General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Post PC My Ass, Continued: Gaming Hardware Sales To Hit $23.6 Billion In 2012

Posted: 03 May 2012 11:13 AM PDT

When people say that we're living in a post PC era, they're typically only looking at sales of prebuilt systems -- the HP, Dell and Lenovo "PCs in a box" that grace the shelves of your local retailers. Those numbers, however, fail to take component sales and custom builds into consideration. (Sacrilege!) Now, a new report highlights just what we're missing by omitting component sales: Jon Peddie Research, a prominent research firm, says that PC gaming hardware sales will hit $23.6 billion -- that's "billion," with a "B" -- in sales by the end of the year.

The sales will be fueled mainly by enthusiasts who drop more than $1,000 on hardware, the firm says. JPR claims that all the new CPUs and GPUs coming out, along with gaming-focused machines from both mainstream and boutique builders will be major factors in pushing enthusiasts into upgrading. New power supplies, SSDs, cooling systems and peripherals will only add fuel to the fire, the firm claims, and gaming hardware should hit a whopping $32 billion by 2015. Hardware sales in Brazil, Russia, India and China are expected to nearly double in the same time frame, from $4.7 billion this year to $7.7 billion in 2015.

"The hobbyist aspect of the DIY market is driving billions in component sales and small form factor rigs are being hooked up to HDTVs, essentially being used as 'super consoles,'" senior gaming analyst Ted Pollak said in Jon Peddie's press release.

The actual reports are locked behind a doozy of a paywall for $7,500 a pop, so we aren't able to comment on hard numbers. Still, we thought we'd share the good news, even if it's just a summary. Now, off to plan my next build…

Tamriel Goes MMO: Bethesda Announces "Elder Scrolls Online"

Posted: 03 May 2012 10:39 AM PDT

After months (years!) of rumors and whispers, it's finally official: Bethesda just announced that it's developing "Elder Scrolls Online," an MMO version of its much-beloved role playing series. Just scanning the press release's subject line sent butterflies fluttering through my stomach: can Bethesda take its superb single player universe online successfully, or will this prove to be a proverbial arrow in the knee for the series?

We won't know for sure until sometime in 2013, when the game launches for PCs and Macs, but the Elder Scrolls Online is the main feature and cover story in this month's Game Informer magazine. The details are still very scarce, but GI's brief teaser indicates the game takes place "across the entire land of Tamriel, from Elsweyr to Skyrim and everywhere in between… set a millennium before the events of Skyrim as the daedric prince Molag Bal tries to pull all of Tamriel into his demonic realm."

There will also be a three-faction PVP mode that has players fighting for control of Cyrodiil and the Emperor's throne, the publication reports.

"We have been working hard to create an online world in which players will be able to experience the epic Elder Scrolls universe with their friends, something fans have long said they wanted," game director Matt Firor said in the company's press release. "It will be extremely rewarding finally to unveil what we have been developing the last several years. The entire team is committed to creating the best MMO ever made - and one that is worthy of The Elder Scrolls franchise."

Well, Matt, our fingers are nervously crossed.

Game Informer plans on periodically updating its Elder Scrolls Online hub with new content over the coming weeks, starting with a teaser trailer tomorrow.

So, are you pumped at the idea of Dragon Shouting fools off of cliffs across Tamriel, or scared that the game will devolve into fools Dragon Shouting other fools off of cliffs around Tamriel?

Image credit: Game Informer

Researchers Create 1Gbps Wireless Network Using Lasers Pointers

Posted: 03 May 2012 10:29 AM PDT

What's even cooler than a kick-ass high-speed wireless network? A kick-ass high-speed wireless network powered by frickin' lasers. It may just lay in our future: researchers from the National Taipei University of Technology managed to create a rudimentary, working 1Gbps network that bypasses radio frequencies entirely, using basic AAA battery-powered red and green laser pointerss and about $600 worth of components. That's waaaaay faster than the 802.11n Wi-Fi routers found in homes today.

ExtremeTech and New Scientist both reported on the achievement and pointed us towards the research paper, which you can read in full here. The concept is actually fairly basic; the researchers pointed the laser pointers at photodiode receptors stationed about 30 ft. away, then strobed the lights on-and-off at a rate of 500 million times per second to deliver a 500 Mbps data stream over each laser.

The two signals were amplified, then combined on the receiving end to achieve the aforementioned 1Gbps data transfer rate. As if that wasn't impressive enough, the bit error rate was remarkably low, at around one bad bit per billion; ExtremeTech reports that most Wi-Fi streams have a bit error rate of around one bad bit per 100,000, and that number could worsen significantly depending on the radio interference in your home. Since the researchers' laser network uses visible light communication technology, it isn't subject to over-the-airwaves interference.

…of course, visible laser communication is highly subject to interference from actual physical objects, including fog and rain. Plus, it's directional; the signal only travels where you point it. Those drawbacks will probably prevent laser-powered networks from replacing radio-based data communications anytime soon. Nevertheless, it could be a viable method for transferring data indoors, especially in sensitive locations that can't tolerate radio interference, such as hospitals.

Curious? The researchers told New Scientist that any hobbyist -- or at least any hobbyist with $600 laying around for components -- could make a laser-based network of their own fairly easily. Hit the research paper for more info.

(What's next, frickin' sharks with frickin' laser beams? Oh, wait -- that happened earlier this week.)

Microsoft Officially Kills The Windows Live Brand

Posted: 03 May 2012 10:05 AM PDT

Do you remember way back when Hotmail was just called, you know, Hotmail? Those were the days. Then Microsoft went on its whole "Windows Live" branding kick and swapped it over to "Windows Live Hotmail" to match the similarly renamed Windows Live Mail, Windows Live ID and Windows Live Photo Gallery, amongst others. Now, apparently, the folks in Redmond have realized how silly and superfluous the Windows Live sticker was; the company recently announced that the brand is being killed off in favor of more basic app names. Yes, Hotmail will be just Hotmail once again.

The move away from the Windows Live brand started long ago in Windows Phones, continued with the app names in Windows 8 Consumer Preview and was most recently visible when Windows Live Mesh was absorbed by the new and improved SkyDrive. Even Windows Live IDs are being wiped out and replaced by "Microsoft Accounts," as Windows 8 Consumer Preview users already know.

Here's a full list of the changes, as outlined on Microsoft's Building Windows 8 Blog.

Dell Launches Ivy Bridge-powered Desktops, Laptops

Posted: 03 May 2012 07:32 AM PDT

Having begun the week with the launch of Ivy Bridge-powered Alienware gaming notebooks, Dell on Wednesday added four more Ivy Bridge systems to its portfolio. Among these new PCs are the vendor's first desktops with 3rd generation Intel Core i processors. Hit the jump for more.

The XPS 8500 and Vostro 470 mini-tower desktops are now available with 3rd generation Intel Core i processors, the company announced on Wednesday. The most basic XPS 8500 model features a Core i5-3450 (3.10GHz to 3.50GHz) processor and has a price tag of $749. All the other models contain the much more capable Core i7-3770 (3.40GHz to 3.90GHz) chip. Other key specs include Windows 7 Home Premium, up to 16GB RAM, a maximum of 2TB HDD with 256GB SSD, and up to AMD Radeon HD 7770 graphics with 2GB GDDR5 video memory.

Starting at $549, the Vostro 470 comes with 3rd generation Intel Core i5 and i7 quad-core processor options, discrete graphics options from Nvidia and AMD, up to 12GB of memory, and up to 2TB of hard drive storage. According to the company, both the mini-tower PCs are available now on Dell's website and at select retail stores across the country.

In addition to these two mini-tower desktop PCs, Dell has also launched a couple of Ivy Bridge-powered Inspiron Special Edition laptops. Aimed at families, the Inspiron 14R Special Edition and 15R Special Edition laptops come with up to 3rd generation Intel Core i7  processors, discrete graphics, optional high-resolution displays, backlit keyboards and mSATA SSD storage. Currently only available in a few Asian countries, they will be made available in more regions in the coming weeks.

Image Credit: Dell

HP Retakes PC Shipment Crown from Apple, Canalys Says

Posted: 03 May 2012 07:05 AM PDT

A funny thing happened in the fourt quarter of 2011. Analyst firm Canalys announced that Apple shipped more PCs than Hewlett-Packard (HP), but that was only true if you were willing to count iPad devices as PCs. And if you were willing do that, the question, then, is where do you draw the line? Are smartphones and superphones PCs as well? What about hybrid eReaders? Judging by the reader comments, the consensus among Maximum PC readers is that tablets are not PCs and shouldn't be counted as such, but regardless of whether or not you agree that statement, HP is once again the world's leading client PC vendor.

Canalys tallied the figures for the first quarter of 2012 and found that HP was able to retake the PC shipment crown from Apple, iPad sales be damned. Apple shipped 11.8 million iPads in the first quarter of 2011, bringing its total client PC tally to 15.8 million. HP, meanwhile, shipped about 40,000 more units than Apple, and did it without the benefit of tablet sales to boost its bottom line.

Lenovo took third place (second if you discount iPad shipments) with a staggering 50 percent year-on-year growth rate, followed by Acer and Dell rounding out the top five places, though the latter two saw a decline in shipments compared to one year ago.

Not surprisingly, iPad growth was the highest of all 'PCs' (up 200 percent) followed by notebooks (up 11 percent) and desktops (up 8 percent). The odd man out is Mr. Netbook with a 34 percent year-on-year decline in shipments.

"Most of the leading PC vendors have done a reasonable job of offsetting the declines in their netbook shipments over the past year with increased pad business," said Canalys Research Analyst Tom Evans. "Samsung and Lenovo are two that stand out in terms of substantially increasing overall volume, though Asus has performed well too. The challenge is breaking out into the really big volumes to challenge the leaders – Apple and Amazon. So far, only Samsung has shown it can routinely ship more than a million pads a quarter."

Looking ahead, is it time to start counting iPads and other tablets as PCs, or is there too big of a divide to lump them into the same category?

Image Credit: HP

Graphics Card Shortages to Ease a Bit by End of the Month

Posted: 03 May 2012 06:46 AM PDT

Nvidia today officially launched its GeForce GTX 690 (see some of our preliminary benchmark results here) dual-GPU graphics card, which arrives a little less than six weeks after the official unveiling of Kepler in the form of the GeForce GTX 680 (see our benchmarks of that card here). Both are formidable graphics cards capable of driving a high-end gaming PC, provided you can find one in stock.

And there's the rub. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is over its head in chip orders, and as a result, there just isn't enough capacity to supply companies like Nvidia with the silicon they need to meet demand. This has caused a shortage of 28nm graphics cards, though by the end of the month, things should start to improve.

According to DigiTimes, late May is when TSMC's capacity restrictions will begin to ease, and that will benefit production of GeForce GTX 680 and 690 graphics cards. What's more, DigiTimes says Nvidia is getting ready to flesh out its Kepler line by releasing the GeForce GTX 670 and 610 in May and June, respectively, so it's imperative that TSMC gets a handle on things.

As for AMD, the rival GPU maker is reportedly going to reduce pricing even further on its Radeon HD 7000 Series.

Target to Kick Kindle (and Amazon) to the Curb, Goes All-In with Nook

Posted: 03 May 2012 06:14 AM PDT

Your friendly neighborhood Target store is getting ready to give Amazon a brick-and-mortar sized wedgie as it tosses the e-tailer's entire Kindle line right out of its stores. Even Amazon's Kindle Fire, Target's top selling tablet device on Black Friday last year, will be extinguished from Target's chain of stores, and it appears it's all due to a conflict of interest with Barnes & Noble and its Nook line.

An internal memo detailing the surprising decision was obtained by The Verge on Wednesday, and then was later confirmed via a request for comment.

"Target continually evaluates its product assortment to deliver the best quality and prices for our guests. Target is phasing out Kindles and Amazon- and Kindle-branded products in the spring of 2012. We will continue to offer our guests a full assortment of eReaders and supporting accessories including the Nook," Target told The Verge.

Searching for Kindle devices on Target's website is like looking for a needle in a haystack where there is no needle. In other words, Target has already expunged Kindle devices from its online portal (though you can still find non-Amazon brand Kindle accessories), and from the leaked memo, it appears Amazon hardware will stop being replenished after Mother's Day, May 13.

AVADirect Rolls Out Sub-$1,000 Clevo W110ER 11.6-inch Gaming Notebook

Posted: 03 May 2012 05:53 AM PDT

Dell's discontinued Alienware M11x notwithstanding, boutique builders have been paying a lot of attention to the 11.6-inch gaming laptop category, and it's all because Clevo concocted the W110ER, which is essentially a netbook on steroids (figuratively speaking -- steroids are bad, kids). Where can you get it? One place is AVADirect, the boutique builder based in Ohio that's now offering the Clevo W110ER starting at $937 and a penny.

AVADirect's pitch goes like this:

"For many, high-end notebook performance typically comes at the cost of a larger, bulkier notebook barebone than a moderately-performing model. For AVADirect, offering high-end mobile performance is not a matter of 'if' but a matter of 'how'. How, in relative terms, would you like your notebook to be customized? AVADirect has over ten years of experience in working with custom notebooks. Enough to know that big things can certainly come in small packages. The Clevo W110ER Gaming Notebook confirms this statement and exceeds expectations at the very least."

Every Clevo W110ER notebook sports an 11.6-inch LED-backlit glossy LCD screen with a 1366x768 (16:9) resolution powered by an Nvidia GeForce GT 650M GPU, 9-in-1 memory card reader, GbE LAN, integrated webcam, HDMI output, USB ports, and the such. AVADirect's baseline configuration includes an Intel Core i3 2350M dual-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 4GB of Crucial brand DDR3-1333MHz memory, 750GB Seagate hard drive (7,200 RPM, 16MB cache), 802.11b/g/n LAN card and Bluetooth module, 90W battery, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit w/ SP1.

There are several upgrade options available, including a bump to Ivy Bridge (Intel Core i7 3610QM) for $241, up to 16GB of RAM, HDD and SSD options, and custom paint jobs in a variety of colors.

If you're interested in purchasing one or just want to window shop, you can do so here.

Image Credit; AVADirect

GeForce GTX 690: Nvidia's Dual-Kepler Videocard Benchmarked

Posted: 02 May 2012 10:44 PM PDT

We knew this day would come, but that doesn't make it any less exciting. After all, we've been waiting since Saturday. Today Nvidia launches the just-announced GeForce GTX 690, which packs two full GK104 Kepler GPUs onto one video card—and what a card it is. (For an in-depth look at the GTX 680, the GK104 GPU, and the Kepler architecture, check out the feature story from our June issue!)

GeForce GTX 690
With premium magnesium-alloy casing, polycarbonate windows, and an LED-backlit logo, the $1,000 GeForce GTX 690 reference card looks as expensive as it is.

Two. Two GPUs.

The GTX 690 is 11 inches long—big for an Nvidia card, but still smaller than the 12.2-inch high water mark established by the AMD Radeon 5970 a few generations ago. As you'd expect, the GTX 690 contains two of the same GPU found in the GTX 680, with a slightly lower base clock—915MHz with a boost clock of 985MHz, compared to the 1,006MHz base and 1,058MHz boost clock for a reference GTX 680. Nvidia says they've built in substantial room for overclocking, too, saying that you can get over 1,100MHz clocks from the stock cooler. 

Aside from the slightly lower clocks, the rest of the board's specs are exactly what you'd expect from a true dual-680 configuration: 3,072 CUDA cores, 16 SMX units, 256 texture units, and 64 ROPs. Each GK104 GPU has 2GB of GDDR5 with four 64-bit memory channels per GPU, for a total of 4GB GDDR5 frame buffer for the whole card. The card takes two 8-pin power connectors and has a TDP of 300W.

Look Ma, no shroud!
Look, Ma, no shroud!

The GTX 690's reference shroud looks amazing. It's all magnesium-alloy and polycarbonate, with nary a bit of plastic to be seen. In typical Nvidia dual-GPU card design, the intake fan is in the center of the PCB and blows air toward both the front and back of the card—keeping cool air flowing over both GPUs but potentially wreaking havoc on standard front-to-back case airflow.

Here's how the reference design of the GTX 690 stacks up to a reference GTX 680 and an XFX Radeon HD 7970 Black Edition. 

Specs

 

GTX 690 Spec Chart

Nvidia made sure to tell us that unlike the GTX 590, which was a fair bit slower than dual GTX 580s, the GTX 690 is almost as fast as dual GTX 680s. The card has a TDP (thermal design power) of 300W, so there's plenty of overhead for overclocking.

We haven't had our GTX 690 reference card for very long, but we were able to run our graphics benchmark suites to see how it stacks up to two other dual-GPU configurations: stock-clocked GTX 680s in SLI and stock-clocked Radeon HD 7970s in CrossFireX. We tested all three configurations in the same test setup, which consists of a stock-clocked Core i7-3960X on an Asus P9X79 Deluxe board with 16GB DDR3/1600 in a Cooler Master Cosmos II chassis with a 1050W Thermaltake PSU and a 256GB Samsung 830 Series boot SSD. We used the latest Catalyst drivers from AMD for the 7970s, the latest WHQL drivers from Nvidia for the 680s, and the pre-release drivers Nvidia provided for the GTX 690. 

Running the Numbers

 

True to Nvidia's claims, the GTX 690 at stock clocks was only a few frames per second slower than dual stock-clocked GTX 680s. The greatest difference we saw was 4fps in Just Cause 2's Concrete Jungle benchmarks, and the GTX 690 was actually very slightly faster than the dual 680s in Metro 2033. 

How do the Nvidia SLI solutions compare to two reference Radeon HD 7970s in CrossFireX? They trade blows: the Nvidia cards are faster in both 3DMark Performance tests, Unigen Heaven, Far Cry 2 (barely), and Batman: Arkham City, while the Radeons win in Shogun 2, STALKER: Call of Pripyat, Just Cause 2, and Metro 2033. 

GTX 690 Benchmarks

The GTX 690 had the lowest system idle power, at just 101W, but the highest maximum power draw: 730W, higher than both dual-card setups. This isn't average load power, but peak power for the whole system, including CPU and drives. We'll have average load power as well as cooling performance for you in our full review.

Twice as Nice for Twice the Price

We haven't even started exploring the GTX 690's overclocking options, nor have we done all the benchmarking we want to do, but from our initial tests it's an astonishingly fast single-card SLI setup that takes up less room and draws less power at idle than multi-card setups. And, of course, if you have two of them you can enable Quad SLI. Yes please. 

For the price of two GTX 680s, you get the power of two GTX 680s on one board. That seems pretty fair. The GTX 690 is available starting today from a slew of Nvidia partners with an MSRP of $999.

 

 
Posted by Shri Krishna

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