General Gaming Article |
- AMD Releases Feature Packed WHQL Catalyst 15.7 Drivers
- Newegg Daily Deals: AMD FX-9590 Processor, Intel Core i5-4590 CPU, and More!
- Newegg's Back2School Initiative Includes an Online Store Just for Students
- Logitech Looks to Rebrand Itself, Unveils a New Logo
- AOC's 28-Inch 4K Ultra HD Monitor Hits the Street at $350
- Microsoft Preps 7,800 Pink Slips in Attempt to Salvage Smartphone Business
- Fast Forward: The Internet of Insecure Things
| AMD Releases Feature Packed WHQL Catalyst 15.7 Drivers Posted: 08 Jul 2015 04:57 PM PDT New Catalyst drivers? Yes, please! You can stop holding your breath now, AMD's WHQL-certified Catalyst 15.7 graphics drivers are available to download. Yes folks, new WHQL drivers...from AMD! It's been several months since we've been able to say that, and though the wait for polished drivers has been long, the reward for your patience is a feature-packed release. To start with, Catalyst 15.7 is ready for Windows 10 with full DirectX 12 support, and just in time -- Windows 10 will ship out to consumers in waves beginning July 29. Equally enticing (if not more so, for some users), Catalyst 15.7 finally supports FreeSync on multi-GPU setups running in Crossfire. This is a big deal, as monitor makers are starting to push out panels that support either FreeSync (AMD) or G-Sync (Nvidia) technology, both of which provide a smoother gaming experience by virtually eliminating screen tearing and stuttering. It was a bummer that FreeSync didn't work with Crossfire, but with these new drivers, that's no longer an issue. That's not all Catalyst 15.7 brings to the Radeon party. Frame Rate Target Control (FRTC) and Virtual Super Resolution (VSR) are also part of the package. FRTC, which was previously only available for some 300 series cards via Catalyst 15.5 beta, allows users to fine tune their graphics cards for more stable performance by limiting the maximum frame rate. This in turn can reduce power consumption and lower system temps. And VSR renders games at a higher resolution and then displays them at a lower resolution. Like Nvidia's Dynamic Super Resolution (DSR) technology, the pitch is that you can have 4K visuals on a 1080p monitor. "We are thrilled to deliver our latest driver upgrade, making customer experiences with Windows 10 and AMD even more entertaining and intuitive than ever," said Ari Rauch, corporate VP, Software Development for AMD. "The AMD Catalyst 15.7 driver enables a refined user experience, with better gaming, better streaming and video quality, and incredible efficiency, taking AMD's Graphics Core Next (GCN) state-of-the-art architecture to the next level." Outside of the new features and feature enhancements, Catalyst 15.7 offers increases performance, adds Crossfire profile enhancements for games like Battlefield: Hardline and Grand Theft Auto V, and stomps out several bugs. You can check out the release notes and download the new drivers here. |
| Newegg Daily Deals: AMD FX-9590 Processor, Intel Core i5-4590 CPU, and More! Posted: 08 Jul 2015 10:52 AM PDT Top Deal: Imagine a world where only the only major CPU player was Intel. That's right, in this fictional world, AMD is a ghost, leaving Intel to rule the landscape. Do you think innovation would move at the same pace? What about the lack of price competition? That's not a world we like to envision, and if you like rooting for the underdog, you can do you part by building an AMD system. Need a place to start? Check out today's top deal for an AMD FX-9590 Vishera Black Edition Processor for $215 with free shipping (normally $230 - use coupon code: [EMCAVAV24]). Don't get us wrong, we're not suggesting you skimp on performance, we're just saying you can build a really nice AMD system and support the underdog in the process. After all, the FX-9590 is an 8-core processor clocked at 4.7GHz. And if that's not your cup tea, well, you'll find an Intel chip among today's remaining deals. Other Deals: LG Black 14X BD-R Blu-ray Burner OEM Bare Drive for $40 with free shipping (normally $53 - use coupon code: [EMCAVAV23]) Corsair Gaming K70 Red LED Mechanical Gaming Keyboard for $105 with free shipping (normally $110 - use coupon code: [EMCAVAV65]) Intel Core i5-4590 Haswell Quad-Core 3.3GHz Desktop Processor for $190 with free shipping (normally $200 - use coupon code: [EMCAVAV22]) Gigabyte Gaming-4GD GeForce GTX 970 4GB Video Card for $340 with free shipping (normally $370 - use coupon code: [EMCAVAV33]; additional $30 Mail-in rebate) |
| Newegg's Back2School Initiative Includes an Online Store Just for Students Posted: 08 Jul 2015 10:38 AM PDT School is almost in session Back to school promotions are always a sobering reminder that summer vacations go by way too quickly. Well, at least for students (we can see some parents shaking their heads in disagreement). They're also a good way to save some money heading into the school year, and to help students do that, Newegg today unveiled an education-focused initiative appropriately called BACK2SCHOOL. The initiative consists of three student-focused programs, the first of which is an online store with special discounts just for students. Newegg says it's stocked with hundreds of products ideal for tech-savvy students, everything from basic accessories to core components like SSDs. Part two is a $20 discount off Newegg's Premier membership, which normally goes for $50. This is a limited time discount, and if you sign up, you'll receive:
Finally, there's the Hack2School challenge. Students can share their favorite back-to-school "hacks" for a chance to win from a pool of prizes valued at over $16,000. By hacks, Newegg isn't referring to security exploits, but is looking for examples of how students use technology to streamline the college experience. The grand prize is a collection of gear that includes a Dell Alienware X51 Desktop PC, MSI Apache-002 RT gaming laptop, Roccat Knoe Pure Military DRS mouse, Kingston HyperX Cloud headset, Kingston HyperX Fury Pro mousepad, Corsair K70 RGB mechanical keyboard, 7-piece software package, and Newegg brand backpack. You can find more details about the Hack2School contest here. As for the other student benefits, go here and have your student email address handy. |
| Logitech Looks to Rebrand Itself, Unveils a New Logo Posted: 08 Jul 2015 10:14 AM PDT New look Logitech Logitech has a new logo, though the company didn't change things up simply because it was bored. Instead, it's supposed to represent a new direction for Logitech as it embarks on its "biggest brand transformation in its history." Or more specifically, Logitech is looking to go from a tech company into a design firm. What exactly does that mean? That remains to be seen, though Logitech did mention wanting to expand its portfolio of products to go beyond PC peripherals to "products that have a place in every aspect of your daily life." Some recent examples Logitech pointed out to Maximum PC include the Keys-To-Go, Bemo, and MX Master mouse. For the most part, they're still PC peripherals, but they have more of a design flair than some of Logitech's prior products. This has been a couple of years in the making. It started when CEO Bracken Darrell stepped into his position in 2013, and ever since, he's been working behind the scenes on this transformation. He even hired a chief design officer. "We've been reinventing Logitech, creating products that strive to blend advanced technology and design to bring you amazing experiences," Darrell said. "We've built a world-class design team, led by chief designer Alastair Curtis. We're putting Design at the center of everything we do. Our approach to design goes beyond the classic definition. Design to us is the combination of advanced technology, business strategy and consumer insights. Our products have come a long way, and now it's time to bring the brand forward too." Part of the transformation includes a new label called Logi. You'll see the Logi label on the company's newest (and colorful) product categories. Here's a video that shows off some of Logitech's thinking, though be warned, there are lots of flashing colors. |
| AOC's 28-Inch 4K Ultra HD Monitor Hits the Street at $350 Posted: 08 Jul 2015 09:48 AM PDT A 4K panel that's (relatively) easy on the wallet You don't have to spend a fortune upgrading a to a 4K Ultra HD resolution display, though you do have to decide what features are important to you. If you ultimately decide that price is the most number one factor, AOC's new U2870VQE is an option to consider. The U2870VQE is a 28-inch monitor with a 4K (3840x2160) resolution that's available on sale today at Microcenter for $350. AOC says that's $150 off MSRP, though Microcenter's listing shows a regular selling price of $400. In any event, at that price you shouldn't expect an In-Plane Switching (IPS) panel for a monitor this size. AOC confirms it's using a Twisted Nematic (TN) panel, and if you put any stock into monitor specs, it has a 70,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness, and 1ms response time (gray-to-gray). It's also listed as a 10-bit panel with 1.07 billion colors, albeit by way of 8-bit + Frame Rate Control (FRC), which means it uses temporal dithering to boost the number of reproducible colors from 16.7 million to 1.07 billion (TFT Central has a really good primer on this and other monitor specs). The low response time (typically a strength of TN panels) is an attractive feature for gamers, especially in the absence of G-Sync (Nvidia) or FreeSync (AMD) technologies. This comes at the expense of more accurate color reproduction (typically a strength of IPS panels). Other features include an "extra narrow bezel," the ability to mount the monitor to a wall, tilt support (-5 to 25 degrees), and connectivity options consisting of VGA, mini DisplayPort, DisplayPort, and HDMI (MHL). Noticeably absent are supplementary features such as a built-in USB hub, speakers, picture-in--picture (PIP) and picture-by-picture (PBP) support, and a more ergonomically friendly stand. Hence the relatively low price tag. The U2870VQE is available now. |
| Microsoft Preps 7,800 Pink Slips in Attempt to Salvage Smartphone Business Posted: 08 Jul 2015 09:02 AM PDT Sharpened focus means thousands of job cuts Just two weeks ago, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella warned he would be making "some tough choices in areas where things are not working" when revealing the company's new mission statement, and today he did just that. In an open email to employees, Nadella said Microsoft will eliminate 7,800 jobs over the course of the next several months, most of which will affect the company's phone business. Microsoft will also write down approximately $7.6 billion related to assets associated with its acquisition of Nokia's mobile division, which it only acquired a year ago in a deal valued at $9.4 billion. The hefty charge isn't really surprising, though the 7 percent reduction in global staff is probably more than most anticipated. "I am committed to our first-party devices including phones. However, we need to focus our phone efforts in the near term while driving reinvention," Nadella said in his email. "We are moving from a strategy to grow a standalone phone business to a strategy to grow and create a vibrant Windows ecosystem that includes our first-party device family." Looking at the Microsoft's short-term future, Nadella said the job cuts and overall restructuring will allow the company to run a more effective phone portfolio, one that will have better products capable of getting to market faster than before. Nadella's phone strategy also includes a narrower focus in which Microsoft will cater to three core customer segments. "We'll bring business customers the best management, security and productivity experiences they need; value phone buyers the communications services they want; and Windows fans the flagship devices they'll love," Nadella said. Microsoft's longer term goal for its devices segment is to spark innovation and create new categories that tie into the Windows ecosystem. The focus will be on mobility and being able to share experiences across multiple devices, including phones. It remains to be seen what will come of Microsoft's smartphone business, though it's quickly becoming clear that Nadella has different plans in mind than the previous boss, Steve Ballmer. Microsoft acquired Nokia while Ballmer was still in command, a gamble that hasn't paid off. Now it's up to Nadella to stop the bleeding and find a way to be profitable in mobile. |
| Fast Forward: The Internet of Insecure Things Posted: 08 Jul 2015 12:00 AM PDT This article was published in the June 2015 issue of Maximum PC. For more trusted reviews and feature stories, subscribe here. As the Internet of Things progresses, so must its security featuresNow that the Internet of Things is spawning devices that share our workplaces, homes, vehicles, clothes, and bodies, the industry is mulling over security. Hmm, what if a cyber criminal intercepts the device? Or seizes control of it? Maybe we'd better do something about that! Security, like ease of use, is often an afterthought. Making a secure product takes more time, requires more expertise, and costs more money. But if a breach is severe enough to clobber sales and force a company to take expensive remedial action, poor security can cost more money in the long run. It's bad enough when a phishing email plants a keylogger on your PC that grabs your banking password and raids your account. Or when a network intruder pwns a webcam or baby monitor and spies on your household. But what if someone hijacks your car's cruise control or feeds false input to an implanted medical device? Fortunately, the companies that make micro-controllers and IoT processors realize they're the first line of defense. Their role is vital. No system can be truly secure without first securing the processor. Also, many IoT products are coming from start-up companies that typically lack the resources to build secure systems on their own. Security may not be sexy, but your life could soon depend on it. The two main threats are intercepted communications and system intrusions. Good authentication and cryptography can keep communications secure. Strong crypto usually requires hardware assistance, but a full-featured crypto engine inflates the chip's cost and power consumption. That's why CPU architectures are sprouting new instructions that can accelerate crypto software while adding only a little hardware. System intrusions are a bigger threat. Injecting malicious code into an automobile or medical device could actually kill someone. And the compromised system needn't be a critical controller. What if your dashboard GPS advises a wrong-way turn onto a busy one-way street? That's why most processors include hardware that protects vital software. Some systems run two identical processors and constantly compare their outputs—an expensive safeguard that's becoming cheaper. Another important technology is secure boot, which ensures a system can restart from a known good image of the OS and firmware. This capability is vital for field upgrades that remotely install firmware patches. No matter how carefully a system is designed, hackers may eventually find a hole. Also, evolving security standards require updates. Secure boot enables a networked device to reliably install patches and reboot into a clean state. Tamper proofing is another rising technology. Processors in mission-critical systems can detect when someone tampers with their enclosure, then take defensive measures. Sometimes those measures include silicon suicide, when the chip blows its own circuits to destroy secrets or foil a takeover. This may be too extreme for a consumer product, but maybe not for a smartcard that's the key to your bank account. Often the tech industry gets too much credit. Remember, this is the industry that's taken almost 20 years to figure out a reversible USB connector is a good idea. But sometimes the white hats outsmart the black hats, at least for a while. Tom Halfhill was formerly a senior editor for Byte magazine and is now an analyst for Microprocessor Report. |
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