Today, NVIDIA posted new drivers that resolve customer reports of fan speed issues with 196.75 drivers.

Download the New 197.13 Drivers (Posted March 17, 2010):

Windows 7 and Windows Vista (32-bit)

Windows 7 and Windows Vista (64-bit)

Windows XP (32-bit)

Windows XP (64-bit)

NVIDIA apologises to our customers who installed the 196.75 driver and experienced quality issues. For the small number of customers who did experience problems, in almost every case, reverting back to our 196.21 driver immediately resolved their issues. We continue to work closely with our add-in-card partners and PC manufacturers to help resolve any additional customer issues not solved by reverting to the earlier driver. Any NVIDIA customer who has questions about their board as a result of downloading 195.75 driver should contact their board supplier.

A New Generation of High Performance
MSI’s New Products Shine at CeBIT 2010!
Mar. 2nd, 2010

MSI President Joseph Hsu says that the Wind Top AE2220 combines a stylish and aesthetic design with the latest technology. It has also garnered much praise from media present at CeBIT.

MSI’s All-in-One PC shines bright at CeBIT 2010! With its innovative technology and extraordinary styling, the Wind Top AE2220 has won the prestigious CeBIT Preview Award for 2010. The CeBIT Preview Award is granted by a panel of 300 local German professional media organizations after reviewing the year’s best products introduced at the tradeshow. The CeBIT Preview Award is widely regarded as objective recognition of product excellence. MSI’s AIO Wind Top AE2220 is the only All-in-one touch-screen product to have been awarded this coveted prize! It boasts a large 22-inch multi-touch screen with Windows® 7 and MSI’s exclusively developed intuitive touch-screen software. With its 16:9 cinematic, Full HD 1080p ultra-high-resolution screen, brilliant video effects can be fully realized. Combined with the powerful Intel® Core 2 Duo/Pentium processor and NVIDIA® ION graphics processor, multitasking is a breeze. The model is also equipped with wireless Internet access, and through the touch of a single finger, users can enjoy powerful multimedia features or surf the Net. The Wind Top AE2220 combines a stylish and aesthetic design with the latest technology. It has also garnered much praise from media present at CeBIT, who all gave it a resounding thumbs-up. In addition, MSI’s 3D All-in-One touch-screen technology was the focus of the show on opening day. With this new 3D touch-screen All-in-One PC, all a user needs to do is put on a pair of 3D glasses and touch the screen directly to experience immersive 3D images via the Full HD, 120Hz LED panel!
MSI President Joseph Hsu says that his company’s laptops and All-in-One PC products have equal emphasis on both style and performance, and this is evident from the very warm response the company has received from consumers. “With both commercial and consumer dimensions, MSI is definitely the pioneer to promote All-in-One PC worldwide,” said Joseph.

In addition to its star products, MSI is also introducing a full range of laptop models, the All-in-One PC Intel® CoreTM series and the Green Wind Top series.

GT 660 Notebook, the Best Audio Experience
MSI has collaborated with top audio equipment manufacturer Dynaudio to unveil its GT660 laptop with built-in Dynaudio technology. “We are very happy to cooperate with MSI to show that sound can be much better in computers,” said Wilfried Ehrenholz, CEO of Dynaudio International GmbH. GT660 displays the world’s only built-in LED light show technology, allowing users to experience the highest level of enjoyment whether they are playing games, watching movies or listening to music. “We try to deliver the best audio experience to the users with this brand new notebook, and it is a very successful product which we are proud of,” said Sam Chern, MSI Notebook Marketing Director.

“We are very happy to cooperate with MSI to show that sound can be much better in computers,” said Wilfried Ehrenholz, CEO of Dynaudio International GmbH.Sam Chern, MSI Notebook Marketing Director, says that MSI GT660 notebook delivers the best audio experience.

Besides, this year’s theme “Performance?Sound?Vision” also symbolizes MSI’s five major leading and innovative technical indicators of Notebook, which include their exclusive TDE overclocking and cooling technology, GPU Boost intelligent power management technology, Cinema Pro high quality imaging technology, outstanding audio technology, as well as award-winning and stylish ultra-light and slim designs. On display at the exhibition venue are the Wind U160 and the X-Slim X620, which have just won Germany’s iF Design Award for 2010, both of which are ground breaking laptop products designed with both style and performance in mind.

The Ultimate in Performance! Big Bang Series Mainboards Now Invading the Gaming Market

MSI Mainboard Marketing Director, Jason Lee, said that the Big Bang series gaming mainboards have been widely praised by consumers since their debut last year.
MSI Mainboard Marketing Director Jason Lee said that the Big Bang series of mainboards have been designed exclusively for the gaming market, and have been widely praised by consumers since their debut at the end of last year. The product that has received the most attention is the Big Bang-Fuzion mainboard, which is equipped with an exclusive Hydra Engine graphics chip developed by Israeli developer Lucidlogix. Gamers are no longer limited by specific manufacturers or graphics chips and will be able to use the Hydra Technology to upgrade their systems easily. To show how MSI has adopted its strategic “Performance?Sound?Vision” product development strategy, the Big Bang series of mainboards are equipped with exclusive THX® TruStudio PC™ and Creative EAX® ADVANCED HD™ 5.0 audio technology, capable of offering full 3D audiovisual effects.

Also on display in MSI’s graphics card product line at the exhibition is the company’s top video card product, the R5870 Lightning, which boasts the highest performance and unmatched specifications on the market. “Lightning currently is the world record of overclocking and is the best graphic card in the world,” said Jason Lee. In addition, the highly acclaimed Afterburner multi-purpose overclocking software that was introduced last year has been updated for this year’s CeBIT, together with the well-received Twin Frozr II dual-fan cooling unit. Jason Lee says that these products have taken into consideration hardware, software and cooling designs, indicating that MSI is once again creating an all-new graphics card performance benchmark for the industry.

– GIGABYTE Launches Latest Ultra Durable VGA Card Radeon™ HD 5800 Series Graphics Cards –
Premium Graphics Card with Ultra Durable VGA: Ultra Stable; Ultra Cool

Taipei, Taiwan, February 25, 2010 – GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards today is pleased to launch the latest in-house designed GIGABYTE GV-R5800 series graphics cards featuring GIGABYTE’s own Ultra Durable VGA Technology which can provide outstanding overclocking capability, lower GPU temperature, and excellent power efficiency. Building on the ultimate kernel of ATI Radeon™ HD 5800 art-of-the-state single-GPU architecture and advanced GDDR5 memory technology, the GIGABYTE GV-R587UD-1GD, GV-R585OC-1GD and GV-R583UD-1GD deliver seamless frame rates with massive graphics processing muscle for any tomorrow’s demanding applications. In addition, the GIGABYTE the GIGABYTE GV-R587UD-1GD, GV-R585OC-1GD and GV-R583UD-1GD feature a wide range of the latest graphics technologies, including native DispalyPort, native Golden-Plated HDMI, TeraScale graphics engine, ATI CrossFireX™, and ATI Stream™, to deliver supreme scalability so gamers can take their games to new heights.

Built on the highly anticipated ATI RadeonTM HD 5800 Series GPUs which are based on 40nm process and advanced GDDR5 memory technology, these powerful new GPUs provide for a host of innovative new features including Microsoft DirectX® 11, ATI Eyefinity Technology, ATI Stream technology, Quad mode ATI CrossFireX™ multi-GPU support, UVD 2 and PowerPlay™, and offer an incredibly immersive HD gaming experience and unrivaled performance. The GIGABYTE GV-R587UD-1GD, GV-R585OC-1GD and GV-R583UD-1GD feature ATI’s latest 2nd Generation TeraScale graphics engine, boasting the power of more than 2 teraFLOPS with 1600, 1440 and 1120 stream processors respectively. With 1GB GDDR5 memory, the GV-R587UD-1GD, GV-R585OC-1GD and GV-R583UD-1GD provide twice the data per pin of GDDR3 memory at the same clock speeds. Benefiting from ATI Eyefinity Technology, every gamer can run up to 3 displays from a single graphics board and expand the field of view across all displays. End-users can enjoy the ultimate gaming experience with innovative “wrap around” multi-display capabilities with ATI Eyefinity Technology. Furthermore, using ATI Stream Technology, every user can easily unleash the massive parallel processing power of GPU for physics, artificial intelligence, stream computing and ray tracing calculations, and tackle demanding tasks like video transcoding with incredible speed.

In order to provide the best digital audio/ video interconnection between a computer and display monitor or home-theater system, the GIGABYTE GV-R587UD-1GD, GV-R585OC-1GD and GV-R583UD-1GD are capable of outputting DispalyPort signals. The new generation DisplayPort interface supports higher resolutions, richer color depth, and increased refresh rate performance, delivering 10.8Gbps of bandwidth over previous generations of connectivity options such as DVI, LVDS and VGA. The GIGABYTE GV-R587UD-1GD, GV-R585OC-1GD and GV-R583UD-1GD also provide advanced connectivity to TVs and displays with HDMI with 7.1 digital surround audio support. Delivering the ultimate solution for high definition home theaters, the GV-R587UD-1GD, GV-R585OC-1GD and GV-R583UD-1GD are able to take full advantage of Blu-ray functionality with dual-stream, picture in picture (PIP) capabilities and one-cable HDMI™ connectivity. Furthermore, the GIGABYTE GV-R5800 Series are equipped with ATI PowerPlay™ technology for breakthrough power and consumption, maximizing performance per watt by delivering the highest level of high performance when needed and conserving power when the demand on the GPU is low.

The GIGABYTE GV-R587UD-1GD, GV-R585OC-1GD and GV-R583UD-1GD feature GIGABYTE’s own Ultra Durable VGA Technology, which can provide outstanding overclocking capability, lower GPU temperature, and excellent power efficiency. GIGABYTE unique technology Ultra Durable VGA features 2 oz copper PCB board, Samsung and Hynix memory, Japanese solid capacitor, Ferrite /Metal Core Chokes, and Low RDS (on) MOSFET. Compared with traditional graphics accelerators, Ultra Durable VGA graphics accelerators can lower GPU temperature by 5%~10%, decrease power switching loss by 10%~30%, and increase overclocking capability by 10%~30%. GIGABYTE Ultra Durable VGA graphics accelerator GV-R587UD-1GD, GV-R585OC-1GD and GV-R583UD-1GD can provide truly “high-performance” and “green” graphic card resolutions.

Anti-turbulence Inclined Dual Fan
The outstanding dual fan design doubles the cooling capability and offers extreme silent environment. GIGABYTE builds up an inclined cooling fan which helps heats can spread effectively from hot areas. 4 heat-pipes contribute to 13?cooler than reference fansink.

According to news from China, retailers are beginning to stock up AMD 890GX mainboards for the March lanuch. Some vendors are already displaying the boards [not on sale] at retail shop front.

Gigabyte as usual as a number of 890GX products. One of these is the Gigabyte 890GPA-UD3H which features “333″ – USB 3.0 (10 x speed), USB Power 3X and SATA 3.0 (4x speed via RAID 0). Of course you will also get the benefits of 2 oz Copper PCB , Enery Saver and ultra performance. On the box itself, it claims that the IGP can be overclocked to 1.15GHz with 128M DDR3 sideport that reaches beyond 3300+ in 3DMark06.

So stay tuned for CeBIT 2010 where all the news updates will be happening in almost realtime @ocworkbench on twitter, facebook, forums, main newspage in dual language.

– Optimal GPU Overclocking with GIGABYTE’s Ultimate Super Overclock Series –

– Premium Graphics Card with GPU Gauntlet™ Sorting and Ultra Durable VGA, GIGABYTE HD 5870 SOC Hot Launch at CeBIT –

Taipei, Taiwan, 22^nd February, 2010 – GIGABYTE, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, grandly introduces a powerful new addition to its product lineup: the Super Overclock Series. All of the GPUs in this new range of high-end graphics cards have been cherry-picked for top performance, efficiency and reliability. Utilizing GIGABYTE’s innovative GPU Gauntlet™ Sorting process ensures that only premium GPU processors are used in these graphics cards. Coupled with Ultra Durable VGA boards, users can rest assured that the Super Overclock Series graphics cards won’t let them down when they step onto the digital battleground.

GPU Gauntlet Sorting

First, GIGABYTE’s database analysis system evaluates the GPU core engine, shader engine and memory.  If a processor doesn’t meet the pre-defined standard, it will not qualify for the Super Overclock Series.

In addition, GIGABYTE’s proprietary testing toolkit allows engineers to inspect and select the GPUs with the highest frequency. This program operates for 30 minutes and provides important data on the maximum overclocking ability when compared to a stock GPU. Once the Super Overclock point has been determined, engineers will boost the frequency to offer the highest factory default clock setting in the market

Next, each Super Overclock Series GPU faces the Graphics benchmarks, FurMark and 3DMark Vantage, to measure performance and stability under an intense graphics load. A GPU that passes this stage will perform at a lower temperature and fan speed compared to a standard GPU. By choosing the cream of the crop, GIGABYTE ensures rich rendering of intricate 3D scenes and realistic physical effects such as water, gas, steam, fire, etc for a lifelike gaming adventure.

Last but not least, engineers test the power switching and stability. The GPUs with the best power efficiency and lowest power consumption qualify for the Super Overclock Series. And GIGABYTE understands that premium graphics cards should not sound like a cement truck rolling down the freeway, so a large cooling fan provides for a quiet computing environment.

Thanks to Ultra Durable VGA 5 quality components, 2 oz copper PCB, first tier memory, Japanese solid capacitors, ferrite core chokes and low RDS (on) MOSFET, the Super Overclock Series provides for top performance in graphics benchmarking. These high-quality components promise consumers 5%~10% lower GPU temperatures, 10-30% higher overclocking capability, and switching power loss that is reduced by 10-30%

GIGABYTE’s innovative GPU Gauntlet™ Sorting process provides three main benefits:

Full-throttle Performance Tuning

Proprietary database analysis system helps engineers investigate GPU core, shader and memory.

Optimized Thermal Efficiency

With high-quality Gigabyte Ultra Durable VGA components, the processor selected by GPU Gauntlet™ Sorting boasts extra lower temperature by 5 to 10%. The guarantee fan speed at 1500 rpm in high-rated 3D and physics-accelerated games helps reduce noise for an absolutely quite environment.

Expert Power Switching

GPUs are examined and tested for the highest power efficiency and lowest power consumption using the FurMark and 3DMark Vantage benchmark. Taking GIGABYTE GTX 260 Super Overclock Series graphics card for example, it delivers a 25% increase in performance compared to a standard GTX 260 card. And a GIGABYTE GTX 260 Super Overclock Series card guarantees the same overclocking capability as a standard GTX 260 dual-fan video card, but with lower power consumption.

Built for OC Competition & Gaming Battle

Serious gamers require serious gear. That is why GIGABYTE has developed the Super Overclock Series. The Super Overclock Series is built for OC competition and gaming battle and has been heavily used in competition. The GIGABYTE Super Overclock Series has proven time and time again to be an amazing overclocking GPU, continually allowing users to break and set higher and higher new world records. The GIGABYTE graphics card world record ceiling has possibly been reached and setting a new 3DMark GPU world record with GIGABYTE Super Overclock Edition.

GIGABYTE creates a secret weapon, HD 5870 Super Overclock Edition, is built using ATI Radeon^TM HD 5870 GPU which is based on 40nm process and advanced GDDR5 memory technology. The powerful new GPU provides for a host of innovative new features including Microsoft DirectX® 11, ATI Eyefinity Technology, and offer an incredibly immersive HD gaming experience and unrivaled performance.

ATI Eyefinity Multi-display Technology

Benefiting from ATI Eyefinity Technology, every gamer can run up to 3 displays from a single HD 5870 graphics board and expand the field of view across all displays. End-users can enjoy the ultimate gaming experience with innovative “wrap around” multi-display capabilities with ATI Eyefinity Technology.

GIGABYTE HD 5870 Super Overclock Edition presents exquisite industrial design, including GIGABYTE self-feature fansink, extremely user-friendly, amazing speed and digital tweaking. Those unique features help hard-cord gamers easy to overclock. Only serious gamers deserve such premium graphics cards.

Anti-turbulence Inclined Dual Fan

The outstanding dual fan design doubles the cooling capability and offers extreme silent environment. GIGABYTE builds up an inclined cooling fan which helps heats can spread effectively from hot areas. 4 heat-pipes contribute to 13?cooler than reference fansink.

Extremely User-friendly

GIGABYTE specific voltage read point provides hard-core gamers an ultimate benching experience at overclocking competition. Heavy users can change the voltage simply by software instead of modifying any components on PCB. Overclockers are easy to master the platform and monitor GPU workload in time just through voltage read point.

Amazing Speed

GIGABYTE NEC Prodilizer® also known as film capacitor unique features excellent noise absorption performance at GHz frequency, extreme low ESL/ ESR, high current capability, and high switching frequency. The Prodilizer® provides pure electric current and transmits more stable power even on heavy loading.

Digital Tweaking

GIGABYTE adjustable software offers gamers to adjust all contents, including Core/ Shader/ Memory tuner, GPU/ Memory Voltage tuner, PWM tuner and Fan Speed tuner. User-friendly software gives hard-core gamers liberty on overcloking.

The GIGABYTE Super Overclock Series contains GTX 260, HD 5870 and upcoming HD 5770. For more details of the Super Overclock Series, please visit the GIGABYTE VGA website at: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/VGA/Default.aspx

The upcoming AMD 890GX integrated graphics is AMD Radeon HD 4290. It supports DX10.1, UVD2 and has its GPU core running at 700MHz. Basically the GPU performance would be similar to the AMD 790GX.

The release of new boards based on this chipset is to support the upcoming hex core or 6 core processor Thuban. In addition, the upgraded south bridge SB850 will support native SATA3.

Some manufacturers will enhance their board with USB3 through add on card featuring the NEC chip.

AMD Delivers Performance, Stability, and Expanded Feature Set with New ATI Catalyst™ Driver Updates

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced several new ATI Catalyst™ graphics driver features designed to enable higher performance, industry-leading stability and an even more intuitive computing experience for ATI Radeon™ graphics customers. Two ATI Catalyst™ driver updates unlock the new features, the first coming today in ATI Catalyst™ update, version 10.2, and the second scheduled for release in March. The releases represent AMD’s ongoing commitment to providing regular driver updates focusing on stability, performance and innovation for users of ATI Radeon™ graphics processors.

“As the first and, to date, only company to provide DirectX® 11 technology and ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology, AMD continues to demonstrate our commitment to innovation in graphics,” said Ben Bar-Haim, corporate vice-president, Software, AMD. “Our monthly ATI Catalyst™ driver updates further illustrate that commitment as we focus on continually enabling greater performance, even more rock solid stability, and intuitive, innovative features.”

“The visual experience delivered by today’s personal computers is made possible as much by the driver software layer as it is by the tremendous feature set and performance of the latest graphics cards”, said Jon Peddie, founder, Jon Peddie Research. “The AMD Graphics Division has internalized this and has created a centre of excellence around driver updates, bringing customers monthly improvements and features in addition to added stability and performance.”

Key features of ATI Catalyst graphics drivers, version 10.2:

• Better game performance, sooner: Game profiles help optimize performance so that gamers get an amazing experience. AMD is focusing its efforts to provide access to game profiles when a new game launches – often on the day of launch – and AMD plans to post a separate executable file on AMD.com that users can install to get access to the latest application profiles for improved performance.
• More powerful panoramic gaming with ATI CrossFireX™ technology: Fans of ATI CrossFireX™ multi-GPU technology can now take advantage of the additional graphics horsepower to help increase game performance or image quality settings when using ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology.¹

Key features of ATI Catalyst graphics drivers, version 10.3, scheduled for release in March, 2010:

• Monthly updates for the mobile crowd: Starting in March, AMD plans to issue stability, performance and feature enhancements in monthly ATI Catalyst™ driver updates for Windows® 7 and Windows Vista™-based notebooks that feature ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 2000, HD 3000, HD 4000 and HD 5000 series premium graphics processors. AMD is working closely with most major notebook manufacturers to ensure broad support for this initiative.
• ATI Eyefinity technology, made better: To further enhance the immersive visual experience of ATI Eyefinity technology, users will now have access to an easy-to-use wizard that will allow them to adjust their display layout to compensate for monitor bezels. In addition, users will be able to adjust the brightness, color and contrast for each individual monitor for greater customization and calibration of each screen in their ATI Eyefinity set-up.¹
• Enabling the 3D ecosystem: AMD is enabling third-party middleware vendors to bring more 3D stereoscopic gaming options to consumers by allowing for independent left and right images at 120 Hz.

Supporting Resources

• Product page: ATI Radeon™ graphics product information
• Product page: Discover a new realm of panoramic computing with ATI Eyefinity technology
• Video: It’s so easy to upgrade your PC’s graphics, even a monkey can do it
• Twitter: Follow AMD graphics news on Twitter at @ATIGraphics
• Facebook: Become a fan of AMD technology on Facebook

AMD Delivers Performance, Stability, and Expanded Feature Set with New ATI Catalyst™ Driver Updates

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced several new ATI Catalyst™ graphics driver features designed to enable higher performance, industry-leading stability and an even more intuitive computing experience for ATI Radeon™ graphics customers. Two ATI Catalyst™ driver updates unlock the new features, the first coming today in ATI Catalyst™ update, version 10.2, and the second scheduled for release in March. The releases represent AMD’s ongoing commitment to providing regular driver updates focusing on stability, performance and innovation for users of ATI Radeon™ graphics processors.

“As the first and, to date, only company to provide DirectX® 11 technology and ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology, AMD continues to demonstrate our commitment to innovation in graphics,” said Ben Bar-Haim, corporate vice-president, Software, AMD. “Our monthly ATI Catalyst™ driver updates further illustrate that commitment as we focus on continually enabling greater performance, even more rock solid stability, and intuitive, innovative features.”

“The visual experience delivered by today’s personal computers is made possible as much by the driver software layer as it is by the tremendous feature set and performance of the latest graphics cards”, said Jon Peddie, founder, Jon Peddie Research. “The AMD Graphics Division has internalized this and has created a centre of excellence around driver updates, bringing customers monthly improvements and features in addition to added stability and performance.”

Key features of ATI Catalyst graphics drivers, version 10.2:

• Better game performance, sooner: Game profiles help optimize performance so that gamers get an amazing experience. AMD is focusing its efforts to provide access to game profiles when a new game launches – often on the day of launch – and AMD plans to post a separate executable file on AMD.com that users can install to get access to the latest application profiles for improved performance.
• More powerful panoramic gaming with ATI CrossFireX™ technology: Fans of ATI CrossFireX™ multi-GPU technology can now take advantage of the additional graphics horsepower to help increase game performance or image quality settings when using ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology.¹

Key features of ATI Catalyst graphics drivers, version 10.3, scheduled for release in March, 2010:

• Monthly updates for the mobile crowd: Starting in March, AMD plans to issue stability, performance and feature enhancements in monthly ATI Catalyst™ driver updates for Windows® 7 and Windows Vista™-based notebooks that feature ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 2000, HD 3000, HD 4000 and HD 5000 series premium graphics processors. AMD is working closely with most major notebook manufacturers to ensure broad support for this initiative.
• ATI Eyefinity technology, made better: To further enhance the immersive visual experience of ATI Eyefinity technology, users will now have access to an easy-to-use wizard that will allow them to adjust their display layout to compensate for monitor bezels. In addition, users will be able to adjust the brightness, color and contrast for each individual monitor for greater customization and calibration of each screen in their ATI Eyefinity set-up.¹
• Enabling the 3D ecosystem: AMD is enabling third-party middleware vendors to bring more 3D stereoscopic gaming options to consumers by allowing for independent left and right images at 120 Hz.

Supporting Resources

• Product page: ATI Radeon™ graphics product information
• Product page: Discover a new realm of panoramic computing with ATI Eyefinity technology
• Video: It’s so easy to upgrade your PC’s graphics, even a monkey can do it
• Twitter: Follow AMD graphics news on Twitter at @ATIGraphics
• Facebook: Become a fan of AMD technology on Facebook

Gigabyte, being the leader of innovation always surprises us with interesting boards. Today, we take a look at its Intel H55 chipset mainboard – GA-H55M-USB3.

From the name itself, you can easily guess it is a mATX board based on Intel H55 chipset. This new series of chipset supports the Clarkdale processors with integrated graphics built inside the core. It supports Intel Core™ i7/ Core™ i5/ Core™ i3 LGA1156 processors. This is further enhanced with its Ultra Durable™ 3 technology with 2oz copper PCB design, Smart 6 technology for smarter PC management and Dynamic Energy Saver™ 2 technology enables best energy efficiency.

In terms of multimedia, the Intel HD Graphics integrated with the processor delivers smooth playback of HD contents through its integrated HDMI, DVI or Display port interface. It also supports Dolby Home Theater audio to create a stunning surround sound listening experience using a high-performance DAC with 108 dB Signal-to-Noise ratio playback chipset.

Quite different from other vendor’s H55 solutions, this board comes with NEC SuperSpeed USB 3.0 with superfast transfer rates of up to 5 Gbps. It also has 3X USB power delivery for greater compatibility and extra power for USB devices. The board also supports EuP standard.

Read Review

PCI-E x1 Graphics Card with DX10.1 Ready!
Albatron G210-512 PCIe x1

Albatron, Taipei, 2010/02/12 – As a professional motherboard and graphics card manufacturer, Albatron Technology is keeping developing key components for IPC clients. After announcement of the first PCIe x1 VGA – GeForce 9500GT PCIE-1X -in 2009, Albatron unveils the second PCIe x1 VGA to market in 2010 Feb. Albatron G210-512 PCIe x1 is the first graphics card with both PCIe x1 interface and DX 10.1 ready!

Albatron G210-512 PCIe x1 features NVidia GeForce 210 Graphics Processor Unit (GPU) and branded DDR2 memories and supports the latest multimedia output, such as HDMI and DVI. Equipped with hi-quality capacitors & large-sized heat sink, it performs well in both efficiency and stability. Furthermore, as far as the space of computer cabinet is concerned, Albatron G210-512 PCIe x1 is adapted in low-profile design. Compared to the standard graphics cards, it’s more suitable with small form factor mother boards.

The design idea of Albatron G210-512 PCIe x1 is focused on multi-display application to maximum the space and source of monitor display. With the high bandwidth of PCI-E x1 (512MB/s), users can enjoy Blue-ray video fluently. No mater for multi-monitoring in industry control area or screen extension in flight stimulation, Albatron G210-512 PCIe x1 can complete assignments successfully. In addition, purchasing a graphics card for servers, the interface of PCI-E 1X can satisfy the discrete graphics needs and provide better image, high-definition and 3D performance.

Albatron spares no effort in global environment, and all materials of products follow the standard of RoHS, the latest rule EU announced to reduce the damage toward human and animals. User can be relieved to purchase and use Albatron’s products. For more information, please visit: www.albatron.com.tw

Specs

Graphics Processor?
GeForce 210

CUDA Cores?
16

Graphics Clock?
589 MHz

Processor Clock?
1402 MHz

Memory Clock?
500 MHz

Memory size?
512 MHz

Memory interface width?
64-bit

NVIDIA PureVideo?
Yes

NVIDIA CUDA?
Yes

NVIDIA PhysX?
yes

Microsoft DirectX?
10.1

OpenGL?
3.1

HDMI?
Yes

Audio input for HDMI?
Internal

Bus support?
PCI-e 2.0 (x1)

Max Digital resolution?
25601 x 600

Max VGA resolution?
2048 x 1536

• The DirectX end-user installation includes all the latest and previous released DirectX runtime. This includes the bi-monthly D3DX, XInput, and Managed DirectX components.
• The DirectX runtime cannot be uninstalled. We recommend Windows Me and Windows XP users turn on a “System Restore” point before installing. For information on turning on a restore point, please refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:
  Windows Millennium Edition: Microsoft Knowledge Base article 267951.
  Windows XP: Microsoft Knowledge Base article 310405.
• The DirectX Redist is recommended for those users that do not have internet connection during installation or need to reinstall the DirectX 9.0c core runtime.

You can download it here
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=2da43d38-db71-4c1b-bc6a-9b6652cd92a3

NVIDIA has official made known the names of its upcoming GF100 chipset graphics cards. The first two cards, GeForce GTX 480 and GeForce GTX 470 will be the names of the first two GPUs shipped based on our new GF100 chip!

Digitimes reports that a last minute issue discovered during the validation of ATI Radon HD 5830-based reference boards has pushed back the launch date of 25 Jan to a later date.

The issue is related to circuits on the board resulting in error on software testing platforms.

It would probably take some time before issues are rectified and AMD Radeon HD 5830 should be ready by Chinese New Year.

For readers who are keen to know what is upcoming. We have information that we expect to see the AMD 890FX chispets ready by March or April this year. This new chipsets are meant for the “LEO” platform and it will support the upcoming 6 core processor for Desktop.  Forward into 2011, they have plans for the 32nm Bulldozer CPU with 4 to 8 cores and next generation graphics.

As for mainstream, i twill be Dorado platform which consists of 890GX with integrated graphics. In 2011 “LYNX” which puts the graphics within the CPU.  Although nothing is mentioned about the chipset or processor, we expect to see AMD 880G, 890GX as the chipsets of choice paired with SB850 south bridge that comes with SATA3 and RAID5 support.

For the AMD notebook series, we are expecting the “Danube” that supports up to quad core ,DX11 and a 7 hrs resting battery life. According to AMD, Resting battery Life is like the Standby hours on your mobile phone. In 2011, we see another Fusion product, bringing the desktop experience to the notebooks.

AMD 880G will use SB850 south bridge

The upcoming AMD 880G chipset mainboards will be paired up with SB850 south bridge. As most readers will be wondering, the AMD 880G north bridge is just a souped up 785G with it’s GPU CLK raised from 500MHz to 560MHz.

The added on feature is in the South bridge which now includes RAID 5 support and SATA3 (6Gbps).

Availability – April 2010.

In our Review of ASRock H55M Pro Intel H55 Mainboard with Core i5 661, we showed you the nice features of this board. ASRock ups its ante by introduce GPU CLK adjustment in it’s latest BIOS. You can now use the options available in the BIOS to tune up the GPU CLK and it’s voltage.

Although GPU EZ OC setting only has two options 1000 and 1100MHz, you can manualy set it up to 1333Mhz. We tried 1333MHz but it isn’t stable with voltage bumped up. In the BIOS, the GPU VID can be upped to 1.4625v. There is also an option GFX voltage which defaults to +200mV.

We tested the new BIOS by setting EZ GPU OC to 1.1GHz. With the same processor Core i5-661, we managed to boost it’s 3DMark06 and 3DMarkVantage scores by a substantial amount.

In 3DMark06, the score was 2158 (Sm2:676, SM3:843,CPU:3765). With the GPU Clk increase to 1.1GHz, the score increased to 2415 (SM2:762, SM3:949,CPU:3684). That is a 12% boost for 3Dmark06 in 1024×768 default test.

As for 3Dmark Vantage Entry test, the original BIOS gives us a scare of E5630 (GPU:4947,CPU:9617). With GPU increase to 1.1GHz, the score is now E6021 (GPU:5382,CPU:9356). That gives a boost of 7%.

Below are screen shots of the BIOS and the review ca be read here –  Review of ASRock H55M Pro Intel H55 Mainboard with Core i5 661. You can download the BIOS and discuss it in our forums.

Generation HD Gaming and Multimedia Features to the Mainstream

ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 is the first graphics card with support for Microsoft DirectX® 11 and ATI Eyefinity multi-display technology for under $100¹

Sunnyvale, Calif.  —1/14/2010

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today introduced the ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics card, the latest addition to the award-winning line-up of the world’s first and only graphics products to fully support Microsoft DirectX® 11 gaming and computing, as well as new innovations such as ATI Eyefinity technology. Priced at less than USD $100,¹ the ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics card enables a superior HD gaming experience in the latest DirectX® 11 titles, employs ATI Stream technology to boost performance in video playback and productivity applications,² and helps enable the full Microsoft Windows® 7 experience.

• Big performance, small price: The ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics card delivers up to 620 GigaFLOPS of compute power and GDDR5 memory, delivering unprecedented gaming performance for under USD $100 in the latest DirectX® 11 titles such as Codemaster’s Colin McRae™: DiRT® 2™, EA Phenomic’s BattleForge™ , GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat™ and Battlefield: Bad Company™ 2 as well as DirectX® 9, DirectX® 10, DirectX® 10.1 and OpenGL titles. In some of today’s most popular games, the ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics processor showed a more than 20 percent performance improvement over the closest competing product in its class.³
• Panoramic computing hits the mainstream: The latest in ATI Eyefinity technology enables up to three displays to be used with a single ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics card4, delivering the most immersive gaming experience with a graphics card for under $100.
• Accelerate with ATI Stream technology: ATI Stream technology speeds up video transcoding and improves video playback performance with applications such as Adobe Flash, and helps to deliver video enhancements that produce better visual quality with sharper, more vibrant images.²

“AMD recently celebrated the shipment of its two millionth DirectX 11 graphics chip. AMD has already enabled DirectX® 11 support for the majority of the PC market and today’s introduction of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5670 graphics card is yet another clear indication of AMD’s commitment to address the strong market demand for DirectX 11-capable graphics cards,” said Matt Skynner, vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics Group. “Combined with the successful launches of the ATI Radeon™ HD 5970, ATI Radeon™ HD 5800 series and ATI Radeon™ HD 5700 series, AMD has defined the DirectX 11 gaming experience like no other, bringing graphics innovations like ATI Eyefinity technology and ATI Stream technology to millions of consumers worldwide.”

“DICE prides itself on delivering the best possible experience to gamers, and ATI Radeon™ graphics cards help us to do that with Battlefield: Bad Company™ 2 through the use of DirectX® 11 and our Frostbite engine,” said Johan Andersson. “The fact that AMD has now shipped two million DirectX® 11 graphics processors demonstrates how excited gamers are by the awesome performance and feature set of the latest ATI Radeon™ products.”

Seize Victory with the Undisputed Choice of Gaming Champions
the World Over
ASUS Republic of Gamers Showcases the Best Components and Systems for Complete Gaming Domination
 
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (January 8, 2010) — The ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) is a brand synonymous with cutting-edge design, industry-leading innovation and extreme performance. Used by the world’s gaming and overclocking elites, ROG has established itself as a truly formidable weapon in the gaming and overclocking arena. At the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 (CES 2010), ROG showcased some of its latest and long-awaited ‘weaponry’, catering to all aspects of gaming and overclocking, and to users ranging from home or mobile gamers to DIY enthusiasts. Leading the charge is the stealth fighter-inspired, powerful and ergonomic ASUS G73Jh gaming notebook for gamers on-the-move, while the new ASUS Essentio CG5275 combines both unparalleled performance and stunning design to elevate the whole gaming experience at home. Finally, for users looking for the best components to outfit their dream gaming rigs, ROG offers the new innovative and intuitive MATRIX Series graphics cards, and the extremely powerful X58-based Rampage III Extreme motherboard which supports up to four graphics cards for the win.
 
ASUS ROG G73Jh Notebook—Strike First and Win with Stealth and Precision
The new ASUS ROG G73Jh gaming notebook is like no other notebook that preceded it. With design cues inspired by the silent yet immensely deadly Lockheed F117 Nighthawk stealth fighter, the G73Jh features a matte black exterior, with dual angular ‘heat exhausts’ located at the back of the notebook. At the heart of the G73Jh lies the latest Intel® Core™ i7 processor, up to 8GB DDR3 system memory and 1TB storage space for extreme gaming and multitasking performance. Together with the Extreme Turbo Mode—accessible through the ASUS Power4 Gear Hybrid application—users can boost system performance on-the-fly without having to reboot. As the first DirectX 11 compatible gaming notebook, the G73Jh delivers state-of-the-art graphics via an ATI Radeon™ HD5870 with 1GB GDDR5 video memory. Complementing the spectacular visuals and performance are EAX 4.0 and CMSS 3D surround sound for a truly immersive gaming experience. The G73Jh also brings a more comfortable gaming experience to users, with a tapered design for a more ergonomic wrist posture. Gaming for prolonged periods is now remarkably comfortable as well, as the palm rest stays cool thanks to the G73Jh’s effective rear venting design. As the coup de grace, the G73Jh is equipped with a one-click Stealth Mode, which allows users to switch the ambient lighting systems off—just as a F117 Nighthawk pilot would on a bomb run—for the perfect covert strike.
 
ASUS Essentio CG5275 Desktop—The Perfect Combination of Gaming Prowess and Exquisite Design
Designed to deliver a world of hurt without leaving the desk, the new ASUS Essentio CG5275 gaming desktop is built from the ground-up to provide users with cutting-edge performance, uncompromised reliability and user-centric functionality, all encapsulated in a stunningly futuristic chassis. Available with the latest Intel® Core™ i5 and i3 processors and equipped with up to 12GB DDR3 memory for lightning fast in-game response, the CG5275 features a dedicated NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX260 graphics card that delivers true-to-life graphics with 896MB video memory, as well as a massive 1TB storage capacity for more games, videos, movies and other data.
 
The ASUS Essentio CG5275 incorporates several user-centric features, chief amongst which is the ASUS EPU, which monitors power usage and also provides hardware-based, on-demand overclocking. It also performs an all-round system diagnosis of all the other components to ensure maximum system effectiveness. The CG5275 is equipped with the exclusive ASUS Q-fan technology, which allows the system to run at full speed with minimum noise. Finally, 802.11n wireless connectivity provides high speed data transfer and unparalleled interoperability between n-draft devices, AI Security enables users to secure all their devices, and AI Boot allows them to prioritize the boot order.
 
ASUS ROG MATRIX Series Graphics Cards—A Resounding Victory with Compelling Performance and Absolute Control
The latest ASUS ROG MATRIX Series graphics cards come equipped with the Super Hybrid Engine for automatic hardware load monitoring and adjustments, delivering 15%* lower GPU noise and increasing overclocking stability for up to a 14%* increase in performance. A 5-level LED hardware indicator allows users to keep track of the loading of the GPU. One of the highlights of the ROG MATRIX Series is the new iTracker2, which retains its predecessor’s robust hardware monitoring capabilities and five scenario GUI modes, but now also features exclusive memory timing settings and a recovery application to provide gamers with advanced control of their graphics card. With a simple click of the Safe Mode button, users can now boot their systems in safe mode even when the VBIOS has crashed, and iTracker2 will automatically recover the VBIOS. Keeping the ROG MATRIX Series cards cool is the Extreme Cooler, which intelligently makes timely fan speed adjustments according to GPU loading, and comes with 46.5%* more heat-pipe coverage—increasing heat dissipation efficiency by 12%*. These next-gen MATRIX graphics cards will be showcased at the ASUS booth during CES 2010.
 
ASUS ROG Rampage III Extreme—Raising the Bar on Extreme Overclocking
With a rich history of developing and producing innovative motherboards, ASUS ROG offers three state-of-the-art lines of motherboards for all levels of gamers and DIY-enthusiasts. The GENE Series is designed for case-modders who are looking for a space-saving solution which still boasts uncompromised performance, while the FORMULA Series is targeted at gamers who enjoy fast-paced gaming, without having to worry about burnouts. Finally, there is the Extreme Series, which promises to smash all the records and become the choice of champion overclockers everywhere.
 
The latest in the Extreme Series, the ASUS ROG Rampage III Extreme, is an overclocking colossus based on the Intel® X58 chipset that is set to pave the way for new overclocking records. Capable of supporting up to four high-end graphics cards simultaneously, the Rampage III Extreme features the exclusive ROG Connect, an overclocking interface that enables users to monitor and tune their main systems through a notebook or netbook via USB, just like a race car engineer. It also provides BIOS updates and recovery, as well as diagram viewing, on-the-fly hardware-level voltage and frequency adjustment. In addition, the Rampage III Extreme features the groundbreaking RC Bluetooth which allows users to review the status of their systems’ hardware and tweak parameters wirelessly from a Bluetooth-enabled PDA phone. RC Bluetooth is also capable of performing standard Bluetooth functions, such as stereo music playback, Skype messaging, Internet access via a Bluetooth phone, and mobile phone or PDA synchronization. All it requires is the press of a button located on the rear I/O panel to toggle between overclocking and standard modes.
 
*Subject to system configuration and usage.  Specifications are subject to change without prior notice.

After being selected as one of the Top 10 Gadgets at CES 2009 last year, MSI has striven to “Insist on the best” in its research and development of innovative, new products. As a result, the fruits of MSI’s labors, from new generation notebooks and all-in-one computers to motherboards and discrete graphic cards, including many products that have received the iF Product Design Award, are being shown at CES 2010.

(Las Vegas) MSI is showing off ground-breaking developments and designs from 1-7 January 2010 in Booth 30651 in South Hall 3 of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Products include G-Series gaming laptops equipped with Intel’s newest Arrandale platform, GE-Series and 3D entertainment NBs the exteriors of which incorporate stylish, cutting-edge Color Film Print technology, the C-Series of classically elegant notebooks equipped with the Arrandale platform’s Intel Core i5 Processor, the popular X-Slim Series of gorgeous ultra-thin laptops that comes with Windows 7, the Wind U-Series of stylishly slim netbooks, and Wind Top AIO computers.

New MSI notebooks come with latest platforms?Unveiled at CES

MSI President Joseph Hsu explains that starting in the fourth quarter of last year, the high tech industry saw epoch-making advances in software and hardware, including Windows 7, the Intel New Core Processor Family, the second generation Intel Pine Trail platform, and MSI’s industry-leading products, including notebook computers which outperform their predecessors by a minimum of 30%, making them more mobile, versatile, and easier to use.

World’s top R&D and design?Turning heads at CES 2010

MSI NB Marketing Director Sam Chern points out that MSI’s new product series are not only innovative, they represent the company’s strongest array of computer products ever. They include the Wind U160 netbook and the X-Slim X620 ultra-slim NB which just last month received Germany’s iF Product Design Award for 2010—the design world’s equivalent of an Oscar. Other products include the G-Series, the planet’s most powerful gaming machines, the ultra-light X-Slim X360, the first NB in the world to feature Intel’s trailblazing Arrandale ULV processors, and the classic Wind U135. Chen emphasized that the U135 is the world’s first netbook equipped with the new generation Pine Trail platform to be WiMAX Forum certified.

World’s most awesome gaming NBs?Wowing them at CES

Chen went on to explain that the MSI G-Series consists of the most powerful laptops in the world. Equipped with Intel’s new generation quad core CPU platform, these are the NBs that the world-renowned gaming team Fnatic wielded as they vanquished challengers in numerous video game competitions around the world. Fnatic remains the uncontested champions with the highest number of accumulated points in the world. MSI’s GT640 and GT740 come with the new generation Intel® Core™ i7 quad core processor, while the GX640 and GX740 are equipped with Intel’s latest Intel® Core™ i5 duo core processor. They all boast advanced high performance 3D discrete graphic cards and high-end soft/hardware to give serious gamers the power they crave.

The Wind U-Series?A hot seller for a reason

The Wind U-Series of netbooks includes the Wind U160, MSI’s ultra-slim, ultra-light masterpiece of technology that received an iF Product Design Award for 2010. It comes with such innovative elements as a 10.1-inch screen with fancy gold Color Film Print technology, helping make this highly mobile netbook exceptionally stylish and attractive. The U135 utilizes Intel’s all-new ATOM N450 processor with integrated architecture. The Intel WiMAX module comes optional with this trendy and aesthetically pleasing laptop—the first netbook equipped with the new generation Pine Trail platform in the world to be WiMAX Forum certified.

Award-winning X-Slim series?Leader in high tech fashion

As to the popular X-Slim series of laptops, the ultra-slender X620, another recipient of Germany’s iF Product Design Award, is making its debut at CES 2010. It boasts a large 15.6” screen, CULV duo core processor, and a discrete graphic card. The X620 tips the scales at a mere 2.4kg and cruises for ten hours on battery power. The unique chic minimalist design of the exterior underscores the X620’s stylish elegance. The X360 is the world’s first ultra-slim notebook to come equipped with Intel’s new epoch-making Arrandale ULV processor. The X360 is characterized by its beautiful X-Slim exterior and its cover and wrist rest areas come with MSI’s exclusive stylish and eye-catching rhombic pattern.

MSI Wind Top series?Large size, superb video performance

Seven Wind Top All-in-one computers with screens from 19” to 24” in size are being exhibited at CES 2010 this year. The 24-inch AE2400, for example, comes with the latest multi-point touch control screen and Windows 7 as well as world-class cinema sound. MSI has a high quality display area onsite to show off the superb multimedia capabilities of MSI’s AIO computers. Chen went on to point out that in addition to the new products mentioned above, MSI is also exhibiting a number of concept computer products that stress innovative ideas, such as environmentally friendly designs. A trip to the MSI booth promises to be very rewarding.

Information on MSI at CES 2010 in Las Vegas:

Time: Jan 7^th?10^th , 2010

Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall 3, Las Vegas,

Booth no : 30651