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Resident Evil 6 PC ships with new Mercs mode; Siege mode DLC for consoles in March
The PC version of Resident Evil 6 will include a new mode, sort of. The Mercenaries: No Mercy (unofficial name: "The Naries") is based on the existing Mercenaries mode, but with "more enemies on screen than ever before." Ada Wong's campaign will be available when you start the game, playable in co-op, and you will be able to "fine tune the in-game camera," features that were added to the console versions in updates.Sometime next month, in advance of the March 22 launch of RE6 for PC, Capcom will release a free benchmark test. We'll warn you: regardless of how well your computer handles it, it's still going to be Resident Evil 6.In addition to the PC news, Capcom also revealed a March release window for Siege Mode on PS3 and Xbox 360, a $4 add-on for two to six people to play online. One team attempts to kill a rookie (AI-controlled) BSAA agent as monsters, while another team controls the living human characters from RE6 as they try to protect him.%Gallery-177255%
Intel publishes 13 Linux benchmarks to help speed test distros
With the occasional exception, Intel has offered healthy Linux support in recent years. Proof positive may be a gift to the community this weekend: the chip designer's Open-Source Technology Center just gave Phoronix 13 miniature, OS-level Linux benchmarks that it had previously reserved for its own use. The tests are humdrum affairs like decompression tests, but they could give a significant lift to developers testing distributions, drivers and other Linux code where squeezing out a sliver of added OS performance could make all the difference. The collection has just been uploaded as part of the Phoronix Test Suite; hit the source link if you're wondering just how speedy that Slackware installation might be.
Samsung Galaxy Note GT-N5100 possibly seen testing, may put quad Exynos in a small tablet
Feeling that Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 could use some more grunt? There's a chance you'll get your wish. An unannounced Galaxy Note GT-N5100 has popped up in benchmark scores with what looks to be a 1.6GHz Exynos 4412, better known as the Exynos 4 Quad variant that's used in the speedy Galaxy Note II. We don't know that it's a small tablet, but the 1,280 x 800 resolution matches that of the Galaxy Note 10.1 -- it's not very likely that Samsung wants to duplicate its recent design efforts. Whatever the dimensions, the testing shows that the slate is using Android 4.1.2, and it may be a cellular-equipped model with that "kona3g" codename. If the GT-N5100 is more than just a set of benchmarks, the real question may be when we'll see it; there's no guarantee of a tinier Galaxy Note in Las Vegas.
Primate Labs posts new iMac benchmarks
The company that provides the amazing Geekbench benchmarking software, Primate Labs, has run its tests on the new 21.5-inch iMac and found that it's a pretty impressive piece of hardware. Primate Labs tested all of the configurations of the new iMac, but it's the top-of-the-line unit sporting an Intel Core i7-3770S clocked at 3.1 GHz that tops the speed test for all iMacs. To quote the benchmark post, "The benefits of the new Ivy Bridge processors are clear; the new high-end 21.5-inch iMac is almost 10 percent faster than the old high-end 27-inch iMac." The benchmark score for the high-end 21.5-inch iMac was 12,447, while that of the old (mid-2011) high-end 27-inch iMac was 11,410. A comparison to the high-end 2012 Mac mini shows that it's no slouch, either -- it came in at 11,595. Of course, if you want to kick some serious computing butt, you'll still need to get a Mac Pro -- the fastest 12-core unit weighs in at a Geekbench score of 22,271. It should be interesting to see the results for the 27-inch iMac that will be shipping in about two weeks. The top-end unit features a 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7 that will likely leave the 21.5-inch model in the dust.
Macworld benchmarks Fusion Drive Mac mini
Macworld has benchmarked a BTO Mac mini with a 1 TB Fusion drive, 2.6GHz quad-core Core i7 processor and 16 GB of RAM. The extra RAM cost them a whopping $300. (Why has Apple RAM always been so expensive? Does it contain unicorn tears?) The benchmarks are thorough, but I think this sums up how the Mac performs: "The BTO Mac mini is $1449, but it adds up to one of the fastest Macs the Macworld Lab has ever tested."
GLBenchmark rats out possible Acer Iconia Tab A220 with Tegra 3, Jelly Bean
Device testing site GLBenchmark has a knack for sniffing out real products before manufacturers are ready to parade them, so our ears perked up when we saw a certain Acer Iconia Tab A220 pop up on its list. According to system and test specs, the alleged slate of unknown dimensions would flaunt Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, along with a 1280 x 752 screen resolution and quad-core, 1.3GHz Tegra CPU. If such a device proved to have a 7-inch screen or so, that would make it a possible Nexus 7 wannabe, giving a zippier, higher-res option to the A110. Of course, benchmarks are easy enough to fake, so we'll keep our eyes peeled for any clues of the more concrete variety.
Ars reviews the new iPad: "power to spare"
While there has been plenty of press about the iPad mini, not many blogs seems to be paying attention to the faster, full-sized fourth-generation iPad that was announced at the same time. Chris Foresman at Ars Technica took on the challenge of running the new iPad through its paces, and found that although the device has "processing power to spare," not many apps currently take advantage of the speedy A6X processor's capabilities. The review found that the exterior design is virtually identical to its predecessor, with the sole change being the replacement of the 30-pin Dock connector with the new Lightning connector. But it's the interior components that make the new iPad the powerful top-of-the-line beast that it is. As noted in the post, the front-facing camera now shoots 1.2 MP still images (720p video) and the LTE radios in the cellular-capable models now work in most countries with LTE service. Foresman notes the GPU in the device's A6X system-on-a-chip has been supercharged by using four Imagination Technologies SGX543 GPU cores running at a faster clock speed. Ars used Geekbench 2.3.6 to compare the fourth-generation iPad with its predecessor, and found that the score more than doubled from 758 for the third-generation to 1,770 for the fourth-gen device. Not many games or other GPU-intensive apps are optimized for the A6X, however, and the bottom line from Ars is "we feel most current iPad 3 owners don't need to rush out and upgrade to an iPad 4." What's your take on the "need for speed"? Do you plan on waiting for the next generation iPad, or have you already purchased or ordered a fourth-generation device?
AMD FX-8350 review roundup: enthusiasts still won't be totally enthused
Now that AMD's fresh new FX processors based on the Piledriver architecture are out in the wild, the specialist hardware sites have seen fit to benchmark the top-lining FX-8350. Overall, the group feels that AMD has at least closed the gap a bit on Intel's Core juggernaut with a much better FX offering this time around, but overall the desktop CPU landscape remains unchanged -- with Intel still firmly at the top of the heap. Compared to its last-gen Bulldozer chips, "in every way, today's FX-8350 is better," according to Tom's Hardware: cheaper, up to 15 percent faster and more energy efficient. Still, while the new CPUs represent AMD's desktop high-end, they only stack up against Intel's mid-range Core i5 family, and even against that line-up they only edge ahead in heavily threaded testing. But if you "look beyond those specific (multithreaded) applications, Intel can pull away with a significant lead" due to its superior design, says Anantech. As for power consumption, unfortunately "the FX-8350 isn't even the same class of product as the Ivy Bridge Core i5 processors on this front," claims The Tech Report. Despite all that, Hot Hardware still sees several niches that AMD could fill with the new chips, as they'll provide "an easy upgrade path for existing AMD owners and more flexibility for overclocking, due to its unlocked multipliers." That means if you already have a Socket-AM3+ motherboard, you'll be able to do a cheap upgrade by swapping in the new CPU, and punching up the clock cycles might close the performance gap enjoyed by the Core i5. Finally, AMD also saw fit to bring the new chip in at a "very attractive" $195 by Hexus' reckoning, a much lower price than an earlier leak suggested. Despite that, however, the site says that AMD's flagship FX processor still "cannot tick as many desirable checkboxes as the competing Intel Core i5 chips." Feel free to scope all the sources below to make your own conclusions. Read - Tom's Hardware Read - Hot Hardware Read - AnandTech Read - Hexus Read - The Tech Report
Samsung Galaxy Premier rumor gathers steam with leaked GLBenchmark results
When we first heard of a rumored Samsung Galaxy Premier handset that might be a Nexus device, we had our doubts, especially when we saw TouchWiz adorning the alleged leaked image from Mobile Geeks. Now, GLBenchmark is also giving the idea of a new model more credence, as it briefly showed a possible GT-I9260 model packing a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display, dual 1.5GHz processor and 8-megapixel camera. The page has since been pulled, but a screen cap of the benchmark (after the break) shows PowerVR SGX 544 graphics on the device along with middle-of-the-road scores, though all that would be on a pre-production handset without final software, if it's accurate. Whether such a device would come along at a Google event or one of Samsung's shindigs remains to be seen, but its very existence should be taken with a boulder-sized chunk of salt.
iPod touch "significantly" less powerful than iPhone 5
Geekbench has some early benchmarks from the iPhone 5 and Apple's latest iPod touch. Though it's a nice improvement over previous models, the fifth-generation iPod touch didn't fare so well when compared to other Apple handhelds. The new iPod touch scored a 619, which places it right below the iPhone 4S (654) and well above the original iPad (454). It pales in comparison to the iPhone 5, which scored an impressive 1,573. Much of this discrepancy can be attributed to the A6 processor and 1 GB RAM present in the iPhone 5. In comparison, the iPod touch includes an A5 processor and 512 MB of RAM. [Via PocketGamer]
Datura developer's next act is 'Catzilla,' a PC benchmarking demo
Datura, with its dreamlike presentation and mysterious storyline, was measurably different from most other games. The latest project from developer Plastic Demoscene Group is so different from other games that it isn't even a game!Plastic lives up to its "demoscene group" name with Catzilla, a real-time animated short film intended for use as a PC benchmark. Working with Platige Image, Plastic made a short movie about a giant cat attacking a city, something Datura director Michal Staniszewski said he's "dreamt about for some time."The Vimeo clip above is pre-rendered, of course, but the actual file will be displayed in real time on users' computers to gauge GPU performance. The unusual benchmarking software will go into beta soon. If you want Catzilla to put your computer to the test, sign up here.
Vellamo benchmark adds CPU and memory tests, here's how it rates the One X and GS III
Qualcomm's Vellamo app has been a part of the furniture in our Android benchmarking suite for a while now, providing a fun little test of browsing and networking speeds on almost any Android device. Version 2.0 adds something extra, however: a section called "Metal" that is all about putting your processor and memory through the wringer. As a quick taster, we ran the new HTML5 and Metal tests on the HTC One X (both global and AT&T) and the Galaxy S III (global and Sprint), settling on the average of three consecutive results. Conspiracy theorists who think that Qualcomm's app favors its own processors will only find further ammunition in the CPU results, however the HTML5 scores actually give the QCOM devices much less of a lead than the old Vellamo did, scoring all four handsets roughly equally. You'll find the table overleaf, along with a publicity video that explains the update.
Motorola's RAZR i: benchmarking Intel's first 2GHz Medfield smartphone
Motorola were quick to tell us that we're testing on pre-release RAZR i here -- software updates may arrive before the device does, but these figures below should give you a good estimate at what the 2GHz Intel processor can do. We've pitched it against the US-bound Droid RAZR M, with a capable dual-core Snapdragon S4 clocked at 1.5GHz, and ZTE's Grand X IN, which houses Intel's 1.6MHz Medfield Z2460 and Android ICS. Motorola Droid RAZR M Motorola RAZR i ZTE Grand X IN Quadrant 4,944 4,125 2,710 Vellamo 2,442 1,906 1,550 SunSpider 0.9.1 (ms) 1,951 1,062 1,355 AnTuTu 6,364 6,175 N/A GLBenchmark Egypt Offscreen (fps) 56 41 N/A CF-Bench 9,392 2,973 873 SunSpider: lower scores are better So what do all these numbers mean? Well, Intel's 2GHz processor is pretty capable. Although the RAZR i only bests the RAZR M on SunSpider browser performance (something that Intel's been focusing on with its mobile hardware), it's a substantial score difference. Otherwise, the Europe-bound RAZR skates pretty close, if behind the RAZR M's benchmarks. There's a hiccup on the CF-Bench score, something that we also noted on the Grand X IN. While both the ZTE and Motorola devices are running Android 4.0, there's still a tangible difference in these early benchmarks -- perhaps testament to both Motorola and Google's proximity and the debut of Intel's faster 2GHz Medfield processor. We'll be testing out those power-saving promises from the chipmaker over the next few days.
Early benchmark scores are in for the Sony Xperia T, TX and V
We've already benchmarked the Galaxy Note II and the ZTE Grand X IN at IFA, and as the week wraps up we're circling back to test the mettle of other handsets announced here in Berlin. We ran mobile benchmarks on Sony's new flagship Xperia T, the Xperia TX (the US version of the T) and the LTE-enabled Xperia V. All three devices pack dual-core Snapdragon S4 Krait processors clocked at 1.5GHz, and they're currently running Ice Cream Sandwich -- though a Jelly Bean update is reportedly on the way. Meet us past the break for a first look at how these smartphones stack up.
Samsung Galaxy Note II gets early benchmark treatment at IFA
Here at IFA, the Galaxy Note II's glossy plastic build is practically fading under the ambush of cameras snapping away at Samsung's booth, but clearly this phone is more than just a (super sized) pretty face, and it's time to take a look at what's under the hood. As mentioned in our hands-on, Samsung upgraded the original Note's dual-core 1.4GHz chipset to a quad-core 1.6GHz Exynos processor. We put the device to the test today to see how those amped-up insides reflect in the Note II's benchmark scores. As you'll see below, Sammy's latest handset fares significantly better than the original Note and the Galaxy S III. Galaxy Note II Galaxy Note (international) Galaxy S III (I9300) AnTuTu 11,736 N/A 11,960 Quadrant 6,644 3,810 4,454 Vellamo 2,466 901 1,751 SunSpider 0.9.1 (ms, lower is better) 1,330 2,902 1,460 CF-Bench 15,305 N/A 13,110 GL Benchmark Egypt Offscreen 114 fps N/A 99 fps Oh, what a difference a processor makes. Clearly the step up to a quad-core CPU is to thank for the large performance delta between the Note II and the last-gen Note, though the international version of the Galaxy S III, with a quad-core 1.4Ghz Exynos processor, also falls behind in Quadrant and other tests. The Note II also trumped its Samsung siblings on the browser-focused Vellamo benchmark, which hints at snappier performance on this phone. The phone's graphics chops look pretty good, too, if the GL Benchmark score is any indication. Our testing got cut short before we could run SunSpider, but we'll add that figure shortly. Update: We've added SunSpider as well -- the device clocked in at 1,330ms, which is a hair faster than the Galaxy S III.
Google Octane benchmark tests JavaScript in the real world, scales to mobile sizes
We're all too familiar with JavaScript tests like Sunspider -- we use them all the time to gauge browser speeds on phones and tablets. Most of these have little direct correlation to the sites we're visiting on our devices, however, and seldom acknowledge that we're testing with anything but a desktop. Google wants to drag the experience into this decade with its new Octane benchmark. The collection of tests uses real-life examples of JavaScript code -- who knew web-based Game Boy emulators were so popular? -- to generate results for a simple, more-is-better scoring system. Its interface also scales dynamically and should fit just about any screen size. While we can't guarantee that Octane will find a place within our own battery of tests, both the benchmark itself and the source code are available for anyone to investigate. Feel free to post and compare your results in the comments.
Sony LT25i Tsubasa pops up in benchmarks, may swell the high-speed Xperia ranks
Add another future Sony Xperia model to a rapidly growing pool. The LT25i Tsubasa (not to be confused with the ST25i/Xperia U) has been caught by Tencent in AnTuTu and NenaMark2 tests, seemingly running the same mix of a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4, a 720p screen and Android 4.0 that we've seen in the upcoming Xperia T (LT30p). So what's different? There's rumors of in-cell touch to keep the display thin and vivid, but even the unverified source isn't certain that it will become a reality. The crew at Xperia Blog also claims that there will be international LTE and HSPA+ models along with China- and Japan-specific editions. Assuming the details are at all consistent with the truth, having the Tsubasa arrive on the scene mostly hints that Sony might be readying a broader speed-up of its roster than we first thought.
Rumored HTC Verizon phablet may land soon, with 1080p screen and 1.5GHz Snapdragon
Samsung and LG have already embraced the tiny-tablet form factor. It only makes sense that HTC would want to carve out a niche of this niche for themselves. Rumors of a five-inch HTC device have been circulating for some time, but now a report from DigiTimes is lending some credence to those murmurings, and a mysterious handset from the Taiwanese manufacturer has popped up over at GLBenchmark. According to unnamed sources the company has been working on a flagship level (One XXL?) device with a stunning 1,794 x 1,080 display, due to be released in either September or October. If you're taking that claim with a grain of salt, we don't blame you. But, an entry for the HTC 6435LVW that just popped up at GLBenchmark.com seems to fit the bill pretty nicely. It has the same listed resolution, which we assume is actually a 1,920 x 1,080 panel with room set aside for Android's soft keys. The device info has it running ICS, version 4.0.4 to be specific, on a 1.5GHz Snapdragon S4 -- which should make it quite the powerful piece of hardware. The software build also singles it out as a Verizon handset, which means it'll be packing an LTE radio as well. Whether the rumored stylus is included, a la the Flyer, remains to be seen, but, we shouldn't have to wait much longer to find out for sure.
Rumored HTC One X+ with 1.7GHz Tegra 3 revealed in NenaMark report?
We've heard murmurings of it before, but they've been just that. Now we've got the first shred of hard evidence that the fabled HTC One X+ is actually real. Rumored to be heading to T-Mobile (or AT&T, depending on who you ask), this 1.7GHz super phone popped up over at NenaMark's site, bearing the model number PM63100. Sadly, that internal moniker doesn't really reveal much, but between that and the fact that it's running Jelly Bean 4.1.1 we're confident this isn't something already on the market. And the reported resolution of 1280 x 720 combined with its high-speed Tegra 3 innards puts this squarely in flagship territory. What else do we know? Not a whole heck of a lot. But, as always, the truth will be revealed in time.
Intel, Acer, Qualcomm join Futuremark's 3DMark for Android development program
Benchmarking outfit Futuremark has announced that Intel, Qualcomm, Acer and SingTel-Optus are joining the development program for the company's 3DMark for Android. The quartet is in good company, joining a list of industry heavyweights that includes AMD, Microsoft and NVIDIA, amongst others. While the Helsinki-based outfit hasn't mentioned a specific release date for its latest analysis application, it's on course to arrive "later this year." For us, that simply isn't soon enough -- but then again we don't get out much.
