General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Asus Z77/H77 Motherboards Getting Thunderbolt Support Via An Expansion Card

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 11:16 AM PDT

When you're talking the Z77 chipset, one thing springs to mind first and foremost: Ivy Bridge. Intel's upcoming CPU isn't the only newcomer to the game, though, as Z77 is the first Intel desktop chipset to support the company's high-speed Thunderbolt interface -- assuming a Thunderbolt controller is on the mobo, of course. Most of Asus' Z77/H77 'boards have lacked an integrated controller, but it looks like Thunderbolt compatibility is coming thanks to an upcoming expansion card.

Asus told VR-Zone that the majority of the company's H77/Z77 retail mobos will be able to accommodate the Thunderbolt expansion card, which is set to launch on the 27th of this month. It's no freebie, though; you'll have to lay out an unspecified amount of cash to acquire a Thunderbolt controller card. Once you have one in hand, it'll hook up to the TB_HEADER pictured above.

Here's the list of supported motherboards:

  • Maximus V Gene
  • P8Z77-V Deluxe
  • P8Z77-V Pro
  • P8Z77-V
  • Sabertooth Z77
  • P8H77-V
  • P8H77-M Pro

Image credit: VR-Zone

Microsoft's SkyDrive Ups Individual File Size Limits, Adds Twitter And ODF Support

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 10:45 AM PDT

Microsoft's Metro-ified vision of the future relies heavily on users being able to access files and user settings no matter what Windows 8 device they're logged into. The SkyDrive cloud service will (obviously) be a large part of that cohesion. Gearing up for that, the SkyDrive team announced a handful of new features for the service. It's not the unlimited storage space for docs and photos that has long been rumored, but the changes are good ones nonetheless.

First up, OpenOffice lovers will be relieved to hear that files saved using the Open Document Format are now supported by SkyDrive's Office Web Apps, meaning you can fully view and edit the files in-browser. (I just tried it out and it works great.) Another improvement is just as major, if not moreso; the individual file size limit has been boosted to 300MB, up from the previously paltry 100MB cap. Finally, users can now share files with Twitter from the Web interface, and if Windows Phone users Tweet pics, the links will now be shortened to a new "sdrv.ms" URL, replacing the previous massive link URLs.

Don't loss hope for unlimited storage space for docs and photos just yet, though: the SkyDrive team says they "have some really big things coming soon."

Thanks to TheVerge for pointing this out!

Details Of Ivy Bridge Overclocking Attempts Hit The 'Net

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 10:25 AM PDT

With the rumored release of Ivy Bridge just around the corner, we're finally starting to see some early benchmarks roll in from the lucky few who have managed to lay hands on Intel's new CPU a bit early. Yesterday, we highlighted a review of an Ivy Bridge-rocking HP EliteBook, prompting several commenters to say "Desktop overclocking numbers or GTFO." Fortunately, some of those very benchmarks have popped up on the Web in the past 24 hours. (That's good, because we didn't feel like going anywhere.)

The first tidbit comes our way via TechPowerUp, who noticed a nitrogen-cooled overclocking attempt by Chinese overclocker x-powerx800pro on the similarly Chinese Expreview website. The test bed included a Core i7-3770K, 4 GB of overclocked G.Skill RAM, and a Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H mobo. So how did it hold up? X-powerx800pro achieved a 6584.9MHz core clock thanks to a 104.52MHz bus speed with a 63x multiplier at 1.056V. (That's been CPU-Z verified, too.) A slightly different 6511.97MHz configuration blasted through the SuperPi 1M benchmark in 5.585 seconds, according to posted screenshots.

That's not quite the 8-plus GHz put out by record-setting AMD Bulldozer setups, but it ain't too shabby, either. Not many everyday users rock LN2 setups, though.

That's why the Ivy Bridge news over at Nordic Hardware is somewhat troubling, if it's true. The site reports that an overclocker using traditional air-cooling has been running into thermal issues around the 4.6 GHz mark, causing the proc to throttle back. According to the site, the chip tops 90 degree temps around that point, even when using "expensive after-market cooling."

Nordic Hardware doesn't name names, post screenshots or identify the setup being used, however, and it's always a good idea to take leaked pre-launch benchmark info with a decently sized punch of salt -- especially if it's not validated.

Cooler Masters Launches Sub-$100 Extreme 2 Power Supply Series

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 07:35 AM PDT

Cooler Master today unveiled a new line of power supplies that promise to deliver "world-class" reliability and performance without beating up your savings account. Coming in 475W, 525W, 625W, and 725W configurations, each of Cooler Master's new Extreme 2 PSUs costs less than a C-note; the entry-level model carries an MSRP that's half that much. Oddly enough, Cooler Master doesn't claim any 80 Plus efficiency ratings on any of the new models, though the company insists they're constructed with "higher quality components and process improvements" than what's found on the first generation Extreme Series.

"The Extreme 2 Series features world-class safeguards that consist of multiple over power protections which help prevent unfortunate home electrical issues from reaching your computer system's vital components. Ensuring a long operating life, Extreme 2 Series power supplies include highly durable capacitors with heat resistance of up to 105℃ (221F)," Cooler Master says. "These safety measures and quality components ensure that the power supply will remain operational for years to come. Should anything make it through these, users can rest assured knowing that our Extreme 2 Series is covered by a solid 3 year warranty."

All four models boast a dual +12V rail design with up to 18A available on each of the two rails on the 475W model, up to 20A on the 525W, up to 24A on the 625W, and up to 28A on the 725W.

The Extreme 2 Series ships today for $50 (475W), $55 (525W), $75 (625W), and $95 (725W).

Image Credit: Cooler Master

Phishers Up to Their Old Ways Using New Tricks, ESET Warns

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 07:10 AM PDT

Give a man a virus and he'll wreak havoc on a single machine. But teach a man to phish and, well, he'll become a pain in the ass for potentially thousands of computer users. Unfortunately, phishing is a 'skill' every two-bit hacker acquires right off the bat, but not all of them move on to bigger and more insidious things. Some phishers concentrate on honing their craft in hopes of not only ensnaring the gullible and less computer savvy, but even sophisticated ones. Security firm ESET warns of a new phishing method that has popped up in the last few weeks.

Phishers are now using booby-trapped "htm" and html" attachments, the latest in an evolution of phishing scams that have evolved from asking users to type personal information directly in the body of an email to direct links to obfuscated links, and now the attachment of html code. Why go this route? ESET gives two main reasons:

  1. Executing the html code locally will not have your browser go to a website and thus the URL reputation filter will not be applied.
  2. Executing the html code locally for the browser means it is loaded from an Intranet rather than from the Internet. Settings are usually less strict for files started/loaded from an Intranet.

Despite the new method of phishing, some of the old telltale signs remain, like poor grammar and giveaways such as addressing a potential victim as "Dear Paypal Member" instead of addressing them by name, as legitimate organizations typically do.

"We have already started to see e-mails where the reader is instructed to save the e-mail to the local system first, often to the Desktop for convenience, and then to execute or load them from there. But when the files are executed or loaded from the local system, the last safety-net provided by the mail program is bypassed," ESET warns.

In case you needed one, let this be a reminder to always be wary/suspicious of email attachments.

Image Credit: Flickr (ivanpw)

Digital Storm Rolls Out Military Themed Marauder Rigs Starting at $799

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 06:16 AM PDT

Boutique system builder Digital Storm has just introduced a new line of Marauder gaming PCs that attack the pre-built market with a Vengeance. Specifically, the Marauder line marches onto the battlefield in a suit of armor provided by Corsair's Vengeance C70 computer case, a gnarly looking enclosure that happens to be the first chassis in Corsair's lineup to sport the Vengeance moniker.

The Marauder's arsenal consists of both AMD and Intel issued weaponry, depending on which of the four 'Levels' you choose from. Pricing starts at $799 for a Level 1 Marauder that ships with an AMD FX-4100 processor, 8GB of Corsair Vengeance memory, HD Radeon 7750 graphics card with 1GB of memory, 500GB hard drive (16MB cache), Asus M5 A97 motherboard, DVD writer, Corsair GS 600W power supply, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

"With this new line, we've set a new standard for the price versus performance ratio. Our engineers have always wanted to create a line of powerful gaming PCs that are within reach of every gamer," said Rajeev Kuruppu, Digital Storm's Director of Product Development. "With compete systems starting at $799, this is the very first time Digital Storm has offered such an affordable gaming PC."

A top-flight Level 4 configuration runs $1,299 and includes an Intel Core i5 2500K processor, Radeon HD 7870 graphics card with 2GB of onboard memory, 1TB hard drive (32MB cache), and Asus P8Z77-V motherboard, along with the same supplementary parts and features mentioned above.

Digital Storm is taking pre-orders now and expects to start shipping Marauder systems in mid-May. In the meantime, check out our photo gallery below.

Image Credit: Digital Storm

Gmail Outage Left Up to 35 Million Users Hanging

Posted: 18 Apr 2012 05:54 AM PDT

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, may we have your attention. All is right in the world this morning, and you may all commence firing off breakup emails, work communication, chain letters, and whatever else you might use your Gmail account(s) for. Google's popular email service is back up and running after suffering a severe outage that potentially affected up to 35 million Gmail users yesterday.

Google began investigating "reports of an issue with Google Mail" at 12:42 PM on Tuesday. The outage lasted more than an hour before Google's software engineers were able to get a handle on things and restore order in the GUniverse.

"We've determined that this issue affected less than 10 percent of the Google Mail users who attempted to access their accounts during the affected timeframe," Google states on its Apps Status Dashboard. "While we have resolved this issue with Google Mail, it's possible that some users may experience message delays because affected accounts weren't available to receive messages. The messages will be successfully delivered after account access is restored."

Massive outages like this one are fairly infrequent for Gmail. According to ZDNet, this is the first time Gmail has down for more than an hour so far in 2012; the last time that happened was at the end of October in 2011.
Posted by Shri Krishna

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