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NVIDIA GPU resurrected after 10 minutes at 425°F
We've seen some pretty weird stuff in our years on this planet -- heck, we've revived our own drenched Sony DAP by burying it in rice for 48 hours -- but this is easily one of the most bizarre gizmo resurrections we've ever come across. As the tale goes, one valiant NVIDIA GPU owner apparently bit on a myth which suggested that a pinch of time in the oven (quite literally, might we add) would repair faulty GPUs that were throwing up oodles of vertical lines. After purchasing another GPU to replace his ailing 8800GTX, he figured he had zilch to lose and gave it a shot; lo and behold, the temporary warmth seemingly melted the solder points and healed micro-fractures that were causing the unwanted lines. We've yet to hear how his attempt at returning the new GPU went, but hey, there's always eBay. Give the read link a look if you're still in disbelief. [Via Digg]
Cizmo's CX1730M gaming laptop packs a wallop
Okay, so maybe Cizmo's CX1730M is based heavily on Clevo's M570TU, but it's still one beast of a machine. This 17-inch monster packs a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, a 160GB SATA hard drive, WSXGA+ panel, a 2-megapixel webcam, dual-layer DVD burner (or optional Blu-ray drive), NVIDIA's 512MB GeForce 8800M GTX and a plethora of ports. Amazingly, this one tips the scales at "just" 8.7-pounds, which actually isn't half bad for a unit this potent. Additionally, it looks as if you can order this puppy in a variety of hues -- including the above pictured camouflage -- right now starting at €1,427 ($2,249).[Via NotebookItalia]
AMD's Radeon HD 3870 X2 launched, benchmarked and back in the race
Holy Teraflops gamers, AMD just launched the Radeon HD 3870 X2. Their new flagship card previously known by its R680 codename features a pair of RV670 GPUs with CrossFireX built-in to a single card. According to HotHardware's performance testing, The 3870 X2 was "usually the highest performing single-card in the group." Yes, that group includes the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX. Here's the rub though, according to HotHardWare: the X2's performance is determined by how well the card's drivers scale in a particular game -- a new game without appropriate support renders the card's performance to that of a single-GPU HD 3870. A problem initially demonstrated during their Crysis testing and later solved with a new set of AMD drivers. Still, as PCPer sums-up, the ~$449 3870 X2 meets or beats NVIDIA's best in today's most demanding DX9 and DX10 titles and should be on your "short list" if searching for the ultimate performance graphics card. Read -- PC Perspective Read -- Hot HardwareRead -- Press Release
Alienware's Area-51 m15x and m17x with Nvidia 8800M GTX on Monday?
Ready for it? Rumor has it that Monday, Alienware will be busting out their Area-51 m15x and m17x laptops. We're fully expecting the 15- and 17-inch laptops to arrive loaded with 512MB of Nvidia's supreme, GeForce Go 8800M GTX mobile graphics. After all, those leaked specs were pulled straight from Alienware's own site. Teaser shots above -- all the Skullcap and Ripley hype come Monday.[Thanks, John CB]
Alienware M15x / M17x laptops revealed with NVIDIA 8800M GTX
It's no secret that Alienware laptops have long loved to pack some serious NVIDIA-based heat, and judging by screenshots (another shown after the jump) of a reported slip up earlier today, those scouting a new extraterrestrial rig might want to hold out just a tick longer. It looks as if the firm will soon be unveiling (officially, that is) the 15-inch M15x and 17-inch M17x gaming laptops, both of which will seemingly be available with the 512MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 8800M GTX graphics processor. As for the 8M-series GPU, it'll boast full DirectX 10 support, the Lumenex Engine, second-generation PureVideo HD technology, a 500MHz core clock, 1,250MHz shader clock and an 800MHz memory clock. Regarding the actual lappies, all we know is that the smaller of the two will be available with a 1,440 x 900 resolution display, 2.2GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of RAM, a 120GB HDD, dual-layer DVD writer and Vista Home Premium. We'll be keeping an ear to the ground for something official, but don't worry, it ought not be long now.[Thanks, Andrew]
NVIDIA's overclocked GeForce 8800 Ultra debuts
Really, it's hard for us to imagine sticking anything as loud and power hungry as the GeForce 8800 GTX into our precious desktop, no matter how great the latest games look on it, and we're having an even harder time envisioning NVIDIA's new 8800 Ultra anywhere near our motherboard. The new children-eating card starts at $829, and includes premium versions of the GTX's components, overclocked to fairly unreasonable degrees: a 612MHz core clock, 1500MHz shader clock and 1080MHz memory clock. Unfortunately, all that Ultra-ness only leads to a 10-15% performance increase, which isn't horrible, but hardly worth ditching your current 8800 GTX SLI setup for a couple of Ultras. But if that's not enough to dissuade you, or if you've been holding out for the best of the best from NVIDIA, you can pick one of these up around May 15th.
Shots surface of ATI's R600 -- and boy is she a big one
We already know that this little monster hums along at quite a clip, but how does it look? Monstrous, of course. Those of you hoping to get off easy with the case size and power supply requirements are going to have to think again, ATI's R600 tops out at a record-busting 12.4-inches in length. ATI will have two SKUs of the R600 at launch, the XTX which features 1GB of DDR4 RAM and the R600XT with a mere 512MB of GDDR3 -- weak sauce, we know. The XTX version comes in retail and OEM versions and it's the OEM one (pictured) that really gets outlandish, with the 12.4-inch length and 270W of power consumption. The retail XTX cuts it down to 9.5-inches and 240W, while the weaker XT matches those specs. A little bit down the road, ATI will follow these up with the R600XL which will be cheaper and hopefully less demanding. Just for a frame of reference: NVIDIA's 8800 GTX was deemed outlandish with its longest-ever 10.4-inch length and beefy 165W power requirement. How much bigger are these things going to get? Oh, that's right, once they get outside our PCs there just won't be any stopping 'em.[Via fx57; thanks Noah D]
ASUS' AquaTank PCI card pumps 11% faster GeForce 8800 GTX graphics
What, even after reading the review of NVIDIA's GeForce 8800 GTX you're still looking for better performance? Sure you can slap in an ATI R600 or you could find that bump in ASUS' just announced EN8800GTX AquaTank/HTDP/768M graphics combo and stay true to your rabid brand affections. As the name implies, the card features an all-in-one watercooling module which cuts the heat from a standard 8800 GTX by 12°C (53.6°F) for some serious overclockin' drama. That results in 11% faster graphics performance when compared with the traditional 8800 GTX card. Assuming you have the additional PCI slot required for the AquaTank card of course -- no external tank required, kids. Sorry, no pricing or availability announced, but we'd sure like to see it set up for another head-to-head with ATI whenever it does pop. [Via Impress]