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  • Huawei P30 Hands-On
  • Crucial MX500 1TB SATA Solid State Drive Review
  • Intel’s flawed ‘Rangeley’ Atom C2000 processors are still a ticking time bomb
  • Eric Broockman Extreme Networks CTO Interview
  • Introducing the D-Link COBRA AC5300 Wave 2 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Modem Router and Triple Band Wi-Fi explained
  • VICHYPER - Australian Hyperloop Interview and Tour
  • Kaspersky Keynote and Press Conference - Sydney 2017
  • ZOTAC NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Australian Review
  • Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition (Codename: Broadwell-E) Processor Australian Review
  • ASUS ROG GX700 Liquid Cooled Gaming Laptop Video Preview and Analysis.
  • Video Tour - NitroWare experiences HP's new Australian Customer Experience Centre and Intel 6th Gen ‘Skylake’ PCs
  • Bose SoundTouch 2015 Wireless Speaker Preview
  • NVIDIA GeForce Experience Quarter 4 2015 Update Analysis
  • NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 980 Ti Australian Review - TITANic graphics performance for US $649
  • HP Zvr 23.6-inch Virtual Reality Display First Look
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X Video Card Australian Review
  • Battlefield Hardline - Developer Q&A with Visceral Games
  • The NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 960 REVIEW - EVGA SSC Edition
  • NVIDIA'S GEFORCE GTX 980 Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Tech Demo tested
  • Monster Cable Premium Black 27.7 Gbps high bandwidth HDMI 2.0 cable test
  • 4th Gen Intel Core "Devil's Canyon" Processor Family Preview
  • Seagate Business 4-Bay 16TB NAS Review
  • MSI Radeon R9 270X HAWK & GeForce GTX 760 HAWK Video Card Review
  • Adobe Photoshop CC and AMD Radeon GPU Smart Sharpen Benchmark using OpenCL
  • AMD Radeon R9 290X Video Card Review and Analysis
  • Never Settle: Forever game bundle: What you need to know and what AMD could have done differently.
  • Intel 4th Gen 'Haswell' real world gaming performance
  • An Evening with Battlefield 4
  • Intel 4th Gen Core i7-4770K 'Haswell' CPU Performance Review
  • Our experience with AMD's Never Settle Reloaded game bundle - Trouble with Ubisoft Uplay | Updated
  • Crucial MX500 1TB SATA Solid State Drive Review
  • ZOTAC NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Australian Review
  • Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition (Codename: Broadwell-E) Processor Australian Review
  • NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 980 Ti Australian Review - TITANic graphics performance for US $649
  • NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN X Video Card Australian Review
  • The NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 960 REVIEW - EVGA SSC Edition
  • NVIDIA'S GEFORCE GTX 980 Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Tech Demo tested
  • Monster Cable Premium Black 27.7 Gbps high bandwidth HDMI 2.0 cable test
  • Seagate Business 4-Bay 16TB NAS Review
  • MSI Radeon R9 270X HAWK & GeForce GTX 760 HAWK Video Card Review
  • Adobe Photoshop CC and AMD Radeon GPU Smart Sharpen Benchmark using OpenCL
  • AMD Radeon R9 290X Video Card Review and Analysis
  • Intel 4th Gen 'Haswell' real world gaming performance
  • Intel 4th Gen Core i7-4770K 'Haswell' CPU Performance Review
  • Our experience with AMD's Never Settle Reloaded game bundle - Trouble with Ubisoft Uplay | Updated
  • Huawei P30 Hands-On
  • Introducing the D-Link COBRA AC5300 Wave 2 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Modem Router and Triple Band Wi-Fi explained
  • ASUS ROG GX700 Liquid Cooled Gaming Laptop Video Preview and Analysis.
  • NVIDIA GeForce Experience Quarter 4 2015 Update Analysis
  • HP Zvr 23.6-inch Virtual Reality Display First Look
  • 4th Gen Intel Core "Devil's Canyon" Processor Family Preview
  • Intel 4th Gen Core Haswell CPU and Graphics Preview - See the future of PC graphics through Intel's Iris.
  • Cooler Master's Trigger keyboard might just be the perfect gamers keyboard
  • ZOTAC "Inner-Beauty" Small Form Factor PC Preview featuring Z77-ITX WiFI and GeForce GTX 680 AMP! Edition
  • Intel Desktop Board DX79TO Preview | Sandy Bridge-E performance on a budget
  • Gigabyte GZ-X1 Mid Tower ATX Computer Case Preview
  • Telstra Turbo 7 Series 3G Wireless Gateway - First Impressions
  • Lian-Li Tyr PC-X2000 HTPC/Gaming Chassis Preview
  • Intel’s flawed ‘Rangeley’ Atom C2000 processors are still a ticking time bomb
  • Never Settle: Forever game bundle: What you need to know and what AMD could have done differently.
  • Price Gouging – Australians pay up to twice as much for Microsoft Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade but not for Windows 8 than the US
  • Intel CPU Protection Plan for overclockers – Ploy or Promise ?
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  • Where did all my printer ink go? Part 1 - Brother
  • How to install Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows 7 using a LSI 3ware 9650SE RAID card
  • Issues with Realtek High Definition Audio device driver for Windows XP
  • The front audio ports on my PC do not work – why is this and how can I fix this?
  • How to create a dedicated Voice over IP headset for your PC - for free. Part 2.
  • How to create a dedicated Voice over IP headset for your PC - for free. Part 1.
  • Computer motherboard buyer guide - ECS X48T-A
  • Making the most of dual onboard Ethernet ports
  • How to fix IEEE 1394 FireWire Networking in Windows XP SP3
  • DivX 6.5 crashing fix
  • Eric Broockman Extreme Networks CTO Interview
  • VICHYPER - Australian Hyperloop Interview and Tour
  • Kaspersky Keynote and Press Conference - Sydney 2017
  • Video Tour - NitroWare experiences HP's new Australian Customer Experience Centre and Intel 6th Gen ‘Skylake’ PCs
  • Bose SoundTouch 2015 Wireless Speaker Preview
  • Battlefield Hardline - Developer Q&A with Visceral Games
  • An Evening with Battlefield 4
  • CeBIT Australia 2012 Preview
  • Trick or Treat – we bring you tech candy, err the latest Intel X79 Motherboards and other goodies
  • Netgear introduces fully open-source Wireless-N Gigabit Router | Cebit Australia 2009
  • Exclusive - Altec-Lansing shows off new speakers for 2009 at CeBIT Australia
  • CeBIT Australia 2008 | Mtron claims to have worlds fastest Solid State Drive
  • Sennheiser @ CeBIT Australia 2008
  • Plantronics and Altec Lansing @ CeBIT Australia 2008
  • Panasonic @ CeBIT Australia 2008

Affiliate News

Computex 2008 Event Coverage

Details
Written by: NitroWare.net Staff
Published: 23 June 2008

All of the Computex event coverage, news and analysis you are looking for at the one source.

Read more …

Thrustmaster RGT Force Feedback Pro Clutch Edition Racing Wheel Reviewed

Details
Written by: NitroWare.net Staff
Published: 18 April 2008

Enthusiasts of motor racing games whether they be for the PC or a games console all know for the best play experience a steering wheel is an essential peripheral.

Over the 1990s there were attempts at making these gaming devices more realistic and accurate such as  the Thrustmaster T2 wheel which used steel in its construction and the recent Momo Racing wheel from Logitech.

Quality steering wheels were quite expensive in the range of several hundred dollars (AUD) but with the onset of cheap gaming consoles peripheral vendors looked to simply their products to be more cost competitive and appeal to a wider audience by using more plastics and simplifying clamping mechanisms and pedals.  The overall reduction in the number of racing titles being released also had an effect on this segment.

A very heavy, bulky and expensive racing wheel will not be very appealing to casual gamers or to those wishing to buy a wheel as a gift for family or friends.

Racing wheel features that have been lacking since the 1990s have typically been related to gearbox shifters and pedals. Vendors address the actual wheels by adding paddles and control buttons and even in some instances realistic textures and surfaces for the wheel coverings for the premium wheels such as the Logitech momo, but it has not been until recently that shifters and clutch pedals have become desirable features especially when they complement the number of quality racing titles that are currently available in the market.

US based review site BenchmarkReviews.com has published a review of Thrustmaster's Force Feedback Pro Clutch racing wheel which includes a clutch pedal

The clutch pedal gives a more realistic and enjoyable experience to the gamer.

The review makes an honest and worthwhile attempt at highlighting the features , advantages and disadvantages of the product as well as comparing and contrasting the wheel to other makes and models. The reviewer has also including a family member's opinion and experience with the wheel.

The introduction to the review makes note of the decrease in the number of vendors vendors offering gaming steering wheels which are now down to two companies. This is not entirely correct.

The number of choices even ten or fifteen years ago was never that many.  Microsoft, Logitech, Dexxa, Saitek, Guillemot, Thrustmaster have all released various models of wheels over the years.

With consolidation in the industry, Thrustmaster became a Guillemot brand and now only offers gaming peripherals under the Thrustmaster brand, Dexxa is a Logitech brand and Saitek have somewhat lost their the market presence they once had.

The reviewer notes does note however that vendors have had to reinvent the wheel.  Note is also made that the pedals lack weight, a common trait and that the wheel does not have a 6 speed shifter, but rather a sequential shift that is carried over from other Thrustmaster wheels

Mountings, and PC Interface are also covered as is a varied selection of PC games used to test the wheel.

Mention is made to the Logitech G25 but not the Fanatec Porsche 911 wheel which has both a clutch pedal and a 6 speed H pattern shifter, which addresses the concerns of the reviewer regarding a 6 speed shift and clutch in the one unit.

In all a comprehensive review of the product and a good insight into gaming steering wheels in general

Source: http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=164&Itemid=1

Fanatec  Porsche 911 Steering wheel:  http://www.fanatec.de/html/index.php?id=210&lang=en

HP 2133 Mini-Note reviewed - A competitor to the ASUS Eee PC in the emerging ultra mobile portable segment

Details
Written by: NitroWare.net Staff
Published: 11 April 2008

Popular portable computer review site Notebookreviews.com has reviewed the a new offering from HP in the UMPC (Ultra Mobile Portable Computing) segment, namely the HP 2133 Mini-Note.

The configuration of the VIA based pre-production sample reviewed by the outlet surpasses the specification of the similar ASUS Eee PC on all fronts except overall computing performance, where the Mini-Note is let down by its CPU.

The review's benchmarking indicates that the Mini-Note's S3 DirectX Graphics solution is able to run 3DMark, which the ASUS Eee is unable to due to its Intel GMA graphics solution. However, the performance of the Mini-Note's Graphics solution with a 3DMark06score of only 98 is unsuitable for modern 3D gaming.

Typical mainstream desktop or mobile graphics solution with DirectX 9 support from 2005 through to 2008 may score around 1000 points in the 3DMark06 benchmark.

This particular review includes images of the unit's main board and a video overview of the device.

The site claims the Mini-Note can be specified with either with a traditional hard disk, a Solid State Drive or a Flash module. In comparison the ASUS Eee contains a Flash disk rather than a SSD. We note that these two storage technologies may share similar components they differ in functionality and performance. An SSD is designed for constant use with regard to performance where as a flash disk is designed for casual use.

This review covers the value for money aspect of the unit's price point compared to other portable computers and highlights various issues with the unit such as the glossy screen coating and the performance of the computer as well as thermals and acoustics.

The included feature of 'integrated stereo microphones' is an interesting one and is something that has been touted for desktop use by audio component vendors but has not really caught on.

We were quite impressed by the feature list for this computer especially on the connectivity (Gigabit Ethernet for instance), storage and multimedia fronts but, as the review indicates it is somewhat let down by its computing power.

The review is recommended reading for those who are interested in Notebooks, portable computing, general technology interest or those seeking a functional portable computer for uses  where size is an issue.

Source : http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4352

RAID performance of Samsung 320GB and 500GB Hard Disks Patched

Details
Written by: NitroWare.net Staff
Published: 10 April 2008

French Drivers site station-drivers.com reports that DELL has issued a patch for the following popular Samsung SATA Hard Disk Drives:

Samsung HD321KJ ( 320GB ) and Samsung HD501LJ ( 500GB )

The patch resolves an issue when these drives are used in RAID configurations and an error message 'RAID Degraded' is displayed by the RAID solution.

The firmware updates bring the drive firmware up to Version CP100-13 for the Samsung HD321KJ (320GB) and Version CR100-13 for the Samsung HD501LJ (500GB).

Full details of the patch including release notes, requirements and download links are avalible from DELL

http://search.dell.com/results.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&cat=sup&rpp=12&p=1&subcat=dyd%2F1002&rf=all&nk=t&sort=K&nf=19222~7~141326&navla=19222~7~141326&ira=False&~srd=False&ipsys=False&advsrch=False&~ck=anav

Source (In French):

http://www.station-drivers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8468#8468

Editor's Note :
HDD firmware updates are typically an uncommon occurence and fix items such as raid performance, mainboard/chipset compatiblity or reliability updates. Firmware updates are also only usually avalible via large OEMs and while intended for drives supplied and installed by themselves in their branded systems, these patches can and do work on drives obtained through other channels such as distribution or retail.
In this particular instance, these patches are release by DELL intended for drives supplied by them in their systems. OEM drives from time to time may ship with different firmware versions than what is avalible via other channels.
Users should only contemplate patching their drives only if they are expercing issues that the patch is intended for, and should verify that all appropiate numbers for HDD model, version, Firmware family and version match and correspond. HDD firmware updates are usually an irreverisbile process and unofficial firmware updates, especially those not aimed directly at end users such as those distributed by OEMs will validate product warranty.
NitroWare.net has in confirmed that general firmware updates for Seagate and IBM HDDs issued by HP and Lennovo work correctly on non OEM distribution drives, but we stress caution.
NitroWare.net notes that the linked site is typicaly a reliable source of information
 

How to modify registers on the VIA KT266 chipset

Details
Written by: Dominic Sharoo
Published: 06 March 2002

Mods4Me have revealed a method to enable hidden features and functionality on popular system chipsets such as those from VIA Technologies. Many of these features are not implemented by manufacturers who produce mainboards based on such chipsets due to marketing, product placement or R+D costs.

This article details how one is able to enable such features as asynchronos clocks signals, which allows the memory clockspeed to run at a higher rate than the CPU front side bus,allowing for the use of higher speed memory and greater bandwidth. The VIA KT266 chipset is used as a test subject and Mods4Me claim aysnc memory clock is the only new feature in VIA's new KT333 chipset for the AMD processors.

NitroWare.net warns readers that modifying such system paramaters can cause a system to freeze or risk data integrity. Such modifications are only recommended for power users or enthusiasts who are aware of the consequence and meaning of the action they are performing and have backups of critical files.

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