Just like we heard, AMD has gone live with Phenom. With it, we've got an entire new platform, codenamed "Spider." The Spider PC platform combines AMD Phenom quad-core processors, ATI Radeon HD 3800 series graphics, and AMD 7-series chipsets with CrossFireX and AMD OverDrive software for what AMD calls the "Ultimate visual Experience." That's the hype. Early reviews, however, are pretty much "underwhelmed" by the launch. Oh, the HD 3800 cards are ok (for mid-range graphics) and the 7-series chipset "is in good shape," but AMD needs to roll-on those clock speeds beyond the 2.2GHz Phenom 9500 ($251), 2.3GHz Phenom 9600 ($283) and 2.4GHz and 2.6GHz Phenon 9700 and 9900 (available in Q1 2008 for $300 and $350, respectively), and do it quick, if they hope to pull ahead of Intel's quad-core offerings. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem likely.

Read -- AMD Spider press release

Read -- PC Perspective benchmark
Read -- HotHardware benchmark

Prepare yourselves for a slew of new LCD sets from Syntax-Brillian that will be released in the coming months, as the newly-merged company has announced three new series of TVs under the Olevia brand that each consist of numerous different models. Out of the 3-series, 5-series, and 7-series lineups, the most is known about the fives, as these four units -- the 27-inch 527V, 32-inch 532H, 37-inch 537H, and 42-inch 542i -- are shipping immediately. Like the as-yet-unannounced members of the 3-series, these models all sport a 1,366 x 768 resolution, and also feature 8-millisecond response times, 1600:1 contrast ratios, built-in digital ATSC tuners, and HDMI, VGA, and HD component inputs. All that's known about the 7-series, on the other hand, is the fact that its constituent models will all offer full 1,080p resolution and RS232C control capability, along with what's being touted as "Hollywood Quality Video," which either means that picture quality is very good or stifled by DRM restrictions. No pricing or release details are available for any of the 3- or 7-series models -- they're scheduled "to be introduced to the market incrementally through September" is all we can say for sure -- and out of all the 5-series models that are supposedly shipping right now, we could only find a price for the 527V, which you can pick up for $800 or less.

Update: It would appear Hollywood Quality Video refers to Silicon Optix's Reon-VX chip, a "Hollywood Quality Processing" video system with a bunch of things HD nuts are sure to love (or love to laugh at), like four-field per-pixel SD/HD deinterlacing, film cadence processing, multi-direction diagonal filter, random noise reduction, and so on. Thanks, Jason.