General Gaming Article

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• No BS Podcast #201: Ivy Bridge-E, AMD 7990, and Windows MacBook Pro
• 7 Unsung Heroes of the PC Universe
• Getting Loco with Video Cards
• Column: Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition is a Disappointment
• Acer Claims Aspire P3 is the Cat's Meow of Ultrabooks
• Nvidia Rumored to Release GeForce GTX 780 Graphics Card on May 23
• Friday Giveaway: Grab One of Five Fenrir God Unlock Codes for the Smite Beta
• Microsoft Reportedly Prepping a Smaller, Cheaper Surface Tablet
• Newegg Daily Deals: WD Black 4TB Hard Drive, Microsoft Sidewinder X4 Keyboard, and More

No BS Podcast #201: Ivy Bridge-E, AMD 7990, and Windows MacBook Pro Posted: 03 May 2013 02:56 PM PDT The Real 200th Episode  Remember how people were complaining that the year 2000 wasn't really the year 2000 and that 2001 was really the year 2000? Like that debacle, with us never publishing episode 150 of the No BS Podcast, you can similarly consider Episode 201 to be the real 200th episode if you feel inclined.  The podcast room got crowdy this time around with a five-man crew that was lead with podcast host and Editor Josh Norem speaking with Online Managing Editor Jimmy Thang, Associate Editor Tom McNamara, Super Intern Chris Zele, and the always charismatic Deputy Editor Gordon Mah Ung. This week the crew tackles a wide variety of topics that include: - Leaked Ivy Bridge-E benchmarks - AMD unveils its official AMD 7990 video card - Corsair 350D (aka the 900D mini) - New Ubuntu 13.04 arrives - Macbook Pro as the best Windows laptop?  - Our Editor's Picks - This random video of actor Michael Shannon reading this insane letter from a crazy sorority girl - And rants from Gordon! The MacBook Pro is the best Windows laptop? We think not. Note: A video version of the podcast is also in the works, but we ask that you please be patient with us as we whip our video monkeys back into shape. If you want to catch future episodes, you can: Subscribe on iTunes Fan us on Facebook Tweet us on Twitter Check out our Windows 8 app in Microsoft's app store Email us at maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com Subscribe to our RSS feed Leave us a voicemail at 877-404-1337 x1337 Thanks for listening! We wouldn't be here without all of your support! -Maximum PC Staff

7 Unsung Heroes of the PC Universe Posted: 03 May 2013 01:13 PM PDT Honoring the PC components that don't get the credit they deserve If you built your first PC more than a decade ago, you know that PC building has come a long way. Modern conveniences like cases with holes for cable routing, motherboards with labels, and right-angle SATA cables certainly help with the cumbersome bits. This article aims to pay respect to these unsung heroes of the PC universe.  You can check out our picks in the gallery below.  Did we forget an unsung hero? Let us know in the comments!

Getting Loco with Video Cards Posted: 03 May 2013 11:28 AM PDT Maximum PC's Best of the Best Updated We're closing in on Cinco de Mayo, which celebrates Mexico's Battle of Puebla fought on May 5, 1862, a victory against overwhelming odds and an important step towards Mexican independence from European rulers. These days, it's a popular holiday for getting drunk, dancing and making loud noises, but maybe that's just me. I think I'm gonna play it low-key this year instead, and take the opportunity to update our Best of the Best with a couple new entries: the EVGA GeForce GTX Titan and AMD's Radeon HD 7850. This time around, we're changing the "high-end video card" category to the best "Single-GPU video card." Every GPU category will be getting a refresh. Because at Maximum PC, we care about your wallet. Below, there is more text and words that you may find informative and entertaining. And as always, let us know in the comments what you think about our picks!

Column: Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition is a Disappointment Posted: 03 May 2013 11:25 AM PDT If only it were as good as the XCOM remake For the second time in as many months the Ghost of Games Past has visited my PC to remind me of classic games... and how much better they are now. The Enhanced Edition of Baldur's Gate doesn't enhance much of anything This time, the ghostly visitor in the night is Baldur's Gate, the game that put BioWare on the map and brought the classic D&D experience from the Gold Box age into a whole new epoch of awesome. Unfortunately, the new Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition couldn't repeat the magic that turned X-Com (one of the best PC games ever, and now almost wholly unplayable for anyone but nostalgia-sadists) into the brilliant XCOM: Enemy Unknown. In fairness to the makers of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, they didn't have the deep pockets and vast resources of 2K/ Firaxis. Beamdog/Overhaul just doesn't bring that much stick to the table. Rather than getting a reinvented Baldur's Gate, or even a heavily upgraded one, we get something significantly less impressive. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a great example of what a remake should look like I say that with the understanding that "significantly less impressive" is relative. Baldur's Gate is still one of the best RPGs ever. It's also still on my shelf, and available online for about $10. Nothing in the Enhanced Edition diminishes the original game, but it doesn't enhance it that much, either. This is Baldur's Gate with Baldur's Gate II improvements, a graphics bump, a better journal, and a tedious arena mode. They say they fixed or added 400 things to this version, but pathfinding is not among them. Also, it's buggy and crashy as all hell. You can save your money, load up the original game, install the Tutu mod and a few others, and get a fine BG experience. The bigger problem is that Baldur's Gate is an old-school game that just hasn't aged all that well, and remains little more than a nostalgia act. The fussy combat and bland narrative is something for a younger, more tolerant era of computer gaming. The most bizarre part is that you can trace a straight line from the concepts of BG right through all of BioWare's products. Dragon Age and Mass Effect are Baldur's Gate, done better. Why would we want it done worse?

Acer Claims Aspire P3 is the Cat's Meow of Ultrabooks Posted: 03 May 2013 11:18 AM PDT Go ahead and use the Aspire P3 as your primary PC, Acer says. Windows 8 has PC makers gung ho about hybrid form factors that are able to transform from an Ultrabook to a tablet and vice versa, but one of the problems is that some of these systems end up offering half-baked experiences. Acer says that isn't the case with its new Aspire P3, a "new form Ultrabook" the company claims is powerful enough to be your primary PC, yet also able to function as a tablet. "Customers are moving to a touch-centric way of computing for most of their everyday tasks, such as web browsing, checking email, and entertainment," said Sumit Agnihotry, vice president of product marketing, Acer America. "The new Acer Aspire P3 Ultrabook makes touch computing even more powerful by providing customers with the responsive performance, fast boot times, and long battery life they want in a mobile PC. Plus, the form factor of the Acer P3 adds the productivity to ensure all-day usefulness beyond the fun in tablet mode." The Aspire P3 comes with 3rd Generation Core i3 and i5 processor options, a 60GB or 120GB solid state drive, webcam, 5MP rear facing camera, USB 3.0 ports, 11.6-inch HD IPS display, HDMI output, and more. A full-size chiclet style keyboard is built into the detachable cover. You can purchase an Aspire P3 today starting at $800.

Nvidia Rumored to Release GeForce GTX 780 Graphics Card on May 23 Posted: 03 May 2013 10:49 AM PDT The GPU wars are heating up. Analysts can talk all they want about the demise of desktops and the rise of tablets, we're not buying it. And you know what? Neither are discrete graphics card makers. If they were, Nvidia wouldn't be getting to release a GeForce GTX 780 video card, which if the latest web chatter is true, will be launching in just a few weeks. After that, Nvidia has another GTX 700 Series card to unleash. According to Fudzilla, the GTX 780 part is scheduled to launch on May 23, 2013 at precisely 6:00 AM PDT. Exactly one week later to the minute, Nvidia will follow that up by launching its GeForce GTX 770 graphics card, both of which will be sold by top tier vendors. The GTX 780 is based on the GK110 architecture found in Nvidia's Titan cards, and the GTX 770 is based on GK104 425, which Fudzilla says is an improved version of the original 28nm part. Other than those details, we don't know much about either card, though we expect both to be at least marginally faster than the 600 Series they're replacing. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Friday Giveaway: Grab One of Five Fenrir God Unlock Codes for the Smite Beta Posted: 03 May 2013 09:20 AM PDT We only have a limited number of codes for Fenrir, but Smite itself is free. If you're looking for a new game to sink your teeth into this weekend, Hi-Rez Studios would be delighted if you checked out Smite, a third-person multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) title currently in open beta. Brand new to the Smite world this morning is Fenrir, The Unbound, a Norse god with high single target damage and high mobility. He isn't free, though we do have a small number of codes, courtesy of the developers, to give away on a first come, first serve basis. There are six main game types in Smite, including Conquest, Practice, Joust, Arena, Domination, and Assault. You choose a god to play, of which there are 35 from six different pantheons (Chinese, Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, Roman, Mayan, and Norse), 10 of which are free. Each one has a basic attack and four spells, which can be upgraded over time. Shown above is Fenrir, the newest playable god and the one we have game codes for. We only have five to hand out, which we're doing on a first come, first serve basis, but if there's enough interest, we may have other Smite-related goodies to give away in the near future. Ready for the codes? Here they are: FR510FD024E0AD41B FR51C718381F224E7 FR52503ACA31134FF FR52E18080B18B462 FR532E948385434B1 While not required, if you grab one, we'd appreciate it if you commented and posted which you're claiming. As for the F2P game itself, the Smite client is just a couple clicks away. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Microsoft Reportedly Prepping a Smaller, Cheaper Surface Tablet Posted: 03 May 2013 08:29 AM PDT Second generation Surface rumors are heating up. Multiple sources are saying that Microsoft is currently working on another Surface tablet, one that will likely be smaller in size than the current models, and less expensive as well. If the rumors are true, then it means Microsoft received the memo that $500 tablets without an Apple logo are a tough sell. which is the same memo Google's hardware partners received long ago in reference to Android. If you recall, Android tablets didn't fly off of store shelves when they were first introduced, either. A big reason for that is because manufacturers were trying to compete at a premium price point with an open-source operating system that many assumed would lead to lower cost devices. It may have taken longer than most people expected, but Android tablets from name-brand vendors have certainly come down in price, and size, and they're selling extremely well as a result. Whether or not Microsoft can enjoy the same sort of success by launching a smaller, cheaper version of Surface remains to be seen, but it's worth exploring. According to NPD DisplaySearch, Microsoft is planning to launch a 7.5-inch version of Surface with a 1400x1050 resolution (233 pixels per inch), CNET reports. However, mass production won't begin until the first quarter of 2014. News and rumor site Digitimes is also saying a smaller Surface is in the works, though it pegs the panel as being between 7-9 inches in size. Citing sources from the upstream supply chain, Digitimes says Microsoft is likely to make an announcement at the company's Build Developer Conference. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

Newegg Daily Deals: WD Black 4TB Hard Drive, Microsoft Sidewinder X4 Keyboard, and More Posted: 03 May 2013 06:02 AM PDT   Top Deal: The hard drive is far from dead, as it's still the preferred medium storage chores. But if YOUR hard drive is on its legs, lucky for you today's top deal is for a Western Digital Black 4TB (7200 RPM, 64MB cache) 3.5-inch internal hard drive for $280 with free shipping (normally $360 - use coupon code:[EMCXRXV29]). That's a lot of room for storage, which means more space on your SSD can be used for games. Alternately, with a 7200 RPM spindle speed and 64MB of cache, you could run this as your primary drive if you're yet ready to make the jump to flash storage. Other Deals: Microsoft SidewinderX4 Keyboard for $45 with free shipping (normally $60 - use coupon code:[EMCXRXV23]) Razer Vespula Dual Sided Gaming Mouse Mat for $30 with free shipping (normally $35 - use coupon code:[EMCXRXV42]) Rosewill Windows 7 Certified MCE/ Windows 8 MCE Infrared Remote Control with Netflix Function for $14 with free shipping (normally $35 - use coupon code:[EMCXRXV75]) Thermaltake BlacX Duet Dual Hard Drives Docking Station for $40 with free shipping (normally $60; additional $15 mail-in rebate)

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