W.I.L. Hardware Tech-News Highlights for April 2005

The hardware review world is going to hell in a hand basket – link.

Systems

Apple Mac Mini non-starter compared to PC as a home server – link.

The current state of Linux and NetBSD support on the Mac Mini – link.

Apple refreshes Power Mac line with faster G5 CPUs, new graphics card, and double-layer DVD burner, also cuts LCD prices – link 1, link 2.

Of course Macs are more expensive … are they not? – link.

Free software can extend to useful life of 64-bit dinosaur hardware – link.

Soltek’s QBIC Mania EQ3901-300PW SFF has the power to compete its full-sized brethren, as is a good value – review.

Shuttle’s first BTX SFF system, the SB86i, is an interesting first effort but is accoustically challenged – review.

Shuttle’s XPC ST20G5 Athlon 64 IGP SFF machine is definitely a keeper, notwithstanding a few wrinkles – review.

ASUS’s S-presso S1 SFF barebone system shows huge potential, with enough trumps to successfully challenge traditional full-size solutions – review.

AOpen’s EY855-II Pentium M SFF barebones system is now the quietest breadbox-style SFF system reviewed so far and the only Pentium M option in a SFF barebones system – review.

MV’s Cubik GamePro is a sexy, svelte, quiet, SFF PC that is ideally geared up towards gaming … at a steep price – review.

Acer has built a solid reputation for manufacturing high-quality notebooks at very attractive prices, and the TravelMate 8104WLMi is no exception – review.

Gateway’s 7422G series AMD64 notebook improves upon the eMachines legacy while the keeping the price down to earth, and is a very nice looking machine – review.

CPUs, motherboards, chipsets

Tom’s Hardware Guide CPU Charts lets you directly compare two different CPUs of your choice using the benchmark of your choice – link.

AnandTech’s April motherboards price guides is available – link.

Dueling multicores: Intel and AMD fight for the future – link. Dual-core duel: AMD tops Intel – link. Dual core processors boost systems’ performance – link.

Moore’s Law is 40 – link.

A motherboard upgrade HowTo – link.

Silent PC Review’s undervoltable motherboards list updated – link.

Chip foundry TSMC vows to bring commercial 65nm products by year-end – link.

Toshiba demos TV-Set powered by cell processor, decodes 48 MPEG 2 streams simultaneously – link.

-- AMD

Silent PC Review’s Cool-n-Quiet Athlon 64 motherboards list updated – link. CrystalCPUID is a user configurable Windows XP/2000 compatible utility alternative to Cool-n–Quiet that was even more effective in tests – report.

AMD’s Athlon 64 3800+ E3 core, aka “Venice”, brings SSE3 instructions support and higher core frequency potential, and should complete AMD’s transition to 90nm process technology. If you are planning to buy a Socket 939 CPU, then you definitely have to go for the new core – review.

AMD’s new 90nm (Socket 754) Sempron core, aka “Palermo”, supports SSE3 instructions and overclocking up to 2.7GHz – review. AMD’s Sempron 3300+: 90nm budget computing (power users should look elsewhere) – link.

AMD qualifies production of 65nm logic on 300mm wafers, with production allegedly scheduled for 2006 – link.

AMD’s dual-core Opteron processors are extremely well executed on all fronts, and provide some rather impressive results, based on an initial test – link.

AMD’s dual core Opteron and Athlon 64 X2 performance preview shows very promising results for both server and desktop, although the price looks like it will be high – link. AMD, IBM unveil contrasting pricing strategies for the new dual-core Opterons – link.

AMD one-ups Intel on server front, but there is more to sales than that – link. AMD Kant do what Intel Wittgendesigns – link.

AMD may get into the business of manufacturing chip sets after it opens a new chip factory in 2006 – link 1, link 2.

MSI’s ATI Radeon Xpress 200 chipset-based microATX RS480M2-IL with integrated graphics successfully aims at those building small, quiet PCs to use as basic machines or media center boxes … and at a great price – review.

EPoX’s 9NPA+ Ultra is a really great Socket 939 motherboard for people who like to tweak, tune, and squeeze every last bit of performance out of their A-64 CPU at a reasonable price – review.

ECS’s nForce4-A939 is a great Socket 939 motherboard for the budget-conscious – review.

Tyan’s Tomcat K8E (S2865AG2NRF) Socket 939 motherboard is a well-put together solution for servers and workstations, although somewhat expensive for a single-socket mainboard – review.

4 AMD Socket 754 MicroATX motherboards get the job done on the cheap – roundup.

Three nVidia nForce3 Ultra motherboards compared, for the benefit of those who do not need the latest and greatest (nForce4), and are attracted to the pricing and maturity of the nForce3 chipset – link.

-- Intel

Intel strives for increased integration in future chips – link.

Intel desktop product mix gets more complicated – link.

Intel says no dual core miracle compiler ahead … no magic bullet, not yet, no-how – link.

But Intel Pentium Extreme Edition dual-core CPU shows some promise when tested – review. Intel’s Pentium D (Pentium 4 dual core) previewed – link.

Intel discloses peculiarities of next-generation desktop CPUs – link.

Intel dual core performance preview – Part I, Part II.

Intel’s dual-core 65nm CPUs will fit into current thermal spec – link.

AOpen’s i915Pa-PLF Powermaster Pentium 4 motherboard reduces power consumption by regulating the system clock speed according to demands of the CPU’s workload, and shows promise – review.

Dual core Intel platform shootout: vVidia nForce4 vs. Intel 955X – link.

nVidia’s nForce4 SLI (Intel Edition) chipset definitely gives Intel something to worry about – review.

Intel’s claims next-generation Centrino platform Sonoma to achieve 50% market share by late Q2, as Pentium M production shortfall will be alleviated – link.

ATI unveils Radeon XPress 200M chipset for Intel chips, sporting DirectX 9.0 support for notebooks – link.

SGI’s forthcoming workstation line will give Itanium much-needed boost – link.

-- Other

Transmeta days as a chip supplier are all but over, company eyes services, licensing – link.

Graphics

AnandTech’s April video cards price guide is out – link.

nVidia, ATI prepare for battles ahead – link.

TurboCache and HyperMemory make sense for a budget notebook or desktop PC, but anyone after a good discrete graphics card for their PC should avoid these cards – link 1, link 2.

XGI, VIA release Open Source drivers – link. Two views on VIA’s open source driver release – link.

Good 3D performance at a middling price: GeForce 6600 shootout – link.

Power Color’s X850XT Platinum Edition is one fast card … in most cases the fastest single slot card made for AGP system – review.

S3 GammaChrome S18 Pro graphics adapter is promising, but needs better drivers – review. S3 Graphics establishes GStore e-tail outlet for its own graphics cards – link.

Thermaltake’s CL-G0003 passive VGA cooler is a great noise-reducing solution, except it is insufficient for high-end cards – review.

Memory

Value RAM roundup for those computing on a budget – link.

There is DDR, DDR 2, ah, there is DDR3. Ah, XDR – link.

AMD rumoured to scrap DDR2 support plans, to adopt XDR, DDR3 – link.

Memory market overview for April – link.

Best DRAM prices still to come. Wait a while to save money if you want to add speed to an aging PC, analysts say – link.

Elpida initiates DDR2 production at 90nm technology – link.

Storage – Hard Drives

High-Capacity HDD roundup: 250GB Western Digital WD2500SD, 300GB Maxtor DiamondMax 10, and 400GB Seagate 7200.8 compared – link.

Samsung to demonstrate “flash” laptop hybrid HDDs, with the promise of lower power consumption and fewer HDD malfunctions – link 1, link 2.

Western Digital finally enters the 2.5” HDD market with a very competitive product in the Scorpio family. Hopefully the pricing will be competitive too – review.

Western Digital’s external USB 2.0 Passport 2.5” HDD leaves a favorable impression – review.

Fujitsu readies 200GB notebook 2.5” HDD featuring perpendicular recording technology – link.

Toshiba boosts capacity of its tiny 0.85” HDDs to as much as 4GB – link. Samsung prepares launch of 0.85” 4GB HDD – link.

Maxtor’s DiamondMax 10 is a decent desktop HDD, offering sufficient performance at attractive prices, backed by a three year warranty, and is one of the cooler running drives – link.

Seagate’s Barracuda 400GB, NCQ-enabled, 7200.8 gives its large capacity competitors a run for their money, and comes with a 5-year warranty (for the ultimate in quietness go with the Samsung 160GB drives) – review.

Samsung’s new HDD sports Serial ATA II features, and claims it offers the quietest drives in the industry – link.

Storage – Optical

DVD recorders: a simple shopping guide – link.

16x DVD recording, 5-minute DVD backups? – link.

JVC unveils first one-side, two-layer DVD-RW disc, boosting the format’s storage capacity from 4.7GB to 8.5GB – link.

LG’s GSA-4163B DVD±RW dual layer burner boasts quiet operation, low heat dissipation, and excellent burning quality, with DVD-RAM support to boot – review.

The ultimate roundup of recordable DVD media discs – link.

Company claims holographic disk breakthrough – link.

Cases, power supplies, cooling

Midi tower case designs have come a long way from their standard look and colors since the 1990s – roundup.

Silent PC Review’s “Power Supply Fundamentals & Recommendations” page updated – link.

X-bit labs ATX PSUs roundup continues – Part II.

Antec’s Phantom 350 PSU is undeniably silent and shows impressive build quality, albeit at a price – review.

Scythe’s Kamakiri CPU heatsink/fan manages only average acoustic performance, despite its unusual design – review.

Cooler Master’s Aquagate Mini brings water cooling to the masses – review.

Front panel knicknacks by Coolermaster &and Matrix Orbital – reviews.

A quiet wood case PC – link.

Miscellaneous components and periferals

Top 10 802.11 wireless network protocols myths of 2005 – link.

The ins and outs of the USB standard – link.

A 20” LCD Dell vs. Apple comparison showed excellent specs, response time, brightness, color correctness and real world applications for both monitors, but left Dell clearly in the lead when considering price – link.

Shuttle’s 17” TFT screen has 8ms response time. Except for the price it is without objections – review.

OLED display technology is infiltrating small devices, but do not look for it on your laptop anytime soon – link.

The SP-6300P 5.1 speaker set is a very basic, but very cheap, surround sound system – review.

Altec Lansing’s GT-5051 5.1 surround sound speaker system is a great purchase if you are not an extreme audiophile and just play a lot of games – review.

PalmOne’s Tungsten E2 sweetens the deal for Palm fans who want a good, moderately priced PDA and do not need a phone or Wi-Fi built in – link.

Apple iPod Mini 6GB is recommended, as long as the capacity is sufficient for you – review.