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| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=15375 | Grape@Work (16) May 08, 2007 - 02:25 pm
| » Bring it on baby! Sweet, looking forward to the quality job usually seen here.
Glad you're waiting for the R6xx series solutions for a good comparison on all platforms. Also considering the VC-1 inclusion it should offer some interesting differences across platforms and generations.
Something to consider would be to include the processing of downloaded (and hence not encrypted) H.264 content) to show a baseline performance between old an new.
While many people including myself are opting to add HD-DVD or BR drives into our systems, alot of other H.264 content is also being viewed on these HTPCs, such as podcasts and movie trailers, etc. EliteBastards noticed no improvement in their G84 decoding tests, which involved the downlaoded unencrypted content only, a comparison involving both would provide a good overall overview of the features.
Including these would help to see if there is a benefit in upgrading to anyone currently with a GF7600GT/GF7900GS/X1650P/X1950P who already has most of the other features like HD inverse-telecine, etc.
Also the inclusion of the much touted (but personally skeptical) abilities of the GMA965/X3000 and upcoming 3100's abilities in some of these tests would be very nice since intel is pushing them as 'all you need'.
Look forward to the final review as always, have fun testing.
Cheers !! Flag this | Edit this post |


| Matrix Blog Link » /matrix/blog.asp/17473/437 | Grape@Work (16) Apr 05, 2007 - 05:55 pm » Edited on Apr 05, 2007 - 07:19 pm
| » I rate this Blog Entry a 2.. .. because I can for some reason. >B~)
Also, little of this stuff glows, so a 2 for sure! You only get that 2 because of the Blue Orb.
C'mon, how are people suposed to know these guys are serious if the stuff doesn't glow?
And, please tell Thermaltake they need to re-read Lord of the Rings, they spelt the name wrong, idjits! At least you got it Right plus 1 point!!
But there was no Salsa dip when I got here, so minus 1 point !! Flag this | Edit this post |

| Matrix Blog Link » /matrix/blog.asp/61942/427 | Grape@Work (16) Apr 05, 2007 - 05:46 pm » Edited on Apr 05, 2007 - 05:42 pm
| » I need to talk about your flair. Now, it's up to you whether or not you want to just do the bare minimum.
Well, like Dave for example, has 17 pieces of flair... and a Terrific Smile !!
Look, we want you to express yourself,... ok?
If you think the bare minimum is enough, then,... ok.
But some people choose to wear more and we encourage that,... ok?
You do want to express yourself, don't you?
>P~) Flag this | Edit this post |

| Matrix Blog Link » /matrix/blog.asp/61942/427 | Grape@Work (16) Apr 05, 2007 - 05:32 pm
| Actually I've already seen the avitar around in some of the other forums, funnier when you can use animated avitars (none here unfortunately).
The one thing I forgot to mention last night, one words... colours !!
Seriously BLUSH, PINK, FUCHSIA and ROSE !?!
C'mon your kiling me man! >B~P Flag this | Edit this post |



| Matrix Blog Link » /matrix/blog.asp/61942/377 | Grape@Work (16) Mar 30, 2007 - 06:23 pm
| » Sounds like home... get outta my house/head !! Well it's funny because I play in 2 beer leagues 1 for work, 1 with the other grad students. Guess which has the most fights. Although I separated my shoulder and then got 2 assists in my Univ league, so it's not without it's drama. >B~)
For us though beer is after the game and you play beer hunter (don't shake the beer, just buy 1 crap beer (Wildcat or some US big name [not Sam Adams]) and put it in a bag of good beer (Rickard's, Big Rock, Keith's, or a microbrew), in an homage to Bob & Doug.
People in Cow town are on the edge waiting for the playoffs.
As for the pool, that's funny cause I run, and often win the Hockey and Football pools at work. This will be the first season I finish out of the top 3. Won Last hockey playoff pool, and regular season last year.
So alot of what you wrote made me laugh out loud while designing at work.
As for XXX, nice idea, unlikely to work since the only people likely to use it are responsible already and already blocked by net nanny and such.
As for battle of the .net werked Stars, here's a nice little link... Link: http://www.lucasarts.com/games......er_background=5 Flag this | Edit this post |


| Matrix Blog Link » /matrix/blog.asp/61942/277 | Grape@Work (16) Mar 19, 2007 - 01:24 pm » Edited on Mar 19, 2007 - 01:27 pm
| Yeah man, solid article, I will likely be pointing people here for pointers. Save me the time of 'splaining it myslef.
As for the i-Ram yeah two drawbacks, first SATA-150 (I'm sure iRam could saturate it based on benchies), next is the capacity, yeah 4GB is piddly.
Of course there is another alternative;
http://www.hyperossystems.co.uk/07042003/HD4launch.pdf
Just a little more expensive though, even before the memory goes in, but it does support up to 32GB, so 2 of those in RAID0. >B~)
Still dissapointed they're only Sata150, since they throughput about 200+MB/s, really needs SATA3G.
Anywhoo, once again, great article bookmarked at work for future reference to others (hope FS keeps it, and maybe you, for a while).
edit: Dunno why it sloted me in another portion of the replies this time from work, must be my default settings ?!? Flag this | Edit this post |

| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=14133 | Grape@Work (16) Jan 31, 2007 - 02:26 pm
| » Most anticipated game of 2007? Just curious about the criteria, and whether it's the most anticipated game for 2007 since we started thinking 2007, because I think Stalker is the most anticipated game of 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003...
>B~) Flag this | Edit this post |

| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=14106 | Grape@Work (16) Jan 31, 2007 - 02:17 pm » Edited on Jan 31, 2007 - 02:18 pm
| » Just a reminder.... This is supposed to be a site 'For the Hardcore Gamer", not people looking to see how Vista will run on their 286SX. So complaining about the AM64 3800+ is pretty ridiculous since it's single core old marchitecture, and for anyone calling themselves a 'hardcore gamer' that should be about the limit of what the majority need to know. As for 3rd world countries, not really a priority for most reviewers, nor is it for software prodcuers. Fact of life reviews focus on hardware and software generally available to Techie part of Asia , N/Am. and the Techie part of Europe.
BTW, I'd also like to see the windowed and spanned impact on gaming of Aero. Remember though windowed mode in Oblivion is a little tricky but doable for a crunch test.
For people wondering about Vista versus XP, go back to the review list and then click the one underneathh with the ATi tests for XP (32/64bit) vs Vista (32/64). Link: http://firingsquad.com/hardwar......t_7.1/page4.asp Flag this | Edit this post |

| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=14092 | Grape@Work (16) Jan 29, 2007 - 03:30 pm
| » Did you disable Detect Displays? Something that is not necessary and does consume seconds on opening CCC is detecting the displays. If you don't need this then it's adding to the delay in start-up. You can get quicker CCC starts with 'Detect whenever Catalyst Control Center is opened' unselected. Probably AMD/ATi are getting their 1.7 second from the fully optimized settings.
I find it makes a noticeable difference from just a bit slower than the old Control Panel to unbearable. Flag this | Edit this post |

| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=13891 | Grape@Work (16) Jan 16, 2007 - 11:15 am
| » Fanboi? Moi? Post a link or else STFU! You wanna accuse me of being a Fanboi, when what I'm advocating is completely ANTI-Allegiance? You're the one eating up a $100 hybrid drive tripe as if it were a few weeks away.
Prove me wrong by posting a link to this dual format burner for $100 you speak of. You can't because you're talking FUD out of your sphincter!
LG themselves said the support would not be complete for both (losing alot of HD's interative features), and IF (big IF) they can get the drive out by summer, it's going to cost $1,000+ not $100. Do you even understand why they cost significantly more than an average DVD player? It's not a firmware update. $100 for a dual format Burner, you're dreamin' boy. Single format burners (especially external) are $400 and 700 HD/BR, so it's doubtful a dual format will be $100 for a very long time. In the mean time for people who want to watch HD-DVDs this is a good combination, especially if all the other components are already in place.
Right now this very second you can add the X360 HD-DVD to a WinXP PC with HDCP graphics and HDCP monitor and use it to watch HD-DVD content (point of this original review) with nothing more than store-bought widely available software, no hacks, with Vista you don't even need to update the UDF drivers. Here's my link, now where's yours? Link: http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=325&type=expert&pid=3 Flag this | Edit this post |

| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=13756 | Grape@Work (16) Jan 05, 2007 - 01:40 pm
| I don't get your thinking behind the 'vague' comment. Why would Nintendo talk about hardware, they haven't since the Nintendo 64.
Who cares that it's the ATi Hollywood slapped with an IBM core running at X mhz? What benifit is the X360 or PS3 specs if they overheat and crash? Specs should never be a consideration for console players, they are interests to us for curiosity sake, but it's not the principle role of the console to be better in specs, and Nintendo knows that more than anyone. Don't get me wrong I like the Wii, and will get one once the furor dies down, but I'm realistic about it.
However you mention this being about very top hardware products, which of course the Wii is not, and really the GF7600 by definition of mid-range isn't either. For top end hardware the PS3 would win on spec and the introduction of a cheap BD player with PSP style web browser, etc. See this to me shows the schyzo nature of the list. Flag this | Edit this post |

| News Link » /news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=13756 | Grape@Work (16) Jan 05, 2007 - 01:31 pm
| Brandon, this isn't directed at you, I know you need to defend your colleague, but his review/list is weak at best and I don't want to drag you into a defence of him, but I do want to address a few things.
A) I don't question the integrity of FS in general but I have issue with ads that promote a product reviewed, and this is with any site, be it questionable content like level505, or people beyond reproach like Devorak. That FS doesn't now advertise Dell, doesn't mean much (to me the quality of YOUR previous work means more than that fact), companies often court new clients by giving them favourable press to show they can be 'useful' as a source, and really try to get review product for anything and you personally know they want influence, you wouldn't get review products if they didn't think there was benifit to having you review them. That doesn't mean you are used, but the argument that they don't adv now means nothing.
B) I'll say again, the Wii is weak, there are fan boys, it has some nice features but if the article is about "but which one was ultimately the most influential?" as it says, then it's far to early to guage the Wii's influence, yet the influence of the Intel based Apples has had a major impact on the market. Also I question the impact of the GF7600 or even the GF8800 for that matter, what exactly did they change about the market? The GF8800 is impressive, and ushers in a new era, but it's influence likely won't be felt until this year. So once again I question the reasoning and criteria. If we're talking 'influence' then M$' release of the Zune and their decision to pay Universal money per unit upfront is far more 'influential' on the market/consumers. Heck the Xbox external HD-DVD player IMO is more influential than the Dell.
C)To which, I ask again, WTF is the Dell doing there? It's nice, but nowhere near as influential as other products, heck the Dell 24" was far more influential IMO.
Like I said, I think other lists were far more detailed an thus credible IMO. Doesn't seem up to the standerds I'd expect, heck I'd prefer a longer list with less info as long as the picks made sense to the intendedcriteria. Flag this | Edit this post |

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