Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Sapphire Radeon HD 6950 Video Card Review

Introduction

AMD decided to mix things up a bit when they released the HD6000 series, first by releasing the midrange cards before the high-end, and next by using previous high end naming schemes to describe them. So while the HD 5870 was the previous generation "bad-boy" the new HD 6870 was nothing more than a docile pony designed to give the nVidia GTX 460 some company. So why do this? Some say the change was to expand the product line and offer more high-end card options. This makes sense, considering the current nVidia lineup. Others take a more sinister stance and claim AMD was worried about the new chip architecture and wanted something solid in the market, just in case the next card they released didn't work out.

Regardless of the actual reason the anticipated next gen high-end Radeon card has been released and is available in 2 versions, Radeon HD 6970 and Radeon HD 6950. In this review we will be looking at the Sapphire Radeon HD 6950. Typically the XX50 cards feature the same basic specs as the XX70 counterparts with only a few minor tweaks to help bring the price down.




Specifications
Fabrication Process: 40nm
Core Clock: 800MHz
Stream Processors: 1408 units
ROP Units: 22
Memory Interface: 128-bit
Memory Amount/Type: 2GB/GDDR5 Memory
Memory Clock: 1250MHz (5000MHz effective)
Memory Bandwidth: 160.0 GB/s
DirectX Compliance: 11
Connection: 16x PCI Express 2.1
Form Factor: Dual Slot
Multi-GPU Support: CrossFire
Part Number: 21188-00-40R

Monday, June 13, 2011

DIY Computer Monitor LED Backlight

DIY Computer Monitor LED Backlight
Written by: Alan Parekh at 1:22 pm. Filed under Cool Gadgets, DIY Hacks, Electronic Hacks

Thanks to Astia for sending in this LED backlight project, I think this is the perfect way to add a festive touch to your computer system.
"The whole project consists of architectural strip RGB controlled LED’s … After several meters of the strip LED’s were received as a gift, along with a 12v DC power supply, a colour changing solution was needed to control the strip. After some dabbling to figure out how the circuit on the strip was laid out, it was off to Jaycar electronics for bits and pieces… The strip itself is wired so the three colours (red, green and blue) share a common positive off the power supply, and the negative split across the three. The voltage that is applied to the negative controls how bright that particular LED will be, hence the colour mixing. And thus, a controller box was designed and built. The box consists of three toggle switches, which control each colour, or more specifically, the negative to each LED. As a result, colour mixing can be achieved by flicking combinations of various switches. The next thought was the practical application of the strips. During the testing phase, a strip of 8 LED’s had been stuck to the underside of an LCD monitor, thanks to the adhesive backing, to achieve a neon glow affect. This ended up being the final use, but with several meters of strip lighting the result was significantly more spectacular."







LED Versus LCD Monitors

Computers are important electronic devices in a world of technology in which changes need to be made so as for all sorts of improvements to be made possible in all sorts of domains. Computers need to be good quality ones in order to enable such improvements. A very important hardware component which is said to widely influence the performance of our computers is the monitor on which results which come from all kinds of instructions which we require for the computer system to operate are displayed.
Nowadays there are numerous models of computer monitors available for everyone interested in learning more about them to analyze and compare. Many users have also been interested in being able to learn about important aspects related to the idea of considering a LED versus LCD monitors comparison, as they are widely used nowadays and users should be able to decide which of them they might enjoy more working with.

When trying to discuss about important aspects in a LED versus LCD monitors comparison there are important aspects which need to be mentioned and we should first of all mention that the main difference between LED and LCD monitors is related to their backlighting techniques.

This difference is very important to be taken in account because the lighting techniques are said to influence the picture quality very much and in this way they can represent an important factor which might help users decide which of these two types of backlighting techniques might be more appropriate for them to consider in a computer monitor. In this respect, in a comparison such as LED versus LCD monitors it needs to be mentioned the fact that LCD TV monitors use fluorescent type of tube lightning while LED TV monitors are said to use the light being emitted by diodes. It should also be made aware to all of us the fact that there are both diverse types of fluorescent lights and LED backlighting styles available nowadays.

Other aspects which should be considered in a comparison such as the LED versus LCD monitors one are the contrast presented by these monitors, the color accuracy presented by them, the viewing angles included, certain functional considerations which are also important, their longevity and many other such aspects which might enable users to decide which of them might be more appropriate to be used. In what concerns the contrast presented by these monitors it has been considered that most of the LED TV monitors are advantageous form this point of view.

In what concerns the color accuracy, things are somehow different as both monitors are said to be kind of equal in quality from this point of view. Certainly, this applies in cases in which the backlight color is not affected in any way because when this happens LED TV monitors are once again said to be more advantageous to be used. When discussing about the viewing angles, many users have also considered LED TV monitors to be better. Certainly, these opinions might not be the same among all of us but many of the users who have compared LCD and LED monitors have considered this to be the case.

There are also many situations in which LED TV monitors have been considered equal with LCD TV monitors and which are also important to be mentioned in a discussion on LED versus LCD monitors comparison. These situations refer to their use and to the quality of their video playback. There are also many features which cannot be generally considered either better or worse in one type of monitors or another as this depends on many factors and it cannot be made a general rule concerning them. Anyway, it is always possible for different users comparing LCD and LED monitors to have different opinions and in this way when we are interested in buying one type or another we should also try to compare them so as for a better decision to be made.

The age of CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) is long gone. Earlier TV and Computer monitors used CRT technology that used to generate their own light. But that is out of fashion now and the latest is LED technology. In between LED (Light Emitting Diode) and CRT monitors also came LCD monitors that are still in vogue. Most of the comparison today is between LCD and LED monitors.

It is important to compare LCD and LED technology because they have direct impact on the resolution of TV or computer monitor. Picture quality is the first thing that strikes you when you got to buy TV. Sharper the picture, better the quality. The picture quality of TV sets are directly impacted by the resolution, higher resolution means better picture.

In order to choose between LED Vs LCD monitors it is important to discuss the two technologies in detail. Although LED and LCD monitors use same technology, LEDs are latest and a little advanced.

LCD Technology

Liquid Crystal Display Monitors use cold cathode fluorescent lamps for backlighting. LCD displays manipulate external light to pass through polarized liquid crystals. Which means in order to produce an image on the monitor, the pixels in LCD have to be backlit. This technology uses fluorescent backlights for producing the image on the screen.

LED Technology

The basic technology used in LED and LCD is same. They both use backlight for producing image. The only difference is that while LCD uses fluorescent light, LED uses Light Emitting Diodes (LED) for creating the image on screen. Moreover, LED screens are basically LCD only. LED is an advancement of LCD technology.

Depending on the technology used by LCD and LED here are a few differences between an LCD and LED monitors:

Because LED uses diodes to create pictures on the screen the results are better in terms of picture sharpness and brightness. The colors are more realistic and come to life. If you are interested in graphics or aim at focusing on picture quality while buying a TV or computer, then LED is a much better choice. LED monitors are a great choice for graphic designers.

LED monitors are more expensive than LCD monitors because of the advanced technology. For people who want to focus on picture quality, LED monitors are the best bet. The cost comes into picture while buying TV. Televisions with LED monitors are almost 50% higher in price as compared to those with LCD monitors.

There is also a difference in the power consumption standards of LCD and LED TVs. LED TVs use 40% less power as compared to simple LCD technology. So the running cost of LED monitors is lesser than LCD monitors.

LED monitors are sleeker and lighter than LCD monitors. From this point of view LED monitors are better for wall mounting purpose when you are buying a TV.


Quick Facts on LCD Vs LED

LED monitors consume 40% less power than an LCD monitor. If we compare the screens of LED and LCD Television screens we see that while an LCD screen consumes 0.139 watts per square inch, an LED consumes 0.096 of the same.

2. LED Screens have a faster response time as compares to LCDs. While response time of LCDs ranges between 2 – 8 ms, an LED can respond in less than 0.01 ms.

3. LED monitors have a far better contrast ratio resulting in clearer and sharper pictures. While LCD monitors can produce 20:000 contrast ratio, an LED can produce 2.000:000 contrast ratio.

LED screens are capable of being sleeker and light weight as compared to LCD monitors. For example, Sony launched a 40 inch Bravia screen as thin as 9.9 mm.

From longevity point of view also, LED screens or TVs have longer life. They can run 100 thousand hours, while LCDs can run only for 60 thousand hours.


After reading this account on LCD Vs LED monitors we can conclude that LED monitors are finer versions of LCD technology. LEDs are the latest in monitor technology and offer ultimate color, contrast, and picture quality.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

OCZ Announces the 1010 Watt GameXStream Power


The new 1010W configuration offers a more powerful solution for today's advanced PC systems in the same compact form factor that is an advantage to many gamers and system builders.

The OCZ GameXStream 1010W features active PFC (Power Factor Correction) to effectively regulate input voltage and provide superior operation in a wider range of environments and countries with varying voltages.

The 1010W GameXStream is among the most powerful solutions available, yet remains the quietest PSU around ensuring gamers hear their games and not their PC. Kept ultra-cool with a large 120mm fan, the powerful GameXStream still remains virtually silent and supremely cool even at peak loads.


OCZ GameXStream 1010 Watt PSU

The high-efficiency 1010W GameXStream features a standard-sized power supply form factor resulting in a compact footprint to accommodate virtually all computer towers. The GameXStream PSU connector cables, including quad PCI-Express and a 4/8-pin CPU connector, are wrapped in a flexible mesh promoting a tidy environment inside the case.

Friday, June 3, 2011

External BluRay Player At Last


It seems now only those into Blu-ray discs and devices manufacturing are producing the first external Blu-ray drive. This is probably due to they have just won the HD/DVD and Blu-ray format war and now their position in the market is certain. The first external Blu-ray drive is produced by PLDS or Philips and Lite-On Digital Solutions. The drive is a USB connected (USB 2.0) BD-ROM drive that is capable of reading Blu-ray disc media at 4x, single layer DVD at 12x, dual-layer at 8x and CD at 32x maximum.


According to Gizmowatch, the external Blu-ray drive can only play user-recorded high-def content from a digital camcorder, but not commercial movies released under the Blu-ray Drive format. This is due to the copy protection issues and lagging software development. One reason is due to commercial content is encrypted with High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) which can be decrypted using a HDCP-compliant graphics card that offers DVI or HDMI connections. And currently in the market, PCs with graphics chips that support HDCP are not available yet, so making it impossible to play the commercial content. Another reason is the Blu-ray disc playback software that can decrypt HDCP isn’t declared as saleable item yet.

Anyway, there is no word on the price and when it hits the street for this first external USB Blu-rayd drive.

LG-Blu-Ray-Disk-Drive


asus-usb-20-blu-ray-drive_1