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Alienware M17x now shipping with dual 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5870 GPUs
Tossing 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]
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 set up in 3-way SLI, tested against Radeon HD 5870 and 5970
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.
Mission Architect fix goes haywire in City of Heroes
With any player-generated content system, a game becomes a struggle between two equal and opposing forces: the designers who want to cram in every possible exploit to get the best possible rewards with the least possible effort, and those who just want to make really neat story arcs. City of Heroes recently dropped a small patch in the hopes of fighting something that had been a target for exploits, and unfortunately the latter group got caught in the crossfire. In short, the patch was designed to target allied NPCs in missions who didn't attack, but buffed the player characters to the gills in order to make missions easier. Unfortunately, caught in the crossfire were almost any missions that involved things other than enemies, up to and including missions where players would rescue hostages. Needless to say, player response has not been kind. Sean "Dr. Aeon" McCann was quick to give an official statement on the matter, explaining that the idea was to implement a temporary fix that would prevent current farming, with a more permanent one coming around Issue 17's launch. (Although we don't have a specific date on that, it's been generally pegged for early this month.) Until then, City of Heroes players might find themselves advised to take a break from Mission Architect for a little while. [ Thanks to Steve for the tip! ]
ASUS Maximus III Extreme mobo lets Bluetooth cellphones tweak settings
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.
ATI's dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970 pictured in the wilderness
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-76900%
XCM's $84.99 Cross Fire Adapter for Xbox 360 ships today
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.
Microsoft disses Hybrid SLI and CrossFire, won't support them in Windows 7
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?
Intel Core i7-equipped Falcon Northwest Mach V gaming desktop hands-on
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-35975%
Alienware's surprise: the CrossFire X-enabled M17 gaming notebook
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]
Legion Hardware offers advice for building the best Crossfire rig
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]
Current crop of graphics cards compared, ranked by price
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?
AMD releases ATI Catalyst 8.3 drivers, enables CrossFireX
Get 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.
ATI's mix-n-match CrossFire X technology gets official, tested
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]
Intel gets official with Skulltrail, gives it an incredibly dull name
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.
Eidos dates Conflict: Denied Ops for February 2008
No doubt in a rush to get a new game – any new game – on store shelves so it can wash its hands of the whole Kane and Lynch debacle, Eidos has announced that it will release Conflict: Denied Ops for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on February 12, 2008. The game is the latest from the "conflict" obsessed folks at Pivotal Games, and will allow one or two players to simultaneously control a pair of gun-wielding supermen, not unlike the aforementioned Kane and Lynch. Pivotal's Conflict series of games are not exactly known for overwhelmingly positive scores, and if our earlier impressions hold true, the same fate awaits Denied Ops, though hopefully once reviews begin rolling in no writers will find themselves on the business end of a pink slip. If so, perhaps Gerstmann needs a roommate?
AMD official with ATI R680, RV620, and RV635 GPU cores
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
ATI demonstrates hybrid-chip CrossFire graphics tech
We'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.
PSP-exclusive Wild Arms XF confirmed for US
As one of maybe six people who seem to derive enjoyment from Sony and Media Vision's RPG series Wild Arms, I was was understandably pleased with news of publisher XSEED's intent to bring the new PSP-exclusive Wild Arms XF, or Crossfire, to North America next spring, even if those around me could care less. This latest jaunt through the Wild West-themed world of Filgaia will mark a return to the hex-based combat system used in by the previous two games in the franchise. While few other details have been revealed about the game, it's interesting to note that the Japanese version of the title supports linking between it and Wild Arms 5 for the PS2, unlocking new items and boss battles across both titles, giving the handful of us who appreciate the series another reason not to pack away our aging PS2s just yet.
AMD keeps it dark with Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition
Barely 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]
Eidos' Crossfire is now Conflict: Denied Ops
Originally announced at last years X06 under the name Crossfire, Eidos has issued a new release on the upcoming co-operative shooter, now known as Conflict: Denied Ops. If that name sounds familiar, that's because the developer, Pivotal Games, can't seem to release anything without the "conflict" moniker. Conflict will be sporting two-player co-op play with the ability to switch between squad mates for more advanced maneuvers. Nowhere in the press release is the word "online" ever connected to "co-op," but it's due out in 2008 and, quite frankly, we don't think anyone will accept any less.
