Despite being more than a month away from the public, Intel's Core i9 (Gulftown) platform has already been tested and is shown to be potentially as fast as its design implies. The move from four to six cores has translated into an almost perfectly linear increase in speed for those apps that can use multiple processors. In tasks such as 3D modeling and video encoding, a 2.8GHz Core i9 is found by PCLab to be roughly 50 percent faster than a Core i7 at the same clock speed.

Not all tests show as large gains, as those limited to a single core or which didn't properly use their extra code threads saw smaller gains or even no advantage at all.

Some of this is attributed to the prototype nature of the i9 platform, as its memory performance isn't as high as anticipated for production hardware. Its memory speed won't be as high as on the quad-core processors, however.

Intel isn't due to launch Core i9 until early 2010, possibly early as January, and will initially reserve it for high end systems as it should have a high price and consume about 130W of power versus the 95W for most Core i5 and i7 chips.

Buffalo Technology has introduced the DriveStation HD-HXU3, a new series of external hard drives featuring USB 3.0 interfaces. The high speed connection option is claimed to support transfer rates of up to 625MB/s, beating USB 2.0 and even FireWire by a considerable margin. Users can still connect using the current USB standard, however the transfer rates drop to approximately 480Mb/s.

The company has also released a two-port USB 3.0 PCI Express interface card, the IFC-PCIE2U3. The component allows users to upgrade current systems to take advantage of the higher transfer speeds.

The HD-HXU3 is compatible with Mac or Windows systems and is now shipping to resellers. A 1TB variant is available for $200, while the 1.5TB model carries a price of $250 and the 2TB model can be purchased for $400.

Intel is expected to debut a new line of mainstream 32nm processors known under codename 'Clarkdale', the new CPUs will be aimed at the desktop PC segment and will complement the chip maker's Core i5 and Core i7 lines of products. As it seems now some of these processors are listed for pre-order at some European retailers.

HPM-Computer German website, the new Intel processor lineup will include the Core i3 530 and 540 models, as well as the Core i5 650, 660, 661, and 670, all of which will be featured with Hyper-Threading, 4MB of L3 cache and support for dual-channel DDR3-1333 memory.

As far as pricing goes, the new models will range from 103.90 Euro up to 252.90 Euro, providing differentiations in CPU and GPU clock speeds, as well as TDP. From the six new models, the Core i5 661 has the highest GPU clock, at 900MHz and the highest TDP, of 87W. Meanwhile, the i5 670 model comes with the highest CPU core, of 3.46GHz, while the TDP stays at 73W, like the rest of the other CPUs.

The processors should be released in January 2010, the new Intel desktop CPUs have been designed to incorporate a GPU and a CPU core in the same processor. Designed on the company's new 32nm manufacturing process, the new chips are expected to replace the company's current line of mainstream processors, ultimately replacing the older Core 2 Duo family of processors. Check the thumbnails.

Specifications:

• 1066MHz CL7, 1333MHz CL6, 7&9, 1600MHz CL7,8&9, 1800MHz CL7, 8&9, 2000MHz CL8&9, 2133MHz CL9.
• 2GB (1GBx2) & 4GB (2GBx2) Dual Channel Kit Retail Package
• 8GB (2GBx4) Quad Channel Kit Retail Package
• PCB: 8-Layer Black Dragon PCB with dual red LEDTechnology: Die-hard Burn-in Technology
• Warranty: Lifetime

ASUS launched the new ASUS EAH5000 Series, a lineup of three graphics cards that cater to a wide spectrum of needs including extreme overclocking, fast-paced gaming and daily computing. Equipped with ASUS' exclusive Voltage Tweak technology, the ASUS EAH5970/G/2DIS/2GD5 and EAH5770/2DI/1GD5 graphics cards enable users to boost GPU voltages via the SmartDoctor application to enjoy up to a 31% improvement in performance. The ASUS EAH5770/2DI/1GD5 and EAH5750 FORMULA/2DI/1GD5 feature highly effective cooling solutions capable of up to 13% better heat dissipation, and boast ASUS' exclusive Xtreme Design

When Intel released the P55 chipset and along with it the Core i5 750, Core i7 860 and 870 processors we already knew that we'd be dealing with a lot of P55 motherboard reviews.

We certainly reviewed our share already and guess what ? We have more in store for you. Today the turn goes towards Jetway with a really affordable P55 offering in that saturated motherboard market -- meet the HI05 p55 based motherboard.

Check out the review here.

Elpida Memory, Inc., Japan's leading global supplier of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), today announced that it had developed a 1-gigabit GDDR5 (product name: EDW1032BABG) that operates at a world-class high speed of 6Gbps. The new graphic memory (GDDR: Graphics Double Data Rate) device marks Elpida's first successful step in the GDDR market.

Applications for GDDR memory devices used with GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) are found not only in such graphic processing equipment as game consoles and PC graphics cards but also in equipment that require high-performance computing for use in such areas as science and technology, physical simulation, digital image processing and video conversion.

In August Elpida announced plans to enter the graphics DRAM business based on its acquisition of GDDR design assets from the German company Qimonda AG. The successful development of the new GDDR product in only three months using these design assets was made possible by close cooperation between Elpida's new Munich Design Center in Germany, an Elpida Japan-based technology team and engineers at Taiwan-based Winbond Electronics Corporation.

After concluding an evaluation at the Munich Design Center, sample shipments will start in December and mass production is expected to begin in the second quarter (April-June) of CY 2010.

Elpida is now involved in all areas of the DRAM market - commodity DRAMs, GDDR for the graphics market, high-speed XDR DRAM and Mobile RAM for mobile equipment. By becoming one of the few full-range suppliers Elpida expects to play an increasingly important role in the DRAM market with its "total memory solutions" approach.

Mionix, a Swedish manufacturer of professional high-end gaming accessories today unveiled their new gaming mouse, Mionix Naos 5000. Ergonomically designed and stuffed with new and innovative features, Mionix Naos 5000 not only stands out from the crowd, it sets new standards when it comes to comfort, tracking capacity and customization options.

"When we started this project our goal was to create a fully adjustable and innovative gaming mouse with unique features. It has been very challenging and we put in a lot of effort to archieve our goals. Mionix Naos 5000 is a big step forward to become one of the world's leading manufacturer of gaming accessories with a wide range of gaming products that gamers can identify themselves with. We are very proud to be the first Swedish manufacturer of gaming accessories to develop a gaming mouse", says Carl Conradsson, Mionix.

WHERE INNOVATION MEETS PERFORMANCE
The design of Mionix Naos 5000 is interesting due to the fully support to all five fingers. It has been under development since the beginning of this year and has been tested by gamers, both professionals and amateurs in order to find the perfect ergonomic grip.

The new innovative weight tuning system is completely new to the market. Gaming mice with traditional positioned weight tuning systems sometimes gets heavy in the back. In order to prevent this, Mionix Naos 5000 has a centralized weight tuning system that improves the weight distribution of the mouse. Another stunning feature is the S.Q.A.T (Surface Quality Analyzer Tool), a smart tool that measures the tracking quality of the mousepad surface.

Mionix Naos 5000 carries only carefully chosen high-end components. The 6 integrated LEDs supports extensive color options and can be configured from the software among other functions such as adjustable lift-distance, dpi sensitivity, macros and much more. Mionix Naos 5000 also has a built-in memory that manages up to 5 profiles, when you go on LAN just plug in your mouse and start immediately, no driver or other software needs to be installed.

This prominent gaming mouse is named after the star Naos, a blue super giant and one of the brightest stars in our galaxy. Naos means "ship" and is enough powerful to create comet tails and huge clouds of auroras visible from Earth. Naos is constantly moving away from its original position in the constellation of Vela and it spins about 100 times faster than our sun. Since its birth it has covered a distance of 400 light-years. No one knows exactly why Naos has such a high rotation speed, but an explanation to this phenomenon lies in the gravitational interaction between many other stars.

FEATURES

• Truly ergonomic design - Truly ergonomic design with support for all five fingers
• Maximum grip - The rubber coating ensures a maximum grip
• Balanced weight tuning system - A unique weight tuning system for an optimal weight distribution
• 5040 dpi laser sensor - Remarkable tracking performance built for gaming
• 128 KB built-in memory - Bring your settings and recorded macros with you stored into one of the 5 profiles
• Customizable LED light system - Personalize your mouse with extensive color options
• S.Q.A.T : Surface Quality Analyzer Tool - Surface Quality Analyzer tool to measure the tracking quality on a certain surface
• 3 steps customizable dpi in-game adjustment - Set 3 dpi values and switch easily between them in-game
• 7 programmable buttons - The buttons can be assigned to any key, mouse command or macro
• In-game profile switch - Switch easy with a click between stored profiles in-game
• Adjustable polling rate - Tune it all the way up to 1000Hz through the software
• Plug n Play - Completely Plug n Play, software needed only for configuration
• Recommended price: 71,99
  

"Previously, when a large texture needed to be read, one instruction would be issued, and one shader circuit would need to make several passes while other circuits sat idle," NVIDIA spokesman Hector Marinez said. "But [NVIDIA] patent authors Emmett Kilgariff and Rui Bastos figured out a way to allow for a partial texture load. By breaking the texture load into smaller pieces

Not much time after being released, the ATI Radeon HD 5700 and ATI Radeon HD 5800 series was revealed to be in relative short supply, due to, said AMD representative Chris Hook, Advanced Micro Devices' relative short supply of high-end and mainstream DirectX 11 products. This shortage of components is mostly generated by the yield issues the Taiwan Semiconductor manufacturing Company (TSMC) is currently faced with. The AMD spokesman reinforced the fact that the problem would soon be alleviated.

Well, if Windows 8 does not come as a major improvement on Windows 7 (i don't know what that means, as Windows 7 is solid, both in terms of quality and features), it will have a hard time convincing the buyers. 7, besides the features and stability, and everything else, had the advantage of launching on a market splitted between an old OS, although still loved by many/me ;) (Windows XP), and a flawed OS (Vista). Windows 8 will probably find a market dominated by a modern OS with lots of good features and good stability and security. Click the thumbnail

One of our biggest Guru3D afficionado's is BODAR, for his occupation hes in a band but in his spare time prolly one of the biggest techs related to Guru3D. He is alive and and active in our forums a lot and he spends a lot of money on his gear. He recently built a fantastic PC -- totally overclocked and pimped up with no less than four Radeon HD 5870 1024MB card. This weekend he made a second nice video about his new setup and takes you through a good number of benchmarks and user experiences.

His configuration:

• Radeon HD 5870 1024Mb (x4)
• Xeon 3580 @ 4.72 GHz
• 120GB OCZ Vertex Turbo SSD
• 6GB Corsair Dominator
• 1500 Watt PSU
• Windows 7

Also BODAR has a three-way Eyfinity setup. If you are bored on a Sunday morning, go check out the second installment of his video's and if you like to comment him, please do so in this thread. Again nice job Bodar !

FRAPs has been bug fixed, the new build 3.03.

3.0.3 - 21st Nov 2009

• Fixed installer not displaying correctly for some users under Win7

Changes in version 3.0.2:

• Fixed inability to put machine to sleep with Fraps running
• Fixed bug preventing people from updating the benchmark timeout value
• Fixed problem restoring Fraps window to previous position upon startup
• Fixed AUDIODG.EXE consuming large amounts of CPU for some users

Download