There is no doubt about the fact that the high-end market has been NVIDIAs playground ever since the launch of the Geforce 8800 GTX and Ultra back in November 2006.
Since then NVIDIA has evolved on the G92 GPU - all GPUs from the 8800 GTS 512 to the 9800 GX2 are all part of the same evolution chain.
Now we finally see the next GPU and a new memory interface - we introduce the GeForce GTX 280 and 260.
Join HARDiNFO as we analyze the performance of the GTX 280 in Bioshock, Crysis and Quakewars
Today we managed to visit Shuttle, Albatron, ASUS and NVIDIA.
Shuttle was showing SFFs, Albatron had a special 22 inch monitor, NVIDIA was talking about the GeForce 9 M series - and from ASUS we now have a series of motherboards and of course the eEEPC.
We hope you enjoy this update from day 3 at Computex
We made it through day two here at Computex Taipei. We have visited Foxconn, Gigabyte, Arctic Cooling, WinChip, InWin, FSP-Group and checked back with MSI.
We will tell you about overclocking with Foxconn, new cooling from Artic Cooling, new memory from WinChip, Gigabyte threw P45 motherboards at us and MSI had a little interesting setup to show us.
Join HARDiNFO as we enter the new Nangang Hall and look for products here.
Today we see the start of this years Computex show and for the 6th year running HARDiNFO is here to give you the latest from the far east.
Computex Taipei 2008 has gained an increasing popularity due to the amount of products that are launched here every year and an ever increasing flow of people to the heart of Taiwan.
As Computex becomes bigger, this year with the new Nangang building, it opens up for a stream of new manufactures.
We would like to welcome you to the HARDiNFO coverage of Computex Taipei 2008 and we will do our best to cover the most interesting news.
After 21 hours of flying we chose to take a break to get some sleep - but only for a few hours before we were picked up and taken to a local BB-gun game outside Taipei City.
HARDiNFO was supplied with a AK47 riffel and a bulletproof vest and from there we kicked it off and hoped for the best.
Follow HARDiNFO through our beating by these experienced killers and see how we cope with getting killed multiple times.
Apacer’s Audio Steno AU860 MP4 is a lightweight player with 2 or 4GB storage which has a stylish ‘s’ shaped design with an 1.8 inch TFT-LCD colour display and a long lasting battery life of 19 hours.
It also features an FM radio and voice/FM recording and will fit fine at any desk beside you stylish phone or notebook.
Follow HARDiNFO while we look closer at Apacer Audio Steno AU860 and see if the player has got what i takes to be in sub £80-100 market!
Foxconn is not the best known player in the graphics market, normally they are known for motherboards - but they have not been very active in the northern region lately.
In recent years Foxconn have broaden their range from motherboards into graphics cards, cases, coolers, barebones, card readers and power supplies.
This time around its their offer for a GeForce 9800 GTX that will be tested against the established manufacturers.
Join HARDiNFO as we look at the Foxconn GeForce 9800 GTX-512N in terms of performance and bundle.
At launch the NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX was under heavy fire becuase the card was not able to outperform the aging 8800 GTS 512.
Not exactly the launch NVIDIA had hoped for.
This time around HARDiNFO is looking at the XFX GeForce 9800 GTX Black Edition, which is XFX's offer for an overclocked version of the 9800GTX.
High-end power supplies are becoming a need in the market place, with SLI and CrossFire setups becoming more standard with the current graphics card from NVIDIA and ATI(AMD).
Graphics cards, but also processors have in time become more power hungry - which in return raises the bar for power supplies. Recent years have seen power supplies with ratings of up to 2000 Watts.
With the growing number of manufacturers of power supplies, an increasing need for specialisation comes up - with manufacturers trying to carve their niche by targetting the enthusiast crowd. RaptoXX is one of these manufacturers.
Today HARDiNFO will be looking at the Raptoxx RT-850W-BAD and test if the power supply is living up to our expectations
FutureMark just launched 3DMark Vantage and in regards to that the team at HARDiNFO is ready to give you an overall comparison of the performance on the latest graphics cards.
We took 10 of the most common graphics cards on the market from both ATI and NVIDIA and compared the GPU test 1: Jane Nash, GPU test 2: Calico and an overall results.
Follow HARDINFO as we compare the latest and greatest hardware in FutureMark 3DMark Vantage.
Already before the launch the enthusiasts were complaning about the released information regarding the 9800 GTX. The verdict was that the card was no more than an update of the already wellknown G92 GPU used on the GeForce 8 series.
On paper the 9800GTX card looks good, but if you look at the extra performance compared to the extra price, one question remains: what is NVIDIAs purpose with this card?
Here at HARDiNFO we will look at the card and see what the reference design looks like, what performance you can expect and what pricelevel you find this card at.
The best card in the 200-250$ range when you talk about best bang for the buck.
Because of this, HARDiNFO has gathered five different GeForce 9600GT graphics cards from ASUS, Gainward, Leadtek, XFX and newcomer Zotac.
We will compare their performance, price and bundle.
We will take a look at the five cards and find out which card is the one to spend your hard earned money on.
Dust off your lucky tuxedo and reload the MP5 - the Rainbows are back in Las Vegas. Actually just forget about the tux, 'cause there won't be much time for gambling, once you pop the latest installment of the acclaimed SWAT-shooter Rainbow Six into your Xbox 360. Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 is non-stop action with slight touches of tactics and strategy.
AMD brought the heat as they released the ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 in January. To everyones surprise this card manage to edge out the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 series of cards for the performance crown.
Today we have the answer from NVIDIA - the GeForce 9800 GX2 - the card to do battle with the HD 3870 X2 in the current version using GDDR3 and the upcoming upgraded card with GDDR4.
Join HARDiNFO as we look at the contender for the performance crown. XFX has supplied us with a reference design GeForce 9800 GX2 and we are looking forward to test the performance of this card.
Koolance is probably best known for their water systems in the international market and has done reasonable in this area.
Koolance is now back with latest addition to the entusiast market by offering watercooled power supplies. HardOCP is the first reviewsite to enlight us about Koolance new PSU-1300ATX-12N, which is the market's first watercooled power supply.
Koolance first watercooled powersupply is capable of delivering 1300 wattage on a 110-volt AC line - but can deliver up to 1700w on a 220volt AC line. HARDOCP writes:
The concept of a liquid cooled power supply is on a purely theoretical level interesting as a liquid should have a higher specific heat capacity than air thereby proving to be better at cooling while being able to be quieter at the same time. This concept is embodied in liquid cooling of all forms but rarely is this concept taken to the extreme of actually immersing consumer level electronics in a non-conductive fluid as Koolance has done
As usual, ATI is ready with an update of their Catalyst driver every month or 1 ½ months later. ATIs Catalyst 8.7 display driver offers a greater number of performance improvements in the Radeon HD 48xx series respectively in lost planet with an increase of performance from 4% -15%, Call of Duty 4 around 4% on specific maps and not least there is improvement Lost planet in all Radeon versions with up to 80% when the AA and AF is enabled.
The latest driver has error corrections for Assasins Creed, Crysis, Frontlines Fuel of War, Hell Gate: London, Rainbow Six Vegas 2, World in Conflict and, not least, World in Conflict. Get the latest Catalyst Driver here:
We have written once before about NVIDIAs upcoming GeForce 9800 GT and its future introduction which would be cutdown version of the popular NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX.
Now Fudzilla confirms that NVIDIAs GeForce 9800 GT will have its launch on 29 July and will be a competing product to the Radeon HD 4850. GeForce 9800 GT is, in our beliefs unnecessary and does not fit well with AMDs Radeon HD 4800 Series - if you look at the actual performance of the cards.
HARDiNFO recently tested 3 pcs of ATIs Radeon HD 4850 cards which proves AMDs remarkable comepack and the cards was performing nearly similar to NVIDIAs GeForce 9800 GTX and that’s why we see NVIDIAs GeForce 9800 GT launch as being unnecessary and a waste of good marketing.
With AMDs recent launch of the Radeon HD 4800 series NVIDIA has to get back to the drawing board and work miracles with its current technology, where they will be forced to compete with AMD.
NVIDIAs G92 GPU will not be able to give a difference with its 65nm manufacturing process and NVIDIA has not yet managed to take the step to 55nm manufacturing yet. This will lead to a great increase of market shares to AMD in the most of 2008 which really have taken NVIDIA off-guard.
NVIDIAs GeForce 9800 GT will not surprisingly be built over the well-known G92 chip which we in particular know from the GeForce 8800GT, 8800 GTS 512, 9800 GTX, and not least 9800GX2, Which is one thing that NVIDIA has been sharply criticized for, to use the same GPU over as wide a range of products.
NVIDIAs GeForce 9800 GT will initially be introduced with 65nm manufacturing process and some months later have its transition to 55nm manufacturing process – but there is no news when?.
Although NVIDIAs GeForce 260 and 280 GTX versions just hit the market there is starting to circulate rumours of a possible new GeForce 350 GTX version.
Whilst this may NVIDIA look seriously beaten by ATIs Radeon HD 4800 series which really has shown teeth. That is why the rumours fit well with a possible comeback from NVIDIA just inform of GeForce 350 GTX variant or an updated GT200b version.
NVIDIAs GeForce GTX 350 series will include the introduction of NVIDIAs new GT300 core (576mm) produced on 55 nm manufacturing technology and thereby lowerig heatcomsumption and will as well feature a 512 bit memory interface and not least 2GB of RAM GDDR5.
NVIDIAs GeForce 350 GTX version will carry a 830MHz core frequency, 2075MHz Shaderclock and not least a effective memory clock of 3360MHz. The increased memory frequency is caused by the use of GDDR5 RAM and is helping to offer a kolosal 216GB/s bandwidth. Almost a doubling of what we've seen on NVIDIAs GeForce GTX 280.
While the rumours of a upcoming GeForce GTX 350 series is still only rumours its only foresaid to be supporting DirectX 10, Shadermodel 4 and there is nothing mentioned about DirectX 10.1 support. Take the news with a pinch of salt as it is the first rumours of a possible attack from NVIDIA against the Radeon HD 4800 series.
After some work tonight and the time was 0:59am a small earthquake with the richter scale of 3 hit Taipei City in Taiwan.
The quake wasnt that bad but could easily be felt on the 12th floor at Fullerton Hotel and we had no problem feeling the effects of the earthquake.
But after the small earthquake we went straight back to work and if you have interest in seeing the effect of the quake you can follow the link here.
Once again we collected our HARDiNFO team and went for Computex Taipei in Taiwan, Asia. For the 6th time in a row and a milestone in HARDiNFO history we will be bringing you our daily coverage from the showfloor of the famous tradeshow: Computex Taipei.
We expect this Computex to be very interesting with the upcoming launch of AMDs latest Radeon HD 4800 series, NVIDIAs GeForce 280 GT & 260 series and ofcourse AMDs newly launched Puma Platform for notebooks. Unfortunately Intel has delayed the launch of the Centrino 2 platform until mid. Juli month.
We will be visiting all sorts of manufactures everything from tier 1 motherboard manufactures, graphics vendors, powersupply manufactures, memory providers, gadgets manufactures and alot more.
Follow HARDiNFO while we cover the Computex Taipei Show from the 3rd of June to the 7th of June.
Do you have an interest in IT-Journalism and the ability to write in an interesting, thought provoking way? HARDiNFO is looking for a competent and active News Editor to be part of the daily stream of news on HARDiNFO.com
Before sending us an application, you should be aware of the following: You must be good at spelling, a fluent writer and have a healthy interest in Information Technology in general.
The job is freelance, but it will provide you with a unique opportunities and hardware for your PC. Plus you will be a part of exciting industry where you will encounter tasks which will both challenge you and develop your skills.
If you are interested, please send us your application at jobs at hardinfo.com : write a little about yourself and your interest in IT. Subsequently we will contact you by email regarding further progress. Thank you very much for your interest in working for HARDiNFO.
New characters, better and more advanced Co-op, new and bigger monsters and a generally refined gameplay are some of the features of the upcoming Gears of War 2. Full Story
EA's rhythm game is coming to Europe on May 23rd 2008 - with exclusive content and a hefty price tag! Versions for other platforms to follow...Full Story
We are finally ready with our GeForce 9600 GT roundup which might be the best DirectX 10 midrange solution on the market.
The contenders are ASUS, Gainward, Leadtek, XFX and Zotac - which all will try to win our No.1 in HARDiNFO roundup.
Follow HARDiNFO as we investigate the performance, bundling and price of the 5 cards. Read more by following our link.
