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- Biostar Sigma-Gate OC
- Albatron KI51PV-754
- MSI P965 Platinum Mobo
- Radeon X1950Pro
- PCstats Weekly Tips
Newsletter Archives
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Computers That Go Faster, Get Even Smaller
Hello,
Imagine a full computer mainboard no larger than
170x170mm, capable of supporting a 64-bit AMD Athlon64 and just about
everything else you need in a PC. Albatron's
KI51PV-754 mainboard brings miniITX to a
new level of compactness, so we hope you'll give our full
review a look. Along the same lines, PCSTATS tested a very unique
videocard this week which allows overclockers to adjust
voltage to the nVidia GPU and VGA memory... the Biostar
Sigma-Gate 7600GS is a one of a kind videocard when it comes to these overclocking options. The
ASUS EAX1950 Pro
HTDP videocard is back, along with a
new Core 2 Duo motherboard, the MSI P965
Platinum. In other news, Corsair has just let us know about a 16GB USB flash
drive - that's 16GB! Remember back
when PC's came with 80MB hard drives? PCSTATS Guide to USB Memory Drive Projects and Tip is here.
Over in the side column, Dan dives into
the problem of e-waste and What To Do With Old
Computers. Tossing old or junked PC hardware in the
garbage is quickly becoming this decades' equivalent to dumping motor oil
down the rain gutter.
The PCSTATS Weekly Tech Tip is an obscure one this
week, but we've gotten a few emails on this issue, so there you go. Don't
forget to check the December shopping list if you need some PC
hardware recommendations!
Thanks for reading!
Max Page
Editor-in-Chief -
PCSTATS
At first glance the Biostar
Sigma-Gate GeForce 7600GS looks like a rather vanilla mainstream
videocard, but included in the package is a very very unique piece of
software. Biostar's two videocard overclocking programs allow you to not
only tune the core and memory clock speed from within Windows XP, but also
adjust
the GPU core and memory voltages! The real fun happens when
you open up Biostar's
"V-Ranger" tool and key in some pretty serious voltage
adjustments for the videocard GPU and memory. There is enough room to
manoeuvrer with the voltage values, that mainstream and hard core
overclocking enthusiasts alike will be satisfied... again, all from the
comfort of your Windows XP desktop! This is a first for
videocard overlcocking, so don't
miss out! Continue Here>>
It's kind of a shock to see an entire motherboard
shrunk down to 170 x
170mm, or slightly larger than a CDROM. The Albatron
KI51PV-754 miniITX motherboard PCSTATS is reviewing for you today is
a AMD Athlon64 platform which could easily become a car PC
stereo system, multi camera home PC security system, or form the
backbone of a dedicated network attached storage server, home automation
computer, point of
sales terminal or any number of other compact
uses. Albatron takes Mini-ITX into a new direction with its KI51PV-754
motherboard, a high powered 64-bit compatible alternative based
on a pair of very capable nVidia chipsets which boast an integrated
Geforce 6-series videocard
and MPEG-2/WMV9 High Definition video playback support.Continue Here>>
The consensus in the computer world is that Intel's Core
2 Duo series of processors deliver the best performance, for a
reasonable price. If you're going to be buying new parts now, you might as
well go that route. The MSI Computer
P965 Platinum motherboard is one such candidate with a healthy dose of
enthusiast friendly features to match. The MSI P965 Platinum utilizes the
Intel P965
Express Northbridge and Intel ICH8R Southbridge chipsets. Standard
equipment includes an Intel PCI Express based Gigabit network card, IEEE
1394a, a Realtek 7.1 channel Intel Azalia High Definition audio controller
and an additional Serial ATA II/IDE RAID controller. The MSI P965
Platinum motherboard offers a good set of
mainstream-to-performance features.Continue Here>>
ATi
has dramatically increased the value of its videocards with the release of
the ATI Radeon X1950 Pro, this card has a remarkable among
of bang for the buck. The best thing about the Asus
EAX1950PRO is that it doesn't require a
Master card to run Crossfire. The ATi Radeon X1950 Pro based PCI Express
x16 videocard has 256MB
of
GDDR3 memory. It supports dual digital monitors and TV/S-Video output,
along with high definition output through a set of component outputs. The
Radeon
X1950Pro GPU is clocked at 575 MHz, while
the 256MB of GDDR3 memory runs at a brisk speed of 1380 MHz.Continue Here>>
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PCstats Weekly Tech Tips: Bugs in IE7 with WinXP |
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If you have upgraded to Internet Explorer version 7 recently, and encounter an issue where the program immediately exits when first loaded, it's probably an issue with the IEProxy.dll file and WindowsXP. The fix is quite simple; go to "Start" -> "Run" then type "cmd" then press the "OK" button, that will open up a command prompt. From there navigate via the command prompt to the Internet Explorer directory (usually C:\Program Files\ Internet Explorer) and type "regsvr32 /s IEProxy.dll" (without the quotes) and press the enter key. That should fix the problem, to close the Command Prompt simply type "exit" and press the enter key. PCSTATS has a refresher course on using the Windows Command Prompt right here if your DOS skills are a little rusty. Internet Explorer 7 should now be fixed and that closing immediately after starting issue should be resolved.
Let PCSTATS know what you think about this Tech Tip, and be sure to stop by PCSTATS Forums and post your comments or questions.
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Join the PCSTATS Forums Today @ forum.PCstats.com! | |
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PCstats Issue
No.231
Circulation: 156,285
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| What Do You Do With Old Computers? |
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So you've just come back from your favourite little electronics store and nestled in your outstretched arms is a pile of new toys, most of which is intended to
replace the aging hardware sitting by your desk. Maybe you've gone wireless
and picked up a new 802.11n wireless router, or a new Serial ATA hard drive to
replace the IDE drive that crashed last week... better yet, maybe you've
splurged and just brought home an entirely new and customized computer
system!
Now comes the dilemma. What are you going to do with the old computer or bits
of now retired hardware? That old 802.11b wireless router will probably find a home
in the garage as a "just in case" backup should the high-speed 802.11n unit ever fail, but what about the busted hard drive and the near-doorstop circa-1995 Pentium I computer?
It's a question we all face at one time or another, and in some cases we can
find friends or family interested in working relics. Yet for most of us who'd
rather not hang onto 30lb piles of obsolete computer junk, or assorted parts
like a busted hard drive, it's tempting to just chuck it to the curb-side trash.
Bad call.
The Disconnect: E-Waste
The components of a computer
contain a long list of chemicals, metals, plastics and reclaimable
materials in their make up. The hard drive for example contains all
sorts of materials; some are mundane like aluminum and steel, and
valuable like the trace amounts of gold on electrical connectors.
Yet it's the other trace amounts of materials generally found in
electronic components like lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury that
are a real concern. So how does this apply to that obsolete computer
sitting at the curb? Once you put this stuff out to the curb, it
will get taken away and more than likely get smashed into tiny bits,
then trucked off to a big hole in the ground where it will stay
forever... hopefully without leaching any of these potentially toxic
substances into the water table.
Ground water is the primary concern with all waste destined for landfills,
and given the long list of metals and exotic chemicals used in electronic
devices, this issue is becoming more timely. Right now a massive volume of
yesterday's technology is making its way to the trash, and landfills.
Stay tuned for Part 2 next week.
- Daniel Quinn
"Get the 'Stats and Stay Informed!"
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