Reviewed by Marcus ‘The Sloth’ Maximus – Hardware Editor for The Game Druid

Let’s get right to the review without mincing words. You’re wondering why we’re reviewing this card now since it’s been out for the last 5 odd months? Because I’m The Sloth; and I’ll do whatever I damn please – when I want and where I want.

Sorry…I digress. Anyway…on to the review.

First and foremost – If you’re looking for a card to run on your piss poor, sub-par full HD and by Full HD I mean 1080p, no…1050 is NOT full HD or not almost full HD; and beyond…you shouldn’t even consider this card. Also if you’re thinking that you’ll be cool by getting this card and get laid more often…you probably wont. But you will have bragging rights…Not for getting laid. Get your mind out of the gutter!

again….I digress.

So yeah, Full HD and beyond – with multiple monitors and cash to blow – this card is for you. $700+ you’re not going to regret it. I did some checking and in India (for all my Indian fans) this is about INR 34,000 – 38,000. Yeah. It’s expensive.

Following closely on the AMD Radeon 6990, the GTX 590 comprises two modified GPUs – in this case the GTX 580– soldered onto a real slab of a circuit board. Nvidia has tweaked clock speeds to fit: the 772MHz cores have been reined in to 607MHz, the 1,544MHz shader clock to 1,224MHz, and the combined 3GB of GDDR5 memory from 4,008MHz to 3,420MHz. Nvidia has retained its familiar stream processor architecture, with 32 clusters across both cores, each containing 32 stream processors. It’s a proven system but, when stacked against the HD 6990, sounds relatively weak: AMD’s card contains 3,072 stream processors alongside 5.2 billion transistors, with the GTX 590 offering 1,024 processors and “just” 3 billion transistors.

According to various benchmarks – The Nvidia card lagged slightly behind in the less demanding benchmarks. An average of 60fps in a 1,920 x 1,080 Very High quality Crysis test with 8x anti-aliasing is 3fps slower than the HD 6990, and this pattern was repeated in the equivalent Just Cause 2 test, where the Nvidia card scored 90fps to the AMD chip’s 96fps.

But when we really cranked up the settings to enthusiast levels – aided by a triple-monitor setup with a resolution of 5,760 x 1,080 – the GTX 590 showed its strength. It averaged a playable 32fps in the Very High Crysis benchmark at this extreme resolution; the HD 6990 managed 30fps. Adding 8x anti-aliasing widened the gap: the GTX 590’s 23fps average was a massive 10fps quicker than the struggling HD 6990.

Reviewed by Marcus the Sloth – Hardware Editor – The Game Druid.

Just released into the retail space from ASUS, sporting one of AMD’s latest 9-series chipsets, the M5A99X EVO is a mainstream-oriented full-size ATX product equipped with the new AMD 990X chipset. With AMD set to release a slew of new CPUs and APUs in the near future, the ASUS M5A99X EVO’s release is a pre-emptive strike, allowing users an easy incremental upgrade using their current AM3 CPUs, so their systems are ready and waiting for the upcoming AMD AM3+ CPU/APU launch

This chipset also comes without integrated graphics support. We have come to expect this from the more enthusiast line of boards. AMD has realized that most of those that will be purchasing this type of product will be installing their own discrete graphics solution to maximize their performance. One of the major benefits of the new chipset it its support for both NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire. As far as the rest of the chipset goes the 990X is similar in just about every other way to the 990FX.

Expected Price Range is about $150 or about INR 7000, but is likely to cost close to INR 12,000.

Quick view of the benefits:

• Packed with added features not seen on some other products in the same price range
• Clean, color-themed and traditional layout
• EFI bios with support for 3TB+ drives
• Fully functional UEFI BIOS, including screen capture and mouse support
• VRM capable of 275W, near double AMD CPU TDPs.
• Fully functional software package offers everything available in BIOS for overclocking, and a bit more
• First AMD chipset to support SLI

On the downside:

• Lack of an included accessory to make use of the USB 3.0 front panel header, and only four SATA cables in the box.
• Crossfire limited to x8/x8 connectivity
• Under-performing USB 3.0 controller

Final comments:

With the price that Asus is currently asking this board really stands out. It has quite a laundry list of features that will appeal to a wide range of users.

In terms of value this board is quite amazing. It comes in at a price that makes it very affordable and its performance really makes it quite a value. It’s a very nice looking board that will compliment most cases and the layout will make installing it pretty straight forward. There isn’t anything that’s in an odd or awkward spot. All the connectors are easily accessible and the area around the socket will allow you to use just about any cooler that you want.

What I really liked about this board was how easy it was to navigate the BIOS. This is one of the first times that I’ve worked with a GUI based BIOS and I really liked it. My current board doesn’t have this feature but I really wish it did. The ability to use either the EZ Mode or the Advanced Mode is a really nice feature. It makes setting up your BIOS almost a no-brainer. This is something I would definitely like to see more of from other manufacturers.

This board feels really well made and comes with all the connectors and expansion options that you could want. There has been lots of debate about x8 versus x16 graphics card expansion slots. Most of them conclude that the extra bandwidth makes very little difference if any. I tend to agree with this position. When you take into account all of the other features of this board this one drawback really doesn’t make a lot of difference.

Do note that running this with an Phenom II processor, which is fairly dated technology will not give you the results that you’re looking for. Hence waiting to pick this up with the slew of the new AM3+ processors makes more sense. However it’s still a solid performer on all grounds. Overall, we at The Game Druid highly recommend this if you’re looking for an AMD build.

Here’s a look at the specifications of the Asus M5 A99X EVO Motherboard

Want a graphics card that delivers pure media acceleration without giving 2 cents to gaming? Then you’re prayers have been answered thanks to the ATI Radeon 5450. Here’s the low down:

For $50 (~INR 2500) – You get a DX 11 card, with Eyefinity, UVD2 and HDMI support! To add to it… It’s built on a 40nm die, with a core clock speed of 650MHz and only 80 stream processors. What does this mean? It’s a tiny card, passive cooled, media powerhouse. It has just 12 gigs of memory bandwidth, but 104 GFLOPS of compute performance! Most of the latest onboard graphics cards rate at 40 to 50 GFLOPS – do the math.

Here are the specs:

Here’s what the card looks like:

Here’s a little snippet from the Legit Reviews guys:

Adding the Radeon HD 5450 to the test system (AMD X2) added about 7W to the idle numbers, but actually saved 14W of power during movie playback since it didn’t use as much of the CPU during Blu-ray playback.

The bottom Line:

The ATI Radeon HD 5450 might be the best HTPC graphics card ever made. For less then $60 – you get flawless blu-ray playback with DTS-HD Master Audio bitstreaming!

Once upon a time I thought it was very cool to have 5-6 remotes laying around the table. It probably showed that you had SO many cool devices!! We had remotes for VCRs, VCD players, DVD players, Hi-Fi decks, Gaming consoles and guess what? Before you knew it, you were sitting on your couch and fumbling around with what remote turns on what device!! If you had all of them the same brand, you were liable to be even more confused!! I can tell you the number of times my mom’s had a fit over pressing a button and some weird thing gets turned on. Well I’ve seen a lot of all in one remotes, but they don’t get the job done very well – they’ve been aound for over a decade now…but now comes along a revolutionaly product which will solve all that!

Enter the Yamaha neoHD remote! The all in one solution with a neat on screen interface to give you complete control! It great having one single remote…think of the time you’ll save, the frustration you’ll avoid, not to mention the number of batteries!!
Which over model you choose – the Media controller, the WiFi Media controller or the 2.1 system, you will not be disappointed and freedom is all yours! Now for the best part – you can win your very own Yamaha neoHDsystem just by entering the Yamaha neoHD Sweepstakes !! Its so simple! All you need to do is either of the two:
1.    Tweeting: “I just entered to win a #neoHD b/c I have too many remotes, visit (blog.izea.com)
2.    Or just go to blog.izea.com

So here’s an amazing chance for you to win!! Why don’t you also leave a comment on why you want you want and let me know if you’re entering the contest!! Also look up Yamaha neoHD on facebook!
See you in the contest..hope you win!!

Getting straight to the point…The new PS3 slim measures 33 percent smaller, 36 percent lighter and consumes 34 percent less power. It’ll also pack a 120 GB hard drive as a middle ground between the current 80 GB and  the 160 GB SKU. The 120 GB size will also put it head-to-head with the Xbox 360 Elite.

Besides the new hardware, perhaps the biggest news is that the PS3 Slim will also bring with it a much slimmer price tag of $299, or 299 Euros, or 29980 yen.

For those of you who’ve been on the fence about buying a PS3, does this new hardware and price do it for you? Also note, that the new PS3 Slim is no longer PS2 backward compatible.

The China Times today reports that we’ll see the long-rumored Apple tablet sometime in October for around $800. Right now, there’s little information on hand that we didn’t already know.

Previous rumors said that the tablet would be a touchscreen media player, something to fill the gap between an iPod touch or an iPhone and a Macbook. Back in April Piper Jaffray analyst Gene said the device would cost between $500 and $700, sport a 7″-10″ screen and launch in 2010, as opposed to the WWDC date some people assumed.

The report in the China Times is generally more of the same but with a closer launch date. Like we already knew, Wintek, Foxconn and Dynapack are rumored to have received direct orders from Apple for parts. The China Times reports that we’re looking at a 9.7″ tablet and that, surprise surprise, Apple will not target low-end customers with the device.

An update to the article says that Foxconn, Wintek and Dynapack refused to corroborate the information in the China Time report, saying their company policies prohibit public disclosure of client information.

Check out the translation here or the original report here.

Though Sony’s E3 Press Conference isn’t until 11:00 a.m. on June 2, one of its centerpieces appears to have been prematurely exposed. A YouTube video of what appears to be the next issue of the PlayStation-focused video magazine Qore has revealed that Sony will use its event to unveil a new PSP model, the PSP Go.

As had been widely rumored, the PSP Go will have a sliding form factor like the Mylo, Sony’s ill-fated Internet communicator device. The new handheld–which does not sport a second thumbstick–is shown several times in the video, which features Qore host Veronica Belmont and John Koller, director of hardware marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America. According to Koller, the main differences between the PSP Go and the PSP-3000 are “on-board memory, the flash memory, and 16 gigs of space. There’s Bluetooth on board as well, so you can use a Bluetooth headset, and you can actually tether it to your cell phone as well. But ultimately, it’s the portability. Since you can bring all that content with you in a smaller form factor, you’ve got the most immersive games to play, and now you’ve got a smaller unit to do it with.”

Koller also said the emphasis will be on downloadable games. “Little Big Planet, Jak & Daxter, and even a new Metal Gear Solid coming–all of those games will be available. So will all the first-run movies you can rent or buy on the PlayStation Network. So you can bring so much content over with you and fill up that 16 gig of flash memory.” (Emphasis added.) The new MGS PSP game was previously hinted at in a Web post by the Japanese arm of the 7/11 convenience store chain.

Koller also appears to reveal that the long-lost PSP Gran Turismo Mobile game–first shown off in 2004–will resurface at next week’s expo. “There are games like Gran Turismo being announced at E3,” said the executive.

Host Belmont then asks, “So since it’s called the PSP Go, I would image it will work with Remote Play as well.” Koller responds with the following blanket statement: “Integration with the PS3 is very important, and it works just like the PSP-3000. A lot of people like to be able to take their PS3 content with them on the go.”

As for the PSP Go supplanting its predecessor, Koller said flatly: “It won’t replace the PSP-3000. We’re going to keep them both on the market.” Koller did not mention a price, release date, or whether or not it would have a touchscreen when closed. Sony Computer Entertainment America reps had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

[UPDATE] A second video from Qore shows the PSP Go in even greater detail, and also reveals its logo. The handheld will have a 3.8 inch screen–versus the PSP-3000′s 4.3-inch screen–and will be 43 percent lighter than the original, and will have “all digital content,” according to Koller. “The UMD drive goes away…and it has a Memory Stick Micro, so you can add memory to it if you like…It will be something the digitally savvy consumer can really enjoy,” he explains, before revealing some new PSP games will be download-only.

The full YouTube video is below, although the sound and images are out of sync. It appears to also show a version of the original Warhawk for the PSP:

Yes, you’re reading it right!! 8 Ghz!! Out of CPU-Z’s top 20 list of highest clocked CPUs, Celeron chips — most of them of the Celeron 347 variety — occupy 12 spots, or 60 percent of the list. And recently setting a new record for the No. 2 spot, Belgian overclocker ‘Blind’ from Madshrimps pushed his Celeron 352 chip (Cedarmill core) to 8.116GHz.

In order to ramp up that high, Blind used the Dragon F1 Extreme Edition LN2 cooler with gum filling the gaps around the socket to prevent condensation. It took nearly 1.9V to coax the Celeron past 8GHz, well above its stock 1.3V rating.

I’m not sure how much use will 8ghz be for daily use..but it sure is sweet to see that number!

oh and here’s the link the guys who made it. click here

The latest and greatest hand held is here!! The Nintendo DSi is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS hand held developed and manufactured by Nintendo.It was released in Japan on November 1, 2008 and is scheduled for release in Australia on April 2, 2009, Europe on April 3, 2009 and North America on April 5, 2009. The character “i” in DSi is symbolic of its two cameras representing an “eye” and also the subject “I” and its personal individuality.The console’s official slogan is “What will you and i do?”.

The Nintendo DSi is about 12% thinner (2.6 mm) than the Nintendo DS Lite, but slightly longer. The new handheld has two VGA (0.3 megapixel) digital cameras; one on the internal hinge pointed towards the user and the second one in the outer shell. It also has larger screens (3.25 inches, instead of the previous 3 inches) and improved speakers.Yui Ehara, the designer of DSi’s outer shell, wanted to keep the unit “neat” and “simple” with its new features. The power switch has been replaced with a power button, as the original DS had, now located next to the bottom left side of the touchscreen. For DS software its power button also serves as a soft reset to return to the main menu. While for DSi software, Kentaro Mita who is responsible for relaying ideas from the company to the team commented “you can move around, return to the menu, or play a different game, without shutting down the power every time”. Once at the main menu, DS cards can be hotswapped. The DSi has a matte surface to prevent fingerprints from showing up, as opposed to the glossier finish the DS Lite has. The speaker apertures were altered due to the redundancy of circular perforations on its shell and since the change can be noticeable while keeping the unit neat. Ehara pushed for this alteration to also make consumers see more of a distinction between the DSi and its predecessors.Excluding North America, Nintendo will release the handheld in both matte black and matte white. Japan received pink, lime green and metallic blue colors on March 20, 2009.

The DSi has five brightness settings compared to the DS Lite’s four; however, battery life is reduced to 9–14 hours on the lowest brightness setting compared to the 15–19 hours of its predecessor.The unit uses a 840mAh battery compared to 1000mAh for the DS Lite.

Nintendo stated that to improve portability without sacrificing durability, the front slot for Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridges has been removed. As a result, the unit has lost its backward compatibility with GBA Game Paks[34] and its compatibility with accessories that require the GBA slot, such as the Nintendo DS Rumble Pak, as well as the Guitar Hero: On Tour and Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades grip, which is required to play those games.

Technical specifications

Nintendo has released few technical details regarding the DSi system. Nintendo has also improved some of the DSi’s hardware (compared to the DS Lite), such as the main CPU and the RAM.

* CPUs: The main CPU is an ARM processor clocked at 133 MHz.
* RAM: 16 MB of RAM (four times more than previous models)
* Storage: 256 MB of internal Flash memory (Also has SD/SDHC card expansion slot)
* Wireless: 802.11 internal wireless connectivity

The downside?

Can Nintendo do anything wrong? Just the 1 thing  – No MP3 playback. DOH!

Check out the Nintendo DSi Gallery:

The Logictech PS3 Harmony remote adaptor

Now’s a great change to get super lazy and in harmony too. Ok that was lame…but if you’re sick of your PlayStation 3 being the odd appliance out in your swanky home theater setup, take heart. Logitech has revealed that they intend to release an adapter for the PlayStation 3 that’ll allow the system to become compatible with their Harmony line of programmable universal remotes.

Using the adapter, the PS3 will act like any other compatible device with any Harmony remote, allowing you to control Blu-ray and DVD movie playback, and power the console on and off along with all your other compatible components, like a television and audio receiver.

Exact details of the adapter are scarce, although the blog post does mention it’ll be wireless, as it won’t require the use of “any of your valuable USB ports.” It also promises pricing and availability information will be released “very soon,” so we’ll keep our eyes peeled.