AENEON XTUNE AXT760UD00-19D 2GB Kit (DDR2-1066)  



Today, the enthusiast angle is still a strong driver for DDR2 development, but manufacturers are basically trying to achieve better performance through radical cooling designs (such as OCZ's Flex-XLC hybrid cooling memory) and hand picking chips to ensure overclocking capacity. You can find enthusiast DDR2 memory in the speeds of 1200MHz, but the last real DDR2 specification to meet the JEDEC standards was DDR2-800. Every other high-speed DDR2 memory you see today above DDR2-800 can be considered custom factory-overclocked memory. Their speeds, timings and voltage requirements can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. For example, the JEDEC standard for DDR2 specifies operating voltage of 1.8V. However, all DDR2-1000 and above memory modules run outside of the specifications anywhere between 2.1V to 2.35V in order to function properly.

Then in May this year, Micron announced sampling and production of the first DDR2-1066 chips that are actually able to run at a stock voltage of 1.8V through their 78nm fabrication process. This is the first big announcement for DDR2 memory as it could possibly see the setting of a new official JEDEC standard for DDR2 memory and running into favor with AMD, which will not be moving to DDR3 till 2008 at the very earliest. Micron's new DDR2-1066 chips operate with a CAS Latency of 7.0 however, which may very well cripple its performance advantage seeing that standard DDR2-800 memory have dropped to CAS 4.0 and even 3.0, while regular enthusiast DDR2-1066 in the market run at CAS 5.0.

This is where Micron's German rival Qimonda AG comes into play. Through their AENEON brand, Qimonda has essentially beat everyone to the punch by launching their new AENEON XTUNE DDR2-1066 memory into the retail channels. The XTUNE is the performance model of AENEON's memory lineup and this DDR2-1066 memory is not only guaranteed to operate at a stock 1.8V at 1066MHz, it also runs at CAS 5.0 latency and carries NVIDIA's Enhanced Performance Profile (EPP) timings. That's a triple bonus in a single stick of RAM and we intend to put the AENEON XTUNE DDR2-1066 through its paces to find out just how well Qimonda's newest DDR2 wonder-RAM will fare. In this review, we will be testing the AENEON XTUNE DDR2-1066 2GB dual channel kit (AXT760UD00-19D).

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Source from HardwareZone

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ASUS P5K3 Premium Black Pearl Edition (Intel P35)  



Mention 'black pearl' these days and you'll probably conjure up an image of a dilapidated pirate ship and a half-crazy Johnny Depp. However, a natural black pearl (as in real pearls - the jewelry kind) is incredibly rare and often used as a term to describe something that is highly limited and valued. In the motherboard world, ASUS on rare occasions, tend to release a special edition of a motherboard that has been engineered to the brim with features and special high-quality components that sets it apart from their regular boards. These are known as the ASUS Black Pearl Edition motherboards.

Now, if there's one thing in PC marketing that is constant, it is the over saturation of a certain branding till it becomes somewhat trivial. However, the ASUS Black Pearl Edition is truly a rarity. The last Black Pearl motherboard from ASUS was the P4PE back in 2003 based on the Intel 845PE chipset (which we've reviewed here too if you're interested to take a peek). Now, after a four year hiatus and five chipset generations later, ASUS commemorates their 18th anniversary with brand new third generation series of Black Pearl Edition motherboards. Presently, ASUS has taken their current two flagship P35 motherboards, the P5K Deluxe and P5K3 Deluxe and transformed them into the P5K Premium and P5K3 Premium Black Pearl Edition boards respectively.

As it can get a little confusing separating ASUS' large family of boards, we'll go through a short background on the two boards. The ASUS P5K Deluxe and P5K3 Deluxe are really two versions of the same motherboard, the former exclusively supporting DDR2 and the latter, DDR3. Both these boards have appeared in our various past articles (ASUS P35 "Bearlake" Preview , ASUS P5K Deluxe and A DDR3 Story ), so www.hardwarezone.com readers should be very familiar with the original ASUS P5K Deluxe and P5K3 Deluxe by now. Since we've directly reviewed the DDR2 based P5K Deluxe before, we've decided that it would be much more interesting to have an in depth look at the DDR3 variant instead. In this article, we will pick apart the ASUS P5K3 Premium to see if ASUS still has what it takes to deliver a real Black Pearl.

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Source from HardwareZone

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AMD Demonstrates Next-Generation GPU With DisplayPort  

AMD had a next-generation GPU with DisplayPort running at the VESA PlugTest event

AMD this week demonstrated a next-generation graphics processor with a native DisplayPort interface – the first graphics processor to support the standard. The DisplayPort toting graphics processor is undergoing testing by the Video and Electronics Standards Association (VESA). The association is performing interoperability testing at its PlugTest event in Milpitas, Calif.

The AMD demonstration had the next-generation graphics processor output to a Genesis Microchip DisplayPort receiver. Display manufacturers such as Samsung are developing new display products using the Genesis Microchip DisplayPort receiver. Samsung plans to release a 30” LCD display with 2560 x 1600 resolution and 10 bits of color depth next year.

“Achieving this level of interoperability is the result of a long-time collaboration between AMD and Genesis Microchip,” said Alan Kobayashi, Vice President, DisplayPort and Monitor Marketing, Genesis Microchip. “Like AMD, we believe that the creation of DisplayPort is an industry milestone that will deliver incredible performance in displays and address the growing bandwidth concerns of any high-resolution audio and video application.”

VESA previously ratified the DisplayPort 1.1 standard last April. DisplayPort is an open standard with no licensing fees, unlike HDMI. The standard intends to unify and replace three existing standards – DVI, LVDS and VGA interfaces.

“As one of the founding members of the DisplayPort promoter group, and a very active VESA member, AMD has played a valuable role for more than four years now in the specification development of the DisplayPort interface,” said Bill Lempesis, executive director, VESA. “We congratulate AMD on achieving this tremendous milestone so soon after DisplayPort version 1.1 was ratified in April.”

AMD plans to release DisplayPort capable graphics cards in 2008. The company’s roadmap has R700 and RS780 products pegged with DisplayPort outputs. AMD is not alone with supporting DisplayPort. Intel plans to release its DisplayPort packing Eaglelake-G chipset next year during its usual chipset refresh. Dell also plans to release DisplayPort capable displays in the future.


Source from DailyTech

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Logitech Announces Updated G15 Keyboard and New G9 Mouse  

Logitech updates its G15 gaming keyboard and announces G9 gaming mouse



Logitech showed off an update to the G15 gaming keyboard and a new laser gaming mouse called the G9 behind closed doors at E3 last month. As of today, these new designs are now officially part of Logitech's public portfolio.

Logitech representatives states that feedback from G15 indicated that users didn’t use all the macros the G15 was capable of in its original iteration. Logitech claims the largest complaint on the original G15 was that the keyboard was just too big.

The G15 has changed significantly, most notably by shrinking in size. The shrink was accomplished by losing some of the programmable macro keys on each side of the original G15 keyboard. The six keys on the new version have three shift states so the new G15 can save a total 18 total macros.

The other big change to the new G15 is moving from a flip up LCD display to one that is permanently fixed in place. The backlighting has also changed from a weak blue on the original to a brighter orange on the new G15. The LCD on the new G15 also uses the orange on black for much improved readability while gaming.



The really slick item that Logitech announced that I was able to get hands on time with at Quakecon is the G9 Laser Mouse. This mouse will be Logitech’s new top-of-the-line gaming mouse when it is available in September.

The G9 ships with two interchangeable grips, one called the Wide Load and the other called the Precision grip. The Wide Load grip is flatter and ideal for those who palm a mouse; the precision grip is textured and has raised areas more like the shape of the ergonomic mice we are used to seeing from Logitech.

The biggest feature of the G9 for gamers is likely to be the on-the-fly adjustable sensitivity that can be set to a low of 200 dpi up to a high of 3200 dpi. I am a big fan of high sensitivity for playing FPS games, and the 3200 dpi was great on the Quake Wars: EnemyTerritory demo Logitech was running.

The G9 also is weight adjustable like the G5 and allows the user to choose the color for the LED lights. If you have ever used the Revolution line of mice from Logitech you are familiar with the hyper-fast scroll wheel. The G9 uses the same scroll wheel as the Revolution series. The G9 set up is much the same as the Logitech VX Revolution notebook mouse.

Internal memory on the G9 allows you to save your profiles to the mouse and then use the mouse on computers without the need for drivers. Logitech representatives indicated the company would offer additional, different grips at some point and possible even grips customized for specific game titles, like the special edition G5 for Battlefield 2142.


Source from DailyTech

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Asus 13.3" U3 Notebook  

Asus launches a high-end leather-clad notebook



Dell isn't the only company these days with a sexy 13.3" notebook to brag about. Asus today announced its sleek new 13.3" U3 (LED backlit, WXGA) which is based on Intel's Santa Rosa platform.

The U3 piano-black LCD cover, while the rest of the notebook is constructed of magnesium aluminum alloy. Asus even throws in a genuine leather palm rest for good measure.

When it comes to the guts of the machine, the U3 can accept Core 2 Duo processors up to T7500, Intel Turbo Memory and up to 2.5GB of DDR2 memory. An NVIDIA GeForce 8400M G GPU is provided (128MB of dedicated memory). Up to a 160GB HDD is supported by the U3, but it does not have an integrated optical drive. Users will have to go with either an external USB 2.0 or Firewire drive in order to read CDs or DVDs.

Connectivity options are plentiful on the U3. Asus provides Intel's 4965AGN wireless network adapter, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, GPS and a built-in 3G module for mobile broadband. Potential customers will also be happy to note that Asus has also included an HDMI port and eSATA on the U3.

Asus' U3 weighs in at 3.86 pounds with its standard 3-cell battery.

Asus has not released pricing for the U3 yet, but expect for it to retail in the neighborhood of $2,000 USD.


Source from DailyTech

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Hitachi Refines 3D Holographic Display Technology  

Hitachi refines the 3D holographic display technology announced in 2004



Many think the next big step forward in PC displays for gaming and design will be 3D holographic displays. Currently there are some 3D displays on the market, but they aren’t holographic.

Back in 2004 Hitachi announced it had devised a way to make a 3D display that operated by capturing 24 angles of an object and transmitting the images to the 3D display with the caveat that objects of 10cm or less could be imaged. Hitachi announced it had taken the technology to the point where a human could be imaged.

Now Hitachi is announcing a new version of the technology that uses mirrors to get the feel of a hologram as the image produces from a rapid spinning action of the mirrors around the object displayed. Hitachi claims the technology caters towards schools and museums, so we shouldn’t get our hopes up wishing for some holographic Halo 3, though the technology can output the image to a LCD screen. This technology could be huge in the engineering and manufacturing realm though where being able to see holographic designs could greatly help the design process.


Source from DailyTech

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Hynix Licenses ISi Z-RAM Technology  

Hynix to create DRAM that will use a single transistor bitcell

Innovative Silicon (ISi) and Hynix Semiconductor today announced an agreement for the Korean memory maker to license Z-RAM high-density memory intellectual property for use in its DRAM chips. The deal between the two companies is worth more than $10 million, with additional royalties in production.

Z-RAM was initially developed as the world’s lowest-cost embedded memory technology for logic-based ICs such as mobile chipsets, microprocessors, networking and other consumer applications.

Z-RAM-based DRAMs will use a single transistor bitcell – rather than a combination of transistors and capacitor elements – representing the first fundamental DRAM bitcell change since the invention of the DRAM in the early 1970s.

Although AMD was the first major licensee of Z-RAM technology, Hynix is the first with plans to bring the Z-RAM technology to the DRAM market. Both Interactive Silicon and Hynix are committing considerable engineering resources to work side-by-side on the program.

“Z-RAM promises to provide an elegant approach to manufacture dense DRAMs on nanometer processes,” said Sung-Joo Hong, VP of R&D Division at Hynix. “We see the potential to create a new platform of products based on ISi’s innovation of Z-RAM that will help us maintain and grow our leadership position in the memory market.”

Hynix experienced a considerable growth in revenue in 2006, helping it crack the list of the 10 largest chip makers in the world. Jeff Lewis, VP marketing at ISi, believes that Hynix’s strength in the memory market will help push the growth of Z-RAM technology.

“We believe that this is a major milestone for ISi and Hynix. Z-RAM will have a profound impact on the way DRAMs are designed and manufactured,” commented Lewis. “Since the DRAM industry sold more than $33 billion worth of product in 2006, these developments will, in turn, significantly affect the electronics industry as a whole.”

ISi’s Z-RAM stands apart from today’s standard DRAM and SRAM solutions as its single transistor bitcell architecture is the world’s smallest memory cell, making it the highest density, and therefore world’s lowest-cost semiconductor memory solution.

As Z-RAM’s architecture involves a smaller bitcell, Hynix may choose to make memory products with higher densities than what is currently possible with DRAM.

Z-RAM’s one transistor memory bitcell is made possible by harnessing the Floating Body Effect (FBE) found in circuits fabricated using SOI (silicon-on-insulator) wafers. Moreover, since Z-RAM takes advantage of a naturally-occurring SOI effect, Z-RAM does not require exotic process changes to build capacitors or other complex structures within the memory bitcell.

Innovative Silicon will help Hynix integrate Z-RAM technology into its existing production line. As with any new technology, there may be added costs or lower yield during early production, but Z-RAM should eventually lead to better yields than current DRAM technologies due to its capacitor-less design.

“Memory chips built using ISi’s Z-RAM technology will be much smaller and cheaper to manufacture,” adds Mark-Eric Jones, ISi CEO. “We are looking forward to working with Hynix on its next generation of DRAM chips, and to bringing tremendous performance and usability advantages to end-users.”


Source from DailyTech

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PCI Express 3.0 Details  

Now with 8 gigatransfers per second; coming to a system near you in three years

The PCI Special Interest Group, or PCI-SIG, this week announced the speeds of the latest evolution to the PCI Express specification – PCI Express 3.0, also known as PCIe 3.0. PCIe 3.0 doubles the transfer rate of PCIe 2.0, bringing overall throughput to 8 gigatransfers per second, or GT/s.

PCI-SIG is designing the PCIe 3.0 standard for increased performance, but maintain backwards compatibility with PCIe and PCIe 2.0 devices. The group managed to double throughput of the existing PCIe 2.0 standard by removing the 8b/10b-encoding scheme used and additional optimizations. The 8b/10b-encoding scheme took 20 percent overhead on the overall raw bit rate, according to the group. The PCIe 3.0 standard also includes new signaling and data integrity enhancements.

"Backwards compatibility was a strong selling point for allowing our customers to migrate their technologies to the future technology, knowing that they had the connection point of being able to plug in older adapters and new adapters into existing whichever, whether it was an old or new platform,” Chairman and President of PCI-SIG Al Yanes said in an interview. “This backwards compatibility we're maintaining with the 8GT spec.”

PCIe 3.0 remains in development and isn’t slated for finalization until 2009. The group doesn’t expect industry adoption of the upcoming standard until 2H 2010-2011 timeframe, according to Yanes. The group is unsure which companies will support the upcoming PCIe 3.0 specification, but hints there are 900 companies that are part the PCI-SIG group that push the technology.

“Graphics has been a strong proponent of PCI Express, they've always lead the charge of adopting a new generation,” Yanes said. “There's no reason to think this is any different. We certainly think graphic vendors will be a strong supporter with PCIe 3.0,” he added.

In addition to doubling the transfer speeds of PCIe 2.0, the group is actively looking at new protocol extensions for PCIe 3.0, according to Yanes. The group wants to enhance the specification with better efficiency and power management techniques through protocol extensions.

“We're also actively pursuing protocol extensions to take PCI Express efficiency and latency improvement to the next level,” he added.

Expect PCI-SIG to release the official PCIe 3.0 specification in 2009.


Source from DailyTech

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