ATI Super AA vs. NVIDIA SLI Anti-Aliasing
Radeon X1800 XT 4xAA
GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB 4xAA
You wanted to see more benchmarks and screenshots of the two setups running in action. Well we’ve delivered, as we re-ran our benchmarks with both the super-hard-to-find GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB and the GeForce 7800 GTX 256MB, as well as the Radeon X1800 XT 512MB. ATI and NVIDIA’s latest driver sets are used as well. CrossFire’s key advantage over NVIDIA SLI is ATI’s Super AA performance advantage with the Radeon X1800 XT over the GeForce 7800 GTX cards. ATI’s redesigned compositing engine brings a massive boost to Super AA performance, resulting in little or no performance hit for 8xAA at lower resolutions. In a graphically-intensive game like F.E.A.R for instance, at 1280x960, performance is nearly cut in half for the GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB SLI setup, from 93 fps to just 42. Meanwhile, the X1800 XT CrossFire is cranking along at 51 fps, a drop of just 16%, or 10 fps! Gamers looking for the best combination of image quality and performance though should definitely consider ATI’s CrossFire solution.
Even 14xAA is quite playable at resolutions as high as 1280x1024 in some games. You can’t really say this for the GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB with 16xAA. Until CrossFire’s infrastructure catches up to SLI, we have a feeling that ATI’s CrossFire technology will continue to play second fiddle to NVIDIA SLI despite ATI’s superior performance in higher AA modes.
ATI’s CrossFire implementation isn’t as elegant as NVIDIA SLI. In the case of X1800 CrossFire, you have to mess with thick dongles to connect both graphics cards to each other, while only ATI’s flagship X1800 XT has a corresponding CrossFire master board to pair it with. This leaves ATI X1800 XL users out in the cold unless they want to pay $100+ more for a X1800 XT CrossFire card that will be running with half its memory disabled. With NVIDIA you can mix and match cards as long as they’re based on the same GPU: you don’t need to pair the GeForce 7800 GT for example to a more expensive master card to get SLI to work.
Radeon X1800 XT 4xAA
GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB 4xAA
 
Radeon X1800 XT 512MB 4xAA (left) vs 8xAA (right)
 
GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB 4xAA (left) vs 8xAA (right)
 
Radeon X1800 XT 512MB 8xAA (left) vs 14xAA (right)
 
Radeon X1800 XT 512MB 8xAA (left) vs 14xAA (right)
GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB 4xAA (left) vs 8xAA (right)
 
GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB 4xAA vs 8xAA
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 3DMark06, the latest version of the popular graphics benchmarking software, has been released! It's a 580MB download and is likely to be in extremely high demand today, but thankfully there are nearly 30 download mirrors listed on the 3DMark06 Download page. "Building on 3DMark05 as a foundation, Futuremark improved the core 3D engine, adding more complex ShaderModel 2.0 tests, stunning High Dynamic Range (HDR) ShaderModel 3.0 tests, and overall enhanced the product with substantially higher polygonal counts expected to be found in games two years into the future," says the official press release.
"Even with the addition of HDR/ShaderModel 3.0 tests, 3DMark06 still enables ShaderModel 2.0 compliant graphics card owners [ATI] to run most of the benchmark and get a fully comparable 3DMark score. With these demanding new DirectX 9 implementations, 3DMark06's four graphics tests measure performance of the most advanced hardware while showing visually the compelling advantages of these new shader types."
3DMark06 also features support for AGEIA's PhysX software physics library. It is unknown at this point how a system with AGEIA's Physics Processing Unit (PPU) acceleration card would perform, since it has yet to be released. We met with AGEIA at the recent CES show in Vegas, and were told to expect cards to hit the market "in the next couple of quarters". Naturally, we expect it to do more than just boost one's 3DMark score, though seemingly for some, that alone would be enough.
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VIA introduces new ultra-cool processors
 VIA has introduced a couple of new ultra low voltage processors, forming part of its Eden range of processors. The new chips come in at 1GHz and 1.5GHz. The slower chip runs at a phenomenal 3.5W maximum, whilst the faster comes in at a not-exactly-toasty 7.5W. Based on the 'Esther' core, and also contain VIA's Padlock security features, VIA is sure that data will be locked up safely. Read more..!
 The VideoMate U3 packs a DVB-T tuner into a tiny little thumbdrive. It's designed so that you can watch TV on your laptop on the go, and comes with a mini aerial and some custom software to allow you to record TV. No external power is required: the U3 gets al its power form the USB 2.0 port it's plugged in to.
Also out on the market is the VideoMatePCI, which is a combination analogue and digital PCI TV card. It comes in a low-profile form factor for squeezing inside your MCE PC, and also includes a remote control and some custom software which allows you to power up and down via remote. Compro claim that it's multiple voltage regulators on-board give a cleaner video signal.
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Barrett-Jackson collector car auction
 This year's Barrett-Jackson auction will give you the opportunity to see some truly remarkable vehicles. After last year's $3.24 million sale of Harley Earl's 1954 Oldsmobile F88 concept car, collectible American concepts have come out of the woodwork for this year's event, including the 1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special pictured above.
1953 Ford Vega Roadster - the "Gardner Special"
1950 GM "Futurliner" Parade of Progress bus
1964 Pontiac Prototype Banshee XP-833 Coupe
1953 Chrysler d'Elegance Sports Coupe
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 Staged or not, this timeless LANtrocity: Monster LAN 2 video conjures up every LAN-gamer's dark fantasy: payback! If you despise cheaters, you'll get some cheap thrills watching this clip, as a $25 Counter-Strike tourney quickly devolves into a public mobbing. And yes, that mess in the lower right corner of the bottom picture is what's left of the d00d's computer. Nice!
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TaskFreak!: Open source web-based task management
 TaskFreak! is free and it's fast, so if you're looking for a new way to track your progress on various tasks and projects, it's worth a look. It's written in PHP and works with either MySQL or SQLite and is "GTD compliant." Read more..!
Waterproof PSP case for those weekends on the yacht
 Team Xtender's waterproof PSP case is a little bit on the pointless side, this PSP housing doesn't look like it would make for a very comfortable gaming session. Other than transport, chalk this one up as a nice idea, but one that's poorly executed.
- Waterproof, Can protect PSP up to 20 meters under water
- Dust-proof, dirt-proof, sand-proof, and drop-proof
- Can With stand extreme Low and High temperatures
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Etro Arnica Two Pocket Satchel
 Over at Etro they certainly love color. Some of their latest bags for spring combine their classic paisley-print coated canvas with bright croc-embossed leather trim and patchwork leather straps. There is color everywhere you look, from the edging of the flap pockets to the the zipper. It's even colorful inside, it's lined with a lime green fabric. It sells for $780. Read more..!
Sysgration's "mouse" VoIP phone
 Taiwanese manufacturer Sysgration's phone-mouse model allows direct entry of phone numbers and sports a retro aqua finish. Still not sure whether the Sysgration phone is an actual working mouse, or just a wireless VoIP phone that just looks like a badly designed mouse. Read more..!
Create a superhero - offline
 Accompanying NCsoft's launch of City of Heroes in Asia, the game's character creator is now free to download for Korean players. One of the most fun toys in the game, the character creator in City of Heroes differs from most other MMOs in the fact that you can create pretty much any superhero costume you can think of, rather than sticking to one or two hairstyles and faces. The downloadable creator is in Korean, but 1up points to a site with instructions on how to run it in English. Read more..!
 This 720p DLP projector boasts a whopping 10,000:1 contrast ratio. (Note: production SED sets will offer contrast ratios of 100,000:1). Looks like the TI DarkChip 3 is a real winner since it's the guts of this projector. List price $8k. Read more..!
 The 1.5 release adds a bunch of features, and further "Skypifies" Outlook using IM, VoIP, and email in one utility. One of the cooler things includes a voice mail feature, which will place recorded messages in your inbox, without needing a Skype voice mail subscription. You can answer and hang up calls right inside Outlook. It seems each iteration of Skylook brings Outlook and Skype together. Prices range from free for the basic edition, to $49.95 for the business class version. Read more..!
Sega iFish swimming into Japanese stores
 The new toy includes 50 built-in "healing" sounds, and can be connected to an audio player for a light show. No word yet whether Hasbro is going to pick this one up, but if you really want one, at least one Hong Kong-based e-tailer plans on selling it to US customers for $64.90. Read more..!
USB lock provides dubious security solution
 The USB Port Security Lock latches onto the inside of your USB port when a key is turned, and the other end is wrapped around something, like you would a bike to a pole. The only thing keeping people from taking the computer is the strength of the usb port? Costs $12. Read more..!
MultiRes for fast resolution switching
 MultiRes is just a little tray item that opens up all the resolutions for each monitor (you can't create new ones, just access the ones from the drivers) and allows you to switch quickly to any resolution needed. There are also scripting capabilities, and it's free. Read more..!
Dodge to market Charger SRT8 Super Bee for 2007
 Available this Fall as a 2007 model, the Charger SRT8 Super Bee heralds the availability of 'Detonator Yellow' on the Charger's color palette. In this iteration, the exterior's banana motif is repeated inside, courtesy yellow stitching on the seats, shift knob & wheel< and powered by the Street and Racing Technology-engineered 6.1-liter HEMI(R) producing 425 horsepower. Read more..!
Creative's Fatal1ty 1010 Mouse
 ExtremeTech's review of the 1010, Creative's first foray into competitive gaming mice, you know that you're in for a good read but probably not a rave review when the author's kindest words are reserved for the product's packaging. That's not to say that the 1010 is a terrible peripheral; ET simply thinks that a mouse designed to a professional cyberathlete's specifications may not be a good fit for the average user. Because the 1010 is rather short and squat, with a distracting third button for your ring finger and hard-to-find thumb button, ET advises that it takes some getting used to and can be frustrating to use in non-gaming environments. They do appreciate the interchangeable weight cores and visual DPI indicator, but find the software to be lackluster, the high-tech cord to be too short, and the lack of a tilting scroll wheel to be absolutely unforgivable. Final verdict? You're better off with a Logitech. Read more..!
New SUPERMAN RETURNS pics
 Calenderlive.com has posted 19 new pics from the set and film shots of the upcoming remake or revision of Superman, scheduled for release this year.
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 The Sound Pillow is just a regular pillow with embedded speakers and a stereo plug, designed by the UK's Royal National Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to sooth tinnitus sufferers, and costing about $44. Read more..!
Project Offest crowd test video up online
 A crowd test video has been posted on the official Project Offset web site detailing the how unique goblins can help create a realistic and immersive experience in the slowly progressing next-gen game. Caution direct link. For more on the game's engine and technology, check out this page here, and check out the Platform heading on the Game Design page. It says: "The game is targeted for next gen PC hardware. Xbox360 and PS3 are also possible and we are excited about bringing Project Offset to these platforms."Read more..!
 The goal in Cororo the Maze is to collect the blue stars by running into them with the blue ball. You guide the ball through the maze by using the mouse to tip the entire playing field this way and that, and it's much trickier—and more addictive—than it looks. Read more..!
 This little box sports a 2.5-inch hard-drive, a dual-core Intel viiv processor, wireless capability, integrated Intel 945M graphics and various output jacks like USB and FireWire. There's plenty more in the small box that measures 230 x 197.5 x 42 mm.
ECS Digital Home P60 Product Specification
CPU Intel Yonah Dual Core, 2MB L2 Cache, FSB up to 667MHz
System Compliance Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, Windows XP Professional Edition 2005, Windows XP Home Edition 2005
Chipset Intel 945GM + ICH7-(DH)
Memory Dual channel DDRII 400/533/667, Expandable 2 slot of 200pin SO-DIMM module, 2GB total memory capacity
Video Intel 945GM internal graphics, Intel Gen 3.5 Integrated Graphics Engine
HDD 2.5” SATA HDD support
Optical Drive 5.25" 12.7mm height CD-ROM/ DVD-ROM/ Combo Drive / DVD+/-RW / DVDDUAL
EC Controller ENE KB3910
Build-in TV Tuner Mini PCI TV Tuner with Coaxial connector, support PAL, NTSC, SECAM,
HDTV support 480p/720p/1080i/1080p, SDVO DVI 1.0 support for External Digital monitor
Audio Integrated Audio, High definition Audio Codec, Support SPDIF out
A/C Adapter External universal type AC adapter, output maximum 65W
Communication Intel Pro/Wireless 3945ABG, Mini card module in Mini-PCIE interface, Antenna built in
Intel Tekoa GigaLAN, Built in MDC + Bluetooth combo module, (V.92/56K + Blue core V1.2)
Dimension 230(L) x 197.5(W) x 42(H) mm
Weight System Weight: 1.175kg, Base Stand Weight: 157g
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-Lytir1
