Thread: Anandtech News

There's an age-old battle between form and function. Some users will give up performance and features for a devices that looks cool, while for others the benchmarks are all that really matters. The ASUS U33Jc doesn't totally eschew function, with plenty of high-end features, but it does pay more than lip service to aesthetics by placing bamboo surfaces on the top panel and palm rest. The result is a unique look with an organic vibe that is sure to turn a few heads.



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Intel has been talking about using optical interfaces in computing for years. So much so, that silicon photonics sessions at IDF became a regular stop on our coverage tour each year. The demos were always showcasing something too far out in the development cycle to get immediately excited about however. The first time we met Intel’s hybrid laser in silicon was 2006, and even then we were told that it’d be years before we’d see it productized.



Four years later, and we’re seeing Intel make good on its promises of delivering the technology necessary to put together real products.



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For the launch of the first GF100-based video cards – the GTX 480 and GTX 470 – NVIDIA sent over a 3 card reviewer’s kit containing two GTX 480s and a single GTX 470. This allowed us to do SLI testing with the GTX 480 (a money-is-no-object setup) but not with NVIDIA’s significantly cheaper GTX 470. As part of a comprehensive SLI & CrossFire guide we’re working on for next month we needed a second GTX 470 for testing GTX 470 SLI operation, and MSI answered our call with their N470GTX.



Today we’ll be taking a look at MSI’s GTX 470. We’ll also be taking a sneak-peek of our forthcoming SLI/CF guide with a look at GTX 470 SLI performance.



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If you’re on the lookout for a GTX460, you had two choices – the 768MB versions, or the 1GB variants. From our recent review, the 1GB versions, due to their increased memory bus width, outperformed the 768MB versions by quite a few percentage points. This is also reflected in the price of the 1GB 460 over the 768MB 460. So now Gainward are adding to the mix, with a 2GB GTX 460 model.

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Water cooling is typically seen for an enthusiast, requiring pumps, reservoirs, tubing, know-how, and a cautious mind not to spill water all over your precious components. The benefits of water cooling are obvious to many – having your system run cooler, better stability at higher overclocks, and aesthetics. Lower down the order of the water cooling, manufacturers like CoolerMaster, Corsair and Coolit have over the years come to the market with all-in-one solutions, requiring little knowledge to reap water cooling benefits. These early models were readily slated in reviews, for being more expensive than high-end air cooling, yet performing worse. It wasn’t until the Corsair H50 and H50-1 models came along that these all-in-one water coolers were taken seriously, because here was a product that performed as good as a high end air cooler, in certain situations quieter, could easily fit in many cases, and only for a small premium. So now Corsair is due to release the next model in their line – the Corsair H70.

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AMD's Athlon II Neo and Turion II Neo processors are starting to trickle into the marketplace, but that doesn't mean the old school Athlon Neo and Turion Neo are magically turning into pumpkins. If the Atom's anemic performance and mediocre integrated graphics aren't cutting it for you, MSI has an inexpensive alternative that can fit the bill in the form of their 12.1" Wind U230 subnotebook.



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Recently, AVADirect launched two new 3D gaming notebooks. The Clevo W860CU 3D and ASUS G51JX-3D both use NVIDIA’s 3D Vision technology to make the most of the increasing amount of 3D content available and promise to make the most of existing 2D media. Both models include active shutter glasses, which coupled with the 3D compatible screens will give the full stereoscopic 3D experience. As usual with AVADirect products, both notebooks are highly customizable to suit buyers' needs and budgets.



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Just shy of 9 months after the FTC’s lawsuit began, Intel’s conflicts are starting to come to an end. Intel and the FTC have reached a settlement ahead of what would have been next month’s court hearing. With this settlement the FTC is agreeing to drop the case in return for a series of prohibitions and requirements placed upon Intel to maintain and enhance the competitive environment in the CPU and GPU markets. Today we'll be taking a look at just what the terms of the settlement are, what the FTC did and didn't get, and how - if at all - this settlement affects the average compter buyer.

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A competitive gamer loves being at the cutting edge. Every piece of hardware needs to be meticulously set to his or her specifications and customisations – being hindered by substandard equipment is not an option. For a number of years, Logitech have played a role in this field, trying to give the gamer what they want – assuming money is no object, of course. Today they have announced a triumvirate of a new headset, new mouse and new keyboard to add to any prospective warrior’s arsenal, if your wallet stretches that far.

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Reviewing the Dell Studio XPS 7100 recently seemed like a reasonable enough move: we felt it was competitive with rolling your own machine at that price, or at least an excellent alternative to building one for friends or family and fielding their tech support questions. But what can you get at a much lower price? Acer has certainly produced solid bargains in the notebook space, but how do they fare in the desktop space? We review their M3400 tower to find out.

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