Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 review roundup: (usually) worth the one grand]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/03/nvidia-geforce-gtx-690-review-roundup/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/03/nvidia-geforce-gtx-690-review-roundup/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/03/nvidia-geforce-gtx-690-review-roundup/#comments Image

Now that NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 690 is shipping through some vendors, gamers have been wondering if it's worth the wallet-busting $999 to get those higher frame rates. Surprisingly, the answer is "yes." As AnandTech notes, the GTX 690 is often almost as fast or faster than a pair of GTX 680s working together in SLI mode, only using less power and running at cooler and quieter power levels through those two 28-nanometer Kepler chips. Across multiple reviewers, though, the GTX 690 was sometimes slower than two Radeon HD 7970 boards using CrossFire. HotHardware and others found that it's definitely the graphics card of choice for Batman: Arkham City enthusiasts: problems with AMD's CrossFire mode leave a dual Radeon HD 7970 setup running at just half the frame rate of its NVIDIA-made challenger.

Caveats? There are still some worries beyond the price tag, as the twin Radeon cards are as much as three times faster at general-purpose computing tasks than the latest and greatest GeForce. PC Perspective likewise warns that fans of joining three displays together for some 3D Vision Surround action will still take a big frame rate hit when they put the 3D glasses on. Still, the GTX 690 looks to be tops if you're looking to get the fastest single-card gaming on Earth, and as Legit Reviews adds, that trivalent chromium-plated aluminum makes it one of the "better looking" cards, to boot.

Read - AnandTech
Read - HotHardware
Read - Legit Reviews
Read - PC Perspective

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 review roundup: (usually) worth the one grand originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 May 2012 12:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d vision surround3dVisionSurroundamdAMD Radeon HD 7970AmdRadeonHd7970aticrossfiregamegamesGeForcegeforce gtx 680GeForce GTX 690GeforceGtx680GeforceGtx690gpgpugtx 680GTX 690Gtx680Gtx690keplernvidiaNVIDIA GeForce GTX 680nvidia geforce gtx 690NvidiaGeforceGtx680NvidiaGeforceGtx690pcradeonradeon hdRadeon HD 7970RadeonHdRadeonHd7970SLIvideo cardvideo cardsVideoCardVideoCardsThu, 03 May 2012 12:55:00 EST<![CDATA[NVIDIA's GTX 680 tested in SLI and multi-display modes, loses some of its lead]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/23/nvidias-gtx-680-tested-in-sli-and-multi-display-modes/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/23/nvidias-gtx-680-tested-in-sli-and-multi-display-modes/http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/23/nvidias-gtx-680-tested-in-sli-and-multi-display-modes/#comments ImageJust hours after our review round-up of the new GeForce GTX 680 graphics card yesterday, a Dutch site has managed to test multiple cards in different (but invariably exorbitant) SLI modes. One of the strange things we learned during our hands-on was that SLI is complicated by NVIDIA's GPU Boost technology, which causes individual cards in the same chassis to run at different clock speeds depending on their load and temperature. Fortunately, Hardware.info reports no problems with SLI whatsoever, but it also concludes that the GTX 680 doesn't scale quite as well as AMD's Radeon HD 7970 in this type of niche setup. That changes if you throw down even more money on a 5760 x 1080 triple-display rig, in which case NVIDIA takes the lead in some games, but loses in others -- leaving the two rivals closer than the single-card reviews we looked at yesterday. If horizon-filling gameplay is your thing, don't give anyone thousands of dollars until you've checked out the source link.

[Thanks, Koen]

NVIDIA's GTX 680 tested in SLI and multi-display modes, loses some of its lead originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdamd radeon hd 7970AmdRadeonHd7970crossfireGeforce GTX 680GeforceGtx680GTX 680Gtx680NVIDIANVIDIA Geforce GTX 680NvidiaGeforceGtx680quad sliQuadSliSLIFri, 23 Mar 2012 10:41:00 EST<![CDATA[NVIDIA SLI faces AMD CrossFire in a triple-GPU shootout]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/16/nvidia-sli-faces-amd-crossfire-in-a-triple-gpu-shootout/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/16/nvidia-sli-faces-amd-crossfire-in-a-triple-gpu-shootout/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/16/nvidia-sli-faces-amd-crossfire-in-a-triple-gpu-shootout/#commentsSLI faces CrossFire in a triple-headed GPU shootout Place your bets, folks, because this one's gonna get ugly. On your left: a thunderous triad of AMD Radeon HD 6950 cards running in CrossFire. On your right: the terrorizing threat of triple NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 in SLI. In the middle: a Tom's Hardware tester just trying to stay alive. The winner? Well, as usual in these benchmark articles that sort of depends on what you're doing, but in general it's the AMD solution and its CrossFire barrage that comes out on top in terms of performance, cost, and even efficiency. But, that's certainly far from the whole story. You'll want to click on through to read about every agonizing blow.

NVIDIA SLI faces AMD CrossFire in a triple-GPU shootout originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>6950amdcomparisoncrossfirecrossfire xCrossfireXgeforceGeForce GTX 570GeforceGtx570gpugraphicsgraphics cardGraphicsCardGTX 570Gtx570hd 6950Hd6950head-to-headmulti-gpunvidianvidia+or+amdnvidiaoramdradeonradeon hd 6950RadeonHd6950scalingslisli+or+crossfiresliorcrossfireversusvideo cardVideoCardWed, 16 Mar 2011 08:40:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD launches Radeon HD 6990 powerhouse for $699, maintains 'world's fastest' title]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/08/amd-launches-radeon-hd-6990-powerhouse-for-699-maintains-worl/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/08/amd-launches-radeon-hd-6990-powerhouse-for-699-maintains-worl/http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/08/amd-launches-radeon-hd-6990-powerhouse-for-699-maintains-worl/#comments If you're scoring at home, NVIDIA currently holds the lead in single-GPU graphics cards with its GeForce GTX 580, but ATI's dual-chip Radeon HD 5970 has been holding down the absolute speed crown for a good long while. Now, bearing the name of AMD Radeon HD 6990, its successor sidles up to the throne and demands attention as the fastest single expansion board you can plug into your shiny new motherboard. The 6990 boasts a massive 4GB of GDDR5, 3,072 Stream Processors, 64 ROPs, and an 830MHz core clock speed. A dual-BIOS switch will let you crank that clock up to 880MHz with a corresponding increase in voltage, but don't expect to see much overclocking headroom above that.

Reviewers note, alongside their fawning assessment of the world's best performance, that the HD 6990 is a massively power-hungry card (375W TDP) and one that makes quite a bit of noise while going through its herculean tasks. That's in spite of a new vapor chamber cooling system that allegedly supports up to 450W of thermal output. If all this strikes you as a somewhat flawed execution, maybe you'll join us in hoping NVIDIA's imminently upcoming response, dubbed the GTX 590, will be able to offer a neater, more efficient assault on the extreme peaks of graphical performance.

Read - HardOCP
Read - AnandTech
Read - Tech Report
Read - PC Perspective
Read - techPowerUp!
Read - Hot Hardware
Read - Hexus

AMD launches Radeon HD 6990 powerhouse for $699, maintains 'world's fastest' title originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>40nmamdantillesbreaking newscrossfiredesktopdirectx 11Directx11dual gpudual-gpuDualGpudvidx 11Dx11enthusiastextremeeyefinityfastgaminggddr5gpugraphicsgraphics cardGraphicsCardhd 6990Hd6990high endhigh-endHighEndmini displayportMiniDisplayportpowerradeonradeon hd 6990RadeonHd6990reviewreview roundupReviewRounduproundupspeedworlds fastestWorldsFastestTue, 08 Mar 2011 00:02:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD Radeon HD 6970M reviewed: major leap from HD 5870M, not quite a GTX 485M]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/amd-radeon-hd-6970m-reviewed-major-leap-from-hd-5870m-not-quit/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/amd-radeon-hd-6970m-reviewed-major-leap-from-hd-5870m-not-quit/http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/03/amd-radeon-hd-6970m-reviewed-major-leap-from-hd-5870m-not-quit/#comments What has 960 shaders, two gigabytes of dedicated GDDR5 memory with throughput of 115.2GBps, and the ability to churn 680 million polygons each and every second? Yes, the Radeon HD 6970M. AMD's fastest mobile chip to date has been doing the review rounds recently and the response has been unsurprisingly positive. Most modern games failed to trip up the 6970M even at 1920 x 1080 resolution, though the usual suspects of Crysis and Metro 2033 did give it a little bit of grief. All in all, the leap from the HD 5870M was significant, although NVIDIA's still relatively new GeForce GTX 485M has managed to hold on to its crown as the most powerful GPU on the mobile front. Benchmarks, architectural details, battery life tests (what battery life?), and value-adding enhancements await at the links below.

AMD Radeon HD 6970M reviewed: major leap from HD 5870M, not quite a GTX 485M originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdblackcombclevocrossfiredirectx 11Directx11eurocomeyefinitygaminggfxgpugraphicshd 6970mHd6970mhigh-endlaptoplaptop gpulaptop graphicsLaptopGpuLaptopGraphicslaptopsmobile gpumobile graphicsMobileGpuMobileGraphicsradeonreviewThu, 03 Feb 2011 09:39:00 EST<![CDATA[NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 and AMD Radeon HD 6870 square off in dual-card showdown]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/02/nvidia-geforce-gtx-580-and-amd-radeon-hd-6870-square-off-in-dual/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/02/nvidia-geforce-gtx-580-and-amd-radeon-hd-6870-square-off-in-dual/http://www.engadget.com/2010/12/02/nvidia-geforce-gtx-580-and-amd-radeon-hd-6870-square-off-in-dual/#comments Whether you're an NVIDIAn calling it SLI or a Radeonite referring to it as CrossFireX, a multi-card graphics setup is nowadays almost a prerequisite for experiencing the best that PC gaming has to offer. It'd be negligent of us, therefore, not to point you in the direction of the Tech Report crew's latest breakdown, which takes an investigative peek at dual-card performance on NVIDIA's latest and greatest GeForce GTX 580 and naturally compares it to a wide range of other alternatives on the market. AMD's latest refresh, the Radeon HD 6870, is among those options, though it's worth remembering that the company's real high-end gear isn't due for another couple of weeks. All the same, most people will be buying their holiday rigs right around now, and if you want an exhaustive guide as to what's what on the graphics front, the source link is your best, um... source.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 and AMD Radeon HD 6870 square off in dual-card showdown originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdbenchmarkscomparisoncrossfiredual-carddual-gpuface offface-offFaceOffgaminggeforcegfxgpugraphicsgraphics cardgraphics cardsGraphicsCardGraphicsCardsgtx 580Gtx580hd 6850hd 6870Hd6850Hd6870head-to-headnvidiaradeonshowdownsliThu, 02 Dec 2010 11:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Eurocom serves up GTX 480M SLI and HD 5870 CrossFireX options, seasons with Core i7-980X]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/eurocom-serves-up-gtx-480m-sli-and-hd-5870-crossfirex-options-s/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/eurocom-serves-up-gtx-480m-sli-and-hd-5870-crossfirex-options-s/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/eurocom-serves-up-gtx-480m-sli-and-hd-5870-crossfirex-options-s/#comments It boggles the mind to think that one Fermi GPU could be fit inside a laptop, but two? Eurocom has just outed its 17.3-inch Panther 2.0 mobile gaming station -- which looks like a straight rebadge of the Clevo X7200 -- with the most overpowered set of component choices we've yet seen. You can go SLI with the GTX 480M or NVIDIA's more professionally minded Quadro 5000M, crank up CPU speed to 3.33GHz and beyond with the Core i7-980X from Intel (yes, the desktop variant), stash up to 24GB of onboard RAM, and jack in up to four storage drives, our preference being for the 2TB of SSD goodness option. Of course, if you prefer ATI's Evergreen side of the fence, dual Mobility Radeon HD 5870 GPUs are on tap as well. Sadly, we've no idea how much these spectacular specs will set you back, but launch is set for later this month and you can always call up and get yourself a quote; we're guessing it'll be in five figures.

Continue reading Eurocom serves up GTX 480M SLI and HD 5870 CrossFireX options, seasons with Core i7-980X

Eurocom serves up GTX 480M SLI and HD 5870 CrossFireX options, seasons with Core i7-980X originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 09:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5000maticlevoclevo x7200ClevoX7200Core i7-980XCoreI7-980xcrossfirecrossfirexdirectx 11Directx11dual gpuDualGpudx 11Dx11eurocomeurocom pantherEurocomPantherevergreenfermigaming laptopGamingLaptopgpugraphicsgtx 480mGtx480mhd 5870Hd5870laptopmobile gamingmobile gpuMobileGamingMobileGpunvidiaoverpoweredpantherpowerfulquadroquadro 5000mQuadro5000mradeonradeon mobilityRadeonMobilityretailsliworkstationxeonTue, 17 Aug 2010 09:06:00 EST<![CDATA[ATI CrossFireX versus NVIDIA SLI: performance scaling showdown]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/12/ati-crossfirex-versus-nvidia-sli-performance-scaling-showdown/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/12/ati-crossfirex-versus-nvidia-sli-performance-scaling-showdown/http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/12/ati-crossfirex-versus-nvidia-sli-performance-scaling-showdown/#comments We know who the daddy is when it comes to single-card graphics performance, and we've even witnessed NVIDIA and ATI duking it out with multiple cards before, but this here roundup is what you might call comprehensive. Comparing a mind-boggling 23 different configurations, the Tech Report guys set out to determine the best bang for your DirectX 11 buck. Their conclusion won't shock those of you who've been following the recent love affair between reviewers and NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 460: a pair of these eminently affordable cards regularly outpaced the best single-GPU solutions out there. Slightly more intriguing, however, was the discovery that its elder siblings, the GTX 470 and 480, have improved in performance to the point of being markedly ahead of ATI's Radeon HD 5870, with the blame for this shift being put squarely on the shoulders of NVIDIA's driver update team. Hurry up and give the source a read while it's still fresh, we can't imagine ATI letting this be the status quo for too much longer.

ATI CrossFireX versus NVIDIA SLI: performance scaling showdown originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atibenchmarkingbenchmarkscomparisoncrossfirecrossfire xCrossfireXdesktop graphicsDesktopGraphicsdirectx 11Directx11dx 11Dx11faceofffermifightgeforcegf100gf104gfxgpugraphicsgraphics cardgraphics cardsGraphicsCardGraphicsCardsgtx 460gtx 470gtx 480Gtx460Gtx470Gtx480hd 5770hd 5870Hd5770Hd5870nvidiaradeonshowdownslivalueThu, 12 Aug 2010 09:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Apple Mac Pro line overhauled with 12 processing cores, arriving in August for $4,999]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/27/apple-mac-pro-line-overhauled-with-new-design-and-12-core-proces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/27/apple-mac-pro-line-overhauled-with-new-design-and-12-core-proces/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/27/apple-mac-pro-line-overhauled-with-new-design-and-12-core-proces/#comments So shall it be written, so shall it be done. The Mac Pro has at long last proven rumors of its impending refresh accurate, as Apple has just updated its most powerful hardware with even more grunt. As we'd heard previously, that means you can now get dual-CPU rigs that offer a full dozen cores to play with, courtesy of Intel's Xeon server-class chips, though in order to get in on that game you'll have to splash a cool $4,999 entry fee. The quad-core starting price is still $2,499, though the eight-core machines have jumped up to $3,499, with both variants getting mild speed bumps to 2.8GHz and 2.4GHz, respectively.

Perhaps the most welcome upgrade is on the graphical front, where the Radeon HD 5770 takes up the mantle of default GPU, with additional options for a pair of such cards or a step up to a 1GB HD 5870 alternative if you're keen on maxing out those frame rates. Memory isn't neglected either, with choices ranging all the way up to 32GB of RAM, 4TB of conventional HDD storage, or an array of four 512GB SSDs -- though you're probably better off not asking how much that last one will set you back. The comprehensive specs can be found in the full press release after the break.

Gallery: Apple Mac Pro - August 2010

Continue reading Apple Mac Pro line overhauled with 12 processing cores, arriving in August for $4,999

Apple Mac Pro line overhauled with 12 processing cores, arriving in August for $4,999 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>12-core20106-coreappleapple mac proAppleMacProatibreaking newsBreakingNewscomputercrossfiredesktophd 5770Hd5770hexacoreintelintel xeonIntelXeonmacmac proMacPropcprofessionalradeonradeon hd 5770RadeonHd5770refreshsix-coretowerupdateupgradeworkstationxeonTue, 27 Jul 2010 08:34:00 EST<![CDATA[ASUS ARES cries havoc, lets slip the GPUs of war: a review roundup of the world's fastest graphics card]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/asus-ares-cries-havoc-lets-slip-the-gpus-of-war-a-review-round/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/asus-ares-cries-havoc-lets-slip-the-gpus-of-war-a-review-round/http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/08/asus-ares-cries-havoc-lets-slip-the-gpus-of-war-a-review-round/#comments When you name your graphics card after the God of War, you'd better hope it brings some heat, but judging by early reviews, that's just what ASUS has done. The three slot monstrosity above is the ARES, a $1200 limited edition, fully custom board, sporting twin Radeon HD 5870 GPUs, four gigabytes of GDDR5 memory and practically enough raw copper to smelt a sword. We're not joking: the thing weighs nearly five pounds and requires a 750 watt power supply with three power connectors (two 8-pin, one 6-pin) to even run. Of course, you're getting a graphical behemoth for that kind of price, steamrolling every other GPU on the planet -- paired with even a 3.8GHz Core i7-930 CPU in 3DMark Vantage (on Extreme settings), Overclock 3D racked up a fairly ludicrous 15,000 score, and the card ripped past 25,000 with a Core i7-980X and a second ARES in CrossFire. The card was less impressive in actual gameplay, merely spanking the (much cheaper) Radeon 5970 and GeForce GTX 480 by a modest amount, and several reviewers complained it was fairly loud... but as the old adage goes, nobody needs a Ferrari to drive the speed limit, but we'll all drool over them anyhow. Bring on the liquid nitrogen, folks.

Read - Legit Reviews
Read - Overclock3D
Read - Guru3D
Read - PC Perspective
Read - TechPowerUp
Read - Hot Hardware

ASUS ARES cries havoc, lets slip the GPUs of war: a review roundup of the world's fastest graphics card originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5870AMDAMD crossfireAmdCrossfireARESASUSASUS ARESAsusAresATIATI crossifreATI RadeonATI Radeon HD 5870AtiCrossifreAtiRadeonAtiRadeonHd5870benchmarkbenchmarkedbenchmarkscrossfireGPUgraphicsgraphics cardgraphics cardsGraphicsCardGraphicsCardsRadeonRadeon HD 5870RadeonHd5870review roundupReviewRoundupThu, 08 Jul 2010 03:09:00 EST<![CDATA[TweakTown slathers four Radeon HD 5870s in liquid nitrogen, crushes some benchmarks (video)]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/tweaktown-slathers-four-radeon-hd-5870s-in-liquid-nitrogen-crus/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/tweaktown-slathers-four-radeon-hd-5870s-in-liquid-nitrogen-crus/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/28/tweaktown-slathers-four-radeon-hd-5870s-in-liquid-nitrogen-crus/#comments The PC hardware community recently discovered that quad-SLI was a huge waste of cash, so when we heard that TweakTown were stringing together four Radeon HD 5870s in a similar CrossFireX configuration, we figured they were about to throw away their time, too. Boy, were we wrong, because the hardware site never intended to seriously benchmark the rig as a viable gaming PC -- their intent was to make our jaws drop, and right now they're somewhere around our ankles. The contraption brought 3DMark03 to its knees with a soul-shattering score of 200,000 and achieved average framerates approaching a ludicrous four digits in Devil May Cry 4. How? Liquid nitrogen, of course. By attaching LN2-filled copper pots to each of the four already-powerful graphics cards and physically tacking on extra capacitors to direct the voltage, they bumped the Core i7-980X CPU clock to 5.8GHz and each GPU to 1250MHz, in what we think you'll agree is a healthy jump from 3.06 3.33GHz and 850MHz, respectively. Watch them build the mean machine after the break, and remember kids, don't try this at home.

Update: The Core i7-980X runs at 3.33GHz, or 3.6GHz in Turbo Mode, not 3.06GHz. Our bad!

Continue reading TweakTown slathers four Radeon HD 5870s in liquid nitrogen, crushes some benchmarks (video)

TweakTown slathers four Radeon HD 5870s in liquid nitrogen, crushes some benchmarks (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 May 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AMDAMD CrossFireAmdCrossfireATIATI CrossFireATI Radeon HD 5870AtiCrossfireAtiRadeonHd5870benchmarkbenchmarkedbenchmarksCore i7-980XCore i7-980X extreme editionCoreI7-980xCoreI7-980xExtremeEditionCrossfireCrossfireXHD 5870HD5870liquid nitrogenLiquidNitrogenLN2ludicrousoverclockoverclockedoverclockingQuad CrossfireXQuadCrossfirexRadeon 5870Radeon HD 5870Radeon5870RadeonHd5870videoFri, 28 May 2010 13:31:00 EST<![CDATA[ASUS CrossHair IV Extreme mainboard supports mix-and-match GPU setups]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/10/asus-crosshair-iv-extreme-mainboard-supports-mix-and-match-gpu-s/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/10/asus-crosshair-iv-extreme-mainboard-supports-mix-and-match-gpu-s/http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/10/asus-crosshair-iv-extreme-mainboard-supports-mix-and-match-gpu-s/#comments Scouting a new mainboard for that fancy new Phenom II X6 CPU you just picked up? You might want to hold off a minute, particularly if you're also planning on shopping for a few new GPUs as well. Hot Hardware has managed to get their paws around an upcoming motherboard from ASUS, the CrossHair IV Extreme. Much like the Maximus III Extreme that we spotted last November, this one also ships with the RoG Connect feature, enabling a secondary Bluetooth device (like a netbook or smartphone) to tweak overclocking settings from the sidelines. What really makes this one stand out, however, isn't the compatibility with all Socket AM3 Phenom and Athlon CPUs, nor the fancy new 890FX chipset. No -- it's the inclusion of Lucidlogix's nearly-forgotten Hydra solution, which allows users to mix-and-match GPUs (makes and models are no matter here) in order to create the most from whatever graphics cards you have sitting around. There's no mention of when this fellow will ship, but we'll be keeping an eye out at Computex just in case.

ASUS CrossHair IV Extreme mainboard supports mix-and-match GPU setups originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 May 2010 09:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>890FXAM3ASUSathlonBluetooth RoG ConnectBluetoothRogConnectcpucrossfireCrossHair IV ExtremeCrosshairIvExtremehydrahydra 200Hydra200lucidlucid hydraLucidHydraLucidLogixmainboardmotherboardphenomphenom iiPhenom II X6PhenomIiprocessorrepublic of gamersRepublicOfGamersRoGrog connectRogConnectThubanMon, 10 May 2010 09:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Alienware M17x now shipping with dual 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 GPUs]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/26/alienware-m17x-now-shipping-with-dual-1gb-ati-mobility-radeon-hd/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/26/alienware-m17x-now-shipping-with-dual-1gb-ati-mobility-radeon-hd/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/26/alienware-m17x-now-shipping-with-dual-1gb-ati-mobility-radeon-hd/#commentsTossing a pair of GPUs into a single, beastly laptop ain't nothing new -- in fact, Alienware's own M17x has been offered in such a way since last year -- but having said machine arrive at your doorstep with a pair of ATI's world-beating Mobility Radeon HD 5870s has been downright impossible until now. The earliest of adopters are now reporting (with ear-to-ear grins, to boot) that their dual 1GB HD 5870-equipped M17x machines are finally shipping, and we suspect it'll only be a matter of time before those CrossFire assisted benchmarks surface to make our existing lappies look patently pathetic. So, hit that inbox once more and tell us if you've seen a shipping notification of your own -- and if you've already got your unit in hand, why not expound with a few opinions on how things are running?

[Thanks, Max]

Alienware M17x now shipping with dual 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 GPUs originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AlienwareAlienware m17xAlienwareM17xamdaticrossfirecrossfire xCrossfireXdual gpuDualGpugaming laptopGamingLaptopgpuHD 5870Hd5870laptopm17xm17x-r2mobility radeonMobilityRadeonnow availablenow shippingNowAvailableNowShippingradeonshipshippingshipssliMon, 26 Apr 2010 12:22:00 EST<![CDATA[NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 set up in 3-way SLI, tested against Radeon HD 5870 and 5970]]>http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/20/nvidia-geforce-gtx-480-set-up-in-3-way-sli-tested-against-radeo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/20/nvidia-geforce-gtx-480-set-up-in-3-way-sli-tested-against-radeo/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/20/nvidia-geforce-gtx-480-set-up-in-3-way-sli-tested-against-radeo/#comments Not many mortals will ever have to worry about choosing between a three-way GeForce GTX 480 SLI setup, an equally numerous Radeon HD 5870 array, or a dual-card HD 5970 monstrosity, but we know plenty of people would care about who the winner might be. Preliminary notes here include the fun facts that a 1 Kilowatt PSU provided insufficient power for NVIDIA's hardware, while the mighty Core i7-965 test bench CPU proved to be a bottleneck in some situations. Appropriately upgraded to a six-core Core i7-980X and a 1,200W power supply, the testers proceeded to carry out the sacred act of benchmarking the snot out of these superpowered rigs. We won't spoil the final results of the bar chart warfare here, but rest assured both camps score clear wins in particular games and circumstances. The source link shall reveal all.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 set up in 3-way SLI, tested against Radeon HD 5870 and 5970 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3-way3-way crossfire3-way sli3-wayCrossfire3-waySliatibenchmarkbenchmarkscomparisoncrossfiredatadirectx 11Directx11fermigamesgaminggeforcegf100graphicsgraphics cardgraphics cardsGraphicsCardGraphicsCardsgtx 480Gtx480nvidiaradeonradeon hd 5870radeon hd 5970RadeonHd5870RadeonHd5970scalingslistatsthree-waythree-way crossfirethree-way sliThree-wayCrossfireThree-waySlivideo gamesVideoGamesTue, 20 Apr 2010 04:16:00 EST<![CDATA[ASUS Maximus III Extreme mobo lets Bluetooth cellphones tweak settings]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/asus-maximus-iii-extreme-mobo-lets-bluetooth-cellphones-tweak-se/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/asus-maximus-iii-extreme-mobo-lets-bluetooth-cellphones-tweak-se/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/30/asus-maximus-iii-extreme-mobo-lets-bluetooth-cellphones-tweak-se/#comments ASUS has been giving its motherboard owners ways to tinker with their wares for years now, but it sounds like things are about to get seriously amped up with the Maximus III Extreme. The P55-based board, which falls into the growing Republic of Gamers lineup, adds a new feature to the existing ROG Connect overclocking system: Bluetooth control. You heard right -- ASUS claims that this mainboard actually "enables users to tweak system settings wirelessly over Bluetooth via a mobile phone." More specifically, RC Bluetooth allows users to "review the status of their systems' hardware and tweak parameters wirelessly from a Bluetooth-enabled PDA phone," with examples like controlling music playback and dealing with Skype conversations given. There's no specific mention of a price or release date, but you can bet we'll be digging for specifics on the limits and functionality baked in here.

ASUS Maximus III Extreme mobo lets Bluetooth cellphones tweak settings originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>asusASUS ROG MotherboardAsusRogMotherboardbluetoothbluetooth controlBluetoothControlcellphonecrossfiremainboardmaximum iii extremeMaximumIiiExtrememobomotherboardp55RC BluetoothRcBluetoothRepublic of GamersRepublicOfGamersROGROG ConnectRogConnectMon, 30 Nov 2009 16:03:00 EST<![CDATA[ATI's dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970 pictured in the wilderness]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/31/atis-dual-gpu-radeon-hd-5970-pictured-in-the-wilderness/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/31/atis-dual-gpu-radeon-hd-5970-pictured-in-the-wilderness/http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/31/atis-dual-gpu-radeon-hd-5970-pictured-in-the-wilderness/#comments And now... fighting out of the red corner, weighing in with two Evergreen GPUs, and wearing black trunks and red trim, it's the Radeon HD 5970. ATI's latest challenger for the title of undisputed graphics champion has been snared in the wild, and its photo shoot reveals a suitably oversized beast. Measuring in at 13.5 inches and requiring both an eight- and six-pin power connector, the pre-production sample can fit inside only the roomiest and best-powered rigs around. It's named somewhat confusingly, with AMD dropping its X2 nomenclature for dual GPU setups, but it features two HD 5870 chips running in onboard Crossfire on the same PCB, and foreshadows a HD 5950, which will combine a pair of the more affordable HD 5850s. Performance figures available earlier have been pulled, at the behest of AMD, but we've got plenty of eye candy to admire, and there's also no price tag in sight to spoil our daydreaming pleasure.

[Via PC Perspective]

Gallery: ATI's dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970

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ATI's dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970 pictured in the wilderness originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5970amdatiati radeonAtiRadeoncrossfiredual gpuDualGpugraphicsgraphics cardGraphicsCardhd 5970Hd5970leakonboard crossfireOnboardCrossfireradeonradeon hdradeon hd 5970RadeonHdRadeonHd5970Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:10:00 EST<![CDATA[XCM's $84.99 Cross Fire Adapter for Xbox 360 ships today]]>http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/10/xcms-84-99-cross-fire-adapter-for-xbox-360-ships-today/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/10/xcms-84-99-cross-fire-adapter-for-xbox-360-ships-today/http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/10/xcms-84-99-cross-fire-adapter-for-xbox-360-ships-today/#comments
We can't say for sure why you'd want to use a PlayStation 3 controller with your Xbox 360, but if you somehow prefer the Batwing over something that's actually comfortable to hold, there's this. XCM -- who just recently debuted its Rumble Joystick and KO Adapter for PlayStation 3 -- is today shipping its Cross Fire Adapter for Xbox 360. As we insinuated earlier, this device enables users to connect a PS3 controller, original Xbox controller (Duke!) or wired Xbox 360 controller to one's Xbox 360 console so you don't have to mod your controller to enjoy the spoils of Turbo Fire. Get your order in right now over at Extreme-Mods for $84.99.

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XCM's $84.99 Cross Fire Adapter for Xbox 360 ships today originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 07:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We're expecting a ton of new laptops to support hybrid graphics thanks to chipsets like NVIDIA's soon-to-be-ubiquitous GeForce 9400M, but Microsoft isn't as enamored with hybrid graphics as most everyone else seems to be -- it says it won't be natively supporting them in Windows 7. In a just-released document titled Guidelines for Graphics in Windows 7, the company discourages manufacturers from shipping systems with hybrid graphics like ATI's CrossFire and NVIDIA's Hybrid SLI, claiming they're "unstable and provide a poor user experience." Oh, snap. One less reason to install Windows 7 on your MacBook Pro, eh wot?

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Microsoft disses Hybrid SLI and CrossFire, won't support them in Windows 7 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aticrossfiregpugraphicsgraphics cardgraphicscardhybrid graphicshybridgraphicshybridsliintegrated graphicsintegratedgraphicslaptopsmicrosoftnvidiastabilitysupportwindows 7Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:21:00 EST<![CDATA[Intel Core i7-equipped Falcon Northwest Mach V gaming desktop hands-on]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/03/intel-core-i7-equipped-falcon-northwest-mach-v-gaming-desktop-ha/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/03/intel-core-i7-equipped-falcon-northwest-mach-v-gaming-desktop-ha/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/03/intel-core-i7-equipped-falcon-northwest-mach-v-gaming-desktop-ha/#comments
Benchmarks and reviews of Intel's Core i7 processors are pouring in, and while mere mortals must wait till later this month to get their hands on the hardware, we spent much of our weekend working overtime with Crysis, Fallout 3, and Age of Conan on an $8,238 Core i7 965-equipped Mach V gaming desktop from boutique PC manufacturer Falcon Northwest. It's got the works and then some: liquid cooling, dual ATI Radeon 4870X2 graphics cards with 2GB of RAM on-board, 12 GB of DDR3 RAM, Blu-ray, HD-DVD (yes, you read that right), and over a terabyte of storage. Based on our dozen or so hours of grueling, utterly boring hands-on tests, all three games were plenty playable maxed out at 1920 x 1080 resolution with 4x anti-aliasing -- only Crysis ever dipped below 40 frames per second, and we never saw Fallout 3 under 60. We sincerely hope you appreciate the backbreaking, soulcrushingly hard work we do for you -- more photos and benchmarks (including Crysis) in the gallery.

Gallery: Intel Core i7-equipped Falcon Northwest Mach V gaming desktop hands-on

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Intel Core i7-equipped Falcon Northwest Mach V gaming desktop hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>atiati radeon 5870x2atiradeon5870x2benchmarkbenchmarkscore i7 965corei7965crossfiredesktopfalcon northwestfalcon northwest mach vfalconnorthwestfalconnorthwestmachvfeaturesgaminghands onhands-onhandsonintelintel core i7mach vmachvnehalemradeonMon, 03 Nov 2008 19:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Alienware's surprise: the CrossFire X-enabled M17 gaming notebook]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/03/alienwares-surprise-the-crossfire-x-enabled-m17-gaming-noteboo/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/03/alienwares-surprise-the-crossfire-x-enabled-m17-gaming-noteboo/http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/03/alienwares-surprise-the-crossfire-x-enabled-m17-gaming-noteboo/#comments
When it said evolutionary, it wasn't kidding around. Alienware has just taken the wraps off of a relatively uninspiring (or, unworthy of hype, we should say) new laptop: the M17. Not to be confused with the M17x, this 17-incher is the outfit's very first CrossFire X-enabled notebook, and those with the requisite coin can get one outfitted with a Core 2 Quad / Extreme CPU, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, twin ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3870 GPUs, a WXGA+ / WUXGA panel, an optional ATSC HDTV tuner, up to 640GB of HDD space in a RAID 0 array, a dual-layer DVD writer / optional Blu-ray reader, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, gigabit Ethernet and a facial recognition sensor. As with most of its siblings, this one puts a beating on the scales at 9.5-pounds, and we're certain you can deplete that 12-cell battery in no time flat. Granted, it does get going at "just" $1,399, but you can expect that figure to head far north when you add anything drool-worthy to the build sheet.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

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Alienware's surprise: the CrossFire X-enabled M17 gaming notebook originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>17-inchalienwareaticrossfireCrossFire XCrossfireXgaming laptopGamingLaptoplaptopM17radeonSLIMon, 03 Nov 2008 10:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Legion Hardware offers advice for building the best Crossfire rig]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/legion-hardware-offers-advice-for-building-the-best-crossfire-ri/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/legion-hardware-offers-advice-for-building-the-best-crossfire-ri/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/16/legion-hardware-offers-advice-for-building-the-best-crossfire-ri/#comments
Choosing the right graphics card / chipset combo to give you the most bang for the buck is always tricky business, and even moreso when you're looking to get the most out of some brand new hardware like AMD's Radeon HD 4000 series cards. Thankfully, the folks at Legion Hardware have now stepped in to help out a bit, although, as is often the case, it's not entirely a clear cut choice. If it's a bargain you're looking for though (relatively speaking), it seems like pairing an ASUS P45 motherboard with a couple of Radeon HD 4850 graphics cards (for a total of about $550) will give you enough performance to impress all but the most demanding gamer. If you want to push those benchmarks as far as possible, however, you'll have to go up to an ASUS X48 board, although even the folks at Legion Hardware question whether the mere 5% performance gain is worth the extra cost. If you want to make your own decision though, you can hit up the link below and dig through the numbers yourself.

[Via PC Perspective]

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Legion Hardware offers advice for building the best Crossfire rig originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Although NVIDIA's pledged to simplify its lineup for consumers and ATI's been getting better, the current state of the graphics card market is still a pretty wild alphabet soup of model numbers and specs lists, so the crew over at The Tech Report decided to break things down using the only stat that matters: price. While the results aren't exactly shocking (surprise: more dollars equals more FPS), what's interesting is that multi-GPU rigs are really quite cost-effective, delivering performance on par with higher-end cards at significantly lower prices. For example, two Radeon HD 3850s run nearly as fast as a single Radeon HD 3870 X2, even though they cost a fair bit less, and two GeForce 9600 GTs can potentially outgun a GeForce 8800 Ultra. That's always been the promise of SLI and CrossFire, and it looks like it's paying off -- any system-builders out there care to share their experiences?

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Current crop of graphics cards compared, ranked by price originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 May 2008 06:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aticrossfiregpugraphics cardsGraphicsCardsmulti-gpunvidiasliFri, 09 May 2008 06:19:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD releases ATI Catalyst 8.3 drivers, enables CrossFireX]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/04/amd-releases-ati-catalyst-8-3-drivers-enables-crossfirex/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/04/amd-releases-ati-catalyst-8-3-drivers-enables-crossfirex/http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/04/amd-releases-ati-catalyst-8-3-drivers-enables-crossfirex/#commentsGet ready to burn through your allowance, kids, as AMD is getting set to loose its Catalyst 8.3 drivers for all to indulge in. What does the download net you, exactly? Why, CrossFireX support, of course. Starting today, users can link up any combination of RV670- and R680-based products -- that includes the Radeon HD 3850, Radeon HD 3870 and Radeon HD 3870 X2 -- in order to acquire triple- and quad-GPU performance within Windows Vista. Additionally, the drivers also introduce ATI Hybrid Graphics support in Vista, which was boasted about already when the firm unveiled its upcoming 780G chipset. Check out the read link for the full list of changes, and keep an eye on the firm's support page for v8.3 to surface any moment now.

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AMD releases ATI Catalyst 8.3 drivers, enables CrossFireX originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sure, SLI technology is fine and dandy, but ATI's hoping to remove some of the restrictions found on current multi-GPU setups with its forthcoming CrossFire X technology. As we've seen before, the idea here is to "take two, three or four GPUs and use their power to render one game faster than you otherwise would be able." Over at PC Perspective, those kind folks were able to pick AMD's brain on the topic, and aside from getting confirmation that CrossFire X "supports multi-GPU configurations of any combination of RV670- and R680-based products," we also found that a public release was just weeks away. Better still, there's a full report detailing the results of putting the technology to the test, and yes, initial impressions do seem quite positive. Hit the read link for the full spill, cool?

[Thanks, sizewise]

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ATI's mix-n-match CrossFire X technology gets official, tested originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We actually thought Skulltrail was a pretty slick name for a gaming platform, but it looks like the suits at Intel were afraid of having too much fun -- say hello to the "Intel Dual Socket Extreme Desktop Platform." Yep, it's official, just announced at GDC. Based on the new $649 D5400XS mobo and a pair of $1,499 3.2GHz QX9775 Core 2 Extreme chips, Intel says prototype machines have been the fastest ever tested, with 3DMark06 scores of 6481 and Cinebench 10 scores of 20,160 when configured with a pair of CrossFire'd ATI Radeon HD 3870 cards -- but don't fret, the platform also supports NVIDIA SLI cards. It looks like a variety of high-end system builders will be shipping Skulltrail (sorry, that's what we're calling it) machines over the next 30 days, including Falcon Northwest, Voodoo, and Velocity Micro -- better start saving those pennies.

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Intel gets official with Skulltrail, gives it an incredibly dull name originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AMD just took the wraps off their ATI R680, RV620, and RV635 graphics cores. The new R680 consists of two 55-nm processor cores with CrossFireX support sharing the same specifications of the RV670 processor at the heart of their Radeon HD 3870 -- thought to be AMD's best product of the year. The RV620 and RV635 GPU cores are nearly identical to their RV610 and RV630 processors only in a new 55-nm form. Now, imagine if you will a pair of ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 (R680) cards running in CrossFire. Or say four with CrossFireX. Feels good, right? You won't have to wait much longer as the R680 hits in January.

Read -- AMD announced R680, Rv620, and RV635
Read -- ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 in CrossFire

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AMD official with ATI R680, RV620, and RV635 GPU cores originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Dec 2007 03:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdaticrossfirecrossfirexr680radeon hd 3870 x2RadeonHd3870X2rv620rv635Fri, 14 Dec 2007 03:44:00 EST<![CDATA[ATI demonstrates hybrid-chip CrossFire graphics tech]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/ati-demonstrates-hybrid-chip-crossfire-graphics-tech/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/ati-demonstrates-hybrid-chip-crossfire-graphics-tech/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/13/ati-demonstrates-hybrid-chip-crossfire-graphics-tech/#commentsWe've already seen laptops like Sony's Vaio SZ include integrated graphics alongside much more powerful (and power-hungry) dedicated chips, but AMD's looking to make such setups all the more commonplace with new chips capable of hybrid CrossFire. AMD recently demoed the tech to PC Perspective, showing off a 2.2GHz Phenom machine with both unreleased RS780 integrated graphics and a RV620-based card labeled HD Radeon 3450. Running games like Call of Duty 4 and Unreal Tournament 3, frame rates jumped from 30-35fps to around 55fps when hybrid mode was enabled. That's pretty respectable, although the system is limited to speedups of the slowest chip times two, so bigger gains are probably not in the offing. However, there can still be benefits to using chips of drastically different horsepower: the integrated chips can power down the heavy hitter to save power when not needed, and totally switch over when required. That's a pretty solid compromise, we think -- and with AMD aiming for the initial batch of hybrid CrossFire-capable cards to be priced around $50, it looks like we'll be seeing these setups a lot when AMD starts shipping these early next year.

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ATI demonstrates hybrid-chip CrossFire graphics tech originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3450amdaticrossfirehd radeonhd radeon 3450HdRadeonHdRadeon3450hybrid crossfireHybridCrossfirerv780Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:03:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD keeps it dark with Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/26/amd-keeps-it-dark-with-athlon-64-x2-5000-black-edition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/26/amd-keeps-it-dark-with-athlon-64-x2-5000-black-edition/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/26/amd-keeps-it-dark-with-athlon-64-x2-5000-black-edition/#commentsBarely a month after showing off its Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Black Edition, AMD is apparently hoping to rope in a few more followers with a lower-priced CPU in the same family. This processor reportedly hums along at 2.6GHz, is built around 65-nanometer technology, boasts 1MB of L2 cache and will play nice with the firm's "580x or upcoming 700-series chipsets." 'Course, enthusiasts will love the "customizable clock multiplier for tunable performance," and word on the street has these new chips "available to channel partners" for just $136 apiece in groups of 1,000.

[Via InformationWeek]

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AMD keeps it dark with Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With leading-edge graphics cards getting more and more dedicated RAM shoved onto their PCBs, it's only surprising that it has taken this long for a 1GB single GPU card to hit the market. Diamond Multimedia has just announced the launch of its Radeon HD 2900 XT 1GB, which packs a full gigabyte of GDDR4 memory, second-generation unified shader architecture, 512-bit memory interface, integrated CrossFire scalability, and built-in HDMI support. Moreover, it also includes ATI's Avivo display technology, dual-link DVI output, HDCP compliance, and DirectX 10 support. No word just yet on what kind of premium you'll be expected to pay for this momentary claim of superiority, but we'd wait for the benchmarks to see if it's even worth the extra coin.

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Diamond stuffs 1GB onto ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 11 Jun 2007 04:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HiPe PC is no stranger to the land of excessive power and unorthodox construction, and the firm's latest two gaming rigs are no exception to either. The K-Tana 2.0 can come stocked with your choice of an overclocked 3.2GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme or dual liquid-cooled AMD Athlon FX-72 / FX-74 processors, an overclocked NVIDIA 8800 SLI graphics setup, 1,200-watt power supply, up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, up to 4TB of HDD storage, acoustical dampening, colored neon lighting systems, and the ability to order up a customized paint scheme if the early 90s vibe isn't really workin' for you. The real head-scratcher is the Daish? 2.0 Dual PC (shown after the jump), which as the name implies, sports a duo of networked PCs within a single vertical chassis. The primary PC is a GeForce 8800-equipped gaming rig with up to 4GB of RAM and 4TB of HDD space, while the secondary computer is a "personal media center or server" powered by either VIA's Epia C7 or Intel's Merom processor. Additionally, the secondary unit is connected to a motorized touchscreen LCD and responds to your voice thanks to the included speech recognition software. Notably, both machines can be configured to include a Blu-ray writer, and while both systems manage to start around $2,600, the sky really is the limit when adding in luxurious extras.

Continue reading HiPe intros K-Tana 2.0 gaming rig, two-in-one Daisho 2.0 Dual PC

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HiPe intros K-Tana 2.0 gaming rig, two-in-one Daisho 2.0 Dual PC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2900xt8800amdathlonathlon x2AthlonX2aticrossfirecure 2 quadCure2QuadDaisho 2.0Daisho2.0fx-72fx-74gaming pcGamingPcgeforcehipeK-Tana 2.0K-tana2.0nvidiaquad fxquad-coreQuadFxradeonslix2Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Shuttle XPC goes 1337 with custom-painted SDXi gaming rig]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/20/shuttle-xpc-goes-1337-with-custom-painted-gaming-rig/http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/20/shuttle-xpc-goes-1337-with-custom-painted-gaming-rig/http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/20/shuttle-xpc-goes-1337-with-custom-painted-gaming-rig/#commentsFlame jobs on a PC most certainly aren't new, but we fear it's a fad that will always burn on in some regard, and its companies like Shuttle that keep on fanning it. While the rectangular-shaped box has made its way into a many of homes, gamers looking for some serious horsepower in a mobile rig can find a quite a potent system in the firm's forthcoming 1337 SDXi series desktops. While all the specifics aren't nailed down quite yet, the machine will boast an Intel X8600 or QX6700 quad-core processor, liquid-cooling system, unmistakable custom-paint job on the case, keyboard, and mouse, ATIs X1950 Pro CrossFire graphics cards, support for up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, gigabit Ethernet, and a hint of that early 90s vibe to boot. Unfortunately, such a flashy rig sports an equally stunning pricetag, as these bad boys will be "starting" at $4,999 when they land later this month.

[Thanks, Marshall W.]

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Shuttle XPC goes 1337 with custom-painted SDXi gaming rig originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Dec 2006 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1337aticrossfireelitegamerleetliquidliquid cooledliquid coolingLiquidCooledLiquidCoolingquad-corequadcoreshuttlexpcWed, 20 Dec 2006 11:07:00 EST<![CDATA[HP IQ770 "Crossfire" 19-inch touchscreen Vista PC revealed!]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/hp-iq770-crossfire-19-inch-touchscreen-media-pc-revealed/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/hp-iq770-crossfire-19-inch-touchscreen-media-pc-revealed/http://www.engadget.com/2006/11/30/hp-iq770-crossfire-19-inch-touchscreen-media-pc-revealed/#comments Looks like AMD has a sweet new rig they're readying for January launch, and word on the street is Bill Gates wants to launch it personally. It's the IQ770 "Crossfire," the first mass market touchscreen desktop PC we've seen, surely good for taking advantage of Vista's integrated tablet functionality. The Vista Premium system, set to launch alongside Windows on January 30th, features a massive load of options including: 19-inch touchscreen, AMD Turion 64 X2 dual core TL-52 processor, 2GB SDRAM, 320GB drive, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600, WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated 1.3 megapixel camera, integrated FM and ATSC HDTV tuners, a DVD±RW / DVD-RAM burner with LightScribe, Pocket Media Drive bay, wireless keyboard, mouse, stylus, front media reader, and a crazy amount of ports (Ethernet, two FireWire, six USB 2.0, one with HP printer power Y-cable connector, 5.1 + digital audio out, IR out, mini-VGA, and inputs: FM coax, TV coax, ATSC, and two S-Video). It also features some new widget-like dashboard interface, featuring HP new SmartCalendar, which serves as a central point for virtual fridge notes and shared family calendars; as well as Photosmart Touch, a new image editing and printing interface. Expect to pony up $1799 - $1899 for this iMac killer in a couple months. Tons more photos after the break!

Continue reading HP IQ770 "Crossfire" 19-inch touchscreen Vista PC revealed!

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HP IQ770 "Crossfire" 19-inch touchscreen Vista PC revealed! originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Nov 2006 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewscrossfirehpiq770vistaThu, 30 Nov 2006 10:24:00 EST<![CDATA[ATI throws down Radeon X1950 series with GDDR4]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/23/ati-throws-down-radeon-x1950-series-with-gddr4/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/23/ati-throws-down-radeon-x1950-series-with-gddr4/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/23/ati-throws-down-radeon-x1950-series-with-gddr4/#comments Looks like ATI is still intent on making a name for itself while ATI's still ATI, busting out its most powerful graphics card yet, the Radeon X1950. Available in both XTX and CrossFire editions, the X1950 series are the first cards to pack GDDR4 memory technology (a full 512MB of it) clocking in at an impressive 2.0GHz, as well as an all-new fansink that should keep the card cool and keep your box from scaring the neighbors. Just make sure your power supply is up to snuff before forking over the $449 for one (or two) of these, cause you know any old off-shelf PC just ain't gonna cut it. Look for it to be available from all the usual sources September 13th, and shortly thereafter as an option from Dell and other OEM vendors.

[Via Impress]

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ATI throws down Radeon X1950 series with GDDR4 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 Aug 2006 10:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amdaticrossfireradeonx1950x1950 xtxX1950XtxWed, 23 Aug 2006 10:12:00 EST<![CDATA[Core 2 Duo laptops to get SLI?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/04/core-2-duo-laptops-to-get-sli/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/04/core-2-duo-laptops-to-get-sli/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/04/core-2-duo-laptops-to-get-sli/#commentsAll ye Intel faithful, we come bearing (potentially) sterling news. According to DigiTimes' Taiwan notebook manufacturer sources, with the addition of Intel's Core 2 Duo mobile processor lineup also comes the addition of SLI support; yes, it could be that you'll no longer be shackled to faster, cheaper, cooler-performing AMD chips to get your double-barreled graphics adapter-equipped mobile gaming rig on. Supposedly they're building in support for NVIDIA SLI and CrossFire both, but don't be surprised if ATI gets the rug pulled out from underneath them at the last moment now that they've officially joined the AMD cadre. In fact, until support is officially confirmed don't be surprised if it just never happens at all.

[Via Laptoping]

Core 2 Duo laptops to get SLI? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Aug 2006 11:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aticore 2 duocore 2 duo mobileCore2DuoCore2DuoMobilecrossfireintellaptopsnvidiasliFri, 04 Aug 2006 11:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Voodoo goes Core 2 with Omen i:121 Extreme]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/31/voodoo-goes-core-2-with-omen-i-121-extreme/http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/31/voodoo-goes-core-2-with-omen-i-121-extreme/http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/31/voodoo-goes-core-2-with-omen-i-121-extreme/#comments
With Alienware having just added Core 2 Duo options to its Area-51 7500 desktop, you didn't really think that rival Voodoo would be far behind, did you? The boutique gaming rig manufacturer has just announced its OMEN i:121 Extreme tower, which crams a 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800 processor into either a liquid- or air-cooled case designed to "operate at peak efficiency without draining excess power." Since video processing is even more important than CPU horsepower in a system like this, Voodoo is offering the new Omen with a number of graphics configurations, ranging from a single ATI Radeon X1900 or nVidia GeForce 7900GT setup all the way up to SLI or Crossfire dual-card powerhouses. You're also getting 2GB of RAM in the base configuration, along with a 7,200RPM 80GB hard drive and 16x dual-layer Pioneer DVD burner. As usual, pricing on these machines borders on the ridiculous, with SLI and Crossfire rigs starting at $4,400 and $6,000, respectively -- hey, no one said that being on the cutting edge of performance would come cheap.

[Via TrustedReviews]

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Voodoo goes Core 2 with Omen i:121 Extreme originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Jul 2006 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2.93GHzaticore 2 duocore 2 extremeCore2DuoCore2Extremecrossfiredesktopsgaminggeforceintelnvidiaomen i:121 extremeOmenI:121Extremeradeonslitowersvideogamesvoodoox6800Mon, 31 Jul 2006 09:35:00 EST<![CDATA[ATI announces CrossFire physics platform]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/06/ati-announces-crossfire-physics-platform/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/06/ati-announces-crossfire-physics-platform/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/06/ati-announces-crossfire-physics-platform/#comments Today ATI says Ageia's PhysX engine be damned, as they're about to spit some new competition in the burgeoning hardware physics engine market. When you take that newish Radeon X1900 XTX physics adapter and combine it all Voltron-like with twin SLI graphics adapters -- and then throw in Havok Physics API support, which they announced today at Computex -- you get what they're calling CrossFire, a 2+1 graphics configuration bent on pushing more pixels and polygons than any of us sad little Engadget editors would ever know what to do with. Being that few motherboards would support this triple PCI-E configuration (and the fact that ATI is pimping Intel's forthcoming Core 2 Duo processor platform, which is expected to be announced in the very near future), it seems like you might not yet have to worry about whether the 10,000 in-game object boost this rig will provide is actually worth handing over your hard-earned bucks for.

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ATI announces CrossFire physics platform originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jun 2006 14:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aticrossfirephysicsTue, 06 Jun 2006 14:51:00 EST<![CDATA[AMD's "4 x 4" platform pairs 2 dual-core CPUs, 4 GPUs]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/02/amds-4-x-4-platform-pairs-2-dual-core-cpus-4-gpus/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/02/amds-4-x-4-platform-pairs-2-dual-core-cpus-4-gpus/http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/02/amds-4-x-4-platform-pairs-2-dual-core-cpus-4-gpus/#comments
Gamers gather 'round, for we have a tale of a new platform from AMD that will surely get your pulses racing, at least if the idea of having two dual-core processors and four graphics cards in one machine sounds as appealing to you as it does to us. Known as the "4 x 4" Enthusiasts Platform (four cores plus four GPUs -- we know, it's a bit of a stretch), the setup will allow manufacturers to offer configurations which users can upgrade over time, so consumers could start out with one dual-core chip and and one or more video cards, for example, instead of laying down what will likely be loads of cash on a maxed-out system. Another interesting bit of info revealed at the AMD analyst day in Austin, Texas was the fact that dual ATI Crossfire configurations can be used with 4 x 4, which indicates that AMD's possible acquisition target is probably working on a quad-SLI-esque solution to match rival nVidia. So start saving your pennies, dear gamers, because things are looking to get mighty interesting this year.

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AMD's "4 x 4" platform pairs 2 dual-core CPUs, 4 GPUs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Jun 2006 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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