ParaKnowYa

Zalman ZM80C-HP

Did someone say graphics card cooling?! Have a look @ the Zalman ZM80C-HP over here on GamePC and scream "huge!"... =)

DVD burner round-up

XBit Labs have released a round-up article including the following 10 DVD burners:

Mitsumi DW-7801TE
NEC ND-1100A
Pioneer DVR-104WB
Pioneer DVR-A05
Pioneer DVR-105
Pioneer DVR-105BK
Sony DW-U10A
Sony DW-U12A
Ricoh RW5125A
Teac DV-W50E

Here's the link.

From their conclusion:
"Now we should only single out the today’s winner: the best and fastest solution of the 10 DVD-burners reviewed. Despite its pretty high price, we would recommend the SONY DW-U12A DVD-burner. It boasts very high performance and can be considered a true universal solution for all needs. While the battle of DVD-formats is still going on, you will feel absolutely independent and will be able to work with any types of discs if you make up your mind on SONY DW-U12A drive."

Bitboys Acceleon

World of Hardware have some info up about the 3 versions of the Acceleon. Here's the link. Newspost is in german language but the important part, the feature list is in english language. Enjoy! ;)

official DirectX 9b...

... can be obtained here.

HL2 anti alias updates

"Lösungsvorschläge hat Newell auch schon im Petto: Ati-Karten unterstützen außerhalb der DirectX-Spezifikationen eine andere Rendering-Methode (Centroid Sampling). Bei Nvidia-Boards müssen die Programmierer Pixel Shader einsetzen. Damit sich jeder ein Bild von der Qualitätssteigerung gegenüber der Version ohne Anti-Aliasing machen kann, möchte Valve in den nächsten Tagen ein Vergleichsvideo veröffentlichen. "

The above comes from Gamestar.de, here, a german gaming mag.

Important parts:
- HL2 is not the first game to show this phenomenon
- it's solved on ATI boards via a non DirectX speced Centroid Sampling method
- for nVidia Pixel Shaders will be used
- a video displaying the quality differences will be released (non AA vs AA)

DirectX security problem

"Unchecked Buffer in DirectX Could Enable System Compromise"

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-030 gives you a fix for more DirectX versions. Just click here.

Generals v1.06 patch

The new patch v1.06 for Generals is available right here... brazilian, chinese, english, french, german, italian, korean, polish and spanish versions are available.

Silberwald Addon

For our german speaking visitors, we're happy to mention the release of Silberwald a fine addon for Neverwinter Nights which was in dev for more than a year and can now be downloaded here.

From the creators:
"Nach eineinhalb Jahren Entwicklungszeit ist das lang erwartete Einzelspieler-Abenteuer "Silberwald: Der Ring des Schicksals" endlich fertig und steht ab sofort zum Download bereit. Der Download umfasst erstens die beiden Modul-Dateien, aber auch ein Handbuch und vier vorgefertigte Charaktere der Stufen 11 bis 14, falls irgend jemand gerade keinen passenden Charakter zur Hand haben sollte. Folgende Daten & Fakten sollten euch die Größe des Projekts deutlich machen:

Die Spielzeit beträgt ca. 24 Stunden, je nach Spielweise natürlich auch mehr oder weniger. Die im gesamten Modul enthaltene Textmenge entspricht der eines über 750 Seiten starken Romans. Außerdem warten auf euch 200 nützliche Items, 125 interessante NSCs, 90 liebevoll gestaltete Gebiete und 30 mehr oder weniger schwierige Rätsel."

DirectX 9 beta problems

Seems like there are ppls who have major problems with the unoffizial release of the upcomming DirectX 9b pack. According to sources net wide we will get the offizial version soo though, this week. :)

M-Audio Revolution 7.1

XBit Labs newest review is dealing with M-Audio's Revolution 7.1.

"The aural part of the testing is always a subjective thing, but this is what you buy the card for – to listen to the sound. As I had anticipated Revolution 7.1 excelled Audigy2 as far as music playback is concerned. Its sound may be characterized as more emotional, with distinct voices. Even when SRS Labs algorithms are in use, there is no timbre misbalance. The musical picture is highly detailed, accompanied with good dynamic range. These subjective data were garnered via professional Sony MDR-7506 headphones (thanks to my friend, DJ), and speaker systems from Creative – MegaWorks 510D and Creative Inspire 6.1 6700 (special thanks to Creative Eastern Europe)."

Here's the link.

HL2 DirectX9 and FSAA problems

Added to the posting below this is some other news I found on Warp2Search.net: Half Life 2 FSAA problems on certain DirectX 9 GPUs.

From xBit Labs:
"According a Valve officials quoted in forums at HalfLife2.net web-site, there are problems with the way that current hardware implements FSAA. If you enable it, you will see a lot of artifacts on polygon boundaries due to the way that current graphics processors sample texture subjects with FSAA enabled.."

Here's the link to their post and here's the link to the info @ xBit Labs.

Here's some more from XBit to calm down :)
"Some industry sources indicated that the problem with such FSAA is a known one and is to be addressed in DirectX 9.1 and next-generation graphics processors with Pixel Shaders 3.0 and Vertex Shaders 3.0, such as ATI Technologies’s code-named R420 and NVIDIA’s code-named NV40 VPUs and derivatives. Both next-generation products will come later than the Half-Life 2 that is expected to be available by October."

new DirectX 9 beta

Warp2Search mentioned a new beta of DirectX 9 being available here (v4.09.0000.0902).

"Note: This is a new runtime that has not yet been released externally. It includes security and performance updates only according to Neowin. The files within are actually Final Retail."

new Audio drivers

Planet3Dnow.de have mentioned new driver releases from C-Media and Realtek.

You can find those new C-Media drivers right here. This a Win9x/2k/XP pack.

The Realtek drivers can be found here.

Madrone Burl Case Review

Virtual-Hideout.net have a review of the Exotic Wood Crafts Madrone Burl Case online. In case you're searching a nice case for your new PC look no further, here's it, well at least it looks nice! ;)

"This case looks fairly nice and elegant on a monitor, but in person, I guarantee you that it's ten times nicer. All in all, the veneer job thoroughly impressed me. Imperfections are to be expected, especially when taking a huge block of wood, cutting it up, and forcing it to conform to the shape of a computer case."

The Frozen Throne review

The FiringSquad have a review online of Blizzards latest addon Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne. Just click here.

"Frozen Throne’s biggest accomplishment remains its value – there is so much new here and it improves immensely upon the old game. All the races feel powerful, not just adequate. Yes, some of these fixes should have been implemented in patches, but the solutions that Frozen Throne brought are probably far more elegant than any patch would have been."

Zero Hour expansion

"Generals Producer Harvard 'H-Bomb' Bonin has answered some questions on the upcoming Generals Expansion titled 'Zero Hour'."

The video interview can be obtained here

Added to that UGO have a short preview online here.
Source: RenegadeGenerals.com

Never sleep alone

Well, before you wonder what the fly I'm talking about try this: Link Fun stuff we all need, right? =)

Cooking... everyone must eat

Please help us keep the cooking section alive... we're looking for ppls of all age and gender who would like to share some of their cooking skills and personal specialities with us. Tell your mom and dad (depending on who's le better chef) or post your own creation... as long as it's eatable ;) post it, please! :)

Here's the direct link.

RVMech Generals maps

RVMech has some new maps for your gaming pleasure... Here's the link, look out for the following maps:

- Dry Gulch, 4 player map
- Water Works, 4 player map, AI enhancements
- Autum Nights, 4 player map, AI enhancements
- Forgotten Realm, 4 player map, AI enhancements

Kyro Linux Tools

Just saw on Kyroworld.de that a new version of the Kyro Linux Tools was released. It's v0.5.0.1 and you can get it here.

Futuremark and nVidia

Some rumours about their "relationship" from notforidiots.com:

"Not a lot of new info nowadays, but don't worry, because here's some GPU:RW-only info!
First of all, nVidia is set to rejoin FutureMark's beta program. Amusing, isn't it? :)
And secondly, FutureMark agreed to do a demo ( I don't believe this is a benchmark demo, just something like Dawn ) for nVidia's NV40, to be launched at Comdex."

Here's the link.

44.90 beta Detonators

Warp2Search.net received word from DarkCrow about some new Detonator beta drivers v44.90 which can now be downloaded from 3DChipset.com and Guru3D.

PowerStrip 3.43

Planet3DNow.de report the release of a new version of EnTech's PowerStrip utility. v3.43 can be obtained right here.

"- Fixed WildcatVP gamma correction
- Revised NV3X clock control
- Updated multilanguage support
- Sync'd MGA G-series support with latest drivers
- Changed Radeon PLL calculator
- Added desk/pointer hotkeys
- Revised timing refresh procedure
- Added preliminary support for Radeon DVI interlacing
- Enabled SiS6326 gamma correction
- Added R350/RV350 support"

Intel socket game

The Inq(uirer) have an editorial up about Intel's many socket changes... and as it seems like Prescott needs another new socket... Here's the link.

DS: Legends of Aranna interview

Ign.com have an interview up with Chris Taylor of Gas Powered Games and Ian Davis of Mad Doc Software dealing with the upcomming Dungeon Siege addon Legends of Aranna. Here's the link.

Nomad Zen 60GB

Added to the modifying your Nomad player articles below ExtremeTech have a review up of the new Nomad Zen 60GB.

"Creative has been steadily improving its Nomad line of MP3 players, and the latest recently darkened our doorstep. The Nomad Zen got a BIG boost in the storage department, offering users a whopping 60GB of space for music, and whatever other data you want to carry in your shirt pocket. The 60GB Zen is built on the same chassis as its 20GB predecessor, and there are some cosmetic interface improvements. Still, the real news is that huge new hard drive that now graces the Zen."

Here's the link.

Hacking Your Nomad MP3 Player

ExtremeTech.com have some guide online which explains how to modify a Creative Nomad MP3 player. Here's the link.

"Once you have confirmed that the Nomad OS is seeing the drive at its correct size, you're ready to copy your music library down to your new and improved Nomad, and you'll have even more room for music or data files."

Stereo Detonators

Guru3D.com have a new package of Stereo Control Panel Detonator drivers based on the v44.03 Detonators. Here they are.

"Got 3D Stereo goggles and an NVIDIA graphics card with the latest detonator drivers revision 44.xx installed ? You likely wanna grab this archive then.

The Stereo control panel is for users that own 3d glasses like the Elsa 3D Relevator, ASUS VR100 or even anaglyphic (e.g. red/blue) glasses. You can enable the Detonator's Stereo feature then."

Agent Smith

John Turner has released the Agent Smith model for UT2k here. Looks splendid so don't wait, download! :)

"Smith player model for Unreal Tournament 2003 - 2679 tris."

Red Storm project

Planet3DNow.de have have it up here, Cray have now released a document called "The Design Specification and Initial Implementation of the Red Storm Architecture --in partnership with Cray, Inc" which is available as PP or PDF.

10.368 Sledgehammer 2.0GHz CPUs with ~10TB RAM sounds good... ;)

Athlon FX

The new Duron? Could be for more check here on Rojakpot.com.

"Regarding the Thorton, as far as I know, the Thorton is nothing more than a Barton with half the cache disabled.

The Barton and Thorton die should be the same, except that the Thorton die will have half the L2 cache disabled. Most of the Thortons will come from Bartons with defective cache bits. All they need to do is disable half the L2 cache and they will have a working Thorton."

More or similar info on DigiTimes.com... here.

NV33 and NV36

"NVIDIA’s new speedy and so speedy graphics processors from the NV3x family are set to come in August and September, our unofficial sources revealed today. Meanwhile, although NVIDIA is quite happy with its NV40 design, the graphics processor itself will be available by Christmas at earliest, we were told."

XBit Labs have more info Here.

FRAPS v2.0...

... is finally available. Get the demo here.

"Fraps is a utility for DirectX and OpenGL games. It can best be described as:

- benchmarking software - see framerates on screen and log them to file. Calculate the average framerate between any two points.

- movie maker software - realtime recording of your gameplay to high quality AVI video files."

Intel roadmap

Hardtecs4u.com seem to have some new information about Intel's plans. Language is german but the roadmap should interest everyone so here's the link.

Prescott,Tejas, Nehalem and high clock rates await us... =)

new Detonator drivers

SavageNews.com seem to have the driver with the modified inf file as a package here for both files the separate way check out warp2search.net here.

Detonator v44.71 was meant to be used with FX boards only, they're WHQL according to the guys who've had them first (original release Quadro'n FX only) and as mentioned above the moded inf allows it to be used with all nVidia cards. Enjoy! ;)

TR6 patch

The first Tomb Raider 6 patch was just recently released... you'll find it here or here. Enjoy! =)

Diablo II: LoD 1.10 beta

In case you'd like to check out the changes coming with the v1.10 patch why not just downlaod the beta which was recently released by Blizzard. Only drawback is that you will not be ablen to play battle.net games as long as you do not revert to v1.09 which is possible.

Anyways, here's the link. Enjoy!

EXCLUSIVE ! NEC-MITSUBISHI 17" monitors Official words

I went to NEC-MITSUBISHI Customer support today for all 3 1760NX monitors I own show a wave effect using low brightness and constrasts values.

The director of product was there, and acknowledged that on ALL 17" and many other TFT LCD monitors there's a "wave" effect when setting constrast and brightness to 33% or less. This problem comes from the back-lights said the director of product.

The 1880SX monitor on the other hand does not suffer from this problem, the director of product said it is the Rolls-Royce of NEC-MITSUBISHI TFT LCD screens.

So to anyone using low brightness and contrast settings (many devs), my words are : don't buy a NEC-MITSUBISHI LCD TFT screen, except the 1880SX (others might work ok, but it has only been confirmed that the 1880SX is "safe").

Now about my problem, they couldn't give me a 1880SX directly :(
So I'll have to contact my reseller which NEC-MITSUBISHI will contact too, to ask it to replace my monitor (1760NX) by a 1880SX, and I'll have to pay the price difference... Given the fact that I couldn't use the screen for 2 months and a half, I'm not too happy.

Tejas stuff

Hexus.net have some pictures of Intel's upcoming Tejas and the Grantsdale chipset. Here they are.

US and Can res only...

... but maybe YOU will be one of the lucky winners of an eVGA GF FX graphics card. Why? Well because the're running a giveaway as part of their 4th year anni celebrations for the period of July... just enter it here. Good luck everyone!

44.22 mobile-Detonators

According to Guru3D.com Toshiba have released this, a new set of drivers for the GeForce Go family of graphics chips. You can get the driverset right here.

AntiDetector scripts and article

Besides mentioning the release of the AntiDetector english version we'd like to suggest checking the article dealing with AntiDetector available here on Digit-Life.com. Binaries should be available from there too... :)

v1.06 AOM patch

Ensemble Studios have released patch v1.06 as separate file for those of us who've had problems with the autopatcher. Here's the file.

new EP-8RDA3+ bios

Epox have released their latest EP-8RDA3+ bios as final. You can get it here.

"- Fixed MCP2/A04 USB signal clock jitter.
- Remove Ratio*9 item, because AMD CPU doesn't support 166*9 and 200*9.
- Patch S2K C1/C2 disconnects function.
- Define: No_Aggressive_Support.
- Change BPL version to 2.94V."