Dec 06
Nvidia is no stranger to trying to make your video games look good, but this is a different take. Nvidia’s doing software now, and its GeForce Experience wants to optimize your graphics settings. More »
Nov 29
Far Cry 3 officially launches today in Australia, with the European release arriving tomorrow, and the US seeing the game next week on December 4. To celebrate the launch, NVIDIA has released a new beta version of its GeForce graphics drivers that come with some very specific improvements for the game.
NVIDIA has updated it’s 310.54 beta drivers to 310.64 beta, and while you may not think it’s a huge update, NVIDIA claims that the update will boost framerates in Far Cry 3 by up to 38% when using Nvidia’s latest GeForce 600-series graphics chips. That’s certainly nothing to scoff at, especially considering that you can get that kind of framerate boost for free.
The claim comes from NVIDIA’s own internal testing, which the company ran the game at a 1920×1080 resolution with graphics setting maxed out. The test system used an ASUS Rampage IV Extreme motherboard with an Intel Core i7-3960X processor clocked at 3.3 GHz, 8 GB of RAM, and a GeForce GTX 670, GTX 680 or GTX 690 depending on the test.
In addition to the Far Cry 3 improvements, the new beta drivers also include tweaks for Call of Duty: Black Ops II and Assassin’s Creed III, along with general performance tweaks that provide up to a 16% boost in games like Battlefield 3, Skyrim, and StarCraft II. The new beta drivers are available now to download on NVIDIA’s website.
NVIDIA releases GeForce 310.64 beta drivers aimed at Far Cry 3 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Nov 12
AMD’s dual-GPU FirePro S10000 gobbles watts, spews out nearly 6 TFLOPs for server graphics
Posted in: Today's Chili 
It can’t be easy, running a modern IT department. Not only are people making ever more graphics-hungry demands on your servers, but NVIDIA and AMD are locked in an unending spec war that can make it hard to keep up with the market. The FirePro S10000 is merely the latest salvo: a dual-GPU, server-focused version of the W9000 that greatly increases overall compute power, delivering 5.91 TFLOPs of single precision calculations and 1.48 TFLOPS of dual precision performance in a single PCIe 3.0 card with 6GB of GDDR5 RAM. Even though the Graphics Core Next GPUs have been slightly underclocked to 825MHz, and even though they technically offer better performance per watt than a single-GPU configuration, their overall 375w power draw could still get you in trouble with your local power station. That level of consumption is around 50 percent higher than a regular server card like the S9000 or Tesla K10 and it may well require you to research new server cases and coolers in addition to weighing up the $3,600 cost for the component itself. See? This was never going to be straightforward.
AMD’s dual-GPU FirePro S10000 gobbles watts, spews out nearly 6 TFLOPs for server graphics originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Nov 2012 05:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Nov 10
Graphing calculator screens have always been behind the times. Even years ago, before smartphones, graphing calculator screens weren’t nearly has good as their portable gaming counterparts. Now it seems an old favorite, the TI-84, is finally, finally getting an upgrade to color. Why? Why not. More »
Nov 02
Late 2012 iPad carries new PowerVR SGX 554MP4 graphics, muscles ahead in video speed
Posted in: Today's Chili 
It’s well established that the A6X chip in the fourth-generation iPad is about twice as fast as its predecessor in pure number crunching, but how about those reportedly doubled graphics amid some increasingly fierce competition? Thanks to some help from Kishonti, AnandTech has learned that Apple may still have an ace up its sleeve. The new tablet carries a new, quad-core PowerVR SGX554MP4 with twice the raw potential as the already quick 543MP4 graphics in the A5X. While that doesn’t always lead to a literal doubling of 3D performance, it unambiguously puts the new new iPad on top in GLBenchmark, with even the imminent Nexus 10’s new Mali-T604 video left in the middle of a large pack. We’re somewhat surprised when the Samsung-made Nexus is using a brand new chip architecture that many had thought would represent a fundamental leap in speed. Visuals aren’t the only factors in buying tablets, so take the results with the appropriate grains of salt; if gaming or sheer responsiveness matters most, however, there’s now a clear frontrunner.
Filed under: Tablets, Apple, Samsung, Google
Late 2012 iPad carries new PowerVR SGX 554MP4 graphics, muscles ahead in video speed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Oct 29
Today the folks at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, NVIDIA, and Cray have brought on the next generation of accelerated computing with not just a re-naming of the Jaguar supercomputer, but integration with NVIDIA’s solutions for GPU-powered greatness. This update turns the Titan (as it is now called) into the flagship accelerated computing system – the flagship for the whole world, that is. This is now a 200-cabinet Cray XK7 supercomputer working with 18,688 notes – AMD 16-core Opteron plus NVIDIA Tesla K20 GPUs – enough to change the way we work.
This project is a next-level teaming of the Cray XK7, the “most scalable supercomputer” on the planet, and the NVIDIA Tesla K20 GPU, aka the “world’s fastest accelerator.” This combination beings on CUDA and Open ACC programming and new features that expand programmability far beyond what’s been available before, and with the NVIDIA GPU units being used now, they’re working with 3x higher performance per watt. This means one whole heck of a lot less power consumed for the same tasks as were being performed before.
This supercomputer is currently in the acceptance process for a series of scientific applications. The program that surrounds this unit is made to expand the access groups have to supercomputing, judging each application for a program individually and giving them time based on the percentages allotted to each of the following: Plasma, Nuclear, Materials, Engineering, Earth Science, Computer Science, Chemical Science, Biology, and Astrophysics. This is all done through the US Department of Energy’s INCITE: Innovative and Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment.
This program has seen a record number of proposals, with demand being approximately three times larger than they’re actually able to supply. Have a peek at the gallery below to see a few examples of what these applicants are proposing:
This also brings the Jaguar – again, now called Titan – up to a whole new specifications set. The compute notes remain the same at 18,688, but the Login and I/O nodes go up from 256 all the way to 512. The memory per node was at 16Gb and is now at 32GB + 6GB. Number of Opteron cores jumps from 224,256 to 299,008, and the total system memory was at 300TB and is now at 710TB. With the addition of 18,688 NVIDIA K20 Kepler accelerators, this beast’s former peak performance at 2.3 Petaflops is dwarfed by its current peak at 20+ Petaflops.
TITAN sees unprecedented demand for supercomputing science projects is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Oct 21
AMD Never Settle bundle gives Radeon HD 7000 buyers free games they’d actually care to play
Posted in: Today's Chili 
Just about anyone who has bought more than one aftermarket graphics card knows that bundled games rarely matter. They’re usually year-old titles or neutered editions built only to showcase the GPU’s performance for a few hours. AMD thinks its Never Settle bundle might finally get us to notice. Buy any modern Radeon HD video card from the 7770 GHz Edition on up and you’ll get a download code for at least one new game you’d genuinely want to try, ranging from Far Cry 3 on basic cards to a full three-game deal that supplies Far Cry 3, Hitman: Absolution and Sleeping Dogs to high rollers buying the 7900 series. There’s likewise a discount for Medal of Honor: Warfighter and promises of bundles in 2013 for Bioshock Infinite and the reimagined Tomb Raider. As long as you’re not dead set on springing for a GeForce board in the next few months, one of the qualifying cards might be worth a look to jumpstart your game collection.
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Peripherals, AMD
AMD Never Settle bundle gives Radeon HD 7000 buyers free games they’d actually care to play originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Oct 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Oct 09
NVIDIA launches GeForce 650 Ti, Maingear says all custom desktop models now have it
Posted in: Today's Chili 
No one can accuse Maingear of skipping the latest hardware cycles — less than a month after offering PCs with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 and 660 graphics, the PC system builder has announced that you can get all its desktop machines with GTX 650 Ti graphics now, too. As it happens, NVIDIA has just launched that very product — a friskier version of the GTX 650 with extra Cuda cores — keeping Maingear in lockstep with its graphics board suppliers again. That card will fill the gap between the $229 GeForce GTX 660 and $109 GTX 650 cards and run $149 (estimated), while Maingear has said it will feature special F131 and Potenza GTX 650 Ti systems at $150 off, along with a free copy of Assassin Creed III. So, if you need all the fps you can get, but can’t quite pony up for the more desirable GTX 660, check the PR for more details.
Continue reading NVIDIA launches GeForce 650 Ti, Maingear says all custom desktop models now have it
Filed under: Desktops, Peripherals, NVIDIA
NVIDIA launches GeForce 650 Ti, Maingear says all custom desktop models now have it originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Sep 27
Another rather fabulous step towards total cross-platform compatibility has been made this week as the AMD AppZone Player is announced with full BlueStacks power under the hood. What you’ll be doing here is working on your AMD-toting PC with an application called AMD AppZone Player – with this app you’ll be able to play any and all AMD AppZone Android-based apps at your leisure. At the moment you’ll not have direct access to the Google Play app store, but there’s always a workaround.
This announcement has the AMD AppZone Player made to work perfectly with Android apps even if they were made for phones or tablets. With the player, you’ve got BlueStacks providing you with an optimized experience that makes full use of AMD Radeon graphics and OpenGL drivers found in AMD APUs and GPUs. At the moment there are 50 free apps – some of the biggest names in the app universe in general – available for your perusal.
This technology also works with a Cloud Connect service that’ll allow you to sync both apps and SMS messages with your Android smartphone or tablet. You’ll need the BlueStacks Cloud Connect app on your Android device as well – but once you’ve got it, you’ll be up on both machines like a snap. Cloud Connect is up on the Google Play app store right this minute for you to download and utilize.
BlueStacks makes this process simple – just head to the AMD AppZone and download any app to your AMD-toting PC. When you do, you’ll have an automatic check to see if you’ve got the AMD AppZone Player, and if you don’t, you’ll have the option to download it instantly. So very simple for all the PC/Android lovers!
BlueStacks Android apps on PCs made simple with AMD AppZone Player is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Sep 14
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 and 660 review roundup: hitting the sweet spot, sometimes
Posted in: Today's Chili 
If you’re building or upgrading a budget gaming rig, it’ll be hard to ignore the GeForce GTX 650 and 660. Whether or not NVIDIA’s new chipsets are worth the glance is another matter, and early reviews suggest that a sale depends on just which market you’re in. The GTX 660, by far the darling of the review crowd, competes solidly against the Radeon HD 7850 by outrunning AMD’s hardware in most situations while undercutting on the official price. Only a few have taken a look at the lower-end GTX 650, but it’s not as much of a clear-cut purchasing decision — the entry-level video often slots in between the performance of the Radeon HD 7750 and 7770 without the price edge of its bigger brother. Either card is much better value for the money than the GT 640, however, and looks to be a meaningful upgrade if you’re trading up from equivalent prior-generation gear.
Read – AnandTech (GTX 660)
Read – Benchmark Reviews (GTX 660)
Read – Bit-Tech (GTX 660)
Read – Guru 3D (GTX 650)
Read – HardOCP (GTX 660)
Read – Hot Hardware (GTX 660)
Read – PC Mag (GTX 660)
Read – PC Perspective (GTX 660)
Read – Tom’s Hardware (GTX 650 and 660)
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Peripherals
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 and 660 review roundup: hitting the sweet spot, sometimes originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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