Computer Hardware Reviews Daily Tech News

VIA Technologies today announced the adoption of its VIA Nano processor by Shuttle Inc. in its latest ultra small form factor PC, the fanless Shuttle XS29F. Ideal for home office or small business environments where space is often at a premium, the Shuttle XS29F is completely fanless for near silent operation.

Powered by a VIA Nano U1700 processor, the XS29F is complimented by the VIA VX800 media system processor, bringing support for D-sub and DVI Dual video support, rich HD audio, Fast Ethernet, S-ATA II storage and up to 4GB of DDR2 system memory. The VIA VX800 provides the VIA Chromotion video engine with hardware acceleration for today's more demanding video formats, including MPEG-4, WMV9 and VC1, while the VIA Chrome9 HC3 integrated graphics core boasts full DirectX 9.0 support. Back panel I/O includes both VGA and DVI ports, Ethernet, HD audio, PS/2 and four USB 2.0 ports. Shuttle has engineered the XS29F to have a maximum power usage of under 50 watts for the entire system, housed in a small form factor, sub-3 liter chassis; almost one tenth the size of a regular desktop tower.

If you thought having 6GB of memory was impressive you haven't seen anything yet. Kingston Technology Company today announced it is first to market with DDR3 1600MHz 12GB triple-channel memory kits. The HyperX kit of three 4GB modules allows enthusiasts to get the most out of their Intel Core i7 and X58 platforms. That means with two KHX12800D3K3/12GX memory kits you can run 24GB of system memory on Intel X58 platforms that have six DDR3 memory slots! At 1600MHz with CL9-9-9-27 memory timings and a voltage requirement of just 1.65v these kits should scream! If the system performance doesn't 'scream' then the $1400 price might. Obviously this kit is not for everyone, but for those wanting 24GB in an Intel X58 motherboard will gobble these kits up.

“Kingston was first to release 2GHz kits and has continued to lead the memory charge with more DDR3 offerings since Intel created the triple-channel architecture,” said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston. “Our latest kit of three was tested with great success on the Asus P6T Deluxe motherboard and runs at a speedy 1600MHz to take full advantage of the memory controller on the Core i7 processor for unmatched performance.”

Razer today announced the release of the Razer Sphex, the first Gaming Grade Desktop Skin with a distinctive ultrathin form factor. The Sphex is a midsized mouse mat suited for most gaming environments at 320mm by 230mm and will retail for just $14.99.

The Razer Sphex is currently the world’s thinnest gaming-grade mousing surface which boasts of an ultrathin profile. It is specifically engineered to perform at the highest precision for both Optical and Laser mice. Made of high-grade durable material, the Razer Sphex allows gamers to wipe or wash the product repeatedly without compromising its quality or tracking performance. The Razer Sphex can adhere and detach from any desk surface without any extra effort making it fully reusable.

Corsair today announced the launch of the new Corsair Professional Series HX850W and HX750W modular power supply units. The Corsair Professional Series HX850W and HX750W PSUs both include powerful, single +12V rails and are qualified to deliver their full rated power output at an ambient temperature of 50°C. The press release doesn't mention pricing, but we have contacted Corsair to find out.

“Our new Professional Series HX850W and HX750W power supplies build on the phenomenal success of the award-winning Corsair HX620W PSU, offering even higher levels of performance, efficiency and reliability, including an industry-leading 7 Year Warranty” said Jim Carlton, VP of Marketing for Corsair, “The HX850W and HX750W have the power to handle the latest multi-core, multi-graphics PCs, and include the features that enthusiasts demand, including a comprehensive modular cable set and super-high efficiency.”

Todays students and young professionals need a versatile notebook that can serve as their workhorse by day and entertainment center at night. The new Dell Studio 14z powered by the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor provides a perfect blend of performance and portability with graphics support for gaming, HD video, and creative self-expression. Starting at only $649, the Studio 14z is said to be the most affordable GeForce 9400M GPU-based notebook in North America.

The GeForce 9400M in the Dell Studio 14z delivers up to five times faster graphics performance than Centrino 2 notebooks to accelerate image editing, video playback, and video conversion. With vReveal, the Studio 14z can fix grainy, shaky video twice as fast as comparable notebooks, and then let you upload the video to YouTube in minutes.

Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, made their fifth significant announcement of the week, adding to the broadest SSD portfolio in the industry by introducing the world’s fastest upgrade SSDs for the ASUS Eee PC 900, 901, 901A, 901 GO, and S101 netbook PCs.

The SATA Mini 2 PCIe SSDs are Super Talent’s second generation product focused on enabling better performance for ASUS Eee PC users and feature a SATA-II (3Gbps) interface. The products are available with both MLC and SLC flash memory. The MLC version delivers sequential read speeds up to 150 MB/s and sequential write speeds up to 100MB/s, and is available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities at very affordable prices.

XFX, one of the world's largest video card manufacturers, is getting ready to announce their very first power supply line at Computex Taipei 2009 next month. Details have emerged on the XFX 850W Black Edition power supply, which features one single +12V rail with a massive 70Amp/840W rating. The power supply is modular as you can see in the image below and is 80 plus silver certified, since it is 88% efficient. No word on pricing yet, but it looks like the power supply market just got a little more crowded. Check out the forums for more images and the entire power point presentation for this new power supply!

• Industrial Design: It’s what’s on the inside that counts but we got both bases covered.
• Power On Demand: With a Single Rail +12V, it gives ample 12V output with OCP for reliability.
• Modular Cables: Giving the user the option of what cables they need, it clears up cable clutter and improves airflow within the PC.
• Tight Voltage Regulation(+/-3): Improved load regulation to reduce voltage variations gives the user a more stable machine.

ASUS recently shed brilliant light on the dark art of overclocking with the introduction of the ROG (Republic of Gamers) OC Station. The OC Station is a pure hardware-based, bay-mounted device with a large 3-inch display that takes OCing to a whole new level of ease, accuracy and sophistication. When used in conjunction with ROG motherboards, the strikingly-designed OC Station grants users on-the-fly access to overclocking parameters, ROG-exclusive features, fan speeds, system information and even a photo slide show function.

With the OC Station, ASUS has stamped its authority on an area that has proven elusive to other PC component manufacturers—pure hardware-based overclocking. The OC Station provides users with quick access to system voltages and frequencies without having to enter the BIOS. Users can overclock their systems on-the-fly via a knob, even during busy benchmark runs or actual gameplay. The OC Station also interfaces seamlessly with the embedded iROG controller on ROG motherboards, enabling users to manage ROG-exclusive features such as CPU Level Up and ASUS EPU-6 Engine at a hardware level. This allows users to achieve performance boosts and perform energy consumption tweaks instantly.

Swiss cooling solution provider ARCTIC COOLING has developed a new OEM project Accelero L6 with the leading nVIDIA card manufacturer, Manli Technology Group. Exclusively for Manli, the Accelero L6 is a multi-compatible VGA cooler designed by ARCTIC COOLING. The 92mm PWM fan produces high airflow at lower fan speed. Together with an optimised heatsink and pre-applied thermal compound MX-2, heat can be easily dissipated out from the core, resulting in a low GPU temperature.

"With our expertise in thermal and noise control management, the unique Accelero L6 can fulfill every need for any Manli mainstream VGA boards. And the success of this new cooler will bring our partnership into a new horizon”, says Magnus Huber, managing director of ARCTIC COOLING.

Silicon Power announced the Portable eSATA / USB SSD II drive this morning. It is the world’s first eSATA (eSATA; External Serial ATA) /USB dual interface portable SSD drive. The new drive emphasis the convenience of USB connection and the ultra fast performance of eSATA interface as an external drive. Overall, the drive has excellent aesthetics and the performance to match. Silicon Power’s Portable eSATA/USB SSD II is available in 64GB and 32GB capacities.

Having won rave reviews with their 64GB eSATA /USB SSD, Silicon Power releases the new lidless and portable eSATA/USB SSD II. Through the eSATA interface, maximum read speed reaches 90MB/Sec and maximum write reaches 50 MB/Sec. Maximum read through the USB connection is rated at 30MB/Sec and 20MB/sec for write. It is the perfect solution for professional multimedia enthusiasts or users that often carry and transfer large capacity files.

After two months of keen competition, DFI has won out in the annual “Best Choice of Computex” tournament as the ‘Best Motherboard’ in the motherboards and add-on cards category with the LANParty UT X58-T3eH8 motherboard.

For LANParty, the prize in the “Best Choice of Computex” has remarkable significance. Awarded at the first time entering the competition, LANParty is affirmed by professionals for its excellence in quality and performance after years of hard work. UT X58-T3eH8, the award-winning model, adopts the Intel X58 chipset and features several patents that make it stand out above the competitors.

NVIDIA Corporation and Lenovo advanced mobile computing today by introducing a low-cost, small laptop that delivers up to 10 times faster graphics performance than today’s small laptops.1 Featuring the NVIDIA ION graphics processor, the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 offers improved application support while still providing long battery life thanks to its energy efficient design. The Lenovo IdeaPad S12 with the NVIDIA ION graphics processor is expected to be available later this summer.

“NVIDIA ION is one of the latest technologies available for the PC industry for small, low cost laptop PCs, and we’re excited to be among the first to use it,” said Stephen DiFranco, vice president and general manager of consumer and commercial channels, Americas Group, Lenovo. “With its 12-inch display, full-size keyboard and rich multimedia options powered by ION, the IdeaPad S12 balances an improved computing experience along with the size and affordability many consumers are looking for today.”