Aug 1 - 8, 1999
Archive

Saturday - August 7th

  Benwin BW2000 Flat Speakers  2:50 PM EST  - Email Us
Speedy3D has posted a review of Benwin's BW2000 flat panel 3-piece speaker system.  I hear the bass is not the greatest on this system, but it's still ultra cool to have flat speakers and for the price, they aren't too bad.

 

  New CL Banshee/V2 MiniGL  2:45 PM EST  - Email Us
Creative Labs has released a new version of their special MiniGL driver for the Creative Labs Banshee and Voodoo2 cards.  Here is what's new in this release and a link to download:

Mini-GL Driver Version 1.1.2.0028 dated 08/04/99

  3dfx Voodoo3 3500 TV Review  12:02 PM EST  - Email Us
CGO has posted their review of 3dfx's recently released Voodoo3 3500 TV card.  Overall rating? 4.5/5 stars.  Here is what they thought of it:

The bundle for the 3500TV is basically limited to the VisualReality tuner, Video Studio, VDO Phone, and a DVD player. That's right, there are no games or game demos. If you're thinking of buying a Voodoo3 card just for general windows use and game playing, the 3000 is probably a better choice. Most users won't even notice or be able to take advantage of the slightly higher speed of the 3500TV, and the game bundle on the 3000 is better. However, for those interested in TV-tuner or video recording capabilities, the 3500TV is a good choice. It's an economical solution for video capture, and you won't have to sacrifice game-playing speed for it.
  Windows & System Optimization  11:58 AM EST  - Email Us
AbsolutePC has posted an article which tells you how to optimize your Windows based PC.  They have some basic tricks which can significantly speed up and maintain system integrity.  Head over and check it out, you may learn something new.

 

  InWin Q500-300A ATX Full Tower  11:56 AM EST  - Email Us
Ooops, I missed this one.  3DAlpha has also posted a review of InWin's Q500-300A Full Tower ATX case.  I wish they had posted a picture though!

 

  3dfx Drivers For Windows 2000  11:50 AM EST  - Email Us
Are you upset with the 3dfx support in Windows 2000?  Well BetaOS has a page with a bunch of the newest drivers for the entire Voodoo/Banshee series of card for Windows 2000.  There are also a bunch of other Win2k drivers on this page in case some of your other hardware isn't functioning correctly.

 

  Microstar MS-8806 32MB TNT2 Card  11:43 AM EST  - Email Us
Here is a first, the High Performance PC Guide has done a review of MSI's MS-8806 32MB AGPPhantom TNT2 card.  I didn't even know MSI made a TNT2 card until now,  here is a bit from the review:

The default operating frequency settings for this graphic card are a core frequency of 125Mhz and a memory frequency of 150Mhz. However, with the help of the Micro-Star tweaking panel, we were able to push these limits to a core frequency of 159Mhz and a memory frequency of 179Mhz with unconditionally stable operating conditions.
  Diamond Monster Sound MX300  11:40 AM EST  - Email Us
3DAlpha has posted a review of the aging, yet still awesome Diamond Monster Sound MX300 card.  Using the newest drivers, the Vortex2 really kicks ass and because of that, this card got a 95% rating.  I wish they would hurry up and include EAX support!

 

  Soyo SY-7IZB+ Socket-370 Mobo  11:38 AM EST  - Email Us
Hot Hardware has posted a review of Soyo's SY-7I7B+ i440ZX Socket-370 microATX motherboard.  Looks like a very decent Celeron motherboard, head over and check it out.

 

  Athlon/Pentium III Price Comparison  11:12 AM EST  - Email Us
CPUReview has posted a comparison between Pentium III and Athlon prices from the cheapest sources they could find on the net.  They also posted motherboard prices for both platforms as well.  

 

  AVB CC-FBW1 Force Feedback Wheel  11:05 AM EST  - Email Us
The Tech Zone has sent word that they've posted a review of AVB's CC-FBW1 Force Feedback Wheel/Pedal system.  The nice thing about this set is that they have a small gear shifter and nice big sturdy pedals.  They got a 9/10 from the Tech Zone, looks like we have a new contender on our hands!

 

  New ATI Rage 128 Drivers  10:59 AM EST  - Email Us
ATI has released a new set of drivers for cards based on the Rage128 chip. These drivers are optimized for the K6/K7 3DNow!, SSE and Quake 3 Test. Grab them below:

Friday - Aug 6th

  Guillemot Falcon Xentor SE  5:07 PM EST  - Email Us
Guillemot today announced the Falcon Northwest Xentor Special Edition card which will only be available in limited quantities because it's extremely hard to get enough chips to run at a minimum of 195MHz!  Yup, you heard me, 195MHz core speed and 235MHz RAM!!  Here is a bit from the press release:
  • The fastest 3D chip clock to date - NVIDIA's RIVA TNT2™ chipset running at a minimum of 195 MHz core chip speed.
  • The fastest RAM ever used on a graphics card - 32 MB of 4.3-nanosecond video RAM running at a minimum of 235 MHz memory clock.
  • True AGP 4X compatibility - no need to upgrade or modify your settings to take advantage of this innovative feature on upcoming motherboards.
  • Advanced cooling - a custom fan on the core chip and individual heatsinks for every memory chip pair.
  • Smart power management - the cooling fan runs directly off the power supply to allow more processing power for the graphics engine.

Gamespot has already posted a review of this card, which you can find here.  Damn I want this card!!

 

  Sony F400 19" Monitor Review  5:01 PM EST  - Email Us
Tech-Review has posted a review of Sony's F400 19" monitor.   With a .22mm dot pitch and a completely flat screen, this thing is sure to please (and burn a whole in you're wallet too).  On a side note, what the heck is wrong with Tech-Review?  They keep putting way old dates on their reviews!?

 

  VideoLogic Neon 250 Interview  4:58 PM EST  - Email Us
3DSpotlight has posted an interview with David Harold from VideoLogic.  This interview has pretty much everything you'd want to know about the Neon 250, here is a small tidbit from it:

Q: Could you please summarize the PVR250 general features for us?
The VideoLogic Neon 250 features the NEC PowerVR 250 graphics processor with full 2X AGP support and integrated 250MHz RAMDAC and comes with 16MB of SDRAM memory.

Neon 250 features include: image super sampling/scene anti-aliasing; light and shadow volumes; bump mapping; specular highlights; advanced texture sampling and filtering modes.

Neon 250 is based on the PowerVR 250 chip, part of the PowerVR Series2 family designed by NEC and VideoLogic Technology. Other PowerVR Series2 chips are used in Sega's Dreamcast console  (200,000 pre-ordered in the USA!) , the Sega Naomi arcade system (used for games like PowerStone, Zombie's Revenge, Ferrari F355 Challenge) and on the R-Cade Vision 250 from VideoLogic for the ArcadePC platform.

Q: How much more time is it going to take to see the Neon 250 card in store shelves?
The card will be available this month.
  Logitech QuickCAM Pro USB  4:51 PM EST  - Email Us
SystemLogic has posted a review of Logitech's QuickCAM Pro USB camera.  This thing is great for web conferencing and doing you're home home video recording/editing.  I suggest comparing it to the Creative Lab's Webcam 3 before making a decision.

 

  What Make's A PC Fast?  4:46 PM EST  - Email Us
CNet has posted an interesting article which examines the current bottlenecks which are hindering the speed of PC's, namely the system bus and in my opinion they should have talked about hard drives being a main factor too.  They go on to say that 3D graphics chips are one thing that's headed in the right direction.  Here is a bit from the article:

Today, the faster Pentium II processors and all Pentium III processors use 100-MHz SDRAM called PC-100. Via and others, along with a number of memory chipmakers, are pushing to get the 133-MHz speed memory into PCs. Rambus, meanwhile, is starting to deliver samples of its RDRAM chips but at "price premiums double or triple [standard memory]," according to Feibus.

RDRAM can result in dramatic speed improvements but this may not happen until processors begin to get faster, according to Brookwood. "It's very hard to assess [ Rambus] at the present time," because of lack of testing. Brookwood believes Rambus won't really make a big difference until processors get much faster than today's because Rambus chips can "scale" up much better to match the speeds of superfast processors as they get speedier over time.
  Tom's 32 Card Meltdown - Part 1  4:30 PM EST  - Email Us
Tom's Hardware Guide has posted part 1 of a huge round-up of 32 video cards.  I didn't even think there was that many cards! :)  Anyway, this part just summarizes each card and talks about the card's drivers/features.

 

  Alpha Pentium III Coolers Shipping  4:27 PM EST  - Email Us
Sysop Solutions Network has gotten some information on Alpha's Pentium III coolers.  Apparently, they will begin shipping in the next couple of weeks, head over to check out the spec sheet and pictures.

 

  System Optimization Guide  4:24 PM EST  - Email Us
ComChip has posted the first couple installments to their System Optimization Guide.  They already have some pretty good information on how to make you're system boot faster.  Hopefully it expands quickly.

 

  Intel Celeron 466 PPGA Review  4:20 PM EST  - Email Us
WickedPC has posted a review of Intel's Celeron 466MHz Socket-370 CPU running on the MSI 6905 Rev 1.1 Socket 370 - Slot 1 converter card.  This setup was all sitting atop an Abit BX6 Rev 2.0.  Head over too see the results.

 

  ASUS P3B-F Slot-1 Mobo  4:17 PM EST  - Email Us
BXBoards has also posted their review of ASUS's P3B-F i440BX Slot-1 ATX motherboard.  This baby is first I've seen which has 6 PCI slots.  It also has lots of FSB speeds, core voltage and chipset voltage tweaking.  Here is what Andy thought of it:

I would recommend this board to anyone. If you want a solid and fast board for serious work the P3B-F delivers. If overclocking is more your thing, then you can have great fun on this board too. Rarely has a product so effortlessly straddled the needs of both the hobbyist and business user. Highly recommended!
  A-Trend ATC-6240 Slot-1 Mobo  4:13 PM EST  - Email Us
Seems like every company is following suit these days and making motherboards with tons of overclocking features.  Hey, it's probably not that tough to add these features, so why not do it?  Anyway, BXBoards has posted a review of A-Trend's new ATC-6240 Rev 2.0 i440BX Slot-1 ATX motherboard.  4 DIMM's, 5 PCI's and quite a few overclocking tools, head over and check out the new player on the block.

 

  Celeron 300A SL36A Good Batch  4:07 PM EST  - Email Us
Hardware-One has posted an article which takes a look at the overclocking ability of a specific batch of the PPGA Celeron 300A's with the stepping SL36A.  They have been testing a few of these chips and have gotten some very nice results, here is a bit from the article:

Our experience with these new chips reveal that a whopping 504 Mhz (112 * 4.5) is almost guaranteed and a bonus number of them can even do an orgasmic 558 Mhz (124 * 4.5)!
  PowerColor Sniper 2 TNT2 M64  3:58 PM EST  - Email Us
Looking for a very cheap, yet capable 3D accelerator?  Well PowerColor may have the answer for you in their new Sniper 2 card which is based on the TNT2 M64 chip. CPUReview has posted a review of this card which you can find here. The chip is only clocked at 100MHz, but from what I hear, it overclocks quite well.  In any case for less than $100, it's hard to beat.

 

  Singapore Hardware Zone Reviews  3:54 PM EST  - Email Us
While over at Overclockin.com, I noticed that the Singapore Hardware Zone has gotten busy with the reviews.  Here are a their latest reviews:
  FIC VB601 Slot-1 Mobo Review  3:48 PM EST  - Email Us
Overclockin.com has posted a review of FIC's VB601 i440BX Slot-1 ATX motherboard.  This is a decent board with 5 PCI slots and 4 DIMM slots but that has pretty much become the norm now anyway.

Thursday - Aug 5th

  Soyo SY-6BA+III BIOS Update  10:32 PM EST  - Email Us
It's been 3 days since the last BIOS update, and now Soyo has released a new one.  This new revision has better support for the Pentium III 600 and L2 cache timing tweaking!!  This board really takes the overclockers grail now!  Grab it below:
  Age Old Batter: Voodoo3 vs. TNT2  10:30 PM EST  - Email Us
Games.net has posted an article which compared the Voodoo3 3000 to a Diamond Viper V770 Ultra card.  Not a bad comparison actually, as it compares speed, image quality and price, but we've already seen this covered heavily.

 

  Kickass Gear Ripper System Review  5:33 PM EST  - Email Us
While over at AGNHardware I also noticed that they've posted a review of Kickass Gear's Ripper system.  This huge tower comes with an Abit BE6 motherboard, a PIII 450 overclocked to 560, a Viper V770, 128 MB RAM, IBM 22 GB HD and other good stuff.  Definitely a nicely packaged system if you don't want to build your own.

 

  ATI Rage 128 Pro Interview  5:28 PM EST  - Email Us
AGNHardware has posted an interview with ATI in which they talk about the new Rage 128 Pro chip and what advantages it has over the previous version.  I didn't realize it before, but there are quite a few new and improved features with this chip, head over and read about it.

 

  SBLive! Value vs. SuperQuad Vortex2  5:20 PM EST  - Email Us
Ars Technica has posted a comparison between Creative Lab's Sound Blaster Live! Value and Aureal's SuperQuad Digital Vortex2 card.   What was the outcome you ask?  Well in a nutshell, the Live! got 4.5/5 and the SuperQuad only got 2.7/5, head over to see why.

 

  MC1000 & MC2000 Peltier Coolers  5:15 PM EST  - Email Us
While I was over at Anand's, I also noticed that they have posted a review of Swiftech's MC1000 and MC2000 peltier coolers for Celerons, P2's and P3's.  These are those huge coolers that HardOCP reviewed a while back, pretty amazing stuff but I don't think it's worth the money.

 

  Monsoon MM-1000 Flat Speaker  5:12 PM EST  - Email Us
Anand Tech has posted a review of Monsoon's new MM-1000 3-piece Flat Panel speaker set.  Look's like Benwin isn't the only flat panel speaker company in town.. and these seem to have better mid-low frequency sound reproduction.  Here is a bit from the review:

The Monsoon's are leaps and bounds above the Benwin's in all categories - sound quality, frequency response, and good old fashioned raw power. Then again, at $229.99, the price is also leaps and bounds above the Benwin's $89.99 retail price. That price isn't exactly cheap, but you get an excellent set of speakers and, of course, the head turning flat panel technology in the package.
  ATI Rage Fury Pro 32 MB Preview  5:07 PM EST  - Email Us
Sharky Extreme has posted a first look at ATI's very recently announced Rage Fury Pro 32MB video card.  The clock speed has been increased to 140-150MHz which results in significant performance gains.  It's like going from a TNT to a TNT2 Ultra.  The card also has TV-Input which the original Rage Fury didn't have.

 

  VideoLogic Press Brief  5:02 PM EST  - Email Us
3DHardware has posted a press brief from VideoLogic which outlines what's going on with their various products, such as the Neon 250 3D accelerator (formerly known as PVRSG) and their new Sirocco speaker line.

 

  3dfx Interview @3DWars  4:59 PM EST  - Email Us
3DWars has posted an interview with Keith Galocy of 3dfx Interactive.  Nothing very juicy, just something to pass the time.

 

  Vantec P3-D5030 Cooler Review  4:56 PM EST  - Email Us
HardOCP has done a review of Vantec's Pentium III heatsink/fan combo, the P3-D5030.  This thing is not you're average cooling fan, head over and check it out.

 

  ATI Rage Fury Pro Announced  4:53 PM EST  - Email Us
I noticed over at Gamer's Depot, that ATI has officially announced their RAGE FURY card based on the new Rage 128 Pro chip. Here is a bit from the press release:

Toronto, Canada, August 5, 1999- ATI Technologies Inc. (TSE:ATY,NASDAQ:ATYT) today announced the 32MB RAGE FURY PRO, representing a new era for video cards. It offers the best overall performance for all of today’s popular games and applications. The RAGE FURY PRO offers performance up to 50 per cent faster in 3D Winbench performance and up to 40 per cent faster frame rates in Quake III at 1,024 x 768 in 32-bit than the previous RAGE FURY. The RAGE FURY PRO enables 3D gaming, video applications, video capture, video out and optional flat panel support.
  Creative Labs Webcam 3 USB  4:48 PM EST  - Email Us
The Review Zone has done a review of Creative Lab's Video Blaster Webcam 3 USB.  Head over and see if this camera suits your needs. 

 

  3DCool Double Whammy Cooler  4:40 PM EST  - Email Us
FPS3D has posted a review of 3DCool.com's Double Whammy Pentium II/III cooler. Here is a bit from the intro:

Let me just say first off that if you're looking for an Alpha-destroyer then the Double Whammy is not for you. However, for anyone that is a casual overclocker (by that I mean those who just want to juice an extra 50-100 out of their proc for cheap and with minimal trouble) or just wants to keep his/her system cool without paying a premium -- Keep reading, you may have just found the perfect fan.
  New Savage4 Beta Driver  4:37 PM EST  - Email Us
I saw over at Live Like a Savage that S3 has released a new beta driver for the Savage4 which is supposed to have a much better OpenGL ICD called the Power ICD.  Here is the info and a link to download:
  • S3 Savage4 Win98 Driver Version 4.11.01.8007-8.10.07
  • S3 Refresh Rate Version : 2.01.22
  • S3 Gamma Utility Version : 1.01.12
  • S3 SWITCH2 Utility Version : 1.00.11
  • S3 Color Utility Version : 2.00.04
  • Performance_ICD : 1.00.07


  • S3 Savage 4 Beta Driver w/Power ICD
  128MB vs. 256MB of SDRAM  4:31 PM EST  - Email Us
First we saw the battle of 64 vs 128MB of RAM over at AGNHardware, now the Tech Zone examines if 256MB of RAM makes any difference over 128. They take a look at this question specifically from a gaming point of view, and from what I can see, 256MB makes absolutely no difference.

 

  New Wicked3D Drivers Again  4:28 PM EST  - Email Us
Metabyte has yet again released a new set of drivers for their Voodoo2, Banshee and eyeSCREAM products.  This driver upgrade no longer requires you to have the CD ready.  Grab it below:
  FIC VB601-Z Slot-1 Mobo Review  4:26 PM EST  - Email Us
Overclockin.com has posted a review of FIC's VB601-V Slot-1 ATX motherboard which is based on VIA's Apollo Pro Plus chipset. 

Wednesday - Aug 4th

  Guillemot Xentor/32 BIOS  5:25 PM EST  - Email Us
Guillemot has released new BIOS updates for the Xentor and Xentor 32 cards, here is the info and links to download:

This new BIOS has been developed to resolve the detection problem encountered with some motherboards on PC bootup. To update the BIOS of your Maxi Gamer Xentor 32, unzip BGP2X9X0513.ZIP to a temporary folder on your hard disk, switch to real DOS mode and run the program BIOS513.EXE.
  VIA Technologies Interview  5:13 PM EST  - Email Us
iXBT Hardware has posted a interview they conducted with VIA's International Marketing Manager - Sean Davidson.  There is a lot of juicy info in this interview such as what's going on with the Cyrix deal and the chipset they have planned for the AMD Athlon CPU.

 

  Intel InBusiness 8-Port Hub  5:10 PM EST  - Email Us
AGNhardware has just posted a review of Intel's InBusiness Fast Ethernet 8-port Hub.  Besides looking very stylish, this Hub does quite a good job and managed to get an 8/10 score. 

 

  Gigabyte GA-6WMM7 i810 Mobo  5:03 PM EST  - Email Us
The High Performance PC Guide has posted a review of Gigabyte's GA-6WMM7 Socket 370 microATX motherboard which is based on the i810 chipset.  Like the BX-2000, this board also has dual BIOS chips, check it out:

The Dual BIOS technology of the Gigabyte GA-6WMM7 is a feature that sets apart this motherboard from any other i810 motherboards. No doubts that anybody facing a virus attack such as the CIH will appreciate to see the Dual BIOS at work to refresh the main BIOS from the backup BIOS and enable the computer system to be usable again in less than a minute or so... The GA-6WMM7 is probably one of the best motherboard for primary schools and large office where a huge park of computers are used and where security is of a high concern...
  Leadtek Winfast S320 II TNT2 Review  5:03 PM EST  - Email Us
Tweak3D has posted a review of Leaktek's very decent Winfast S320 II 32 MB TNT2 card.  You can also check out our review here.

 

  AMD Athlon Interview @AGN  4:57 PM EST  - Email Us
AGNHardware has posted an interview they conducted with Gary Bixler (Product Marketing Manager) of AMD.  The answers are quite long and detailed, so if you want the latest info on when it's going to be released, etc, head over and check it out.

 

  ATI TV Wonder (TV Tuner) Review  4:54 PM EST  - Email Us
Rage3D has posted a review of ATI's TV Wonder card.  If you're not interested in getting a card with a TV Tuner built in like AIW 128 or Marvel G200, then this card will give you TV Tuner capabilities while using any video card you like.

 

  Glaze3D Interview @Beyond3D  4:42 PM EST  - Email Us
Beyond3D has posted the transcript of an interview they conducted with Mike Tuomi of BitBoys OY regarding the announcement of their Glaze3D chip.  Check out this tidbit:

8. The first thing I notice about the Glaze 3D is that it has 4 pixel pipelines running at 150 MHz each. This gives it a fill-rate of 600 MPPS. You claim that it gets 1200 MTPS. Does each pipeline do 2 pixels per clock cycle, or how is this accomplished?

There is four pixel pipelines that each do two texels in a single cycle. It means that you get 600 Million pixels with two textures=1200MTPS.

9. Reflecting, 150 MHz clock doesn't seem the highest. While it has more texture pipelines than any other product currently, the Glaze3D isn't clocked as high. Is there any chance we might possibly see this clock-rate increase to closer to 200 MHz and give even more fill-rate?

Definitely, Glaze3D is not different from others in over-clocking. We just have to specify the official target. I wouldn't be surprised to see Glaze3D run over 170MHz out of the box.
  3DCool's Video Freezer Review  4:40 PM EST  - Email Us
Glide Underground has posted a review of 3DCool.com's Video Freezer product.  So far all of 3DCool's products have been exceptional, head over and see if this video chip cooler fits the bill.

 

  Savage4 Pro Xtreme Press Release  4:35 PM EST  - Email Us
S3's has officially announed the Savage4 Pro Xtreme chip, here is a bit from the press release over at Gamer's Depot:

Featuring significantly increased 166MHz memory and engine clock
speeds, as well as higher performing OpenGL software drivers, S3's
Savage4 Xtreme 166 is the fastest 3D accelerator available for the
$99-129 retail PC graphics market.
  Athlon 600 vs. Pentium III 600MHz  4:28 PM EST  - Email Us
While over at Thresh's lair, I noticed that they have posted another interesting article, AMD's Athlon 600 vs. Intel's Pentium III 600.  They even overclocked the P3 600 to 660 to see how well the Athlon holds up.  Here is a bit from the article:

If AMD does release a 650MHz version of the Athlon, it will most certainly beat out the overclocked Pentium III at 660, as well as a "real" Pentium III 650 at (6.5 x 100). The big question now is: Will there be a 100MHz FSB P3 650? 600 has long been determined as the end of the line for the Pentium III, as Intel moves on to the 133MHz 820 chipset and RAMBUS DRDRAM. With the looming threat of a performance leading AMD processor, will Intel prolong the life of the 100MHz bus and push out an even faster incarnation to stay abreast with AMD?
  Savage4 Pro Xtreme Preview #2  4:26 PM EST  - Email Us
Thresh's Firing Squad has also posted a preview of S3's new Savage4 Pro Xtreme chip in the form of Diamond's Stealth III S540 Xtreme card.  They also have a bit of juicy info on S3's next gen chip, the GX4, head over and check it out.

 

  Weekly CPU Prices Updated  4:23 PM EST  - Email Us
While I was over at Sharky's, I noticed that their weekly CPU price list has also been updated.  Price drops across the entire Intel line, very nice indeed.

 

  S3 Savage4 Pro Xtreme Previews  4:17 PM EST  - Email Us
Sharky Extreme has posted a preview of S3's Savage4 Pro Xtreme chip.  Other than a core/memory speed increase, there isn't much difference between this new chip and the original Savage4.  Here is a bit about their next chip, the GX4:

Now before you all get your knickers in a twist thinking the Savage4 Pro Xtreme (huh?) is a 'next-gen' or 'high-end' chip- it isn't. Sources close to Sharky Extreme have told us that later on in the year, when S3 does release their next generation part, currently known as the GX4, it will have complete hardware support for Transformation & Lighting. The way T&L works by offloading the geometry transforms and lighting calculations from the CPU, it could work to S3's advantage if they are following their recent traditions and going after the more competitively priced markets. Thus, rather than dubbing the Savage4 Pro Xtreme as a 'new' chip altogether, it's more accurate to think of it as exactly the same that's come before with the original Savage4, only faster (and here comes the hook) yet at the same price. The Savage4 Pro Xtreme uses the same Savage4 chipset but the memory speed has been upped, as has the graphics clock of the chip itself.
  Guillemot Maxi Gamer Xentor32  4:17 PM EST  - Email Us
3D Spotlight has posted their review of Guillemot's Maxi Gamer Xentor 32 card.  As you probably already know, this card is based on Nvidia's TNT2 Ultra running at a 175/183MHz core/memory default clock speed.

 

  New Aureal Vortex2 Drivers  4:12 PM EST  - Email Us
Aureal has released a new set of drivers for cards based on the Vortex2 chip.  These drivers are no longer pre-release versions but a full and supported release.  Here is the info and a link to download:
  • Added support for WinDVD Software DVD Player
  • Added S/PDIF autodetect feature.
  • Fixed an issue that caused a number of DirectSound3D and A3D games to crash
  • Fixed some distortion on output
  • Fixed some issues relating to Wavetracing Reflections
  • Fixed some issues relating to Flatland Rover
  • Fixed a Graphic EQ issue
  • Fixed an issue with the A3D control panel
  • Fixed a memory leak in the direct sound driver
  • Normalized the volume between front and rear speakers


  • Vortex 2 Driver (Win9X - version 4.06.2035 - 7.65 MB)
  • A3D Driver (Win9X - version 2.22 - 287 KB)
  Creative SB Live! Value Review  4:09 PM EST  - Email Us
David over at SystemLogic has just notified us that they have posted their review of Creative Lab's Sound Blaster Live! Value.  For once a company actually markets a product correctly, the Live Value really is a good value.  This card has superb audio quality/4 speaker support and can be found for under $50 US. 

 

  TNT Overclocking Guide  4:06 PM EST  - Email Us
3D Alpha has posted a TNT overclocking guide.  It tells you what tools (software & cooling device) you need, what to look out for and most importantly, how to do it!

 

  TennMax TNT Detonator Cooler  4:04 PM EST  - Email Us
Hardware-One has posted a review of TennMax's TNT Detonator heatsink/fan combo for TNT/TNT2 cards.  This baby really does a good job at cooling down those chips and it's size is more than acceptable also.  Here is a quote:

The TNT2U chip surface temperature however was markedly cooler – from 43.4 degrees C with the original cooler (at 165MHz core) to 38.6 degrees C with the TennMax cooler (at 170 MHz core) i.e. 4.8 degrees C cooler.
  New ELSA Erazor III Drivers  3:55 PM EST  - Email Us
ELSA has released a couple of new drivers for their Erazor III card.  They probably work on the Erazor II also if you have one.  Anyway, grab them below:
  Win a Matrox Millennium G400  3:50 PM EST  - Email Us
The Tech Zone is hosting a contest and the prize is a brand spanking new Matrox Millennium G400. It's pretty simply to enter, so head over and do it!

Tuesday - Aug 3rd

  ActionLink USB Starter Kit Review  4:57 PM EST  - Email Us
WickedPC has posted a review of ActionTec's ActionLink USB Network Starter kit.  If you're looking for a no-hassle easy way to setup a network, head over and check out this review.

 

  Cooler Master Cool Drive DCD-4001  4:44 PM EST  - Email Us
Ars Technica has posted a review of the Cooler Master Cool Drive DCD-4001 heatsink & fan for a hard drive.  The thing I like about this unit is that it looks very pleasant on a drive bay, unlike other HD cooler's I've seen.

 

  Another Glaze3D Preview  4:37 PM EST  - Email Us
3D Alpha has also posted a preview of the BitBoys Oy Glazed 3D chip.  The specs on this baby are absolutely unbelievable, and I mean that literally!  I can't wait to see one in action with a 1.X GHz processor :)

 

  Another Voodoo3 3500 TV Review  4:34 PM EST  - Email Us
Anand Tech has posted a review of 3dfx's Voodoo3 3500 TV card.  This card has the highest clock speed of the Voodoo3 line at 183 MHz core/memory speed.  It also has some extra TV functions like Input and Tuner.  Head over and see if they thought it was worth the $250 price tag.

 

  CPUIdle 5.6 Released  4:30 PM EST  - Email Us
I noticed over at Betanews that Andreas Götz has released version 5.6 of his popular CPUIdle program.  This great program cools your CPU by sending it an idle process while it's not in use.  This in effect puts in a very low power consumption mode which reduces heat produced.  Here is the info and a link to download:
  • Support for latest MotherBoard Monitor 4.09
  • Supports all new MBM sensors
  • Displays MBM version number
  • Improved performance
  • Much better stability and compatibility
  • Localization for Germany, Italy, Russia, Hungary, Poland
  • Lots of bug fixes (they keep creeping in...)


  • CPUIdle (Win9X - version 5.6 - 1 MB)

Btw, there is also a new beta version of Motherboard Monitor which you can grab here.

 

  Glaze3D Mini Interview  4:24 PM EST  - Email Us
FullOn 3DNow has posted a short interview with BitBoys Oy regarding their recently announced Glaze3D chip.  It answers a few of the very common questions people are having, head over and check it out.

 

  SE's Memory Guide Part 5  4:20 PM EST  - Email Us
Sharky Extreme has posted part 5 of their Memory Guide.  This part examines what systems timings mean and how they affect performance.

 

  3dfx Voodoo3 3500 TV Review  4:18 PM EST  - Email Us
The Gamers Depot was lucky enough to get a Voodoo3 3500 TV to review.  Here is what they thought of it:

So where does the 3500TV fall into place in the grand scheme of things?  If you still haven't bought a current generation video card i.e. an Ultra TNT2, or an earlier Voodoo3, and want the fastest gameplay available under OpenGL, then this is the card to have.  I still can't recommend it solely based on it's video capture.  If this is what you want the most then wait for the G400 Marvel, or the 32MB ATI All-In-Wonder 128 (whenever/if those ship). 
  Crystal Audio/Cirrus Logic Interview  4:13 PM EST  - Email Us
Mark over at 3DSoundSurge has notified us that they have posted an interview with Crystal Audio/Cirrus Logic.  If you haven't heard, Cirrus Logic has bought Crystal Audio to form a PC audio superpower. They talk a lot about the future of PC sound cards and the various technologies which are out now or soon to be released.

 

  BitBoys Oy Glaze3D First Look  4:10 PM EST  - Email Us
3DHardware has posted a first look at what is going to be a heavily talked about topic, the BitBoys OY Glazed 3D chip.  Here is a bit from the article:

Probably the biggest innovation of the Glaze3D, and something we've been seeing coming for a while now, is that it's frame buffer isn't extrenal. This means that it's located on the same silicon as the core logic itself which allows for some pretty cool bandwidths. Even though the core operational frequency isn't all that grat, 150Mhz, the bandwith plays a big role, and with one of 12GB/s you begin to understand how the Glaze3D is so fast.
  New Wicked3D Drivers  4:06 PM EST  - Email Us
After quite some time, Metabyte (or Wicked3D) has released new drivers for their various products.  Here is the link to download:
  A Better Mousing Surface  3:57 PM EST  - Email Us
BXBoards has posted an article on various mousing surfaces's, most notably the Everglide pads.  They also take a look at some others, and tell you how to make your own pad similar to the Everglide one with the right material.

Monday - Aug 2nd

  ASUS P2B, P3B-F BIOS Updates  6:08 PM EST  - Email Us
ASUS has also posted a few new BIOS updates.  Head over here to read all the changes/fixes.  You can grab them below:
  Soyo SY-6BA+III BIOS Update  6:01 PM EST  - Email Us
Soyo has released a new bios update for the SY-6BA+III mobo which adds support for the Pentium III 600MHz, grab it below:
  64 vs. 128MB of SDRAM Part 2  5:53 PM EST  - Email Us
AGNHardware has posted part 2 of their 64 vs. 128MB of system SDRAM article.  In this part, they discover that 128MB can be beneficial for top performance in today's latest games, as well as the games which will be coming out later on.  So, if you're a gamer, 128MB is better than 64.

 

  Act Labs Force RS Wheel Review  5:53 PM EST  - Email Us
UGN3D has posted a review of Act Lab's awesome Force RS force feedback wheel/pedal system.  You can also check out our review of this wheel here.

 

  Abit BE6 Slot-1 Mobo Review  5:49 PM EST  - Email Us
I missed this one a couple days ago, but SysOpt.com has posted their review of Abit's BE6 i440BX Slot-1 ATX motherboard with built-in support for UltraDMA/66.  Head over and check out this lovely board.

 

  Dual Celeron Article  5:45 PM EST  - Email Us
Ars Technica has posted an article on dual processing with a couple of Celeron CPU's.  The article takes a look at how it works and it might be in the future, with regards to Intel blocking SMP capability and other things.

 

  3dfx vs. Nvidia Article  5:37 PM EST  - Email Us
3DWars has posted an article which takes a look at the continuing battle between 3dfx and Nvidia.  I hope the battle continues for a long time because I like having choice and lower prices.

 

  ASUS P5A Super7 Mobo Review  5:35 PM EST  - Email Us
3D Alpha has posted a review of ASUS's P5A Super7 Motherboard.  This is one of the better Super7 motherboards on the market (even after all this time).  I'm starting to lean more to Tyan's new Trinity motherboard (VIA MVP3 + MVP4 fusion) though.