AMD has been performing very well in terms of delivering new products to the masses as well as ensuring that shipments are on time. With regards to processors and platforms, AMD is now in a position where it can diversify at its own pace and not have to be in Intel's shadow.
This year, we will be seeing a great deal of things happening with AMD's processors as well as the sockets that hold them. Coming with these changes will be new motherboards as well as opportunities for new platforms. DailyTech last reported on AMD's next-generation generation socket F, which is a LGA-type socket with 1207 pins. The new socket will be home to AMD's upcoming dual-core as well as quad-core Opterons.
Despite the need for more complex interfaces to support multi-core processors, AMD's existing socket 754 will be outlasting the more complex socket 939. Currently, socket 939 is home to AMD's Athlon 64, Athlon 64 X2 and Athlon 64 FX processors while socket 754 is for Sempron. According to AMD documentation, all socket 939 processors will stop shipping Q2 2007 with final orders occurring nearly half a year before end-date. AMD Roadmaps have socket 939 end of life (EOL) in Q4'06, while socket 754 is EOL Q4'07.
For socket 939 processors, the first to fall off the charts will be Athlon 64 processors based on Venice core, with last orders occurring in the Q2 of this year and shipments stopping by the end of Q4. Athlon 64 processors based on San Diego will see similar results starting in Q4. Interestingly, while the Athlon FX 60 recently just launched, AMD will be taking final orders in Q4 of this year. Athlon X2 processors based on socket 939 will stop shipping in Q2 2007 with final orders being taken in Q4 of this year. Processors based on socket 754, such as AMD's Sempron will be continuing to ship well into 2007 and cease near the end of the year.
The move is to transition motherboard manufacturers over to AMD's new socket AM2, which is a unified socket architecture designed to hold both Athlon and Sempron processors, while Socket S1 will feature upcoming dual-core Turions. Processors based on the new AM2 interface will begin shipping later this year.
mercredi 27 février 2013
AMD's Socket 754 to Outlast Socket 939
dimanche 24 février 2013
Les projets de Bungie clarifiés
Le procès a démarré et il nous permet aujourd'hui d'en savoir plus sur les projets de Bungie et leur contrat avec le premier éditeur de jeux vidéo au monde. Signé en avril 2010 (soit peu de temps après le début de la bisbille) le contrat stipule que Bungie doit sortir quatre FPS de science fiction, un tous les deux ans à partir de 2013. Le projet Destiny devrait donc se préciser dans les mois à venir et sortir l'année prochaine. De plus, les développeurs doivent également mettre sur le marché quatre extensions destinées à leurs jeux, ce qui remplira le planning des années paires à compter de 2014.
Autres détails croustillant : Activision promet de verser quelques 2,5 millions de dollars si le jeu remporte un score minimum de 90% sur Game Rankings. Ce n'est pas tout puisque le studio pourrait toucher 35% des revenus du jeu si ces derniers excèdent la somme de 401 millions de dollars. Au rang des moins bonnes nouvelles pour Bungie, son partenaire a prévu des ruptures de contrat sèches. Par exemple, si le jeu initial ne s'écoule pas à plus de 5 millions d'exemplaires le contrat peut être rompu. Après la sortie de la seconde extension (pour le second jeu donc), Activision peut briser le contrat sans pénalités et sans raison.
Pour ce qui est des joueurs, ils seront ravis d'apprendre que Destiny sera une exclusivité temporaire (on parle d'un an) pour la Xbox 360. La PS3 et le PC pourraient avoir droit à leurs versions respectives l'année suivante mais il n'y a là rien de bien établit. Enfin, sachez que les jeux suivants ont toutes les chances d'atterrir sur la prochaine génération de consoles.
· Forum Destiny
mardi 19 février 2013
ASUS Extreme AX850 Series
ASUSTeK today introduced the Extreme AX850 graphics card series. Powered bytoday’s most powerful 16-lane PCI Express VPU, ATi RADEON® 850, and incorporatedunique features available exclusively from ASUS. The Extreme AX850 seriesprovides the best visual experience compared with other competing graphicscards.
“We are pleased to be working with ASUS to deliver the world’s best PCI Expressgraphics solutions,” said Rick Bergman, Senior Vice President, Marketing,General Manager, Desktop, ATI Technologies Inc. “With the introduction of theASUS EAX850 series powered by ATI’s RADEON® 850, ATI and ASUS are enablingcustomers to experience the full benefits of PCI Express.”
The new graphics card series incorporated innovative features exclusively fromASUS:
GameFace Live – Talk to and see your teammates
GameFace Live is the world’s first multi-player, video/audio communicationsolutions for DirectX PC gaming. It enables simultaneous connection of up toeight players, allowing gamers to talk to and see their teammates or the enemyduring PC gaming.
OnScreenDisplay (OSD) – Fast setting adjustment
This feature allows users to adjust general settings such as brightness andcontrast levels, VR settings and extra light settings while watching movies orplaying 3D games without having to pause or even stop.
VideoSecurity Online– Set up a home security system
Simply aim the webcam to a specific area and this unique feature will monitorthat location, take snap shots of any unauthorized visitors and send out warningmessages to preprogrammed recipients via e-mail or phone call.
Also included are two of the hottest 3D games:
Joint Operations – the largest multiplayer Modern Combat FPS game ever released.
Xpand Rally – Race with powerful rally cars amidst photo-realistic sceneries.
samedi 16 février 2013
ASUS Eee Pad Tablets Get Android 3.2 Update
Today, ASUS announced that it will be offering Google Android 3.2 updates to all its Eee Pad tablet devices, which at the moment is specifically to the Eee Pad Transformer; and ASUS may well be the first company to offer the Android 3.2 update service.
The firmware upgrade which will include the Android 3.2 update can be done over-the-air forthe Eee PadTransformer, though it will be released on a market by market basis. Users will receive a notification on their tablets starting from 28 July 2011 and this online firmware update can be completed in just a few steps.
New Feature, More Functionality
The Google Android 3.2 includes a variety of optimization to ensure great user experience. With the update, users can now use the keyboard dock touchpadthe same way as the multi-touch display. The update also introduces a new compatibility zoom mode that gives users a new way to view fixed-sized apps that are not designed to run on larger screen sizes. On top of that,Android 3.2 will also offerimprovements inuser interface, connectivity to various USB accessories, as well as updates to standards apps.
vendredi 1 février 2013
Vers une suite de Planescape Torment
Il semblerait que certains développeurs soient intéressés par la mise en chantier d'une suite qui, si elle n'est pas officielle, serait au moins spirituelle. C'est Colin McComb, actuellement en train de terminer Wasteland 2, qui a annoncé son désir de lancer ce projet. Pour cela, il a rencontré certains des vétérans ayant officié sur Planescape Torment, notamment Chris Avellone. Ce dernier s'est montré très enthousiaste suite à la présentation de McComb et lui a même donné sa bénédiction pour cette suite (qui devrait se faire sans lui du fait de son implication dans le développement de Project Eternity). Par contre, Wizards of the Coast se sont montrés frileux quant à l'utilisation des règles de AD&D (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons).
Les choses démarrent bien donc, pour cette suite qui vient d'entrer en phase de préproduction. A moins d'un changement en cours de route, le jeu pourrait s'intituler sobrement Torment. Pour tout savoir de cet entretien entre développeurs et au sujet du futur Torment, rendez-vous à cette adresse riche en détails croustillants.
NB : l'image de cette news est tirée de Planescape Torment.
mardi 29 janvier 2013
ASUS P5NT WS SLI Workstation Board
The ASUS P5NT WS is built on the NVIDIAC55+MCP55PXE chipset structure whichsupports a LGA775 Socket for running Intel Dual-core™/Quad-core™ CPUs and twoNVIDIA SLI graphic cards with Dual x16 speeds on the same platform. This allowsthe user to enjoy the best CPU and graphics for the system build. With theaddition of the PCI-X interface, the P5NT WS motherboard provides much moreoptions in I/O configurations for SOHOs and power users to custom-build theirideal working or entertainment environment.
High Quality Solid Aluminum Capacitors
The ASUS P5NT WS motherboard is fitted with solid Aluminum capacitors and aconductive polymer to help secure perfect system stability. These high qualitymaterials also help ensure that the motherboard will have a longer product lifetime.
New PCI-X Structure for More Efficiency
The PCI-X Structure of the P5NT WS motherboard is a newer, higher speed versionof the conventional PCI standard. It is also fully hardware and softwarebackward compatible to previous generations of PCI. These new standards keeppace with upcoming advances in high-bandwidth business-critical applicationssuch as Fibre Channel, RAID, networking, InfiniBand™ Architecture, SCSI, andiSCSI.
Effective Heat-pipe Thermal Solution
The innovative Heat-pipe Thermal design of the P5NT WS motherboard effectivelydirects the heat generated by the chipsets to the heatsink near the back IOports – where it can be dissipated by existing airflow from the CPU fan oroptional fans. This unique Heat-pipe design highlights how fanless designseffectively curb the problem of chipset fans breaking down.
Furthermore, it provides options for users to install a side-flow fan or apassive cooler. The Heat-pipe design is the most reliable fanless thermalsolution to date.
Cool and Quiet 8-Phase Power Design
The P5NT WS also encompasses an 8-Phase Power Design that reduces input ripplecurrent and output ripple voltages – keeping the CPU and power modules from therisk of high power stress. It also provides reliability under heavy-loading andoverclocking by
stabilizing output current and voltages. All this effectively lets componentsattain longer lifespans and allows them to operate at 15 $ B!k (JC (36 $ B!k (JF)lower than conventional solutions – resulting in lower fan speeds for quieteroperation.
ASUS AI Clock Skew – Reliable Overclocking
This helpful feature automatically skews the memory clock signal timing toimprove memory overclocking capabilities by 10 to 15%. The clock signal can beadjusted to reserve enough
Setup time / Hold time in order to maintain the system stability.
Balance Performance and Quietness with AI Gear
ASUS $ B!G (Js AI Gear allows users to choose from profiles to adjust the CPUfrequency and voltage. This allows a balance for both system performance andquietness. Having two modes: High Performance for running heavy loadingapplications and Max Power Saving for minimizing system noise and powerconsumption; AI Gear provides Real-time adjustments under the OS to suit varyingneeds.
AI Nap – Powersaving and Noise Reducing
With AI Nap, users can instantly snooze the PC without terminating any tasks.The system will continue operating at minimum power and noise till reawakened.
Files will continue to download and applications will be run in the quieteststate while the system is in AI Nap mode. The system will swiftly wake up in amatter of seconds with a simple click of the keyboard of mouse.
P5NT WS SPECIFICATIONS
- LGA775 Socket
- - NVIDIA Dual SLI x 16 Chipset (C55+MCP55PXE)
- Front Side Bus 1333/800/533 MHz
- DDR2 800/667/533
- 3 x PCIe x 16 (supports NVIDIA SLI™ technology)
- 1 x PCI-X
- 2 x PCIe X1
- 1 x PCI 2.2
- 2 x Gb LAN
- RealTek ALC888 8-CH HD Audio
For more information on the P5NT WS Motherboard, please visit the companyhomepage at sg.asus.com
Android magazine banned from Apple App store
Apple has rejected a magazine app from Danish media company, Mediaprovider. It isn't at all surprising that apps on content of competing platforms wouldbe rejected by Apple App Store, though for the Danishmagazine app,Android Magasinet, it was due to its exclusive content on the Google's Android platform.
However, there areother Android news app available in the App Store likeAndroidworld Reader, and other apps about other operating systems.Mediaprovider's iPhone Magasinet and Gear magazine apps that deal with information and news about the Apple iPhone are both available for download from the App Store.
Apple also bans apps that contain adult content even though they could be educational.
Source: PC Magazine