General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

AMD 11.11 CAP 2 Adds CrossFireX Support to Saints Row 3, Skyrim Profile Still MIA

Posted: 20 Nov 2011 07:35 PM PST

DriversAMD Crossfire users struggling to maintain a passable frame rate in Saints Row 3 or Gothic 4 take note. AMD has released Catalyst 11.11 WHQL CAP 2, which enables Crossfire profiles for both titles, and most importantly, lets you make full use of both graphics cards. If like me you were hoping Skyrim would make the cut for this latest CAP we have bad news for you, it didn't. The last update from AMD on this front was 5 days ago, and said little more than they were hoping to release it ASAP.

Considering that NVidia had drivers ready on launch day, we can't help but wonder what's taking so long. 

-  Saints Row 3:  Resolves stuttering seen when playing in CrossFireX mode.   Also provides Single GPU and CrossFireX performance improvements when running in lower resolution configurations

-  Gothic 4 Arcania:  Fall of Setarrif:  Improves CrossFire performance

Starz Outlines its Digital Strategy Post Netflix

Posted: 20 Nov 2011 03:20 PM PST

StarzWith Netflix's 21.5 million streaming subscribers set to lose access to Starz's content in February 2012, everyone has been left wondering what comes next. The company's content catalog currently includes hundreds of movies from Sony and Walt Disney, including several original programs such as "Spartacus" and "Boss". Will the company retreat back to the safety of established cable networks? According to Starz President Chris Albrecht they still have a bright future ahead of them online, but will soon be going direct to customers with an HBO Go-like application for phones, tablets, and other popular streaming platforms.

Albrecht described his decision to cut ties with Netflix as "a big boy choice", and claimed that it would benefit his company in the long run. "We would have eroded...our core business," Albrecht said at the investor conference for his channel's parent company, Liberty Media. "Within two to three years the Netflix deal would have been a drag on Starz's earnings."

From what we can tell Starz is planning to offer access to even those without an existing cable TV package, though he was a bit unclear if this is the strategy he is actively pursuing, or simply what he'd like to do. 

Would you pay for a separate Starz streaming subscription? If so what would you be willing to pay?

Seagate Estimates Hard Drive Production Won’t Return to Pre-Flood Levels for Another Year

Posted: 20 Nov 2011 02:53 PM PST

Seagate HDDWe hate to be constantly beating the doomsday drum on the hard drive crisis in Taiwan, but Seagate isn't making any easier to give this a positive spin. According to Chief Executive Officer Stephen J. Luczo, Wall Street is talking nonsense if they think drive production will reach pre-flood as estimated in the summer of 2012. Instead Luczo estimates it will take a full 12 months to bring everything back online, and he expects it to be a difficult road ahead for the entire industry since more than 130 of its suppliers are still under three feet of water.  

"It's going to be very interesting to see who gets drives and who doesn't," Luczo said, adding that customers are stockpiling large capacity drives in anticipation of shortages, even despite the higher prices. "Some have offered $250 million upfront," he told Bloomberg. Looking 12 months ahead Luczo has also confirmed we are unlikely to see pre-flood pricing for even longer. "People are going to appreciate the complexity of this business," he said.

DRAM Prices Stabilize As Manufacturing Output Gets Slashed

Posted: 20 Nov 2011 12:32 PM PST

RAMPrices for DRAM have been dropping like a rock for months now, but last week the market research team over at the DRAMeXchange warned things were likely to get even worse. The problem is simple, far too much supply and not nearly enough demand. The problem has been further compounded by the flooding in Thailand, which as you've heard a million times by now, trickles over into just about every aspect of the PC industry. Lower prices are great for consumers, but we have to admit, we were starting to get a bit worried. DRAM manufacturers were already running on razor thin margins, and the low spot price for DDR3 threatened to push some of the smaller players out of the market completely. Short term gain for consumers yes, but it could end up causing long term pain as the competition thins out. 

A solution is on the horizon however, and while it's far from ideal, it's better than a complete collapse.

In an attempt to help relieve oversupply issues in the channel, DRAM manufacturer Elpida announced it would be cutting production for at least one month, and possibly more if needed to help stabilize the market. The news as intended will no doubt help stabilize the market, but prices, at least in the short term will likely remain low. As of noon Friday the spot price for branded 2Gb DDR3 modules dropped 1% to US$0.73, while white-branded 2Gb sticks decreased by 2% to US$0.65.

So prices didn't skyrocket up based on the news, but they aren't likely to drop much farther either. If you've been planning on stocking up on DDR3 modules we suggest hitting up your e-tailer of choice sooner rather than later. Newegg is currently selling 16GB of brand name modules for under $75.
Posted by Shri Krishna

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