General Gaming Article

General Gaming Article

Best Windows 8 Apps

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 01:34 PM PST

Helping you make the most of Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 is here and no, Microsoft has not removed the modern UI. So to make the best of the situation, we decided to update our best Windows 8 apps story by adding over 20 new app recommendations! We've got game suggestions, picks for best RSS reader, and more.

Do you use the modern UI? If so, let us know your favorite Windows 8 apps in the comments below!

Crucial’s DDR4 Memory Out By December

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 12:09 PM PST

Twice the speed, two times the density, and 20 percent less voltage

It's been six years since DDR3 memory was adopted and it's just about time to start moving over to DDR4. A  Crucial promo page for the company's DDR4 memory lists "late 2013" as a release date which means that we should be seeing the new modules by December.

Crucial Specs

Don't get too excited yet. It's probably been a while since you've switched from DDR2 to DDR3, but just like previous changes, DDR4 will require new motherboards compatible with its different architecture. The incentive to upgrade is definitely there. Crucial lists a base memory speed of 2133MHz running at only 1.2V. The DDR4 memory will also have a smaller die which means that DDR4 can hold up to 16GB per stick over the 8GB limitation of DDR3. That translates to a 20 percent decrease in voltage, 100 percent increase in speed, and a 300 percent increase in density.

There aren't any DDR4-compatible motherboards yet, but with Crucial announcing the first DDR4 memory—and other memory manufacturers sure to follow—they shouldn't be too far off.

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Dell Reaffirms Commitment to Project Sputnik, Launches a New Ubuntu Laptop for Developers

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 10:09 AM PST

Project SputnikSputnik 3 has landed

Does Project Sputnik ring a bell? Almost a year ago to the day, Dell launched the first XPS 13 Developer Edition laptop. What made that system so unique is that it ran Ubuntu instead of Windows. It started off as a 6 month program to explore the viability of offering an open source laptop targeted directly to developers, and within a few months, Dell launched the Sputnik 2.

Due to positive feedback for the program, Dell today announced that it has committed additional engineering resources to the project. Furthermore, the PC maker announced the availability of Sputnik 3, an XPS Developer Edition laptop featuring Intel's Haswell hardware inside.

In addition to a Core i7 4500U processor, Sputnik 3 also features a 13.3-inch Full HD 1080p touch-enabled display, 8GB of memory, Intel HD Graphics 4400 (or HD Graphics 5000 in the case of the enterprise version), 256GB solid state drive, and Ubuntu 12.04 LTS.

Pricing for the new system remains at $1,550. It's available to order now direct from Dell.

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AMD Clarifies Radeon R9 Series Game Bundle, Clears Confusion Over Battlefield 4 Eligibility

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:48 AM PST

Battlefield 4Not all Radeon R9 Series cards come with Battlefield 4

There's been quite a bit of confusion over AMD's updated game bundle for the holiday season. The Sunnyvale chip designer laid out the details earlier this week, and the way it was worded, it sounded like all customers who purchased a Radeon R9 Series graphics card on or after November 13, 2013, would receive a complimentary copy of Battlefield 4. Unfortunately that's not the case -- retailers and add-in board partners ultimately decide which Radeon R9 SKUs will come with a copy of BF4, AMD says.

"As with all limited promotions, it's important that customers ensure that the specific product they're purchasing qualifies for the promotion, and that they're buying from a participating retailer during the promotion period. Also, it is critical to note that this promotion is only valid while supplies last," AMD said in an updated statement.

To make it easy to identify which card SKUs come with BF4, AMD said it will post the ones it is aware of over the coming days and weeks at http://www.amd.com/battlefield4. A couple of immediate examples include the following cards from XFX and Sapphire, AMD says.

AMD said it also received questions from customers who already purchased R9 cards asking if the promotion can be made retroactive. While contractual obligations with EA/DICE prevent AMD from making BF4 available to card purchases prior to November 13, AMD said it will be giving away 1,000 BF4 codes through social media channels over the coming weeks as a gesture of goodwill. Details can be found on dedicated Facebook and Twitter pages.

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Intel Rolls Out "Thunderbolt Ready" Program for Indecisive PC Builders

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 08:51 AM PST

ThunderboltBuy a board or system today, add Thunderbolt support later

Intel is obviously geeked about its Thunderbolt interface, the question is, are you? Thunderbolt has made some strides since it was first introduced -- it's present on all Apple Mac systems, there are over 100 Thunderbolt devices available, and the first Thunderbolt 2 systems were unveiled last month -- but it's not as widely available as, say, USB. To further promote the interface, Intel came up with the idea of enabling PC makers to offer Thunderbolt upgradeable motherboards within desktops and workstation systems.

It's an initiative called "Thunderbolt ready" and it entails using a Thunderbolt card, which can be added to any motherboard that includes a GPIO header (general purpose/input/output header).

"Even if your system doesn't have Thunderbolt it is now possible to 'upgrade' to it. Users that are interested in adding Thunderbolt 2 technology to an existing Thunderbolt ready system can combine a Thunderbolt card with a growing number of enabled motherboards, all identified by the use of the 'Thunderbolt ready' moniker," Intel explains. "The Thunderbolt ready program makes it simple to identify which components work together to upgrade your PC with Thunderbolt 2 capability."

Thunderbolt Card

For the end-user, the upgrade is pretty simple. Just plug the Thunderbolt card into the designated PCI-E slot, connect a cable to the GPIO header, and use an available DisplayPort out connector from the motherboard processor graphics, or an external graphics card (depending on the system).

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Acer Releases Entry-Level Chromebook with Haswell Inside for $200

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 07:59 AM PST

Acer C720-2848 ChromebookCost of entry just got $50 cheaper

Acer just made it a little more tempting to jump aboard the Chromebook bandwagon. With the holiday shopping season getting underway, Acer expanded its C720 Chromebook line with a new $200 entry-level model. Like the $250 SKU, it's built around Intel's Haswell architecture (albeit a Celeron 2955U processor clocked at 1.4GHz), has a 16GB solid state drive, and sports an 11.6-inch display with a 1366x768 resolution. So, how did Acer manage to shave $50 off the price?

The $200 features half the amount of RAM (2GB versus 4GB). Otherwise, the C720-2848 is the same system as the C720-2800 released last month, only more affordable. Acer's making a play for the gift-giving season.

"The Acer C720-2848 is a great option for families and students on a budget who need an effective way to be productive, share Google Docs with study groups, access apps for school, pay bills and stay in touch via social networks," Acer says.

Acer's C720-2848 Chromebook is a thin machine at just 0.75 inches thick. It's also light at 2.76 pounds, making it easy to tuck into a book bag or backpack, take to classes, or anywhere else it might come in handy. Other features include a USB 3.0 port, USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, HD webcam, fully clickable touchpad, and 3-cell battery good for up to 8.5 hours of run time.

Acer C720-2848 Chromebook Lid

In addition, Acer Chromebook customers are eligible for up to 100GB of free Google Drive storage for the first two years after purchase, as well as 12 free Gogo Inflight passes.

The Acer C720-2848 Chromebook is available now from Best Buy and Amazon.

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Newegg Daily Deals: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200W PSU, Seagate 2TB HDD, and More!

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 06:18 AM PST

Thermaltake Grand Toughpower 1200W PSUnewegg logo

Top Deal:

When it comes to building PCs and picking out a power supply, there's future proofing, and then there's flat out daring the industry to come up with a product your PSU can't handle. The latter is inevitably an more expensive route to take, which is what makes today's top deal so special. It's for a Thermaltake Toughpower Grand TPG-1200M 1200W Power Supply for $210 with free shipping (normally $320 - use coupon code [EMCWWWV46]; additional $20 mail-in-rebate). In addition to an obscene wattage rating, it's also 80 Plus Gold certified and sports modular cables.

Other Deals:

Asus VX238H-W White 23-inch 1ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor for $170 with free shipping (normally $200 - use coupon code: [EMCWWWV233]; additional $20 Mail-in rebate)

Rosewill R519-BK Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/ 500W Power Supply for $55 with free shipping (normally $70 - use coupon code: [EMCWWWV44]; additional $10 Mail-in rebate)

Seagate ST2000DX001 2TB MLC/8GB 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s NCQ 3.5-inch Desktop Solid State Hybrid Drive for $120 with free shipping (normally $160 - use coupon code: [EMCWWWV33])

Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model TLBD38G1600HC9DC01 for $54 with free shipping (normally $64 )
Posted by Shri Krishna

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