The new “Enthusiast” level platform, which is nVidia’s highest level for the desktop PC, is all focused around the new nForce 780x chipset. Unlike the previous nForce 680i chipset, which was only for Intel processors and left AMD lovers with nForce 430, 630, 520 and 570 chipsets just to make everything nice and confusing for everyone, the 780x chipset is made for both platforms, 780i for Intel, and 780a for AMD.

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NVIDIA's yet-to-be released GeForce 9800 GX2 in the "flesh." We reveal some of the specs and what should be expected.

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The NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT is based on the new NVIDIA G92 GPU. This is basically a tweaked and G80 silicon die-shrinked using the 65 nm process technology. This allows NVIDIA to cramp even more transistors into the die and yet produce a smaller chip. At launch, the standard NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT with 512MB of GDDR3 memory will be priced from US$199 to US$249, depending on the vendor and value-added features. The 256MB model will be slightly cheaper at US$179-US$199, again depending on the vendor and value-added features.

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Ahem. "tried to fix it on his own based on tips he found online". Why didn't he post the video to youtube, that's what I want to know.

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Look for some good deals online and at local retailers if they are near you...

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What's a reasonable amount of processing power to feed that shiny new graphics card you decided upon? The aim of this article is to help you out with this question. Specifically: what difference does a gigahertz make? In order to get a better handle on what kind of performance difference a processor can make, we decided to take one Core 2 Duo, and clock different speeds starting from 1.6 GHz, all the way to 3.0 GHz, to see what kind of affect this would have on frame rates in four recent games: Crysis, World In Conflict, Call of Jaurez, and Unreal Tournament 3. The results might be surprising.

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The story of Windows Vista is one fraught with tragedy (at least, as tragic as software can get). The operating system had a difficult birth, with Microsoft scrapping its work and starting over again about half-way through the development cycle, shedding many promised features in the process. Once out in the market, Vista had an even rougher childhood. Drivers weren't ready in time, users perceived Vista as nothing more than a more resource-hungry version of XP with a prettier user interface, and many reviewers gave it a thumbs down.

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Many of you probably think we’re crazy to suggest that $500 is all you need to build a decent gaming rig. With gaming systems from Alienware/Dell, Falcon Northwest, and HP/VoodoPC selling for thousands more, this just doesn’t sound feasible. However, this simply isn’t true. In fact, thanks to rapidly falling hardware prices, building a powerful PC for gaming has never been easier!

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Last month I reported a story on how surge protectors void a PS3's warranty (which was quickly confirmed false by Sony and resolved), but now it seems there is a new threat to the almighty system: DUST! Apparently, dust voids the warranty under the ruling of neglect according to Sony's CSRs and one has to wonder how a system that turned one year old today would expire so easily to just, well, dust. My guess is that either we're not being told the entire story here or the PS3 was a lemon to begin with and should be covered under warranty. What say you?

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Microsoft claims that free software like Linux, which runs a big chunk of corporate America, violates 235 of its patents. It wants royalties from distributors and users. Users like you, maybe. Fortune's Roger Parloff reports.

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Intel began shipping its quad core line of desktop processors late last year, starting with the Core 2 Extreme QX6700. Later, the company shipped the mainstream Core 2 Quad Q6600. Today, Intel has three current products with four cores in its product line, the Core 2 Extreme QX6850, the Core 2 Quad Q6700 (essentially a QX6700 with a locked core multiplier) and the aforementioned Q6600, which can now be found for well under $300. Now that we have a dual-core CPU, the Core 2 E6850 running at the same clock frequency and front side bus speed as the QX6850, it's worth revisiting the issue of whether or not users need four cores.

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AMD was a leader in PC gaming for a long time, but really got caught off guard with the success of the Intel Core2Duo and Quad Core technology. So AMD comes out with this 9900 CPU in an attempt to compete. Check out the review for more details.

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Techspot tests all currently available Phenoms, from the 9600 Black Edition to the yet unreleased 9700 and 9900 models.

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Computer parts

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Nick Breese, a senior security consultant at Auckland-based Security-assessment.com, has come up with a way to drastically increase the processing capability of cracking passwords, using a PS3. By implementing common ciphers and hash functions using vector computing, Breese has pushed the current upper limit of 10--15 million cycles per second -- in Intel-based architecture -- up to 1.4 billion cycles per second.

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Game developer are software developers so its not a big stretch to imagine some of these methodologies in play as various game companies. So file this under sad but likely true.

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Now I have to get one of these done for my plain ol' laptop! ;)

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The MPAA has been issuing DMCA takedown notices to any site that publishes the number 09 f9 11 02 9d 74 e3 5b d8 41 56 c5 63 56 88 c0, the key code used in HD-DVD copy protection. Recently this led to a full-blown revolt starting with Digg, where users plastered the front-page with voted-up articles full of the number. From there, the number has spread to hundreds of thousands of sites in an awe-inspiring display of how legal policy can lead to a PR disaster.

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Microsoft has given its strongest hint yet that Windows 7 will be in the shops by Christmas. The company confirmed in a webcast today that Windows 7 will be released to manufacturing (RTM) three years after the RTM version of Vista was released. Vista went RTM in October 2006. Advertisement "The goal for Windows 7 RTM is to be three years after Windows Vista RTM," said the company in response to a question. The webcast, hosted by Microsoft technical fellow Mark Russinovich, went over some of the new features of the forthcoming operating system. These include better power management, a reduced processor footprint and better applications control. "We spent a ton of time on battery time," said Russinovich, claiming that Microsoft had reduced the power footprint of over 400 parts of the operating system, and is still making more improvements. These include managing power but still ensuring speedy performance. "Performance was a huge problem with Vista," said Mark Manasse, principal researcher at Microsoft Research. "But I was pleasantly surprised. I've run it on bespoke and virtual systems and am very impressed by the way it runs." The new operating system will also have a Power Configuration function, which scans the machine in a minute and then lists recommendations for cutting power output. Microsoft has spent a lot of time trying to avoid the compatibility problems that dogged people moving from XP to Vista. "When we sat down in one of the open meetings at the start of the project we came up with certain goals," said Erik Lustig, a senior product manager responsible for Windows Fundamentals "If it worked with Vista it should work with Windows 7, and if it runs Vista it should run Windows 7 faster."

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