Hardware News
StarTech HDDPRO Hard Disk Cooler
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Hard disks are known to get very hot very quickly, however cooling them has never been a huge priority on some peoples list. Bjorn3D notices the importance and reviews the StarTech HDDPRO Hard Disk Cooler:
Did you hear that noise? You probably did, but you were so accustomed to the sound that you didn't even think to pay attention. Those clicks and whirs emanating from your system chassis come from one of the most neglected components of a computer user arsenal: the hard disk drive. If you think about it, you may realize that you rely on these mechanical wonders more than you think; some of you could risk losing your job should any critical data lay claim to a damaged hard disk.
Read the full review hereGalaxy Zeus 5900 XT review
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Guru3D have been looking at Galaxys GeForceFX 5900XT card. A cheap card, but does it pump out the quality and performance you are after?
High quality cooling for sure. What's nice to see is that the memory is 2.6ns BGA Hynix memory. BGA stands for Ball Grid Array. The 5900 was a magnificent overclocker reaching 475 MHz for the core frequency and check this out ... 880 MHz for it's memory.
Read the full review hereCeBIT 2004 Part 2
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
This is Part 2 of the CeBIT exhibition that Bit-Tech attended:
In this the second part for our CeBIT coverage we report on everything from flash Alienware laptops to the Socket-T 'fiasco'...
"The new CPU sockets about to hit us all is not really a socket at all but actually a plug since it is all pins and it is proving troublesome. Rumours suggest poor reliability and that the socket manufacturer is limiting the warranty to a single CPU insertion by an official OEM. This reporter has serious reservations about this but does share the concern about reliability. One bent socket pin and the CPU won't work!"
ClubOC Reviews
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
ClubOC have been very busy with the following reviews:
- NZXT Guardian Gamers Case Review
It wasn't too long ago when ClubOC sponsored a gaming event in the local Boise area called Boise Frag Fest. We even gave out awards to many of the gamers there, and we found out that most of the focus was on custom cases. Some of the gamers even went so far as to completely create new front panels using fiberglass and other resins to display their guardian-type features. Just recently some case manufacturers have really displayed what the gamers market wants by manufacturing cases that have lots of features like blow-holes, side case fans, and even in-case water cooling like that being offered from Koolance. Just a few weeks ago we took a good look at a case offered from Thermaltake, which seems to display the epitome of how far a company can go to give you what you want for your money. Partially combining what Thermaltake can give you as far as features, and what a gamer can create with a bit of time and some fiberglass knowledge, NZXT has created quite the contraption with the Guardian case, which we have for review today here at ClubOC
- HighPoint eSATA v2
High Point has been synonymous with those familiar with anything that has to do with high performance storage. I can remember the very first on-board performance oriented storage solution being from HighPoint and staying that way for a good three years with such legends as the ABIT KT7A RAID, which was the very first motherboard to offer a IDE RAID solution for end-users. HighPoint has come a long way since those early times, and no doubt, due to the popularity of inexpensive storage from better IDE and the newer SATA technology. Of course, HighPoint has had its ups and downs, no doubt due to the competition from Promise, and Silicon Image, but they just recently have seemed to come to grips into a realm of their own by offering complete packages that cater to the benchmarking enthusiast, video and audiophile, and people like myself that just want to fetch their stuff quicker. Today at ClubOC we going to take a gander at one of their neatest and less expensive offerings, the eSATA v2 kit.
- Epower Technology Jaguire-450
Usually a power supply review starts out by saying, "one of the most overlooked items when upgrading is the power supply." Well I think now that everyone appreciates the importance of a good power supply. I don't think there are too many enthusiasts that will accept the generic power supply that comes with most cases. That is also evident with online stores selling more of their cases without power supplies, or at least giving you the option to chose the power supply that you want. Epower Technology has been around since 1990. They have been making power supplies since that time, but are recently getting into the enthusiast arena. Let's see how their power supplies stack up.
Hitman: Contracts Preview
March 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The AVault has whipped up a preview on Io Interactive's upcoming stealth title, Hitman: Contracts. Here's a bit on the locations:
This hitman goes wherever the good money is, so you'll find yourself in several different environments. The hot spots include locations such as Hong Kong, Siberia, England and more. Each area contains a few key characters, including recognizable names such as the Fuchs family from the original release. Wherever you find yourself, adapting quickly is key, as you must blend in to avoid being identified as a threat. All it takes is the right disguise and a cool head, so if you can keep your wits about you, everything can go off without a hitch, and no one will know anything until you're long gone.
Read on!
World of WarCraft Preview
March 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has fired-up a preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Here's something to chew on:
Absolutely nothing in the World of Warcraft is there by chance. Everything you see is designed for a specific purpose. The Elvish lands are all pink and purple and green and have a distinctively ethereal quality that makes them feel completely different from the sturdy English-countryside feeling of the human lands, or the wintry desolation of the Dwarven mountains. The buildings are open to nature, all slope upwards as if reaching for the sky,and many of them are built in and around natural outcroppings or huge trees.
Men of Valor Screenies
March 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
ShackNews manged to get their grubby little paws on some new screenshots from 2015's upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor. Hit the eyecandy below for a look!
Lineage II Preview
March 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Boomtown have tossed up a preview on NCSoft's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle. Here's a bit on clans:
Where Lineage II will shine is in its rich clan rewards system and siege warfare. The game is strict in its rules for clan creation and development but the rewards are great for those truly dedicated to leading and supporting one. Much like a character, clans are developed as a single entity. A leader starts his clan with a maximum of 10 members and spends his own skill points to purchase skills to increase its membership, participate in clan quests to earn more skills, ready his clan for siege warfare, and declare war on other clans. Only the most dedicated clans will prosper in Lineage II as a leader must literally sacrifice his individual character's skill progression to develop a powerful clan. If a leader resigns, the clan is dissolved. There'll be no torch carrying here, boy!
Star Wars: Battlefront Dev Diary
March 31, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The official Star Wars: Battlefront webpage has been updated with a developer diary written by Pandemic Studios' Greg Borrud regarding their upcoming multiplayer shooter. Here's some juice:
We started working on Star Wars Battlefront here at Pandemic Studios in November of 2002. We established our goal for the game right away. We wanted to create an online shooter title for the Xbox, PS2, and PC which would allow for team strategy and would feature battles and worlds from every one of the six Star Wars films. The game would be the ultimate Star Wars fan's dream. It would allow you to do nearly everything and anything that you had seen in the movies, from fighting in the trenches on Hoth to manning a Republic Gunship on Geonosis.
UV Acrylic PSU Mod Review
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Controlled-Insanity have been modding their case with the UV Acrylic PSU Mod:
Today we take a look at a quick and easy mod to spruce up any pc, more so the power supply. This UV Acrylic PSU Mod from our newest sponsor Cutting Edge Case Mods is a sure way to attract some attention to your case at the next LAN party, allowing you and everyone else full view of the innards of your psu.
Read the full review hereTwo Alternatives to i865PE
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
X-Bit Labs have been looking at alternatives to the Pentium platform instead of the i865PE:
We tested two mass mainboards (ASUS P4S800D and Soltek SL-PT880Pro-FGR) based on chipsets from VIA and SiS, which represent low-cost alternatives to the popular i865PE. Lets find out how successful these dual-channel products from VIA and SiS are and decide if non-Intel based mainboards are really worth our attention today.
Read the full review hereCebit 2004 in 7 hours
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
MadShrimps have also been to CeBIT see the gossip and pictures they found out:
Our picture coverage of this years Cebit 2004 event in Hannover, Germany. Watercooling, Phase-Change, flashy cases, new motherboards, PCX, miniPC´s and a wide range of gadgets can be seen in this article which consists of over 150 high quality photos!
Read the full article hereCeBIT 2004 Part 1
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
bit-tech have got a lot of pictures and gossip from the CeBIT Exhibition
This year's CeBIT exhibition at Hannover Germany had some interesting things for the computer enthusiast but rather than out and out new technology the main trend was the integration of existing technology into home entertainment. In fact there was so much being exhibited that it is impossible for us to show everything so here is a selection from our huge collection of pics from the show which you may find interesting
Read the full article hereCompro VideoMate Live USB 2.0
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Bjorn3D have been watching TV on their computer with the Compro VideoMate Live:
Being able to watch TV on your computer as well as import video is a capability that is getting increasingly popular. We have reviewed several solutions before, including one from Compro (Compro VideoMate TV Gold Plus), but they all have been PCI-based solutions. What do you do if you are using a laptop or a system where you cannot add more PCI cards? Do not worry, Compro has a solution for that too! I have been using their USB2.0 based solution, the Compro VideoMate Live USB2.0, for a few months now and am now ready to tell you all about the good and bad points.
Read the full review hereZalman ZM-WB2 Water Block
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Voided Warranty have cooled their CPU with Zalmans latest waterblock is it enough to keep your temperatures down to satisfactory levels?
Today Im taking a look at the Zalman ZM-WB-2 water block which was supplied by the good folks at Sharka Sales.When the box arrived via UPS I was very happy to see it was in one piece and upon opening it I was greeted by a very nicely packed water block completely covered with packing peanuts.
Read the full review hereNVIDIA vs. ATi
March 31, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The people over at HotHardware have been looking at the mid to top end range from nVIDIA and ATi and shown you who really is the winner in each round:
"Weve just posted an article on HotHardware that pits three of NVIDIA's mid-to-high end cards against three competing products from ATi. We shine the spotlight on the cards themselves, their image quality and their performance. If you think any of your readers are in the market for a new video card, and can't decide on what to buy, they'll want to check this one out "
Read the full review here3dmark03pro
March 30, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
World of WarCraft Preview
March 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The GameZone.com has kicked up a preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Here's a taste:
Graphically, this game has style and character and is lushly rendered. While other games may be pushing more realistic graphical elements, the developers at Blizzard stuck to the Warcraft style and with remarkable results. The dynamic lighting features, the animation, even environmental effects like the smokiness of the dwarven district (dwarves are engineers and build machines) are delightful treats for the eyes.
New World Order Patch
March 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Project 3 Interactive has released a new patch (v1.43) for their first person shooter, New World Order. Included are a bunch of bug fixes, new character skins and more! Click here for the goods.
Men Of Valor @ GDC
March 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has posted some impressions on 2015's upcoming shooter, Men Of Valor, after getting a chance to check it out at this years Game Developers Conference. Here's a blurb:
There is one thing that has to be made clear about Men of Valor; this will likely be an "M" rated title, unlike the sanatised "T" rated games in the Medal of Honor series or Call of Duty. This will not only be a violent bloody game but the soldiers uttered some rough language as well. The reason for this, according to the VUGames producer who demoed the build, is that they see Men of Valor as a more realistic shooter, similar to what Platoon meant for Vietnam War movies.
Thief: Deadly Shadows Preview
March 30, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has tossed up a preview on Ion Storm's upcoming stealth title, Thief: Deadly Shadows. Here's some lovin':
That reminds me. In Thief: Deadly Shadows, you can actually see more than just your arm -- much like in Namco's recent Breakdown, you can see quite a bit of Garrett's body through the first-person perspective. This adds an extra element of realism to the normal first-person view, which has traditionally seemed more like controlled a floating, eye-level camera than an actual character in an environment. You can also play in third-person, now, but I felt more involved from the first-person perspective. It's nice to have the choice, though.
Can't wait for this one!
ATI Radeon 9600XT Review
March 30, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
Yet another review, this time from OCModshop. The test subject is an ATI Radeon 9600XT. Here's a snip:
For the 9600 I turned on the Overdrive feature that comes with the new drivers, which will overclock the card a slight bit using input from temperature sensors on the card. I figured that this is how most gamers will be using it, so it's fair to leave it turned on for these benchmarks. As I said before, the 9600XT has a 500MHz core clock, with a 300MHz (600MHz DDR) memory clock. The 9700 Pro, which is made by FIC, is running at 325MHz core, 310MHz memory clock. The 9600XT has a much higher clock speed, so we'll see how it compares.
Take a look over here.Samsung 172X 17" LCD Display Review
March 30, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
Accelenation reviewed a Samsung 172X 17" LCD monitor. These babies have an advertised response time of 12 ms! You can find the review here.
Best Store Portable 7 in 1 Memory Card Reader Review
March 30, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
TweakNews features a new review. This time it's about Best Store Portable 7 in 1 Memory Card Reader Review. As usual, a small teaser:
This is one of those devices that does not need a lot of words to describe it, yet speaks volumes for itself. It is so absolutely effortless to use, and has the potential of saving you a lot of money which you would have otherwise spent on storage media. I also love the fact that you can also use it as a portable storage device. How great is that. Now, if this were some big, honkin' device, I wouldn't be as impressed. However that is not the case. The device is small, and ultra-portable.
The complete review is located here.Canon PowerShot Pro1 Review
March 30, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
And now for something completely different: a digital camera review from HardwareZoom. They've tested a Canon PowerShot Pro1 8MP camera and here's a small clip:
With the lens cap removed, the camera is small enough to hold in a palm. The design looks like a mini-Canon SLR with a USM L-lens. From the zoom ring, flash mount, handgrip, pop-up flash, LED display to even the word 'Canon', it looks and feels like the Canon EOS 10D - solid and professional. In fact, the body feels like the magnesium alloy that 10D uses
Have fun reading the whole review.Plextor 708A DVD Burner Review
March 30, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
The folks @ HardExtreme have had the chance to review a Plextor 708A DVD Burner. Here's a snip:
For many computer enthusiasts Plextor has been a name that was synonymous with HIGH quality components and recordable media devices and is very well known in the industry. There is no exception when looking at Plextor's newest internal DVD+- R/RW internal drive. For media professionals the ability to burn data quickly and efficiently (efficiently being the operative word here, read: NO COASTERS) is a must.
Have a look at the full review.EverQuest II Dev Diary
March 29, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at GameSpy have thrown up a developer diary written by Sony Online's Scott Hartsman regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. He pulls some quotes from several developers to give us an update on the game. Click here for the goods!
Lineage II Preview
March 28, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has fired-up a preview on NCsoft's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle. Here's a taste:
Indulging my own freaky side, I decided that I was going to play a female Dark Elf. I chose to be a fighter the first time, as I wanted to investigate the world as much as I could without having to worry about spells or being unable to handle myself in combat. A few simple clicks allowed me to customize my appearance, although not as much as I would have hoped. I could basically choose between two different faces and a couple of hairstyles. As I got into the game, I found that players do begin to look different by virtue of their clothing, armor and equipment, but this lack of physical customization does make the newbie area seem like a clone convention.
Also, an open beta should start shortly, so you can check that out while you're at it!Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Review
March 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has thrown together a review on Ubisoft's stealth title, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. With a final score of 9.5/10, this might be one to check out! Snip:
The solo game is well done and equal to the original Splinter Cell, but the online multiplayer experience is where the magic happens. The two-on-two system works better than we initially thought it might and really, Pandora Tomorrow introduces us to a whole new experience in videogames with this mode. With one team of spies that controls and plays like Sam Fisher in the main game and a team of mercenaries that looks and controls like a game of Rainbow Six 3, you're getting two distinct game types thrown together. Human players are competing with one another using two different interfaces and sets of skills and equipment and each side has its own built-in advantages and disadvantages.
*drool*
Breed Screenies
March 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Action Vault managed to snage some new screenshots from Brat Designs' upcoming first person shooter, Breed. Hit the image below for a look!
Black & White II @ GDC
March 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has thrown up some GDC impressions on Lionhead Studios' upcoming strategy title, Black & White II. Here's some lovin':
We also watched some of the new epic miracles in action. Both Black & White games have "miracles"--acts of god (in this case, you) that are essentially moderately powerful magic spells. However, the game will also have epic miracles--large-scale effects that will be featured in a brief cinematic cutscene and may completely change the environment, such as an erupting volcano that rises out of the ground and releases gouts of lava. Interestingly, Black & White II will feature a physics engine that will model anything from smashing wall with a catapult to the flow of lava down a hillside, which will run over outcroppings and pool in ravines. This modeling will extend to the way even normal miracles work; the fireball spell, for instance, can be hurled at an enemy army to deal damage, but it can also be dragged across a dormant volcano to reignite the lava, causing smaller lava flow. Boulders can be piled on top of a mountain, then nudged to create a rockslide that can devastate an invading army, or to create a makeshift buttress at the foot of your defensive walls.
New Far Cry Patch
March 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Crytek Studios has released a new patch (v1.1) for their first person shooter, Far Cry. Included are a bunch of bug fixes and additions like Punkbuster support! You can grab this sucker from the following mirrors:
Hitman: Contracts Dev Diary
March 27, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has posted a developer diary written by Io Interactive's Rasmus Højengaard regarding their upcoming stealth title, Hitman: Contracts. Here's a clipping:
We have a much better particle system this time around. The amount of regular weather particles that we have simultaneously on the screen has been beefed up quite a lot -- so the possibility to convey realistic driving rain, snow and blizzards are much, much better. On top of these we have other kinds of particles like fog, smoke and different diffuse particles to bring denseness to the air and to make the empty areas come much more to life. Another great thing is the weather impact. In the rainy levels you get the feeling that raindrops are actually colliding with geometry, which stitches together the rain and air, with the solid geometry. It makes the whole thing look more solid.
New Poll
March 27, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Silly me. I have been so busy doing some very cool stuff here around at the office that I have completely forgot to change the poll.. Sorry for that! :blush:
This time around we ask you this:
Will you upgrade to a 64-bit CPU?
Go ahead and cast your vote!Our last poll ended up like this:
Did the UT2004 demo meet your expectations?
Exceeded them [27.1%]
Sure did [21.9%]
Not sure yet [9.2%]
Not really [11.9%]
Not by far [5.4%]
Haven't tried it [24.6%]
Total votes: 6348
John Carmack @ GDC
March 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has posted some highlights from John Carmack keynote address at this years Game Developers Conference. He covers Doom III, future game consoles and more. Click here for the goods!
SC: Pandora Tomorrow MP Demo Released!
March 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Ubi Soft have released a 60mb multiplayer demo from their stealth title, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. Included is the Mount Hospital map that can be played in the Neutralization game mode. You can grab this sucker from the following mirrors: Time to dust off the modem I think. Muhahaha!
Serious Sam 2 @ GDC
March 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Continuing their GDC coverage, GameSpy has slapped up some impressons on the Croteam's upcoming action-packed first person shooter, Serious Sam 2. Here's some lovin':
The demo itself was barely two minutes long, featuring lots of the spacious outdoor levels similar to those found in the first two Serious Sam games (the First Encounter and the Second Encounter), albeit with lots more detail. The demo (which was being rendered in real-time, and was not a movie) -- started off with Sam sitting on a bright, shiny, three-wheeled chopper, and then driving off out into the level. According to the Croteam guys, vehicles will play a part in Serious Sam 2, and will be used in some interesting ways -- in some points, Sam may need to outrun enemies to get to a vehicle first, as enemies will be able to use vehicles as well.
Also, you can find the GDC video itself at Seriously! and GameSpot. So check it out as well.
Unreal Engine 3.0 @ GDC
March 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has tossed up an article taking a look at Epic Games' next-gen game engine, Unreal Engine 3.0, as part of their Game Developers Conference coverage. Here's a blurb:.
Virtual Displacement: Bigger Bumps
Virtual displacement simulates 3D geometry on surfaces that are actually flat. Whereas bump mapping was just a trick done with lighting, this little trick actually seems to create geometry on the fly. So, a mapper could just slap down a flat wall, but he or she could specify that it'll use a brick surface. Then the game engine would render it as though there were individual bricks on there -- complete with dynamic shadows. The result is fast game performance in super-detailed environments.
Star Wars: Republic Commando Q&A
March 26, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN sat down with LucasArts' Matt Fillbrandt and Tim Longo for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming shooter, Star Wars: Republic Commando. They look at everything from the AI to the games storyline. Snip:
HomeLAN - Will there be any way to control your AI teammates in Republic Commando?
Fillbrandt and Longo - We want to find just the right balance of giving the player control without needing to micro-manage the squad. Squad commands are issued entirely within the natural flow of the game and don't involve going to a separate interface that would cause a break in the action. In that sense the squad will flow with the player's forward momentum, engaging enemies and using cover. The player can issue general commands to the squad such as "Search and Destroy" or "Form up", as well as context specific commands called "markers" examples of which might include "Use that turret", "Disarm that trap" or "Snipe from this location".
Corsair TwinX1024-4400PT Platinum Memory
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
PCStats have looked at Corsairs latest DDR offering in PC4400 format to tell you if its all that
Corsair has recently celebrated their 10th anniversary, which is quite a milestone for a memory company! I think it's high level of customer service that sets apart successful companies from the rest, and a growing trend in this corporate schmooze-fest with consumer loyalty is the manufacturer run support forum. Now, instead of emailing an anonymous tech support guy the same question a hundred other people have asked, you can read through a support FAQ, or post a thread in the support forums and someone will answer. In Corsair's case, "RAM GUY" dishes out the info and advice on using the companies memory products. Imagine if Microsoft had their own support forums for everyone who ever suffered the rather of the "BSOD"! Anyway, getting back on topic, today PCstats is testing out a pair of Corsair's TwinX1024-4400PT dual channel DDR memory. This is the latest memory from Corsair, and remarkably difficult to get a hold of... even for us. Apparently! , a shortage of good low latency DRAMs has meant that companies are reserving most of their best memory for you, the consumer.
Read the full review hereZalman 5.1 Headphone Review
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Ownt.com have reviewed Zalmans 5.1 Headphones are these the answer to not having 5.1 Speakers?
One of the first questions you have to ask yourself is are you ready to make the switch from speakers to headphones? You rarely see any computer system being sold with headphones, and yet any gaming rig you purchase is likely to have a decent set of speakers with it. So first, let's quickly talk about the main points for making the switch to headphones over speakers. The first and foremost is silent gaming. Many gamers find themselves gaming and listening to their music during late night gaming sessions. Headphones are optimal for allowing you to hear the audio while everybody else can go about their normal routines, whether it be mid-day while others are trying to work or midnight while others are trying to sleep. The second main reason is for privacy of audio--keeping your music and game speech to yourself. Not as big as number one, but still important none-the-less.
Read the full review hereTek Panel 300 Review
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Everyone says Why pay manufacturers for something, when you can build it yourself? Good point but if its a complete system embedded into the monitor, this might be something just for you at FiringSquad:
Featured on NBC's The Apprentice, the Tek Panel 300 is a 30-inch LCD monitor in a powercoated aluminum chassis that integrates a complete P4 Extreme Edition into the chassis. FiringSquad has the first in-depth hands-on review of the Tek Panel 300 on the 'net that's not based upon "CES impressions." Come see why the Tek Panel 300 is the Maybach 57 of gaming and multimedia PC's -- it's more than just a pretty face.
Read the full review hereATI All in Wonder Radeon 9600 Multimedia Videocard
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Tweaknews have reviewed ATis AIW Radeon 9600 graphics card. A gamers card, with that little bit extra too:
With yet another All in Wonder weapon in its arsenal, ATI is yet again proving to the market that it has no intention of slowing down and taking it easy. Sure they have taken a huge market share that has been held tight by their rival for years, but ATI is not stopping. With a product cycle coming close to the lifespan of a suicidal lemming, it seems that every time I have a review of an All in Wonder written and finalized, there is another one at my door waiting for some attention.
The All in Wonder 9600 fills a rather wide performance gap between the AIW 9200 and the AIW 9600pro/xt and is targeted towards the mainstream consumer that want a boat load of multimedia features and fully compliant DX9 gaming, but also with a pricetag that is equally attractive
Antec P160 Case
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TecCentral have reviewed Antecs P160 case, a case of style! But is it the style you are after?
A detailed test of the fire-current Antec P160 - a housing of the king class. This model provided on the CeBit for each quantity astonishment, because it hardly gives a feature, what did not gegoennt Antec its newest ATX-Vision. Who thus on the search for one of the matured ATX housings is, our current Review may not be able to be escaped!
Read the full translated review hereIntel Prescott 2.8E vs Northwood 2.8C Review
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Hardwarezoom have put both of Intels 2.8Ghz processor cores head to head to show you which one is really the winner:
From the benchmark results, Prescott is not much faster than Northwood and was even slightly slower in some cases. However, Prescott comes with 13 new instructions SSE3 which may not have been used in these benchmark.
Read the full review herePortable Digital Audio Guide
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Design Technica obviously love music on the move, and they want to show you whats hot in the portable music world:
Everyone wants one. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, colors and cases. Most let you listen to music, some allow you to watch video and a few are even wireless. They're one of the most popular consumer electronics products out there and a computer company named Apple is the current industry leader. We are of course referring to the mighty digital audio or
MP3 player.
Since their introduction in the late '90s, digital audio players have become one of the run away successes of portable electronics. 2003 sales figures, according to the Consumer Electronics Association, were a staggering $556 million, which was a 171 percent increase over the previous year. More importantly, the CEA projects this revenue will grow by another 27 percent this year.
Crucial 7-in-1 Card Reader and 512MB CompactFlash Card
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The people over at BigBruin reviewed Crucials 7-in-1 card reader which allows you to play with your memory cards via your computer and Crucials 512MB CompactFlash:
"With so many formats of flash media available, the Crucial 7-in-1 Card Reader is a means to simplify your life, by allowing you to read the majority of the available formats with this one device. And, one of the formats the card reader supports is CompactFlash, making it the perfect companion for the other review item, the 512MB CompactFlash card"
Read the full review hereAlbatron FX5900XTV Videocard
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
PCStats have reviewed Albatrons FX5900XTV video card:
With the dawn of the PCI-Express videocard very quickly approaching, there has been much movement in graphics cards circles to end on a high note. The best example of this is the GeForceFX 5900XT GPU, which comes to us from Albatron in the form of the FX5900XTV video card. Mirroring many other FX5900XT implementations, the Albatron FX5900XTV comes backed by 128MB of DDR RAM. It supports VIVO thanks to the Philips SAA7114H chipset, and comes with the traditional VIVO break out box and S-Video cable so you can hook your PC up to a television. Along with the 8XAGP card is an assortment of software - PowerDirector, PowerDVD, Duke Nukem Manhattan Project and a five game demo CD - a Composite cable, and DVI-to-analog converter.
Read the full review hereUpdate: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 with GDDR3 RAM
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Hot Hardware are continuing with the upcoming news on the 5700Ultra, based on GDDR3 memory!
We've just finished overclocking and taking some crude temperature readings with NVIDIA's reference GeForce FX 5700 Ultra equipped with Samsung GDDR3 RAM. We've got the original pictures, along with some benchmark scores, and temperature readings posted right here...
Read the full article here200gb Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 in RAID
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
ClubOC have shown us theres more life in IDE HDDs yet, with them reviewing Seagates 200gb Barracuda:
Serial ATA hard drives have been dominating the market, since their arrival about a year ago. Most people won't even consider an IDE hard drive any longer. Does that mean that you should be like most people? Seagate still thinks there's life left in the IDE format. Their new Barracuda 7200.7 200GB hard drives still come in IDE format. Is there really a point to keep IDE lingering around? I mean can the IDE drives even be worth your money?
Read the full review hereASUS A9600XT/TVD Review
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Legit Reviews have looked at ASUS Radeon 9600XT:
I must say, overall, I was very impressed with this card! This is one of the best 9600XT solutions I have reviewed to date! ASUS has put together a very well-rounded card that would suit everyone in the mid-range price point for quite some time to come. Let me briefly go over why I say this.
Read the full review hereSparkle FX5900XT
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Bit-Tech have looked at Sparkles GeForceFX 5900XT:
The 5900XT offers great performance at such an affordable price, and it would be hard not to say that its a card well worth considering if you are looking for a mid-range graphics board. It will offer you playable frame rates at a good level of detail; Im more than pleasantly surprised at the XT's performance level
Read the full review hereM-Audio Firewire 410 Mobile Recording Interface
March 25, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The people over at Futurelooks have been looking at an audio dream from M-Audio:
"There is so much more to a sound card than just special effects and playing games. M-Audio's Big Daddy, the Firewire 410, shows us the potential of what a professional level device can do for music production and performance."
Read the full review hereWorld of WarCraft Preview
March 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has slapped up a preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft, after getting some hands-on time with the beta. Here's some juice:
As you might expect, combat is a critical aspect of the gameplay. For a melee character, initiating a battle is pretty straightforward. Clicking on a potential target causes its level to be displayed in the upper right of the screen along with its health bar. If you then decide to attack, you simply move within range and click on an icon in the action bar, or tap the corresponding number key. My newbie warrior had the choice between a standard sword strike and a special move; others may be acquired as you advance. The first creatures you encounter aren't aggressive, but as soon as you move on, the next ones will assail you if you get too close. Lost health points regenerate at a fairly quick rate, so downtime isn't all that long, and you can speed thing up by eating various foods. Vanquished opponents yield experience and they can also have look like comestibles, weapons, wearables, saleable merchandise, quest items and money on their dead bodies.
Click here for the goods!
Battlefield: Vietnam Review
March 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to the Overclockers Club for sending word that they have whipped up a review on Digital Illusions' multiplayer shooter, Battlefield: Vietnam. Here's a bit on the audio:
The next thing that changed, which IMO is absolutely awesome is the sound. Im not talking about the machine gun fire, the explosion of a grenade, or the rumble of a tank. Those all sound nice, but the really nice thing is the music. While the music in BF1942 was good, it wasnt anything to write home about. BFV includes its own licensed soundtrack, that is aimed at capturing the feel of a decade of war. Its nice to see a game with some real toons, and hopefully this will set a standard for games to come. EA Actually started using real music in Madden, and Im glad to see they decided to do it in BFV. :)
Men of Valor Interview
March 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Action Vault has thrown up another interview with the guys behind 2015's upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor. Here's something to chew on:
Action Vault: What are some of the challenging, memorable, noteworthy or personally interesting things about working on a game based on the Vietnam War?
Curtis Cannell, Lead Artist: The most challenging part of my job was the environments and the jungles in particular. We had to create three different types of jungle where you could tell what region you were in by just looking at a tree or bush. The central highlands area is temperate forest. The Iron Triangle, with canopy trees and palm plants, is more the kind of jungle people think of as Vietnam, and there's the Ho Chi Minh trail area, which was thick enough for the Vietcong to hide their supply lines running through it. Trying to create lush jungles environments while maintaining the technical requirements was difficult, but after weeks of research and over a hundred different assets, I think that we succeeded.
Star Wars: Battlefront Preview
March 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at GameSpy this evening is a preview on Pandemic Studios' upcoming shooter, Star Wars: Battlefront. Here's a bit on the maps:
The first thing that jumped out at me -- outside of Ewok and Gungan slaughter -- was how much detail was put into each level. If you're on a Tatooine map, for example, you'll see a myriad of little details that totally pulls you into the setting. From Jawas, Sand People, sand crawlers, Sarlaac pits, skiffs, speeders, and more, the twin-sun planet is accurately recreated. The same goes for Hoth, Yavin, Naboo, Geonosis, or any of the numerous planets you'll see in this game.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 Preview
March 25, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has shot up a preview on Frontier Developments' upcoming sim title, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a clipping:
Speaking of crowds, guests to the park are now more individualized than ever before. The guests all have different hair, faces, clothes, body proportions, and so on. Their features are all exaggerated and cartoony so you can tell even from a distance who's having a good time in your park and who's exhausted. Moreover, different age groups are now represented, including parents, children, seniors or teens. You can now build different parts of the park to appeal to different demographics and watch the crowds part (and part with their cash) accordingly. Teens favor hardcore music and extreme rides, for instance, while kids might flock to slower rides and costumed characters. Guests now also travel in groups, so the simulation is more realistic than before.
Star Wars: Republic Commando Preview
March 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at GameSpy have fired-up a preview on LucasArts' upcoming shooter, Star Wars: Republic Commando. Here's a nugget:
Republic Commando lets you control a squad of two to four soldiers. These aren't your ordinary run-of-the-mill Stormtroopers. These are the most elite members of the Republic Army. Commandoes are to Stormtroopers what army rangers are to common soldiers. You play as the unit leader and have a limited amount of control over your teammates. In terms of timeline, the game takes place between Episode II and III. There are some events that actually bridge the two stories together, guaranteeing that every Star Wars nerd on the Internet will buy this game.
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Review
March 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has thrown together a review on Turtle Rock Studios' first person shooter, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero. Here's a bit on the Deleted Scene mode:
There's also a Deleted Scene mode that offers up more tightly scripted, story-driven action through a variety of special ops missions. But even as you take on the challenges as a SEAL, Spetznaz, or Delta Force operative, you'll find that the highly linear and scripted nature of the missions is totally at odds with the fluidity and improvisation that makes the basic version of the game so fun. Sure, you get some new objectives now and then in the middle of a mission, but it still seems too predictable. It's a real shame, because these Deleted Scenes offer a narrative context (however flimsy it might be) that is missing from the rest of the game. It also offers a few weapons that you don't get anywhere else, but these are usually provided for specific moments within the mission and would be a bit too powerful for play in the online arenas.
Read on!Hitman: Contracts Interview
March 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has Io Interactive's Jens Peter Kurup in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming stealth title, Hitman: Contracts. They look at everything from new locations to the games engine. Snip:
HomeLAN - How will the game's graphics engine be improved for the third game?
Jens Peter Kurup - After Hitman 2 The Glacier Engine was optimized to handle the large levels and tons of characters we needed for our Freedom Fighter game. This optimization and then some is present in the Contracts code so it does run a lot faster than HM2. Which is nice but Contracts depends as much on atmosphere as on polygons so we created a lot of tools which could help us achieve a thicker atmosphere. Theres a more dramatic light system and a few tools which simulates volumetric effects like rainy mist under streetlamps.
We also made a much more complex and powerful systems to do climatic effects and the particle system has been revamped as well.
On top of this we put some serious development into a small wonder tool where we can do depth blur, motion blur, color correcting, make lights glow much more realistic, adjust how grainy a frame should be etc. Its basically a real-time Photoshop.
City of Heroes Preview
March 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Firing Squad has slapped up a preview on Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. Here's a bit on the missions:
Depending on the mission and your level, some of these areas, by my count, have at least fifty guys in them, and some of them end with having to defeat a boss. A couple of missions I've been on require you to clean out an office building, complete with elevators to several different floors, of bad guys in limited time. Some of the missions in the game can be tackled solo, but it always helps to have a few friends along.
Dragon Empires Q&A
March 24, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has sat down with Codemasters' Peter Tyson for a quick chat regarding the testing of their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Dragon Empires. Here's a clipping:
Jonric: What's the current number of participants, and how quickly you're ramping up? What systems and content have been added recently and what's coming soon?
Peter Tyson: We have more than a thousand now and we're only a few weeks away from releasing Beta1. So far, a lot of content has been completed and added in all at once, and it's great to see it come into the game.
This month, we have seen more monsters and items go in, the economic system, looting, resources and the workshops and some of the first quests.
Men of Valor Interview
March 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Action Vault has kicked up an interview with a bunch of the guys behind 2015's upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor. It's a one question, many answers deal. Here's a blurb:
Action Vault: What are some of the challenging, memorable, noteworthy or personally interesting things about working on a game based on the Vietnam War?
Peter Marks, Level Designer: The biggest challenge was trying to ensure that the game environment and experience was honest while creating a game what was engaging to play. Obviously some fudging was done. We didn't want anything in the game to seem off the cuff or disrespectful to the people who participated in the conflict. As such, in making sure that the game was fun for the player, we realized that we needed to encapsulate whole experiences, like being on river patrol, into something that the player could feel and understand in the duration of the level.
Characters are archetypes and conglomerations of people, or impressions of people. There was no way we could do justice to the entire Vietnam experience, but we felt we could crack open the door leading to that experience for the players so that they could perhaps go out and find out more on their own.
New Call of Duty Patch
March 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Infinity Ward has released a new patch (v1.3) for thier hit first person shooter, Call of Duty. Weighing in at 25megs, it includes 2 new multiplayer maps, EAX 3 support and more! You can grab this bad boy from the following mirrors: What are you waiting for? Get downloadin'!
Unreal Tournament 2004 Review
March 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to the Overclockers Club for sending word that they have whipped up a review on Epic Games' first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. Here's something to chew on:
Though it may seam a lot like UT2K3, there have been a number of nice changes to the game. This first and probably the biggest change will be the addition of vehicles. The ability to use vehicles helped make BF1942 a great game, and the use of them in UT2K4 cant be a bad thing. The 8 vehicles in UT2K4 give us the ability to drive or fly through the air and space, which also adds a whole new level of difficulty. Before most of your opponents were on the ground, or on platforms you could identify, now your opponents can come at you from the air.
Read on!
Vampire: Bloodlines Dev Diary
March 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has posted a developer diary written by Troika Games' Leonard Boyarsky regarding their upcoming Source engine powered - RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. Here's a taste:
In terms of character interaction, we have a long list of factors we can consider when writing dialogue. For instance, players can choose to join a "clan" of vampires with specific abilities. And from the players' choice of clan, to the choice of "feats" (persuasion, intimidation, and others), to the actions that players take in the game, we can choose to branch a dialogue that depends on any one of these factors. Some of these branches might be significant and some may have serious consequences for the player, while some might simply play differently for different player types. Basically, the game truly seems to react to the choices that players make.
City of Heroes Preview
March 23, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The AVault has tossed up a preview on Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. Here's a bit on the powers:
The powers themselves are extremely varied. Covering all of them would take up more room than I have to work with, so Ill try to just cover the basics. Each super skill has nine different abilities underneath it. You start with two paths, and a third opens up at level six. So, in total, any one hero has up to 21 different superpower options available. This means that two mutant Tankers side-by-side will have different approaches and masteries to fight crime with, even though they come from identical backgrounds. Tanker A uses stone armor and fire fists, Tanker B uses ice armor and stone fists; Tanker A learns how to heal others, Tanker B can run much faster than the average bear. It should be noted that the column that opens at level six functions somewhat differently, in that the powers are only selectable at certain times, and there arent as many of them. If you want a character who can fly, however, this is the only way you can achieve that goal.
DoubleSight's Dual 15" LCD
March 23, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
You know you would love to have a dual monitor setup, but it isnt always practical and you have the casing in the middle where the two monitors lay side by side. ModAsylum have been playing with a brand new dual 15 TFT monitor from DoubleSight:
I have yet to see any product put a smile on as many faces and induce as many questions as this monitor did. 3 co-workers bought these screens just from what theyd seen on my desk and are all currently running them on cross Linux/2k setup using Synergy.
Read the full review hereGigabyte GN-B49G 802.11g Wireless Router
March 23, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Planning to go wireless to help clear up all that clutter around your pc? PCStats have gone just that and looked at Gigabytes GN-B49G 80211g Wireless Router:
The market for the Internet sharing devices most users know as 'routers' has exploded over the past three years, to the point where they are becoming common in every broadband-enabled household and small business. These useful devices automatically split a fast Internet signal amongst several PCs while providing some form of firewall protection against the Big Bad Internet. When the wireless boom happened, slightly after these devices became popular, combining the two technologies was an obvious step. 802.11g is the newest official wireless data transfer standard, and is capable of transferring data at up to 54megabits per second, almost five times faster than 802.11b, the current dominant standard. The router we are reviewing today is an interesting product for a few reasons. Firstly, it is one of the new breed of 802.11g wireless routers, and we were curious to see how its performance stacked up..
Read the full review hereInterview: Terry Makedon from ATi
March 23, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Nordic Hardware have been speaking to Terry Makedon about the Catalyst Drivers from ATi:
No hardware is better than its weakest link. And often that is the software. A company that has taken some really big steps forward with their drivers is ATi. We took the opportunity to talk about ATi's drivers with Terry Makedon from ATi.
Read the full interview hereSilverstone FM84XW CPU Fan
March 23, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Controlled-Insanity have looked at Silverstones FM84XW. Is it a great fan that doesnt turn you deaf?
One of the most important things in keeping a stable system, is keeping your CPU temperatures to a minimum. Low temps can be very important in the health and function of your cpu. For years, modders have been trying to get good quality air cooling, without making your ears bleed. Silverstone is taking a dive into the higher end CPU fan market, with their new FM84XW CPU Fan. Let's see just how well this small, yet powerful fan performs
Read the full review hereGeForce FX 5700 Ultra with GDDR3 Pics
March 23, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
HotHardware have something interesting to show the world, the GeForce FX5700Ultra with GDDR3! Click on the link above to see the information on their homepage.
Chieftec BX-OOB
March 22, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TecCentral have reviewed Cheiftecs BX-00B. The review is in German, but you can read the translated version here
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Processor
March 22, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Bjorn3D have been in the 64-bit world, with AMDs budget 64-bit processor, the 3000+:
AMD's 64-bit strategy seemed to be quite a bit more broadly scoped than Intel's. With its Opteron, Athlon 64 FX, and Athlon 64 product lines, AMD has been striving for the proliferation of its AMD64 computing platform in server, high-end workstation, and mainstream and enthusiast consumer markets. The release of the 3000+ was AMD's first big step in trying to get some momentum in the lower market segments, because when it was released, it was priced at about half the price of the only other mainstream desktop AMD64 chip at the time - the Athlon 64 3200+
Read the full review hereModding 101 Pt 3 - Cladding and Plating
March 22, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Bit-Tech been modding their case and want to show you the secrets to giving your PC that extra bit of life:
"...Well not solid gold but gold plating. The "Medallion liquid gold plating system" to be exact. This is a gold plating system designed for repairing gold jewellery and it produces real gold plating..."
Read the article that could change the face of your system hereIntel 3.4GHz "E" Prescott
March 22, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Legit Reviews have looked at Intels latest Prescott Processor, coming in at a whopping 3.4Ghz!
Intel launched the 2.8GHz, 3.0GHz, 3.2GHz, and 3.4GHz Prescotts back on February 1st, 2004 but due to allocation issues the 3.4GHz Prescott didn't make it to store shelves as quickly as Intel had planned. It seems that Intel has enough on hand now to safely market the chips and has thrown the latest and greatest Prescott to the mercy of the media. While the Prescott is something very recent that Intel has come out with it should be fairly common to our readers.
Read the full review hereConnectorz Power Supply Changeover Kit
March 22, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Big Bruin have been looking at something completely different! Power Supply connectors from Connectorz, so you are no longer stuck with the standard white style!
The Connectorz are a great finishing touch, filling a gap in the modding world that was previously not touched. If a person wanted to change the look of standard Molex connectors, painting them was the only option, and paint is not always the best or cleanest choice.
Read the full review hereAsetek VapoChill XE: Extreme Cooling System for Extreme People
March 22, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
X-bit Labs have gone that extreme step to cool their system with Aseteks Vapochil XE:
Today we are going to offer you an unprecedented material devoted to super-extreme overclocking of the top Intel Pentium 4 processors, namely Pentium 4 Extreme Edition 3.20GHz (Gallatin), Intel Pentium 4 3.20C GHz and 3.4C GHz (Northwood) and Intel Pentium 4 3.20E GHz (Prescott). With the help of the outstanding phase-change cooling system from Asetek we will make these CPUs overcome the 4GHz barrier in no time!
Read the full review herePMI 3200-1024DP Turbo Memory
March 22, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Overclockers Club have reviewed PMIs 3200-1024DP Turbo Memory, were they impressed?:
I was impressed at how close the performance was against the Corsair, but I can live with the small trade off in performance for the lower price of the PMI 3200-1024DP. Both sets of memory were able to overclock about the same amount, and the difference in price makes the PMI a more attractive buy. Offering great performance at low cost, PMI is on the right track to making a name for their company in the performance memory market.
Read the full review hereOCZ Gold Rev. B PC3700 2x512MB
March 22, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
SubZeroTech have been reviewing some high performance memory from OCZ, the Gold Rev. B PC3700:
Things are changing in the PC world, for one thing more and more people actually own overclockable Pentium 4 CPU's and decent quality mainboards. A while back I was doing a lot of memory reviews, but the problem was related to the price, AND the performance. Not only were not many people ready for high end memory solutions but they also were not ready to choose between "low latency at stock speeds" and "loose latency when overclocking". Unfortunately only a handful of modules at the time offered both of these options in one package, and they were VERY expensive and actually quite rare. One of these kits was the OCZ Gold 3700: it was such an elite kit that the supplier plum ran out of the chips to make these. I for one was seriously bummed out; I didn't get to try the nice looking gold heat spreader clad dream parts.
Read the full review hereCool-Cases CF1 microstructure water block
March 22, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The people over at Mad Shrimps have gone that extra step in system cooling and reviewed Cool-Cases CF1 microstructure water block:
"It's important to understand the surfaces you're mating. If for example, both are concave, the resulting gap will be detrimental to heat transfer. I've read in numerous forums where people purchase new heatsinks, and wonder why they're temps haven't dropped, and in some cases temps increased? This is due to the fact some Intel CPU Integrated Heat Spreaders, as well as custom heatsinks may have a slight concave or convex anomaly in their surface. In such circumstances it may have been the case your processor had a slight concave surface, while your stock heatsink had a slight convex protrusion. Ergo they mated well, albeit a relationship based on imperfection, it was none-the-less, functional. In purchasing your expensive perfectly flat, or slightly concave custom heatsink, that thermal transfer is now rendered moot. I tested the CF1's base plate surface, and was impressed to find near perfection."
Read the full review hereStar Wars: KOTOR Review
March 22, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Madshrimps for letting us know they have thrown together a review on BioWare's hit RPG, Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic. Here's a bit on the graphics:
The graphics are awesome, cant say much more about them. Every environment has all the details it needs. Thats another big pro in the game; there are lots and lots of different places you can be. From a city in an ancient forest which hangs in the trees 100feet above surface to a planet that is made primarily out of vast oceans, all these different places are candy for the eye.
Read on!
Far Cry Dev Diary
March 21, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has fired-up a developer diary written by several members of Crytek Studios regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. Here's a taste:
A game story must give the player a meaningful purpose. As a player, I want to be someone interesting like a hero and experience a story as the main character. If the story makes me, as a player, the most important character that's a good start. The best is when you can combine a compelling story with a unique mix of action and adventure in a very exotic world where you are free to explore. This is what we tried to do with Far Cry.
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Preview
March 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at GameSpy have kicked up a preview on Ubi Soft's upcoming stealth title, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. Here's a bit on the storyline:
Pandora Tomorrow looks closely follows the formula of the original Splinter Cell. You'll again play as gruff and tough agent Sam Fisher, working for the highest levels of the U.S. government to solve problems that are too delicate or dangerous for standard operatives to handle. This time around, you head to the strife-torn island of East Timor in Southeast Asia. The game plays out in 2006 and begins with an attack on the U.S. embassy by a terrorist group. Fisher has to make his way into the occupied embassy compound -- still flaming from a car bomb attack -- to retrieve vital information before the bad guys can. From there, you'll quickly get entangled in an intricate plot that leads you to France, Israel, and other colorful locales for one nail-biting adventure after another. Along the way, you'll meet familiar characters like Fisher's boss, Lambert, and communications specialist Grimsdottir, while also getting to know new friends and foes, like the merciless Indonesian guerilla leader Suhadi Sadono.
PlanetSide Interview
March 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Action Vault has Sony Online's Dave Georgeson in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their massivly multiplayer online first person shooter, PlanetSide. They look at everything from the Core Combat expansion to player strategies. Snip:
Action Vault: Are there other significant or interesting ways in which your post-launch additions and changes have helped encourage a more strategic style of play?
Dave Georgeson: Well, I've already mentioned several of the big features, but even the small stuff makes a difference. For instance, we've added new vehicles (an anti-aircraft buggy that changed the balance of air combat around facilities, a vehicle carrier that flies so that large vehicles could be moved more easily). We've improved the implants that players can use, so there's more variety to their decision making. We've streamlined communications (and continue to do so), improved feedback to the players (especially the "hot spot" indicators so they can find battles more easily), and so on.
We're constantly adding and refining as we go, even though we're also always looking forward to the next big features we can provide to players. For instance, we're currently designing the battle rank experience system beyond level 20 so that veteran players will have new experience paths to tread.
Serious Sam 2 Update
March 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Seriously! for letting us know that the Croteam has updated their website with the latest report on their upcoming first person shooter, Serious Sam 2. Here's a blurb:
Serious Physics
Until a few days ago, physics code allowed playing with boxes, crates, balls etc. But now, thanks to Vedran 'Vex' Klanac, our physics guru, enemies also act and fall like they should. Along that, physics code is pretty optimized at this stage, so it really deserves a Serious title.
UnrealEngine3 Q&A
March 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has caught up with Epic Games' Tim Sweeney for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming UnrealEngine 3. They look at the new features, it's current status and more! Here's some lovin':
HomeLAN - How do you think your next generation engine compares to other game engines such as id's Doom 3 and Valve's Half Life 2 (Source) engine?
Tim Sweeney - UnrealEngine3 is essentially one generation ahead of the hybrid DirectX7-9 engines shipping in 2004. We've designed UnrealEngine3 from the bottom up with 100% focus on DirectX9 and later hardware and the kind of graphics and CPU specs we're expecting from next-generation 2006 and later PC's and next-generation consoles. By throwing out compatibility with past hardware, we've been able to create a much purer and more general renderer that's not constrained by old fixed-function and 8-bit-per-pixel rendering architectures, and this fact really shows up when you look at the engine's visual fidelity, support for very detailed outdoor as well as indoors environments, and very open and unrestricted shading and lighting system.
Of course, we're targeting games shipping in the 2006 timeframe, so being a full generation ahead ought not to come as a surprise. But Epic stands somewhat alone in terms of shipping major engine releases and games coinciding with each major generation of GPU's and console game generations.
World of WarCraft Preview
March 20, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has tossed up a preview on Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a taste:
The game's interface is superstreamlined. You can easily and instantly bring up your character's backpack and character sheet, intuitively equip and unequip items, and more. Default controls have you maneuvering around as if you were playing a first- or third-person shooter, and the mousewheel lets you seamlessly switch between a behind-the-back and a first-person perspective. We've never been able to just pick up and play an online RPG as quickly as this one, and we didn't even need to read any of the optional tutorial information to get going.
Thermaltake V8000A Gaming Case
March 20, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Another Thermaltake case review today, this time from ClubOC who have reviewed the V8000A model:
After spending some time with this new offering from Thermaltake I'll be the first to say I have never seen a case you can buy with this much stuff. Its simply remarkable to see a company like Thermaltake pay so much attention to what we want, and not what we need. The V8000A case is the Ferrari of cases. You get overclocking, functionality, and good looks in one nice and affordable package.
Read the full review hereOverclocking the Intel P4 3.2 EE Processor
March 20, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Legit Reviews have gone Extreme with Intels P4 3.2Ghz Extreme Edition to see how far they can push it:
Recently we purchased an Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz Extreme Edition Processor from ZipZoomFly just to see how well it can overclock under normal conditions. By this we mean with all standard equipment that any of our readers can readily get from the open market (No ES CPU's, hand picked parts, or voltage mods on the hardware). To help cool our test system we did choose to go with an easy to find watercooler, the Hydrocool 200EX and added active cooling to the northbridge of the ASUS P4C800E-Deluexe motherboard.
Read the full article hereASUS Radeon 9600XT/TVD
March 20, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Bjorn3D have put ASUS version of the 9600XT through its paces. Does it supply enough power for your demands?:
Now I'd like to reiterate that I personally purchased this card, so I will therefore be giving it a very thorough set of tests to find out if I made a wise decision buying it. I'm looking to find out just how fast this card is in comparison to my Ti4400 and FX5600 non-ultra. I am expecting to find that the Ti4400 outperforms both of the DX9-based cards in DX8 games and benchmarks when no AA (anti-aliasing) is enabled, but I expect it to fall behind both DX9 cards once AA is enabled (this is why I bought the card and for playing future and present day DX9 based games). I also expect the DX9-based cards - especially the 9600XT - to perform better than the Ti DX8 based card in more modern titles and tests.
Read the full review hereCase4U Mona Designer ATX Mid-Tower Computer Case
March 20, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Tweak News have looked at Case4Us new Mona Designer case:
The Mona case from Case 4u is the lazy modder's dream: It requires no hard work to improve its appearance and can have lights and fans added without drilling or cutting to put in a window or fan opening. While the case requires nothing extra to make it look great, there is room for additions which makes the case a viable option for advanced modders as well. I enjoy the case thoroughly as I am one of those people who want to do nothing to the case but still have an impressive looking computer.
Read the full review hereThermaltake Damier Xaser V V6000A Aluminum Computer Case
March 19, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Futurelooks have been looking at ThermalTakes new Xaser V V6000A
"Thermaltake brings a new, pre-modified case to the masses. As one of their top of the line cases, does the V6000A have what it takes to be at the top?"
Read the full review hereEpic Games & Scion Studios Announce Merger
March 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Epic Games has announced a merger with Scion Studios today. This should allow the company to work on multiple projects at a time, which is great news for all the Unreal lovers out there! Anyways, here's a clipping from the press release:
RALEIGH , NC ( March 18, 2003 ). The employees of Scion Studios have joined Epic Games in a move that doubles Epic's in-house development capacity. This will increase Epic's ability to develop multiple games, including those in its award-winning Unreal® franchise, internally for both PC and console platforms.
Tribes: Vengeance Q&A
March 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has Irrational Games' Michael Johnston in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. They look at everything from weapons to the physics. uNF:
What new features are you adding to the multiplayer modes in the game? Can you describe the new "sports" orientated play styles?
Johnston: We're using a system we call Unified Game Mode (UGM). You can think of it like a sandbox. In this sandbox you can have a number of different toys.
Each toy can be used in different ways. So we have a bunch of UGM objects, like Flags, Balls, and Goals. Game types simply combine these objects in particular ways.
A conventional Capture the Flag game would combine Capture Flags and Capture Stands. A sports oriented game might combine Balls and Goals. Some experimental game might combine all of these objects and more. But the name of the game is always the same: use the objects at your disposal to score more points than the other team.
New Ground Control II Trailer
March 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Massive Entertainment has released a new trailer from their upcoming strategy title, Ground Control II: Operation Exodus. Weighing in at 17megs, you can grab this sucker from the following mirrors:
Far Cry Interview
March 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has slapped up an interview with a couple of the guys behind Crytek Studios' upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. They look at everything from the engine to their future plans. Snip:
IGNPC: Let's talk about the shader effects. You can do "cartoon," a cel-shaded effect, a high contrast effect, and a few others. What made you decide to include those? Do you plan on adding more?
The inclusion of those effects were a direct result of the power and flexibility of the CryENGINE. In our experience, gamers like to have choices and we felt that new render modes might add even more replayability to the title. As for even more render modes, you should expect loads of additional Far Cry content in the future, be it from Crytek or the talented teams working with the Sandbox Editor and the MOD SDK.
Namco & Flagship Studios Sign Publishing Deal
March 19, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
According to this press release, Namco has announced an agreement to publish Flagship Studios first PC title. Here's a clipping:
SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 2004--Global video games publisher, Namco Hometek Inc., and recently formed game developer, Flagship Studios, announced today that the two companies have entered a publishing agreement to bring Flagship's first PC game to market. Flagship Studios was founded in July 2003, by the creators of Diablo®, one of the best-selling PC game franchises of all time.
AMD Athlon 64 FX-53 NDA Lifted!!
March 19, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The NDA on the eagerly awaited FX-53, the latest 64-bit processor from AMD has been lifted :cool:
Here are links to the reviews:
Corsair News
March 18, 2004 - Hans "stealth_wing" Melis
Corsair sure has been busy today so let's take a look at what they have to report.
Corsair Launches Online "Corsair Community"
Fremont, CA, March 18, 2004: Corsair Memory, Inc., a global leader in ultra-performance DDR memory modules for PC gamers and enthusiasts, today announced a new Corsair Community website that is dedicated to gamers and case modders.
The Corsair Community has web pages that highlight Corsairs LAN party sponsorship program and feature pictures and info on some of the more than 100 LAN parties world-wide that Corsair has recently sponsored. The LAN party page invites LAN party organizers to apply for Corsair sponsorship through an easy on-line application form. Said one happy LAN party organizer, Our LAN party was a great success and I just wanted to let you know how much LogicLAN appreciated the t-shirts and mouse pads you sent to us. They went out like hotcakes to all the gamers that attended. --Tristan, Logiclan. Corsair intends to continue sponsoring dozens of LAN parties per month, and this section of the Corsair Community will be the focal point for LAN sponsorships.
The Case Modding section of the Corsair Community spotlights a few incredible modded systems from master modders like Paul Capello (the Matrix: Regenerator) and Jeffrey Stephenson (the Humidor). I'm honored to be a part of this exciting new web page for you folks. It's terrific that companies like Corsair take recognition of the modders and this new art form; without your support these amazing mods could not be possible, said Paul Capello at TheBestCaseScenario.com. In addition, Corsair announced a new Mod of the Month contest. Case modders are invited to submit pictures and specs on their rigs to vie for a spot on the Corsair Case Modding showcase page and for a free set of Corsair XMS Pro Series modules.
And Corsair wouldn't be Corsair if they didn't have any news about their memory products. Here's another press release.
Corsair Announces 2 Gigabyte XMS Pro Series Module Pair
Fremont, CA, March 18, 2004: Corsair Memory, Inc., a global leader in ultra-performance DDR memory modules for PC gamers and enthusiasts, today announced 2 Gigabyte TwinX Pro Series memory modules which consist of a matched pair of 1 Gigabyte modules.
The new TwinX2048-3200PRO is the highest density XMS Pro Series module available to date. The overwhelming success of the companys 2 Gigabyte TwinX classic XMS modules prompted development of this XMS Pro Series version of the part. According to Corsair Marketing Director Joe James, Our high density XMS modules have been very well received by customers, so were very pleased to offer an XMS Pro Series module pair in the 2 Gigabyte size. These modules were developed both for memory intensive games and for graphics applications such as digital video editing.
The TwinX2048-3200PRO consists of a matched pair of 1 Gigabyte CMX1024-3200PRO modules. This unbuffered DDR module pair is rated to operate at 400MHz (PC3200) at 3-3-3-8 latency settings. Each module includes a performance enhancing black cast aluminum XMS Pro Series high-efficiency heat spreader, and features Corsairs Activimeter with two rows of colored LEDs that show real-time memory activity. TwinX modules are tested together as a matched pair in a dual channel motherboard, and packaged together immediately after test.
This new product is available immediately from resellers world-wide.
Xbit Labs Reviews
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
X-Bit Labs have been busy again with the following reviews:
- Winter-Spring 2004: Graphics Cards on Top Graphics Processors and Their Low-Cost Versions Overclockers Best Choice
ATI and NVIDIA bore a lot of various graphics card models in the mainstream segment, which represent low-cost modifications of the top-end graphics solutions. In this article we are going to take a closer look at all these variations, pay due attention to their overclocking potential and their ability to be modified into "fully-fledged" powerful solutions. Also we will run the whole bunch of tests in contemporary games, so that you could see which solution of this overwhelming majority would be your best choice.
- March 2004 Hardware News Overview.
Winter is over. Lets sum up the achievements and results of the past winter months in our regular monthly hardware coverage. You w! ill be able to find the latest and most interesting news about processors, mainboards and chipsets, graphics chips and VGA cards, as well as monitors, notebooks and memory!
OCZ PC4400 Dual Channel Memory Kit BETA
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
MadShrimps have put OCZ brand new PC4400 through its paces:
To the 550Mhz fray and beyond with OCZ. They have endeavoured to produce another fine Dual Channel memory kit for Intel or AMD systems. In the latter, latencies wouldn´t be where you might want them; in the former it´s the high FSB which produces bandwidth.
Read the full review hereArtec Dual DVD+R/RW Drive
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Hot Hardware have been burning their DVDs with Artecs Dual DVD+R/RW drive:
Today at HotHardware.com we take a look at a competitively priced dual format DVD writer from Artec, aptly named the Artec Dual DVD+R/RW drive. This is a rather ordinary looking drive on the outside, but boasts a hefty 8MB cache and 8X/4X write speeds that make it an attractive alternative for the cost conscious consumer. Click the link below to see how the Artec Dual DVD+R/RW drive compared to a mainstream competitor.
Read the full review hereBiostar K8VHA Pro & K8NHA Pro
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Bjorn3D have looked at 2 Athlon64 motherboards from Biostar:
Over time I have had mostly good experiences with these boards. These are what I would call the "entry" level boards in the AMD 64 processor line. They have plenty of features for the average user, but overall when push comes to shove they aren't up to par with the best of the best. I experienced a few stability issues with each board, the K8T800 providing the worse show of the two.
Read the full review hereOCZ PC4000EL Gold Edition Memory
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
PCStats have reviewed OCZ PC4000EL will this help you overclock your system to your desire?
The memory market is pretty saturated right now with high speed memory modules from every corner, and in an attempt to differentiate themselves from their competitors we've noticed that OCZ have been tightening up their memory timings just a bit. After all if you're running PC2100 DDR and PC4000 DDR at stock speeds, it really doesn't make any difference to the computer.... but then if you overclock that is where speed, and memory timings really come into play. For an illustration of just what we're talking about, please read through PCstats look at Memory Latency VS Bandwidth. For the rest of you who know what tight memory timings can really bring to the table, read on! In this memory review, PCstats is testing out OCZ's Gold Edition PC4000EL DDR. Each of these PC4000EL modules are 512MB in size, and since they are destined for dual channel systems, OCZ sell the memory as a pair. The OCZ PC4000EL DDR is rated to run up to 250 MHz while maintaini! ng timings of 2.5-4-4-7, at 2.8V. That's not exactly as tight as some other lower speed modules, but it is better than the 3-4-4-8 timings most other high speed DIMM's run under.
Read the translated review hereNetwork Media Station Boxster
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
NordicHardware have looked at the Network Media Station Boxter. A system for Windows XP Media Edition:
Many people take a step back when you mention the word Microsoft, but you can say what you want but very many of you out there are using Windows XP on your home computers. There are resources behind the company and they have really put time and energy into this product, but foremost they have listened to the customer and their thoughts. All this put together has become Media Center 2004, a to us very positive experience purely spontaneous.
Read the full review hereSamsung SyncMaster 173P 17" TFT
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Another Samsung LCD review today, this time from ExtremeOverclocking who have reviewed the 173P model:
The SyncMaster 173P is an evolution of the earlier 171P model. The 173P has more and better features, is slightly redesigned, and seems to have corrected many of the flaws of the previous models. This display brings many key features to the table and delivers them in a great package. With a 700:1 contrast ratio, the 173P has the highest contrast ratio of any LCD panel we have tested. Most are between 300:1 and 500:1. Couple this with the 173P's stylish looks and Samsung Warranty and we get excited.
Read the full review hereRevoltec Lightpad
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TecCentral have been gliding their mouse over Revoltecs new Lightpad:
Mousepads gives it like sand at the sea, so that the choice does not fall with a new purchase straight easily. Meanwhile the offered models do not only vary in form, material and color; our thanks go here against the manufacturer Revoltec, which and made us available a high-quality PAD with integrated LEDS for this report took up the idea of the lit Mousepads. How this behaved in our practice test and using different mice, can you on the following pages reread.
Read the full translated review hereKingston DDR2 DRAM On Showcase
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
HotHardware have given the low down on Kingstons new DDR2 modules. Click on their homepage and scroll down to the section.
Corsair TwinX1024-3200LLPro 1Gig DDR400
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TweakNews.Net have reviewed put Corsairs TwinX1024 3200LL Dual Channel memory through its paces:
Being one of the premier performance memory manufacturers in the world, Corsair provided Tweaknews.net with a 1Gig sample of their representative TwinX PC3200LL PRO Dual Channel DDR memory to test. The version of the DDR400 standard boasts low latency timings of 2-6-3-2, but what really separates it from the pack is the inclusion of activity LEDs which would be a great addition to a windowed case. Although this memory is meant to be used in its stock speed, we wouldn't be called tweakers if we didn't try to see what extra free performance we could squeeze out of this unique purchase. As you will see later on in the review, I was able to push this memory to some nice speeds. Onto the review....
Read the full review hereSamsung SyncMaster 172X LCD
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
3DVelocity have reviewed Samsuns SyncMaster 172X LCD. Is this the perfect monitor for all your gaming needs?:
The 172X shows just as much class in looks as it does in specs. Samsung has wisely chosen not to waste any real estate on the front of the monitor by keeping the borders to a minimum. The OSD buttons and the power button have been stealthed into the underside of the screen so you get a clean stylish look.
Read the full review hereDigitalway MPIO FY200 256MB Digital Audio Player
March 18, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
DesignTechnica have been looking Digitalways 256MB Digital Audio Player:
"You can pack a ton of features into a product, but if they are not executed correctly, they really do not matter in the first place. This is what happens with the Digitalway FY200 MP3 player. The quality of the player and the headphones are clearly above average, but the execution of everything else falls short. You cannot randomly play songs between multiple folders which is a major bummer and those that appreciate hip hop and techno genres will be disappointed by the lack of bass present. Those looking to use an
MP3 player while exercising will probably find the included arm band and second set of headphones annoying to say the least.
The FY200 is a fairly good product and we are sure once the kinks are worked out, will be one of the better MP3 players on the market. If you can, try out the FY200 before you buy it or purchase it from a store with a good return policy. The FY200 will most likely fit the needs of some people just fine, but will also leave others disappointed."
Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow Demo Released
March 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Ubi Soft have released a 119meg singleplayer demo from their stealth title, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow. You can grab this puppy from the following mirrors: Now get downloadin'!
New EverQuest II Footage
March 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Sony Online has released some new footage from their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Weighing in at a hefty 205megs, you can grab this bad boy from the following mirrors:
City of Heroes Screenies
March 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault managed to snage some new screenshots from Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. Hit the image below for a look!
Unreal Tournament 2004 Review
March 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has whipped up a review on Epic Games' first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. The game walks away with a final score of 9.4/10! Here's some lovin':
While there's a whopping total of 10 different game modes, assault and onslaught are bound to get the most attention. The new onslaught mode is the biggest departure from past UT games, and it sets up team battles for 10 to 32 players on large outdoor maps. At first glance, the expansive, rolling terrain might look a lot like Tribes 2 or Halo, and like these games, there are maps big enough to make running from point-to-point seem prohibitively slow. But a few key innovations keep the pace fast, and as powerful as the vehicles are, those on foot are far from helpless. Onslaught focuses on power nodes that are strategically distributed on the maps, and the ultimate goal of the mode consists of destroying the power core located in the opposing base. The nodes connect in certain configurations, and nodes located behind front lines can't be attacked, which concentrates the action around just a node or two at a time. Once a node linking to the power core is captured, the core itself can be attacked directly, thus pressuring the defenders to desperately man the base defenses or recapture the pivotal node.
Joint Operations Preview
March 18, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has thrown up a preview on Novalogic's action title, Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising. Here's a bit on the engine:
The technology being used to create Joint Operations is based on the same engine used for Black Hawk Down, but has been given substantial upgrades in a few areas. We spent a little time looking over the various models for each side, which are capable of many different animations -- players can lean, roll, dive to the ground when under fire, crawl along while prone, walk while in a half-crouch, or drop to one knee to fire. We managed to dive into the water by accident once, but even that animation looked pretty good, and having all your teammates animated in this way goes a long way to selling the illusion of being in a real firefight. The accelerated time-of-day feature has both a dramatic and strategic effect on gameplay, as the sun drifting across the sky can often start in one team's eyes but shift sides by the end.
Hardware Vocabulary Updated
March 17, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Just wanted to let you guys know that we just updated our massive Hardware Vocabulary with a plethora of new words, and some updates. XXL kudos to Neeyik for writing & updating all that stuff! Why not check out the Hardware Vocabulary just to make sure you know what is what! :cool:
Battlefield: Vietnam Review
March 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another Battlefield: Vietnam review has popped up over at PC.IGN this evening, taking a look at Digital Illusions' multiplayer shooter. The game walks away with a final score of 8.2/10. Here's a blurb:
The maps themselves are actually fairly varied and interesting; although I'm not sure all of them are focused enough in certain areas. I found myself wandering without seeing any enemies much of the time simply because people were all walking in different directions apart from each other. Maps in 1942 seemed a bit more focused in the fact that there were always areas you could find the fights. These chokepoints created by the landscape really added to the excitement and tension. Some of the maps in Vietnam are open to travel, including one of the city maps, Hue, which is another easy map to sneak around and capture a flag in the back.
The Battle for Middle-Earth Preview
March 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Ferrago for sending word that they have shot-up a preview on Electronic Arts' upcoming RTS, The Battle for Middle-Earth. Here's a nugget:
With sequences like those at Helm's Deep and Minas Tirith to draw on it's a great relief to know that siege warfare will play an integral part in BME. And it won't just be some catapults smashing down some walls. Not only will larger creatures like Ents and trolls be able to pick up scenery off the battlefield and hurl them at the enemy, but once a fortress's outer defences are breached the real fun will begin when defending against a siege. Traps will make a welcome appearance, so expect to be able to slam a portcullis shut after some curious Orcs make their way under it. You can then deal with the interlopers by unleashing the fury of your concealed archers upon them, or even better, emptying big cauldrons of boiling oil over their heads. From this it sounds like the famous deviant humour that we have come to love and expect from the C&C series will find a home in The Battle for Middle Earth.
Dark Age Of Camelot: New Frontiers Q&A
March 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
WorthPlaying.com has sat down with Mythic Entertainment's Matt Firor for a quick chat regarding their upcoming Dark Age Of Camelot expansion pack, New Frontiers. Here's a bit on the boats:
WP: New Frontiers allows players to use boats, which were introduced in the Trials of Atlantis expansion, will ToA be required to play Frontiers. Also, will other ToA specific improvements, like being able to swim underwater, be available in Frontiers?
MF : Aha! Now the difficult questions start. If you hadn't noticed, starting about five months ago, the Dark Age of Camelot (sans Shrouded Isles or Trials of Atlantis) that we are selling in stores and giving away free via download and magazine cover disk is the SI graphics engine with just the original game's content. We plan on phasing out the original engine over the next few months, since players of the original game have free upgrade options to the new version. We'll start an education process on this; how it will affect those players that continue to use Camelot's original graphics engine - and what hardware, if any, will need to be upgraded. Generally, when you run the SI engine and turn off most of the higher-end effect settings, you can run that version on almost any computer that runs the original engine.
Getting back to your actual question - no, you will not need ToA in order to get into New Frontiers. But, you will need at least Shrouded Isles or the version of the classic game that has the SI engine. We will be adding underwater to that engine, but only in the new frontier zones. In New Frontiers, you will be able to fight and swim underwater.
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Announced
March 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Microsoft has announced a new massively multiplayer online RPG today. Entitled Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, you can check out the newly launched website for more info. Anyways, here's a clipping from the press release:
REDMOND, Wash. - March 16, 2004 - Microsoft® Game Studios and Sigil Games Online Inc. today announced that "Vanguard: Saga of Heroes," a next-generation massively multiplayer role-playing game (MMORPG), is currently in development for the Windows® platform. Brad McQuaid, one of the game industry's most renowned designers and co-creator of "EverQuest," is leading a star-studded team of MMORPG veterans to create the next evolution in the genre.
"Sigil's unparalleled expertise and experience in the field will bring groundbreaking advances to the genre," said McQuaid, president and CEO of Sigil Games Online. "In recent years we've become concerned with a growing trend to water down gameplay in an attempt to appeal to a broader audience. At Sigil, we're designing our game for the existing MMORPG gamer who is looking for both new challenges and new rewards. On one level, 'Vanguard' combines everything we've learned from MMORPGs: their strengths, their deficiencies and how to address them. Even more important, we plan to introduce a whole new level of gameplay that represents, in our opinion, the logical evolution of the MMORPG genre."
Battlefield: Vietnam Q&A
March 17, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has tossed up a postmortem interview with a couple of the guys behind Digital Illusions' first person shooter, Battlefield: Vietnam. Here's a taste:
GameSpy: What features or elements are you most proud of in Battlefield Vietnam?
Marini: It's definitely the immersive qualities of the game. Above all else, we wanted to make a game that really felt like the Vietnam War. We really feel that we nailed that."
Schneider: I would have to agree with AJ on this. When you play this game you feel like you are in Vietnam. Through the jungles, art, iconography, music, etc this game really takes you back to that era.
Everglide Giganta Ray Mouse Pad Review
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Overclockers Club have been been gliding their mouse over the Everglide Giganta Ray Mouse Pad:
"Today we will be looking at a new version of my favorite mouse pad the Everglide Giganta. The Giganta has been around for a few years, and has proven its worth as a durable performance mouse pad. In June of last year we looked at the Everglide Giganta here. With the recent trend in lighted mouse pads, Everglide modified their popular Giganta optical pad with a housing containing six blue LED lights. One of the first things that crossed my mind was; would the led lights have any effect on the tracking of my Razer Viper optical? Read on to find out. "
Read the full article hereArctic Cooling 4Pro L Pentium 4 Heatsink
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
BigBruin have reviewed Arctic Coolings 4Pro L for the Pentium 4:
The unique styling of the fan is visually appealing and contributes to the low noise production by eliminating much of the air restrictions found on a typical fan. Like most products today, the 4Pro L comes with LED lighting, and the blue glow produced is quite intense and can easily illuminate your entire case.
Read the full review hereChaintech Apogee AA5700U
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
HotHardware have looked at Chaintechs 5700Ultra graphics card:
Our man Rob just finished up giving the latest video card to find its way to us a major once over. This time around he gives the Apogee AA5700U from Chaintech a complete workout to see what this card is made of. This is no typical 5700 Ultra though. Chaintech decked this puppy out with a custom lighted cooling package, copper RAM sinks and a fine compliment of other goodies. Think this card has what it takes to compete with similarly priced cards? Click below to find out!
Read the full review hereDual Channel DDR Pentium 4 Chipsets Six under the Microscope
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Dual Channel memory, what everyone tries to get with their new motherboards. TweakTown have reviewed six Dual Channel motherboards for the Pentium 4:
Today we have six Dual Channel DDR Pentium 4 chipsets under the microscope from Intel, VIA, SiS and ATI. Read on as we discover the best Pentium 4 chipset to spend your hard earned dollars on.
Read the full review hereOCZ EL DDR PC-3700 Gold Rev. 2 Memory
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Legit Reviews have been looking at some powerful memory from OCZ with tighter timings:
OCZ Dual Channel Gold Edition PC-3700 Revision 2 memory is speed rated for 466MHZ (PC-3700) speeds at relatively tight timings of CL 2.5-3-3-7, 1T. With CL2.5 ratings at PC-3700 speeds it is likely that this module will be able to run a wide variety of timings and speeds, but only testing will tell if the IC's used can handle different CAS Latencies..
Read the full review hereDiabolic Minotaur Mid-Tower ATX Case
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Controlled-Insanity have looked at a very scary looking case!
With all of the pre-modded pc cases floating around the net, its tough to choose one that stands out from the rest. I myself am not a big fan of pre-mods, but this particular one caught my eye. Today we will be looking at one of the newest and most unique looking cases on the market, the Diabolic Minotaur Mid-Tower ATX Case from Casedge
Read the full review hereSiS655TX Chipset Review
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
AseLabs have reviewed SiS latest chipset, the SiS 655TX:
With a new memory controller and some tweaks, this evolution to the 655FX proves to be faster indeed. This is the new chipset to buy for the Pentium 4 boards. Find out why...
Read the full review herePimpRig Contest - Win a Custom Painted Case from Lunamods.com!
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Its competition time at PimpRig.
Contest: Create the most over-all kick ass design to be applied to a Cheiftec Dragon case. Entry deadline is April 16th, 2004.
1st Place Wins (picked by PR staff): Custom painted Cheiftec Dragon case using your newly created design or another design of your choosing, and a PimpRig T-Shirt. As a bonus, if the 1st place winner includes the PimpRig.com title graphic or the PR logo in the design the will also win a Dremel MultiPro Kit.
2nd Place Wins (picked by PR members): Dremel MultiPro Kit and PimpRig T-Shirt.
3rd - 5th Place Wins: PimpRig T-Shirt.
Contest Details here
Chyang Fun e-Cube CF-EG65A
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Another SFF review today, this time from DansData who have been looking at the Chyang Fun e-Cube with a side window.
The Chyang Fun e-Cube CF-EG65A is a Small Form Factor box for people with, um, outgoing personalities. LED lights, side window, big shiny handle on top.
Fortunately, it's also got a perfectly good i865 motherboard, better than usual ventilation (achieved in an unusual way) and a non-ridiculous price tag. I rather like it.
7 ATi Radeon GPUs tested
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Hardware-Mag have looked at 7 of ATis GPUs. This review is not in English, so to read this review, please use your favourite translator. Read the review here
Sennheiser PC-155 USB Headset
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
bit-tech have been listening through some Sennheiser headphones, interestingly not via the sound port, but the USB port!
If I had to pick an adjective to describe the overall sound it would be just that, warm. They are a little a little bass-y for my tastes (which is very subjective) but the mid and lower ranges are reproduced marvelously for small headphones and the high end are crisp and responsive but sometimes drowned out by the powerful bass produced. After a few weeks of using them, I became accustomed to their sound character and now consider it to be the standard that all headphones should try to achieve..
Read the full review here108 Mbit GN-B49G router and GN-WMAG Wireless LAN PCMCIA
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Guru3D have gone wireless, with one of the fastest rated WiFi speeds available right now:
If you have ever read any review on wireless comms, or indeed you have bought some wireless kit in the past. You will be aware that when it says 11Mbps on the box, your real world rates are very much less than that. We are talking with a good signal, a 11Mbps card will probably only reach 4-5Mbps. The reason is to do with the medium, i.e radio waves. With a wired network like you traditional Ethernet based LAN, the amount of errors that occur down the line either induced by collisions or by noise are relatively small.
Read the full review here3R System R101 Aluminum Casing Review
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
HardwareZoom have been looking at a not to familiar name in the case world, the 3R System R101. Is this case the one for you?
The first thing that caught my attention is the Front Sliding Door. After you have flipped open the door, you can actually slide it to the left side of the casing. The sliding action is smooth and the door is solid. Also, there is a sticker near the door that shows the function of each buttons and how the sliding door works. Basically you press thee select button to read the temperatures and up/down to control fan speed
Read the full review hereEvercool CUW8-715 Copper Heatsink Review
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
FrostyTech have been cooling their Pentium 4 with Evercools CUW8-715 Copper Heatsink, although does it live up to its job?
What's better than a little copper to keep your Pentium 4 processor running nice and cool. However, knowing which cooler is worth its weight in copper isn't always a straightforward task. The choice becomes even more complicated when you have heatsink manufacturers adapting K7 cooler designs for the Pentium 4, or simply building P4 heatsinks to fit K7 requirements. From what we've seen, heatsinks which support both processors (Pentium 4 and K7) in one go, or even in different models, often favor one processor over the other. Given that the Evercool CUW8-715 is a carbon copy of the Evercool CUF-715 for the AthlonXP, it will be interesting to see how the former performs when faced with the increased thermal interface of the Pentium 4 synthetic temperature test platform.
Read the full review hereCanon I475D All-Purpose Desktop Photo Printer
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
SubZeroTech have looked at Canons all purpose photo quality printer:
Here I am again, watching out for you guys. Upon a recent visit to Best Buy I encountered a bevy of REALLY expensive photo printers. And I thought to myself as with most situations there must be a cheaper, Brand Name model available that does all this stuff, but isnt advertised as well. Sure enough upon searching the website of Canon (one of the best companies in my opinion for digital cameras AND printers for many reasons) I came across a little known desktop gem specd to output images in all sizes with a resolution that matches the most expensive models available today! And once I got it here, and tested it, I think I can safely say that there is little or no reason to purchase any other printer on the market today. And I have stacks and stacks of professional quality prints to prove it. Read on and see why you should buy one, or if you already purchased a different model I recommend you return it and buy this one
Read the review hereClever Power Silent Series SPS-500
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
It seems to be the era of the PSU recently with a lot of new PSUs hitting the market. ExtremeOverclocking have tested the Clever Power Silent SPS-500. Is this the PSU for you?
One of the most important, and most overlooked, components in a computer system is the power supply. A lot of problems people report with their computers can be traced back to a faulty power supply. As computer systems grow more powerful people will need power supplies that can handle some serious loads. I'm taking a look at the SPS-500 500Watt PSU from Clever Power. The most exciting feature of this PSU for me is that it has a built-in power strip with 4 AC sockets on the rear of the PSU.
Read the full review hereIOGEAR MiniView III 4 Port KVMP Switch
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
If youre like me and have multiple systems, you want to have a clean desk not cluttered by monitors, keyboards and mice for each system. Voided Warranty have been looking at the IOGEAR MiniView III KVM which fixes just that:
If you have several computers as I do, you know that desktop real estate is used up pretty quickly by monitors, keyboards and mice. IOGEAR has a perfect solution with the 4 port KVMP Switch.
Read the full review hereZalman 5.1 Surround Headphones
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Pimprig have been listening through Zalmans 5.1 surround headphones:
After checking the wires, I found out that the center channel is wired to the center speakers in Mono! This kind of shocked me, but it means that they could option for 7.1 surround sound with some wiring or driver tricks, perhaps in the future? As I took a closer look at the speakers, I noticed that the center speakers were different. The center speakers are 32 ohm speakers while the outer two are 16 ohms. If you think about it, it makes sense to limit the impedence of the speaker right over your ear to the ones that are away from them.
Read the full review hereLian-Li PC 61
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TechCentral have reviewed Lian-Lis PC 61 case. You can read the translated review here
GeForce FX5500 Review
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
HartWare have been looking at the new GeForce FX5500 is it something that impresses them?
Hartware.net has tested the new GeForce FX5500 (from Point of View) and compared it to other mainstream graphics cards with pricing at or below $150. Does the FX5500 live up to its name and perform almost like a FX5600? To cut it short: not even close.
Read the translated review hereXGI Dual GPU Benchmarked - Volari Duo V8 Ultra
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TweakTown have been putting the latest XGI Dual GPU through its paces to show you the power it really has to offer:
XGI has been in the 3D graphics game for only a little over nine months and already has a top to bottom line of products available from their short list of AIB partners. Today we look at the XGI Volari Duo V8 Ultra Dual GPU graphics card put directly against the 9800 XT and FX 5950. We use a whole bunch of the latest drivers including nVidia's ForceWare 56.64 which is being released today.
Read the full review hereXaserIII Lanfire series
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
3DVelocity have reviewed Thermaltakes newer member to the Xaser family, the XaserIII Lanfire:
Thermaltake has been making their mark on the world of pre-modded cases. We loved their XaserIII, it was big, roomy, feature rich and heavy! This time they swing to the other end of the spectrum by trimming the fat a bit and streamlining a few features as well as dropping a couple of pounds.
Read the full review hereABIT AI7 Review
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
bit-tech have put Abits AI7 through its paces, their i865 motherboard featuring µGuru:
ABIT, known for their high performance at a reasonable cost, have managed to come up with another motherboard to be proud of. The range of features might not be breathtaking but there is enough on this board to keep even the most hardcore enthusiast happy
Read the full review hereDell GX60 BIOS corruption
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Thanks to Tony Pottrell at PyroPort who have given us the heads up of this known Dell corruption:
It would appear that the Dell Optiplex GX60 A06 bios update available on Dell's website is corrupting the BIOS of computers under some conditions.
Updating from A00 to A06 using OpenManage IT Assistant or the harddrive package fails, killing the computer. The only option is to replace the motherboard. Full details can be found at http://www.pyroport.com/content/32004/n126.shtml and http://www.pyroport.com/content/32004/n127.shtml
I have not heard from Dell since the initial posting, a wider coverage will hopefully give them pause and get them to release a fix or at least acknowledge that there is a problem - something they have yet to do.
APC Back-UPS ES 725
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
PCs are a wonderful thing, but isnt it frustrating when you lose youre your work because of a power failure? DesignTechnica have reviewed APCs UPS which should give you that extra amount of time to save your hours worth of work:
The chances of a blackout or other power event affecting your data or equipment are very high. If you haven't experienced this yet, the question is not if it will happen, but when it will happen.
With UPS batteries lasting between three to five years, and the cost of the Back-UPS ES 725 around $100, this is a solid investment that really makes a lot of sense. The cost of lost data, production, and/or damaged equipment makes the purchase of a UPS a no-brainer.
The ES 725 does what it is supposed to do and does it well. With enough power to support almost all of today's power-hungry monitors and workstations, the ES 725 is well-suited for most home and office users.
Biostar iDEQ 200P Athlon64 SFF System
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Small Form Factor is getting more popular with companies releasing powerful components in tiny systems. Bjorn3D have reviews Biostars latest SFF system based on the nForce3 150, designed for the Athlon 64:
Two other iDEQ systems have made their way into Bjorn3D reviewers' hands, and each was highly praised and awarded with our highest honor - the Bjorn3D Golden Bear Award. Naturally, this made me excited to get my hands on one and see what all the fuss was about. However, as it turns out, I was in store for not quite the same uplifting experience as my fellow reviewers had with the iDEQ 200T and the iDEQ 200N. The iDEQ 200P is one of Biostar's newest models in the iDEQ family, and it is the one we will be taking a look at today. It features support for AMD's Athlon 64 processor by way of NVIDIA's nForce3 150 chipset on Biostar's own K8BNP motherboard.
Read the full review hereBlack Demon Case Review
March 17, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
ClubOverclocker have been looking at the CrazyPCs Black Demon case a pre-modded case to awe at:
"What do you do when you get tired of your old beige case? You have two options, you can modify your existing case or buy a pre-modded case. A few years ago, being able to go to your favorite computer store and pick up a cool looking modified case was unheard of. Computer companies never put much thought in the metal box that held your computer components. Thanks to readers like you, that is no longer a problem. CrazyPC has heard our call and has been carrying some of the best modified cases for years now. The latest addition to their collection is the Black Demon Case"
Read the full article hereGDC
March 16, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Meet Us At GDC!
March 16, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
We will be demoing our forthcoming Symbian smartphone benchmark in GDC (Game Developers Conference) at Khronos booth #431. Our guys Tero Sarkkinen (Executive VP of Sales & Marketing), Maneesh Dhagat (Project Manager) and Patric Ojala (3DMark Project Lead) will be present at the conference.
On Wednesday, March 24th (at Crowne Plaza Hotel San Jose - Plaza Room, 282 Almaden at San Carlos - Across from GDC) at 3:45 pm - 5:30pm, there's a closed session for reviewing OpenGL ES 1.1. If you are a developer who has a serious interest in OpenGL ES, then send in a signed NDA and show up to tell Khronos what you think!
RSVP to briana@goldstandardgroup.com. More details at: http://www.khronos.org/news/gdc_04_invite.html.
Requirements: This free session is open to the public and does not require a Game Developer Conference badge, but to attend you must download, read and sign a copy of the OpenGL ES 1.1 Reviewers Agreement (available at the Khronos web site).
Stop by and see the worlds first 3D smartphone benchmark in action!
pcmark04 doonlooad
March 16, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Far Cry Preview
March 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The GameInformer is the latest website to whip up a preview on Cryteks upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. Here's a bit on the vehicles:
If your arsenal of sneaky moves and heavy firepower werent enough, Jack can also commandeer a wide variety of different vehicles to get around. Vehicles like Jeeps and 4-wheel drive monsters prove not only to be nice rides, but also come equipped with mounted machine guns to help even the odds when youre tearing around the games varied environments. While I was only able to use those two vehicles along with a piddly little raft with an outboard motor during my time with the game, the vehicles did offer up enough in terms of gameplay to keep me satisfied. Interestingly, Far Cry is a game all about pros and cons. Stealth versus action is just one example of this unique feature. Vehicles are another. While riding in a Jeep, you have the freedom of being able to move faster and use a potentially devastating machine gun. But, the downside is the fact that maneuvering a Jeep through tiny jungle paths isnt all that practical and enemy soldiers can quickly reduce a stationary vehicle to rubble in a matter of seconds. So, while hopping into a vehicle may seem like a good idea at first, youll eventually pick up on the fact that while powerful and quick, sometimes hoofing is a better option in the long run.
Click here for the rest!City of Heroes Preview
March 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has tossed up a preview on Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's some juice:
Once the creation process was complete, we looked at some key aspects of the interface. The developer noted that controls may be utilized without resorting to slash commands, an effort to make play more accessible, although operating with text is still supported. Three meters display your current amounts of health, endurance and experience toward a new level. Using super powers depletes endurance. Combat is simple to initiate; you select a target with the mouse, then click icons on a bar or tap numbers on your keyboard to trigger your abilities. You can hotkey up to 10 different sets of 10 powers each, and visually display either one or two groups at a time.
Battlefield: Vietnam Review
March 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at GameSpy have thrown together a review on Digital Illusions' multiplayer shooter, Battlefield: Vietnam. With a final score of 4/5 stars, this might be one to check out. Snip:
Two big changes and a handful of tweaks set Vietnam apart from its predecessor. The most obvious change is in the graphics engine: ground clutter covers the hillsides with thick vegetation and heavy forests sway in the wind. This favors some new gameplay, as it's much easier than before to go prone amidst a clump of underbrush unseen by the enemy. Occasionally machinegun fire will rip out of the jungle from unexpected angles, cutting you down before you can even get a look at your assailant: Welcome to 'Nam! Being able to hide in the jungle makes it a little easier for one solider or a small group of soldiers to defend a location, but fortunately this isn't so effective as to slow down the brisk pace of the game. Expect to be frustrated by snipers and hidden enemies, however.
Hitman: Contracts Interview
March 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Action Vault has slapped up an interview with Jesper Kyd regarding his work on the music in IO Interactive's upcoming action title, Hitman: Contracts. Here's a nugget:
Action Vault: What style of music did you decide upon for Hitman: Contracts, and what goals did you have when composing it?
Jesper Kyd: The music style is DJ-type electronica. It's a mix of dark themes and intense beats. It's a very suspenseful and atmospheric score, with lots of depth and surprises. The score includes reversed symphonic performances, choir performances and lots of dark melodies.
The music's role is primarily to add suspense and daunting elements to the game world. The score is very melodic, and the melodies will help the game player get a better understanding of how the main character, Mr. 47, feels at different moments. I felt it was important to not only write music that would scare you, but to also add depth while introducing a variety of emotions to the equation.
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Q&A
March 16, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The ActionTrip has fired-up an interview with Irrationa Games regarding their upcoming RPG, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich. They look at everything from the storyline to multiplayer. Snip:
AT: We would like to know more about the storyline
Does it tie into the previous game in any way? And what are the key characters involved in it?
IG: The events of Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich take place shortly after Freedom Force. All the original heroes will play a role in the story and a few familiar foes will jump into the fray as well. Many of the new characters like Black Jack and Sky King will play important roles in the game. Tombstone will certainly be getting a lot of attention. I don't want to get into who does what, but I'll tell you that Alche-Miss will become integral to the story.
Dragon Empires Dev Diary
March 15, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The official Dragon Empires website has been updated with a developer diary written by Codemasters' Peter Tyson regarding quests in their upcoming MMORPG. Here's a clipping:
So far it has been a real joy to use the development tools we have for creating quests and once you get a hang of the system it is remarkably easy to create something playable. First you type in the talk-trees and options for players. These are what the player sees when they are engaged in conversation with an NPC. Next you link all of these options and nodes up and add scripts to any relevant section. Finally, you use the world editor to create and place NPCs in the world that the talk-trees are attached to. The end result is a working quest!
Hitman: Contracts Dev Diary
March 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has posted a developer diary written by Io Interactive's Peter von Linstow regarding their upcoming action title, Hitman: Contracts. Here's a taste:
First of all we decided to turn the mood of the game to a much darker tone. In the previous games we had used a very broad, colorful palette in the James Bond vein, and postcard locations: grand villas, luxury hotels, and towers of steel and glass; blue skies, moody sunsets, and moonlit nights. This time we turned day into night. We made unpleasant weather conditions like showers and blizzards, and in general put Hitman in a lot more uncomfortable environment. The missions themselves are also a lot grittier than before. The villains are no longer just bad guys. They are decadent, evil, and cruel.
Serious Sam 2 Update
March 14, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Seriously! for letting us know that the Croteam has posted an update on their upcoming action title, Serious Sam 2. Here's a blurb:
New enemies
Couple of new and exciting enemies have surfaced. Biker and his Trike vehicle look like they were took from Easy Rider movie. Trike looks kick-ass and it's already in mass production, expected to hit the Croatian streets this summer.
Also, Football Player Orc has some new dancing moves, because he is to appear as the main star at this GDC flyover. We'll see the reaction at GDC on his appearance and let you know in next reports.
2xPCI GFX
March 14, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
PCI used to be the standard for everything. You could always get the latest and greatest graphics cards on PCI, but now AGP has taken over, it is becoming more of a nightmare to find any decent PCI graphics cards. NordicHardware have reviewed 2 pci graphics cards, the ATi Radeon 9200 and the nVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 for those of you who dont have the AGP option:
For those of you who do not have a mainboard with integrated graphics, who do not have an AGP slot and do not wish to play games, these cards may be to consider. In short, they work as the old time's 2D cards
Read the full review hereZen Mistreatment!
March 14, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Dans Data have been putting Shuttles new XPC Zen barebone through some pain!
Shuttle's little XPC Zen is genuinely different from their other SFF boxes. Smaller, quieter, suaver. And it's not meant for overclockers, or 3D gamers.
So, naturally, I tried overclocking it and playing 3D games, when I reviewed it!
FrontX Multimedia Panel
March 14, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Controlled Insanity have been looking at a handy gadget for easy port access at the front of your pc, the FrontX:
Need everything within the reach of your arm? Breakout boxes bring an ease of use to the casual as well as the avid computer user. FrontX brings a whole new meaning to this convienience with its multimedia extension panel, FrontX (Front eXtenstion). This unique item allows users front access of USB, Firewire, Microphone, Headphone Jack and much more depending on your needs. The kind people over at FrontX were nice enough to send out a sample of their product, so let's check it out!
Read the full review hereCoDBench 1.0
March 14, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Guru3D have created a new benchmark utility for Call of Duty. Something handy for both reviewers and enthusiasts!
Simply download and unzip CoDBench.zip. Run the "Setup.exe" file from unzipped folder. You will be presented with options on the path you would like CoDBench to be installed to. You will be asked which Startup Menu folder you would like CoDBench shortcuts to be placed. Before running any benchmarks you need to turn "VSYNC" off in your video driver options.
Installation Instructions and download link can be found hereX-bit labs Reviews
March 14, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
X-Bit Labs have been busy again this weekend with the following reviews:
- Adaptec 2410SA Serial ATA RAID Controller Review
We have already posted three reviews of four-channel SerialATA RAID controllers on our site. Now weve got hold of one more device like that, the Adaptec 2410SA. The manufacturing company claims it to be an ideal solution for workstations and entry-level servers where RAID arrays and support of four hard disk drives are important. Lets check out how close to the ideal this solution is!
- Zalman Power Supply Units Roundup.
Today we are going to introduce to you three newest power supply units from a well-know manufacturer of PSUs and cooling solutions Zalman. Our tests showed that these three products definitely deserve your closest look especially if you are about to go for an advanced high-performance system and value low noise and excellent c! ooling
Kingston HyperX PC4000 1Gig Dual Channel Memory Kit
March 14, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TweakNews have been looking at Kingstons HyperX PC4000 Dual Channel kit. Will this help in your overclocking potential?
When it comes to memory, there are several manufacturers on the market to cater to your current requirements. But, if you are on a mission to find "quality" memory, there are only a handful that you should be selecting from and I can assure you, Kingston should definitely be on your short list.
The PC4000 dual channel kit reviewed today performed exactly as it should with no instability or problems of any kind. Just insert them in your motherboard, adjust your BIOS settings accordingly, and enjoy the performance
Arctic Silver 5 Review
March 14, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Arctic Silver is a well known name in the cooling world for their thermal compounds. Arctic Silver recently released a newer version, Arctic Silver 5 which Techware Labs have looked at:
Thermal grease is a critical and necessary component of any current computer system. One of the first companies to put forth research and development of a thermal grease with advanced thermally conductive properties was Arctic Silver. Back in the day, Arctic Silver 1 used real silver to deliver real cooling results. In the labs we take a look at the new, 99.9% pure silver, Arctic Silver 5.
Read the full review hereSamsung SyncMaster 173P LCD Monitor Review
March 14, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Overclockers Club have been looking at Samsungs latest LCD monitor, the SyncMaster 173P:
Everyone has heard of LCD monitors, many own them and the rest of us envy their desk space, but what makes an LCD monitor so desirable? Are they an improvement over CRT? Well, Samsung's monitors are among the best in the world, so the standards are being set high today as we dive into the world of LCD monitors. Today we'll be looking at a brand new LCD monitor from Samsung that has not yet been released, the SyncMaster 173P. The SyncMaster 173P was built with the following three things in mind; Slim, Simple, and Stylish. This monitor is one slick piece of work. From the silver bezel, to the beveled edges and trim, to the simple, understated but sleek fashion, this monitor has good looks. However, good looks can only go so far, want to know how the SyncMaster 173P stands up against fast action games? Read on!
Read the full review hereCase Master V828 ´FireBird` Server Case
March 14, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The peeps over at MadShrimps have reviewed a server case is this case big and suitable for your server needs?:
"The plug and play attitude of this case is simply amazing; with a few clicks and tricks you have the whole case disassembled and ready for motherboard insertion. Although it suffers from the known un-removable motherboard-tray feature, the inside offers enough room to work with even the largest motherboards on the market (Dual Xeon/Opteron would fit nicely inside)"
Read the full article hereHitman: Contracts Preview
March 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has kicked up a preview on Io Interactive's upcoming action title, Hitman: Contracts, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's some juice:
Missions themselves seem to be mostly about killing, which isn't exactly a surprise given the name of the game, but some will also give secondary objectives of saving certain individuals, or at least finding them. Each of these puzzles, which is really what they are, provide a definite cerebral challenge that brings a level of enjoyment a straight shooter has a hard time providing.
Read on!New Unreal Tournament 2004 Shots
March 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at HomeLAN this evening are some new screenshots from Epic Games' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. Hit the thumbnail below for a peak!
City Of Heroes Preview: Part 2
March 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has posted the 2nd part of their preview on Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City Of Heroes. Here's a clipping:
We also saw yet another section of the city called Faultline. This section is in complete shambles thanks to a super villain with earthquake powers that literally told this section of the city apart. We were once again impressed with the graphics seen in the game and the games living environments (cars driving around, people walking around doing their business) reminded us a lot of the Grand Theft Auto games (although you apparently cant commandeer a car in the game)
New Star Wars: Battlefront Movies
March 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Pandemic Studios has released some new footage from their upcoming multiplayer shooter, Star Wars: Battlefront. You can check these suckers out by tapping your mouse right here!
Far Cry Preview
March 13, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another Far Cry preview has popped up over at WorthPlaying.com, taking a look at the multiplayer portion of Crytek's upcoming first person shooter. Here's a clipping:
What FarCry does have going for it though are huge, gorgeous maps. The demo contains four maps: Monkey Island, an Aztec themed map that features - yep you guessed it - monkey statues; Dune, a beach-based assault map that also lets you use the patrol boats; Airstrip, an assault map that takes place in a jungle; and Radio, which is four islands connected by rope bridges, and was my least favorite - it seemed constrained compared to the other maps and it just wasn't as cool. The maps feature plenty of dense foliage and high hills, potentially turning it into a camper's paradise. To combat people being completely masked by the bushes, each player's weapon reflects some sunlight; you can still hide, but at least people stand a sporting chance of spotting a lurker. A larger concern is the vantage points combined with the massive view distances - you can see for several miles - turning the game into a shooting gallery for someone skilled with a sniper rifle.
City Of Heroes Screenies
March 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN managed to get their grubby little paws on some new screenshots from Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City Of Heroes. Head over for a look!
EverQuest II Q&A
March 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has caught up with Sony Online's Chris Cao for a quick chat regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, EverQuest II. Topics range from the status of the game to the races we will see. Snip:
GameSpot: Could you give us an update on the development of EverQuest II? How far along is the game at this point? What parts of the game is the team currently focusing on?
Chris Cao: The game is in production stages. We're using scheduled milestones to add new content, and we test the game on a regular basis. Most recently, we've been focusing on "instanced" events (events that take place for individual players rather than for the entire world at large) and special scripting to bring our cities to life. The art team has been adding and refining character animations, as well as creating a huge number of detailed spell effects. The game gets more and more polished every day as we draw closer to beta. The core game is very strong, and we are in a phase where we continue to build upon that.
kill.switch Demo Released
March 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Hip Games has released a demo from the PC version of their upcoming action title, kill.switch. Weighing in at 77megs, you can grab this sucker from the following mirrors: What are you waiting for? Get downloadin'!
Unreal Tournament 2004 Review
March 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at GameSpy have thrown up a review on Epic Games' first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. Here's a bit on the vehicles:
Thankfully, the vehicles are balanced well against each other, and they're also vulnerable to some of your weapons, so you're not totally helpless while on foot. The lightning gun can take down a Raptor with a few shots, while a single homing missile from the new AVRIL can make instant shrapnel out of a Manta or Scorpion. Adding to the spectacle, the physics are fairly forgiving, allowing for some crazy stunts and spectacular explosions -- you can flatten players with any of the vehicles, and it's common to see demolished trucks flipping into the air, crushing anyone in their wake.
City Of Heroes Preview
March 12, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has posted the first part of their preview on Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City Of Heroes. Here's a taste:
The game itself is set in a totally new super hero universe which in our opinion makes City of Heroes more accessible than if it were based on, say, the Marvel or DC universe and their decades of continuity. Here in the super hero world of Paragon City both Cryptic Studios and the games players can truly make the super hero stories of their dreams come true for the most part. That actually begins in the character creation mix which is fun all by itself. The folks at Cryptic will be giving City of Heroes players a ton of options to make the super hero or heroine they have always dreamed of (as other interviews and previews have talked about before, players wont be able to play super villains, at least when the game is first launched).
NVDVD Support No More?
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
PC Games Source have just sent us an email that they received from their NVDVD purchase:
We now mourn the loss of the greatest DVD software. NVDVD, created by NVIDIA, provides some of the best image quality and full surround sound support than any other DVD software program for the PC. This came directly from NVIDIA:
"Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for purchasing NVDVD 2.0 from NVIDIA, the industry's highest quality software DVD player on the market.
This past month we shut down our NVDVD web store in preparation for our new software release and updated web store. As a result, we no longer provide unlock codes to re-activate NVDVD. We would like to apologize for any problems this may have caused you.
Enclosed you will find a CD full copy of NVDVD 2.55. You can install this CD on your personal computer at anytime."
So, for all of you who have purchased NVDVD, NVIDIA will automatically send you out a full copy of the latest version of NVDVD: v2.55. So now you have the ability to install it whenever you want, because NVIDIA is no longer providing support for it. For those who do own it, you should know that it was a pain that you had to only download the trial version from NVIDIA's website, than pay for it, than call NVIDIA for a new unlock key everytime you needed to re-install it. But now it's yours for whenever you need it. So don't expect anymore updates to ever be released for NVDVD.
Xteme Mousing Surface Roundup
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Controlled Insanity have been playing with 2 mousemats from Everglide:
As more and more mice are produced today, the demand for a bigger, better mousepad also increases. The right mousing surface can be the difference between 1st and 2nd place, and no one likes to finish 2nd. Today we will take a look at 2 of the newest mousing surfaces available, the Xtreme Gaming Mat, and the Xtreme Mega Mat, sent over by our newest sponsor Crazy PC
Read the full review hereLogitech MX 510 Performance Optical Mouse Review
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Bjorn3D have looked at Logitechs latest mouse, the MX 510:
I had absolutely no problems using the MX 510 during general app use and during hours of gaming. It has many nice improvements over the MX 500 (and the entire first generation MX family for that matter) thanks to the new MX Optical Engine. You can't deny that it's one of the best performing mice around. Plus, it's also one of the best looking. The red, 'reflex finish' looks awesome. It's very unique and will definitely spark conversations (and envy) at LAN events. The MX 500 and Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 4.0 look quite boring next to the MX 510.
Read the full review hereRivaTuner update - NVIDIA ForceWare ImageSharpeningBugfix Patch
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Guru of 3D released a small ImageSharpeningBugfix patch script that corrects control panel's code and eliminates the annoying image sharpening bug that is still not fixed by NVIDIA in the control panel. So if you are annoyed with image sharpening problem you may fix the problem with this script
Installation instructions and a download link can be found hereThe NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) Home Theatre PC System Modification
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Dont throw away those old consoles just yet! Get that duster and retrieve your NES from storage because FutureLooks re-vamped their NES games console to an up to date working system!:
"This Nintendo Entertainment System is more than meets the eye! It is a Home Theatre PC System in disguise! Check out how a mild mannered console system from days gone by takes on new life!"
Read the full article hereEvercool CUF-715 Socket A Heatsink Review
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
BigBruin have reviewed the Evercool CUF-715 Socket A Heatsink for the AMD platform :
One very nice surprise is the mounting clip. Not only does it take advantage of all three lugs on both sides, it is hinged on the tool side and proved very easy to use. Latch the first side down under the three lugs, insert a flat blade screwdriver into the capture, and just hinge the second side onto the lugs. One of the nicest socket mount clips I have ever used. Should become the standard, it is that good.
Read the full article hereThermal Integrations TI-RV104N
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Another heatsink review today, once again for the Pentium 4 but from FrostyTech, who have looked at Thermal Integrations TI-RV104N:
The forked-fins of this extruded aluminum heatsink make it pretty evolutionary for its class; especially considering Intel's recently announced bifurcated reference heatsink for the socket 775 Tejas-FMB1. The 'sun' shape of the Thermal Integration TI-RV104N, with copper in the center surrounded by aluminum, is a hint of what you can expect when computers make the switch to socket 775 - only the heatsink will be about 80mm in diameter. With a diameter that large, it leads me to wonder if plans aren't also in the works to come out with a Socket 754 Athlon64 version based on the TI-RV104N. In any case, it is too early for that so let's get started and see how the Thermal Integration TI-RV104N performs thermally, and acoustically!
Read the full review hereNexus NXP-201-SP Fan Controller
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Controlled Insanity have been looking at a 4 channel fan controller to keep you in control so you can choose when you want coolness or quietness:
Ok, so you want to get the best air cooling you can find for when you overclick, yet still leave your ear drums intact when your not. Solution? Simple, you go and get yourself a fan controller. Vantec has a history of delivering stylish and quality products, and they haven't skipped a beat with the NXP-201-ST 4 Channel Fan Controller. Let's take a look at the one that Mountainmods sent our way
Read the full review hereArctic-Cooling Super Silent 4Pro L HSF
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Legit Reviews have looked at Arctic-Coolers 4Pro L for the Pentium 4 range:
The Arctic-Cooler 4Pro L is an inexpensive alternative for the budget case-modder. The 4Pro L cools a little better than the retail HSF unit by a few degrees. This is largely due to the fact that the 4Pro L has more fins on the heatsink than the retail stock HSF unit...
Read the full review hereSiS 655FX Chipset Review
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
ASE Labs have reviewed SiS Dual Channel Pentium 4 motherboard:
SiS makes some great chipsets. The 655FX is the first dual channel SiS chipset for the Pentium 4 platform. It targets the Springdale market, and it does it well. It is even faster than the Springdale! Read on...
Read the full review hereKingwin Thermal Center TC-02BK Review
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Overclockers Club have been looking at Kingwins Thermal Center to keep an eye on those temps for you:
We've seen our fair share of thermal monitors in the past, and one thing is for sure, no two have been exactly the same. Today, we'll be taking a look at another thermal monitor, the Kingwin Thermal Center. With three thermal probes and three fan speed monitors, the Kingwin Thermal Center doesn't appear to be the most sophisticated thermal monitor out there, but it does have one unique quality, it automatically adjusts fan speeds based on temperatures recorded from the associated thermal probe.
Read the full review hereGeForce FX 5500 Review
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
nVIDIA have added another number to their FX range, the GeForce FX 5500. Guru3D takes a look at the new card to see what it has to offer:
Gaming wise, what you can expect from the card is that you'll be able to play most older games perfectly fine. Even quite a few of the newer games will have no big problems with this card under two condition. The first; you need to stay at 1024x768 maximum and secondly you do not enable Antialiasing features as the card simply does not have enough processing power. It's not at all bad though.
Read the full review herenVHardPage updated v1.95.1b
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Guru3D's handy nVHardPage tweaker has been updated towards nVHardPage version 1.95.1b multilanguage and serves on en/disabling hidden features in nVidia control panel, tweaking nVidia Direct3D and OpenGL settings and overclocking your nVidia graphic card.
Whats new in v1.95.1b
- added override function for detection 2D/3D overclocking mode
- added override control for pixel shader, vertex shader, multitexturing, antialiasing & anisotropic filtering
- added support for new ForceWare drivers rel.55
- added force mipmaps control for Direct3D
- added application profile page control
- updated Performance monitor option
- integrated skin selection into main program
- improved Spanish translation
- fixed few bugs in user interface
- some others small fixes and changes
VIA EPIA ME6000 Mini-ITX Motherboard Review
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Tweaknews have been looking at VIAs EPIA ME6000 motherboard for the VIA C3 processor
I am quite happy with the Epia ME6000. Certainly, there are a couple things that I would have liked to see done differently. The ability to handle faster DDR would have been nice, not to mention the availability of more USB headers on the motherboard. And were it possible, an AGP slot would propel this motherboard much further for HTPC users. Lastly, the file transfer on this system is quite slow.
However, let's stack that against the boards strong points
low power consumption, fanless for ultra-quiet operation, geared toward HTPCs and multimedia users, 6 channel sound, embedded MPEG-2 decoder, DDR support up, and the list goes on
Shure E3C Earphones
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Design Technica have been listening through Shure E3C Earphones. If youre looking for some headphones for your pc or any sound system, this might be the option for you:
Before you consider buying the E3C, decide what you want to use them for, and what type of music you will be listening to.
If the answer is more bass driven music like drum and bass or trance, you may want to pass on the E3C. If you plan to listen to vocal, rock, or pop, the E3C is an excellent choice. The sound is lively and clear on the upper end and midrange, and slightly lacking in the low range.
Sapphire "The Beast" All-In-Wonder 9800 Pro
March 12, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
ATi have sent another chip to Wonderland, this times its the Radeon 9800Pro. 3DVelocity have looked at Sapphires version of the chipset, which they have called The Beast. Do 3DVelocity think it lives up to its Beastly name (ok sorry!):
Since ATi switched their business model back in 1991 to allow AIB and ODM customers to sell ATi based products, the name SAPPHIRE has become synonymous with quality ATi graphics and motherboards, and it's their All-In-Wonder 9800 Pro, or "The Beast" as they've christened it, that I'm reviewing today. With Hercules' recent announcement that they are pulling out of the graphics card business Sapphire may soon be the only name you'll find when buying All-In-Wonder products in Europe!
Read the full review hereATI Catalyst Drivers v4.3 WHQL
March 11, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
And here they come again! A new set of WHQL Catalyst drivers from ATI. These new Catalyst drivers are up to version 4.3, and are Approved to be used with 3DMark03 Build 340. Here's a small list of what's new and improved:
Performance improvements include
- The Pixel Shader performance of our DX9-class products has improved considerably with Catalyst 4.3.
- Halo and Tomb Raider framerates are up 3-7%.
- Shader-specific technology tests such as ShaderMark show gains in the region of 10-20% or more.
- 3DMark03's Mother Nature scene runs 2-5% faster across the entire DX9 product line. Our 3DMark03 Pixel Shader 2.0 framerate improves 7-15%.
- Aquamark 3 performance has also improved slightly, at higher resolutions.
- ATI CATALYST Windows XP 4.3 - Driver Download
- ATI CATALYST Windows 2000 4.3 - Driver Download
- ATI CATALYST Windows ME 4.3 - Driver Download
Update: ATI has also released a new set of Linux drivers, version 3.7.6. Click here to download and here for the release notes.
Digital Extremes Q&A
March 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Beyond Unreal has caught up with Digital Extremes' Dave Ewing for a quick chat regarding everything from Unreal Tournament to Brainbox Games. Here's some lovin':
BU: Looking back, what (if any) kinds of things would you have changed about UT2003?
DE: A lot of the stuff that I would have changed about UT2003 have pretty much been taken care of in UT2004. With the addition of vehicles and the return of Assault along with the new Onslaught gametype, UT2004 is really hitting the mark. The Bombing Run maps included with UT2003 and the ability to 'pass to yourself' were detrimental to the success of the new gametype, I think. The new tweaks of making the bomb track better while passing and of draining the translocator charge really enourage passing a lot more then the UT2003 version of Bombing Run. Even a bit of coordination between teammates is well rewarded now. The 'one man army' aspect of throwing the bomb and translocating behind to pick it up again in UT2003 Bombing Run took too much away from the original intent of the gametype. Also in UT2004, we've tried to address some of the issues that plagued the UT2003 maps. Play areas are more spacious and easier to manouver in--visuals are not as cluttered which makes the other players more visible. UT2004 maps on the whole are more comfortable and fun to play in.
Battlefield: Vietnam Preview
March 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Computer and Video Games.com has thrown together a preview on Digital Illusions' upcoming first person shooter, Battlefield: Vietnam. Here's a clipping:
rly been given to the politics of spawn-points. As per usual, your presence in and around the capture points on the map will result in your flag being raised and spawning a-go-go. Only this time round, you'll see exactly how long it'll take to capture. The more team-mates you have around you, the faster the process will be. Vietnamese engineers will also have the ability to dig out bolt-holes that'll act as camouflaged spawning sites, while the US have boats that can be moved around the more watery levels for better spawn locations.
Far Cry Preview
March 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Ferrago for sending word that they have slapped up a preview on Crytek's upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. Here's some juice:
Far Cry's story involves mercenaries, secret islands, mysterious experiments, a damsel in distress and you. I don't know how the game starts-off as the first cut-scene was missing, but the action begins with you having to escape from an underground bunker. This first level gradually teaches you the very simple controls, but thankfully, it doesn't lead you by the hand and if you know what you are doing you can just pile through the corridors and start fighting as soon as you get your first gun. Once I broke out of the bunker I was presented with the splendour that is Far Cry's outdoor scenes. The whole island chain is there for you to see, just egging you on to come and have an a explore. And while I was often free to choose my route along the beaches and through the jungle it's hard to get totally lost as you are gently shepherded in the right direction, either by impassable terrain or the threat of being detected by enemy helicopters. Oh, and the blue flashing indicator on the radar offers some clues as well. You don't want to be out in the open when one of these spots your intrusion, as they will hunt you down ruthlessly. Choppers can also spot you for other enemy soldiers, so your chances of survival greatly diminish if you let one of these sniper carrying engines of death get a bead on you.
UT 2004 Screenies
March 11, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has posted some info and a bunch of screenshots from the Assault and Onslaught maps in Epic Games' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004. Click here for the goods!
New Tribes: Vengeance Shots
March 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has slapped up some new screenshots from Irrational Games' upcoming first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. You can check these puppies out by tapping your mouse on the eyecandy below!
Pariah Announced
March 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at Digital Extremes have announced the development of a new first person shooter, entitled Pariah. Here's a clipping from the press release:
TORONTO March 9, 2004 Top independent game development studio, Digital Extremes and global interactive game publisher, Groove Games today announced their partnership on a new first-person action game based on an original intellectual property created and owned by Digital Extremes. Best known for creating the multi-million unit selling Unreal® franchise, Digital Extremes has set the standard for fine-tuned gameplay and technologically impressive graphics in the first-person action genre. With such award-winning hits as Unreal Tournament and Unreal Championship, Digital Extremes is looking beyond the Unreal universe and is working to raise the bar again. The new game, ominously named Pariah, has been quietly in production for the past two years and is currently planned for the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft and the personal computer.
Also, Voodoo Extreme has kicked up an interview with Digital Extremes' James Schmalz regarding the game. So be sure to check that out as well!
Far Cry Goes Gold!
March 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Ubisoft has posted a press release with word that their upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry, has gone gold and should hit stores on March 23rd. Here's a blurb:
San Francisco - March 09, 2003 - Ubisoft(tm), one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced its highly-anticipated tactical tropical shooter, Far Cry(tm) has gone gold. Far Cry is scheduled to release on March 23, and in anticipation for the Far Cry launch, Ubisoft has commissioned two more action-packed single-player demos to release in March. The Far Cry "Research" demo is currently available online and appears as the featured demo on PC Gamer's April issue demo disc, which hits newsstands on March 16. The third and final demo, entitled "Boat," is a Windows XP demo that will release worldwide on March 15. Far Cry will be available for the PC for a suggested retail price of $39.99.
Men of Valor Screenies
March 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Shack News managed to snage some spiffy new screenshots from 2015's upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor. Hit the image below for a look!
Dragon Empires Interview
March 10, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPGVault has sat down with Codemasters' Peter Tyson for a quick Q&A regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Dragon Empires. Here's a bit on the empires:
Jonric: What most inspired and influenced the empires' respective designs? Why are they associated with different dragons? Why are there five?
Peter Tyson: I'm not entirely sure why there are five; you'd have to ask Piers Anthony. Well, the empires each reflect the 'style' of the dragon they follow. Each dragon has an animalistic appearance - monkey, fish, bird, insect and human - and so we try to evoke their character in the buildings and empire design.
The monkey empire is primitive and the buildings tend to be made of canvas and wood. The bird empire towers above the trees on giant platforms, the insect empire is crowded and hive-like, and the woman empire is majestic.
Western Digital Raptor WD740GD Hard Drive
March 10, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TweakTown have reviewed Western Digital's latest Raptor HDD, the larger 74.8GB Raptor:
Today we are playing host to Western Digital's Raptor WD740GD 74.8GB Hard Drive which includes an impressive list of features such as 10,000 RPM, SATA connectivity and Command Tag Queuing and it is the fastest consumer level Hard Drive we've tested. We compare it against two Seagate 7,200 RPM PATA and SATA drives.
Read the full review hereBelkin Nostromo n50 Speed Pad Game Controller
March 10, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Pimprig have been looking at Belkins game controller, the n50 Speed:
One could write a 30+ page book on how to really tweak out your profiles with the software, so Im going to Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) in this review and just stick to what is used most common, Shift Keys, Single Keys and Macros.
Read the full review hereCoolmax Gemini External HDD Enclosure
March 10, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Extreme Overclocking have been looking at the Gemini External HDD Enclosure. A great way to make any of your PATA Hard Drives into an external USB HDD!:
This is one of those cool products that many people sitting at their computer one day happen to dream up as an interesting product, not realizing that it is already on the market. I'd always thought it would be nice to be able to take my hard drive with me to a lot of places so I'd be able to access all my data, but knew that it was impractical for an internal hard drive. Not anymore, this product makes it extremely simple to take your internal 3.5" hard drive, put it in a strong and attractive housing, and use it with any computer that has a USB interface
Read the full review hereS3 DeltaChrome S8 & S8 Nitro Preview
March 10, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Hot Hardware have looked at S3s DeltraChrome mid-range reference boards:
Like a blast from the past, S3 has re-entered the market recently with the announcement of their new line of DX9 Class Graphics Processors dubbed "DeltaChrome". We've taken two of their mid-range reference boards, the DeltaChrome S8 and DeltaChrome S8 Nitro, for a spin and have performance and image quality metrics for you in a number of gaming scenarios.
This is a "pre-release" showcase of the current state of S3's new DeltaChrome Graphics Processor. Have a look!
City of Heroes Preview
March 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has whipped up a preview on Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's a taste:
After successfully navigating through an area affected by some sort of nefarious contagion, I made my first steps into the Galaxy City section of Paragon City. Here I was to meet with the Back Alley Brawler, one of the city's most renowned heroes. I only reached his thigh. Regardless of my size, he gave me my due respect, helped me learn a new power, and sent me on my way to fight for the good of the city.
Vampire: Bloodlines Preview
March 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at Boomtown have thrown together a preview on Trokia's upcoming RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines. Here's a nugget:
Mercurio points the finger at certain Dennis who is holed up with some pals in a Santa Monica beach house. Its at this point that the various differences between all the different clans of vampires become even more obvious. Dumping Mr Average for a Nosferatu vampire the first approach is all stealthy, which is a good idea really because the Nosferatu are ugly so and sos and quite clearly not human. Creeping past the guard on the beach house gate Boyarsky spots a loose board in the fence and flings it over the side of a cliff so as to not make any noise. Keeping to the shadows he then tip toes around to the back of the house and flicks the main power switch off so that all the lights go out. A goon comes out to see whats going on and suddenly Dennis has got one less friend in the world.
Unreal II XMP Bonus Pack Released
March 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The final version of the Unreal II XMP Community Bonus Pack has been released. Including 10 maps and 7 mutators, you can grab this 100meg bad boy from the following mirrors: Fire it up!
Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow Golden!
March 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has posted word that the PC and Xbox versions of Ubisoft's upcoming stealth title, Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow, have gone gold and should hit stores on March 25th. So keep an eye out for it!
Black and White 2 Preview
March 9, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Ferrago for sending word that they have slapped up a preview on Lionhead Studios' upcoming Strategy/RPG, Black and White 2. Here's some lovin':
B&W2 is an evolutionary game. Survival of the fittest is the order of the day, meaning the weakest elements of the first title have atrophied while the enjoyable features have grown in number and stature. B&W2 has also developed some new abilities to better help it endure this cut-throat age, when interesting ideas on their own are not enough and must be backed up with an underlying structure that is fun to use and explore. So we should never again hear villagers whine and complain that they are hungry when a massive pile of food is beside them, no longer get frustrated by our creature's inability to connect its actions to your punishment or praise, and never again wonder why none of your little men will attack the other little men. The gameworld of Eden has evolved. Supposedly the intention is to make a series of B&W games, with each one mirroring a development in human history. After the passive agrarian style of the first game, the tribes of Eden have discovered metal. They have also learned that you can make sharp pointy things with this new material. This time it's war, and this time everyone is getting involved.
Seasonic SS-400FB PSU Review
March 9, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
CPU lapping the enthusiasts way of getting the maximum heat transfer between the CPU and HSF. It was once a daunting manual task. Controlled Insanity have looked at the Premium Heatsink Lapping Kit to help you out with this daunting task but is it good?:
One of the most important factors in keeping your CPU cool, is the surface of the heatsink used to cool it. If the mating surface of your CPU cooler is dull, scratched, or not perfectly flat, this can have a very adverse effect on your temps. In most cases, CPU coolers are not always perfectly flat and free of imperfections, so you would need to lap it. The great people over at High Speed PC have just sent us over a complete lapping kit, so lets go see exactly how much difference lapping can make.
Read the full review hereAntec SmartPower SL350 PSU
March 9, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Another PSU review today. This one comes from PimpRig, who have looked at Antec SmartPower SL350:
No doubt you noticed the word SmartPower, both in the review title and emblazoned on the box - Antec describes this feature as intelligent fan control. The premise is simple enough, the idea being that fan speed (and therefore cooling power) is increased with temperature, with the advantage that the PSU is quieter in low draw setups
Read the full review hereBeginners Guides: Installing RAID on Desktop PCs
March 9, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
RAID is becoming an industry standard thanks to the technology SATA and a Controller coming as standard. PCstats have written a guide on RAID for desktop pcs, to help you get the most out of your new feature:
Hard disks are mechanical devices with moving parts, and as such will break down eventually, compromising any data stored on them that is not backed up. One technology that was developed to deal with this pair of issues is RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks). The idea is to use multiple hard disks in the same system to provide both increased performance (by dividing up data so multiple disks can process different parts of it at the same time) and increased reliability by writing the same information to multiple disks at once. This technology filtered down to the enthusiast level a while ago, and has become a common feature on many motherboards, as well as an integral part of newer operating systems such as Windows 2000 and XP professional. In this guide, we will explore how the different implementations of RAID technology function, and how you can make your own RAID setup using a hardware RAID controller, or the software RAID function built into Windows XP Professional
Read the full article hereQuiet PSU Roundup
March 9, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
bit-tech have looked at the top 3 Silent PSUs power with punch and silence. Who is the winner though?
"...If looks are your deciding factor and blue lightey-up shiny things float your boat then the Global Win SAF520 is the obvious choice, if you have deep pockets that is! With a street price around £130 the SAF520 is definitely a PSU for enthusiasts. It is the noisiest of the three units here but that is a relative quantity. This PSU is very, very quiet..."
Read the full review hereATI Remote Wonder 2 Multimedia PC Remote Control Review
March 9, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
PCs have gone through its stages of enhancements and only in the recent years has it joined the Entertainment world with FM Radios, Windows XP Media Edition, the list goes on TweakNews have looked at ATis updated remote control for your pc, the Remote Wonder 2:
The many programmable buttons mean that you can configure your remote to your liking. The RWII can take care of all of your entertainment needs, from playing tunes in WinAmp, to watching movies and TV via ATI's MultiMedia Center. The unit is much better designed, sitting comfortably in your hand, and the mouse handling is far, far better than that of the RWI. Lastly, the fact that ATI is planning future support for IR Blasters means that this unit will be able to handle your hardware needs for quite some time
Read the full review hereLaptop Mouse Comparison - Targus vs Microsoft
March 9, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Bjorn3D have been looking at Notebook mice by Targus and Microsoft:
After I recently purchased my Microsoft Notebook Optical Mouse, I realized after searching around on the net that not too many hardware sites had notebook-class mouse comparisons or reviews. After collaborating with my best friend, I convinced him to write up a couple of short reviews comparing his Targus USB Ultra Mini Mouse with my Microsoft Optical Notebook Mouse. Each of these mice cater to a slightly different crowd; the Targus mouse has a much more extreme look and feel to it while the Microsoft mouse seems to take Microsofts tried-and-true mouse technology to a scaled-down level.
Read the full review hereKingwin KT-424-BK-WM Case Review
March 9, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Overclockers Club takes a look at the Kingwin KT-424-BK-WM All Aluminum Case.:
It's been a few months since we've taken a look at a case around here, and it's been even longer since we've seen anything from Kingwin. Today we get to kill two birds with one stone with a review of the Kingwin KT-424-BK-WM Case. The Kingwin KT-424-BK-WM is a black case made from an all aluminum construction. It features a clear acrylic glass window, front media ports, 3x case fans, slide out motherboard tray, and a rather unique anti-shock absorber system for hard drives. Can the KT-424-BK-WM give the Lian Li PC-70 a run for it's money? Read on and find out!
Read the full review hereAcoustiFan
March 9, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Fans are a requirement to keep your pc internals cool. To get decent adequate cooling though, it comes with the noise too. SubZeroTech have been looking at the Acoustifan, is this the adequate cooling and silence all in one?:
There is nothing that I hate more than a noisy computer. My computer case right now has 4 average ball-bearing fans and I can't stand hearing the noise all of them make at night whenever I try to sleep in the same room where my computer is. Then, almost like the angel of sound, the kind folks at AcoustiProducts offered their silent AcoustiFans for us to review and I gladly accepted it with open arms...
Read the full review hereCorsair TwinX 4400 DDR550
March 9, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Do you want to overclock your system, but are limited due to what your memory can do? Hard Extreme have looked at Corsairs DDR550, will this allow you to access that extra overclocking potential?
Whoa, DDR550, is this possible? Intel's Canterwood and Springdale chipsets, released back in April 2003, only support a 200MHz bus speed, but Corsair now has Double Data Rate RAM running at 275MHz, much higher then the stock speed of 200MHz. RAM used to be the limiting factor of a systems performance, but now its the motherboard and the CPUs ability to reach the huge 275 MHz mark. So all in all, The TwinX 1024 4400 550 DDR will definitely make your computer a kick ass machine, and blazing fast.
Read the full review herePlanetSide: Core Combat Review
March 8, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at Jolt.co.uk have whipped up a review on Sony Online's PlanetSide expansion pack, Core Combat. Here's a nugget:
The primary purpose of having access to Core Combat's caverns is to get hold of new modules, weapons, and vehicles. Modules can be carried from the underground caverns and installed in your bases. This will activate various bonuses, such as shields around the entrances. These bonuses can be pretty useful, but boy, you really have to work for them. After going through the long, tedious process of running around the cavern and completing a laborious chore, you get hold of a module. You can't hop in a vehicle whilst carrying a module, however, so you have to run all the way to the warp gate to get to the surface, then run for miles across the landscape to get to a base. All the while you're at risk of getting blown to pieces and having the module nicked by another player (who needn't even own Core Combat), who can identify module positions via the map. Crap.
Thermal Integration TI-A8736N Heatsink Review
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Frostytech have looked at Thermal Integration TI-A8736N Heatsink for the Pentium 4. Is this the HSF that will keep your overclocking desires happy?
Thermal Integration's TI-A8736N heatsink is a heavy little cooler for the Intel Pentium 4 processor. Weighing in at 680grams, this cooler uses a fair amount of thin copper and aluminum plates to form a lean, mean, cooling machine. At least, that's what we're looking for from the TI-A8736N. This type of bolted-together construction is not new in the cooling world, but Thermal Integration have taken a couple different technologies and mashed them into one. For starters, we find the same internal triangular base as that of the Tocools Novasonic-AlCu, and the remainder of the construction is pretty reminiscent of the way Zalman's flower shaped heatsinks are put together.
Read the full review hereABIT KV8-MAX3 Motherboard Review
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Extreme Overclocking have looked at Abits KV8-MAX3 for the Athlon64. Is this the right 64-bit motherboard for you?
ABIT is well known in the enthusiast market for their feature rich and highly overclockable motherboards. With the release of Athlon 64, ABIT designed the KV8-MAX3, which sports a few goodies such as, Guru, Security IDE, OTES (outside thermal exhaust system), and VIA's K8T800 chipset. The mainboard is geared towards the high end enthusiasts who want every bell and whistle available.
Read the full review hereX-bit labs Reviews
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
X-Bit Labs have been busy this weekend with the following reviews:
- New LCD Monitors from Samsung: Roundup of 5 New Models
- VIA VT6212: New USB 2.0 Controller
- Albatron Gigi GeForce FX5700 Ultra Graphics Card
Seasonic SS-400FB PSU Review
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Dans Data have looked at Seasonics SS-400FB:
To sell a PSU these days, you either have to make it dirt cheap, or make it work really well, or dress the thing up like a twenty dollar hooker.
Seasonic's Super Tornado PSUs aren't the cheapest, and they aren't all
shiny and glowy either - so are they good at that volts-and-amps thing?
I think so.
SilverStone Technology SST-SDF01 Fans
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Keeping your pc internals cool is an important factor for both stability and overclockability. Controlled-Insanity have looked at SilverStone Technology SST-SDF01 Fans:
One of the most important factors in having a good, stable pc is good airflow and case ventilation. Without good air circulation, your pc's case temperatures can rise substantially, causing your cpu temperatures to also rise. If they rise too high, this can cause lockups, and system instability. Silverstone is making a nice effort to help with your temperatures, in designing some new 80mm case fans, and they were nice enough to send us over a pair to review, so lets check them out!
Read the full review hereNokia Bluetooth Digital Pen Review
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Hardwarezoom have looked at a rather interesting device from Nokia, the Bluetooth Digital Pen:
Slogan, sketch, or signature - if it's written on digital paper, the Nokia Digital Pen remembers it. When you get back to the desk and put the pen in its stand, your thoughts are transferred to your compatible PC in an instant. And since it all works digitally, you can add colors and sketches to your notes for a look that's even richer and more alive on screen than on paper.
Read the full review hereLogitech MX900 Bluetooth Wireless Optical Mouse Review
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Mice have gone through a few technological enhancements over the years, recently receiving a Bluetooth upgrade. Tweaknews have looked at Logitechs latest Bluetooth mouse, the MX900:
I am very impressed with this combo. Not only did it perform exceptionally well (both as a gaming and an office mouse), but the Bluetooth integration via the hub makes this a multi-functional device worthy of its price tag.
The MX700 made a name for itself as the best mouse available in its price range, and it still maintains that title. However, for those wanting more from their mouse, the MX900 is a clear winner. For those looking to consolidate other Bluetooth devices via a hub, the MX900 is a fantastic option. The software bundle is very user-friendly, yet offers powerful configurations to make your life easier.
Actiontec 802.11G WAP/PC Review
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Networking without all the wires, a nice and tidy way of doing things! With that in mind, Gideontech have looked at the 802.11G WAP and PC Card from Actiontec:
Overall, the Wireless Access Point (after properly connecting it to the network) performed quite well, accepting connections from both 802.11g and 802.11b standards. It definitely helped bridging the signal that was needed in the room that seemed remotely far away from the router. The only time that the signal (slightly) weakened was when I was surfing in the kitchen with the microwave running..
Read the full review hereArctic Cooling VGA Silencer Review
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
You want to overclock your graphics card, but your default cooler isnt up to the job? Overclockers Club have looked at the newer revision (rev 2) of the VGA Silencer. Is it the cooling you have been looking for?:
Today we will be looking at the arctic-cooling VGA silencer REV .2. The second revision brings along more compatibility for ATI cards. With a redesigned base the VGA silencer is now compatible with ATIs AIW series. Todays modern video cards dissipate a lot of heat, and if youre a overclocker the stock cooler on some of todays video cards are lacking in the cooling department. The VGA silencer takes some of its design cues from the outside exhaust systems of the FX 5800, 5950. this is a great feature and the only aftermarket cooler on the market with this option for ATI cards. Let's take a closer look!
Read the full review hereTechnology To Watch In 2004
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Design Technica have got their crystal ball out to see what we should keep our eye on in the upcoming months of 2004:
We live in an age of great technological change and innovation. While it can be confusing and at times scary, these changes are often a good thing.
The staff of Designtechnica lives technology. When we're not testing the latest gadgets, computer hardware or audio equipment, we're working tech day jobs such as software engineers, MIS managers and microprocessor engineers at organizations such as Intel, RealNetworks, Microsoft, and NASA.
With that in mind, we polled the Designtechnica staff to see what they thought would be the big tech stories of this year. With 2004 well underway, we're starting to see some new trends and ideas that really look like they will be in the forefront of technology this year.
Flexiglow FxGame Pad
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Voided Warranty have been looking at a rather interesting mouse mat from Flexiglow, the FX Game Pad:
Flexiglow needs no introduction, they have been supplying modder's around the world with quality lighting for quite some time now. The FxGame Pad comes standard with 7 Colors options in one pad.
Read the full review herePlextor PX-708UF 8x DVD Burner Review
March 7, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
ClubOC have reviewed Plextors latest external Firewire/USB DVD Burner:
DVD burners have become so common in the past year that prices are actually appealing. Now when you're ready to upgrade that CD Burner, you really need to consider going with a DVD burner instead. After all, the price is right and they do everything that your old CD Burner once did, and more! Plextor, the undisputed leader in burner technology, just sent over one of their latest DVD burners that is build to please; the PX-708UF. This bad boy represents all the latest in burning technology. 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 4X DVD-R, 2X DVD-RW, 12X DVD-ROM, 40X CD-R, 24X CD-RW, and 40X CD-ROM. As you can see, the PX-708UF does it all...and it's portable!
Read the full review hereFar Cry Research Demo Released
March 7, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Crytek Studios has released a second demo from their upcoming first person shooter, Far Cry. Entitled "Research", you can grab this 519meg bad boy from the following mirrors: Now get downloadin'!
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Dev Diary
March 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has thrown up a developer diary written by GSC GameWorld's Anton Bolshakov regarding the physics in their upcoming first person shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. Here's some juice:
We feel that our powerful physics engine allows for not only realism, but also tactical opportunities in combat or reconnaissance missions. For instance, you might be exploring an area where light is poor, panic on seeing a sudden movement in the distance, and open fire. When inspecting the fallen victim, you may discover that it wasn't a monster, but another stalker--perhaps one that belonged to a rival gang that could turn against you as a result. You may wish to try to drag the body out of sight to avoid detection.
PlanetSide Interview
March 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at the Action Vault this evening is an interview with Sony Online's Victor Wachter regarding their massively multiplayer online first person shooter, PlanetSide. Here's a bit on the community:
Action Vault: Are community leaders still emerging and fansites appearing? Have there been other changes since launch that you'd consider significant?
Victor Wachter: The PlanetSide community still continues to generate community leaders, filling a variety of niches. There are the in-game leaders - those who have established themselves as critical parts of the gameplay each day, by directing the battles of each PlanetSide Empire. We have good relationships with the general news fansites, which have been maintaining and even increasing their involvement and commitment to the game. We also have a fantastic creative community, making videos and other content to document and comment on PlanetSide's gameplay. Those are the sites that we continue to see popping up on the most frequent basis.
Going back to the in-game leaders, I think this was the most significant growth that we have seen. Leadership in PlanetSide is earned through gameplay. And so, we are very pleased to see the community come together under certain leaders for each of their respective sides. Now that consistent in-game community leadership has become established, the armies have become virtual nations, each advancing into battle for a more common cause than they would if we hadn't provided the ability for some players to earn their positions through gameplay.
Breed Screenies
March 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Action Vault has slapped up a new batch of screenshots from Brat Designs' upcoming first person shooter, Breed. Hit the thumbnail below for a peak!
New Hitman: Contracts Trailer
March 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The peeps over at Io Interactive have released a new 3.9meg trailer from their upcoming action title, Hitman: Contracts. Entitled "The Psychology of the Assassin", you can grab this puppy right here!
Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich Dev Diary
March 6, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
PC.IGN has fired-up a developer diary written by Irrational Games' Jonathan Chey regarding the story in their upcoming RPG, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich. Here's a taste:
It all starts with the story, or at least the skeleton of the story. This was a one page summary of the main plot. It didn't tell us everything that happened in each mission or even in the game. It didn't tell us what characters there were or what the minor ups and downs were. What it did tell us was what the story was about: an evil alien race plots to take over the world by bombarding it with energy X, supervillains and superheroes will arise and big fights will ensue. Interestingly, in this first draft of the story the "big bad guy" (Timemaster) of the final game wasn't even featured -- he got added during the development process. That just goes to show how rough this version of the story is. And, more importantly, it's still just a story -- we have little or no idea exactly how we are going to tell it.
Battlefield: Vietnam Interview
March 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The Fragzone has sat down with Digital Illusions' AJ Marini for a quick chat regarding their upcoming action title, Battlefield: Vietnam. Here's something to chew on:
FZ: Can you give any examples of battlefields we're going to see?
AJ Marini: Looking at Vietnam, everyones like jungles, jungles, jungles. We learned very quickly that very little happened in the jungles. At the same time, we had people saying that we dont want just jungles, we want tank battles, we want this and we want that. In the research theyre there, there are aerial battles, battles over valleys and battles in the cities. In our fourteen maps, there is a wide variety of player experiences. We have Operation Flaming Dart which is primarily an air battle over the ocean, but that also has a ground component to it. We have the Ho Chi Minh Trail which is in really dense, dense jungle. And then we have City of Huey, with city battles. But each one has a different flavour to it.
Doom III Q&A
March 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at GamePro has slapped up an interview with a couple of the guys behind id Sofware's upcoming first person shooter, Doom III. They look at Doom 3 vs Halo 2, working on the title and more! Click here for the goods.
World of WarCraft Screenies
March 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Blizzard Entertainment has released some new screenshots from their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, World of WarCraft. Hit the eyecandy below for a look!
Unreal Tournament 2004 Golden!
March 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
According to this press release, Epic Games' upcoming first person shooter, Unreal Tournament 2004, has gone gold and should hit stores on Marth 15th. so keep an eye out for it! uNF:
LOS ANGELES March 4, 2004 Atari and Epic Games are pleased to announce that development is complete on Unreal® Tournament 2004, the highly anticipated follow-up to last years smash Unreal Tournament 2003 and the third installment in the mega-selling Unreal Tournament franchise. The game is expected to be available at retail stores worldwide on March 15.
Get ready, PC gamers, because the biggest thing to ever hit multiplayer gaming is about to land on your hard drives!, said Peter Wyse, executive producer at Atari. The granddaddy of all multiplayer competition is back and better than ever! The extra time was worth the wait Epic has produced the biggest, baddest, and most exciting multiplayer title ever to grace the PC.
Vampire: Bloodlines Q&A
March 5, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has Trokia Games' Leonard Boyarsky in the hot seat this evening, answering questions regarding their upcoming Source engine powered - RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. They cover everything from abilities to quests. Snip:
HomeLAN - What kinds of abilities will players have in the game?
Leonard Boyarsky - The abilities in Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines depend on which clan a player chooses, as every clan has a distinctive combination of three Vampiric powers known as Disciplines. Some of these Disciplines are: Celerity (Super Speed), Potence (Super Strength), Obfuscate (Ability to blend into the shadows making the PC virtually invisible), Dementate (Ability to drive NPCs crazy), Dominate (Ability to make NPCs do your bidding), as well as several others.
Along with the Disciplines, players can use Blood Buffs to increase Strength, Dexterity and/or Stamina temporarily by spending blood points. This is great for those instances when you want to pick something up thats to heavy for you, or pick a lock that is beyond your intrusion feat just pump some blood into strength or dexterity and you are temporarily able to pick up that object or bypass that lock.
Invensys Powerware 5125 1000VA UPS Review
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Ever had a power cut and lost all your hard work? A UPS is the answer to supply you that crucial time to save anything you need to. PC Stats have looked at the Invensys Powerware 5125 1000VA UPS which will give you that crucial time:
In August of 2003 a massive power blackout hit Canada and the US, plunging 50 million people into darkness for nearly two days. During the first few seconds of that blackout, countless computers went silent, causing untold data loss. For most people, the power failure simply resulted in a 'data integrity check' by the operating system the next time their PC booted up. For others, the blackout may have caused the loss of an unsaved document, or in the worst case, total file corruption. The Powerware 5125 is a Line-Interactive 1000VA UPS, and with additional Electronic Battery Modules (EBMs) can increase its overall power capacity to 2200VA or thereabouts should your future requirements increase. The UPS features Powerware's own advanced battery management console, "buck and double boost" regulation to deliver constant voltage, hot swapable batteries, the ability to power up the UPS without utility power, sequential shut down and load management, network transient protecto! r (surge protection), and the very handy X-slot communications port
Read the full review hereSilverStone Temjin SST-TJ01 Case
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Another case review tonight, but this time from bjorn3D, who have looked at SilverStone Temjin SST-TJ01:
Cases these days range from your plain-Jane beige enclosures to flashing and glowing aluminum monstrosities. Silverstone has taken into consideration the opinions of a wide range of customers and has created the SST-TJ01, hailing from their Temjin series. A nice blend of quality components, spotless paint and an aluminum front make the SST-TJ01 a great case for someone wanting that 21st century look without spending much more than they would for any other case.
Read the full review to see if its the style for you hereNVIDIA nForce 3 Launch
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
bit-tech have been looking at nVIDIAs brand new nForce3 250 for the Athlon 64:
The nForce3 MCP is set to be released in six variants; the nForce3 Go120, Go150, 150, 250, 250Gb and 150 Pro to make life easier, this First Look will focus on the 250 and 250Gb, as these were the main focus of the press briefing...
Read the full article to see if it will confirm all your hopes hereSea Sonic Super Tornado 350
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
3DVelocity have reviewed Sea Sonics Super Tornado 350 Watt power supply. Will it supply the juice your system is begging for?:
Don't worry, I'm not going to start preaching again about how important a good, solid, high quality power supply is to your whole computing experience, I think that point is one that's already well made. No, this time we're going at it from a slightly different angle. This time it's as much about cooling efficiency and noise levels as it is about overall quality, though ultimately a low noise and cool running PSU is still junk if the output stinks.
Read the full article herePentium 4 Core Temperatures Examined
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Legit Reviews have looked at the Northwood and Prescott temperatures to show you the REAL difference:
After posting our recent Prescott Overclocking article the sharp eyes of many review sites, online retailers, and enthusiasts noted some large temperature differences between our articles. After using identical settings for testing we found that the results are not only surprising, but they also point out an issue that needs to be better understood by enthusiasts...
Read the full article hereBeantech BT84 Review
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Do you have a PC with flashes and colours you want to show off to everyone? SubZeroTech have reviewed the Beantech BT84 Acrylic Case which might just be for you:
Computer Modders and LAN party junkies have always wanted
their case to stand out. Be it something neon, something shiny, or
something smooth and polished, the industry has adapted its products to
meet the demands of the stylish user who couldn't stand a putty-colored box on their desk. So, over time, the bells and whistles become more
intricate. Windows were cut into cases, and then more modding options
came onto the market, from neon lights to braided steel cables and
multi-colored motherboards, every internal part got a cosmetic makeover.
Since internals have become so refined, so visually appetizing, there
seems no reason to hide them at all. Now, Beantech has taken the next
logical step in the cycle, a completely transparent, solid acrylic case to show off those fancy innards. It sounds like a great idea, and the
BT8 line pays good dividends on your dearly invested hopes.
TerraTec Mystify 9600 XT review
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Dark-Tweaker have reviewed TerraTec Mystify 9600 XT. This site is Austrian, so please use your preferred translators to read the review which can be found here
Silverstone SST-SDP01 6 in 1 Portable Card Reader
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Becoming available in nearly every electronic kit you buy now is a memory card of some sort that you can plug into your pc with the right connections. Controlled Insanity have reviewed Silverstones SST-SDP01 card reader which should supply you with all the connections you need!
In this day and age, there are so many different types of memory cards available for use with the newest periphials that they are hard to keep track of. Wouldn't it make sence to have a card reader, that could read all of the most popular ones all in 1 device? Well, Silverstone has developed a solution to your memory reading problems with the SST-SDP01 6 in 1 Card Reader, and the great people over at Sharka Corp were nice enough to send us one to take a look at, so lets get started!"
Read the full review here*World's First Review* ATI All in Wonder Radeon 9200
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The Radeon 9200 has entered Wonderland! Tweak News have been the first to look at the new ATi All in Wonder Radeon 9200:
With the successful release of the newest member of the ATI Radeon family, all consumer areas have been covered with a version of the All in Wonder that will fit their budget. As you can see through the benchmarking, this card is not a huge performer while 3D gaming, but, it's not meant to be. But what realistically can you expect from a complete multimedia card that has a tiny pricetag of US$149.
If you a very occasional gamer that want acceptable 3D performance, but still wants all the great features associated with an All in Wonder videocard, you will not find a videocard that will give you a bigger bang for the buck than this card. Hell, even the bundled software is worth more than US$150 bucks"
Audigy 2 ZS review
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
The Audigy 2 series has had another member recently added to its family. Guru3D have looked at Creatives latest Audigy 2 installment, the Audigy 2 ZS:
When Creative unleashed the original Audigy series, we were left somewhat unimpressed and slightly agitated. The exclusion of 24 bit/96kHz recording, questionable marketing tactics, and mediocre sound left its utility somewhere south of great. Creative quickly released the Audigy2, a much improved product that offered full 24 bit/96kHz playback and recording, as well as throwing in 6.1 channels, EAX 3.0, AdvancedHD, DVD-Audio, and as a bonus, great sound. The Audig2 still had room for improvement, especially with stiffening competition from sound cards based on VIA's most excellent Envy24.."
Read the full review hereSocket 478 Motherboard Grouptest
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
bit-tech have looked at 6 socket-478 motherboards for the Pentium 4:
The clear winner of this group test has to be the DFI LanParty 865PE with its shockingly low price tag for such a complete package. The Gigabyte GA-8I875 deserves a mention as the best motherboard on test but it's cost might not be within everyones budget..."
Read the full article hereASUS K8V Deluxe Motherboard Review
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Sharky Extreme have reviewed ASUS K8V Deluxe motherboard for the Athlon 64:
AMD64 platforms offer high-end performance in both the 32-bit and 64-bit areas, with the Athlon 64 providing a mainstream alternative to the enthusiast-level Athlon 64 FX-51, and allowing a more economical option for interested buyers. The platform selection is the real question, and for Socket 754 Athlon 64-based systems, the VIA K8T800 has emerged as the overall performance champ. These high-end K8T800 motherboards offer an incredible combination of top performance and very attractive prices, and this area has experienced significant growth over the past few months. Today we're taking a look at one of the most popular K8T800 motherboards, the ASUS K8V Deluxe, and putting it through the standard usage, design and performance tests.
Read the full review hereThermal Integration TI-RV108N Pentium 4 Heatsink Review
March 5, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
FrostyTech have reviewed the Thermal Integration TI-RV108N for the Pentium 4. Will it cool your P4 to your satisfaction?:
If you're looking for a bit of insight into the cooling world, pay close attention to this type of heatsink from Thermal Integration. The TI-RV108N is blessed with an "X-form" vertical extrusion and copper core design that instantly puts it spades ahead of the competition. The reason is simple, the cool exhaust air from the 4000RPM fan exits the heatsink directly at the processor, adding a further layer of cooling which is more than just inconsequential. Take into consideration the 28mm diameter copper slug at the very center of the Thermal Integration TI-RV108N, and you have all the ingredients necessary for one very capable socket 478 heatsink. Now let's find out what the thermal tests have to say!
Read the full review hereAmerican McGee Q&A
March 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at PC.IGN this evening is an interview with American McGee regarding Enlight Studios and his work on an upcoming action title. Here's a blurb:
IGNPC: Now, Trevor isn't known for action games. He's mostly worked on trade simulations and things like that. They're fun but they're a far cry from what you've done. Is there a conscious decision to bring the two styles together? The hardcore management gaming with fantastic level design and shooter mechanics?
American McGee: Absolutely. Trevor's abilities are amazing when it comes to the types of games he does. I look at those sorts of games and scratch my head. I don't want to go anywhere near working on them or conceiving them. It works the other way around as well. The ideas that we can bring to what the other is doing, we already find a tremendous value in shared knowledge of different types of game genres and in terms of things like interface design, simplicity of use, level of detail in the world and so. There's been a lot of really neat cross-pollenization already.
Tribes: Vengeance Dev Diary
March 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Another developer diary has popped up over at PC.IGN, with Irrational Games' Glenn Fiedler talking about their upcoming first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. Here's some juice:
For any normal first person game, implementing the system for how characters move around in the level is reasonably easy. The character can run, and jump around the level, and that's about it. Tribes however, is completely different. Why? Because the player has unprecedented freedom of movement: they can run over steep mountainous terrain as well as indoors, slide down steep slopes, walk on any object in the world, engage the jetpack strapped to their back to fly around, and use a technique called "skiing" which allows skilled players to move around a level at great speed.
City of Heroes Dev Diary
March 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The RPG Vault has slapped up a developer diary written by Cryptic Studios' Michael Lewis regarding their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. Here's a taste:
We've had plenty of time to test the introductory experience. Most of our beta testers have done it many, many times. It doesn't take long for a gamer to decide if they understand and enjoy the game or not. But of course, the vast majority haven't had more than 30 days of play, so how do we evaluate the second criterion? Well, lacking a crystal ball, we've decided to address the issue with a plan - gameplay, community, and scheduled updates. If the game is fun, and the action evolves as your character evolves, then there's no reason not to keep playing. With this in mind, we've varied the locations, villains, villain tactics, team tactics and even your character's own power and gameplay options as you advance through the game. Community is an essential part of any multiplayer game - it's really the whole point to a multiplayer persistent world. If a player can find a group of friends to adventure with, they'll enjoy their stay in Paragon City all the more. And lastly, to whet players' appetites for a constantly improving and continually fresh game, we'll keep them informed about the new systems, content and features coming online in the months ahead.
Warren Spector Interview
March 4, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has caught up with Ion Storm's Warren Spector for a quick chat regarding everything from Thief: Deadly Shadows to Deus Ex. Here's a clipping:
GameSpy: The other big thing with Ion Storm has been freedom, obviously. Freedom to play the game the way you want. But you've also remarked that Thief is a little more tightly controlled experience, gameplay-wise. Is it difficult to balance, and how do you like the idea of control versus freedom?
Spector: Thief is a little more controlled in the sense that it's about one thing. It's about sneaking and stealth. There's still a lot of freedom. The simulation is so deep and so rich, even in the earlier Thief games, that it really was the thing that got us started on Deus Ex and thinking about that stuff.
I really like the fact that the A.I. can be tuned more precisely. The Deus Ex challenge is so over the top. People expect us to be the best shooter, and the best sneaker, and the best role-playing game, and I suppose if you spent infinite money and infinite time you could get really close. Just being able to make a game where it's just about sneaking -- boy, it's pretty pleasant. Obviously the stakes are a little higher in a sense because we have to make the best stealth game around. But having a clear target to shoot for is kind of nice for a change.
PCMark2002 Discontinued
March 3, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Today on the 3rd of March 2004, we have discontined our benchmark PCMark2002. That means that there will no longer be any support available for the benchmark, nor will there be any updates for it. The PCMark2002 ORB functionalities will continue to work for a period of time, but will eventually be disabled. We strongly advice to download PCMark04 for more up-to-date full system benchmarking.
If you have just purchased PCMark2002 Pro, you should be contacted via email. If not, please contact sales@futuremark.com for further information.
Battle for Middle-Earth Dev Diary
March 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has posted a developer diary written by Electronic Arts' Mark Skaggs regarding their upcoming strategy title, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth. Here's some juice:
One of the things we're really focusing on is capturing the essence of Middle-Earth and making it feel like a living, breathing place. The Battle for Middle-Earth features legendary heroes, exotic creatures, and beautiful locales--all things you'd expect from reading the books and watching the films. Because of this, we have a chance to do a strategy game like no one's ever seen before. In The Battle for Middle-Earth, you may encounter an ent (the gigantic walking trees of Middle-Earth) strolling through the forest. Orcs may attempt to attack the ent, and the ent may decide to retaliate in its own uniquely slow but powerful way. Or perhaps you'll be defending a city in Gondor from a mumakil. What makes The Battle for Middle-Earth stand out isn't just the chance to experience all the creatures and locations of Middle-Earth but to see them interacting with and reacting to one another in a believable way.
Tribes: Vengeance Q&A
March 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The guys over at Warcry have shot-up an interview with a couple of the guys behind Irrational Games' upcoming first person shooter, Tribes: Vengeance. Here's a bit on the storyline:
Warcry: The Tribes series is known primarily for its multiplayer. Yet Vengeance is going to have a single player storyline. What can you tell us about the storyline?
Ed: The setting for Tribes: Vengeance is the far future, where humanity has a fragmented Empire that spans many multiple solar systems. The story follows the lives of a mother and daughter, both heirs to the Imperial throne, both caught up in the conflict between the Empire and the opposing Tribes of humanity it has spawned.
The two characters embody two storylines that are separated by around 20 years, the mother in the games past and the daughter in the present. By doing this, we get to show the choices the mother makes in the past, and then see the repercussions on the daughters life (and the rest of humanity) in the present.
The Movies Preview
March 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Thanks to Ferrago for sending word that they have slapped up a preview on Lionhead Studios' upcoming sim title, The Movies. Here's a nugget:
On top of all this free-form Sims-esque action, The Movies will also offer a degree of structure, if required by the player (a Story mode, versus the Sandbox mode), and as such "Different characters [will] approach you, offering you challenges, such as a mobster asking you to cast his (talentless) wife in a movie. If you accept, he may repay you with having a word with the taxman and getting you off paying tax for a year, in return for suffering the terrible acting abilities of his girl. If you don't accept his offer, he won't be happy and may never approach you again."
Men of Valor Screenies
March 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Also over at HomeLAN this evening are some new screenshots from 2015's upcoming first person shooter, Men of Valor. Hit the image below for a look!
Yummy!
Battlefield: Vietnam Preview
March 3, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
HomeLAN has thrown up a preview on Digital Illusions' upcoming Action title, Battlefield: Vietnam. Here's some lovin':
The games graphics are a cut or two above those seen in Battlefield: 1942. Battlefield: Vietnams levels seem more organic and real than a lot of BF: 1942 maps, which as good as they are sometimes looked like you were playing in a big train set than in a real place. Weapon and vehicle models are great looking and even the player models, perhaps the weakest visual part of BF: 1942, have gotten a polygon boost in BF: Vietnam. The game also held a decent frame rate even on high graphics settings, although the actual loading of maps seemed to take longer in BF: Vietnam than in BF: 1942.
Read on!Chaintech ZNF3-150 ZENITH Motherboard
March 3, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Overclockers Club have reviewed Chaintech's nForce3 150 based motherboard:
"Usually when we review a product at OCC, well take one item and put it up against similar products. Today we are going to try something a little different with the Chaintech ZNF3-150 Motherboard review. One reason for this is I wanted to give a real life scenario look at the motherboard. You are probably saying, what the hell is he talking about real life scenario? Most people that I know dont go out and build a whole new computer, instead theyll buy a part here and a part there and upgrade as they have time and/or money. This is the angle we are going to use today in our review of Chaintechs latest motherboard, the ZNF3-150 ZENITH. Is the Athlon 64 setup worth the upgrade? Read on and find out."
You can read the full review here.Bytecc Mobile External Enclosure
March 3, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Got that hard disk that you want in your pc but you have no more bays? Maybe Voided Warranty have just the thing for you:
"If you're like me you probably have an extra hard drive laying around with no place to put it. I had that problem and now I've found a solution in this sweet looking Aluminum External HD enclosure from the folks over at Bytecc. They make all kinds of goodies including Mini Hubs, Keyboards, Cables, Cases, and much more."
You can read the full review here.Jetart JAK802A Socket 754/940 CPU Cooler
March 3, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Seems like CPU Cooler night tonight! This time, Bjorn3D have reviewed the Jetart JAK802A Socket 754/940 CPU Cooler:
"You might have noticed the retaining clips on the JAK802A and wondered, "Where is the locking lever I've seen on other Socket 754 coolers?" Interestingly enough, it's not here. Both sides of the cooler feature a 'triple-buckle' clip, which should secure the cooler adequately. I'd rather see the locking lever style though, especially after the trouble I had installing this thing. After getting one clip in place, I had to push very hard to get the other side down far enough to lock into place. I was thankful for that metal support that's under the socket because I was starting to worry about my board!"
You can read the full review here.Gigabyte 3DCooler-Pro PCU21-VG P4/K7/K8 Heatsink
March 3, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
A multi-platform heatsink from Gigabyte has been reviewed at FrostyTech:
"The Gigabyte 3DCooler-Pro is an an all-in-one aluminum and copper heatsink designed to support all processors currently available. In other words it is a K7/K8/P4 heatsink - supporting the AMD AthlonXP, Athlon64 and Intel Pentium 4 processors. Versatility means some sacrifices are made to accommodate the different thermal requirements, and surface area of each CPU core, but in general Gigabyte pull it together quite well. The draw for consumers is that one heatsink can be used on any platform, and that means the 3DCooler-pro potentially pays for itself in the future by not needing to be upgraded along with other processor specific components. The 3Dcooler-Pro as it's name suggests, exhausts warm air in a 360 degree fashion from the central fan. The blue two-tier squirrel cage fan is integrated 40-odd stacked aluminum fins connected by two "U" shaped heatpipes to the forged copper base complete the 430gram thermal design."
You can read the full review here.Motorola MPx200 Smartphone Review
March 3, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Mobile phone time from DesignTechnica, who have put Motorola's new MPx200 through its paces!:
" If you are looking for a phone with complete PDA capabilities, the MPx200 would not be your first choice. Microsoft's Smartphone OS is a compromise that appeals to those that do not care for full blown PDA features. If you just want to stay connected to your friends and co-workers and manage your contacts and meetings, the MPx200 may be perfect for you.
The Motorola MPx200 is a fantastic phone for business users. It is very stylish, powerful and offers the basic functions business users' desire. We love that you can upgrade the memory on the MPx200 using the memory slot as well as the fact that you get a basic MP3 player and PDA functionality.
In the case of the MPx200, the physical design saves it from dropping down to a 7 rating since the headset problems we encountered could be serious to some users. Overall, although the MPx200 does not offer Bluetooth or a integrated camera, considering its $99 price tag it could quite possibly be the best Smartphone value currently on the market."
Clever Power 400W PSU Review
March 3, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Controlled Insanity have reviewed Clever Power's 400W Power Supply to feed your pc with its voltage needs!:
"With so many power supplies available in todays market, its tough to choose exactly which one is right for you. Major names like Zalman, Enermax, and Powmax are well known throughout the modding world as being the more expensive, but very trustworthy name in power supplies. Another name not heard quite as often, is Clever Power. The Clever Power company strives to offer you a quality product, but with a twist. The twist is the amazing convienience of having a built in powerstrip , and the great folks over at Sharka Corp were nice enough to send us over the 400W version of Clever Power's innovative new powersupply."
You can read the full review here.Connectland CEK-07-610B CPU cooler
March 3, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Dan's Data have reviewed an interestingly new heatsink design for Socket A processors:
"I've seen lots of CPU coolers with one fan, a few with two, but never one
with _three_ until now. The Connectland-branded, Sibak Tech-made
CEK-07-610B (a name to conjure with) has a fan on each of the three sides
of its peculiar heat sink.
Weird looking coolers only have about a 50% success rate. How's this one score?"
Virus Warning! W32.Netsky.D@mm
March 3, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Symantec have released a Security Alert on the recent W32.Netsky.D@mm virus:
Symantec has upgraded the W32.Netsky.D@mm to a Level 4 threat [On a scale of 1-5,
5 being highest].
W32.Netsky.D@mm, a variant of the recent W32.Netsky.C, a mass-mailing worm that uses its own SMTP engine to send itself to e-mail addresses it finds when scanning a hard drive. This may clog mail servers or degrade network performance. The worm attempts to remove registry keys for various worms such as W32.Mydoom.A@mm, W32.Mydoom.B@mm and W32.Mimail.T@mm, attempting to deactivate these threats.
Identifiable Characteristics of email:
(The Subject, Body, and e-mail attachment vary.)
From: (spoofed)
Subject: Re: Your website
Re: Your product
Re: Your letter(there are various different variants)
Body: Your file is attached.
Please read the attached file.
Please have a look at the attached file.
Attachment: your_website.pif
your_product.pif
your_letter.pif
your_archive.pif
With the newly found mass-mailing worm, W32.Netsky.D@mm, Symantec advises customers to protect the network and update the definition file of all the Symantec AntiVirus solutions, using LiveUpdate and Intelligent Updater.
Techbox Article Bonanza!
March 3, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TechBox.org have been very busy and released a few guides from building your pc from scratch, to understanding all those bios beep codes:
- Constructing Your Own PC - Part 1
- Constructing Your Own PC - Part 2
- BIOS Beep Codes and what they mean
- A Definition of Speed
- Revitalise your PC
- Vantec Spectrum Mouse Pad - REGISTRATION REQUIRED TO VIEW
Motherboards.org Stuff
March 2, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
The boys over at Motherboards.org have been very active again and posted 3 new articles. Check these out: So get ya sodapop & snacks and head over for some good reading!
Ubisoft Acquires Wolfpack Studios
March 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
Ubisoft has announced the acquisition of Shadowbane developer, Wolfpack Studios. Here's a clipping from the press release:
Montreal, Canada March 1, 2004 Ubisoft, one of the world's largest videogame publishers, today announced the acquisition of Austin-based Wolfpack Studios, the developer of Shadowbane. The critically acclaimed massively multiplayer online (MMO) game for the PC and Mac platforms and its recently launched expansion pack, Shadowbane: The Rise of Chaos, are operated and supported by Ubisoft's online gaming division, ubi.com, which is among the top five gaming portals in the world.
Also, hit PC.IGN for a quick Q&A with Ubi Soft's Jason Rubinstein regarding the addition of Wolfpack.New Star Wars: KOTOR Patch
March 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
BioWare has released a new patch (v1.03) for their hit RPG, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Fixing a couple bugs, you can grab this 25meg bad boy from the following mirrors:
PlanetSide: Core Combat Review
March 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
The folks over at WorthPlaying.com have fired-up a review on Sony Online's PlanetSide expansion pack, Core Combat. The game walks away with a final score of 8.8/10. uNF:
Traveling between the Core and the surface continents is done through specialized warp structures known as Geowarps, located on six of the ten continents. Within the caverns are an additional two transportation methods called ziplines and transporters. Ziplines act as one-way horizontal and vertical people movers, actually feeling like something from a Disney ride, but increase your movement along them significantly. You can shoot and be shot while on a zipline, so keep alert. Transporters, working in linked pairs, instantly transport players between them, and are the fastest and least dangerous method of travel. Navigating the caves can be tricky, it's easy to get lost even with the overhead maps. I'd also rather the ziplines and transporters weren't there, since they make getting through the caves too fast, and would have preferred a slower pace that would have emphasized squad-to-squad combat. Getting to the Geowarps is a pain since they are frequently out in the sticks.
City of Heroes Preview
March 2, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpot has thrown together a preview on Cryptic Studios' upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, City of Heroes. Here's a taste:
Once your character is created, you'll be able to explore the streets of Paragon City. Here you can get missions from "contacts," who are characters like police officers, detectives, and city officials, that will ask for your help in various ways. For instance, your contacts may ask you to perform such tasks as thwarting a band of evildoers, rescuing a hostage, or simply patrolling the city streets. As you perform more missions for specific contacts, you'll establish a greater rapport with them so that they'll be more accessible (for instance, you'll be able to reach them on their cellular phones without having to run back to them). Consequently, they'll refer you to other contacts for different missions. As your hero gains levels, so will your original contacts. This means that they can assign more-challenging missions to you. In many cases, the obvious rewards for your mission are experience points that can increase your character's level, though you may also recover influence, the game's currency; inspirations, which are one-use items that temporarily boost your abilities; or (even rarer) enhancements, which help you modify your existing powers into a more desirable form.
DFI Lanparty PRO875 "Revision B" Canterwood Motherboard Review
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
DFI seems to have done it again with a new revision of their i875 based motherboard, reviewed at TweakNews.net:
"If any series of motherboards could be crowned as one of the most popular product line introduction in 2003, the Lanparty line would be definitely on the top of the class. With quality, performance, features, an unrivaled bundle coupled with UV reactive aesthetic goodness, the Lanparty motherboard has been a sought after enthusiast motherboard looking for the complete package.
Today I will be reviewing the Revision B release of the Lanparty PRO875 Canterwood enhanced motherboard. With even more features and additions added onto an already solid Revision A release, the PRO875B is not an update to correct problems, but is a release to make a great product even better."
X-Micro WLan 11g Broadband Router
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
TecCentral have gone wireless and reviewed X-Micro's Wireless 11g Router:
"Scarcely 2 months ago we had a WLan already let us rout from the house x-Micro on our test status, which did not einheimste undeservedly many positive voices. However the numerous configuration options secured in problem-free the one of the upper places in the segment of the WLan present at the market rout.
Only that max. Datentransfer of max. 11Mbit, the 11b standard, are for a network somewhat weakly limited and fulfill only the target for applications of InterNet by DSL.
Now x-Micro puts again after and brings its new WLAn routs, which fulfills the new standard 11g and promises a maximum data transfer rate of full 108Mbit."
Breaking into the Intel SFF Market with Shuttle, Soltek and ABIT
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
More barebone bonanza! TweakTown have reviewed 3 Barebone systems designed for the Pentium 4:
"In the first of our looks at the increasingly popular Small Form Factor (SFF) systems, we focus our attention on Intel Pentium 4 based platform systems from Shuttle, Soltek and ABIT."
You can read the full review here.Shuttle Zen XPC (ST62K) Review
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Barebone time! Bit-Tech have reviewed Shuttle's Pentium 4 barebone system:
"Dont let the not-brilliant gaming performance put you off this compact package, it is the only weakness in an otherwise exceptional product. If you want a system that offers an outstanding combination of looks, subtlety, performance and absolute silence look no further (can you say HTPC??!). Make no mistakes, a system that can silence a P4 2.4c to the point of needing a glance at the LED on the front to tell if its on, deserves praise...."
You can read the full review here.Intel P4 East vs West Budget Heatsink Showdown
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Its budget time, and BigBruin have reviewed 2 budget P4 coolers:
"The Speeze LeopardClaw and Evercool CUW8-715 Pentium 4 heatsinks are both decent coolers for the price (under $20 US). Either device will provide an upgrade in cooling performance over the stock Intel heatsink, but the decreased CPU temperatures come with an increased noise level that puts a bit of a damper on the excitement."
You can read this review here.Logitech MX510 Gaming Mouse Review
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Logitech's brand new MX510 Gaming Mouse has been reviewed at PCGamesSource:
"We, at PC Games Source, have posted up our review for Logitech's latest mouse: the MX510 gaming mouse. We're the first site to have a full review for this mouse and it's definately one that any gamer would love to get their hands on. You can check out our extensive review by going to our site and the review is located in the 'Hardware' section."
You can read this review at their Home Page under Archived news (its only a day old!)Arctic Cooling Copper Silent 2L Review
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Its everyone's dream - ultimate cooling without sacrificing your eardrums! 3DVelocity have reviewd the Arctic Cooling Copper Silent 2L which tries to do just that:
"Freed from the constraints of the plastic package, this is a fairly large cooler that utilizes an 80mm fan. In keeping with the Arctic theme, the fan glows blue with LEDs to give the appearance of an ice-cold CPU. It is pretty good looking for those of you with windowed cases assuming the blue lighting goes with your rig."
See if it can live up to the expectations by reading the full review hereHercules Muse Pocket USB Review #2!
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Its an invasion I tell you! The UFO has returned, but this time its from HotHardware:
"Recently Hercules is punching out more new audio devices then you can shake a stick at. This time, they're back with yet another way of getting the groove from your computer to your speakers, the Gamesurround Muse Pocket. Unlike Hercules's last attempt at an external sound machine, their DJ Console, one can not scratch or remix their music with this product. However, with a simple push of a button, one acquires total volumetric control over the output of the sound card or should we say "knob"."
Read the full review hereFIC Radeon 9800 Pro Review
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Theres another Radeon review today, this time its FIC's Radeon 9800Pro from ClubOC.net:
"We already know our FX5900 is an overclocking champion with a 460/915 overclock, but how does it fair against the FIC 9800? Well we have been able to get our previous 128mb 9800 Pro from Crucial up to 441/337, but with a lot of problems overclocking the memory until some ramsinks were added. The odd part is that after talking with a few people, they had said that 2.8ns memory modules such as the ones on our FIC card were typical, but the 400mhz we were able to get out of our card was not. We're not too sure why this is so, but FIC had mentioned that these 9800 Pro's were a new revision, so perhaps Samsung has a better way of producing the memory. Throwing on our Maze 4 GPU block proved to be a good thing since we were able to get a 454mhz max core clock, and 440mhz for everyday use. We used 440/400 for our testing to represent the average you might get on a FIC 9800."
Read the full review hereHercules Gamesurround MUSE Pocket Review
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Bjorn3D have looked at something very interesting from Hercules - it looks like a UFO that fits in your pocket - but theres more than meets the eye in this little gizmo:
"The Pocket is designed to give you Instant audio at your fingertips, whether you are using it at home on your main PC or taking it on that boring road trip for work to use with your laptop. The Pocket is for the audiophile looking to enhance his or her audio experience wherever he or she may be."
Read the full review hereATi Radeon 9600XT Review
March 2, 2004 - Martin "Langaleer" Finbow
Looking for a DX9 card with performance and on a budget? SubZeroTech have reviewed ATi's own 9600XT, maybe this is for you?
"Back in 2000, PC133 memory was still mainstream; the Pentium 4 CPU was about to debut, the NVIDIA Geforce 2 line of cards dominated, and the name ATI brought up either a confused look or a chuckle. Well times have changed in 4 years, and now ATI is a driving force in today's computer market. What has changed exactly? As many of you know, the ATI Radeon 9800XT is considered the best video card on the market. The ATI driver team now produces quality software that utilizes the numerous features. And the once unstable, problematic ATI video cards are now an awesome product."
Read the full review hereGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas Announced
March 1, 2004 - Nicklas Renqvist
Here's something to drool about (again):
ROCKSTAR GAMES ANNOUNCES GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS
New York, NY - March 1, 2004 - Rockstar Games, the world-renowned publishing division of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is pleased to announce Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the next iteration in the globally successful Grand Theft Auto franchise. Developed by world-class designers Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will be available exclusively for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and is expected to be in stores in North America on October 19, 2004 and in Europe on October 22, 2004.
"In the past couple of years, we have put an enormous amount of pressure on ourselves to ensure we do everything possible to exceed people's expectations with Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," stated Sam Houser, President of Rockstar Games. "Even though we still have eight months to go, we are starting to become very proud of what we have achieved and we can't wait to get the game into players' hands."
Leslie Benzies, President of Rockstar North, stated, "We are extremely humbled by the success of the Grand Theft Auto series and it has made us push ourselves further than ever to create a title in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that will hopefully redefine the Grand Theft Auto series and revolutionize open-ended gameplay and video game production values."
Over 30 million units of the Grand Theft Auto franchise have been shipped to date, including over 11.5 million units of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and over 10.5 million units of Grand Theft Auto 3.
Vampire: Bloodlines Preview
March 1, 2004 - Joe "OuTkAsT-1" Topolnisky
GameSpy has thrown up a preview on Troika Games' upcoming Source engine powered - Action/RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, after getting a chance to check it out hands-on. Here's some lovin':.
As he started up the demo and began moving the character around the rundown Santa Monica flat that represents the character's first haven, Boyarsky gave a few examples of how all of these statistics will work together. "Start with your computer skills," Boyarsky said as he moved the character across the room and turned on the laptop PC. "Any character with a reasonable intelligence will be able to fire up a computer a retrieve e-mail." He did this and pulled down an e-mail from LaCroix instructing the character to find a ghoul named Mercurio and pick up a shipment of explosives. "Characters with higher intelligence or higher computer skills will be able to hack PCs in the game to gain access to information they shouldn't have." Another example he used was the firearms skill. While any character can handle a gun, characters with a higher firearms skill will have a steadier hand and a smaller aiming reticle.
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