Computex 2000 Part 2     06:35 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

Because I have to dismantle this PC I'm working on before I leave for Malaysia, I am unable to complete the article I promised. There was just too many pictures to edit and all that. Anyhow, I managed to finish 5 pages out of what will probably be about 12 pages long. I'll complete the rest when I'm back in Malaysia and work on the other Speed Demonz guides like the Swapfile Optimization Guide and the AGP Overclocking vs. AGP Sidebanding guide.

So, in the meantime, check out the article Computex 2000 Part 2! In those five pages, I'll detail what I experienced at AOpen and Intel booths. Also, check out the latest innovations from AOpen and Intel. The rest of the article will touch on the heatsinks exhibited at the show, the innovations seen in AZZA motherboards and other miscellaneous stuff I can remember off the top of my head. :)

LittleWhiteDog.com     06:15 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

LittleWhiteDog.com is starting off the month on the right two feet and has posted a new review of the 8-port OmniView PRO KVM Switch. Here's a snip :-

"What makes this the best switchbox around you ask? Well, here's where all of these wonderful features come in to play. First off, if you have ever worked in an environment where you have multiple servers, now I'm not talkin about 3 or 4, I'm talking about 50 or 60, you know that things can get a little confusing when switching from one machine back to the other. Especially when some disaster hits and you have 15 MILLION things going on at once. It always happens that way you know. Anyways, the OmniView offers an On-Screen Display menu that allows you to assign names to each machine that is active on the switchbox."

Processor Emporium     06:05 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

Processor Emporium posted a review of AOpen's AK33, a Socket A motherboard. Here's a snippet :-

"Overall the AOpen AK33 is a first class motherboard. If offers users a good feature set, superb build quality, blistering performance and importantly, rock-solid stability. The board is also very easy to install and configure and has run faultlessly throughout the test. Our gripes with the AK33 are relatively minor. The first being the lack of a sixth PCI slot and the second having to use a COM port cable to utilise the second COM port on the board. Whilst these may be minor annoyances to the end user, there are probably good engineering reasons why AOpen decided to implement the board in this way. With such good performance and stability it is hard mark the board down on these issues. Also the AK33 has demonstrated how mature the Socket A platform is only weeks after it appeared. The VIA KT133 chipset is another example of how well VIA chipsets can perform, with it demonstrating great performance coupled to high levels of stability. The KT133 is also a chipset which does AMD processors the justice they were not granted during the days of Super Socket 7. As a result we would not hesitate to recommend the AOpen AK33 to any user looking to build a solid, dependable AMD Athlon or Duron based PC. The AK33 sets the standard by which other Socket A motherboards can be judged in terms of stability and non-overclocked performance. Overall the AOpen AK33 gets is awarded the Processor Emporium Commended award. Job well done!"

CPUPress.com     06:00 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

CPUPress.com is finally officially launched! :)

Here's a press clip from them :-

"We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your website visitors to CPUPress.com! CPUPress.com is your definitive source for the latest in 32 and 64bit Central Processing News and Resources for the standard desktop user and developer. We aim to inform the AMD and Intel technology community about the new Intel IA-64™ and AMD x86-64™ Architectures as well as any other emerging CPU Technology we come to discover! In the early stages we have a fair amount of content concerning; 64bit Windows, Intel & AMD Roadmaps, Intel IA-64 Overview, AMD x86-64 Overview, Pictures of the Intel Itanium and Intel Pentium 4 as well as the latest up-to-date news from other technology websites and companies. Oh, did we mention we have confirmed AMD Camario CPU specifications on our site too? (http://www.cpupress.com/amd_camario.shtml) CPUPress.com will soon feature a top quality vBulletin discussion forum for our visitors to discuss CPU technology and news, or anything else they so desire."

Belated Merdeka!     06:45 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Hello everyone! :)

Sorry for disappearing for a whole day. I actually just finished my 4th block exams yesterday and have been sleeping off the whole day! And last night, we had a small barbecue to celebrate both my country's and my own Freedom day (read : National day)!

I haven't slept since the barbecue ended because I was catching up on all the mails I got. Phew! There was certainly a lot of them! Took me quite a while to copy down the questions sent in and answer the other e-mails.

After this, I'll be working on another article. Can't tell you what yet. But you should see it posted by tonight if everything goes well.

BTW, Happy Belated National Day to all you Malaysians out there! :D

New BIOS Files @ ABIT     06:25 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

ABIT has released new BIOS files for the ABIT BE6-II rev. 2.0 and the ABIT BX133 motherboards! You can get it via their FTP site. Thanks to OCWorkbench! :D

Hardware Corner     06:20 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Hardware Corner has reviewed the Globalwin I Storm II cooler. Here's the quote they sent :-

"Most of us have been trying to keep the cpu temp as low as possible as we know that the cooler the cpu the better chance we have at overclocking it and keeping it stable. Those who are new to overclocking somtimes tend to overlook on their other components while overclocking resulting in hardware giving up on them. As we increase the FSB speeds for other components such as the AGP, PCI bus will also increase. This is where the Globalwin I Storm II comes into play promising a drop of 9 C."

Hexus.net     06:10 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

The boys over at Hexus.net have just slapped up a review of ATI's Radeon. Check out a clip of that review :-

"I have held off upgrading my trusty old overclocked TNT2 for quite some time, waiting till a true 'next generation' card came along. I have been concerned about the memory bandwidth limitations on certain of the newer cards, so the choice for me boiled down to waiting for a Kyro or 3dfx Rampage, or go for the Radeon now. Patience never was my strongpoint."

Guru3D     05:55 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Guru3D has posted version 1.2 of their GeForceAASet utility. Windows 2000 support has been added into this new version.

Their GeForce Tweak Utility has also been updated to version 1.0.12.

News Blurb      02:10 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Hi everyone! :)

Just wanted to tell you all that I'm now back in Malaysia. The trip from Manipal to Penang, Malaysia took me 2 whole days this time. Phew! Heheh...

I just finished off the initial round of welcome back lunches and dinners with my family and relatives and finally fixed the RAM problem in my father's computer. So, I'm now fully operational in Malaysia. In fact, right at this moment, I'm finishing up the 7th page of the Swapfile Optimization Guide. If you are lucky, I may finish it in time to post it this afternoon or tonight.

It's taking quite a bit longer than I expected because I'll be rewriting the whole article so even if you already read the old one, you might also want to check this one out. :)

Guru3D      02:00 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Version 1.0 final:

• I got some info on the "MaxNVAccel"-beta option, renamed it and placed it in the OpenGL options. (W9x)
• Removed a bug in the "Undo changes" button (W9x)
• New options:
• "Enable fast copy pixels" (W2k & W9x)
• Enable hardware tweaking menu" (W2k)
• Enable dynamic Antialiasing" (W9x)
• Antialias dynamic FPS" (W9x)
• 29 !! new, interesting beta options! (W9x)
• The GTU works with Windows ME! (again)

CPUReview      01:55 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

CPUReview has posted an editorial about the rocky road that Intel has been hitting lately. It's called 'Rocky Road'. "Rocky Road". They have also changed the look of CPUReview with a new layout and color scheme.

Finally, they are still trying to get more support for "STOP REMARKING & UNLOCK THE CLOCK: A MODEST PROPOSAL" so please check it out and consider supporting it.

Hardware Extreme      01:50 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Hardware Extreme  has just posted two reviews :-

• Panaflo 120mm case fan
  
  "The Panaflo 120mm case fan is nothing short of spectacular. It's quiet, powerful and beautiful. Although you might be able to obtain better performance from faster spinning 120mm fans, keep in mind that these fans can sometimes generate a very loud noise level. Sometimes, loud enough to distract you from your work. I personally am very particular over this and I appreciate what the Panaflo can do. Great product ! Highly recommended."
  
• Seventeam ST-400GL 400W Power Supply
  
  "The Seventeam ST-400GL power supply is a very good looking unit. Finished off in smooth aluminium and bundled with tons of connectors, this is definately the unit for a high end PC with all the bells and whistles you can ever imagine. It's AMD approved yes and the best part is that it is capable of outputting 384W of power at any one time ! That's almost 90% of all the power it can put out. I've seen 300W power supplies that can only output 200W simultaneously. This is a sign of high-quality parts used in the power supply."

Rev. 3.0 Of The Swapfile Optimization Guide Posted!     03:50 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Check out this revision of the Swapfile Optimization Guide! I updated practically every page in the guide and added 6 new pages. That brings the total number of pages in this guide up to 20! Pretty massive, eh?

Well, this isn't merely a "do-this, do-that" guide. I have tried to explain the reasons behind each and every swapfile optimization method. This, I hope, will help you in choosing the best methods to optimize your swapfile for optimal performance.

Well, I hope you'll enjoy this guide! Remember to pop your questions in the Discussion Forums, if you are confused about anything in this article.

Guillemot     03:40 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Guillemot just announced their latest sound card - the Maxi Sound Muse! Check out their press release :-

GUILLEMOT DELIVERS SOUND AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE
The soundboard designed for MUltimedia Sound Entertainment !

Montreal, September 5th, 2000 - Guillemot is pleased to announce the latest addition to its award-winning range of sound cards - the Maxi Sound Muse*. The new 4-channel PCI soundboard is the unbeatable solution for today's price-conscious multimedia user. With its rich quadraphonic 3D sound, cutting-edge audio, and high performance, the Maxi Sound Muse* is perfect for home and office use. Game fans, music enthusiasts, MP3 and DVD addicts are sure to enjoy all that the sound card has to offer. The MUSE will be available in major retailers across the country beginning this week.

Maxi Sound Muse*'s attractive software bundle
Maxi Sound Muse* comes with MEDIA STATION, a multi-function graphic interface with mixing panel, WAV file player & recorder, MIDI player and audio CD player. Users will be able to create, play and listen to MP3s, WAV and WMA files with the Sonic Foundry ACID* Xpress and Siren Jukebox* Xpress applications. 

Included in the bundle is the world's first universal player/burner, the Earjam* Internet Music Player*. It is equipped to burn on all popular hardware devices and can play all popular music formats. Two other bundled features are guaranteed to give users hours of fun and entertainment. The Kool Karaoke * Lite software allows users to organize karaoke contests with friends, while GameLoft opens up the thrilling world of online multiplayer gaming.

The Maxi Sound Muse* supports Central Research Laboratories HRTF 3D positional audio functions, a user-friendly standard for both the computer gaming and music industries. This technology allows for compatibility with several open gaming standards including Microsoft® DirectSound® 3D, EAX* 1.0 and A3D* 1.0. 

High fidelity music playback is also guaranteed with the integrated Yamaha Xgstudio synthesizer. Compatible with both General MIDI and Yamaha XG standards, this new processor reproduces excellent quality MIDI sound.

The Maxi Sound Muse* will be available at major retailers beginning in early September. The sound card retails for $29 (US).

OCWorkbench     03:30 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

OCWorkbench sent news about AOpen's new DDR motherboard and ABIT's three upcoming boards. Here's what they have to say :-

AOPEN MK7A DDR board
The first DDR motherboard of AOpen is MK7A based on the AMD 761 Chipset. It should be available at the end of Sept 2000.

ABIT SA6, SH6 and VP6 motherboards on its way
I read this off from a UK newsgroup that Dabs.com has listed three models of ABIT boards for sale. The press releases are not even on the ABIT website yet. 

The three models are SA6, SH6 and VP6. The SA6 and SH6 are both i815E boards. SA6 and SH6 are based on the i815e chipset. SA6 is a FC-PGA while SH6 is a Slot 1 board. So who says there isn't a Slot 1 i815e board? 

The VP6 is probably the long awaited dual processor successor of the BP6. It is based on the Apollo Pro 694X chipset. 

The three boards will all feature ATA-100 with RAID, perhaps using the Highpoint HPT370 controller as per normal  

AthlonOC     03:25 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

AthlonOC has posted more info on the performance differences between the Duron and the Thunderbird (Athlon) in their latest article - Duron VS: Tbird take 2 - a longer look! Check out this clip :-

"This time around we decided to up the ante a little bit. We upgraded the test rig with faster CPUs and updated all of the drivers. We also inserted a geforce 2 MX card to help us out in our 3d testing. We also decided to toss a few more benchmarks in by request. UT and Sandra for example."

LittleWhiteDog.com     03:20 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

LittleWhiteDog.com has posted a review of the D-Link DSC-350 3-in-1 digital camera. Here's a clip of that review :-

"Overall this webcam by D-Link is a beginners device with some added versatility. A software bundle that allows a user to use the camera to it's fullest capabilities, coupled with the DSC-350's easy of use and installation, is it's saving grace. Plus the product is competitively priced at an MSRP of $129US, but expect it to sell for under $100."

CPUReview     03:15 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

CPUReview has posted another editorial. This time, it's off-topic but it's still an issue that affects most of us. The title of the editorial is "MPAA Take 2: No taping!" so check it out!

Comments      08:00 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

Sorry about the disappearance, everyone! :)

I took some time off to go down south to meet my brothers and my friend (and fellow ARPer, Ken Ng). Just got back yesterday so I haven't had the time to read all my mails yet.

However, I have ported over 100 Q&A topics regarding the Swapfile Optimization Guide. Unfortunately, since there are 100 questions and answers posted, I can't post the topics on which they touch. But they are all about swapfile optimization, so if you are interested in more details about swapfile optimization, check out the Comments Index to get to the Comments pages quickly.

I'll be back with more postings tonight or in the early morning since the Net connection's better after 1:00 am. 

Incidentally, I recently went to Carrefour and while shopping for some stuff, I came across some detergent from Belgium. Would you believe me if I told you that the detergent was called Athlon?!

What's next? Duron condoms??? :D

SavageZone      07:45 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

VideoLogic DigiTheatre LC      07:15 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

VIDEOLOGIC REDEFINES THE COST OF PC HOME CINEMA WITH DIGITHEATRE(tm) LC
Active Surround Sound Speaker System is Ideal Complement to SonicFury Soundcard

VideoLogic Systems - a division of Imagination Technologies - today announced its new DigiTheatre LC speaker system. Based on VideoLogic's multi-award winning DigiTheatre speakers, DigiTheatre LC is a high quality speaker system designed to complement VideoLogic's new SonicFury six channel DSP soundcard.

Any DVD-enabled PC with a suitable software DVD player, SonicFury and DigiTheatre LC can provide high-quality cinema-style surround sound for the ultimate in PC home theatre. DigiTheatre LC is available now from VideoLogic for £129.99 (inc. VAT). SonicFury is available now for £79.99 (inc. VAT). Both can be ordered online from www.videologic.com

Kevin Dale, president, VideoLogic Systems says: "SonicFury is the first audiophile quality six channel soundcard for the PC. Coupled with the award winning quality of our DigiTheatre LC speakers it redefines the PC-based home cinema solution."

SonicFury revolutionises PC home theatre with its support for either 5.1 digital stream output or six-channel analogue output (5.1). When used with a suitable software DVD player, SonicFury can output the decoded audio to a six channel speaker system, such as DigiTheatre LC, eliminating the need for an external Dolby® Digital decoder. Alternatively, SonicFury allows the pass-through of digital streams (e.g. Dolby Digital) via the digital output for external decoding in a separate home cinema decoder or complete 5.1-speaker solution, such as VideoLogic's original DigiTheatre or DigiTheatre DTS.

DigiTheatre LC provides powerful satellite speakers for all channels,
including dedicated centre and sub speakers. The front speakers have a
separate tweeter and mid-range cone and the centre and surround speakers
have full frequency drive units. The subwoofer contains all the necessary
power supply and six amplifiers providing over 1000W PMPO output.
DigiTheatre LC's compact satellites have been designed with ease of mounting
in mind.

DigiTheatre LC uses the same speakers and integrated amplifiers as
VideoLogic's DigiTheatre speaker system, which has won numerous awards
including, DVD Review Best For Value, What Video & TV Best Buy, Computer
Buyer Recommended and DVD Buyer Best For Value.

DigiTheatre LC is supplied with a two-year warranty and is backed by
worldwide customer support, including technical support hotlines, an
Internet web site and ftp services.

Club Overclocker      07:05 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

Club Overclocker is giving away a tube of Artic Silver Thermal Paste courtesy of HighspeedPC!  Head over to the contest page to find out how to win!

Guru3D      06:55 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

RivaTuner is a powerful tweaking utility for NVidia cards. All series of Detonator drivers have a lot of undocumented registry keys. Some of them don't affect anything, but some are very useful. In general they can't improve 3D performance but they can improve image quality and solve some compatibility problems. Alex discovered a lot of undocumented Detonator settings. RivaTuner will help you to change them. 

Hardware Extreme      06:50 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

Hardware Extreme  has just posted a short follow-up review of the Seventeam ST-300GL 300W Power Supply. This is the little brother to the 400W ST-400GL unit reviewed a few days back and is perfect for those of you who are looking for a high-quality power supply but don't need the extra power. Here's a snip...

"Make no mistake though, this power supply is a monster in every way when compared to it's brother. It has the same quality components, marvelous build and also outputs a full 300W simultaneously. As I mentioned earlier in the review of the ST-400GL, there are several 300W power supplies in the market that go rated at 300W but are only capable of a weak 200W simultaneous output."

Q&A For The BIOS Optimization Guide     04:50 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

I have just ported over the remaining comments for the BIOS Optimization Guide. That means 30 additional Q&A topics have been added to the previous comments posted. This brings the total number of Q&A topics to 120!

So, if you would like to know more about BIOS optimization, head over to the Comments Index to get to the Comments pages quickly. If you still have more questions about the BIOS Optimization Guide, please don't hesitate to post your questions in the forums.

Don't forget to check out the 10 pages of comments for the Swapfile Optimization Guide as well! You will find answers to your questions about swapfiles in those 100 Q&A topics.

Incidentally, I will only be starting on the comments that you have sent in the last few weeks. That's why I highly recommend that you post any new queries in the forums for a faster reply. Thanks! :) 

GideonTech     04:45 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

GideonTech just finished a review on a Plexi Window Kit from PCMods.com. This review also doubles as a tiny guide on how to put in a clear window for your case. Check out this snip :-

""Kudos go out to PCMods.com for putting out an excellent product that is extremely easy to install. and looks great when its finished!!! It took me about 30 minutes to do the entire installation and that includes..."

They also have updated the Visitors Section that lets you send in case mods of you own. To check out the new mods, click here.

Binaries Storage Area      06:40 AM IDT     Ken Ng

ASUS
1) ASUS BIOS flash utility v1.27 (Aug/28/2000)
   -Enable non-Award BIOS model to be written.
2) ASUS Update V3.26.01 for Win9X, NT4.0, and Win2K (NEW)
   - Support P2B, P3B, CUBX, MEW, P3C, P3W, CUW, CUC, CUSL2, CUV4X, P3V4X, P3V133, K7V, CUSI-FX, CUA, and A7V series. (Jul/26/2000)

Ken Ng      06:30 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Hello everyone,

Just wanted to let you all know that Ken Ng is now taking over the Binaries Storage Area. He's running off a particularly fast connection so he will be able to upload files very much faster than me. Expect the Binaries Storage Area to expand greatly. In fact, you may look upon it as an alternative source of drivers, BIOS, benchmarks and other downloads. If you have any binaries request, just drop Ken Ng an e-mail and he will take care of it for you. But no requests for porn or warez, please! :D

OCWorkbench      06:15 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

OCWorkbench have posted their first QDI motherboard review - the Synactix 2E motherboard. Here's a snip :-

"QDI is pretty much an unknown motherboard manufacturer in the West but in Asia, it's a different story. What makes QDI so popular in the East? OCWorkbench has taken it upon themselves to test a motherboard that is manufactured by QDI and we came up with the SynactiX 2E, a i815e motherboard that has all the bells and whistles of an i815e board PLUS exciting new features, not found in other motherboards! Check out the review!"

Overclockers Australia      06:05 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

CPUReview      05:55 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

CPUReview  has just reviewed the MSI 6309 Socket 370 motherboard. The article includes
benchmark results (with a Coppermine 500) running at 500, 667 and 735MHz!!!

Picture Gallery     10:05 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

A picture tells a thousand words, they say. As I don't have time to write about everything, sometimes it's best to just let the pictures tell the story. Of course, there will be some explanation with each picture as well. :)

Anyway, back to the topic. I have just posted five mini-pictorials of various hardware. You will find some of them dismantled to inspect their innards while others are just pictures of the components. But no matter what condition they were in when the pictures were taken, you can expect some truly stunning photos!

Guru3D     09:30 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

Guru 3D posted a review on Gigabyte's latest Socket-A Athlon Thunderbird / Duron mainboard. Here's a clip from the review -:

"The layout of this mainboard is good, everything seems to be in place. Everything is easily accessible. Gigabyte has placed the ATX power connector just below the DIMM slots, keeping the cable chaos associated with many other motherboards to a minimum. IDE/Floppy connectors are stacked, and on par. The 7ZX is a very well layed-out board. One remark, once you've inserted an AGP card you won't be able to insert or remove 
a memory stick. They are in each others way. But hey, remove the AGP card and you are set to go."

ReviewNews     09:25 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

ReviewNews has posted a review of the RatPadz mouse pad. Check out this snip :-

"The Radpad is what I’d consider a, “professional mousepad.” This pad is designed for people that demand precision in their everyday computer use. CAD users and level designers will probably love this thing, along with hardcore Starcrafters as Fraggers. It doesn’t matter what you do, but if you need precision, you need a professional mousepad"

Club Overclocker     09:20 PM IDT     Adrian Wong

Club Overclocker has posted a review of the GlobalWin FOP32++ heatsink. Here's a snip of the review :-

"So what the heck does the "++" stand for behind the FOP32? Well, take a stock GlobalWin FOP32 and add a 4000RPM 38CFM 60mm SCREAMING Delta cooling fan and you have yourself a FOP32++. The GlobalWin FOP32 is even AMD certified for use on their Thunderbird and Duron processors so combining a great heatsink with the supercharged Delta fan and we just might have one of the best coolers available for Socket A processors! Let's take a look and see..."

Binaries Requests     09:30 AM IDT     Ken Ng

I've started a new topic suitably called "Binaries Request".

Here's the direct link to it - http://198.95.255.5/NonCGI/Forum1/HTML/000010.html

So, please post all your binaries request there unless you think your request is extremely urgent, then please drop me an e-mail too. Now, extremely urgent cases here means that you need a particular system files (ie. Dlls, VXDs, OCXs, etc) which is needed to run certain programs. 

Needing the latest WinAmp software right at the moment it is released is not what I deem at extremely urgent. :D

Anyway, I'll also need your input on how you would prefer the downloads to be. What I mean here is the size of the downloads.

Do you prefer either a full-one-file-download, or a 'sliced' up download into several chunks. And if sliced, what ifs your prefered chunk size.
With all this slicing and chunk size, I'm beginning to sound like a butcher eh? LOL!

Ok, The Binaries Storage Area have asked for your Input. It's now your turn to give us the input.

LittleWhiteDog     09:20 AM IDT     Ken Ng

LittleWhiteDog.com has launched its latest Prize Pack giveaway! They have 3 fabulous items which they are giving away this round, including free RAM (something everyone can use!). Here are the prizes :-

- (1) Stick of RAM - 128 Megs - PC100 tested and fully functional at 133 FSB. (Tested on BE6-II with 600e running at 800 Mhz) 
- (1) MadOnion T-Shirt (Black with orange logo on front and back (XL)) 
- (1) Bag of Beggin' Strips Dog Treats! (Cheese and Bacon Flavored - with 50% more Free inside!)

More Binaries!      05:35 AM IDT     Ken Ng

Video RAM Caching      02:45 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Hello everyone,

I have just posted the Video RAM Caching guide! The entire guide examines that controversial Video RAM Cacheable feature in the BIOS. The motherboard manufacturers recommend enabling it. But should you? Well, check it out and find out!

This 13-page guide not only discusses the theoretical implications of enabling or disabling the feature, it also proves the validity (or otherwise) of enabling the feature with benchmarks! This means we have the results to back up our theories. Here, check out this snip :-

"What's this BIOS option for? Well, according to the manuals, this feature enables or disables the caching of the video RAM at A0000h-AFFFFh region via the L2 cache. This is supposed to significantly speed up accesses to the video RAM. However, will the caching of this small 64KB region actually boost the performance of the graphics card and the system overall? Let's examine the theoretical aspect first :-"

Hope you will like this article as well. Don't forget to post any questions or disagreements you may have in the forums! We would be happy to answer any queries you may have. Also, if you have time, do take a moment to vote for our site (using the AbsolutePC Top 100 submission form just below the navigation bar). Thanks and have a great day wherever you are! :D

News From The Net      02:35 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

AthlonOC has updated their site with :-

• a give-away of an AMD Duron 1GHz.
• a quick take on the OCZ GFD along with the settings that some of you have requested!
• a review of the Aopen AK33.

Flipchip.net reviewed the AOpen PA256 Deluxe GeForce 2 GTS card.

Guru3D.com reviewed the ABIT Siluro GF 256GTS, a 64MB NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS card.

ReviewNews reviewed the Genica Taruva MP3/CD player.

Overclocker's Workbench sent the following news bits :-

• Before Intel changes it's Coppermine to Tualatin, there will a new processor known as Coppermine-T. Coppermine-T is an improved version of Coppermine and has a voltage of 1.2v. Coppermine -T will be released in Q1,2001.
  
  Tualatin will be based on 0.13 micron and will have 512K L2 and uses 1.2v. It has a heat spreader built in to the FC-PGA2 and will run at 200Mhz FSB. the first processor will be rated at 1.2Ghz.
  
• The EPoX 8KTA2 motherboard will support ATA-100 and will be available soon.
  
• As reported by Digitimes, in Taiwan, the top mainboard manufactuers are :
    ASUS = 15000pcs
    Gigbayte = 16000pcs
    Microstar  = 10000 - 12000pcs
    Aopen = 8,000 - 1 million
    ABIT = 2000-3000pcs
    Iwill = 2000-3000pcs
• They have mirrored a copy of the Detonator 6.26 drivers.

Club Overclocker has teamed up with Ninja Micros to bring you THREE FreeSpeed Pro Overclocking Devices! Friday, the 22nd of September, they will draw three winning names. For a chance in winning those overclocking tools, click here! 

The editor of LittleWhiteDog has another editorial. Is Napster and the like to blame for copyright infringement? Who are the real victims if file sharing on the Internet is banned. See what Rover at LittleWhiteDog thinks about this whole situation!

LittleWhiteDog also has a review of the Tweeking Device2 (a Goldfinger device).

There is another auction for Jeremy. The following items are being auctioned off :-

• 3 Copies of Star Trek Armada (Personally autographed by Patrick Stewert and Michael Dorn)
• 1 Copy of a Special Edition Quake 3 in the tin box (With actual autographs on the box of the entire id software team)

For updates on Jeremy, click here.

Hexus.net updated their mod section with news on an IC and Circuit their staff had working on.

OCShoot posted three articles :-

• how to modify your Asetek system in to a "500Watt/RAID monster"!
• the conversion of an ordinary Adtronics 7896a case to an overclocker's case
• a comparison of the Artic Silver paste and the Danfoss silver paste.

I'm Back!     11:15 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Hello everyone! Sorry about the lack of activity. I just go back from another trip to KL. Just opened my mailbox and discovered the incredible pile of e-mails for me to go through! Have to take a breather for a second but you can expect more updates soon.

More Binaries     10:45 AM IDT     Ken Ng

As promised, I've updated the Binaries Storage Area with more 'new' binaries. Here's the list :-

1) PowerStrip 2.74
2) MemTurbo 2
3) MemoryMonster
4) Winamp 2.65
5) Windows Media Player 7

MemTurbo and MemoryMonster are memory utilities that manages the system memory. The have features like defragging memory, retrieving/recovering memory and more. Check them out. You will like them! :D

AGP Sidebanding vs. AGP Overclocking      05:40 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Hello everyone,

Sorry for disappearing for a while there. I have been busy preparing for the next semester in Manipal. As you can probably guess, I'm now stocking up on food and other supplies to take there. Enough of my blurbs. Let's get back to the topic. :)

I have just posted rev. 3.1 of the AGP Sidebanding vs. AGP Overclocking guide which examines AGP's sideband port and the overclocking of the AGP bus. This 14-page guide not only discusses the theoretical implications of enabling the sideband support or overclocking the AGP bus, it also compares the performance difference of enabling sideband support or overclocking with benchmarks! This means we have the results to back up our theories. Here, check out this snip :-

"Overclocking the AGP bus appears to be the most logical step in improving the performance of the AGP bus since it brings about a substantial increase in AGP bandwidth. For example, overclocking the AGP bus to 112MHz increases the AGP bus' maximum bandwidth to 900MB/s (using the AGP2X transfer mode), which is way over the usual AGP2X's maximum bandwidth of 534MB/s.

On the other hand, sidebanding improves AGP performance indirectly by removing the need for the main AD lines of the AGP bus to service AGP requests and commands. Instead, the AD lines are reserved for data transfers only. Both methods increase practical AGP bandwidth so which offers more? Let's find out."

Hope you will like this article as well. Don't forget to post any questions or disagreements you may have in the forums! We would be happy to answer any queries you may have. Also, if you have time, do take a moment to vote for our site (using the AbsolutePC Top 100 submission form just below the navigation bar). Thanks and have a great day wherever you are! :D

Imagination Technologies Press Release      04:55 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

SEGA ANNOUNCES NAOMI2 NEXT GENERATION ARCADE SYSTEMS USING IMAGINATION TECHNOLOGIES' POWERVR GRAPHICS ARCHITECTURE

NAOMI2, the arcade system developed by Sega and based on PowerVR graphics technology, debuts today at the 38th Amusement Machine Show in Tokyo. NAOMI2 sets a new standard for arcade gaming and will reinforce the dominance of the NAOMI arcade platform, which has become an arcade industry standard, providing stunning entertainment experiences worldwide.

NAOMI2 is the next generation graphics architecture for arcade systems incorporating technologies designed by PowerVR Technologies - a division of Imagination Technologies - as part of the continuing partnership between Sega, NEC Corporation, and Imagination Technologies. Sega is already using the system for the development of the next generation of arcade titles, and some of these outstanding game images will be demonstrated at the Amusement Machine Show.

Says Hideki Sato, Senior Managing Director of Sega Enterprises: "NAOMI2 is at the cutting edge of gaming, there is no comparable videogame system in the world. NAOMI2 utilizes PowerVR's inherent scalability and the new hardware geometry and lighting engine, to deliver an unmatched level of gaming experience that will amaze arcade goers worldwide. NAOMI2 not only provides beautiful graphics but also significantly frees up resources in the main CPU for actual game dynamics, allowing developers to write games that will stretch the boundaries."

NAOMI2 is based on the PowerVR architecture and also incorporates an advanced PowerVR co-processing engine for great game dynamics and full hardware geometry transformation and lighting (T&L), which reduces the CPU load to 1/10th, as well as direct and efficient support for use of multiple PowerVR rendering processors for super high performance and outstanding image quality.

Says Hossein Yassaie, CEO, Imagination Technologies: "NAOMI2 will enable Sega and its partners to create the most realistic games ever seen in an arcade by utilizing the advanced PowerVR hardware transformation and lighting engine, together with multiple PowerVR rendering processors."

Says Hidetoshi Kosaka, General Manager, NEC: "The relationship between NEC and Sega has been very successful and we are pleased that this ongoing relationship has now entered its next phase of achievement and innovation."

Inside NAOMI2
NAOMI2 is a highly optimized parallel rendering architecture featuring twin PowerVR rendering engines, using adaptive load balancing across the dual engine and a full hardware Geometry Transformation and Lighting processor. With no-penalty for up to six fully featured lights NAOMI2 can provide 10M triangles/sec sustained throughput in real gaming applications. NAOMI2 also features combined dynamic and static model processing, multiple light type support (ambient, parallel, point and spot), hardware Z clipping, offscreen and backface culling, hardware bump mapping, and hardware environmental
mapping support.

News From The Net      04:35 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Overclocker's Workbench has a review of the StarForce 815 motherboard.

Case Modders Australia is a brand-new site that launched with the following articles :-

• 'rounding' IDE cables
• modding a case
• modding a PSU
• changing front LEDs on a PC

OCShoot has reviews of these two coolers :-

• Globalwin FHP08
• Globalwin FOP32

LittleWhiteDog has posted a new article on how to properly construct a Crossover Cable using the 568a wiring standard. The article provides a very in-depth look into why crossover cables are needed, and how they work. We then take you step by step through the process of stripping, arranging, trimming, and crimping your new cables.

Extreme Overclocking has a review on In-Win's S500 mid tower case. This is a newer version of the A500 mid tower which many people are acquainted with.

Savagezone.net has reviewed the thermal probe known as the 'CompuNurse'.

Upcoming Stuff     03:25 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

I'm now working on the porting of two new articles from the two latest additions to the ARP team. Heads up for fresh articles from fresh writers! :D

News From The Net     03:05 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

OcShoot has posted an important guide for all VapoChill users. By using the tilt-trick, the condenser trick and software related cooling you will increase the cooling. But the risk of condensation will also increase running VapoChill "out of spec". Go here for the article!

Gainward     02:25 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Gainward has released two new NVIDIA-based cards. Check out their press releases :-

GeForce2 ULTRA/500 "Golden Sample"

Taipei - Hong Kong - Fremont/Ca., - Amsterdam - Munich - Sept 14^st, 2000.

Gainward Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of high performance 3D graphics and DVD accelerators, today announced the CARDEXpert GeForce2 ULTRA/ 500 ”Golden Sample”^TM featuring NVIDIA’s highest performing 256-bit NVIDIA GeForce2 ULTRA chipset, 64 MB of ultra-fast DDR memory, additional TV output and Gainward’s XPERTool^TM performance tuning utility for easy customized performance enhancements. The integrated 350 MHz RAMDAC delivers refresh rates up to 240 Hz and true color (32bpp) up to 1920 x 1440 at 85 Hz refresh rate. Gainward’s unique High-Performance/Wide-Bandwidth^TM hardware design and powerful software support assures outstanding performance and stability.

Gainward further enhances its new 64 MB CARDEXpert GeForce2 ULTRA/ 500 ”Golden Sample”^TM with its value adds, including easy plug-and-play AUTORUN installation from CD-ROM, easy-to-use Windows utilities, and performance enhanced, accelerated software drivers. The CARDEXpert GeForce2 ULTRA/ 500 ”Golden Sample”^TM will be available in October 2000.

GeForce2 MX TwinView "Golden Sample"

Taipei - Hong Kong - Fremont/Ca., - Amsterdam - Munich – Sept. 7^th, 2000.

Gainward Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of high performance 3D graphics cards, mainboards, and DVD accelerators, today announced the CARDEXpert GeForce2 MX TwinView ”Golden Sample”^TM integrating NVIDIA’s 256-bit NVIDIA GeForce2 MX chipset, 32 MB of ultra-fast SDRAM memory for enhanced performance settings, 2 VGA monitor connectors with independent control panels plus a TV-out connector.

All products of Gainward’s award winning ”Golden Sample” series feature Gainward’s unique proprietary High-Performance/Wide-Bandwidth^TM hardware design, ultra-fast memory, and powerful software support to assure outstanding performance and stability. Gainward further enhances its new 32 MB CARDEXpert GeForce2 MX TwinView ”Golden Sample”^TM with its unique value add-ons, including XPERTool^TM performance tuning utilities, easy plug-and-play AUTORUN installation from CD-ROM, easy-to-use Windows utilities, and performance enhanced, accelerated software drivers. The integrated 350 MHz RAMDAC delivers refresh rates up to 240 Hz and true color (32bpp) up to 1920 x 1440 at 85 Hz refresh rate.

The CARDEXpert GeForce2 MX TwinView ”Golden Sample”^TM will be available end of September 2000.

PDA Comparison      05:20 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

Hello everyone,

I have just posted Marauder's comparison of the new Compaq iPAQ PDA versus the Casio EM500 PDA. Yes, Marauder just joined ARP. You can expect to see more PDA-related articles from him in the future. There will be a proper intro on him in a later update. In the meantime, check out this snip of his article :-

"Two of the more interesting Pocket PCs are now available in Malaysia, both the Compaq iPAQ and the Casio EM500 offer different advantages and features, which one should you buy? The following article would hopefully help you come to that decision easier based on what each PPC offers and what advantages and disadvantages should you decide to get one."

Hope you will like this article from Marauder. Don't forget to post any questions or disagreements you may have in the forums! We would be happy to answer any queries you may have. Also, if you have time, do take a moment to vote for our site (using the AbsolutePC Top 100 submission form just below the navigation bar). Thanks and have a great day wherever you are! :D

Guillemot Press Release      04:55 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

3D Prophet II MX Dual-Display Video
High performance 3D gaming on one or two screens 

Montreal, September 25th, 2000 - After the successful launch of 3D Prophet II MX in July 2000, Hercules is pleased to announce the launch of 3D Prophet II MX Dual-Display Video featuring the GeForce2 MX chipset, powered by Twin View(tm) dual-display architecture. 3D Prophet II MX Dual-Display Video enables users to perform different functions on two different displays simultaneously with amazing 3D performance.

Breathtaking speed in 3D games: Ultra-fast RAM transfer
The GeForce2 MX chipset can be interfaced with either 128-bit SDR RAM or 64-bit DDR RAM. Hercules' 128-bit memory bus, powered by a 183MHz RAM clock, is the configuration delivering the maximal bandwidth. The 3D Prophet II MX, offers a bandwidth of 2.9GB/sec as opposed to GeForce2 MX boards interfaced with 150MHz×2 DDR RAM, reaching only a 2.4GB/s bandwidth. 

3D Prophet II MX architecture is faster in today's 32-bit games than other GeForce2 MX based graphics boards, outperforming GeForce2 MX boards with DDR RAM by 20%. 

The key word for Hercules is optimization: the use of a 183MHz RAM with a 128-bit interface just like the 3D Prophet II MX Series, optimizes the GeForce2 MX chipset, while using DDR RAM at 64-bit retains the chipset's performance. 

Dual-Display support to broaden gaming horizons
Featuring NVIDIA TwinView(tm) Display Architecture, the 3D Prophet II MX Dual-Display Video delivers impressive 2D/3D acceleration on the first monitor and offers a simultaneous and complementary display on a TV screen. This feature has a variety of functions that can be used for gaming, video viewing and CAD applications 

For games offering multiple display modes, like flight simulators, 3D Prophet II MX Dual-Display Video allows users to enjoy two different views (engine controls on the monitor and panning on the TV screen). For other applications, 3D Prophet II MX Dual-Display Video eliminates switching between two windows and enables different software applications to remain open and visible at the same time. 

With 3D Prophet II MX Dual-Display Video and 3D Prophet II MX, Hercules once again fulfills gamers expectations by offering them high 3D performance and the latest features available in 3D graphics technology.

Price and Availability
3D Prophet II MX Dual-Display Video will be available in October 2000 for $169 (USD). 3D Prophet II MX is presently available for at major retailers across the country for $149 (USD).

News From The Net      04:25 AM IDT     Adrian Wong

CPUReview has posted a review of the AMD Slot A Athlon 700 processor.

G3D:Gaming In 3D has posted an article on the dissection of a Razor mouse.

Club Overclocker is giving away a ASUS V7100 GeForce2 MX Video Card in a drawing which ends on the 16th of October.

LittleWhiteDog is hosting yet another contest. This time, it's the "Tell us why you think you should win the prize" contest and the prize is the D-Link DSC-350 3 in 1 digital camera.

OCMax has moved to a new server. For the moment, you can access their site via this link.

Speedy 3D has posted an article entitled Me and WindowsME. In this article, they take you through their experiences with Microsoft's Windows Millennium Edition - installation, stability and speed, all in one article.