November 19th, 2009

Radeon HD 5970 - ATI's killer graphics card

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 5:39 am

Categories: AMD/ATI, Gaming, Graphics, Hardware

Tags: Card, Video Card, ATI Technologies Inc., Graphics, Radeon, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Thought that ATI’s Radeon HD 5870 is a killer graphics card? Well you ain’t seen nothing yet - until you’ve seen the Radeon HD 5970.

So, what’s the big deal about the Radeon HD 5970? Well, it’s basically a Radeon HD 5870 part but with two “Cypress” GPUs on a single printed circuit board (PCB). You can think of the HD 5970 as the X2 version of the HD 5870 in much the same way that we saw X2 versions of the HD 3870 and HD 4870.

The spec of the HD 5970 is very impressive indeed:

The HD 5970 forms part of ATI’s “sweet spot” strategy:

What makes the HD 5970 so special - the dual Read the rest of this entry »

November 17th, 2009

GeForce GT 240 - NVIDIA's sub-$100 DirectX 10.1 graphics card

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 2:50 pm

Categories: Gaming, Graphics, Hardware, NVIDIA

Tags: Card, Video Card, Nvidia GeForce, NVidia Corp., Graphics, DirectX, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

You can get a lot of power for under $100 when it comes to GPUs nowadays, but NVIDIA have just launched the GeForce GT 240 - decent performance, low power consumption and a decent price.

OK, so what’s special about the GeForce GT 240? Well, to begin with, it fully supports DirectX 10.1, something which other high-end NVIDIA cards don’t do. Might seem a trivial point when you consider that ATI already have DirectX 11 parts out  been delayed until (NVIDIA’s Fermi has been delayed until 2010), but it’s darn hard to get hold of any Radeon HD 5870 or 5850 cards. Also, it’s early days for DirectX 11 anyway in terms of games.

OK, so it supports DirectX 10.1, what else is special about the GeForce GT 240? Well, it’s NVIDIA’s most powerful graphics card that doesn’t require an auxiliary PCIe power connector. This means no need to Read the rest of this entry »

November 11th, 2009

Zune HD firmware 4.3 brings with it 3D gaming

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 7:51 am

Categories: Gaming, Microsoft, Mobile Technology

Tags: 3D, Microsoft Zune, Firmware, Games, Personal Technology, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Last week Microsoft released firmware 4.3 for the Zune HD which not only bought with it a raft of minor bug fixes and improvements but also support for “upcoming” 3D game … well, those games are now available, and they’re free.

There are six games on offer:

• PGR: Ferrari edition
• Lucky Lane Bowling
• Vans Sk8: Pool service
• Piano
• Audio Surf: Tilt
• Checkers

Games are available from Marketplace, and, as I mentioned earlier, are free.

Are free games enough to encourage buyers to give Zune a chance over a new iPod?

November 11th, 2009

Microsoft gives up to 1 million Xbox modders the boot from Live

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 6:14 am

Categories: Gaming, Microsoft

Tags: Console, Microsoft Xbox Live, Microsoft Corp., Microsoft Xbox, Game Players, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Microsoft has announced that it is to cut off access to Xbox Live online services to players running modded Xbox consoles. This move could affect anywhere between 600,000 and 1 million players.

In a statement Microsoft said:

“All consumers should know that piracy is illegal and that modifying their Xbox 360 console to play pirated discs violates the Xbox Live terms of use, will void their warranty and result in a ban from Xbox Live.”

Modding is popular amongst gamers since it offers them the ability to do a great many things otherwise prohibited, from cheating at games, creating and using new maps and features, adding larger hard drives, and, unfortunately, pirate games. Yet despite being pretty much illegal in both the US and Europe, modding is also big business, with easy to install kits being readily available.

Microsoft hasn’t disclosed how it detects modded consoles, but according to Read the rest of this entry »

November 3rd, 2009

Hardware 2.0 'Very Best Kit List' for Nov/Dec 09

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 3:48 am

Categories: Components, Cutting Edge, DIY PC, Gadgets, Gaming, Graphics, Hardware

Tags: Card, Board, Western Digital Corp., Overclocking, Motherboard, Price, CPU, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Corp., Radeon

Welcome to the updated and revamped Hardware 2.0 “Very Best Kit List” for Nov/Dec 09, the last such list for 2009. Here I’ve put together a list of the best high-end and mid-range and budget components currently available. So if you’re thinking of buying, building or even upgrading a PC, this list is a must-read for you!

See also my Holiday Gift Guide 2009 for even more cool kit! 

This time around sees the addition of several new categories, such as netbooks, notebooks, all-in-one PCs, and wireless routers. I’ve also added new products to some of the existing categories too.

These components are on this list because I firmly believe them to be the best either in terms of performance or price - although I’m ready to admit, as always, that there’s room for debate and some choices “go with the gut” more than others.

NOTE: Each time I come out with a list of kit I always end up fielding a few emails and comments from people wondering if companies have “bought” space on the list. Let me tell you now that the only way for a product to get on this list is to be the best - period. Manufacturers, vendors and PR companies have zero influence over this or any other recommendation that I make.

Final note: All prices are approximate … shop around for the best deals!

• CPUs
• Motherboards
• RAM
• Graphics Cards
• Hard Disks
• Sound Cards
• PSUs
• Coolers
• Cases
• Monitors
• Keyboards/Mice
• Netbook
• Notebook
• All-in-One PC
• All-in-One Printer
• In-Car GPS
• Wireless Router 

Next –>

October 30th, 2009

Wii sales take a 43% tumble ... why?

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 5:33 am

Categories: Entertainment, Gaming, In the news, Industry

Tags: Nintendo Co. Ltd., Nintendo Wii, H1, Sales Strategy, Sales Force Management, Games, Sales, Personal Technology, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

According to Nintendo, global sales of the once popular Wii games console have slumped 43% during the first half of the fiscal year (H1 ‘10).

Figures released by Nintendo show that in the six months to the end of September 5.7 million Wii consoles were sold, compared to 10.1 million a year ago (H1 ‘09). At the same time, global game sales have fallen by 6%. 76.2m Wii games were sold during H1 ‘10 compared to 81.4 million for H1 ‘09.

Speaking to Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, Nintendo’s CEO, Satoru Iwata said that “Wii has stalled,” and that “We were unable to continue to release strong software.”

Overall, this is pretty bad news for Nintendo which as seen a 52% drop in net profit during H1 ‘10, down to $721 million. The company has also cut net profit forecasts for the ‘10 fiscal year by 23%, down to $2.5 billion.

So, what’s wrong with the Wii? Saturation might have something to do with it, but I can’t help but feel that the platform needs a hardware refresh. I like the Wii but often wonder how cool it would be if it had the graphics power of an Xbox 360 or PS3 … along with those innovative Wii remotes, the combination would be a killer. As it stands right now, the platform seems dated.

October 28th, 2009

Modern Warfare 2 - A game too far?

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 12:22 pm

Categories: Gaming

Tags: Scene, Games, Personal Technology, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Leaked footage from Activision Blizzard’s upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is causing quite a bit of a stir.

The footage (you can take a look at it here or here, the bit I’m talking about starts at 1:50) is controversial because it shows the player killing civilians along with terrorists.

The footage is not faked, and Activision Blizzard have confirmed that the scene is in the game:

“Yes it is. The scene establishes the depth of evil and the cold bloodedness of a rogue Russian villain and his unit. By establishing that evil, it adds to the urgency of the player’s mission to stop them.

“Players have the option of skipping over the scene. At the beginning of the game, there are two ‘checkpoints’ where the player is advised that some people may find an upcoming segment disturbing. These checkpoints can’t be disabled.

“Modern Warfare 2 is a fantasy action game designed for intense, realistic game play that mirrors real life conflicts, much like epic, action movies. It is appropriately rated 18 for violent scenes, which means it is intended for those who are 18 and older.”

Thoughts? Visceral and realistic or bad taste?

October 16th, 2009

Best 'bang for the buck' graphics cards

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 6:41 am

Categories: AMD/ATI, Components, Cutting Edge, Gaming, Graphics, Hardware, NVIDIA, Performance

Tags: Card, Video Card, Graphics, Radeon, Video Cards, Hardware, Components, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

It seems that gamers are no longer willing to blow $500 on a graphics card. More and more of you wan to know what’s the best graphics card you can buy on a limited budget.

In this post I will look at the best graphics card you can buy in four different price brackets.

Sub $100

You can pick up some truly excellent graphics cards for under $100. In fact, if you buy the right bit of kit, you can pretty much get all the graphics card you’ll need for under $100.

There are two cards in particular worth looking at:

• SAPPHIRE 100265HDMI Radeon HD 4830 512MB (around $95)
• PowerColor AX4850 512MD3-PH Radeon HD 4850 512MB (around $99)

Given the choice I’d go for the PowerColor card because it offers a little more performance. Other than that, both have dual-monitor support, support for HDMI and offer a great gaming experience.

Sub $200

OK, with an increased budget you are looking at graphics cards that can deliver amazing gaming experience at high resolutions. Graphics cards in this price category are aimed at hardcore enthusiasts and in order to get the  best from them the rest of your hardware has to be of high-spec too. There’s no point adding an expensive graphics card to a low-end PC!

In the sub $200 price category you want to be looking at cards such as the following:

• XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 1GB (around $175)
• EVGA 896-P3-1257-AR GeForce GTX 260 (around $199)

Here I’d go for the Radeon HD 5770 because it’s a newer card , based on newer technology, more powerful and cheaper than the NVIDIA card.

Next –>

September 28th, 2009

PSP Go teardown

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 6:24 am

Categories: Gaming, Hardware

Tags: Wireless Internet, Sony PlayStation Portable, Wi-Fi, Wireless And Mobility, Handhelds, Hardware, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

The folks at iFixit have done it again, and posted a teardown of Sony’s new PSP Go handheld game device.

Here are some highlights:

• 16GB NAND flash chips replace the original PSP’s UMD drive (goodbye UMD …).
• Sony still uses an outdated 802.11b chip for wireless internet connectivity. I really can’t understand why this is the case. This is a major let-down.
• The 930 mAh battery is user replaceable! All that stands between you is seven screws and the careful peeling of the Warranty Void sticker. You can get past the Warranty Void sticker by not peeling it back too much …

For more teardown goodness, visit iFixit.

September 24th, 2009

Build a high-performance gaming PC for under $650!

Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 8:03 am

Categories: Components, DIY PC, Gaming, Hardware

Tags: Performance, PC, High-performance, Gaming PC, Games, Performance Management, Personal Technology, Human Resources, Workforce Management, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

While hardcore gamers will always find a way to pay for that uber component for their gaming rig, I know that many of you out there want to get your hands on a great gaming system, but don’t have the dough to blow on your “dream” system. Well, if you’re one of those people, this post if for you!

The trick with building a high-performance gaming system on a budget is two-fold:

• First, you have to spot the fine line between “value for money” and “insanity” - it can be tricky!
• Secondly, you need to know where you can make compromises that have a marginal effect on performance.

OK, with that in mind, let’s start building a high-performance gaming PC for under $650!

Note: The price of this build includes only the hardware (no OS, no games) and doesn’t include the cost of peripherals such as keyboard, mouse and screen.

Next –>