Rilasciata da nVidia una nuova versione del suo decoder PureVideo.

Per scaricare il PureVideo Decoder 1.02-196 (in una versione di prova gratuita per 30 giorni) cliccate qui.


Note sulla release

• Supporto per il telecine inverso ad alta definizione (HD) sulle GPU compatibili. Visitare l'indirizzo http://www.nvidia.it/page/purevideo.html per un elenco delle GPU compatibili.
• Dopo l'installazione del PureVideo Decoder e l'uso del wizard "speaker setup" di MCE per selezionare i diffusori 5.1, l'audio viene invece impostato sulla modalità stereo in 2 canali. Si tratta di un problema noto con Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005 Update Rollup2. È possibile scaricare questa patch per risolvere il problema. La patch definisce il valore corretto per i file analogici 5.1 e deve essere eseguita dopo aver utilizzato il wizard di configurazione dei diffusori. Nota: per fare in modo che le impostazioni selezionate rimangano attive, questa patch va eseguita tutte le volte che si utilizza il wizard.

Requisiti di sistema

• Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004/2005/2005 Update Rollup2, Windows XP Professional, oppure Windows XP Home Edition
• DirectX 9.0 o superiore
• Windows Media Center oppure Windows Media® Player 9.0 o superiore per la riproduzione di DVD
• Software compatibile con DirectShow per la riproduzione di file MPEG-2
• Un processore grafico compatibile con DirectX Video Acceleration (DXVA), quale ad esempio il GeForce 7800 GTX.
• Lettore DVD-ROM necessario per la visione di DVD
• Il sintonizzatore TV è necessario per la visione di programmi TV con Windows Media Center e deve soddisfare i requisiti del logo Designed for Windows XP Media Center Edition

Chip grafici supportati

• NVIDIA GeForce 7
• NVIDIA GeForce 6
• NVIDIA GeForce FX

Per maggiori informazioni sulla tecnologia PureVideo vi rimandiamo a questo indirizzo.

ATi Technologies ha rilasciato una nuova release dei driver Catalyst: si tratta della versione 6.3, che potete trovare nella nostra sezione Downloads.



New Features

• Overlay Theater Mode Enhancement: This release of the Catalyst introduces an enhancement to the Overlay Theater mode found in the Catalyst Control Center. This enhancement allows for higher resolution than the current desktop setting to be available for the Overlay Theater mode.
• Avivo Video Converter: This release of Catalyst introduces the Avivo Video Converter. The Avivo Video Converter is a transcoder tool that provides a quick and easy way of converting videos from one format to another. The Avivo wizard found in the Catalyst Control Center, allows the user to select the input file, and output format, along with the quality level and file location. The Avivo Video Converter accepts a wide variety of file formats as a source, and outputs to file formats such as MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4/DivX, WMA, H.264/AVC and more. Click on How to use the Avivo Video Converter, for more information.

Performance Improvements

• 3DMark05: Pixel Shader test runs as much as 1-2% faster, primarily when Anisotropic Filtering is enabled.
• Call of Duty 2: Framerates are up 5-10% on the enthusiast-class ATI Radeon X1800 and ATI Radeon X1900 products

Issues Resolved in Catalyst® Software Suite 6.3

The following section provides a summary of the issues that have been resolved in the latest version of Catalyst®. These include:

• 3DMark06: Setting the display to 2560x1600 with AA set to 4x no longer results in graphic corruption being noticed when running the HDR tests. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21768
• Battlefield 2: The game no longer exit to the Windows desktop after the game logo is displayed. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21660
• City of Heroes: Running the Shadertest 7 no longer results in slow performance being noticed. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21463
• Far Cry: High Dynamic Range (HDR) corruption is no longer noticed when HDR is enabled. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21762
• Need for Speed Most Wanted: Playing the game on a system containing an ATI Radeon® X1800 series no longer results in the operating system failing to respond after an extended period of game play. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21769
• Quake 4: Connecting a secondary display device and enabling extended desktop no longer results in the game failing to respond when switching between notepad and the game. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21771
• Serious Sam 2 Demo: Enabling CrossFire™ no longer result in a performance drop being noticed when playing the game under Windows XP Media Center Edition. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-20976
• Serious Sam 2: Two directdraw samples are no longer displayed as blank screens. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21748
• The Fall: VPU Recover message is no longer displayed when playing the game on systems containing either an ATI Radeon® 9600, 9700 or 9800 products. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21766
• Tiger Woods 2005 and 2006: Playing the game with CrossFire™ enabled no longer results in a checkerboard type corruption being noticed. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21764
• World of Warcraft: Changing the multisample setting no longer results in display corruption being noticed when using an ATI Radeon® X1600 product. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21770

ATi Technologies ha rilasciato in data odierna la nuova release dei driver Catalyst che potete trovare nella nostra sezione Downloads. Si tratta della versione 6.2



Issues Resolved in Catalyst® Software Suite 6.2

The following section provides a summary of the issues that have been resolved in the latest version of Catalyst®. These include:

• BattleField 2 Special Forces: A blooming or ghosting effect is no longer noticed when playing the game in night vision mode. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21648
• City of Heroes: Running Shadertest 7 no longer results in slow performance being noticed. Further details can be found in topic number 737-21463
• Dragonshard: Playing the game under Windows XP Media Center Edition with CrossFire enabled, no longer results in the screen becoming out of sync, and a scrolling display image occurring shortly there after. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-20975
• Fable: The Lost Chapters: Playing the game under Windows XP MCE may result in the shadows found within the game appearing jittery, when the desktop resolution is set to 1024x768 32bpp, and all the game options are set to default. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21184
• Half-Life2: Enabling Catalyst AI no longer results in the outer edges of the water appear dark or black in color. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number. 737-21649
• Pacific Fighters: A stuttering effect at certain levels of the game is no longer noticed when playing the game with CrossFire enabled. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21650
• The Fall: A VPU Recover event or the operating system failing to respond no longer occur when playing the game. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21651
• World of Warcraft: Pixel corruption is no longer noticed when playing the game on systems containing an ATI Radeon X1600 series. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21652
• Attempting to install the integrated WDM driver under Windows XP no longer results in an error message being displayed indicating that the hardware is not installed because the install Wizard cannot find the necessary software. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-20784
• Catalyst Control Center: The preview for the Deinterlacing aspect found in the Catalyst Control Center is now available when using the ATI Radeon X1300. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-20986
• The Video Preview found in the Standard Settings aspect within the Video option of the Catalyst Control Center, no longer fails to provide a preview after hotplugging an LCD panel to an ATI Radeon 9500 or 9800, when selecting to extend the desktop. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21173
• Connecting two display devices to the ATI Radeon X850 CrossFire Edition and one display device to the ATI Radeon X850 XT no longer results in the display device connected to the Radeon X850 XT still being active once CrossFire is enabled. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21177
• The WDM Drivers is now enumerated and the Capture chip is now being detected when using the ATI Radeon® X850 XT (ViVo) as a slave card on a system containing an ATI Radeon® X850 CrossFire™ Edition. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21178
• The secondary display device no longer fails to activate when attempting to enable clone mode when using an ATI Radeon® X800 GTO. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21179
• Using the Custom option when installing the software driver no longer results in the Theater™ 550 software driver not being present. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21183
• The apply button no longer remains inactive when attempting to change the Hue and Saturation settings found in the TV PropertiesAvivo Color settings when enabling a TV as the primary display device and a CRT as the secondary display device. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21264
• The image for extended desktop and clone mode are no longer reversed when an external monitor is connected. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21653
• This release of Catalyst provides improved audio quality for European customers. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21654
• The radio seek option found in the Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system is now functioning properly. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21655
• The radio seek function found in the Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system is now functioning properly when using an ATI Radeon X800. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21665
• Connecting an HDTV to an ATI Radeon X1300 and attempting to apply any of the custom modes found in the Digital display panel properties of the HDTV, no longer results in the display failing to apply the underscan modes. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21656
• Attempting to hot-plug a DFP display device using the HDMI-DVI connector no longer results in the DFP display device failing to display an image. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21657
• The ADD button for the Custom mode option found in the Catalyst Control Center is no longer greyed out when attempting to add the custom mode of 1920x1080i@30Hz. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21658
• Viewing TV for several hours under Windows XP Media Center Edition on a system containing either an ATI Radeon X1300 or an ATI Radeon X1800 no longer results in an extraordinary long delay in the shut down and no longer results in Windows XP MCE TV failing to restart. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21659

Sono disponibili nel noto store giapponese di Akiba Pc Hotline le prime schede Radeon X1900 XTX. Sembra quindi che ATi stia puntando su una disponibilità immediata dei suoi prodotti, a differenza di quanto accaduto con la serie X1800.


Ricordiamo le caratteristiche della scheda:

• 16 Pixel Pipeline
• 650MHz MHz GPU
• 512 MB di memoria GDDR-3, 256-bit, 1550MHz
• PCI Express x16
• Dual-Link DVI Outputs
• Supporto VIVO, HDTV/S-Video/Composite Out, Hardware H.264
• Dual Slot GPU Cooling Solution, Low Noise Design

ATi Technologies ha rilasciato in data odierna la nuova release dei driver Catalyst che potete trovare nella nostra sezione Downloads. Si tratta della versione 6.1



Issues Resolved in Catalyst® Software Suite 6.1

The following section provides a summary of the issues that have been resolved in the latest version of Catalyst®. These include:

• BattleField 2 Special Forces: A blooming or ghosting effect is no longer noticed when playing the game in night vision mode. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21263
• Beyond Good and Evil: Flickering artifacts are no longer noticed on the game characters after approximately 15 minutes of game play. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-20795
• Dark Age of Camelot: The game no longer exits to the desktop immediately after launching, or after playing for up to 15 minutes. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-20794
• Everquest II, The Fall, and World of Warcraft: A VPU Recover event or the operating system failing to respond no longer occur when playing the game. Further details on these resolved issues can be found in topic number 737-21437
• Half-Life2: Enabling Catalyst AI no longer results in the outer edges of the water appear dark or black in color. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21448
• World of Warcraft: Rotating or zooming within the Blackwing Lair or Seering George level of the game no longer results in a VPR Recover occurring after approximately a few minutes of game play. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21265
• Catalyst Control Center: The Display Properties aspect is now translated correctly for Traditional Chinese. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21440
• Attempting to hot-plug a DFP display device using the HDMI-DVI connector no longer results in the DFP display device failing to display an image. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21442
• Viewing TV for several hours under Windows XP Media Center Edition on a system containing either an ATI Radeon® X1300 or an ATI Radeon® X1800 no longer results in an extraordinary long delay in the shut down and no longer results in Windows XP MCE TV failing to restart. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number
• The radio seek function found in the Windows XP Media Center Edition operating system is now functioning properly when using an ATI Radeon® X800. Further details on this resolved issue can be found in topic number 737-21449

Futurmark ha rilasciato una nuova versione del suo benchmark sintetico per schede video: il 3DMark 2006.


Requisiti minimi di sistema:

• Processore Intel o AMD con frequenza operativa di 2,5GHz

• Scheda grafica compatibile DirectX® 9, con supporto a Pixel Shader 2.0 e 256MB di memoria video

• 1GB di memoria di sistema

• 1,5GB di spazio libero su hard disk

• Sistema operativo Windows XP SP2

• DirectX 9.0c (aggiornate a dicembre 2005)

*Per l'esecuzione dei test HDR/SM3.0 è richiesta una scheda video con supporto agli Shader Model 3.0 e texture a 16 bit in virgola mobile e blending a 16 bit in virgola mobile.



3DMark®06 Basic Edition (Build 1.0.2) è scaricabile a questo indirizzo. Scaldate le vostre schede video!


Screenshots

Bene, siamo così giunti alla fine di quest'altro sondaggio marcato Gf-Zone, riguardante questa volta la ormai prossima introduzione sul mercato di schede basate sul chip AGEIA. I risultati dello stesso, dopo 176 voti totali, sono i seguenti:



I risultati del sondaggio parlano chiaro: la maggioranza dei votanti (51.7%) è entusiasta dell'arrivo di queste nuove schede, vedendo in esse un valido passo avanti verso una fisica realistica nei giochi. La restante parte dei votanti considera l'arrivo di queste schede come un qualcosa di non indispensabile (21.02%) o addiritura inutile (11.36%); Il 13.07% dei votanti considera il chip AGEIA come un buon progetto che non potrà apportare però reali differenze in ambito videoludico, in quanto i processori odierni posso tranquillamente fare i calcoli dedicati al processore fisico.

Per maggiori informazioni sul chip AGEIA cliccate qui


Bene, a questo punto potete partecipare al nostro nuovo sondaggio: Che cosa chiedereste al prossimo OS, Windows Vista?

Votate numerosi!

Shamino ha fatto registrare un nuovo record di overclock per quando riguarda le soluzioni nVidia.

Le due 7800 GTX 512 configurate in SLi, overcloccate a 792MHz per il Core e 2196MHz per le memorie, hanno fanno registrare 18655 punti al 3DMark2005, solo un punto in più rispetto al precedente record fatto registrare da K|ngp|n:

Il sito CDCopy.it ha recensito a questo indirizzo la Sapphire Radeon X800XL con 512MB di memoria video, ponendola a confronto con una MSI NX6800GT.



Buona lettura!

Dopo tanti anni di tradizione Asustek ha osato un qualcosa che fin'ora nessuno aveva azzardato!
Alla prima occhiata vi lascierà un pò confusi la prossima Extreme N6600TOP Silent per via del fatto che questa scheda video avrà la GPU dall'altro lato del PCB.
Per anni la GPU è stata sempre montata nella parte frontale della scheda video, con un ragionamento logico e pensando un al fatto che l'aria calda è più leggera dell'aria fredda viene da pensare che tenendo la GPU verso il basso l'aria calda tende a stagnare sotto alla scheda video (anche se la ventola dovrebbe raffreddarla) non favorendo la dissipazione della stessa.
Montando la GPU sull'altro lato si dovrebbe favorire la dissipazione, garantendo un flusso d'aria maggiore.
Il sistema di raffreddamento usato su questa scheda video è di tipo passivo e chiamato ReverseCool.
Questa scheda vede il core operare a 400MHz, mentre la memoria 256MB of GDDR2 lavora a 800MHz. La scheda è equipaggiata con uscite D-Sub, DVI-I e TV.
Prezzi e disponibilità non sono ancora disponibili.