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A closer look at Origin PC's Phase Change cooling system (and its new gaming laptops too)
Believe it or not, we just spent 45 minutes with two of Origin PC's founders and weren't treated to a gaming demo. Then again, the company isn't here at CES to brag about 3DMark11 scores. Instead, it's showing off its new Phase Change cooling technology, which enables the Genesis desktop to be overclocked to 5.7GHz, and which pushes that desktop's starting price from $1,337 to $4,499. So how does that $3,000 feature work? As it turns out, not unlike an air conditioner. The setup relies on a compressor to compress gas, which liquifies first and then evaporates, absorbing heat along the way. The Little Devil chassis used for the purpose of this demo has an LED screen displaying the -40-degree operating temperature, but you won't need it: the system automatically shuts down if it gets too cold, and it won't boot into Windows until Phase Change is up and running. In addition to all this, the Genesis uses liquid cooling around the motherboard, and an air-based system on the video cards. While we were there, we also checked out the EON15-S and EON17-S laptops, which will be available with an updated design sometime this quarter. Though the interior should look familiar to anyone who's ever laid eyes on a Clevo, Origin remodeled the lid, adding a matte finish option and race car-inspired molding (to evoke the idea of speed, natch). As for specs, Origin's founders directed us to the company's website, which suggests the internals won't change along with the design (certainly, the prices remain the same). Expect these to start at $1,539 for the 15-incher and $1,590 for the larger model -- prices that now include 24/7 free lifetime support. Find some photos below and continue on past the break for a video where you can see (and hear) that Phase Change setup in action.
Origin PC boosts Genesis factory clock to 5.7GHz, reveals new EON gaming laptop design
Origin PC has been spitting out 5.2GHz Genesis desktops for a few months already, but apparently some people wanted more. Thanks to a new 'Phase Change' cooling system that'll be available from late Q1, they're about it get it: a Core i7 2700K system factory clocked to 5.7GHz. Cooling controls and temperature displays will help you to establish the proper balance of power and pollution, while lifetime technical support (which now applies to all Origin PCs in the US) is just a phone call away in case you need to share the rush. There's even an X79 mobo inside, offering scope for a Sandy Bridge E upgrade, plus NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 580 in four-way SLI. Origin has a little something for portable gamers too: a refreshed A-panel on the EON17-S and EON15-S laptops to help you strike the right note of grinning malice in front of your LAN victims. It's not yet clear how these updates will affect pricing, but there are plenty of clips on YouTube that'll show you how to smear thermal paste on your credit cards. Full PR after the break.
MSI launches Big Bang-XPower II motherboard for militant overclockers
Motherboards sporting Intel's X79 chipset are finally starting to make a decent dent in the marketplace and, after showing off a pair of options at IDF, MSI is back with a model for the serious builders out there. The Big Bang-XPower II comes packing the features you'd expect of any gamer-friendly MoBo, including four-way SLI and CrossFire support, PCIe 3.0, eight DDR3 slots and plenty of extra power connectors for hooking up your high-powered parts. And the company is taking care of overclockers too with military grade components and features like Direct OC, which lets you tweak your CPU's frequency with the push of a button. Check out the PR after the break and hit up the source for a few more pics.
Core i7 gets pushed to new heights, overclocked to 5.6GHz (video)
Sure, it's not quite the 8.58GHz achieved by a liquid nitrogen-cooled Bulldozer, but professional overclocker Hicookie did manage to set a new record for a Core i7 3930K by reaching 5.6GHz -- with the help of the aforementioned Dippin' Dots refrigerant, of course. Hicookie unlocked the insane overclocker achievement with the help of an X79 motherboard from Gigabyte, which also gets some recognition for being the first such board to reach a multiplier of 57. For a rather long and dull video of the super-speedy i7 getting pushed to the brink of destruction, head on after the break.
Microsoft leak reveals hotfix for underperforming Bulldozers
AMD's Bulldozer silicon is enormously powerful, but most software isn't configured to schedule threads for the faux-16 core design. Windows can only see the chip as a quad-core CPU and will randomly assign threads, which ruins the point of Bulldozer's "Turbo Core" design. Microsoft inadvertently revealed it had teamed up with the chipmaker to fix the problem when it prematurely released a hotfix for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. Initial tests showed that it could improve performance by up to seven percent, before it was pulled -- Microsoft conceding that it wasn't quite ready for prime-time.
Zalman reportedly entering the graphics card market, merging GPUs with cooling solutions
Recently leaked slides suggest Korean computer outfit Zalman will soon jump into the ever-expanding graphics card market, initially partnering with AMD on its Radeon series. Known best for its quiet computing technologies, the company's move to infuse GPUs with cooling solutions could enhance the performance of the cards, making overclocking a lesson in simplicity. The slides only show the AMD 6870, 6850, and 6770, but it's feasible more models will appear when official news is released. Given AMD's many board partners, differentiation is important to remain competitive and on their payroll -- graphics cards and their overheating habits is Zalman's cup of tea. Hopefully this brings more innovative products in the coming future (heck, we've already got GPU / NIC hybrids), perhaps as early as CES. Check past the break to view the specifications breakdown for the aforementioned cards.
Rock-steady Gigabyte G1.Sniper2 Z68 motherboard gets a nod of approval
Not enticed by all that Sandy Bridge E havoc that hit the PC market today? Good for you, because there's still plenty of life left in the first-gen LGA1155 Sandy Bridge processors and Gigabyte has put out another high-end Z68-based motherboard to prove it. The G1.Sniper2 just won itself a HotHardware recommendation, and if you look past the violent branding and color scheme you'll see why: the $360 premium card has the full gamut of ports and connections and delivers rock solid stability even when overclocked right up the limits of an i7-2600K CPU. Rack up that Wiz Khalifa tune and then click the source link for more.
Intel's Sandy Bridge E gets rounded up and reviewed, the E is for Excessive
You can guess how this one's gonna go: top marks for performance and a shriek of despair when it comes to value for money. Is there anyone out there who really needs an over-sized six-core CPU that requires its own chubby LGA-2011 socket and tailored X79 chipset before it'll even switch on in the morning? Could people seriously be persuaded to drop a grand on merely incremental improvements in technology, such as 15MB of L3 cache and a bigger 600MHz Turbo Boost for stock clock speeds up to 3.9GHz? Well now, let's not get distracted. Even if there were no market -- which there is -- Intel would probably carry on releasing world-beating desktop chips simply to remind us that its rivals can't, and we'd probably carry on reading about them. So here goes, a bunch of reviews covering both the i7-3960X and i7-3930K variants, which together represent the absurd awesomeness of Sandy Bridge E and are on sale at Newegg for $1,050 and $600 respectively: AnandTech: bemoans the absence of an on-die GPU, criticizes the X79 chipset, and dislikes the "performance/functionality tradeoffs" PC Pro: sedately noted that the i7-3960X shows an "improvement" over i7-2600K in real-world benchmarks, and that "AMD must be sweating." HotHardware: regards the 3960X as an "excellent overclocker" despite its vast power consumption, and says it combines with the X79 chipset to make "the most potent" desktop for gaming, content creation or productivity. Tom's Hardware: describes the 3960X as a "symbolic king in a crowd full of value," and the 3930K as the processor moneyed enthusiasts should be lusting over. ExtremeTech: says "the 3960X is a great chip on a solid platform," but cautions that only the most demanding gamers and content creators need this kind of power. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Overclock your MSI motherboard using your iPhone, iPad or Touch
Do overclockers tend to carry iPhones? Some do, surely, which is why MSI has released Afterburner for all iOS devices over at the App Store. Like the Android version we reported a while back, it hooks up to the main Afterburner utility on your PC to allow remote tweaking and monitoring of your MSI motherboard. You don't even have to touch your case to clear the static.
Bulldozer world record re-broken by Andre Yang with a 8.58GHz victory lap
There you have it, folks. Floating over this text is the CPU-Z record that proves it: four days after Andre Yang broke the chip speed overclocking record with AMD's Bulldozer, he's done it again. The chip maker was eerily prescient when it said it expected others to beat the record and that unnatural confidence in the silicon has paid off. Last time, Yang managed to push only 30MHz over the previous record, this time he's found a further 123.3MHz -- making the total chip speed 8.58GHz. The secret to his success was in increasing his chip voltage (2.076v compared to 1.992 last time) and over-liberal use of liquid nitrogen. Maybe he could convince Sunnyvale to loan him a massive vat of liquid helium to get ever closer to the goal of 9GHz -- just make sure you don't pick up the check for the shipping and handling, okay?
AMD Bulldozer breaks own world record, overclocked to 8.46GHz
Advanced Micro Devices is probably feeling a bit silly right about now. To show off how powerful the Bulldozer chip really is, it drafted in the world's most elite overclockers, set them up in a room with whatever was required (including a vat of liquid helium) and broke the chip-speed world record. With a verified speed of 8.429GHz, the company collected its Guinness world record and sat back, thinking that no one could ever best it. Less than two months later and Andre Yang (who we can assume does not have his own military complex to run his experiments in) managed to get his Bulldozer running at 8.46GHz, 30MHz faster than the chip's own parent could manage. We wouldn't dare suggest that anyone stand outside AMD's Sunnyvale HQ whilst playing the sad trombone -- but if anyone deserves that chance, it'd certainly be Mr. Yang. Update: AMD got in touch to say that it's expecting others to beat the record and is excited to see how many records the chips are gonna set. So what are you waiting for?
AMD FX processor brings eight cores to battle, we go eyes-on (video)
AMD fans have endured a long wait for this, while being reduced to spectators as Intel spews out an ever-increasing horde of Sandy Bridge variants and builds up the hype around its next-gen Ivy Bridge architecture. But the new FX series of processors is finally here and will be available to buy in the next few days, with the top-end FX-8150 priced at $245 in exchange for eight cores, a 3.6GHz base clock speed and easy over-clocking to 4.8GHz using the packaged Overdrive software. Your AM3+ motherboard is crying out for the upgrade, but don't succumb until you've clicked past the break -- we've got details of the full range and pricing, our initial impressions and an eyes-on video that includes a detailed chat with the guys from AMD.
AMD gets Guinness World Record for fastest CPU with overclocked octa-core FX processor
Speed. It's of paramount importance in evaluating any computer system, and the engine that gives your PC its get up and go is its CPU. The folks at AMD wanted to show off just how awesome (and fast) their new Bulldozer-based FX chips can be, and set a Guinness World Record for the "Highest Frequency of a Computer Processor" while they were at it. To get the record, a team of "elite overclocking specialists" cranked up the juice on an 8-core desktop CPU until hitting a speed of 8.429GHz -- handily surpassing the previous mark of 8.308GHz. So, AMD's got the fastest silicon in the west and it's chipping away at Intel's processor predominance. What say you, Chipzilla?
MSI's Afterburner Android app makes GPU overclocking as easy as Facebooking
Back in our day, overclocking one's PC was akin to a fine art. It took skill. Precision. Effort. Cajones. These days, it's just about as simple as blinking. Or winking. Or winking while blinking. MSI's made the simplification of PC overclocking quite the priority over the past few years, with OC Genie and an updated Wind BIOS from last decade putting all sorts of power into the hands of mere mortals. At Computex this week, the outfit took things one step further with the Afterburner Android app. Purportedly, the GPU tool enables users to monitor the temperature, voltage and fan speed of their graphics card via a WiFi connection, and if you're feeling froggy, you can overclock and overvolt to your heart's content. Details beyond that are few and far betwixt, but we're hearing that it'll soon work with GPUs from other vendors, and that an iOS variant is en route.
Eee Pad Transformer gets overclocked to 1.4GHz, deemed less than stable
While many of you continue your quest for an Eee Pad Transformer, some folks, predictably, have already figured out how to overclock it. Netarchy over at the XDA forum posted a custom kernel allowing hackers to crank the tablet's clock speed to 1.4GHz, the same peak reached by the ViewSonic G Tablet. Beware, though, that performance at that speed has proven unreliable, so for now the dev recommends a more modest 1.2GHz to avoid data loss, a meltdown, and "injury of assorted puppies." Par for the course, really.
Origin EON17-S gaming laptop overclocked to 4.5GHz, up for order
You won't need to compromise much with Origin's EON17-S gaming notebook, though a $3,000 dent in your wallet could severely compromise your purchasing power for the next few months. That's the starting price for this gaming laptop, with a 2.5GHz Intel Core i7-2920XM Quad-Core processor factory overclocked to 4.5GHz, and maxing the system out with 32GB of RAM, dual 480GB SSD's, and a 2GB NVidia GeForce GTX 485M GPU will send the price tag north of $10,000. Small price to pay for months of geek cred at your neighborhood LAN party, right? We'd rather use the money as a down payment on a Tesla Roadster, but if helping to rebuild the economy with the best, brightest and heaviest (at 8.6 pounds) computing monster sitting on your lap is just what you need, then look for yours in the mail come May 17th.
Nook Color gets overclocked, further blurs the line between tablet and e-reader
First, they ported Ubuntu to the Nook Color, and now the intrepid hackers at the XDA Developers Forum have overclocked its stock 800MHz processor to run at speeds up to 1GHz. The mod allows users to have their cake and eat it too, as the custom kernel ups the speed of the CPU while running it at a lower voltage, which means longer battery life -- though we don't know exactly how much longer. Apparently, the developer who wrote the code found that the system became unstable at the 1GHz level, but there were no such problems at 950MHz and below. Hit the source link to download the kernel and see for yourself what a supercharged Nook Color can do.
Nexus S overclocked to 1.2GHz, runs too damn fast for its Bluetooth to work
Even at its default 1GHz speed, Samsung's Hummingbird is one of the finest mobile processor around, but are you really going to complain about getting the option to crank an extra 200 milion clock cycles out of it? Morfic over on the xda-developers forums has delivered a kernel permitting Nexus S owners to achieve just that, although he still has to fix an issue that disables the phone's Bluetooth capabilities.Still, if you value ludicrous speed over wireless peripherals, the source link is your friend.
Digital Storm's liquid-chilled gaming PC includes 4.6GHz Core i7-980X, equally chilling price
Mmm, overclocking. If you've been looking to treat yourself this holiday season, there's hardly a better way than with a shiny new gaming PC. Better still, a shiny new gaming PC with a liquid-chilled processor... one that just so happens to be warrantied with a 4.6GHz clock speed. Digital Storm's Hailstorm desktop is now available with a so-called Sub-Zero cooling system, which is described as a series of TEC peltier coolers that work in conjunction with other high-end liquid cooling components to keep Intel's Core i7-980X from boiling over. On the high-end rig, you'll also get 6GB of DDR3 memory, a trio of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (1.5GB) GPUs, a 1200-watt power supply and a bank-breaking $6,903 price tag. Cost-conscious consumers can opt for two lesser systems, with a $4,390 build being equipped with a Core i7-950 and the $3,899 unit creeping by with only a single GTX 460 GPU. But hey, what's a few grand among friends? Promo vid is after the break. %Gallery-108029%
Droid X and Droid 2 gain overclocking app: painlessly push your CPU for just $1
Tired of wading through dissertations in hopes of grokking a hacked-up method of overclocking your Droid X and / or Droid 2? Clearly, you aren't alone. Unstable Apps has just released a $0.99 gem that enables one-tap overclocking on the aforementioned phones, with DX/D2 Overclocker giving users the option to run at low voltage, stock voltage or two higher-than-recommended voltages. Of course, given just how simple it is to potentially ruin your handset, we'd highly encourage using common sense and rational judgment when pushing the proverbial envelope. You know, the kind of judgment that convinces you to sing Bell Biv DeVoe's Poison in a karaoke bar full of your closest colleagues.
