AMD Phenom II X2 565 Processor, Black Edition (HDZ565WFGMBOX) (Electronics)

AMD Phenom II X2 565 Processor, Black Edition (HDZ565WFGMBOX) (Electronics)
By AMD

Buy new: $108.99
Customer Rating:

First tagged by Scott E. Robinson "the1320god"
Customer tags: cpu, am3, overclock, phenom, great deal, audio, black, dual core, video production

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Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC Edition Video Card Review

Legit Video Card Reviews

Welcome to the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC Edition Video Card

Today we are going to be looking at an add-in-board partners version of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 video card that might be worth your hard earned money. The card we are looking at today is made by Gigabyte and has the GPU core clock and shaders factory overclocked, so you get an extra performance boost without having to get your hands dirty with overclocking utilities and software. The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC comes clocked at 830 MHz core, 1660 MHz shaders and 4008 MHz on the GDDR5 memory ICs. The NVIDIA reference design for the GeForce GTX 560 video card is 810 MHz core, 1620 MHz shaders and 4008 MHz memory. As you can see, Gigabyte left the memory clocks alone, but increased the core clock by 20MHz and the shader clock by 40MHz. This is a mild overclock when you step back and look at it, but Gigabyte isn't charging any extra for this overclock as it is their entry level NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 card design! In fact, this video card is the least expensive of the 14 GeForce GTX 560 video cards that are being sold right now on Newegg.com! So, how much is the card? The GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 560 OC GV-N56GOC-1GI video card is $169.99 after a $20 mail-in rebate!

Now we all know that Gigabyte is one of the leading motherboard manufacturers in the world, but did you know they were in the business of making video cards as well? Well... they are. But I guess the better question would be, do they make a good video card? That is what this article is for. Gigabyte was founded way back in 1986 in Taipei, Taiwan and back then they supplied motherboards to custom computer makers. But now, all these years later, all you have to do is pull the side panel off of a case and chances are you will see one of Gigabyte's products, whether it be a motherboard, video card, or even mice and keyboards.

The Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC Video Card features NVIDIA PhysX technology as well as NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround, 3D Vision and Pure Video HD, all of which make your movie watching, or better yet your gaming experience, a far more beautiful and immersive experience. Now, let's not forget SLI, because when you put two Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC Video Cards together you get the ability to nearly double your video gaming pleasure. In these times of tight budgets most people's first question is, "How Much?" Well, the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC (GV-N56GOC-1GI) Video Card will set you back $169.99 shipped. This also carries a 3 year warranty.

But the big star here today is the Windforce cooler on the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC (GV-N56GOC-1GI) Video Card. With two 100mm fans inclined toward each other it creates a kind of anti-turbulence that not only moves more air away and keeps your new video card nice and cool with 30.5 CFM of airflow from each fan, but it is also very quiet coming in at a mere 31 db at full speed, and full speed is 2000 RPM. Not too bad, if you ask me. You may very surprised by what we found when we tried to fry this card with a full load. I don't want to stop there, though, because there is much more to the Windforce cooler than its inclined fans and quiet operation. It also features four 6mm copper direct contact heat pipes to help dissipate that hot air that surrounds your Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC (GV-N56GOC-1GI) Video Card while it is trying to help you pwn n00b's. And if you are worried that the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC (GV-N56GOC-1GI) Video Card won't fit into your case, worry not as it weighs in at a little over 9 inches long and a little over 5 inches high, and it is a double slot width video card so the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC Video Card will have very little problem fitting into most modern cases sold on the market today.

Gigabyte currently makes 4 versions of the GTX 560 Series GPU:

• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC(GV-N56GOC-1GI)
830 MHz Core Clock/4008 MHz memory Clock at $169.99

• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti SO (GV-N560SO-1GI-950)
950 MHz Core Clock/4580 MHz memory clock at $259.99

• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti SO (GV-N560SO-1GI)
1000 MHz Core Clock/4580 MHz memory Clock at $259.99

• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti OC (GV-N560OC-1GI)
900 MHz Core Clock/4000 MHz memory Clock at $296.65

Looks like Gigabyte has made sure there is a card for everyone's taste as well as their budget. As you can see, all of the video cards listed above are from the Ti series. At the time of this writing Gigabyte does not make any other non Ti card than the one we are looking at today. This is the part of the article where I tell all of you that we should take a look at the features and specifications of the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC Video Card, and that we should quit wasting time and find out just how the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC (GV-N56GOC-1GI) Video Card performed in our battery of torture tests.

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC Video Card Specs:

• Core Clock: 830 MHz
  


• Memory Clock: 4008 MHz
  


• Shader Clock: 1660 MHz
  


• CUDA Cores: 336
  


• Bus Type: PCI-E 2.0
  


• Memory: 1 GB GDDR5


• Memory Bit Width: 256 Bit


• Memory Bandwidth: 131.3GB/sec


• Texture Fill Rate: 47.6 GT/s
  

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC Video Card Features:

• Microsoft Direct X 11 Support
  


• Nvidia CUDA Technology
  


• Nvidia PhysX Technology
  


• Nvidia Pure Video HD Technology
  


• Nvidia 2 Way SLI Ready
  


• Nvidia 3D Vision Surround Ready
  


• Two dual-Link HDCP Capable Connectors
  


• One Mini-HDMI 1.4 Connector
  


• OpenGL 4.1 Support
  

Next Page - Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 OC Edition Video Card Packaging

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Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition Processor 3.46 GHz 12 MB Cache Socket LGA1366 (Electronics)

Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition Processor 3.46 GHz 12 MB Cache Socket LGA1366 (Electronics)
By Intel

Buy new: $1,100.59
25 used and new from $999.99
Customer Rating:

First tagged by HMMWV "God, Country, Corps"
Customer tags: cpu(2), 8 thread(2), i7(2), intel(2), gtx 480, core, computing, high performance, fastest, 6 core, power, 4 core

Product Images

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AMD Phenom II X2 550 Callisto Black Edition Review

I decided to write this review for anyone out there looking for a great CPU to build a new PC around and not break the bank. I make no secret of the fact I am a hardcore AMD fan. Or the reason I don't buy Intel CPU's because their price vs performance ratio when compared to AMD is far too small to justify the inflated costs. The AMD Phenom II line of CPU's is yet another example of this and the Callisto X2 550 Black Edition (BE) dual-core alone is probably one of the best price vs performance CPU's available.

So your looking to upgrade from your old single-core or older dual-core system and you don't want to spend a lot of money doing so? Well then this is the CPU I would highly suggest you look into. The 550 BE has got overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, users, tech-heads, and overclockers alike. This baby really packs a lot of power and potential for under $100. So lets start off with the information I think most people would be interested in, gaming, multimedia, and overclocking.

Gaming:

If your like me, a hardcore gamer, you want a system that's capable of handling whatever games you want to play. However don't be fooled into thinking you need to spend $1000 to build a PC that can handle high end gaming or buy a hugely overpriced i7. A little knowledge and experience can go a long way to saving you a lot of money.

The 550 BE is a very powerful CPU running at stock speeds. It can power it's way through any game on the market without slowing you down. The thing is, for gaming, there is more to it than just your CPU. Your choice of video card and memory can have a huge effect on how well your system performs. What's great about this CPU is the fact it's costs less than $100. So you can take that money you save and use it to invest in other hardware for your system.

In order to get the maximum performance potential out of the 550 BE, I highly recommend a good name brand motherboard, good quality DDR3 memory, and a nice mid range to high-end video card. Since this would be an AMD build, it's best to stick to ATI Radeon video cards and a motherboard with an AMD northbridge. Your memory should also be of decent quality as well. I highly recommend ADATA since it has one of the best price vs performance ratios I have seen in a while. Their gaming series of DDR3 memory is highly affordable and powerful.

So to get right down to it, this is the hardware specs on the system in question, and how it performs in the games I play.

AMD Phenom II X2 550 BE CPU
ASUS M4A77TD Pro AM3 Motherboard
ADATA G (Gaming) Series DR3 1600G (OC) at 4GB
HIS ATI Radeon HD 4870 IceQ4+ Turbo PCIe Video Card
Coolmax 600 Watt PSU

For just over $400 at the time of the build, this system performs on par with much more expensive builds, and that's at all stock speeds. I will get into the 550 BE's overclocking potential in just a bit. Here is a list of games I have played on this system and they all run flawlessly smooth, at all max settings, and nice stable high frame rates.

• ArmA 2
• Stalker Clear Sky
• Bad Company 2
• Bioshock 1 and 2
• Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
• Serious Sam HD
• Rainbow Six Vegas 2
• Killing Floor
• Left for Dead 2
• Team Fortress 2
• The entire Half Life 2 series
• Company of Heroes
• Command and Conquer 3
• Red Alert 3
• Stalker series
  

Now that's not all the games, just the ones that are the most demanding on the system, and each and every one runs at peak performance. That's far more important to me than benchmark scores, real world results, not a number telling me how it "should" perform. This build chews up any game I throw at it without a single hiccup or slowdown! So if your concerned about this CPU "only being a dual-core" when it comes to gaming, don't be, when you couple the 550 BE with other good hardware its performance will amaze you. Like I said before, the money you save on this CPU can be put into that other good hardware for a better overall gaming build.

Multimedia:

When it comes to media, this CPU has no problems with absolutely anything you throw at it. From watching DVD and Blue-Ray movies, media files, online media like Hulu or YouTube. Everything is smooth as silk at full screen and at any HD resolution. This CPU would perform outstanding in a media center.

I also do some video editing with software such as After Effects and VideoStudio as well as run Fraps to record game footage. This things performance is amazing in all respects. Editing and capture is fast and smooth and has yet to disappoint me. So as far as general media is concerned, the 550 BE will not even break a sweat.

Overclocking:

Now this is the fun part. If your into overclocking like I am then this CPU was made especially for you! Since it's a "Black Edition" that means it has an unlocked multiplier so overclocking is quite easy. However even though this CPU has been tested stable by many users at up to 3.6+ GHz, it's real potential is in its disabled cores!

The Callisto is just a Deneb with 2 cores disabled. So the 550 BE X2 is the same as X3 or X4. The same CPU with cores disabled. Well, with the right motherboard and a bit of luck, you can unlock those disabled cores and run your 550 BE as a triple or quad-core CPU!

So why would AMD put the other cores on there if they are just disabled and make them so easy to unlock? Well, simply put, a Phenom II X2 or X3 is a quad core CPU where 1 or 2 of the other cores did not pass all the required tests to be sold as an X3 or X4. Does that mean those disabled cores are bad? The simple answer is no, it just means they did not meet the internal manufacturing standards. AMD tests their CPU's at standards well above the stock operational capabilities of the CPU. If a core fails for whatever reason, it's simply disabled and the cores that pass are left enabled. Get it?

Well, a lot of users of the 550 BE X2 started to realize that with the right motherboard, you can unlock these other 2 cores. The kicker is, in many cases, they all run stable at stock speeds! So in other words, they were getting stable quad-core CPU's out of the 550 BE X2 and saving a lot of money. As this caught on, more and more people have been unlocking their 550 BE's to quad-cores with higher and higher rates of success. I read a quote somewhere saying that about 90% of people reporting their results are getting successful stable unlocks to triple and quad-cores.

Now does this mean your guaranteed to be able to unlock your 550 BE? No, not by any means, this is a gamble and there is a fair amount of luck involved. Some of the cores will truly be defective and simply will not run. Where as some will run but not stable, especially under load. So I do not suggest you buy a 550 BE with the thought your going to get a quad-core CPU for under $100. Like I said, as a dual-core, this CPU is a powerhouse as it is. If you are able to unlock extra cores and it remains stable for you, consider it a kick ass bonus!

So how do you unlock it? Well, you need a motherboard capable of doing so, and you also need to make sure you have a decent CPU cooler such as the "Zalman 9700 CPU cooler. 4 cores obviously generates more heat than 2. Also, when you unlock your extra cores, you loose your ability to monitor CPU temperatures. Most modern motherboards however have a sensor under the socket that can be used to "estimate" your CPU temperature, in Everest Ultimate Edition it shows up as "Aux". All you do is compare the actual core temperatures to the sensor under the socket, under load, before you unlock your CPU. Note the difference so when you do the unlock, you can use the motherboard sensor to get an idea as to the CPU's temperature. If you have a good cooler installed properly, then heat will really not be a concern.

Now to find a motherboard that's proven capable of doing the unlock, your best place to start would be the AMD Phenom II Core Unlocking Guide over at Overclock.net There you will find a comprehensive ever expanding list of success and failure results on different motherboards. That is where I did all my research before making my final decision. It also gives you an idea on how to go about unlocking the cores.

So here is how my unlock went. I was one of the lucky ones who ended up with a stable quad-core unlock. To test my stability, I used Prime95 for 5 hours, this will stress your CPU quite well and reveal any stability issues you may have. Using the ASUS M4A77TD Pro AM3 Motherboard, this is how simple the unlock is, and the same is true of most all motherboards capable of doing the unlock.

Set Advanced Clock Calibration (ACC) to "Auto"

That will reveal "Unleashing Mode" is disabled, Enable it:

Once you enable "Unleashing Mode", that will reveal "Active CPU Cores", set it to "4 Core Operation":

So when your all done, it should look like this:


That's it, if your lucky, you just unlocked those other 2 cores, now its time to boot into Windows and see if its stable. As soon as you apply those settings in the BIOS, your computer will power down abruptly, don't freak out, that's supposed to happen. It's simply cycling off and back on to use the new settings. On POST you should see a quad-core CPU now listed. If your PC does not post, will not boot into Windows, then one or both of the cores may truly be faulty. Simply go back into the BIOS and try to run 3 cores and see if you can unlock one or the other stable. If that also fails, then both cores may be bad and you will not be able to unlock them. However there are a few things you can try that are covered in the AMD Phenom II Core Unlocking Guide.

However if you do make it into Windows, you can download and run CPU-Z and see if your unlock is being registered in Windows. It will look like this:


Now it's time to run Prime95 and see if it's stable. If it is, congratulations! Your now running a high-end quad core for under $100. If not, then like I said above, try 3 cores, see how that holds. up. If that still fails, then either your disabled cores are not stable or there is another underlying problem.

Closing:

So I do have to say, that the AMD Phenom II X2 550 Callisto Black Edition CPU is by far one of the best I have ever used. This thing is a powerhouse at all stock settings and simply a beast if your lucky enough to unlock one or both of those other cores. So if you looking for an affordable CPU to use in your new build, this is by far the best one out there!

Rated: 10/10

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The AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition 3.2GHz Six-Core AM3 CPU

All I can say is, "Thank you AMD!". Now anyone who knows me, or even reads this blog, knows I am an AMD fan for many reasons. This PII X6 CPU is yet another example why I will pick AMD over Intel each and every time.

This CPU is a beast. It provides 6 real 3.2GHz cores with 6x 512KB L2 and 6MB L3 cache all for a TDP of 125 watts and about $700 less than Intel's six-core i7 980x. Why on earth would anyone pay over $1000 for a processor that will have absolutely no discernible performance benefits for most users when they can spend only around $300 and get this amazing CPU from AMD? Perhaps they buy into all the hype, or maybe they are just smoking something that shuts down the part of their brain that controls logic. Though I know there are those who honestly believe the i7 and Phenom II class of CPU are not comparable. Those are the people living in a box under a rock with a giant Intel logo painted on it.

Now most people use their PC for either gaming, media, web, or software/web development. I dare anyone to sit behind two identical PC's and tell the difference in real world performance between and AMD Phenom II and comparable i5 or i7, simply put, with the exception of sheer luck, its not going to happen. That's because the Phenom II line of CPU's performs on par with much more expensive Intel chips. This is especially true when it comes to gaming.

Sure, the i7 980x will beat out the PII X6 in time trials on raw processing applications, but not by any means a huge amount. Defiantly not $700 worth. The i7 980x will also help boost frame rates in games, but no where near anything noticeable without benchmark software when compared to the PII X6. All six core processors have the same problem at the moment. Most games will not use more than 3 cores, and when they do, they will use one core at 100% while the 2nd and 3rd cores will run at about half. This is true for most all games, even the newer ones that are "optimized" for multi-core use. Meaning a quad-core and six-core CPU will be comparable while gaming if their other specs are comparable. So we will not see the real gaming potential of six-core processors for some time yet.

Now being a hardcore gamer, there is no way anyone can sit there and tell me they could tell the difference between the same game running on an Phenom II or Intel based system of comparable specs. This new X6 is no different. Here are some of the items that stick out in my mind.

1. The Phenom II X6 costs $300 on Newegg while the comparable Intel chip, the i7 980X, costs over $1000.
2. The i7 980X does boast 12MB of L3 but only 6x 256KB L2 where as the PII X6 has 6MB of L3 and 6x 512KB L2. Will that extra 6MB of L3 really make that big of a difference in gaming or real world end user use? No, not for many years yet, but that extra L2 the PII X6 has sure will.
   
3. The PII X6 is clocked at 3.2GHz and the i7 980x at 3.33GHz, so not a big difference there, not even noticeable. The average stable overclock on the i7 980x seems to be about 4.4 to 4.5GHZ. Initial overclocking results on the PII X6 BE put it at 4.5GHz, stable, with proper cooling. So again, no difference. See below for some actual overclocking results.
   
4. The PII X6 processors boast a rather impressive thermal design. At idle, with stock cooling, idle at about 24C and never goes over 43C after hours of Prime 95. With a good heatpipe cooler you can get it idle as low as 15C. If you go liquid cooling, it will run even cooler. This CPU runs very cool, even overclocked, amazing in my book.
   
5. Side by side the PII X6 and i7 980x have NO discernible performance difference when it comes to HD media creation. Such and DVD and Blu-ray transcoding.
6. This thing runs very cool thanks to its impressive power management with C1E on the CPU and low TDP. This allows the CPU to throttle up or down each core very rapidly and independently.
   

So why by and i7 980x? Well, if you plan on rendering the next Pixar film or trying to make your own version of Star Wars and want to match ILM's level of effects, then the i7 is just what you need. However, if your like the rest of us, gamers, programmers, bloggers, web designers, the i7 is a waste of money in my humble opinion.

The i7 980x is a powerful CPU, there is no debating that, but it's power is no where near it's asking price. Its 32nm vs the PII X6's 45nm in no way makes it worth $700 more than the the PII X6.

For me, since gaming is the primary use of my main system, six-core CPU's really do not offer much over 3 or 4 cores at the moment. So its not like your going to see a huge jump in performance from a quad to a six-core CPU, either i7 or PII X6. Most games do not even take advantage of all the threads available on today's high end CPU's. Mainly because developers try and save money by designing one game for all platforms. So in essence, most newer games are "ports" from one platform to another and were not actually coded with any one platform in mind. Though recently some games, such as Bad Company, Modern Warfare 2, and a few others, are truly console ports to the PC and do not even come close to taking advantage of the power available to them on a PC over a console.

However, that being said, it's not hard to see that AMD's new line of six-core CPU's is going to give Intel a real run for their money. Those of us that have been following this separation between AMD and Intel when it comes to price vs performance, can easily see that this is a fight Intel is not going to win unless they wise up and realize that a vast majority of end users are not going to drop loads of cash for a product that offers no real world benefits over one that offers the same level of performance for a MUCH lower cost.

Closing points and thoughts:

• The i7 980x will give you higher framerates in many games over the PII x6, however the number differences are quite small, and its NOT noticeable without benchmark software running! The PII X6 will still pump out very high stable framerates in any game for a very long time to come. The i7 six core CPU will only beat out the PII X6 in raw numbers that the end user, the gamer, will NOT be able to discern.
  
• It's going to be a while before we see games and such that will actually take advantage of six core processors. So there is no real need to run out and buy one expecting this huge performance boost. Your simply not going to see that much over a comparable quad core processor with comparable specs. It's going to take time for the software to catch up to the hardware.
• Across the board, there is not a single benchmark that makes the i7 980x worth $700 more than the PII X6, not to me anyway. I will go toe to toe with anyone on an i7 with my PII system in any game and still lay them to waste. Pure and simple. Then again, I am not trying to encode an HD video, compile a 4GB RAR archive, burn a Blu-Ray Disk, and run a dozen instances of my web browser all while playing my games either. While gaming I run Firefox, IRC, X-Fire, Anti-Virus, Firewall, Steam, Everest Ultimate, and my G15 software and my current CPU does not slow any game down one bit with that and about a total of 40 other processes.
  

On a side note, if your not into overclocking but would still like a powerful six-core CPU and save about a $100 on top of it? You buy the Phenom II X6 1055T 2.8GHz for around $200 and step into the six-core age knowing you wont have to upgrade again anytime soon. Short of a slower clock speed and a lock multiplier, the 1055T boasts the same L2 and L3 as well as many other specs as the 1090T Black Edition. Though, to be honest, even with it's lock multiplier and slower clock speed, the 1055T seems to be able to overclock to 4.0GHz pretty easy. See below!

Keep them coming AMD! You have a customer for life right here. Intel, I think you need to watch AMD and take notes. All be it an impressive CPU, your i7 980x "Extreme" is far from it. Especially when it can be matched by a CPU that costs $700 less for most users and gamers.

Newegg customer reviews on the Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Six-Core CPU

Product Specs:

• Model: HDT90ZFBGRBOX
• Socket Type: AM3
• Core: Thuban
• Number of real cores: 6
• Core Stepping: E0
• Stock Operating Frequency: 3.2GHz
• Voltage: 1.25v to 1.40V
  
• Hyper Transports: Yes @ 4000MHz (bi-directional 2.0GHz 3.0)
• L1 Cache: 768KB per processor (Instruction & Data) - 6x 128KB (64KB + 64KB per core)
  
• L2 Cache: 3MB (6 x 512KB)
• L3 Cache: 6MB
• Manufacturing: 0.045 micron SOI
• 64 bit support: Yes
• Virtualization Technology Support: Yes
  
• Integrated Memory Controller: Dual Channel PC3-10667U (DDR3-1333), Dual Channel PC3-8500U (DDR3-1066), Dual Channel PC2-8500U (DDR2-1066)
• Multimedia Instructions: MMX, 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4a, Advanced Bit Manipulation, AMD64 technology, AMD-V (virtualization) technology, Enhanced Virus Protection, Dynamic Acceleration technology (Turbo Core technology), AMD CoolCore Technology.
• Thermal Design Power: 125 Watts
• Maximum Temperature: 62C

Internal View:

Inside the box and other video reviews:

• Phenom II X6 1055T X6 - Inside the box
• 1090T Video Review #1
  

Tested Overclocking Results on the 1090T Black Edition and 1055T:

• LinusTechTip's "Frankenstein" Overclocking of the 1090T X6
  
• NCIS TechTip's 4.0GHz Stable on Air Cooling of the 1055T X6. Amazing!

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Level Up With The New AMD Phenom II X4 980 Black Edition Processor

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Intel's 3.33GHz Core i7 975 Extreme Edition

Intel's 3.33GHz Core i7 975 Extreme Edition

Intel appears to be set to give it another nudge forward with the launch of the Core i7 975 Extreme Edition processor.

Details are in short supply, but overclockers Mikeguava and Fugger appear to have their hands on Intel's range-topping part and have done what they do best - overclock the hell out of it. Using GIGABYTE's EX58 Extreme mainboard, Corsair's peltier-cooled memory and a pair of Radeon HD 4870 X2 graphics cards, they managed to score a staggering 47,026 3DMarks.

What's interesting is that the CPU features D0 stepping, and such a change usually denotes a refined silicon package that could result in lower power consumption and should provide greater overclocking headroom.

There's no news on release details at this early stage, but this is a chip that's likely to be priced close to the mind-boggling £1,000 mark. We'd hate to be one of those who've recently splashed out over £800 on the soon-to-be-dethroned Core i7 965 Extreme Edition.

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GIGABYTE Unveils NVIDIA GeForce™ GTX 550 Ti Overclock Edition Graphics Cards

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Gigabyte Technology Co. LTD. A leading of motherboard and graphic cards, is present overclock edition of GeForceTM GTX 550 Ti named GV-N550OC-1GI. This graphic card built in 40mm process and equipped by GDDR5 memory, and this cad has overclock ability and outperforms by 6% (based on 3DMark Vantage Extreme Mode). About the design you won’t be disappointed, because it use the latest cooler-design from Gigabyte. When using this cooler and Gigabyte Ultra Durable VGA materials, GV-N550OC-1GI run much cooler and because using Gigabyte Ultra Durable material it also quitter than standard version. For the feature it equipped with NVIDIA 3D VisionTM, SLI, CUDATM, PhysX®, and Microsoft DirectX 11 technologies.

This graphic card master of overclocking ability and graphic card stability to provide gamers the reliable gaming environment. Even though the fan much larger size, the noise level run from 21.7 dBA to 28 the loudest. It’s really quite for a fan with 10 cm size and by all of this innovation it can decrease the heat-level by 8% than generic version.

 

 Gigabyte’s own Ultra Durable VGA Technology gives guarantee better overclocking capability, lower GPU temperature, and great power efficiency by using 2 oz PCB board, Samsung and Hynix memory, Japanese solid capacitors, Ferrite/Metal core chokes, and Low RDS (on) mosfet. With industry’s leading quality, GIGABYTE graphics cards can satisfy the most enthusiast gamers.

For more details of GIGABYTE GV-N550OC-1GI, please visit the GIGABYTE VGA website: http://www.gigabyte.com/products/main.aspx?s=43

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AMD Black Edition - Processor - 1 x AMD Phenom II X6 1100T / 3.3 GHz - Socket AM3 - L3 6 MB - Box (Accessory)

AMD Black Edition - Processor - 1 x AMD Phenom II X6 1100T / 3.3 GHz - Socket AM3 - L3 6 MB - Box (Accessory)
By Advanced Micro Devices

Buy new: $219.95
Customer Rating:

First tagged by AK
Customer tags: am3(2), amd x6(2), phenom ii x6(2), hexa core, hex core, cpu, processor, phenom ii, overclock, 1100t, amd, intel

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AMD Phenom II X6 1100T 3.30 GHz Processor - Hexa-core HDE00ZFBGRBOX AMD Processors Read more

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AMD Phenom II X4 840 Edition Deneb 3.2 GHz 4x512 KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail HDX840WFGMBOX (Black) (Electronics)

AMD Phenom II X4 840 Edition Deneb 3.2 GHz 4x512 KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail HDX840WFGMBOX (Black) (Electronics)
By AMD

Buy new: $109.99
7 used and new from $94.99
Customer Rating:

First tagged by Brian A. Roush
Customer tags: cpu processors, cpu, value, am3, quad core, budget

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Phenom II X4 Quad-core 840 3.2GHz Processor Read more

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Intel Core i7 990X Processor Extreme Edition, 3.46 GHz with 12 MB Cache, Socket LGA1366 Desktop Processor BX80613i7990X in Retail Box (Electronics)

Intel Core i7 990X Processor Extreme Edition, 3.46 GHz with 12 MB Cache, Socket LGA1366 Desktop Processor BX80613i7990X in Retail Box (Electronics)
By Intel

Buy new: $999.99

First tagged by HMMWV "God, Country, Corps"
Customer tags: gtx 480, core, cpu, computing, 8 thread, high performance, i7, fastest, 6 core, power, 4 core, intel

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Review & Description

The competition doesn't stand a chance when your PC is powered by the Intel Core i7 990X processor Extreme Edition. With the widest array of performance-enhancing features in Intel's family of Core processors, you can reach unprecedented speeds. You'll get maximum PC power for whatever you do, thanks to the combination of smart features like Intel Turbo Boost Technology and Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, which together activate full processing power exactly where and when you need it. It's no surprise the Intel Core i7 990X processor Extreme Edition is Intel's smartest PC processor. The Intel Core i7 990X processor Extreme Edition is built on Intel's 32nm process with 12 computing threads to deliver cutting edge PC performance. This processor combines the power of six processing cores running at 3.46 GHz into a single processor, guaranteeing the utmost performance and power for the most demanding applications. With 12 MB of smart cache, the Intel Core i7 990X processor Extreme Edition ensures that you get maximum responsiveness from your system. Compatible with motherboards based on the Intel X58 Express chipset with socket 1366. Read more

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Intel Core i7 Processor Extreme Edition i7-990X 3.46GHz 12MB LGA1366 CPU BX80613I7990X (Electronics)

Intel Core i7 Processor Extreme Edition i7-990X 3.46GHz 12MB LGA1366 CPU BX80613I7990X (Electronics)
By Intel

Buy new: $999.99
Customer Rating:

First tagged by HMMWV "God, Country, Corps"
Customer tags: gtx 480, core, cpu, computing, 8 thread, high performance, i7, fastest, 6 core, power, 4 core, intel

Product Images

Review & Description

The competition doesn't stand a chance when your PC is powered by the Intel Core i7 990X processor Extreme Edition. With the widest array of performance-enhancing features in Intel's family of Core processors, you can reach unprecedented speeds. You'll get maximum PC power for whatever you do, thanks to the combination of smart features like Intel Turbo Boost Technology and Intel Hyper-Threading Technology, which together activate full processing power exactly where and when you need it. It's no surprise the Intel Core i7 990X processor Extreme Edition is Intel's smartest PC processor. The Intel Core i7 990X processor Extreme Edition is built on Intel's 32nm process with 12 computing threads to deliver cutting edge PC performance. This processor combines the power of six processing cores running at 3.46 GHz into a single processor, guaranteeing the utmost performance and power for the most demanding applications. With 12 MB of smart cache, the Intel Core i7 990X processor Extreme Edition ensures that you get maximum responsiveness from your system. Compatible with motherboards based on the Intel X58 Express chipset with socket 1366. Read more

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ASUS AMD AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP M2N32SLI DELUX WIRELESS EDITION MOTHERBOARD

ASUS AMD AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP M2N32SLI DELUX WIRELESS EDITION MOTHERBOARD

Support AMD® Socket AM2
- NVIDIA nForce® 590 SLI™ MCP
- NVIDIA LinkBoost™ Technology
- 2 x PCI Express x16 slot with NVIDIA® SLI™ support, at full x16, x16 speed
- Dual-channel DDR2 800/667/533
- ASUS 8-Phase Power Design
- WiFi-AP Solo™ supports IEEE802.11b/g
- AMD Live!™ Ready
- Bundled ASUS Array Mic

Built for Enthusiasts

The M2N32-SLI Deluxe supports dual PCI Express x16 slots running at full speed to liberate graphics cards from the narrow bandwidth platform of x8 speed only. With ASUS innovative AI Lifestyle features, such as AI Gear, 8-Phase Power Design, Stack Cool2 and special designed heat-pipe, the M2N32-SLI Deluxe brings you quiet and peaceful computing. This motherboard also bundles an unique Array Microphone and wireless AP function to satisfy the demand in digital life. Together with extreme over-clocking capability, you can easily enjoy faster graphics performance and higher video quality today, and be ready for the even more demanding tasks of tomorrow!

ASUS AI Lifestyle
AI Lifestyle Series motherboards bring lifestyle and personal computing together. They provide better system performance for graphics-intensive applications such as 3D games and deliver cutting-edge audio features that dramatically enhance the quality of voice signal. Thoughtful design further allows quick and easy system setup. To create a peaceful environment, several new and improved innovations are included to reduce noise and temperature. Don't change your way of life for a computer. Instead let the ASUS Lifestyle Series improve the quality of your life.

AI Gear
To balance both system performance and quietness, AI Gear allows users to choose from profiles to adjust CPU frequency and vCore voltage, minimizing system noise and power consumption. Users can real-time change the mode under operating system to suit their needs.

AI Nap
With AI Nap, users can instantly snooze your PC without terminating the tasks. System will continue operating at minimum power and noise when user is temporarily away. It keeps downloading files or running applications in quietest state while you're sleeping. Simply click keyboard or mouse, you can swiftly wake up the system in few seconds.

WiFi-AP Solo™ (Wireless Edition only)
WiFi AP Solo™ allows a new level of versatility for your PC, enabling it to create a complete wireless home network in either AP or wireless client mode. Users will be able to play LAN games, connect to the Internet, access and share printers, and use Skype from anywhere within range. WiFi-AP Solo™ can provide these functions even when the PC is in sleep mode, so users can use Skype as a true replacement for tradition long distance telephone service. WiFi-AP Solo™ is an on-board feature, which means that user will save the extra WiFi AP cost.

ASUS Crystal Sound
This feature can enhance speech-centric application like Skype, online game, video conference and recording.

ASUS Array Mic
The bundled Superbeam Array Microphone receives only the sound coming from the reception cone and ignores the sound coming from other directions. This mechanism eliminates a large number of interferences including neighboring speakers and reverberations. It also uses advanced de-reverberation techniques to reduce echo and minimize its effect on the speech engine.



Noise Filter
This feature detects repetitive and stationary noises like computer fans, air conditioners, and other background noises then eliminates it in the incoming audio stream while recording. Advanced Thermal Design
ASUS has devoted special efforts to address the thermal issues across the motherboard, and most notably the areas that reside the CPU, power, Northbridge and Southbridge.

Stack Cool 2
Stack Cool 2 is a fan-less and zero-noise cooling solution offered exclusively by ASUS. It effectively transfers heat generated by the critical components to the other side of the specially designed PCB (printed circuit board) for effective heat dissipation.

8 Phase Power Design
ASUS 8-Phase Power Design keeps CPU and power module away from suffering risk of high power stress, which makes CPU lifetime much longer and system more stable. Furthermore, It provides high efficiency operation to generate less heat than conventional power solutions and consequently achieve cool system environment. With this strong power pump, this motherboard is made for overclocking.

Fanless Design: Heat-pipe Thermal solution
Cooling fans, though a popular thermal solution, also come with noise and malfunction likelyhood. ASUS Motherboard's fansless concept is specifically created to provide a cool environment without all the baggage.
The heat pipe, heat sinks and strategic board layout were tailor made to dissipate heat in the most efficient manner.

AMD CPU Features
Supports AMD Socket AM2 Athlon 64 X2/Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64/Sempron
The M2N32-SLI Deluxe supports AMD socket AM2 single-core Athlon 64/Sempron and dual-core Athlon 64 X2/Athlon 64 FX processors with 2MB/1MB/512KB L2 cache, which is based on 64-bit architecture. It features 2000/1600 MT/s HyperTransport Bus, dual-channel un-buffered DDR2 800 memory support and AMD Cool 'n' Quiet! Technology.

Dual-Core CPU
The advanced processing technology contains two physical CPU cores with individually dedicated L2 caches to satisfy the rising demand for more powerful processing capability.
Dual-Channel DDR2 800
DDR2 is the next generation memory technology to replace the current DDR. With the highest speed up to 800MHz, DDR2 memory provides great performance for 3D graphics and other memory demanding applications.

NVIDIA Features
NVIDIA nForce® 590 SLI™ (NVIDIA LinkBoost™ certified)
NVIDIA nForce® 590 SLI™ media and communications processors (MCPs) deliver the tools and performance PC enthusiasts demand. When combined with select NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards and other system components, you get automatic access to faster bus speeds. Ready for system overclocking and greater data throughput.

NVIDIA SLI™ Technology
NVIDIA SLI™ (Scalable Link Interface) takes advantage of the increased bandwidth of the PCI Express bus architecture and features intelligent hardware and software that allows two GPUs to efficiently work together to deliver earth-shattering, scalable performance. For some applications nearly 2X performance! (From www.NVIDIA.com)

NVIDIA Essential Vista

NVIDIA nForce ® -based motherboards are essential for accelerating the Windows Vista experience by offering an enriched 3D user interface, increased productivity, and vibrant photos as well as delivering uncompromising performance, quality, and reliability.


Intelligent Overclocking Tools
AI Clock Skew
AI Clock Skew automatically skews the memory clock signal timing, thus improving memory overclocking capability by 10 to 15%, depending on the memory features when users overclock memory frequency. Users can easily enjoy better memory overclocking without strenuously fine-tuning the clock signal timing. For professional users, they can still adjust each memory channel's clock signal separately to reach the highest memory frequency.

ASUS O.C. Profile
The motherboard features the ASUS O.C. Profile that allows users to conveniently store or load multiple BIOS settings. The BIOS settings can be stored in the CMOS or a separate file, giving users freedom to share and distribute their favorite overclocking settings.

Precision Tweaker It offers ways to raise system performance inch-by-inch and step-by-step to achieve maximum performance! This is about getting the most out of your machine and taking pride in your customized computer. * vDIMM: Take control of how much power is going into the memory modules. ASUS gives you 25-step voltage control to the DIMM * vCore: Find out "exactly" how much power your CPU needs. Fine-tune it with 0.0125 volts at a time! * SFS: (Stepless Frequency Selection) allows   - FSB tuning from 200MHz up to 400MHz at 1MHz increment - PCI Express frequency tuning from 100MHz up to 200MHz at 1MHz increment

AI NOS™
Applications such as 3D games and video editing demand a huge chunk of system resource. Inject "nitrous oxide" into your CPU! The patented AI NOS™ (Non-delay Overclocking System) technology intelligently detects system load and automatically boosts performance for the most demanding tasks. Unlike other dynamic overclocking techniques, AI NOS™ reacts much faster to satisfy your unending need for speeds.

PEG Link
This latest technology, PEG (PCI Express Graphics) Link Mode, is a unique feature that enables users to boost graphics card performance for superior video quality. PEG Link allows users to raise GPU and VGA memory throughput via the motherboard BIOS the same way system bus and memory bus are tweaked. PEG Link Mode enables powerful video performance on DX8 and DX9 applications. ASUS engineers carefully fine-tuned the parameters for every single PCI-Express card to provide system stability during high-speed graphics operation.

ASUS EZ DIY
ASUS Q-Connector
The ASUS Q-Connector allows you to connect or disconnect chassis front panel cables in one easy step with one complete module. This unique adapter eliminates the trouble of plugging in one cable at a time, making connection quick and accurate.

ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
The ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 allows users to restore corrupted BIOS data from a USB flash disk containing the BIOS file. This utility saves users the cost and hassle of buying a replacement BIOS chip.

ASUS EZ Flash 2
EZ Flash 2 is a user-friendly BIOS update utility. Simply launch this tool and update BIOS from a USB flash disk before entering the OS. You can update your BIOS only in a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy diskette or using an OS-based flash utility.

Other ASUS Unique Features
ASUS MyLogo 3
The ASUS MyLogo 3 is the new feature present in the motherboard that allows you to personalize and add style to your system with customizable and animated boot logos.

ASUS Music Alarm
Wake up to the music of your choice instead of the irritating sound of an alarm clock. The ASUS Music Alarm gives you a personal wake-up call with your favorite CD music when system is off.

Interface Features
Dual Gigabit LAN
The integrated dual Gigabit LAN design allows a PC to serve as a network gateway for managing traffic between two separate networks. This capability ensures rapid transfer of data from WAN to LAN without any added arbitration or latency.

High Definition Audio
Enjoy high-end sound system on your PC! The onboard 8-channel HD audio (High Definition Audio, previously codenamed Azalia) CODEC enables high-quality 192KHz/24-bit audio output, jack-sensing feature, retasking functions and multi-streaming technology that simultaneously sends different audio streams to different destinations. You can now talk to your partners on the headphone while playing a multi-channel network games. All of these are done on one computer.

DTS® Connect
This feature is consists of two elements: DTS interactive and DTS NEO:PC . DTS interactive re-encodes your stereo or multi-channel sound into a DTS audio signal and send it out from your PC to any DTS enabled system. While DTS NEO:PC turns your stereo audio such as MP3, WMA, CD, and other sound format into a convincing multi-channel audio experience.

SATA on the Go
The M2N32-SLI Deluxe supports the next-generation hard drives based on the Serial ATA (SATA) 3Gb/s storage specification, delivering enhanced scalability and doubling the bus bandwidth for high-speed data retrieval and saves. The external SATA port located at the back I/O provides smart setup and hot-plug functions. Easily backup photos, videos and other entertainment contents on external devices.

Dual RAID
The NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI™ chipsets incorporate six Serial ATA connectors with high performance RAID functions in RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 and JBOD. The Silicon Image controller provides another two Serial ATA connectors for RAID 0, 1, and JBOD functions. This motherboard is the ideal solution to enhance hard disk performance and data back up protection without the cost of add-on cards.

IEEE 1394a interface
IEEE 1394a interface provides high speed digital interface for audio/video appliances such as digital television, digital video camcorders, storage peripherals & other PC portable devices.

Specifications

 

CPU	Support AMD® Socket AM2 Athlon 64 X2/Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64/Sempron AMD Cool 'n' Quiet™ Technology AMD64 architecture enables simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing AMD Live!™ Ready
Chipset	NVIDIA nForce® 590 SLI™ MCP NVIDIA LinkBoost™ Technology
Memory	Dual channel memory architecture 4 x DIMM, max. 8GB, DDR2-800/667/533, ECC and non-ECC, un-buffered memory
Expansion Slots	2 x PCI Express x16 slot with NVIDIA® SLI™ technology support, at full x16, x16 speed 1 x PCI Express x4 1 x PCI Express x1 2 x PCI 2.2
Scalable Link Interface (SLI™)	Support two identical NVIDIA SLI-Ready graphics cards (both at x16 mode) ASUS two-slot thermal design ASUS PEG Link
Storage	NVIDIA nForce® 590 SLI™ MCP supports: * 1 x Ultra DMA 133/100/66/33 * 6 x Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s * NVIDIA MediaShield™ RAID supports RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5 and JBOD span cross Serial ATA drives Silicon Image® 3132 SATA controller supports * 1 x Internal Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s * 1 x External Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s port on back I/O (SATA On-the-Go) * Support RAID 0, 1, and JBOD
LAN	Dual Gigabit LAN controllers support NVIDIA DualNet® technology NVIDIA nForce® 590 SLI™ MCP built-in dual Gigabit MAC with external Marvell PHY * Support Teaming and fail-over functions * Support TCP/IP Acceleration
Audio	ADI 1988B 8-channel High Definition Audio CODEC Support Jack-Sensing, Enumeration, Multi-streaming and Jack-Retasking Coaxial, Optical S/PDIF out on back I/O port Support DTS® Connect function
Wireless LAN	WiFi-AP Solo™ USB wireless module supports IEEE802.11b/g
IEEE 1394a	TI 1394 controller supports 2 x 1394a ports
USB	Wireless Edition: max. 8 USB2.0/1.1 ports
Special Features	ASUS EZ DIY: * Q-Connector * ASUS CrashFree BIOS3 * ASUS EZ Flash2 ASUS Music Alarm ASUS MyLogo3
Back Panel I/O Ports	1 x PS/2 Keyboard port 1 x PS/2 Mouses 1 x Optical + 1 x Coaxial S/PDIF Output 1 x External SATA 2 x LAN (RJ45) port 4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports 1 x IEEE 1394a port 1 x WiFi-g™ antenna jack (Wireless Edition only) 1 x COM port 8-channel Audio ports
Internal I/O Connectors	Wireless Edition: 2 x USB 2.0 connectors supports additional 4 USB 2.0 ports 1 x Floppy disk drive connector 1 x IDE connector for two devices 7 x SATA connectors 1 x CPU / 4 x Chassis / 1x Chipset / 1 x Power Fan connectors 1 x IEEE1394a connector 1 x Parallel connector 1 x S/PDIF output connector 1 x ADH connector Chassis Intrusion connector Front Panel Audio connector CD audio in 24-pin ATX Power connector 4-pin ATX 12V Power connector System panel connector
BIOS	8Mb Flash ROM, AWARD BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.3
Manageability	WOL by PME, WOR by PME, Chasis Intrusion, PXE
Accessories	1 x SLI bridge 1 x ASUS Array Mic 1 x ASUS Optional Fan 1 x ASUS Q-Connector Kit (USB, 1394, system panel; Retail version only) 1 x wireless antenna (Wireless Edition only) 1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable 1 x Floppy disk drive cable 6 x SATA cables 3 x SATA power cable for 6 devices 1 x 2-port USB2.0 module 1 x IEEE1394a module 1 x I/O Shield InterVideo® Media Launcher (OEM version only) User's manual
Support Disc	Drivers ASUS WiFi-AP Solo™ Wizard (Wireless Edition only) ASUS PC Probe II ASUS Update ASUS AI Booster NVIDIA MediaShield™ RAID Anti-virus software (OEM version)
Form Factor	ATX Form Factor, 12"x 9.6"(30.5cm x 24.5cm)
Front Side Bus	2000/1600 MT/s
Overclocking Features	Intelligent overclocking tools: * ASUS AI NOS™ (Non-delay Overclocking System) * AI Overclocking (intelligent CPU frequency tuner) * AI Clock Skew * ASUS PEG Link - automatically performance tuning for graphics cards * ASUS O.C. Profile: overclocking configuration-sharing tool Precision Tweaker: * vDIMM: 25-step DRAM voltage control * vCore: Adjustable CPU voltage at 0.0125V increment * PCIe x16 Frequency: allowing PCIe x16 frequency from 100MHz up to 200MHz at 1MHz increment * SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection): allowing FSB tuning from 200MHz up to 400MHz at 1MHz increment Overclocking Protection: * ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall) ASUS AI Booster Utility Adjustable FSB/DDR2 ratio. Fixed PCI/PCIe frequencies.

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