Belkin today announced plans to become one of the first to market with a line of wireless dual-band routers supporting the new 802.11ac wireless networking standard. New Belkin products will feature Broadcom’s fifth generation (5G WiFi) 802.11ac chips, which enable speeds up to three times faster than existing 802.11n technology.

“802.11ac technology provides the wireless networking backbone needed to reliably handle the increasing amount of mobile devices and streaming content on today’s home networks,” said Mike Chen, senior director of networking at Belkin. “We are excited to partner with Broadcom to bring cutting-edge Wi-Fi products to market this summer that not only provide great speed and coverage, but also enhance the online streaming experience for videos, movies, and music throughout the home.”

Featuring gigabit speeds wirelessly, 802.11ac is ideal for smartphones and tablets because it enables faster web downloads and file syncing with less drainage on battery life. More powerful than 802.11n, 5G WiFi also extends your home network range, giving you greater throughput and more reliable coverage at greater distances in the home so your mobile devices can be used in more locations.

“As a leader in mobile accessories and solutions, Belkin is strongly positioned to help drive the transition to the fifth generation of Wi-Fi,” said Michael Hurlston, Broadcom’s SVP of Wireless Combo Connectivity. “By incorporating Broadcom’s 5G WiFi chips, Belkin’s new products will improve home wireless range, provide faster video streaming, enable simultaneous connection of multiple devices to the network, and deliver broader coverage-all with a longer battery life. We’re thrilled to partner with Belkin to help bring all the benefits of 5G WiFi to consumers.”

For more information about 802.11ac and 5G WiFi, visit this page.

Source: PR

EVGA has released a utility that allows the “GeForce GTX” logo on the side of the EVGA GeForce GTX 690 to be customized. Users can manually increase/decrease the brightness, or, when paired with EVGA Precision X, have the LED light increase/decrease based on GPU Utilization, GPU Clock or even Frame Rate.

Learn more and download it from here. Please note this application is only compatible with the EVGA GeForce GTX 690 at present but may be expanded to incorporate other Nvidia cards in the near future.

Source: PR

Cast your mind back to late April and you will remember how the extra layer of thermal paste in the Ivy Bridge CPU construction was believed to be the culprit for high temperatures and this was followed by testing in China on the i7 3770k which then showed that thermal paste made no difference. However, following even more testing initial thoughts are now proven to be true, that it is indeed poor quality thermal paste put in by Intel that is causing problems. Extensive testing has been continued on the i7 3770k this time under three different scenarios:

• Using the stock Intel thermal grease
• Using OCZ’s Freeze Extreme thermal grease
• Using Coollaboratory’s Liquid Pro thermal grease

Each CPU was tested idle and under 100% load first at stock clocks which is 3.5GHz for the i7 3770k, they were then tested again for idle/100% load temperatures whilst overclocked to 4.6GHz at 1.2v. The following results show massive differences between Intel’s thermal grease and that of OCZ and Coollaboratory.

Idle conditions are almost negligible in their differences, since at idle the thermal output is so low that the thermal grease doesn’t have much impact. However, under load we can see rather stark differences, at stock configurations the difference between Intel’s thermal paste and OCZ’s is 8 degrees, with a further 3 degrees difference between OCZand Coollaboratory’s paste, making the total temperature reductions up to 11 degrees.

Overclocked results further exacerbate the problem, with 15 degrees being the difference between Intel’s and OCZ’s thermal grease. The difference between Intel and Coollaboratory’s respective pastes is a huge 20 degrees.

What’s promising here is that although this doesn’t totally eliminate the problems of Ivy Bridge being hotter than Sandy Bridge it does reduce the margin of difference a lot.  Both thermal paste’s used cost around the £4-7 depending on the retailer so for the overclocker and enthusiast this is a relatively cheap fix. However, for the novice user who may find this too complex or the user who doesn’t want to void their warranty this is of no benefit to them. All we can hope is that Intel releases the next revision of Ivy Bridge CPUs with an improved thermal grease to spare end users the hassle of having to do it themselves and voiding their warranty. It is also worth noting the set up used to conduct these tests:

• Thermalright SBE Silver Arrow CPU cooler
• ASUS Maximus V Gene motherboard

Given the high quality of those components many other users with lower performing CPU coolers and weak(er) VRM boards may find their temperatures are higher due to needing more volts and possessing less cooling capacity. Still it looks like the average user will be able to shave off 20% off their overclocked temperatures and 12% off their stock temperatures with some new thermal grease.

On a negative note though, speculation persists that Intel won’t fix this “problem”, because by making Ivy Bridge a less attractive proposition for performance enthusiasts they will encourage a shift towards the more expensive Sandy Bridge-E X79 platform. When considering current overclocked LGA 1155 performance, although Ivy Bridge offers around 5-10% better clock per clock performance, most Sandy Bridge CPUs can clock 5-15% higher and as a result performance ends up levelling out to be pretty much the same: i.e at 5GHz 2500K is roughly identical to a 4.6GHz 3570K in performance. Sandy Bridge wins the battle on thermals (perhaps due to deliberate Intel sabotage?) and Ivy Bridge wins on power consumption.

Finally, we would say more testing is definitely still needed to prove these results: anomalies can and do occur, in addition to human error, data and testing manipulation.

Source: Impress PC Watch

Transcend today announced the launch of its MSA720 SATA III 6 Gb/s mSATA solid state drive (SSD). The new MSA720 packs all the benefits of SATA III 6 Gb/s performance and SSD reliability into an ultra-small design, to offer the ideal solution for space-restricted embedded systems that use the mini-PCIe (mSATA) interface.

Supporting the next-generation SATA III 6 Gb/s standard and built around a powerful SandForce SF-2281 controller, the MSA720 delivers blazing fast sequential transfer speeds up to 560 MB/s read and 530 MB/s write, and impressive 4K random file writes up to 91,000 IOPS. This outstanding performance is particularly beneficial in dual-drive hybrid systems, where a large capacity hard drive is used for storing data, while the MSA720 acts as a cache drive to accelerate operating system boot-up time and commonly-used application launch speed.

Only one-eighth the size of a standard 2.5″ SSD and weighing just seven grams, the MSA720 is perfect for use in thin-and-light portable devices such as Ultrabooks, notebooks, and tablet PCs. Moreover, the use of top quality Toggle-mode MLC NAND flash chips provides excellent shock and vibration resistance to compact industrial applications such as slim servers and medical equipment, where sustained performance and reliability are a major concern. Support for S.M.A.R.T., TRIM and NCQ functions further increase the long-term health and efficiency of the SSD.

To prevent unauthorized access to data, the MSA720 features hardware-based 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) protection that automatically encrypts all data written to the SSD in real time, with no reduction in performance. In addition, the MSA720 uses DuraWrite flash endurance enhancement to ensure ultimate reliability, data retention, and power handling, giving peace of mind to users who heavily rely on the data stored in their computers.

The MSA720 is available in 64 GB and 128 GB capacities, and backed by a three-year limited warranty.

Source: PR

MSI today announced the availability of the new MSI Z77A-GD80 mainboard with Intel Thunderbolt technology. With MSI’s true integrated Thunderbolt design you don’t have to worry about losing bandwidth or placing additional add-in cards as it is the most simple Thunderbolt solution available. Of course, the renowned Military Class III components are again available to deliver the highest quality and most stable components. OC Genie II boosts your overall CPU, Memory, Disk and Graphics performance and thank to its power saving hardware features such as Active Phase Switching (APS) and DrMOS II, the MSI Z77A-GD80 can combine its CPU performance with best power saving.

MSI equipped the Z77A-GD80 with the groundbreaking Thunderbolt technology. Thunderbolt is the fastest data connection available for your PC, running at 10Gbps. Thunderbolt technology delivers two communications methods, or protocols, on a single cable: PCI Express for data transfer and DisplayPort for displays. MSI has integrated the Thunderbolt controller on the mainboard, ensuring that Thunderbolt is a hassle-free solution that not requires additional cards, cables and configuration issues because external Thunderbolt controllers steal bandwidth from other devices.

Data transfers for backup, sharing, and editing are faster with Thunderbolt technology, significantly reducing times to complete these tasks. Running at 10Gbps, Thunderbolt technology on the MSI Z77A-GD80 can transfer a full-length HD video in less than 30 seconds and backup 1 year of continuous audio playback in just over 10 minutes.

Thunderbolt technology delivers great responsiveness with data and display transfers – in each direction, at the same time – using a single cable to connect devices. It’s no longer needed to connect multiple devices directly to your PC. Using multiple connection in a daisy chain, the amount of cables directly attached to your PC will be reduced while maintaining maximum throughput.

The MSI Z77A-GD80 is equiped with Military Class III components. consisten of the new DrMOS II next-generation MOSFET with double thermal protection ensure safety while providing the highest efficiency and power output. Hi-c CAPs have very high efficiency and small form factor, ideal over overclocking or oversized CPU cooling. Super Ferrite Chokes (SFC) are more powerful and more efficient than Chokes employed on other mainboards and the all-solid capactors are the backbone of any long-lifetime product.

MSI OC Genie II is world’s easiest overclocking technique and allows a complete performance overhaul with a simple push of a button. My OC Genie is a new feature that allows end-users to customize their OC Genie II experience through MSI’s unique ClickBIOS II interface.

Source: PR

The new Adjust 108 fan controller from Fractal Design offers a simple yet clean option to adjust the speed of your case fans. With a brushed aluminum front panel and smooth moving sliders, it does not only emanate quality but also robustness and preciseness.

The Adjust 108 Fan Controller manages a total of six fans with a maximum of 36W per channel, while grouped three by three for ease of use. With a bi-color LED beneath each of the six sliders, the controller shows the speed of the fan not only by the slider itself but also through the color of the LED; white indicates a low RPM and blue a high RPM

Key features

• Stylish, minimalistic front in aluminum
• 6 channels
• One LED per channel
• Intensity jumper for the LEDs
• Uses only one 5.25″ bay

For more information, please refer to the datasheet (PDF).

Source: PR

As today is launch day for the GTX 670, EVGA is offering a full lineup of GeForce GTX 670 graphics cards, including Superclocked, FTW and 4GB models. You can see the full lineup here. Also, EVGA is offering an exclusive EVGA GeForce GTX 670 Precision X skin that can be downloaded at the official EVGA Precision X website.

An EVGA GeForce GTX 670 backplate will also be available separately, and as standard on select models.

The EVGA GeForce GTX 670 graphics card features:

• NVIDIA SMX Engine – Brand new processing engine which delivers twice the performance/watt compared to previous generations.
• NVIDIA GPU Boost Technology – Dynamically maximizes clockspeeds to push performance to new levels and bring out the best in every game.
• NVIDIA FXAA – Lightning fast anti-aliasing in a huge variety of games with the simple click of a mouse.
• NVIDIA TXAA – Next generation anti-aliasing algorithm that delivers the image quality of 8X MSAA, with the performance hit of only 2xMSAA.
• Adaptive Vertical Sync – Dynamically adjusts VSync to your monitors native refresh rate for the smoothest gameplay possible.
• Frame Rate Target – Set a target Frame Rate with EVGA Precision X and your card will automatically adjust the power/performance to meet that target.
• NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround – Supporting up to three gaming monitors plus one accessory display!
• PCI Express 3.0 – Offers double the bandwidth of PCI Express 2.0, for highest data transfer speeds. Also backwards compatible with all existing PCI Express motherboards.

 Source: PR

The brand new range of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 graphics cards has arrived at OVERCLOCKERS UK. With a wide selection of the new cards in stock and available to purchase today as well as a brand new gaming system, OVERCLOCKERS UK once again bring you the latest technology as soon as it is released.

OVERCLOCKERS UK has a full range of GeForce GTX 670 cards in stock and available to buy; with so many cards an impressive fortress has been constructed, allowing people to see for themselves just how many of the new cards are in stock! As well as a large selection of cards, also launched today is the Ultima Demon Hunter, a powerful Core i7 gaming system featuring the new GTX 670 card.

The GeForce GTX 670 graphics card taps into the powerful new GeForce architecture to redefine smooth, seamless, lifelike gaming. It’s more than state-of-the-art technology and features. It’s truly game-changing performance.. This innovative architecture was designed from the ground up to deliver power-efficient gaming performance that’s faster, smoother  and richer than anything you might have experienced before.

Get blazing performance with NVIDIA GPU Boost technology that dynamically maximizes clock speeds to bring out the best in every game. Immerse yourself in an ultra-smooth gaming experience with exciting new NVIDIA technology advancements like NVIDIA Adaptive Vertical Sync. It’s a fast, seamless way to adjust VSync to your current frame rates for maximum playability.

Discover truly game-changing innovation today.  Purchase your NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 graphics card or the Ultima Demon Hunter system from OVERCLOCKERS UK and explore the power and performance of the new GeForce  GTX 600-series architecture for yourself whilst the OVERCLOCKERS UK 14 day satisfaction guarantee means you can buy with confidence.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 graphics cards are in stock and available to buy now from www.overclockers.co.uk.

Source: PR

Today MSI officially announces the new GeForce GTX 670 graphics card featuring the latest 28nm GeForce GTX 670 GPU and 2GB GDDR5 memory; supports PCI Express 3.0 standard to provide better performance and power efficiency than previous generation. The GeForce GTX 670 graphics card features NVIDIA’s GPU Boost technology which allows the core clock to be automatically adjusted on the fly for optimal in-game performance. When used with the MSI Afterburner overclocking utility, the power limit and clock offset can be adjusted as well for better overclocking capability; GPU overvoltage function to boost overclocking potential up to 22%. A single card is able to also support NVIDIA 3DVision Surround technology for up to four monitors to give gamers the best in-game experience.

The MSI GeForce GTX 670 graphics card supports NVIDIA’s GPU Boost technology that allows the core clock to be adjusted on the fly for optimal in-game performance. When used with MSI’s exclusive Afterburner overclocking utility, gamers can control the power limit and clock offset for better overclocking capability. Additionally, MSI GeForce GTX 670 graphics card supports GPU overvoltage function to boost overclocking potential up to 22%! Afterburner supports video/audio capturing function Predator and can even use smart phones to control the graphics card in desktop. When combined with the Kombustor burn-in testing function, it is an indispensable tool for enthusiasts looking to get the most out of their graphics card.

The MSI GeForce GTX 670 graphics card uses the 28nm GeForce GTX 670 GPU and supports the latest PCI Express Gen 3 standards. This advanced manufacturing technology reduces operating temperatures and improves performance, and when combined with the latest connectivity standard it can also deliver a staggering 32GB/s of bandwidth with compatible CPUs and mainboards. For gamers, this means an even better in-game experience with 42% more performance than previous generation GeForce GTX 570 graphics cards.

Apart from supporting the latest DirectX 11 technology, the MSI GeForce GTX 670 graphics card has the ability to use NVIDIA 3DVision Surround using three 3D monitors and 3D glasses with just a single card. Gamers will be able to enjoy the spectacular visuals of 3D games and movies. Additionally, support for up to four displays driven by one graphics card allows gamers to make the most of multiple-monitor configurations.

Source: PR

NVIDIA today launched the third GPU based on its next-generation Kepler graphics architecture, the GeForce GTX 670, which brings dramatically improved levels of price-performance, power efficiency and whisper-quiet operation for PC gamers, starting at £329 including VAT and €329 excluding VAT.

Engineered from the same DNA as the recently announced GTX 680—NVIDIA’s top-of-the-line, single-GPU—the GTX 670 packs a mean punch in its lithe 9.5-inch-long frame. It outpaces the closest competitive product (HD 7950) in gaming performance by upwards of 45 percent,while consuming approximately 18 percent less power.

Plus, the GeForce GTX 670 ties the competition’s much higher-priced flagship product on 25 of the world’s most popular games and benchmarks, a testament to the overall performance efficiency of the Kepler architecture.

The GTX 670 is built using NVIDIA’s 28-nanometer Kepler architecture, as are the GTX 680 and dual-GPU GTX 690, which were introduced in March and April, respectively.

Availability

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 GPU is available now from the world’s leading add-in card suppliers, including ASUS, EVGA, Gainward, Gigabyte, Inno3D, KFA2, MSI, Palit, Point of View, PNY, and Zotac.

Source: PR