Cellar_Dweller writes: Well it looks like PNY is offering two different versions of the GeForce FX card. One is priced at 399.00 and the other at 329.00. Both cards can be ordered at CompUSA. The pre-order for the cheaper card just went up today. They have since taken down the more expensive card pre-order from the PNY site. I of course ordered the more expensive one and should receive before the end of the month, expected date was March 4. The cheaper card states expected April 1.

We all know that new cards from ATI are coming soon. We don't know when exactly, but rumors suggest CeBIT event will be used to launch some of these new cards. We all know the code-names so far: RV280 for a low end 8x AGP card, RV350 for the mainstream market and R350 for the high-end market.

The recently launched Catalyst 3.1 driver update now tells us what these code-name chips will likely to be called when the final products arrive. This is as follows:

RV280 is likely to be called Radeon 9200. This card will appear in both Pro and Non-Pro versions. RV350 is likely to be called Radeon 9600, and there is no mention of Pro or Non-Pro versions in the drivers (at this time). R350 is likely to be called Radeon 9800 (not 9900 as recent rumors suggest) and again there's no mention in the drivers at this time of Pro or Non-Pro versions of this chipset.

That is all the drivers revealed so far, and you can confirm this information above by opening up any of the key ATI driver files (eg. ati2mtag.sys) with any text or hex editor.

February 17, 2002 --- SiS (Silicon Integrated Systems Corp) announced the first Xabre600 graphics chipset solution with VIVO functionality. Xabre600 incorporates the Bt835 multimedia chipset from Conexant Systems Inc., which enables advanced video-in capability. SiS and Conexant worked jointly to develop this solution.

A picture is making its round today. Darkcrow.co.kr also has posted this board photo of ATI's R350 (red) and RV350 (green) graphics boards. What do you think? Rancho*: Guess they are fake. But you never know...

Just spotted this @ Reactor Critical.com:

We managed to get the latest version of Nvidia's Detonator drivers, 42.68, that is now available over here for your pleasure.

An interesting fact I noticed in the *.inf file is that NV31 and NV34 chips are supported by the driver. It means that both have already been taped out and now are being tested at Nvidia's labs. That is a Great news, I believe. For more info, hit the above link.

I just spotted this @ Pcpro.co.uk:

Microsoft is set to unveil a cut-down version of its Xbox console at this year's E3 event in the US, according to numerous well placed industry sources. The new version of the hardware is thought to be more akin to Sony's PlayStation 2 console in size, boasting flatter casing, ideal for stacking.

Just a quick note to let you know that Komplett.co.uk are listing the AMD Barton processors....I got say that the AMD Athlon XP2500+ looks good @ 132 pounds and with abit nforce2 NF7-S mainboard @ 90 pounds you have yourselve a great kick ass PC for 222 pounds! They should have them in stock next week.

XP3000+ 2.167 GHz 333 MHz bus Socket A (Barton) processor @ GBP 450.10 inc.VAT

XP2800+ 1.833 GHz 333 MHz bus Socket A (Barton) processor @ GBP 287.13 inc. VAT

XP2500+ 1.833 GHz 333 MHz bus Socket A (Barton) processor @ GBP 132.04 inc. VAT

Western Digital zeigt auf der CeBIT 2003 Festplatten mit 80 GB pro Platter / Neues WD-Caviar-Laufwerk mit 250 GB Kapazität für höchste Ansprüche ...

Mit neuen Festplatten der Enterprise-Klasse können Unternehmen ihren ständig wachsenden Speicherbedarf auch in Zeiten knapper IT-Budgets erfüllen ...

Today AVM Germany introduced the new internal PCI card DSL modem FRITZCard! DSL SL the successor to the famous FRITZCard! DSL. The SL version is nearly identical though stripped of ISDN support and featuring new signal enhancing IC's. The new product is directly connected to the signal splitter of your phone line and can also convince by its very low power consumption of 3 watt when in operational state. Truly innovative though is the new Traffic Shaping technology implemented in the latest versions of the modems drivers and FRITZDSL! software suite. Traffic Shaping is an algorithm that allows full up-and download speeds when a bi-directional transfer (e.G. downloading a file and sending Email) is taking place simultaneously. Traffic Shaping can also be activated on older FRITZCard! DSL versions by downloading and installing the new software releases. Read more... or the german version of this article over here.

VR-Zone has some information about the upcoming ABIT BH7 board made for the overclockers. Bh7 is based on the Intel 845PE chipset equipped with 4 Phase Power for overclocking. With 4 Phase Power, the BH7 is capable of overclocking to beyond an 800FSB and also of using DDR400. The board include features such as 6 channel sound with S/PDIF in/out, LAN onboard and 3 + 1 Serial ATA.

Die FRITZ!Card DSL-Produkte integrieren als einzige DSL-Endgeräte die Funktion DSL Traffic Shaping, die den gleichzeitigen Up- und Download mit voller DSL-Geschwindigkeit ermöglicht.
Bei der FRITZ!Card DSL SL handelt es sich um eine reine DSL-Karte, die anders als die FRITZ!Card DSL und FRITZ!Card DSL USB keinen ISDN-Support bietet. Die Karte wird in einen PCI-Slot gesteckt und verbindet PC und DSL-Splitter miteinander. Sie ist laut AVM für alle DSL-Anschlüsse nach U-R2-Standard geeignet.

ohne Traffic-Shaping mit Traffic-Shaping Mehr Infos unter Mehr

Even though Nvidia's DustBuster GeForce FX isn't quite a complete DirectX 9.0 part? Nvidia will be launching a nForce2 board with DirectX 9.0 support. Xbitlabs.com reports that VIDILab, a Croatian magazine, writes in the issue available this weekend, that in the course of this year Nvidia plans to unveil both Socket A and Socket 754 intended products with the GeForce FX architecture derivative graphics cores inside.

Reportedly, the company has plans for another nForce family of chipsets for AMD Socket A processors. Being AMD?s closest chipset partner, Nvidia is able to get the information about faster chips from the Sunnyvale-based semiconductor firm and to offer the fastest product among all competitors. Nvidia is looking forward to bring another nForce series of core-logic products with its integrated graphics core with DirectX 9.0 support (maybe it is all about the code-name NV34 core?) and other cool features.

Tweakpc.de have post detailed spec's and photo's of Abit's Siluro FX5800 DTH graphics card.

The NVIDIA® GeForce? FX5800 GPU with AGP 8X takes graphics experiences to a whole new level. Not only delivers unprecedented 3D graphics performance, the revolutionary new NVIDIA CineFX? engine also introduces cinematic-quality special effects and studio-quality color to the PC for the first time. When combined with NVIDIA?s rock-solid drivers, wide developer support and unique software features, you have a GPU that has redefined the limits of graphics engineering, performance, and visual quality.

Intel today officially announced it's 'Wireless-Internet-On-A-Chip' for cell phones during a press realease. Carrying the name Intel® PXA800F cellular processor, Intel promises that the chip will deliver all in one functionality. Intel says the new Manitoba chip can enhance games, handle integrated cameras and and color screens. Read More @ FlexBeta

Total Video Games.com reports that speaking to the French national newspaper lesechos.fr, Bill Gates revealed a few insightful details regarding the Xbox2.

"The next-generation Xbox will feature digital media capabilities such as video and photo editing in addition to games," claimed Gates; prompting many to further the links between PC and Xbox.

The CRW-F1 is the first drive to offer the revolutionary DiscT@2 Laser Labeling System. Yamaha's industry-leading Full CAV technology and precise control of the key elements of recording, (specifically: tracking, rotation, and laser inten-sity and positioning) allows text and graphic data to be tattooed to the media's data surface after the writing stage is complete.

More @ MSFN.org

Already big in Japan, DVD machines that record television are going to get a bit faster thanks to a deal between Pioneer and TDK. Pioneer has already captured 40% of the market for domestic DVD recorders.

The recorders feature a built in hard drive to store television programs, much like the Tivo. The major difference is that you can then save a program using the built-in rewriteable DVD drive. The current Pioneer machine uses a double speed drive.

More at Techzonez.com.

Just spotted this @ Amdboard.com:

On the 10th of February 03 the world discovered the long awaited Athlon XP featuring Barton core but little did we know about an incredible detail Slovakian scientists Gunov Bombirakovj and his scanning tunneling microscope (SCM) have found. It was called the Barton's Mystery and it is now, thanks to unbelievable magnifying of million times, SOLVED! For More Info click on the above link.

This is the possibly the strangest mod yet, post your strange mods in the comments. Log Cabin Case Mod