Press Release: Verbatim Takes Printable Media to Next Level With New Glossy Inkjet Printable CDRs, DVD+/-Rs

If you still can't afford Lightscribe*-based DVD/CD Writers to make great prints on your DVD/CD, then maybe this alternative will be a great news for you. Verbatim* released this new Printable CDRs and DVD+/-Rs that promises great prints, comparable to glossy print papers that photographers use. Now, that's a definite wowser! (And come to think of it, I used to be a Verbatim* fan back in the 5.25 floppy disk days *yay*)

Verbatim Takes Printable Media to Next Level With New Glossy Inkjet Printable CDRs, DVD+/-Rs

ORLANDO, FL (February 27, 2006) – Verbatim Corporation, the market leader in premium-quality printable media, announced today a new family of glossy white inkjet printable 52X CDR and 16X DVD+/-R media. The new discs combine a shiny white printable surface and fast drying times with ultra-reliable, high-speed recording technology and broad read compatibility. With Verbatim’s unique glossy media, users can make their recordings look distinctive with vibrant, full-color images and crystal-clear text. The next generation of photo and video storage media were unveiled at the PMA (Photo Marketing Association) Convention which began here yesterday.

The new glossy discs feature an exceptional inkjet-printable surface that provides superior ink absorption and excellent drying properties. When combined with any color inkjet printer, users can print photo-quality images directly to the disc surface to customize their CDs and DVDs.

The new media will meet the needs of individuals and businesses that want to produce professional-looking one-off and limited run video, photo, music, and/or data discs for sharing with friends and family or sales distribution. By combining the ultra-reliability of Verbatim’s advanced CDR and DVD+/-R technologies with an innovative glossy inkjet-printable surface, users have the highest quality in both recording and print performance.

“Our new glossy discs have a high-sheen surface, similar to the glossy print paper photographers use,” explained Ron Hanafin, Verbatim Product Marketing Manager. “The glossy finish takes printable media to the next level by enabling the reproduction of exceptionally vibrant, high-resolution images and graphics that come alive.”

Source:Verbatim*

Press Release: The new Intel® Core™ Duo and Core™ Solo Processors are supported by Kontron’s Embedded Mini-ITX Motherboard

You have got to click on the image to see the "fullness" of the Mini-ITX' offering. Boy, the motherboard is so packed together, you can barely see any vacant spaces around it. It just goes to prove how the new Intel® Core™ Duo Processor is going to win it all in the performance/watt arena. Mini-ITX platform are mainly used for industrial type environment, and man, I am so drooling at the I/O this motherboard offers. Look at those audio stacks, wow, I'm sure this will perform just as well in a Digital Home environment.

The new Intel® Core™ Duo and Core™ Solo Processors are supported by Kontron’s Embedded Mini-ITX Motherboard

All you need on 17cm x 17 cm / 6.7" x 6.7"

Eching/Nuremberg, Germany, February 14th - Kontron, a leading embedded computer technology company, today launched the new 986LCD-M/mITX high-end Mini-ITX embedded motherboard. Kontron’s 986LCD-M/mITX supports the latest dual core low power processors, Intel® Core™ Duo T2500 (2 GHz) / Intel Core Duo L2400 (1,6 GHz) or Intel Core Solo processor T1300 (1.6 GHz), with Intel 945GM + ICH7M Embedded Chipset. The Intel Core Duo mobile processor and on-board Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 provides extreme performance for embedded applications with low power consumption. The board is designed for processor and graphics intensive applications such as gaming, medical technology, multi media, point of information, point of sale, data communications and high-end thin clients.

Kontron’s 986LCD-M/mITX has superior graphics performance with Intel’s next generation on-board graphics controller - the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950. The board is also equipped with various video outputs, such as on-board LVDS, 16x PCI-Express slot, S-Video out and dual digital LCD drive, supported via the SDVO interface by ADD2 cards.

The various interfaces offered by Kontron’s 986LCD-M/mITX meet and exceed the latest standard offerings for embedded motherboards: 1x PCI slot, 2x ATA, 2x SATA, 8x USB2.0, 2x RS232C, 2x IEEE1394, 3x GbE LAN, LPT, 2x mini PCI connector sockets, 7.1ch sound, amplified stereo sound out and GPIOs.

Like Kontron’s other embedded motherboards, the Kontron 986LCD-M/mITX has more than five years of product availability and offers various hardware monitoring functions through Kontron’s API interface software. The Kontron 986LCD-M/mITX is the 5th model in Kontron’s embedded Mini-ITX series which covers technologies from Ultra Low Voltage Intel Celerons processors to the latest Intel Core Duo and Core Solo processors.

Kontron’s 986LCD-M/mITX sample board will be available Q2, 2006.

About Mini-ITX
Mini-ITX is a new ATX-compatible motherboard standard that has quickly gained great acceptance from professional users. At a mere 17 cm x 17 cm, Mini-ITX is the smallest ATX-compatible motherboard form factor. These small dimensions enable its use in very compact housings and systems. All Mini-ITX boards from Kontron are specially designed for use in embedded systems, and are therefore built to be robust and available in the long-term.

Source:Kontron

Tech Link (Mobile): Intel® Core™ Duo T2600@28.766s SuperPi 1M@stock speed

While browsing for any interesting topics around the web, and watching the commotion happening at the military camp at the local TV channel, I happen to stumble upon one interesting forum post from the legendary kaz-n of Team Japan.

He manage to switch his T2600 with his Sony Vaio's T2300 and ran a quick benchmark. The result is amazing, hitting a 28.766sec with just a stock speed setting. This is really making the new Intel® Core™ Duo more and more attractive to tweakers.

Source:Japanese Forum (I think)

Article: Intel® Desktop Board D101GGC Review (Embracing 3rd Party Chipset?) - Part I

I made a review of this very interesting board from Chipzilla. This isn't a normal Intel® Desktop Board, this one is unique in more ways than one! This will be followed later on with my overclocking spree, as well as more extensive slew of benchies and torture testing as time permits. This is also the first among the series of Intel® branded board that I'm going to review, so stay tuned for other board reviews. Check it out.

What makes this motherboard a very interesting product is that, this is the first ever Intel® branded board (i.e. Intel® themselves built), that is comprised of 3rd party products. While this combination of different parts is fairly common in the likes of 3rd party vendors like Foxconn, Asus, and AOpen, this is unusual for Intel® since they will forego using their very own chipset technology on their own branded boards.

Will this Intel® board be able to live up with Intel®'s renowned capability to make great products? Will this be plagued with issues and incompatibilities found on low-end products? My torture chamber eagerly awaits...

Read more here!

Tech Link (Processor): Affordable Dual Core Solution For The Masses

Intel® released a new model of their dual core processor, the Intel® Pentium® D 805 processor that is very attractively priced. The move will bring the Dual Core revolution to an even broader range and depth of consumer. The processor is retailing at NewEgg for about $145.00 (or Php7,700), and has been sighted in Japan Akiba2Go site for about a similar price.

The new processor is based on the Prescott core, supports EMT64T, EIST, and XD. However, consumers wanting to port this to make a cheap Intel® Viiv™ solution will be dissapointed to know that this is not validated for such platform. The processor runs on a 533MHz bus, with 2.66GHz core frequency, with voltage feed of 1.25v-1.45v and will have around 95w of TDP.

Related Links:
Intel® Pentium® D

Tech Link (Chipset): Intel’s 965 Chipsets to Support Shader Model 3.0 – Roadmap

Not to be left behind in terms of technology and support, Chipzilla reportedly supports Shader Model 3.0 among other graphics technology.

Intel Corp.’s next-generation integrated graphics core will reportedly provide a lot of innovations among graphics capabilities, according to leaked slides from the company’s roadmap. Particularly, the new core that is to be found in Intel G965-series chipsets will sport new 3D capabilities as well as high-definition video acceleration.

Intel G965 core-logic will support Shader Model 3.0, including pixel shaders 3.0 and vertex shaders 3.0 as well as hardware decoding of WMV9b HD high-definition video streams. In addition, the new integrated graphics core from the world’s largest chipmaker will provide HDMI output, according to slides published by HKEPC web-site. It is unclear whether the new graphics core will support HDCP encryption as well.

According to the web-site, the first A0 samples of the Intel G965 graphics and memory controller hub (GMCH) have been out and their testing is complete. At this point Intel is reportedly testing the B0 samples of the chipsets, whereas the final C0 or C1 samples will be out in 14th – 18th week (May, 2006). The availability of the Intel G965 chipset is expected in the third quarter of the year.

Intel controls over one third of the graphics market. In particular, the company shipped over 37% of graphics solutions in Q4 2005, according to Mercury Research.

The new Intel G965 GMCH product will be the second mainboard-integrated core-logic solution supporting Shader Model 3.0 capabilities. Nvidia Corp. was the first last year to unveil its GeForce 6100 and 6150 solutions with similar feature sets, however, those chipsets were intended for processors by Advanced Micro Devices.

Source:XBitLabs

Press Release: NETGEAR® Teams with DS2 to Bring 200 Mbps Powerline HD Solution to Market

Wow, I'd like to see this really becomes uber mainstream, and well, locally available *yay*. It's a great concept, and while WiFi seems to be the standard nowadays, it never helps to have a competition (or others says complement) to shot down that sky high price. The new technology will speed up networking, and this time, beats WiFi since it now features a whooping 200Mbps!
_{Image not representative of the product, owned by NETGEAR*}

NETGEAR® Teams with DS2 to Bring 200 Mbps Powerline HD Solution to Market
Innovative Powerline Technology from NETGEAR and DS2 Enables High-Quality, High-Definition Video Streaming for the Digital Home

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — February 22, 2006 — NETGEAR®, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking products, and Design of Systems on Silicon (DS2), a leading supplier for Powerline communications chipsets, today announced that they are teaming to deliver 200 Mbps Powerline HD technology that will make it possible for consumers to have an affordable, high-performance, high-quality broadband connection available anywhere in the home without the need to run any cabling between rooms.

By turning any electrical outlet into a high-speed broadband connection, the fast 200 Mbps speeds provided by this collaboration will enable consumers to easily maximize the use of their network-enabled devices, such as digital video recorders, game consoles, personal computers, print servers or the NETGEAR Storage Central for storage, file, and print sharing, backups, Internet gaming, and video streaming. This proprietary technology using standardized DS2 chipsets will offer video Quality of Service (QoS) that makes it possible for users to seamlessly stream high-definition video throughout the entire home.

“As applications like online gaming, whole-house audio distribution and high-definition video streaming are becoming more mainstream, consumers require fast, reliable broadband access in every room in the home without the inconvenience of running new wires,” stated Patrick Lo, CEO of NETGEAR. “We are excited to be working with DS2 to develop a solution that tackles that problem head on. Our collaborative technology will extend high-performance Internet connections to any room in the home, making it possible for consumers to enjoy high-quality, high-definition video and other bandwidth-hungry applications without interruption.”

“NETGEAR is a major force in the consumer electronics market and a leader in offering high-performance products,” said Jorge Blasco, CEO of DS2. “Our partnership with NETGEAR is proof positive that there is a growing consumer demand for Powerline products. Moreover, DS2’s 200 Mbps Powerline chipsets are providing simple, reliable broadband connectivity that offers the necessary bandwidth to connect the digital home. DS2 technology is proven and mature. Our technology is currently in use by several service providers and we are delighted to be working with NETGEAR to bring this technology directly to the consumer.”

The first NETGEAR products based on DS2’s Powerline technology are expected to ship in the second quarter of 2006 and will be available through NETGEAR’s consumer, reseller, and service provider channels.

Located in NETGEAR’s booth (Stand C58, Hall 13), NETGEAR and DS2 will be displaying their 200 Mbps Powerline HD technology at CeBIT in Hannover, Germany, from March 9 - 15, 2006.

Source:NETGEAR

Tech Link (MoDT): Shuttle X100 ultra-small media PC

When Chipzilla announced their latest products at CES, more and more exciting devices and appliance are being released. Most of these are geared for Digital Home and have very small footprint. One such device is the new Shuttle X100 ultra-small media PC*. Not only does it has great looks, but this small baby is packed with a very powerful Intel® Core™ Duo Processor. It's got great graphics because of ATI's Mobility Radeon X1600 onboard graphics accelerator with DVI/TV out, and multi-channel digital audio with SPDIF.

So, what do you think? A removeable drive? No, it's the actual Shuttle X100 ultra-small media PC, a step into the future for sure and a definite indication of how a media PC could look when it finally makes the move into your living room.

The XPC X100 is around the size of a compact scanner. Equipped with Intel's latest Core Duo mobile processor, ATI's Mobility Radeon X1600 onboard graphics accelerator with DVI/TV out and multi-channel digital audio with SPDIF, the XPC System X100 will certainly offer great performance. In addition, this preliminary specification also features a 250GB hard drive, 512MB of dual-channel DDR 2 SDRAM, Gigabit LAN, Wireless LAN, a four-in-one card reader, 4x USB ports and Firewire.

It might not be the most attractive of designs, but it's sure to catch the eye when it goes on display at the CeBIT show next month.

No release dates or prices are available from the company at present.

Source:Tech-Digest

Press Release: New Matrox Extio F1400 is world's first remote graphics unit

It's for the uber business geeks device. Not a regular playtoy for use at your Digital Home but it's still a pretty cool device to own :)

New Matrox Extio F1400 is world's first remote graphics unit

Montreal, Canada, February 22, 2006 — Matrox Graphics Inc., the leading manufacturer of graphics solutions for professionals, announces Extio™ F1400, the world's first remote graphics unit. With this solution, the user interface of the computer – the keyboard, mouse, monitors, audio peripherals, and graphics hardware – are separated from the rest of the computer by up to 250 meters (820 feet) of fiber-optic cable. Designed for professional applications, this product supports up to 4 digital or analog monitors at a time, and has passive (fanless) cooling.

"Matrox remote graphics technology enables a new physical layout for computers," says Alan Vandenbussche, VP Sales and Marketing, Matrox Graphics. "It more effectively separates the use and administration of a system. This technology has a better combination of integration, reliability, image quality, and distance than any other extension technology."


Matrox Extio is ideal for environments like audio studios, broadcast studios, dispatch centers, control rooms, and public spaces using digital signage. With this product, the critical parts of the computer like the disks, memory, and processors can be kept in a separate, safe, secure room. This saves space at the display station, removes a potentially noisy computer, and allows system administrators to access and maintain the system at a separate location.

The versatile Matrox Extio F1400 remote graphics unit (RGU) has a Matrox-designed graphics chip, 128 MB of graphics memory, dual-LC connector for fiber-optic cable, 4 DVI-I monitor connectors, 6 USB 2.0 ports (4 in front, 2 in back), integrated audio hardware, an optical connector for digital audio output, and analog audio connectors for a microphone input, line input, and line output. To meet different slot requirements, Matrox separately offers PCI or PCI Express (PCIe) fiber-optic interface cards for Extio products.

For more information on this product, see: http://www.matrox.com/graphics/extio

Availability and pricing
Matrox Extio F1400 will be available in the second quarter of 2006. For pricing and other sales information, call 1-800-361-1408 (North America) or e-mail insales@matrox.com.

Source:Matrox

Rant: AMDTech Just Sucks

I still don't know why they review Chipzilla's chips if they all do is pertain how the other processor is better. Wow, they reviewed DDR2, even entitled it "Crucial Ballistix DDR2: The New DDR2 Standard?", and yet they seem to fail to understand that there's already DDR2-1000.

POS! All their benchmarks mean so little now, just look at some of the items I quote:

A remaining issue with Intel's 955 Extreme Edition processor is that the P4 Netburst architecture is still bottlenecked by its front side bus. Until Intel comes around to an integrated memory controller-type solution favored currently by AMD, it will be hard for them to be competitive on the memory latency front, as current generations of AMD processors have shown in a gaming or multi-tasked environment.

Bottlenecked? Really? Oh, you full of crap. If FSB is a bottleneck, then how about Banias and Dothan? Oh, you specify the Netburst, but then again, if you're really referring to Netburst, then why Until Intel comes around to an integrated memory controller-type solution is this posted. All current, and upcoming processors will still use FSB.

We have heard that the new Crucial DIMMs fare better on the upcoming AM2 platform, but until AM2 launches and we can test for ourselves, this is just speculation. AMD's new AM2 Athlon 64 memory controller will finally allow the use of DDR2 memory on the A64 platform, and the hope is the integrated DDR2 memory controller will finally allow DDR2 to run at the low latencies that will make DDR2 a compelling choice compared to DDR memory. In due time, we will have answers to these questions.

Oh really, "We have heard", so you like to use rumors as your basis now? Yeah, speculation my ass. If you aren't really sure, why post such fanboyism crap.

GTH!

Tech Link (Industry): Intel launches Viiv

I kinda missed posting this news bit, and it's been sitting in my InBox for quite some time. It's quite a good read, both for those who would like to know what the new Chipzilla product is and even for those who just needs a few giggles.

"They told me, 'There's a movie service, and you can log in, and you'll be able to watch movies on your TV at the same time as they're in the cinema!' I said to them, well, as the presenter of Film 2006, I get to watch all the latest films before they actually get to the cinema, so I'm not that bothered.

So then they said, 'Well, you'll be able to download the latest music from top bands, and there will be live broadcasts of concerts from all round the world, so you'll be able to get the best concert tickets without ever having to leave your house!' Well, I said, as one of Radio 2's top DJs I get flown around the world to the best concerts and get put up in the best hotels with the best tickets at the gig, so that's not much use to me either.

Then it finally occurred to me: Viiv isn't about entertainment. It's about giving normal people an idea of what it's like to be me!"

Source:Bit-Tech

Tech Link (Operating System): The Eight (8) Flavors of Microsoft* Vista*

Well, I guess this can not be helped as more and more users are using this OS across the globe, and it's clearly that a "One-Size-Fit-All" OS is not the way to go. Even now, there's already five(5) versions of the popular OS being used namely Home Edition*, Professional*, Media Center Edition*, Tablet PC Edition*, and Professional x64 Edition*. All of these are geared towards a broad spectrum of users and usage.

This time around, there are even more flavors. Aside from multitude of user preference and usage practice, other external factors such as government regulations have spawned even more diverse version of operating system. Below are the list of the upcoming versions of Microsoft* Vista*

Windows Starter 2007: Judging from the name, it's not a full-blown Vista* as it lacks the Aero graphics display and works on 32bit platform.

Window Vista Home Basic: Two shipping versions is currently in the roadmap: North American (N) and European (EU) version. This version of Vista*, as the name imply, is the very basic building block for which all other versions will be based on. The EU version will not have a Windows Media Player (and is called Home Basic N*) due to antitrust rulings against Microsoft that do not allow a media player to be included. You may treat it as a Windows* XP Home*....

Windows Vista Home Premium: It's the Home Basic* plus media functionality. The counterpart should be the Media Center Edition*.

Windows Vista Business: It's for the regular power users, and IT guys. Much like the XP Professional Edition* of today. The EU version again will lack the media player.

Windows Vista Enterprise: It's for the uber geek. It's got all the functionalities of Vista Business*, then with support for virtual PC, multi-language UI, and uber encryption technology. On the other hand, the name reminds me of Startrek*, gah...

Windows Vista Ultimate: Wow, Microsoft* fanboyism at its best. Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh. I bet the guy/gal who coined this term over at Microsoft* is now drooling over his/her godlike powers. Who could ever go wrong getting this one? It's supposed to have all the powers and might of all OS versions below, and then more! It's like, a version of OS that can be optimized to the fullest! It's for us super geeks!

Source:WindowsITPro

Tech Link (Industry): Intel strikes back with next-generation chips

I kinda don't agree with the "stike back" thingy comment of the article, but that's beside the point I guess. Anyway, things are getting more exciting as more and more information are being shared and revealed about the new productcs from ChipZilla.

According to the article, Chipzilla's new product offerings will have a 20% performance advantage over rival products. Some other details pertaining to the micro architecture says that there will be 14pipelines, uses 4MB of shared cache memory, issue four(4) instructions per clock compared to previous that issues three(3), and still maintain flexibility about memory since there will still be no integrated memory controller. Yummy, now I only wish my Merom and Conroe samples are here already, 2months of waiting seemed like an eternity.

"Intel expects its forthcoming Conroe and Merom chips to deliver a performance advantage of at least 20 percent over chips from Advanced Micro Devices that are slated to be released at the same time, an Intel executive said Friday."

Source:C|Net

Tech Link(Industry): Intel to launch “Averill” dual-core platform for business desktop PCs by 3Q

I'm so tired, just came from a long fun, quality time with the family. Anyway, I can't post all news article for now, but a here's a great one for you corporate people out there.

Following Intel’s launch of its “Viiv” consumer-PC platform, the chip giant plans to introduce the Averill platform for business-use desktop PCs in the third quarter of 2006, sources in the Taiwan PC industry indicated. The Viiv and Averill platforms will help stimulate desktop-PC demand and slow down the trend towards replacing desktop PCs with notebooks, the sources expect.

Source:Digitimes

Tech Link (Overclock): New Clockgen and CPU-Z Released

It's been ages since I've been trying to post this news item, till I completely forgot that it was released already. I actually have to go thru all my Blog entries to see if I haven't posted it yet.

Anyway, the new tools has been released already and I have been lagging behind in posting the news item. If you have been particularly tweaking your PC, like overclocking it, then you will love the new unified ClockGen tool. Additionally, a new version of CPU-Z has been released and now offers identification for the newer batch of processors and chipsets.

So head on over at CPUID and download the new tools. Don't forget to wipe the drool and smile on your face though.

Tech Link (Motherboard): NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra: Biostar's Performance Surprise

I guess this is like "Mid Fanboyism" or "FanBoyism in Half". At one hand, tjis a competitor's chipset, on the other, it fully supports Intel®. Well, I guess it's still all good. AMDTech seems very very vague about this board. At first, they are mentioning how crappy this board is and then, apparently, once the user knows how to tweak it, then it's like King of the Hill.

Well, who knows if what they have is just a cherry-picked board. It's not like they don't have NVIDIA* and Biostar* engineers working their behind to keep AMDTech happy. Hey, it's an advterisement, so both manufacturers should do good to support the reviewing site. Anyway, I'm not the type who likes a board that has a ""Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" quality".

Biostar along with NVIDIA had discovered issues with the original BIOS design and worked together in creating a highly optimized BIOS release that is at the center of the performance results generated by this board. While the performance is nothing less than astounding in certain benchmarks, it is also very average in others. The board has an almost "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" quality about it in configuration, performance, and options.

Source:AMDTech

Brag: New Fanboy Forum Up and Running...

Well, what are you waiting for, head on over there and test drive it. Of course, it's still under construction so you may encounter error from time to time....

Tech Link (Modding): "TransTFT", a stunning LCD Mod!

Another great modding idea, and masterpiece done over at MetkuMods. This is really awesome, looking at it makes me drool so much. The effort, creativity, and execution is just so professional, I'd wish I have the skills, money, and of course, guts to do something like that. Turning an old LCD into a work of art, truly a masterpiece.
_{Image owned by MetkuMods}

I bought an old 15" tft display from my friend because the display of my laptop didn't offer enough workspace. This monitor just happened to be too ugly to be tolerated for long. I never had the guts to modify my laptop, so this new screen of mine offered a great opportunity to refresh my building skills. I turned some of my ideas into a 3d model to see how they look. The leading idea was to show the parts of the tft and of course: it shouldn't be too hard to build.

Source:MetkuMods

Press Release: Super Talent Announces World's Fastest 2GB DDR2 Kits

Another reason to move to DDR2 technology. They just keeps getting better and better and better and better and better. No wonder, the other CPU maker is moving into this field. Too bad, unlike Intel® processors, those who will be migrating from their old CPU can not bring their favorite uber RAM since RAM technology is tied to the freaking CPU. Intel® have shown that integrated memory controller isn't the real deal (take a look at Banias, Dothan, and Yonah) for performance (hey, Intel® dropped Timna anyway).

Thru modular approach, users has more options to mix and match technology. For overclockers who love their CPUs and RAM, they can maintain to use the same CPU and RAM and just upgrade their motherboard. There's also an option to use newer CPU with older chipset which are proven stable (i.e. i865 chipset on LGA775, so this gives users the ability to use LGA775-based CPU with AGP and DDR1). Well, enough with the blah and click below for the full scoop.

Super Talent Announces World's Fastest 2GB DDR2 Kits

San Jose, California - February 13, 2006 -- Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of DDR and DDR2 memory modules, today announced a new 800 Megahertz, 2 Gigabyte DDR2 memory kit. Super Talent's new T800UX2GC4 is a matched pair of 1GB PC2-6400 Low Latency DDR2 modules.

Super Talent engineers, after exhaustive testing, developed these modules from carefully screened components to deliver unmatched performance. This kit has been tested extensively in Super Talent's engineering labs on multiple enthusiast motherboards to ensure compatibility and reliability at very high clock speeds. Every T800UX2GC4 kit built is fully tested in a dual channel motherboard at 800MHz at 4-3-4-8 latencies to guarantee that it meets its spec.

Super Talent Marketing Manager, David Crume, said "This DDR2-800 kit is by far the fastest 2GB kit we've ever seen. It gives power users the best of speed, latency and density in one kit. The net result is unrivaled memory performance." Mr Crume continued, "Until now, enthusiasts have had to settle for either high memory clock speed or low latency, but we've answered both demands in one product."

Decked out with thermally bonded aluminum heat spreaders, these modules offer optimum thermal performance. Keeping critical components cool not only enhances performance, it also extends the life of the components. All Super Talent DRAM modules are backed by a lifetime warranty. T800UX2GC4 is available today from resellers worldwide.

Tech Link (Mobile): Core Duo Battery Drain Bug Demystified

A worthwile read if you have the time. They also made a more comprehensive article back at AMDTech. I never had issues with this USB 2.0 bug, most of the time, I can do my work before my battery runs out. I guess many relies on a single battery rather than bringing an extra or a power supply just in case battery runs low (it's common sense really).

Grossly incomplete reports previously stated that Intel's Core Duo was flawed; today the missing information is revealed

Several weeks ago, tech tabloid TGDaily reported that the Intel Core Duo platform was flawed by a battery draining bug. In their tests, they used a "standard technician's tool" -- which is still unidentified -- and found that battery life was reduced over 40% when using certain devices with Intel's latest mobility platform. In a conclusion, they stated that the bug they witnessed was a Core Duo issue only. However, today AnandTech has released an extensive report which indicates otherwise.

Testing with five different notebooks from various manufacturers, AnandTech discovered that the claimed Core Duo bug was not an isolated occurrence and in fact appeared on all the tested platforms including the notebooks based on Sonoma as well as those using single core CPUs. They also reported that Microsoft has a quick fix for the USB/battery drain issue but at the time the fix is only a temporary solution until something more permanent can be issued.

From the article:

[The] Napa notebook lost 17% of its battery life due to the bug, while the Sonoma based W5A lost 25.5%. Once again, implying that this is a Core Duo issue alone is simply incorrect; the problem affects Sonoma platforms just as much, if not more, than Core Duo platforms. Based on the results we've seen in our perfmon analysis we tend to believe Microsoft's assessment that the problem would exist on any system that spent any time in C3 or lower power states.

Source:DailyTech

Tech Link (Gadget): Seasonic Power Angel - Power Monitor Review

It's not for everyone, but it's definitely a cool gadget if you're one of those geeks, you know, like us who just loves gadgets. And this one is pretty useful too, well, for a few PC enthusiasts. So if you're interested to know how much electric juice your equipment is drinking, or just plainly want to check if that new PSU really does have efficient PFC, then this is one of those uber tool for you.
_{Image owned by Madshrimps}

A monitor that can save you some money and knows exactly where your electricity goes. With gasoline price going up to the roof, heating gas double every year and now when I look at the electricity bill I feel sick. Seasonic provides this handy product not only for PC users to find out how much their high performance rig is burning a hole in their wallet but also for home owners to locate the WATTAGE guzzlers.

I have read the Power Angel reviews before. Celia from Seasonic U.S. office was kind enough to send me a sample so that I could taste it personally. The next two days, this little device was able to keep me busy hunting around the house to measure what was eating me alive in electricity consumption.

The sample came in a blister pack with hang tag, good for retail store sales and not very nice for photography.

Source:MadShrimps

Tech Link (SFF): Silence of the Shuttle Pentium M lunch box

I am surpised at tINQ, by their lack of rumor, side comments, sarcasm, and almost professional way of delivering a quick look to the system. I am not sure if it is because of the Valentines season, but it's good to have read an article from their site that is just purely focused on the item rather than mix and matching rumors and facts.

Shuttle ships aluminium based case in silver but the review unit was white. I have to say that it looks sexy in white. It should have left it in white for consumers as well. Thanks to mighty Intel we managed to get a CPU for this test and the nice company supplied us with a Pentium M 760 clocked at 2 GHz. I have the same CPU in the laptop I use. The only exception is that the laptop uses FSB 400 based Pentium M at 2 GHz while the one we used for XPC test works at 533 FSB. As it is slim and lite notebook that indicates that the CPU is rather chill. We didn’t have any problems mounting this 479 pin CPU inside and we remember that you had to screw the CPU in as it is usually meant for transportable systems.

Source:TheInquirer

Article: Mars 722 Orbit PC Case Review

An early Saturday article from yours truly. Well, I really liked the chassis and because of that, I figure anyone who's planning on getting a new one should give this chassis a look, and a major consideration. The chassis looked really good, and while I do have complaints, it's not enough to sway me from advising people to get this for their PC. You can read the article here.
_{Thanks to ame for quickly pointing out the name of the chassis. Don't hesitate to sell or buy stuff from him =)}

::Front::
The front of the chassis is nice, I love the simplicity as well as style of the chassis. It has four(4) 5.25in drive bays with plastic covers, and two(2) 3.5in slots. There is a silver button at the lower mid portion that looks like a V shape. The upper half of the silver button is the power switch on/off and the lower half is the reset button. In between these buttons is a clear plastic with two(2) LEDs, which is for HDD Activity Status (red) and Power On Status (yellow green). Moving further below is a great looking silver mesh located at both the left and right extremes, it is a plastic grill for air intake. There are also two(2) USB ports which should be enough for most cases, and two(2) holes provision for mic and speakers.

Source:FanBoyReview

Tech Link (Industry): Intel® Offers Rebates on Dual-Core Desktop Processors

Sounds like a great news to me. While the rebate is targetted for resellers, the eventual effect would be lower priced dual core for the masses. The rebate will cover purchase from February 5, 2006 and April 22, 2006 from any Intel authorized distributor with $40, $60, $80 instant rebate on the Intel® Pentium® D models 820, 830 and 840, respectively. That's a whole lot of savings!

The rebate should make the low end spectrum, the Intel® Pentium® D hovering just above the $200 mark, converted to local currency and this should be around Php12,000 give or take a few hundred pesos (and tax, tax, and more tax). There's also a spreading rumor about an even lower end Intel® Pentium® D 805, which should make Dual Core processors reaching not just mainstream segment, but those within the "value for money" consumers. A sub $200 or Php10,000 dual core should be a killer processor for those looking for uber functionality while keeping the cost down to a minimum. So, if you're still holding on to your older powerhouse system, or planning to make a jump, try to hold your reigns for quite a bit and wait for the prices to come down in a month's time.

Resellers purchasing select Intel Pentium D processors between February 5, 2006 and April 22, 2006 from any Intel authorized distributor are eligible for instant product rebates: $40, $60, $80 instant rebate on the Pentium D models 820, 830 and 840, respectively. The promotion is not effective for Intel Pentium D processors 805 or 840 Extreme Edition as well as 65nm Intel Pentium D 900-series chips.

Source:XBitLabs

Tech Link (Processor): Intel to show off quad cores

Props goes to tINQ for releasing the info. I haven't seen this newsbit anywhere on the net so they are pretty fast about.

INTEL IS GOING TO show off functional quad-cores on Friday at an analyst meeting. The specific chip is going to be Clovertown, something we told you about a while ago.

Since the final silicon is more or less two Woodcrests on an MCM, speed and stability should be pretty good for a chip that isn't due out for another 12 months.

Intel has been hell-bent on not losing out to AMD on any more milestone releases, and it is going to be the first to demo a four core CPU, even if it is a hack. AMD has shown four ways as early as last October behind very closed doors, but this will be the first public showing. So congrats Intel, you won this round. µ

Source:TheInquirer

Tech Link (Processor): Merom notebooks to launch operating system from Flash memory

THG has a news article up. They seem to have grabbed another tidbit of information from the unreleased new mobile processor from Intel® codenamed Merom*.

Chicago (IL) - Intel may get one step closer to an instant-on computer with the introduction of its next-generation microprocessors that will be aligned around the Merom mobile processor. A new mobile platform, codenamed Santa Rosa, will be first to integrate Intel's "Robson" cache technology, which will take advantage of NAND Flash to accelerate the startup of a computer.

Source:THG

Tech Link (Display): "Roll up" Display, Pimpin' your Output Device

Dang, I am totally owned by this gadget. This is so fun to have, and so exciting to look at. Imagine walking out of the park, with your MoDT (Mobile on Desktop) in your one hand, and a rolled up display at your backpack. You sit down under the tree, pulled out your laser keyboard, powered up your MoDT and un-roll your display. Plus, you can use it as a table cloth and lay down your food while reading what's hot and new on the net! Omg! 0\/\/|\|@63

Universal Display Corporation is a leading organic light emitting device (OLED) technology developer with a broad intellectual property portfolio, years of experience in OLED research and development, and entrepreneurial management expertise. Our proprietary technologies and materials can provide OLED manufacturers and product developers with product differentiation and a competitive advantage. Phosphorescent, flexible, transparent and top emission OLEDs, to name a few, are important examples of Universal Display Corporation's core OLED technologies.

Universal Display Corporation's proprietary technologies promise to bring color to flat panel displays in ways previously unimagined. Envision products using thin, lightweight displays that use little power, provide easy-to-read, vibrantly colorful results, and even offer transparency and flexibility as novel features. These and other exciting OLED technologies are being readied for commercialization by Universal Display Corporation.

Source:Universal Display Corporation

Tech Link (Motherboard): EPoX EP-5NVA+ SLI nForce4 Intel Motherboard Review

I've been busy so I am not able to scan my news bits properly. Anyway, here's a quick tidbit of info to spice up your review taste buds. It's an EPoX* motherboard, based on NVIDIA* chipset. This board tick my interest due to a pretty cool features, one of which is a SATA-PATA adapter.
_{Image owned by reviewer site}

Connectivity is very good that includes Firewire, and a SATA-PATA adapter for a 5th SATA channel which are features not found on most motherboards. The design of the board is thoughtful with built-on power and reset switches, a temperature probe, and a debug LED. You can also control your CPU fan and monitor your system health using the BIOS and the ThunderProbe software.

Source:PCPer

Tech Link (Modding): Whisky PC, PC In A Bottle

MetkuMods has one little powerful mod article. This is one booze you'll all want to have sitting right next to your mini bar or maybe, at your living room, posing as a readily available booze for your visitors. The mod is so small that it requires a mini ITX PSU similar to what I posted before here.

The system is no slouch, equipped with a decent Intel® Pentium® !!! 733EB, a sleek 256MB laptop RAM, with 40GB of storage and with a 60W mini-ITX PSU (for more info on this PSU, check my previous Blog entry here). This is one mod only fitting an expert tweaker, from the hardware electrical parts, to the actual materials used on the mod.

I already had a powerful computer setup so I wanted something more quiet, small and low power consumptioning to function as a basic home server. I love to tinker with hardware etc. so I wanted to make something quite unique for a case. I have seen many nice and creative cases before but none of them were made out of a bottle. In November I bought an industrial 3.5" SBC board (with Socket370). For the project I selected a 1.5 litre Ballantine's bottle for case. That was the proper size and shape for the task at hand.

Source:MetkuMods

Press Release: Blueado Mini 5 Series

This is one media center that is not only small, but powerful. The system runs on Microsoft* Windows Media Center* and measures 4.2x7x12 inches. This kind of system is targetted to enhance the consumer's digital entertainment systems. The little machine also boast of very silent computing experience!

The Blueado Mini 5* not only comes with a very sleek design, but it is fully packed with lots of features, namely: 200GB of storage, DVD writer, TV Tuner, Dolby Digital Audio 5.1, USB 2.0, Firewire, and lots of video connectivity like S-Video, DVI, and VGA. I can not find the processor from the Blueado website, but according to I4U, it's an Intel® Pentium® M. I couldn't agree more, after all Intel® Pentium® M Processors are very powerful, quiet, and low power processor that is a perfect fit for such system.

Small and Silent.

The Blueado mini is 4.2 inches tall, just over 7 inches long and 12 inches in depth it's a perfect addition to your livingroom. You'll be able to enjoy watching a great game, or listening to digital audio surround sound from your digital cable box, or DVD without hearing your Blueado humm, that's because it's virtually silent. With all our Blueado’s we focus on design and style, to make sure that you never be distracted by the equipment in the living room.

250 Hours of High Quality Video!

With the m5e you don’t have to worry about running out of space easily. March Madness is coming up, don't miss a game, record the entire playoffs and have room to spare.Even if you aren’t a sports fan the m5e comes with enough space to record the entire season of your favorite television show, and then your next favorite television show, and the show after that. The Blueado m5e will still have enough space for hundreds of pictures, and thousands of MP3’s.

Create your own DVD’s from your favorite TV Shows

The m5e has a built in DVD recorder so you can record your all your favorte TV Shows like you used to do with your VCR. Creating your own DVDs by using just your Blueado Remote is very easy to do. You can even record your home movies to DVD with the Blueado Remote while sitting on your couch by hooking up your video camera. Edit your digital video tapes of your kids, organize them with the m5e, then burn them to DVD to send copies to the grand parents to watch.

Enjoy your Digital Television Signal.

You can send your Digital Cable or Satalite video signal into your Blueado Mini and record your digital tv so you can play watch those shows anytime you want, and when you record a movie with Digital audio you'll be able enjoy that same digital audio when you play back the recored movie, or tv show. The m5e gives you is entertainment you control.

Never-ending entertainment.

With all that power you can sit back and enjoy your Blueado any way you like. For example you can record a TV show while burning a slide show of family summer vacation. How about search for movies by actress while listening to internet radio, and at the same time you are recording a show for the kids to watch later. This flexibility is what gives you complete control of entertainment in a hassle free setting.

Source:Blueado

Tech Link (Gadget): Yamaha USB Mixing Table (MW10/MW12) for the Digital Audiophile

A pretty cool lookin' new mixer from Yamaha*! The new MW10*/MW12* device promises to make mixing a simple matter, and targetted for music enthusiasts who wants their home into digital music mixing studio. The best feature I find for these gadget is that it plugs directly to USB and combining this with a known software from Steinberg*, the Cubase LE*.


Aside from the simple plugging of USB, the mixer works with both Microsoft* Windows XP* platform and Apple* MacOS X*. While the web info suggests that the minimum requirements is just a thin hair above Intel Pentium III 750Mhz with 128MB of RAM, I'd suggest a newer platform if only to compensate the users' overall experience with lots of storage capacity (and may I add, in RAID 0+1 configuration). The mixer can still operate with out a PC, i.e. stand alone operation, but for the total digital audiophile, the seamless USB connectivity plus Cubase LE* will be the uber set up.

I encourage you not only to check the hardware specs, but to check all the submenus of the item page. It shows lots of information, and I particularly like the Software section page (the 2nd to the last menu from the right). There are many shots from the Cubase LE* software, and I'm sure many of you will drool on the features it offers. There's also a block circuitry diagram, which for those who love tinkering and going on the lowdowns, might find interesting.

Source:Yamaha

Tech Link (Gaming): "Periborg", Gadget For Serious Gamer

In my quest to find new controllers, I stumble upon this cool new inventions, with design called Periborg. Apparently, these tools will totally redefine the gaming experience of serious players. These are very nifty tools, bizzare indeed, but I'd love to test drive them. My friends thinks I'm a bit weird as well, so no wonder, these gadgest are very attractive to me.
_{Image owned by respective site/OEM}

"

Our definition of 'controller' is too rigid," Eiji Morikawa says. So the 28-year-old electrical engineer dreamed up a line of bizarre accessories that would turn gamers into, er, superbeings. He calls his designs Periborg - part peripheral, part cyborg - and two of them (Ore-Commander and Shock-C) are on the market in Japan. Here's a peek at his products and prototypes, and how they might help mere mortals become high-scoring heroes. - Tim Rogers

Morikawa's Line of Game Gadgets
(For pictures, click photo at left)

Obacha-Break: Hang this air horn around your neck, and you can unleash a klaxon to disorient your opponents during multiplayer matches. Hardly sporting, but preferable to a humiliating defeat in King of Fighters.

Cocolo-Con: "Remember when you first played a game? Remember how excited you were, how you stayed up all night?" Morikawa writes on the Periborg site. "The Cocolo-Con is here to remind you of that." It does this by, uh, tracking heart rate and administering wrist massages.

Ore-Commander: What do trigger-happy old-school gamers want most? Faster firing capability. This thumb-mounted vibrator helps you pound buttons 20 times a second.

Shock-C: Why pause the action to eat? This utensil holder slips over two fingers and can be fitted with chopsticks or a fork and spoon. Your thumb is free to work a controller, which "never gets greasy," Morikawa says.

Electric-Wang Show: This unfortunately named device can display scrolling messages like "Looking for opponents" or "Bring me a Coke." It's a great way to communicate with other humans without looking up from your precious, precious game.

Source:Wired Magazine

Tech Link (Storage): DDRdrive X1, a solid state storage using PCIe

As much as I'd like to put this techlink as a "RAM", it's not really used in that way. This is more like your virtual drive back in the good ol' DOS days where you allocate part of your RAM and turn it into a very very very fast floppy drive (or hard drive) or whatever you may want to call it. Gigabyte* released their I-RAM* technology before, and HyperOS Systems'* HyperDrive III* (yep, 3rd incarnation already) has done it as well.
_{Image owned by manufacturer}

And now, a new player is coming to town to make the merry wishes of those who have the bucks come true which offers the same concept but different implementation. Gigabyte* I-RAM* technology uses the SATA ports (and the associated bandwidth) while HyperOS Systems'* HyperDrive III* uses the ATA port. This makes them like a virtual hard disk, I mean hey, you snuck them all on storage connectors, so logical thinking suggests they'd function as that. Then this new comer, sees the bottleneck (RAM can go faster than those storage bus anyway) and thought, hmm, why don't I just go directly to the newer spiffy PCI Express Bus? So there you go, the DDRdrive X1* is now born from DDRdrive.

Source:DDRdrive

_{Note: By the way, there's really not much to their site, except that particular product link.}

Tech Link (Video Card): AGP Video Card Isn't Dead, Yet

Well, seems like AGP is still very much alive and kicking, at least that's what NVIDIA is hinting now that they released a high end video card for the faithful. The works is very much commendable, specially for those who have invested very much with their AGP based motherboard, or simply for those who wanted a stable system based on the good ol' AGP socket. I've gathered quite a few of the reviews around the web, so you'll definitely get busy reading up the full scoop.
_{Images owned by respective sites/OEMs}


TechReport

OWNERS OF PC SYSTEMS with AGP slots have been getting the shaft lately when it comes to graphics cards. NVIDIA released its GeForce 7 series this past summer, and ATI has introduced not one, but two generations of high-end Radeon X1000-series GPUs. Yet neither company has seen fit to introduce a fast new AGP card, somehow figuring that the upgrade market would prefer PCI Express so overwhelmingly it didn't matter. That seems to be a rather harsh assessment given the fact that one can slide an Athlon 64 X2 into a reasonably decent Socket 939 AGP mobo like the Asus A8V and get a dual-core CPU upgrade.

BitTech:

Public Relations is a clever game and it's all about telling people enough without giving any future plans away. What Brian didn't reveal was the company's GeForce 7800 GS plans on AGP and that was what we picked up on in December. After the complaints and petitions made by die hard AGP users when NVIDIA launched GeForce 7800 GTX coupled with Brian's statement, today's announcement comes as no surprise.

NVIDIA and its partners have launched the GeForce 7800 GS AGP for those die-hard AGP users who don't have the funds to complete a full system upgrade to PCI-Express. We've teamed up with BFG Technologies, NVIDIA's leading partner in North America, to bring you a launch day product review.

NeoSeeker:

While PCI-Express is admittedly a much better bus design, not only due to the sheer bandwidth available but also because of the flexibility in graphics card configurations (SLI, Crossfire, or just a boatload of regular cards driving more monitors than you can shake a stick at), the AGP market still commands a majority -- 55% in fact, as reported recently by The Inq. Completely ignoring half of the consumers out there is not a good business plan by any measure, and we're happy to report today that NVIDIA has stepped up to the plate, and is offering an AGP incarnation of their latest graphics architecture.

HotHardware:

The reference clock speeds for the GeForce 7800 GS are 375MHz for the core, with a 1.2GHz memory speed. As is the case with many of NVIDIA's current offerings though, they've given some flexibility with the clock speeds to their partners. Today we'll be looking at XFX's version of the GeForce 7800 GS, which boasts a 440MHz core speed, and 256MB of 1.3GHz DDR3 memory.

Bjorn3D:

Today, NVIDIA is releasing the GeForce 7800 GS AGP GPU. The reason for this launch is that end-users are not moving to the new PCI Express platform as fast as the company thought they would. So, with that happening, NVIDIA is bringing those users who do not have the funds or are not ready yet to take the plunge to get a new motherboard, CPU and GPU a GPU that will prolong the life of their systems.

HardOCP:

While the world seems to only care about PCI Express (PCIe) video cards now days, NVIDIA has taken a moment to move their newest technology a step backwards in terms of interface, as well as performance. The GeForce 7800 GS AGP is being launched today and is what can best be described as a fully emasculated 7800 GTX or heavily neutered 7800 GT. While it shares some of the best features of NVIDIA's shining new GeForce 7800 technology, you can't help but wonder what the hell somebody at NVIDIA was thinking when they decided the 7800 GS AGP should be a eunuch.

Tech Link (Coolers): Global Win Super Conductor or 180 Watt Cooler and Thermalright HR-01-775

It's a slow news day today, and I've been quite busy at work. Any way, I appreciate you all stopping by and seeing what FanBoy has to offer. So just to tide you over during this friday night, I'd post some nice new coolers that might be coming your way.
_{Images owned by the respective sites/OEMs}

Fresh from my InBox are two great coolers. I'd really love to get one for myself, any of the two will actually work for me. So get yourself busy and read 'em all up.

Global Win is a company that has quietly developed a loyal following myself included, with their various computer accessories, water cooling kits and heatsinks. Now they have increased their already large product line to include a new VGA water cooling kit, numerous power supplies, card readers, cases and of course one of the items that got them started and the one we are reviewing a heat sink. The heatsink we are looking at today is the first unit brought into the US so you're getting your first look at it right here. The unit goes by the name of the Global Win Model GP94NPHH Super Conductor or 180 Watt Cooler. As we look closer at it you will see that it is indeed a unique design and we will explore its performance with two different fans supplied to us by Global Win.

Source:Hi-TechReviews

The arrival of a new product at Thermalright is always interesting for those which seek the best cooler for their processor.
It missed, in the current range of the products Thermalright, a passive solution of cooling for CPU. Here are which is made with the HR-01-775!
One understands by liability, a radiator able to evacuate the heat of the processor without requiring the use of a ventilator. Attention, this type of configuration counts all the same on a flow of sufficient air inside your case. For example, a ventilator in frontage which brings fresh air and a second with the back which evacuates the hot air. It is inconceivable to install a passive radiator on your processor without to have thought of that.

Source:Overclex

Tech Link (Platform): Intel®-based Mac* Easily Upgradeable

I don't have any experience working with Mac* whether the old or new generation platform so this news is a but surprising for me. Apparently, someone found an article in a Japanese paper magazine, Macfan, about easily upgrading the new Mac* with just a simple CPU replacement (*yay*). By the way, I don't know if this is going to void the warranty!


Anyway, I am really stumped by such news since such CPU upgrade is really a very common thing in the PC world, so I guess, this isn't much the case with Apple world. So anyway, their adventure went on from getting a Mac* with a stock Intel® Core® Duo 1.83Ghz. Then, the author of the mag, decided to get a new Intel® Core® Duo 2.0Ghz, and replaced the CPU. The system booted up just fine, and even reported the correct speed of the new CPU. Well, sounds really boring to me, but I guess in the Macworld, this is a whole new ballgame for them. So I guess it's all good.

As promised in a preceding news, w00kie, who's in Japan, got hold of the Macfan article.

The journalist states he bought a Core Duo 2 GHz CPU in a PC shop and installed it in his machine in place of its 1.83 GHz.
The machine booted flawlessly and system information displayed the right 2 GHz frequency.
Here are some explanations about how this can be.
A CPU frequency is related to two parameters, the bus frequency, and the multiplying coefficient of the CPU.
On G3s and G4s, the easier way for overclocking was to modify the multiplying coefficient. Yet to prevent such a manipulation, Intel, and then AMD, locked those coefficient setttings directly inside the CPUs. That's why overclocking of X86 CPUs require modifying the system bus frequency.
So, as any other CPUs, the Core Duo have a locked coefficient. The system bus of those machines is at 166MHz (x4 = the announced 667). The original CPU had a coefficient locked to 11. The 2 GHz one is locked at 12.
That's why the simple fact of changing it allowed to reach the right, reference frequency, without any further modification.
The real good news is that Apple didn't find useful to add a lock inside the EFI in order to prevent a potential upgrade.
Whether changing the CPU will not result in a noisier machine, because of fans turning faster, still remains to be seen.
From an anecdotic point of view, a 2 GHz Core Duo costs about 480 Euros in France, while the 2.16 GHz version costs over 700. The game is clearly not worth it yet. It will take several months for those prices to drop significantly.

Source:Hardmac

Tech Link (Memory): Mushkin 2GB XP2-5300 3-3-3 Memory Review

Another enthusiast weapon, to beef up your uber rig. This memory, as per Mushkin*, is geared for overclockers and have a very big potential for overclocking headroom. I'd really love to own these sticks, but $$$ shortage prohibits me *yay*.

The Muskin PC2-5300 3-3-3 memory series is part of the Mushkin Extreme Performance Black Series (XP). The Mushkin Extreme Performance memory modules come with a black heat spreader to help eliminate localized hotspots, further enhancing lifetime and overclockability. As you can tell from the picture these are the new heat spreaders that Mushkin recently developed called frostbyte, which we talked about already in the article titled -- Innovation Finally Comes to Heat Spreaders.

Source:LegitReviews

Press Release: OCZ Technology Announces the PC2-6400 EL Platinum XTC Edition

Seems like the enthusiasts will have a merry time with DDR2 as again, since OCZ is releasing yet another uber fanboy item. Who can resist those good looking RAM? With such great cooling heatspreader (though, DDR2 are really cool anyway), and soaring high bandwidth, this should definitely in the arsenal of any killer fanboys.

OCZ Technology Announces the PC2-6400 EL Platinum XTC Edition
2006-01-30

Sunnyvale, CA—January 30, 2006—OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory, today announced the highly-anticipated Platinum XTC memory series. The first inclusion to the new series will be the PC2-6400 EL Platinum Edition XTC, engineered to implement the recently introduced and highly commended OCZ XTC heatspreader design.

The Platinum XTC DDR2 series features the innovative XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) Heatspreaders. The unique design used in the XTC heatspreaders optimizes the thermal management of memory modules by promoting greater airflow by means of micro-convection throughout what is usually the dead air space inside conventional heatspreader designs. In this manner, build-up of heat is avoided and thermal dissipation of the memory components is offloaded more efficiently through the honeycomb design. At the same time, mechanical stability is maintained.

In addition to offering gamers and overclockers an enhanced thermal solution for their memory, the PC2-6400 Platinum XTC series delivers exceptional next generation DDR2 performance and stability. At DDR2-800, these modules are rated to run at 4-5-4 timings offering lower latencies than standard DDR2 modules and giving high-end Intel based systems that extra performance edge that is demanded by today’s hard core gamers and enthusiasts.

“From a price/performance viewpoint, DDR2 is becoming increasingly attractive. To fill the growing demand, we specifically developed the OCZ PC2-6400 EL DDR 512MB and 1GB kit for the extreme gamer and overclocker,” commented Dr. Michael Schuette, VP of Technology Development at OCZ Technology. “In short, the combination of OCZ’s Extended Voltage protection with the latest generation of ultra-fast components allows our customers to push the performance envelope beyond the limitations of the first generation of DDR in a thermally sound environment, courtesy of the XTC heatspreaders.”

“The implementation of the innovative XTC heatspreaders on our Gold memory modules offered serious gamers superior cooling for their hard working memory,” stated Alex Mei, VP of Marketing, OCZ Technology. “By employing XTC heatspreaders on our new Platinum modules we are able to deliver a superior product for enthusiasts looking for the ultimate overclocking solution.”

All PC2-6400 Platinum XTC Edition modules are 100% hand-tested for quality assurance and compatibility and feature high quality, platinum-mirrored XTC heatspreaders for the most effective heat dissipation. Furthermore, each OCZ Platinum series module is backed by the industry leading OCZ Lifetime Warranty and technical support for unparalleled peace of mind. With the fusion of the award-winning XTC series and cutting-edge, high-speed OCZ DDR2 architecture, the PC2-6400 Platinum XTC edition is the ultimate breakthrough for remarkable Intel platform performance.

For more information on the OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum XTC Edition, please visit our product page here.

Source:OCZ