| Dream Machine 2013 Bonus Video Content Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:23 PM PDT Deputy Editor Gordon Ung gives you a tour around this year's benchmark-busting beast Every year we set out to build the most kick-ass PC, where money is no object and performance rules the roost. This year's $16,000+ Dream Machine is no different. It's by far the most powerful PC we've ever built--shoot, it even cracked into 3DMark 11's esteemed Hall of Fame leaderboard! The whole might be greater than the sum of its parts, but the parts are pretty damned impressive, as you will see in these behind-the-scenes videos of all the Dream Machine's components, with your host Deputy Editor Gordon Mah Ung! 
Click on the image to be directed to the videos! Were you impressed with this year's Dream Machine? Check out the videos and let us know in the comments below! |
| Nvidia Releases WHQL Certified 327.23 Drivers Posted: 19 Sep 2013 08:27 AM PDT  An "essential update for all GeForce GTX users," Nvidia says
This has been a good week for gamers. Intel, AMD, and now Nvidia have all released new graphics drivers, the latter of which is saying its GeForce 327.27 WHQL-certified drivers represent an "essential update" no matter which GeForce GTX GPU you own, as it delivers maximum stability and gets you ready for upcoming games like Batman: Arkham Origins. It's also the first WHQL-certified updated from Nvidia since July. The new drivers offer up to a 19 percent performance boost for GeForce 400 through 700 Series GPUs in several PC games when compared to GeForce 320.49 drivers. Nvidia provided a few examples of its claimed performance gains: - Up to 15 percent in Dirt: Showdown (GeForce GTX 770)
- Up to 6 percent in Tomb Raider (GeForce GTX 770)
- UP to 19 percent in Dirt: Showdown (GeForce GTX 770 SLI)
- Up to 11 percent in F1 2012 (GeForce GTX 770 SLI)
Nvidia's updated drivers also add an SLI profile to both Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Batman: Arkham Origins, enables GeForce to SHIELD streaming, add support for additional tiled 4K displays, add support for 4K FCAT testing, and extend support for tiled 4K features, among a few other changes. You can download the update on Nvidia's drivers page. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| AMD Catalyst 13.9 Drivers Now Available to Download Posted: 19 Sep 2013 08:06 AM PDT  AMD's First logo certified driver for Windows 8.1
Heads up all you Radeon HD graphics card owners, AMD has released a new batch of WHQL certified Catalyst drivers, version 13.9. These are the first logo certified drivers for Windows 8.1, which Microsoft is planning to make available to download on October 18th (free for existing Windows 8 owners, $120 and up for the full retail version). Catalyst 13.9 supports both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors of Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. Here's what else you need to know. According to the Release Notes, Catalyst 13.9 does not include support for Frame Pacing or the very latest AMD CrossFire optimizations. If either or both of those are deal killers, you can opt instead to download and install a beta version of Catalyst 13.10, just be advised that stability or other odd issues may arise from playing around with pre-release code. Catalyst 13.9 includes WDDM 1.3 support for a whole bunch of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs), along with Radeon HD 5000 through 8000 Series graphics cards. It also adds OpenGL support for User Profiles and Catalyst Application Profiles, and includes enhancements to AMD's Enduro technology (Catalyst Control Center now shows which applicatons are active on the Performance GPU and Power saving GPU). In addition to the above, Catalyst 13.9 resolves a handful of issues, including what AMD describes as "severe flicker" in Far Cry 3 game cinematic that could spill over into gameplay. You can grab the newest Catalyst drivers on AMD's download page. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| HP is First to Announce a Fanless Haswell Ultrabook and Leap Motion Notebook Posted: 19 Sep 2013 06:24 AM PDT  Expect some unique systems from HP this holiday shopping season
As we move away from the back-to-school frenzy and head into the holiday shopping season, HP revealed a number of new systems that could end up on wishlists. One of them is a fanless two-in-one detachable Ultrabook built around Intel's 4th Generation Core processor technology (in a word, Haswell). This is the first of its kind, though it's not the only system HP is blazing a trail with. More on that in a moment, but first a quick rundown of the HP Spectre 13 x2. In addition to Haswell, the two-in-one system features Beats Audio and a Full HD 1080p display. HP didn't divulge many details, though the main selling point is that the display pops off so you can use it as a tablet. The Spectre 13 x2 will be available in October starting at $1,100. Moving on, the HP Envy 17 Leap Motion Special Edition (SE) is the world's first notebook with integrated Leap Motion technology. Leap Motion, if you're not familiar, is a technology that allows you to navigate the desktop and control what you see on the display using in-air movements. You needn't actually touch the display, just wave your hand around for "fast and accurate navigation and control." 
Once again, HP is only providing minimal details about the hardware. We know the Envy 17 will have a 17.3-inch Full HD 1080p display, latest Intel processors (we take that to mean Haswell), and Nvidia graphics. This will also ship in October, with prices starting at $1,050. HP also recently announced its Chromebook 14, the first of its kind to have Haswell inside. It will be available soon starting at $300. Finally, HP talked up its Control Zone trackpad, which will be available for the first time in the aforementioned Spectre 13 Ultrabook. The Control Zone trackpad has extended areas on the left and right side of the touchpad that make it easier to navigate Windows 8/8.1. Not enough? There's even more to digest in HP's lengthy press release. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| G.Skill Sets Record for World's Fastest Quad Channel Memory at 4,072MHz Posted: 19 Sep 2013 06:15 AM PDT  Chalk up yet another record for G.Skill
G.Skill has quite the collection of world records to boast, the latest being the first quad-channel DDR3 memory kit to race past 4GHz. Intel's Ivy Bridge-E platform has only been on the market a week and G.Skill wasted no time testing the limits of the new silicon, along with its own brand memory kits. This time around it was again a G.Skill TridentX memory kit that achieved the record breaking frequency, which now sits at DDR3-4072MHz. The quad-channel TridentX kit sat in an Asus Rampage IV Black Edition motherboard with an Intel Core i7 4960X Extreme Edition processor. Setting the world record also required liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooling, a definite buzz kill if you were hoping to pick up one of G.Skill's kits and achieve the same results at home (it's not going to happen on air). This was all about overclocking the RAM, and as such, only one of the Ivy Bridge-E CPU cores was active, which was running at 2,035MHz. As for the RAM, timings were set at 14-31-15-45 for the record breaking OC. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| BlackBerry Reportedly Planning a Massive Round of Layoffs by End of 2013 Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:45 AM PDT  More layoffs loom as BlackBerry struggles for relevancy
It's been a tough past couple of years for BlackBerry, and for many of its employees, things might be about to get worse. Citing "people familiar with the matter," The Wall Street Journal says the Canadian handset maker is getting ready to reduce its workforce by up to 40 percent. BlackBerry currently has around 12,700 employees spread across various divisions, and none of them are safe from the chopping block. "Organizational moves will continue to occur to ensure we have the right people in the right roles to drive new opportunities in mobile computing," a BlackBerry spokesman told WSJ. The cuts will affect all departments and are to occur in waves between now and the end of the year. These are on top of smaller rounds of layoffs earlier this year that mostly affected BlackBerry's sales and R&D departments, which themselves were on top of 5,000 job cuts last year. Just two years ago, BlackBerry was home to over 17,000 employees. At the time, BlackBerry owned a 14 percent share of the smartphone market, but the company's been unable to hold its ground amid rising competition from Samsung and continued competition from Apple. Even Microsoft's Windows Phone platform recently surpassed BlackBerry in market share, according to data from IDC. What's worse for BlackBerry is that it's running out of moves. The company already tried a name change, a new operating system, and new devices. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| iBuyPower's Ultra-Thin Battalion M1771 Breaks Gaming Laptop Stereotypes Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:15 AM PDT  A gaming laptop without the bulk
The gaming category is one of the last frontiers for thin and light form factors in the mobile space, and if iBuyPower's new Battalion MS1771-1 and MS1771-2 are any indication, gamers needn't worry about lugging around big and heavy laptops. Despite wielding 17.3-inch Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) displays, these Battalion systems are billed as "ultra-thin," with iBuyPower claiming they're the thinnest 17-inch gaming laptops around. What iBuyPower didn't share are dimensions and weight, though a peek at the pictures reveal that they're not much bigger than a standard Ultrabook, which is quite a feat for a gaming laptop. "It used to be that the biggest notebooks carried the biggest power, but that's not the case anymore," remarked Darren Su, Vice President of iBuyPower. "Our new Battalion demonstrates that you don't have to sacrifice on mobility if you desire incredible gaming power. For those who want the best of both worlds, this is it." 
The Battalion MS1771-1 starts at $1,429 and includes an Intel Core i7 4700HQ processor, 8GB of DDR3-1600 RAM, Nvidia GeForce GTX 765 GPU, 1TB hard drive (7200 RPM), Killer E2200 LAN, Killer N1202 dual-band Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.0, and Windows 8 64-bit. There's no optical drive, though you can add an external DVD burner for $39 if you wish. For a bit more coin, the MS1771-2 starts at $1,769 and includes twice as much RAM (16GB) and adds a 256GB solid state drive to the mix. iBuyPower's Battalion gaming laptops are available to configure and order now. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Western Digital 300GB VelociRaptor, Intel Core i5 4670, and More! Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:00 AM PDT |
