Deepcool Preps Assassin CPU Cooler

Deepcool, manufacturer and provider of various thermal products for desktops, laptops and servers, is preparing to unleash the high performance Assassin CPU cooler - an Alpenfohn K2 lookalike.

The nickel plated boasts a twin tower design, eight 6mm copper heat-pipes, a copper base, uniquely shaped aluminum fins, and comes with two fans. The Assassin is compatible with all Intel LGA 775/ 1155/ 1156/ 1366 and AMD AM2/ AM2+/ AM3 processors.

News via [Softpedia]

DFI Showcases New Motherboards at Computex 2004

During Computex 2004, VR-Zone had the chance to visit DFI's booth in Hall 2. A total of 8 new motherboards were released.

The new LANPARTY Intel boards (925X-T2, 915P-T)will feature:Socket 775 platformKarajan 8-channel audio codecHigh speed GbE LAN on PCI Express busThe new LANPARTY AMD board (nF3 ULTRA-D) will feature:AMD 939 pin AMD64 platformKarajan 8-channel audio codecGbE PHY LAN by MarvellAs dor the INFINITY series, there will be two new models, 915P-T and 875P-T INFINITY, for P4 775-pin CPU platform and nF3 250Gb, K8T800 and K8M800 for AMD Athlon 64 754-pin CPU platform.

More photos of DFI's latest product offerings (which includes a barebone) can be found at VR-Zone's Computex 2004 Day 3 Report

ASUS Xonar D2 X Sound Card Details

We first broke the news about ASUSmaking sound cards over at CeBIT andDigiTimes followed up with an article yesterday stating Xonar D2X is usingCMedia sound chips instead of ADI we initially heard. If that the case, XonarD2/X is most probably based off C-MediaOxygen HDCMI8788 sound chip according to the specs we seen.

ASUS Xonar sound cards are primarily targeted at Gamers as well as Music andDigital Home users. There are two versions of cards but with the same specs;Xonar D2 is PCI based while D2X is PCI Express based. Xonar D2/X supports192K/24-bit with 118dB SNR for playback and 115dB SNR for recording. It supportsHW accelerated EAX 2.0 and OpenAL under Windows XP but not Windows Vista sinceHardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) is removed. Without that, games usingDirectSound3D will be rendered in software mode without EAX. It doesn't affectnew game titles since most of them run on OpenAL. Creative faced the sameproblem with their X-Fi sound cards therefore they have a ongoingALchemyproject to convert EAX into OpenAL so perhaps CMedia or ASUS can follow suit.

Other features include supports for Dolby Digital Live and DTS Connect toconvert gaming audio into Dolby Digital & DTS 5.1 channels surround signal forHome Theater systems. It also supports Dolby Headphone and Dolby Virtual Speakerto provide 3D sound positioning over headphones and speakers. ASUS promises theywill provide constantly updated drivers on both XP and Vista to the consumers.ASUS plans to ship 500K Xonar D2X sound cards in 2007.

ASUS Unveils New Eee PC, EeeTop and EeeBox Powered by NVIDIA ION

ASUS, one of the world’s leading PC OEMs and pioneer of the netbook category, has adopted award-winning NVIDIA® ION™ graphics for many of its top-selling “Eee” netbooks and nettop PCs.

The NVIDIA ION graphics processor transforms low-power PCs into versatile media and entertainment centers that support stutter-free HD video, games and video editing. ION delivers up to 10x faster graphics performance than comparable systems with Intel integrated graphics.

All of the NVIDIA ION-based PCs and motherboards from ASUS fully support Windows 7, which takes advantage of graphics processors to accelerate a variety of applications, freeing the CPU to handle other tasks.

The new ASUS products include:

• ASUS Eee PC 1201N: An incredibly fast netbook that combines NVIDIA ION graphics with a dual-core CPU to deliver a superior multimedia experience.
• ASUS EeeTop PC ET2002T: A stylish all-in-one PC featuring a 20-inch Touchscreen display and built-in DVD drive.
• ASUS EeeBox PC EB1012: The latest version of ASUS’s pioneering nettop delivers an incredible media experience with support for HD video, HDMI, and casual gaming.
• ASUS EeeBox PC EB1501: A full PC experience with built-in DVD burner, up to 4GB of memory, wireless connectivity and Windows 7 Home Premium.
• ASUS AT3N7A-I: A mini-ITX motherboard that is ideal for building a media centre, small form factor desktop, or home theater PC.

Jeff Fisher, senior vice president of the GeForce and ION business units at NVIDIA said, “ASUS has energized an entire line of netbooks and nettops with our NVIDIA ION GPU. High definition media, great gaming, and Windows 7 – with these PCs consumers can truly have it all.”

“Our new ION-powered Eee PCs will redefine netbook and nettop performance,” said Jerry Shen, CEO of ASUSTeK Computer Inc. “They deliver an outstanding HD experience that isn’t possible with today’s basic integrated graphics.”

Jon Peddie, an industry analyst who specialises in graphics research, said, “ASUS is a leader in small form factor PCs, and this step shows that they are aware of the importance of great graphics, even for netbooks and nettops. These PCs will run circles around most Atom-based systems, so they are an excellent solution.”

ION graphics deliver a premium experience in small, low-powered PCs with support for:

• All versions of Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7
• Outstanding HD video including 1080p and Blu-ray*
• Smooth streaming video with the upcoming Flash Player 10.1
• Digital connectivity to an external monitor via HDMI
• Mainstream games including Spore, The Sims, UP, and LEGO games
• Hardware acceleration for NVIDIA® CUDA™ architecture-based applications such as vReveal, Badaboom, Arcsoft Total Media Theater, and Super LoiLoscope
• 24-bit 8-channel LPCM uncompressed audio through HDMI

Apple to release iPhone 5 or 4S

As the date draws nearer to 3rd quarter (which is rumoured to be the period for the launch of Apples next generation iPhone), reports are coming in saying it will not be the release of iPhone 5 but iPhone 4S. iPhone 5 is reported to be encountering heat issues with the implementation of the A5 processor. iPad 2 which are using the A5 processor faces no such problems probably due to its bigger surface area allowing a better dissipitation of heat. iPhone 5 will probably be using the A6 processor instead. iPhone 4S is rumoured to be released first to allow time for the issue to be resolved and will be equipped with a less powerful A5 processor in order to avoid overheating.

Source: PCgameshardware, Reghardware

ASUS Unveils 890FX Boards; Crosshair IV Formula amp; M4A89TD PRO

Press Release :
ASUS once again provides timely, optimized solutions to utilize incoming technology from AMD, supporting the chip maker?s new six-core CPU design. Exclusive features added to ASUS 890FX motherboards realize the hexa-core architecture?s capabilities to the fullest degree.


ASUS ROG Crosshair IV Formula
Better Performance Achieved
Both ROG Crosshair IV Formula and M4A89TD PRO include the AMD 890FX chipset and deliver thrilling PC performance through award-winning ASUS exclusives Core Unlocker and Turbo Unlocker, empowering users with on-demand overclocking and performance boosts for greater CPU capabilities in real time. Combined with the potential of the new design from AMD, these motherboards provide an experience like no other.

ASUS M4A89TD PRO
Unrivalled CPU Unlocking Leadership
ASUS shows the way in extreme PC performance with the inclusion of Core Unlocker on new 890FX boards. This technology has garnered much acclaim from international media since its inception, and remains the most reliable and successful way to unlock additional cores for performance improvements on motherboards using the AMD 800-series chipset. Core Unlocker makes it possible to turn a budget quad-core version of a CPU into a full six-cores for significant computing gains*.
It is accompanied by Turbo Unlocker, an intelligent overclocking engine that opens up CPU performance instantly by CPU core ratio when engaged in heavy computing or intensive tasks, including gaming.
Speaking on the inclusion of these two unique tools, Joe Hsieh, General Manager of Motherboard Business with ASUS, said: "ASUS will never stop developing the friendliest and most performance-boosting features available to consumers, whether enthusiasts, beginners or anyone else. Both Core Unlocker and Turbo Unlocker realize CPU potential, making them ideal for users looking for the best value on the best performance motherboards around."
Real Time Boost on All Phenom II Black Edition CPUs (2/3/4/6 Cores)
Turbo Unlocker represents the next evolution of performance tuning from ASUS. Designed for AMD Black Edition and 6-core processors equipped with an unlockable multiplier, it intelligently adjusts CPU clock speeds with one-click input from users to attain even more computing power. When running single-core optimized applications, Turbo Unlocker dynamically adjusts resources and ensures maximum performance on dedicated cores. For multi-threaded applications, all cores supercharge to the highest performance available. Performance gains occur dynamically and instantly based on actual system conditions, so overclocking is always safe and stable.
Turning Four Cores into Six
Using a switch on both new motherboards, award-winning Core Unlocker is an ASUS exclusive that leads to fast and easy performance gains through the activation of latent CPU cores. One press sets Core Unlocker going as it scans the CPU for additional cores and puts them to work for major computational gains. Heavy multitasking, rendering and gaming go faster and better with additional cores available, as Core Unlocker can turn a dual-core CPU into a tri or quad, or turn quad-core versions into a full six-cores for significant computing gains*. In many cases Core Unlocker has demonstrated up to 103% in added performance?it is a supremely capable technology that injects great value into these motherboards.
Faster than Ever Connectivity
Both ROG Crosshair IV Formula and the M4A89TD PRO boast native next-generation data USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s. These super-fast connections bring users into the HD era with the speed and reliability needed to handle large files quickly. The motherboards feature two USB 3.0 ports each, transferring data at up to ten times the speed of USB 2.0, so moving an entire Blu-ray disc (25GB) takes just 70 seconds. SATA 6Gb/s offers twice the throughput of its predecessor, making hard drives noticeably more expedient.
With the performance and speed demanded by users constantly rising, these technologies could not have come at a better time.
Specifications

Model

ASUS ROG Crosshair IV Formula

ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3

CPU

Phenom II/Athlon II/Sempron 100

Socket AM3

Phenom II/Athlon II/Sempron 100

Socket AM3

Chipset

AMD® 890FX/SB850

AMD® 890FX/SB850

Memory

4 DIMM max 16GB

dual channel DDR3 2000 (OC)/1600/1333/1066

4 DIMM max 16GB

dual channel DDR3 2000(OC)/1600/1333/1066

Power phase

8+2 phase

6+2 phase

PCIe x16 slots

3 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slots (dual x16, triple x16 x8 x8)

2 dual x16

Multi-GPU

CrossFireX

CrossFireX

Gigabit LAN

1

1

Audio

SupremeFX X-Fi 8-channel HD

8-channel HD

Storage

2 x USB 3.0

12x USB 2.0

2 x USB 3.0

12x USB 2.0

Exclusive features

Core Unlocker

Turbo Unlocker

ROG Connect

Game First

Turbo Key II

TurboV EVO

EPU

MemOK!

CPU Level Up

SupremeFX X-Fi built-in

Core Unlocker

Turbo Unlocker

Turbo Key II

TurboV EVO

TurboV

Express Gate

EPU

Stack Cool 3

MemOK!

CPU Level Up

AOC and DisplayLink launch 15.6-inch portable monitor

AOC and DisplayLink have launched a 15.6-inch USB 2.0 portable monitor, designed to help anyone running multiple applications on their PC or laptop.

The monitor, codenamed e1649fwu, employs a DL-125 chip supplied by DisplayLink and display technology by AOC.The screen has a maxmum resolution of 1366x768 at 60Hz. It does not need to be plugged into a mains, as it is powered directly through the USB port, which means it can feed off a laptops battery power when out and about.The monitor is also very light at just over two pounds, making it not much heavier than a typical tablet computer. It also looks very similar to an iPad or Galaxy Tab, with a sleek design and a fold out and rotatable stand that makes it operate like a picture frame.The monitor can be used in both landscape and portrait forms, with the image adjusting to the orientation of the device thanks to a built-in accelerometer.The display will work on most operating systems, including XP, Vista, Windows 7, OSX Tiger, Leopard and Lion, and many versions of Linux. It should be a simple case of plug and play.“With DisplayLink technology, AOC was able to rapidly bring to market this productivity-enhancing, versatile monitor for both mobile professionals and the home office user,” said Robert Velez, head of marketing at AOC. “The market for extended displays is growing rapidly, and this offering with its low power consumption, cord-independence and value price makes multi-screen computing more practical than ever.”Currently the monitor is only available in the US, with a price tag of $139.