General Gaming Article |
- Oh Snap! Exasperated Judge Says Apple's 'Smoking Crack' with Long Witness List
- GPU Shipments Bucked Downward PC Trend in Q2, Jon Peddie Research Says
- Game Changing Google Play Gift Cards Exposed Online
- Good Times Keep Rolling for Lenovo, Profits Jump 30 Percent in 2012
- Nvidia's New "Sweet Spot" GPU: Three GTX 660 Ti Cards Reviewed
- Report: Trinity Desktop APUs to Hit Retail on October 1
- Creative Debuts Ultra High Performance Z Series Sound Blaster PCI Express Cards
- Nokia Sales Chief Puffs Chest at Samsung on Twitter
- Plantronics GameCom Commander Headset Uses Military Grade Noise Cancelling Technology
| Oh Snap! Exasperated Judge Says Apple's 'Smoking Crack' with Long Witness List Posted: 16 Aug 2012 01:13 PM PDT
"I am not going to be running around trying to get 75 pages of briefings for people who are not going to be testifying," Koh told Apple's lawyer Bill Lee, according to CNet. "I mean come on, 75 pages! 75 pages! You want me to do an order on 75 pages? Unless you're smoking crack, you know these witnesses aren't going to be called when you have less than four hours." Some on the outside looking in have accused Koh of favoring Apple at times, particularly when she didn't allow Samsung to present evidence that it felt was crucial to the case. But in recent days, Koh appears to have run out of patience with both companies. She was a bit terse when encouraging CEOs from opposing sides to try and work out a settlement agreement one final time, and the latest comment is a clear indication that she's had enough. "If it turns out I went through 75 pages for people who are not going to be called, I am going to think of a proper tax for that," Koh said. Kind of gives new meaning to the term 'Apple tax,' no? Apple's attorney, meanwhile, ensured Koh that he's not smoking crack, though he might be playing with fire. The same is true for Samsung. According to All Things D, Koh threatened to shorten trial time if both sides keep inundating the court with paperwork. "I'm billing time because you all are being unreasonable," Koh said. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
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| GPU Shipments Bucked Downward PC Trend in Q2, Jon Peddie Research Says Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:40 AM PDT
Intel remains the market share leader with a 62 percent slice of the pie, way ahead of AMD at 22.7 percent and Nvidia at 14.8 percent. "We found that graphics shipments during Q2 2012 bucked the downward PC trend and rose 2.7 percent from last quarter as compared to -1.5 percent for PCs overall. GPUs are traditionally a leading indicator of the market, since a GPU goes into every system before it's shipped," JPR said. Mobile is playing a big role in all of this. According to JPR's data, AMD's APU shipments dropped 13.8 percent in the desktop from Q1 and 6.7 percent in notebooks, though the chip designer had a 55.8 percent increase in notebook IGPs. Nvidia, meanwhile, saw its discrete desktop GPU shipments slide 10.4 percent compared to last quarter, while it's mobile discrete shipments rose 19.2 percent. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
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| Game Changing Google Play Gift Cards Exposed Online Posted: 16 Aug 2012 09:05 AM PDT
Pictures of what appear to be legitimate Google Play gift cards popped up on Android Central in blurry, shrink wrapped glory (why is it that leaked photos are almost always of crappy quality?). They show $10 and $25 currencies with "Music, Movies, Books, Apps, & More" plastered along the bottom. The sultan of search hasn't officially announced or confirmed the existence of Google Play gift cards, so there's no official word on what other currencies will be availalbe, what stores you'll be able to find them, and when they'll be available. Even with all the unanswered questions, this is something every Android fan should be excited about. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
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| Good Times Keep Rolling for Lenovo, Profits Jump 30 Percent in 2012 Posted: 16 Aug 2012 08:50 AM PDT
"Growing share and profitability is hard in this market...but we DID IT!," Lenovo chairman and CEO Yang Yuanqing emphatically reported (PDF) in the company's latest financial statement. Lenovo's sales figures totaled $8.01 billion, a 35 percent year-over-year jump compared to $5.92 billion in 2011, and a 7 percent increase sequentially. That actually fell "slightly below" what analysts were expecting according to a poll conducted by The Wall Street Journal, but the way things have been going for Lenovo, investors have little to complain about. At a time when PC sales are slumping, Lenovo has figured out a way increase shipments across the board. Notebook sales were up 27 percent year-over-year, while desktop shipments experienced a 21 percent growth rate, Lenovo said. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
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| Nvidia's New "Sweet Spot" GPU: Three GTX 660 Ti Cards Reviewed Posted: 16 Aug 2012 08:03 AM PDT When Nvidia launched its new Kepler architecture earlier this year with the GTX 680, the question on everyone's minds was what features Nvidia would sacrifice in future cards to hit lower price points. With the arrival of the $299 (base price) GTX 660Ti we have our answer, and thankfully it is "not much" as this card is very close to the blazing-fast GTX 670 (itself a slightly stripped down version of the GK104 GPU from the GTX 680) both in terms of specs and performance. It has the same number of Cuda cores (1,344), texture units (112), and SMX's (7) as the GTX 670. The only real differences between the GTX 660 Ti and its beefier cousin the GTX 670 are the ROPs (the 660 Ti has 24 to the 670's 32), the L2 cache (384KB versus 512KB), and the memory bandwidth (192-bit versus 256-bit). We've collected cards from Gigabyte, EVGA and MSI that offer a range of clock speeds, cooling shrouds and price points to see how this new card fares in the heat of battle. Specifications
MSI GTX 660Ti Power EditionWhen one Frozr just isn't enoughThe MSI GTX 660 Ti is an overclocked version of the 660 Ti, hence the name Power Edition. The company has pushed the core clock speed up 105MHz from the reference design and given the Boost clock quite a bit of latitude as well. Memory speed is 1,502MHz, just like the reference design and all the cards in this roundup. Keeping the whole things frosty is an elaborate cooler with a funny name—Twin Frozr—that is comprised of two heatpipes embedded into a flat, wide array of aluminum fans. Two decently sized fans squat down on top of the heatsink and do an amazing job of keeping temperatures in check: we never saw the card go above 61C under full load, but it was easily the loudest cooler in this group when run at full load. The fan spun down nicely once the stress was relieved, like a college student exhaling after a tough final exam.
In testing the MSI card dominated the proceedings, at least when compared to the other 660 Ti cards, taking victories in seven out of ten categories, and losing by whisper-thin margins to the Gigabyte card in the other categories. When we put the card under full load the GPU clock automatically increased from the stock 1020MHz to 1215MHz, which is a decent overclock given that the card does it automatically. The bundle includes a scant pair of molex to six-pin power connectors and a software CD that includes the easy-to-use Afterburner overclocking program. It lets you tweak the card's voltage, clock speeds, fan speeds and even capture activity logs but we found it had a few issues and is not the most intuitive piece of software we've seen, especially for newbies. We like the MSI card a lot and it's clearly the fastest in this group. But we don't like the fact that it's also the loudest, and its accessories "bundle" is severely lacking.
MSI GTX 660Ti Power Edition PICKLES Top performance; great OC software; snazzy SPROUTS Loud fans; skimps on accessories  $309, us.msi.com
Gigabyte GTX 660Ti OC VersionBig fans of overclockingThe Gigabyte card is also an overclocked card, having a stock GPU clock speed of 1033MHz, which is 118MHz higher than stock. It also features a decent overclock on its Boost Clock that gives it a ceiling of 1,111MHz when overclocked. The card includes a massive cooling apparatus that features twin 100mm fans blowing down onto aluminum fins fed by two fat copper heatpipes connected to a heat exchanger. The cooling setup is so big it overhangs the edges of the card a bit, but we don't mind—it was the quietest card in our testing by a clear margin and remained silent even under full load—an impressive feat for a card that is overclocked this much.
Though the Gigabyte card was not as fast as the MSI board, it was nipping at the MSI's heels in every test and even beat it in two of the tests by the slimmest of margins. In reality, we can easily call it a wash between these two cards, and say they are both the fastest in this group of cards. One area in which the Gigabyte was the clear winner was in clock speeds, as it used GPU Boost to pump itself up to a surprising core clock speed of 1,241MHz, up from its 1,033MHz stock clock speed. It was also the quietest card in our tests, despite having the highest clock speeds. Like the MSI board the bundle that comes with the card is minimal, including just two molex to six-pin power cable adapters and a CD with its OC Guru II software and drivers. The OC Guru software gets the job done but is not easy to use, and lacks any on-screen instructions. The Gigabyte card is the most expensive card in this round—by $10—and is easily worth it. We are happy to pronounce it Kick Ass by virtue of its speed and quiet operation.
Gigabyte GTX 660Ti OC PCB Totally silent; great performance PCP Bundle is lacking; software hard to parse at a glance  $319, www.gigabyte.us
EVGA GTX 660Ti Super ClockedA perfectly cromulent cardThough the EVGA GTX 660 Ti looks like a reference card don't let its standard-looking cooling shroud fool you. This is certainly an overclocked card, though its overclock is the most modest in this grouping at just 65MHz above reference speeds. Its Boost Clock frequency is also lower than the other cards at just 1,059MHz. The board features a very short 7" circuit board, compared to over 9 inches on the other cards, but its extra-long cooling shroud makes the card just as big and long as the others.
The EVGA did not win in any of our benchmark tests, but it was close in all of them and usually off the pace by just a handful of frames. We're not too surprised about this as this card had the lowest clock speeds of any in the test, running up to 1,123MHz when under 100 percent load, which is a 100MHz deficit compared to its competition. The card did stay cool and relatively quiet though, running at a steady 65C even when pushed for hours under at 100 percent full-load. We would describe the noise level as worse than the Gigabyte but not as bad as the MSI board: noticeable but not annoying. Surprisingly, though this board looks like it's the most boring in the group it includes the best bundle of accessories including a VGA-to-DVI adapter, two power supply cable adapters and a sheet of EVGA stickers that are kind of cool. As it stands the EVGA is a tough sell since it doesn't excel in any one area compared to the other cards here. We hear it will be releasing a more powerful FTW version in the future, and we can't wait to check that card out when it arrives. This card is a solid offering but there are better options available.
EVGA GTX 660Ti SC COOLER Decent performance; relatively quiet; good bundle DROOLER Slower than the others; not totally quiet. $309, www.evga.com Bringing guns to a gunfightSince Kepler launched we've been waiting for a mid-range card utilizing Nvidia's latest architecture, and now that it's arrived we're not disappointed. All three GTX 660 Ti's pushed out more-than-playable framerates on all of our games, at 1920x1200, with all settings maxed and 4X MSAA (Shogun 2 is the only game we played at 1080p instead of 1920x1200). We also tested the cards at 2560x1600 (again at maximum settings and 4x MSAA), and framerates were above 30fps in all but a few benchmarks: Unigine Heaven, STALKER, and Shogun 2 hovered in the high 20s and low 30s, while the punishing Metro's framerates at 2560x1600 were in the low teens. Benchmarks
The 660 Ti cards' $300-320 price range puts them firmly between the Radeon HD 7870 and 7950 in price, and their performance is right between the two Radeons as well. The 660 Tis trounce the 7870 GHz edition, and gives the 7950 a run for its money as well. Unless and until AMD drops the price of the 7950 there's no reason to buy it over the 660 Ti. AMD pushed out special clock-boosting BIOS updates to some reviewers' reference 7950s earlier this week, but not to us, and we test against retail cards anyway, so that won't factor into our reviews. Compared to the GTX 560 Ti 448, the GTX 660 Ti isn't groundbreaking. If you have a 560 Ti there's no reason to spend $300 on a 660 Ti; you're better off getting a second 560Ti. But if you're coming from an older midrange card (or an even older high-end card), or building a new rig, the 660Ti is a great choice.
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| Report: Trinity Desktop APUs to Hit Retail on October 1 Posted: 16 Aug 2012 07:22 AM PDT
Like a number of reports before it, the latest, which comes courtesy of Japanese site Hermitage Akihabara and includes the first pictures of the upcoming chips, also points to an October release—October 1 to be precise—for 2nd-generation A-series desktop APUs. Just to be clear, we're not talking about OEM availability here, but general retail availability; actually, these chips have been shipping to OEMs like HP and Asus since June. If the report is accurate, the chips will arrive just in time for the release of Windows 8, which is scheduled for October 26. Here is a quick rundown of the specs of the Trinity desktop chips that will be hitting the market sometime later this year:
These chips will need motherboards with the chip maker's new socket FM2, a 904-pin socket as opposed to the 905-pin one that worked with Llano APUs. As for the Fusion Controller Hub, you'll have a choice between two chipsets: the A75 and A85X. It's important to note here that the latter includes eight SATA 6Gb/s ports and RAID 5 support, whereas the former doesn't. Image Credit: Hermitage Akihabara |
| Creative Debuts Ultra High Performance Z Series Sound Blaster PCI Express Cards Posted: 16 Aug 2012 06:22 AM PDT
"The audio landscape for gaming and entertainment on the PC has changed. As content creation and consumption evolves with the interactivity of the Internet, our vision is to enable the best listening experiences for music, video and games, and to transcend the basic concept of sound quality as a specification with enabling technologies that allow users to completely customize their PC audio," said Low Long Chye, Director of Product Marketing for Audio. "For audio playback, we use studio-grade components to deliver outstanding fidelity, and then greatly enhance the listening experience by implementing our SBX Pro Studio suite of audio technologies." Pricing starts at $100 for the Sound Blaster Z, the entry-level model in the three-card lineup. It boasts 120dB SNR and supports 192KHz direct pass-through to analog out. For $50 more, the Sound Blaster Zx adds an external ACM (Audio Control Module) with a built-in dual microphone array and mic/headphone I/O connections. And then there's the Sound Blaster ZxR, which shares the same hardware and software features as the Zx but adds a DBpro daughter card that offers optical output and 123dB analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) with RCA Aux-in and optical input. The ZxR will sell for $250. Creative says the Sound Blaster ZxR and Zx will be available in December; the vanilla Z version will be available in October. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
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| Nokia Sales Chief Puffs Chest at Samsung on Twitter Posted: 16 Aug 2012 05:56 AM PDT
"Samsung take note, next generation Lumia coming soon," Weber posted to Twitter, sparking a flurry of comments in the process. Samsung hasn't responded, nor does the handset maker really need to, at least not yet. It can let the numbers speak for themselves, and according to the latest data from research firm Gartner, Samsung leads all other companies in mobile market share. Smartphones are a large reason why. "This quarter's growth was driven by record sales of Galaxy smartphones, meaning smartphones now account for 50.4 percent of all Samsung mobile devices, or 45.6 million units," Gartner said. "Demand for the new Galaxy S3 was particularly strong, exceeding Samsung's own expectations, with a reported 10 million units reached in the two months after its release. The Galaxy S3 was the best-selling Android product in the quarter and could have been higher but for product shortages." The upcoming Lumia device Nokia is using as a catalyst to trash talk the competition is expected to launch in early September ahead of Apple's iPhone 5 announcement. It will run Windows 8 and is rumored to include a 4.3-inch touchscreen, dual-core S4 Snapdragon processor, and support both NFC and 4G LTE. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
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| Plantronics GameCom Commander Headset Uses Military Grade Noise Cancelling Technology Posted: 16 Aug 2012 05:23 AM PDT
The GameCon Commander "distills the roar of the crowd into a silent current of energy" so you can focus on the on-screen action without being distracted by all the chatter. In doing so, Plantronics claims its headset can reduce background noise by up to 85 percent, or approximately 20 decibels, and reduce transmit background noise by up to 80 percent, or 18 decibels. In addition to advanced noise cancelling technology, the GameCon Commander boasts a flexible wire boom type microphone (noise cancelling, natch), a ruggedized ear cup design, full spectrum stereo, Dolby 7.1 USB dongle, a pair of 3.5mm plugs for analog soundcard connections, quick connect controls to PC, breakaway cords for mobile/tablet applications, and a case for tournament travel and storage. Plantronics says it will limit production to 10,000 GameCon Commander headsets, which you can pre-order today for $299. Orders will ship in September. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook
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U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh can hardly contain her frustration with Apple and Samsung over their court room shenanigans, first by snapping at the latter for leaking disallowed evidence to the public, and now to the former for submitting a long witness list. Koh suggested Apple's attorneys were "smoking crack" if they thought they could summon nearly two dozen rebuttal witnesses in the waning hours of litigation.
Nearly every player invested in the GPU market experienced a "good, if not great quarter" in Q2 as overall graphics shipments rose 2.5 percent sequentially and 5.5 percent year-over-year, according to data released today by Jon Peddie Research. Intel enjoyed the biggest gains in both desktop (13.6 percent) and notebook (3.8 percent), which isn't surprising now that CPUs with integrated graphics are the norm and not the exception.
One advantage Apple users have had over their Google brethren is the ability to stock up on iTunes currency in the form of gift cards, which make great stocking stuffers and birthday gifts for anyone wielding an iOS device. At long last, it looks as though Google has finally gotten on the ball with gift cards of its own, redeemable in the Google Play store (formerly known as Android Market).
Lenovo's investors have to be loving life right about now. The OEM is on top of its game and kept the sales momentum going by announcing yet another strong quarter in which net income (profit) for the three month period ended June topped $141.1 million, up 30 percent year-over-year. Lenovo's PC consumer business in mature markets has more than quadrupled in mature markets since 2008, and the company nearly doubled its PC revenue in emerging markets outside of China, the OEM said.
Even though it has been almost three months since AMD first began shipping 2nd-generation A-series "Trinity" mobile APUs, there is still no sign of their desktop counterparts. The last we heard of the desktop Trinity APUs from the Sunnyvale-based chip maker was back in July. But even back then the company merely reassured everyone that the release of the chips was "on track." With the company still unwilling to commit to a release date, there is plenty of speculation surrounding the release schedule of these desktop APUs.
Multi-core processors and vastly improved onboard audio solutions have all but rendered discrete audio cards obsolete, just don't speak such nonsense to Creative, which just unveiled a new generation of Sound Blaster soundcards. Three new cards comprise the company's new Sound Blaster Z Series, including the Sound Blaster ZxR, Zx, and Z, all three of which are PCI Express parts.
Have you ever seen a couple of nerds try to trash talk each other? If not, you may get your chance, as Nokia's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Chris Weber, took to Twitter to call out rival Samsung and warn the company that it's bringing its A-game with its next generation Lumia device. It's not an earth shattering tweet by any means, though you don't often see company execs calling out their rivals.
We lent an ear to Plantronics so the company could tell us all about its new limited edition GameCom Commander headset built for professional gamers. In short, Plantronics claims they took a noise cancelling headset developed for military applications and adapted the design for gaming. That sounds like overkill, until you factor in that professional and semi-pro gamers often find themselves surrounded by thousands of competitors, and when you're in a confined space with 3,000 people, things tend to get a little boisterous.| You are subscribed to email updates from Maximum PC - All Articles To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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