built-in 2.1 channel stereo speakers, with 10W satellites and a 15W subwoofer to deliver decent sound.

 

News: See-through LCD screen developed

Category: Monitors, Gadgets, General News
Posted: June 29, 2007 03:30AM
Author: Ben Grantham

Engadget - Tokyo-based optical component maker Active Inc. has developed a new composite LCD display that allows a user to clearly see objects through the monitor's viewing surface. The company has been researching the use of liquid crystal optical film as a substitute for traditional LCD backlights with the goal of commercializing a display which allows a user's gaze to pass through to the opposite side when the screen is powered on.

News: TWISTER: goggle-free 3D rotating panoramic display

Category: Monitors, Gadgets
Posted: June 28, 2007 04:22AM
Author: Ben Grantham

Engadget - In a device eerily akin to teleportation machines seen in major motion pictures (seriously, check it after the break), the Telexistence Wide-angle Immersive STEReoscope aims to "immerse viewers in a 3D video environment" sans those pesky goggles. Developed by a team at the University of Toyko, TWISTER is being hailed as the "world's first full-color 360-degree 3D display that does not require viewers to wear special glasses," and it's finally coming together after a decade of work. Within the cylindrical, rotating device, you'll find some 50,000 LEDs that give off the illusion of a three-dimensional object without any ocular aids.