CNetX Flash Format      06:20 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Do you own a flash memory card? If you do, you will know how frustrating it is when something goes wrong and you get write errors in it. Pocket PC users have long been deprived of a format utility that would allow them to reformat their flash cards in order to correct those errors.

Recently however, CNetX came up with a Pocket PC utility that does more than just format flash memory cards. With features like integrity check and AutoRun, the CNetX boasts that its Flash Format utility is the only full featured storage card management utility for Pocket PC users! Is that true? Or is that merely an idle boast?

Check out our review of the CNetX Flash Format and find out! :)

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Homebound      05:50 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Woohooo!!!! After my Microbiology viva exam today, I'm going home! :D

I'll disappear for a while but I'll have something for you when I reach Malaysia. Meanwhile, I have a brand new review which I'm loading up as I write this. It will be ready in a moment.

News From The Net

VIAHardware posted the first part of their IDF coverage, focusing on chipset development!

Mofos.org is hosting a contest. Check out what they have to say - "Have you seen this great new Quake 3 benchmarking program that Kyle, and all these other hardware nuts are raving about all the time? We got tired of hearing them talk about it all the time, so Peewee and I went in and HACKED THE CODE! What could WE do you ask? It's your job to find out."

Kyle of HardOCP posted his 5-page overview of the NVIDIA GeForce3 as well as an ASUS vs. Soyo Pentium 4 motherboard showdown!

PCRave posted their preview of NVIDIA's GeForce3!

AMDWorld posted an article called "Can overclocking damage my hardware?"

Rizenet posted a review of the Phillips CD-RW 800 drive. Here's a quote - "It may be only 8x/4x/32x, but the real killer here is the disgustingly low $99 price tag - and this is a Philips drive!" They also have a review of SOYO's K7VTA-B motherboard up!

BlueSmoke took a look at HighSpeed PC's rounded IDE and floppy cables!

VideoCardDrivers.com completed their review of the NEC VCSDRAM! Here's a clip - "On paper VCSDRAM claims to be quite a bit faster than normal SDRAM, but with tricks like 4-way interleaving, SDRAM is no slouch! Another interesting thing to note is that VCSDRAM will not work under all platforms."

I'm Online!       04:10 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

Yup! I'm now back in Malaysia and just got online. After spending 2 and a half days on a bus and a train across India and then on a SIA flight to Penang, I was completely wasted! Only had the energy to hook up my hard disk to the system here in Penang late yesterday so I'm sad to say I don't have any updates to post right now.

However, you can expect me to start work right after I reply some of the tons of mails I got during my absence. Phew! :D

BTW, I get the feeling that ABIT is up to something big soon. Can't say what it is yet but I think it's gonna be a real big bang!

News From The Net

More Results!      12:40 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

Got a bunch of brand new GAPI Benchmark 2.0 results so thought I would start my work here in Malaysia with an update of the Pocket PC Performance section. The new GAPI Benchmark 2.0 Results Comparison is now up with new results from Pocket PCs like the 236MHz iPAQ and the HP Jornada 545!

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News From The Net

Whoops!       04:15 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

Today's bloopers day, I guess. Had to clear up a few bloopers around the site, with help from some of you. There's even one in the latest update of the BIOS Optimization Guide! I just noticed that the information about the SDRAM Page Closing Policy function was not properly written. Ah well... it's okay now! :D

Thanks for letting me know about them and do let me know if you find any other mistakes! ;)

PS. You may need to refresh the newly edited pages to see the changes.

Intel Web Tablet       03:35 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

Intel has chosen ARP to be one of the sites that will deliver information on their latest product - the Intel Web Tablet! The focus will mainly be in the forums where Janelle of Intel will be posting news and updates on the Web Tablet.

You can make use of this opportunity to ask Janelle any questions you have about the Web Tablet. Just hop over to the announcement and post your queries there! :)

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BIOS Optimization Guide       01:20 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

Here's another update of the BIOS Optimization Guide. In this update, I added the following three BIOS functions :-

• Delay DRAM Read Latch
• MD Driving Strength
• SDRAM Page Closing Policy

Check out the new functions! :) 

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News From The Net

Maxx Overclocking wrote a review of the Wind Tunnel Plus case!

HardOCP has an article on what the GeForce 3 can do for you! :)

SavageZone posted a review of the fUnc Industries sUrface 1030 mouse pad!

Rizenet took a look at PowerColor's Evil Kyro video card. Though it's based on the aging KYRO chipset, it sports nice image quality and Hidden Surface Removal.

Creative Out?      05:20 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

I recently heard rumours from an industry source that Creative Labs has lost a lot in, surprise, surprise... their graphics card line! In fact, it seems that they have had enough and are pulling out of the game! How true is that? I really don't know.

But when I went down to Singapore recently, I stopped by Sim Lim Square just to look around. I actually bought the Cassiopeia E-125 (Go Casio!) while I was there but that's another story. Anyway, while I was there, I looked around but I didn't see any Creative Labs graphics cards...

And if you are visiting their website for the first time, you can't be blamed if you didn't know that Creative Labs ever sold any graphics cards. After all, there's absolutely no mention of their graphics cards. Only when you go to their products listing do you see some mention of their 3D Blaster and Graphics Blaster lines of cards.

So, is Creative Labs shutting down their graphics card business? I still don't know (no official press release) but it sure looks like it! What do you think?

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The PDF Version      04:30 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

Okay... let's start with the downloadable and printable version of the BIOS Optimization Guide. Thanks to Michael Rabb, the latest revision 5.8 is now available in the PDF format. You can download it here.

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Back Again!      04:15 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

Hello everyone!

I just got back from a trip down south. Just got back yesterday but had to clear some of the e-mails that have accumulated during my absence. Anyway, I'm back online now so let's get this show back on the road! ;)

News From The Net

Mofos.org posted their review of 3DMark 2001!!!

Rizenet reviewed OCZ's ExtremeCool copper spacers! Here's a clip - "CNC machining helps make extremely accurate and precise cuts, allowing for accurate shim thickness. Despite the quality machining though, I did notice a small imperfection on one side of the spacer. The spacer is not 100% flat; however, the flaw was minor and didn't keep the ExtremeCool spacer from doing it's job, which is to keep the heatsink level over the core. It didn't slide once in use and fit the CPU very well."

SpeedGuide.net reviewed the SOHOWARE Broadguard Secure Cable/DSL Router!

PC Extreme Tech reviewed the 3DCool Tornado 1003 case!

PCTalk reviewed the GeForce II MX!

NVIDIA Linux Drivers       11:55 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

This is a little dated but better late than never! NVIDIA have released their new 0.9-767 drivers for Linux with the following changes :-

• Fixed some issues with the bios not reporting  correctly on the GeForce2 Ultra cards.  This should improve performance  on some applications on these cards.
• TwinView(tm) functionality was enhanced so that each head can pan independently.
• Added support for Xrender extension and DPMS
• Fixed a problem with 2.4 kernel on SMP machines
• Fixed problem that caused the console to not restore after restarting X in some cases.

So, if you are using Linux, you might want to check out the new drivers!

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Web Designers?       05:25 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

ARP needs a new layout. One that's sleeker and faster to load and of course, Netscape compatible as well. Unfortunately, the web designer that I asked to help us design the new layout has just informed me that he won't be able to work on the new layout due to time constrains.

So, if you are interested in helping out with the new layout, do drop me an e-mail! We are looking for a talented web designer (or better still, a webmaster) to give ARP a big facelift and make the site more navigable than it is right now.

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Win2k Sharing       04:10 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

I'm having some problems with Win2K myself. For some reason, Sharing has been disabled! The tab doesn't exist so there's no way I can set the sharing properties of any folder. :(

Anyone know how to fix this?

Win2k Tips!       02:55 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

Finally updated the Windows 2000 Hints & Tips Guide with two new tips. The first tip is the one that finally solves the problem of modem detection at start up permanently. The second tip solves the slow scrolling problem that you may be facing if you are using a mouse with a scroll wheel. So, check out the new tips!

News From The Net

TweakPC just finished their test of the "deluxe" ASUS CUSL2 - the ASUS CUSL2-LS. Unfortunately, it's in German...

Wow! Mofos.org just created a new section called Website Mutations! Their first "victims" are HardOCP and Anandtech! Check out Anand|OCP!

VoidYourWarranty.net has a comparison of the Crucial PC133 SDRAM DIMM with SDRAM offerings from Mosel!

Rizenet also took a look at the OCZ Twin Turbo socket cooler! Here's a clip - "Sporting dual 60mm fans and a wide aluminum heatsink, it looks ready to do lay the cooling smackdown on Socket A chips."

Jsi Hardware posted a short review of the Vantec FCE62540D heatsink!

FrostyTech posted a review of the OCZ Twin Turbo heatsink!

VIAHardware posted their first look at the VIA KT266 reference board. Here's some interesting bits - "The KT266 supports both SDR SDRAM and DDR-SDRAM (as well as VCM), so the VIA reference board has both 168 pin SDR DIMM slots, as well as 184 pin DDR DIMM slots. They are arranged in a 2+2 configuration, similar to Shuttle's AV32. The KT266 supports up to 4GB of RAM, but obviously you aren't going to be able to reach that amount with a board supporting two DIMM modules. However, a few manufacturers will be developing 4 DDR DIMM KT266 boards"

BlueSmoke came up with a History of Final Fantasy article!

Overclocker Cafe benchmarked two PCs and 21 versions of Detonator drivers using the new 3DMark 2001 benchmark!

More Win2K Tips!      01:10 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

The latest revision of the Windows 2000 Hints & Tips Guide has just been posted with the following updates :-

• Added two new tips on how to configure the Windows Explorer shortcut to display My Computer.
• Added a note on the need for a disk to be present in CD/DVD/ZIP drives for the 'How To Change Drive Letters' tip.

Check them out! :)

News From The Net

Overclocker Cafe just finished their Monster Heatsink Cagematch! They are pitting the SwiftTech MC370-0A, Hedgehog, Global Win WBK38, Alpha PAL6035, and the Alpha PEP66 against each other to duke it out in this no holds barred grudge match!

BlueSmoke just added 15 new case mods to their gallery!

Video Card Drivers.com finished an article about overclocking the NVIDIA GeForce2 MX!

Extreme Overclocking did a thermal compound comparison of six different thermal compounds!

VoidYourWarranty posted their interview with Matt Stiltner of Faraday Cases!

3DMark 2001       11:10 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

Just added MadOnion's 3DMark 2001 to the Binaries Storage Area! So, if downloading is too slow on other servers, you can try downloading from Binaries Storage Area.

Comments?

Modem Autodetects?       04:55 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

Just added a note about modem autodetection when you have already removed the need for modem detection during the booting process of Windows 2000! 

Comments?

Quick Access       04:25 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

Just added three new Quick Access tips to the Windows 2000 Hints & Tips Guide! Check them out!

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News From The Net

Voidyourwarranty.net just finished their review of the MSI K7T Turbo-RAID motherboard! Here's a clip - "The K7T-TURBO RAID's layout is pretty close to the standard KT133A motherboard layout. Some differences from the norm are the location of the ATX power connector and the awkward location of the RAID controller. Most motherboard manufactures will put the RAID controllers right next to the onboard ATA100, but MSI decided to separate the controllers and put them near the bottom of the board.  One good thing about the layout is that most users shouldn't have problems with larger heat sink units, as most capacitors are pretty far from the socket. Another thing that might be dissapointing to some, would be the fact that there are only 2 fan headers."

Rizenet posted a review of Mushkin's PC2100 DDR SDRAM DIMM!

Overclocker Cafe is giving away a GlobalWin WBK38 heatsink!

A Review Coming Up!      07:00 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

So sorry for disappearing for so long! I have been having some problems lately that I had to attend to immediately. But I have also been editing a new review by Chai. It's almost ready now. In fact, I'm just waiting for Chai's latest updates before I post the final review. See you in a while! :) 

News From The Net

ASUS CUSL2-C Motherboard       02:20 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

In his latest review, Chai examines ASUS' i815EP offering for the discerning user who knows enough to save some money by skipping the more expensive i815E chipset (with its dismal graphics core) and spending it on a proper graphics card instead. So, how well does the CUSL2-C fare? There's only one way to find out. Read on... :)

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News From The Net

CPUReview posted part 1 of their 1.33GHz Athlon review!

ExtremeOverclocking released their Heat Sink Roundup 2 review! 

Rizenet posted a review of the Transcend TS-ASL3 motherboard! 

VIAHardware just finished their review of the Soltek SL-75MIV KM133A motherboard! Here's a clip - "The KM133A combines the features of the VIA KT133A and KM133 chipsets. The Soltek SL-75MIV features CPU multiplier adjustments and FSB support up to 150.  Though the 75MIV is micro-ATX based, it still features an external AGP slot, three PCI slots, and three memory slots."

VoidYourWarranty is giving away an Alpha PAL 6035 cooler!

Overclocker Cafe posted their review of the 2CoolPC Plus and the 2CoolPC Turbo System coolers!

Intel 815EG?      01:20 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

On a more serious note, a source at Intel informed me that Intel is coming out with another version of the Solano chipset.

Not much information yet but the new chipset will be called 815EG and that the biggest difference will most likely be the removal of the support for the AGP slot. So, I guess the 815E will finally be replaced by the 815EP and the 815EG. The 815EP will cater to users who want to use their own AGP graphics card while the 815EG will cater to the value market where the built-in graphics core will suffice.

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Binary System Patented?!!!      12:45 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

I couldn't believe what I was reading when I checked out a link provided by Samir Patel! It was so shocking that I couldn't believe it was true! It appears that Microsoft had patented the binary system and will forbid others from using it unless they pay USD 0.10 per digit!!! Here. check out a clip of the article :-

"With the patent, Microsoft's rivals are prohibited from manufacturing or selling products containing zeroes and ones--the mathematical building blocks of all computer languages and programs--unless a royalty fee of 10 cents per digit used is paid to the software giant."

Wow! Heheh... Here's another interesting (and hilarious!) clip :-

"In an address beamed live to billions of people around the globe Monday, Gates expressed confidence that his company's latest move will, ultimately, benefit all humankind.

Think of this as a partnership," Gates said. "Like the ones and zeroes of the binary code itself, we must all work together to make the promise of the computer revolution a reality. As the world's richest, most powerful software company, Microsoft is number one. And you, the millions of consumers who use our products, are the zeroes."

LOL! And you know what? This is all one big joke! Heheh... check out the entire article and you will soon realize it. Pedal-powered computers and steam-powered printers? LOL! Man... it's not even April Fool's Day yet!:D

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News From The Net

Overclocker Cafe just completed their review of a selection of video card coolers from Global WIn, Vantec and Thermaltake!

PCTalk posted a short, concise lesson on RAM!

More Quick Access Tips!       01:25 AM MYT     Adrian Wong

Just added three new Quick Access tips including an additional tip for minimizing all opened applications to display the desktop. Check them out! :)

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News From The Net

JSI Hardware posted their review of the CAS2 PC133 Crucial SDRAM!

Nikeotronik posted their Win2K Detonator 3DMark 2001 comparison!

VIAHardware posted their Turtle Beach Santa Cruz FAQ!

VoidYourWarranty posted a short review of the PC Mods microbus! The microbus is new kind of fanbus that is much smaller than previous designs. It is used for keeping the wiring of fans in your case neat and out of the way.

Duron Overclocking      03:50 PM MYT     Adrian Wong

8Balls explains his Duron overclocking methods in which he turns his 650MHz Duron into a 928MHz speed demon! If you have a Duron and want to know how to overclock it and determine the maximum speed it can stably run at, check this guide out!

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News From The Net

AtomicMPC.com.au posted results from a MSI StarForce 822 GeForce3 graphics card!

VIAHardware announces that Paul's famous ABIT KT7 FAQ is now hosted there! They have also posted their coverage of WinHEC!

VoidYourWarranty just posted their review of the CPC-30370 PinFin heatsink! Here's a clip - "The CPC-30370 uses the exact same heatsink (from a third party) as the Swiftech MC370, a $50 cooler that was the top performer of Tom's Hardware Guide's first Socket A roundup. Rather than bundling the CPC-30370 with the Papst 33 CFM fan as Swiftech does, KD Computers offers customers a choice of either buying the bare heatsink, or bundling it with a Sunon fan or the Delta 38."