S3 Graphics, a struggling developer of graphics processing units (GPUs) and a subsidiary of Via Technologies, reportedly plans to release a lineup of DirectX 10-compatible Chrome 4 graphics chips by the end of the year. The move will allow it to revive sales of its graphics cards, but will hardly return S3 back into the global market of discrete graphics cards.
The new S3 Graphics Chrome 4 lineup will consist of two chips: the Chrome 460, which is projected to be made using 90nm process technology and is fully compatible with DirectX 10, as well as the Chrome 430, which is expected to be manufactured using 65nm fabrication technology and is clamed to support DirectX 10.1 specification. The new chips will feature native support for HDMI connector as well as HDCP technology and will use PCI Express 1.0 interface.
Both chips will be manufactured by Fujitsu and have already entered the design verification test stage. Volume production is expected to start before the end of the year, reports DigiTimes web-site.
The new chips from S3 Graphics in nearly two years will be aimed at mainstream and entry-level markets, which means that S3 will not compete for high-performance market this round as well, meaning the lack of “halo” effect and lackluster welcome by the market.
Considering that both Advanced Micro Devices and Nvidia Corp. are pretty aggressive in terms of releasing new graphics products, even if S3 succeeds in creating chips competitive against contemporary ATI Radeon HD 2600/2400 and Nvidia GeForce 8600/8500/8400, it will not enjoy its victory for long, as both leading GPU designers update their product lineups once every six months. Nevertheless, it still makes sense for S3 Graphics to proceed with discrete GPU development because its parent company Via Technologies needs graphics cores to integrate into its chipsets.
In order to somewhat revitalize sales of its discrete GPUs, S3 and Via will pair S3’s Chrome 4 chips with Via’s microprocessors and chipsets, creating inexpensive low-power multimedia platforms for cost-efficient computers.
Source: www.xbitlabs.com
Samsung Electronics America has announced the Q1U-SSDXP, Q1U-XP and Q1U-ELXP, the three new additions to its Q1 Ultra ultra-mobile PC lineup. All of the new models feature Microsoft Windows XP Tablet Edition operating system, while the main innovation in the Q1U UMPC series is a solid state drive in the Q1U-SSDXP.
With its 32GB Flash memory based SSD and a 800MHz Intel Ultra Mobile A110 processor, the higher-end Q1U-SSDXP UMPC is priced at $1649. The Q1U-XP comes with a 800MHz A110 processor and a 60GB standard hard drive, and has a $1149 price tag. The most affordable among the three new Q1U computers is the Q1U-ELXP, which runs a 600MHz A100 processor and features a 40GB HDD. It is priced at $999.
Samsung’s Q1 Ultra UMPC, based on Intel’s Ultra Mobile Platform 2007, has been officially announced in May. Every Q1U model features a 7-inch 1024×600 touch-screen display, an integrated split-QWERTY keypad, 1GB of DDR2 memory, and the integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950, as well as 802.11b/g wireless, Ethernet LAN and Bluetooth connections.
The Q1 Ultra UMPCs weigh around 1.5lbs each and are claimed to have a battery life of up to 4.5 hours.
Gametrailers has the first part two of a series of high definition developer walkthroughs (104MB) of Unreal Tournament 3. The demonstrations were made at the Leipzig Games Convention, and show a lot of cool stuff. The first part focuses on a VCTF map called Necropolis and gives you a preview of some weapons and vehicles. Enjoy!
Gametrailers has the second part of a series of high definition developer walkthroughs (124MB) of Unreal Tournament 3. The demonstrations were made at the Leipzig Games Convention, and show a lot of cool stuff. The second part switches the action from vehicle CTF on the PS3 to Warfare on the PC.
Intel will release a special version of the X38 chipset called X48 and this new old chipset will simply be the faster iteration of X38. This chipset is described as an overclockers dream and will be shipped to selected partners only.
Tier one the usual suspect including Asus will be among first to get them. These boards will be the top of the iceberg and they will be the best of the best, and so will the chipset.
It will be interesting to get our hands on it as X38 / X48 motherboard will leave all P35 boards sitting in the dust.
Source: www.fudzilla.com
The third chapter in the Halo series has been sent to manufacturing, and should hit the shelves on September 25th.
Halo 3 has set new records and hone gold with over one million pre-sales in North America. Bungie Studios and Microsoft Game Studio certainly have something to celebrate since Microsoft is aiming to go over $155 million for day one of sales. Just for the record, according to Microsoft Halo 2 for Xbox earned $125 million on its first day.
This is definitely one of the most anticipated titles that should come this September. If you take a closer look at the release date you can see that Crysis demo is coming out on the same date. A lot of gamers will be tied up playing Halo 3, but Crysis demo will be hanging there.
Halo 3 should be on of the best titles this year, so you should make sure not to miss it. Based on the banners we’ve see at taxis in Leipzig we believe that the European version will come a day later, on the 26th.
Order: Halo 3 Halo 3 Limited Edition Halo 3 Legendary Edition
Source: www.fudzilla.com
Electronic Arts has announced that the new addition to the Need for Speed brand will be available on October 31st in North America and November 1st in Europe.
The new ProStreet will allow the player to fully customize the entire car, including the heart that is under the hood and not just the paint job and stickers. There will be four game modes called the grip, drag, drift and speed challange, so this means that there is nothing new there. Let’s not forget the Autosculpt technology that will have a direct impact on your car’s performance. If you crash, you drive slower.
LAST WEEK in Leipzig my kit was nicked, but before that happened we asked AMD if it would let us run memory benchmark scores on a system there. The reps gave us the company line and declined, so we decided to disclose the benchmark scores of our own K10 benchmarking here and now.
If you were wondering why AMD was hiding the scores of K10 so secretly, there were two reasons. The first might be that the CPU sucks badly and after AMD comes out, Intel’s lads can start celebrating the death of AMD. On the other hand, there the was clear and present danger of the K10 significantly beating not just the current Conroe/Kentsfield generation, but easily out besting Wolfdale/Yorkfield. This statement warrants at least three hatemails from Intel’s R&D lads, but all that we will disclose here are results we have in our possession. The pics are gone with my stolen laptop, though.
The particular piece of equipment that was briefly in our possession allowed us to run 3DMark06, the most important to overclockers worldwide, and Everest 4.0, our favourite memory benchmark. Read the rest of this entry »
We received a whole bunch of press photos for Nokia’s announcement in London tomorrow, and decided to share with you. Supposedly there would be five phones all focused on entertainment. The N81 gaming phone, N95 music edition with 8GB memory built in, and XpressMusic series 5700, 5610 and 5310.
Catch the jump to see them all. Read the rest of this entry »
With the announcement of the demo that will be released on September 25th, Crytek has released a new trailer. The new trailer is called “Nanosuit trailer”.
The trailer shows how does the Nanosuit function, and what can you do with it. Words can’t describe the quality of the trailer, and excitement that it produces.
We are still wondering what is the “huge surprise from Crytek” that will come along with the first level in the demo. You can download the trailer at inCrysis, and you can watch it here:
According to a story on Digitimes, Asus and Gigabyte are just about ready to start shipping RD790 boards and both companies are more or less just waiting for the go-ahead from AMD.
Both companies have DVT samples ready and have already shipped several boards to their respective customers for evalutation.
Volume production should kick in over the next couple of weeks and if all goes well, there should be plenty boards ready in time for the launch for once.
Initial boards will feature the SB600 southbridge, but come November this should be replaced by the SB700. RD790 boards are expected to retail in excess of US$100.
