ReviewsVisiontek Radeon HD 4850
Posted 08/14/08 at 02:00:00 PM by Will Smith
Last month, we spent a ton of time talking about the efficiency and overall pixel-pushing prowess of ATI’s new GPU, so we won’t waste much ink on the subject here. Suffice it to say, the 4850 delivers enough power to drive your sweet, new 22-inch monitor at its native resolution.
The card’s silicon is equivalent to that of previous-gen high-end cards. It’s equipped with 512MB of GDDR3 memory running at 993MHz. Unlike the Radeon HD 4870 boards (which cost $100 more), the 4850 doesn’t sport GDDR5 (GDDR5 transfers twice as much data per clock cycle as GDDR3). The upshot? The HD 4850 has the slowest memory interface of any card in the current generation, and benchmarks show that—especially at high AA/anisotropic filtering levels.
Full review after the jump!
No BS PodcastNo BS Podcast #76 The Podcast of Olympian Proportions Edition
Posted 08/08/08 at 12:12:05 PM by Tom Edwards
The podcast gang goes for the gold this week, bringing you all the latest tech news. First off, Norm takes a break from his pommel horse practice to talk about Nehalem and our exclusive interview with John Carmack.
We also answer your tech questions! On this episode, we discuss whether you should defrag your SSD drive, what mobo gives you the best bang for your buck, the best way to transport your PC--and much, much more. Gordon Mah Ung also takes the floor for a few minutes to supply us with another Rant of the Week!
Don't forget! There's still time to enter our Win a Dream Date with Norm competition. To qualify, send a song, photo collage, or video to maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com explaining why you want to spend the day with Norm. The winner will enjoy a delicious chaperoned lunch with online editor Norm and get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the Maximum PC Lab. Don't delay, the deadline is August 14!
Do you have a tech question? A comment? A tale of technological triumph? Just need to get something off your chest? Email us at maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com or call our 24-hour No BS Podcast hotline at 877.404.1337 x1337--operators are standing by.
Subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/maximumpc/1337
NewsDell Issues Bios Update to Help With Nvidia GPU Trouble
Posted 07/28/08 at 09:38:25 AM by Chris Moody
Dell has issued BIOS updates for their notebooks with the troubled Nvidia G84 and G86 GPUs that have been dying in notebook computers at a statistically higher rate is exacerbated with GPU temperature fluctuations. If the GPU fails, you may see intermittent symptoms during early stages such as: multiple images, random characters, lines on the screen, or just plain no video. As Dell points out if you are already experiencing the issues you see above the BIOS update won’t fix them. Your GPU is on its way out.
Dell’s statement is pretty serious since it lays the blame right at Nvidia’s doorstep saying the higher rate of failures are because of a weak die/packaging material set.
Dell says it will provide support for customers “who have experienced GPU failure according to the terms of the system warranty”. In other words if you didn’t get the extended warranty and it’s after the standard one year warranty your S.O.L on your GPU, but I wouldn’t let that stop you from beating on their door. It may not get you anywhere but at least it keeps them from forgetting that these things are out there and causing problems.
What do you think? Is Nvidia in trouble with these thermally sensitive notebook GPUs?
NewsRumor: Are XFX and Evga Defecting from Nvidia?
Posted 07/21/08 at 07:19:39 PM by Paul Lilly
Either Charlie Demerjian is drinking some seriously spiked Kool-Aid, or The Inquirer reporter really is privy to what could turn out to be the hottest story this summer. According to the latest rumor (and this one's unconfirmed), two high profile Nvidia add-in board (AIB) partners are jumping ship. And by high profile, Demerjian's talking about XFX and Evga, two of only three Nvidia partners (BFG being the other) to offer a generous lifetime warranty on their videocards.
As if the rumor wasn't already unfathomable, it gets even more shocking. According to the story, which, again, hasn't been confirmed by any other source, not only have XFX and Evga already defected (The Inq claims "paperwork has been signed"), but they're not heading for the hills of ATI. Huh? That's right; the rumor says XFX and Evga aren't following Gainward's lead (yet another defection rumor), so if it turns out to be true, then where could they going?
Find out where XFX and Evga are rumored to be headed after the jump.
No BS PodcastNo BS Podcast #74 The Summer in the City Edition
Posted 07/12/08 at 02:28:00 PM by Tom Edwards
Will and Norm are preparing to jet away to Los Angeles to cover this year's E3 convention, but before they go, they join the podcast crew to provide a preview of what games to look forward to this year. We also answer a load of reader questions; topics this week include videocard selection and dual-booting XP and Vista.
Do you have a tech question? A comment? A tale of technological triumph? Just need to get something off your chest? Email us at maximumpcpodcast@gmail.com or call our 24-hour No BS Podcast hotline at 877.404.1337 x1337--operators are standing by.
Subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/maximumpc/1337
FROM THE ARCHIVEDaily News Brief: ClubIT Rises from Dead
Posted 05/22/08 at 04:18:24 PM by Paul "One4yu2c" Lilly
PC Club an ClubIT under new ownership, details emerge on Nvidia's summer GPU lineup, Napster debuts DRM-free MP3s, and more!
No BS PodcastNo BS Podcast #68 The Games We Love (and Hate) Edition
Posted 05/16/08 at 09:40:25 AM by Tom Edwards
Earlier this week, Tom, Will, and Dave had hands-on time with a load of upcoming PC titles. Unfortunately, Andy did not, so we clue him--and you--in on what games should be making a splash this year. As part of our gaming coverage, we also interview BioWare cofounder Ray Muzyka and get his thoughts on both PC gaming and how to handle software piracy.
Subscribe: http://feeds.feedburner.com/maximumpc/1337
NewsDaily News Brief: AMD and Intel Continue to Duke it Out
Posted 05/08/08 at 05:19:17 PM by Paul Lilly
Chipmakers introduce new documents in federal court, TorrentSpy hit with $110 million judgment, NVIDIA to simplify GPU lineup, and more!
MOST COMMENTED ARTICLES
MOST RECENT COMMENTS
THIS MONTH's ISSUE 
FEATURE The 2008 Dream MachineHOW TO Build a Custom Windows Restore DiscFIRST LOOK ATI's GeForce KillerHISTORY LESSON We celebrate 10 years of Maximum PC
Technology News
Computer Cooling Fans
Computer Cases
PC Game Controllers
PC Games
Computer Hardware
Headphones
MP3 Players
Stream Video
Computer Mouse
Monitors
Motherboards
NAS Storage
Networking
Laptop Computers
DVD Burner
Digital Cameras
Portable Storage
Computer Accessories
Smartphone
Antivirus Software
Sound Cards
Speakers
Computer Systems
Thumb Drives
Video Cameras
Video Card Reviews
Water Cooling
- Keyboards
© 2008 Future US, Inc. All Rights Reserved.