At the end of February ’07, AMD released their first new chipset since the AMD/ATI merger.  The goal with the new 690G/V series was to bring improved integrated graphics to the market, with better performance and broader compatibility.  Initial impressions were generally positive; with an integrated Radeon XPress 1250, support for two monitors and options for DVI or HDMI outputs, the 690 series did bring something different to the table. 

Since the 690G’s release, we’ve spent some time with several models from MSI and now ASUS, with the M2A-VM HDMI being the latest model to land in our labs.  What’s interesting about the M2A-VM HDMI is that rather than offering an HDMI model or a DVI model, ASUS incorporates both through the use of a riser card.  In fact, when perusing the product line up of such companies as Gigabyte, DFI and ECS we found most offered only DVI versions of the 690G.

With competitive performance and relatively broad video options for a chipset with an IGP, the 690 series shapes up to be a rather versatile chipset, bringing features that suit entry-level workstation, HTPC and desktop users alike.  What ASUS has done is incorporate everything the chipset has to offer into a single package, making the M2A-VM HDMI unique at this stage of the game.

THE ASUS M2A-VM HDMI MOTHERBOARD

Specifications and Features

Specification and Featuresd Features

Accompanying the M2A-VM HDMI is a retail package that complements the hardware rather well.  Covering the basics, ASUS provides a multilingual Quick Start Guide that covers general board information in nine languages except for English.  The User’s Guide provided was English only and covered virtually every feature and setup option in clear detail.   Supporting the documentation are two CDs, one including all essential drivers while the other offers a collection of useful software such as:

Norton Internet Security 2007                               InterVideo DVD Copy Trial                  
Norton Internet Security 2006                              Acrobat Reader
Corel Snapfire 11 SE                                           DirectX v9C

ASUS also included essential hardware to help utilize all of the board’s features.  A single Floppy, one IDE and two SATA cables cover drive connection needs while providing two SATA power adapters to convert Molex to SATA power connectors.  A Q-Connector kit was also included, which makes connecting USB and case headers a breeze.  This is one of those seemingly simple items that really make life a bit easier during the system assembly process.  For HDMI, ASUS includes a KDMI/AV/SPDIF module that fits in one of the board’s PCI slots, adding HDMI, SPDIF, S-Video and Composite video options.  Wrapping up the bundle is a I/O shield for fitting the board properly to a case.

MSI N280GTX-T2D1GOC, GeForce GTX 280 Redux

NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 200 series of graphics cards, that launched about 60 days prior to the publishing of this article, have undergone a significant price reduction since they first debuted.  At the time, NVIDIA flexed its GPU muscle with a high-end, single GPU graphics design that their primary competition (AMD) could only compete with by throwing two GPUs at the problem.  As such, NVIDIA initially priced their flagship GeForce GTX 280 at a significant premium; $649 upon its introduction on launch day.  Would you believe us, if we told you back then, that these cards would be selling for $200 dollars less in only about two months time?  You can believe it today, however, as many etailers have cards on the shelf right now at $449 and even less, with rebates etc.

Since then, we’ve seen the launch of AMD’s latest ATI dual GPU-based flagship.,the Radeon HD 4870 X2.  There’s no question, in all of the numbers we’ve shown you, it’s faster than any standard retail GeForce GTX 280.  On the other the hand, AMD’s Radeon HD 4870 X2 also costs $100 – $150 more currently, generates a lot more heat, consumes more power and in general has a more prominent acoustical signature, versus a GeForce GTX 280.  So with that stage set, we’ll take you through the ins and outs of another retail version GeForce GTX 280 from MSI, as well as compare and contrast it versus other cards above and below its price range.  Journey on for our view of the GeForce GTX 280 redux and see how MSI’s N280GTX-T2D1GOC shapes up in the current high-end 3D graphics landscape.

MSI’s N280GTX-T2DIG GeForce GTX280

Specification and Features

MSI’s bundle is fairly standard issue with respect to the current lineup of flagship cards from NVIDIA.  There is no included game bundle with the N280GTX series but the card does come with a driver CD that offers a bunch of MSI-built utilities, like Live Update, which will actually upgrade your graphics card BIOS, if an update is released by MSI.  MSI also includes the standard GeForce GTX 280 bundle of cables and converters that we’ve seen in other bundles, including S-Video and Component output cables, a thermal sense cable for ESA compliant cases, as well as a DVI to SVGA d-sub converter and a DVI to HDMI converter.

This standard assortment of add-ons, in addition to MSI’s quick start guide, comprises the bundle for the MSI N280GTX-T2D1GOC.  MSI’s warranty is a little on the light side for our preference, offering only 1 year of coverage while many competitive offerings come with 3 year or even lifetime warranties.
 

ASUS M3A32-MVP DeLuxe/WiFi-AP Motherboard 

Introduction

ASUS M3A32-MVP DeLuxe/WiFi-AP is today the most high-end motherboard for the AMD platform money can buy. Based on the new AMD 790FX chipset this board is targeted to the AMD gaming platform “Spider”, featuring four PCI Express x16 slots allowing up to four video cards working in parallel thru the new CrossFireX interconnection mode. As other motherboards from ASUS, this product has passive heatsinks, but what is unique about it is that it comes with a passive heatsink for the memory modules that can be attached to the motherboard passive cooling solution. This board also features an 802.11g (54 Mbps) WiFi access point, allowing you to share your Internet connection wirelessly without a wireless broadband router, eSATA port, coaxial and optical SPDIF outputs and much more, so read on.

 This motherboard is a socket AM2+ board. There are two main differences between socket AM2 and socket AM2+: the support for HyperTransport 3.0 and Dual Dynamic Power Management (DDPM) technology, present on AMD CPUs based on K10 core (e.g. Phenom CPUs). You can still install Phenom on socket AM2 motherboards but you won’t have these two technologies available and the CPU will talk to the chipset only up to 2,000 MB/s (HyperTransport 2.0) instead of up to 10,400 MB/s (HyperTransport 3.0) – it is important to notice that current Phenom processors work under the lowest HyperTransport 3.0 transfer rate, 7,200 MB/s.  For more information about those technologies we recommend you to read two other articles,.Inside AMD K10 Architecture and The HyperTransport Bus Used by AMD Processors

AMD 790FX is the latest and most high-end chipset by AMD/ATI, using ATI’s SB600 southbridge, which is the same south bridge chip used by ATI Radeon Xpress 3200 chipset. AMD 790FX brings three new important features. The first is of course the support of HyperTransport 3.0, allowing the communications between the chipset and the CPU to be performed at a higher speed – if a HT3-based CPU is installed on the system, of course; otherwise, i.e. if you install a plain socket AM2 Athlon 64, the maximum transfer will be 2,000 MB/s. HyperTransport 3.0 maximum transfer rate is of 10,400 MB/s (this rate is also called 5,200 MT/s) but Phenom CPUs released so far have their HyperTransport bus working at 7,200 MB/s (3,600 MT/s). It is important to remember that since on AMD CPUs the memory controller is embedded on the CPU and not on the chipset this transfer rate is available for I/O transfers only

The second biggest feature of this new chipset is its support for the new PCI Express 2.0 bus, which doubles the bandwidth available for video cards from 2.5 GB/s to 5 GB/s, if they are also based on PCI Express 2.0 (so far the only PCI Express 2.0 video cards available are GeForce 8800 GT, Radeon HD 3850 and Radeon HD 3870). This chipset provides 32 PCI Express 2.0 lanes for graphics, which can be arranged as two PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots truly working at x16 or four PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots working at x8. More on this in a minute.

The third biggest feature is the support for CrossFireX, which allows up to four video cards based on this new connection working in parallel.

This motherboard features four PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots, which are physically identical to PCI Express 1.0 x16 slots, so you can install PCI Express 1.0 cards without any problem. If one or two cards are installed, the slots work at x16. If a third video card is installed, the first slot will remain working at x16, but the other two slots will work at x8. And if you install four video cards all slots will work at x8.

 The second biggest feature of this new chipset is its support for the new PCI Express 2.0 bus, which doubles the bandwidth available for video cards from 2.5 GB/s to 5 GB/s, if they are also based on PCI Express 2.0 (so far the only PCI Express 2.0 video cards available are GeForce 8800 GT, Radeon HD 3850 and Radeon HD 3870). This chipset provides 32 PCI Express 2.0 lanes for graphics, which can be arranged as two PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots truly working at x16 or four PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots working at x8. More on this in a minute.The third biggest feature is the support for CrossFireX, which allows up to four video cards based on this new connection working in parallel.

This motherboard features four PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots, which are physically identical to PCI Express 1.0 x16 slots, so you can install PCI Express 1.0 cards without any problem. If one or two cards are installed, the slots work at x16. If a third video card is installed, the first slot will remain working at x16, but the other two slots will work at x8. And if you install four video cards all slots will work at x8.

one video card is used or 5 GB/s if two cards are installed.

So HyperTransport 3.0 unlocks the maximum graphics performance of your system, even though for a perfect system we still need to wait for the release of Phenom CPUs based on the 10 GB/s HyperTransport bus.

However the numbers provided above are theoretical and in fact no

performance impact may be seen, as video cards transfer data at a rate far below their maximum theoretical transfer rates.

It’s another Eee PC: hooray! As noted in the review of the MSI Wind last week, Asus’ response to the myriad of potential suitors to its netbook crown has been quite wide ranging. Today is the fourth Eee PC model we’ve reviewed and Asus lists no less than eleven different configurations on its website, split between six different models. With another Intel Celeron based version, the Eee PC 904, also due to appear soon, it’s a messy and confusing range to say the least.

Asustek unveiled today the Asus Eee PC 1000, a 10-inch screen version of its popular low-cost mini-notebook, at the 2008 Computex show in Taipei.

According to a specifications sheet, the 2.93-pound Eee PC 1000 comes with the Intel Atom processor, a 40GB solid state drive, 2GB of RAM, 802.11n wireless module, Bluetooth, a built-in 1.3-megapixel web camera, and Linux operating system. Asustek claims that the Eee PC 1000 has a battery life of up to 7.5 hours.

Engadget says the 1000 is priced at approximately $658 in Taiwan. Currently, there is no official information on its availability and pricing in the United States. According to a post at  Liliputing the launch date for the US market is July 8th.

The company also unveiled theEee PC 1000H and the901 Series at the Computex expo.

UPDATE: The new Eee PCs can be preoredered now through Amazon:  Asus Eee PC 901/1000/1000H

Price: Rs.3599.00

ASUS 945 P5GZ-MX MotherBoard

ASUS India has just introduced the PG191 LCD monitor that incorporates the Super Bass System as well as the fastest 2 ms gray-to-gray response time to deliver the audio and video performance that is demanded by hardcore gamers these days.

According to ASUS, gaming in the 21st century is more than just entertainment, rather it’s an attitude. Hardcore players need the best system setup and it’s not just about computer hardware performance, but also the coolest looking case, mouse keyboard and display. The PG191 provides exactly this type of gaming solution.

The PG191 LCD monitor is black and silver and comes with a sleek aluminum allow neck and circular base and a glare-back front frame. The display contour is based on stealth bombers, and the subwoofer speakers at the back of the monitor take on the shape of tank cannons. You can just imagine how military games would be on this monitor.

The PG191 LCD monitor comes with 2.1 channel speakers (2 x 10W speakers and 15W super bass system), delivering a super audio experience when playing games.

The PG191 LCD monitor also incorporates Trace Free technology, which accelerates gray-to-gray response time to 2 ms to enable smooth video quality. Then, the PG191 LCD monitor also has a built-in 1.3 Webcam, headphones and mic jacks. Besides, the Life Frame video communication software that comes bundled with the ASUS PG191 LCD monitor allows users to click photos and record videos easily.

The specifications of the ASUS PG191 LCD monitor are:

·  19″ TFT-LCD panel

·  Resolution: 1280 x 1024 pixels

·  800:1 contrast ratio and 320nits brightness

·  Trace Free Technology (2 ms gray to gray response time)

·  Built-in 5W X 2 satellite stereo speakers and 15W ASUS Power Bass System

·  SRS TruSurround XT Technology (6.1CH stereo surround sound)

·  Support video and audio communication (1.3 MP Webcam + earphone/mic jack)

·  3 USB 2.0 ports

·  6 convenient hotkeys

·  Touch sensor key controls and power on/off melodies

·  Splendid Video Intelligence Technology

·  Flexible tilting and swivel angle adjustment

·  Support both DVI-D and D-SUB inputs

·  3-year system and panel warranty

·  1-Year Zero Bright Dot Warranty

The ASUS PG191 LCD monitor will be available in India for a price of Rs.29,500 (excluding taxes).

True-To-Life Gaming Enjoyment

·        Discreet graphics empowers smooth 3D display

·        High-brightness panel with 2 times faster response times

·        Built-in TV tuner and Dolby audio support for dynamic multimedia enjoyment

·        Exclusive gaming features: hotkeys highlight, side display & graphic intensity lights

SPECIFICATIONS

Intel Centrino Duo Processor Technology

·        Intel Core 2 Duo Processors T7700/T7500/T7300/T7100

·        Mobile Intel Pm965 Express Chipset

·        Intel Pro/Wireless 3945abg Network Connection /Intel Wireless Wifi Link 4965AGN

NVidia  Geforce 8600M  GT ,External 256MB DDR3 VRAM Genuine Windows Vista

·        Genuine Windows Ultimate/Home Premium

DDRII 667MHZ, up to 4GB

15.4” WXGA/WXGA+/WSXGA+Color Shine LCD(G1) 17.0” WXGA color Shine,

Quick-response time LCD(G2)

SATA 80/120/160/200GB(G1S)/ 200GB(G2S)

DVD Super-Multi/DVD Super-Multi Light Scribe/HD-DVD/Blu-ray

Built-in 1.3 Mege-Pixel Camera

10/100/1000,802.11a/b/g or 802.11a/b/g/n,Bluetooth V2.0+EDR(optional)

1xHDMI Port,1xVGA port (D-sub 15 pin), 4xUSB(G1),5xUSB (1 for E-SATA)-G2 optional,1×4 in 1 Card Reader,1xExpress Card, 1xSPDIF/Headphone, 1xMicrophone, 1xline-in 35.4×28.4×3.74cm,3.1 kg(8 cell Battery pack)-G1/41.1 x 31.6 x 4.66cm

4.4 kg (8 cell battery pack)-G2

ASUS Direct Messenger (2^nd Display)

Asus F8 Infusion, Notebook Series With A Style

An all round mobile computing workhorse based on the latest platform with advanced graphics solutions, the F8 is sophisticated inside-out with robustness, state-of-the-art computing technologies and unique aesthetics.

The Infusion Technology is a cutting edge manufacturing process used to produce the unique designs laptop surfaces. Being inlaid within the chassis itself, the motifs are an integral part of the entire laptop and will not fade with time. The Infusion surface also provides a new level of resilience, resisting scratches while looking sleek that the notebook is not only a trusty companion on the road; it also offers greater pleasure to work with.

Equipped with a Hybrid TV tuner, the F8 gives the user maximum versatility with the ability to take advantage of both digital and analog signals. A card type remote control is incorporated, in line with the chic portability of the F8 lifestyle, giving the user the ability to take charge of entertainment while being easily carried. In addition, a built-in swivel webcam allows instant high-resolution face to face communication without the hassle of external connections and messy wires.

The F8 is equipped with latest Intel Core2 Duo processors, up to 2GB of DDR2 memory, DirectX 10 support and a choice of the most powerful graphics processing systems currently available: the world’s first ATI Mobility Radeon HD2600 or the NVIDIA GeForce8600M GS, each graphics engine stocked with 512MB and 256MB of physical VRAM, respectively.

Specification

Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology

- Intel Core2 Duo Processors T7700/T7500/T7300/T7100
- Intel PM965 Chipset
- Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN Connectivity

Genuine Windows Vista

- Genuine Home Premium
- Genuine Business
- Genuine Ultimate

-ATI Mobility Radeon HD2600 with VRAM 512MB; HM to 1280MB
-NVIDIA GeForce8600M GS with VRAM 256MB, TC to 1024MB
-14.1″ Widescreen Color Shine LCD, ASUS Splendid Video Intelligence Technology
-DDR2 533/667MHz, up to 2G
-Built-in 1.3M pixel Swivel Camera
-SATA 80/120/160 GB
-Bluetooth V1.2/V2.0 +EDR (Optional)
-Hybrid TV Tuner, Fingerprint with TPM (Optional)
-5xUSB; DVI-D; VGA-Out; TV-Out (S-Video); Express card; IEEE1394; RF 1; 8-IN-1 Card-reader; LAN; Phone jack
-34 x 24.4 x 3.72cm, 2.59kg (6 cell battery pack)

ASUS ROG Maximus II Formula Motherboard for Gaming Enthusiastic

Asus released the new ASUS ROG Maximus II Formula series motherboard. Equipped with an Intel P45 chipset and supporting DDRII memory.
[/raw] ASUS ROG Maximus II Formula Features

A Taiwanese forum has got their hands of several high-quality pictures of the upcoming Asus Republic of Gamers, Maximus Formula motherboard. It’s got a massive heatsink covering the chipset and it’s connected to another heatsink that vents the heat out of the case via the I/O panel. There are several heatpipes connecting the various heatsinks on the motherboard, but it looks like Asus has gone for a traditional PWM design instead of using a digital PWM design like DFI, which takes up a lot less space on the board.

The board itself doesn’t look that amazing though, it’s got two x16 PCI Express 2.0 slots, two x1 slots and a third black slot for Asus audio riser card, as well as two PCI slots. Around the back are six USB ports, a FireWire port, a PS/2 port for a keyboard, two Ethernet connectors and S/PDIF out connectors, but no eSATA which is a real bummer.

• High-Fidelity Environmental Sounds with SupremeFX X-Fi
• Easily Upgrade CPUs with CPU Level Up
• Extreme Engine Design for Exceptional Performance

ASUS ROG Maximus II Formula Specs:

CPU – LGA775 socket for Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Quad / Core™2 Duo /

Chipset – Intel® P45/ICH10R with Intel® Fast Memory Access Technology

System Bus – 1600/1333/1066/800 MHz

Memory – Dual-channel memory architecture max.16GB, DDR2-1200/1066/800/667 MHz, non-ECC and un-buffered memory

Expansion Slots
- 2 * PCIe2.0 x16 slots
- 3 * PCIe x1 slots (the PCIEx1_1 (black) is compatible with audio slot)
- 2 * PCI 2.2 slots

Storage – 6 *Z SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports

Marvell® 88SE6121 controller:
- 1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33 for up to 2 PATA devices

- 1 x External SATA 3.0 Gb/s port (SATA On-the-Go)
LAN – Dual Gigabit LAN controllers, both featuring AI NET2

SupremeFX X-Fi Audio Card:
- ADI® AD2000B 8-channel High Definition Audio CODEC
- Creative X-Fi capability
- X-Fi interface
Coaxial/Optical S/PDIF out ports

USB – max.12 USB 2.0 ports(6 ports at mid-board, 6 ports at back panel)

ROG Exclusive Overclocking Features

Pin Fin Thermal Module
Extreme Engine:
- 16-phase power design for CPU
- 3-phase power design for north bridge
- 2-phase power design for memory
Extreme Tweaker
- CPU Level Up
- LCD Poster
- Onboard Switches: Power / Reset / Cls CMOS (at rear)

• MSI K9A2GM-FIH-motherboard – AMD 780G chipset – Review 
• Asus M3A78-EH AMD 780 Motherboard
• Gigabyte GA-MA78G-DS3H Motherboard for AMD  Phenom
• Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H Motherboard based on AMD 780G Chipset
• Zenith 501A Quad Core Desktop PC – Specs,Price in India
• AMD 780G Chipset Motherboard-latest AMD
• Gigabyte EP45-DS3L Motherboard-Specs, price in India
• Nehalem –X58-The Next-Generation Intel quad Core Processor and Chipset
• Gigabyte GA-MA78GM-S2H Motherboard
• Gigabyte EP43-DS3L Motherboard – Reviwe,price in India
• Zenith 401N Desktop PC – Specs, price in India
• HP Compaq 6735b, 6535 – Puma-based business laptops launched by HP
• INTEL D975XBX2
• Acer Aspire
• INTEL DX38BT

This post was written by:

admin – who has written 283 posts on Technology News India – latest trends in Technology