RV870 is the next flagship GPU of ATI which incorporates DirectX 11 capabilities. ATI hopes to release this chip by the time Microsoft unveil Windows 7 which has support for DirectX 11 API.

Codenamed Cypress, this GPU is expected to be named HD5870 if we follow ATI’s way in naming its products. Cypress will be followed immediately by Juniper which has a little bit slower performance.

Nvidia is expected to follow with its G300 series of cards soon which will give ATI a challenging competion that will force them to lower their prices for the new cards.

So what’s our advice for your next graphics card? Save! haha. Okay we advice that you save your money for your next video card update until this new series of DirectX 11 cards arrived.

Sa pasko kapatid inaasahan naming magiging maganda ang mga bagong video cards na lalabas sa market. Kasabay din nito ang mga bagong games na susubok sa kakayahan ng DirectX 11.

This was made known due to the idea that this ION-powered netbook will run better on Windows 7 rather than Vista or Home XP.

Windows 7 is the next flagship operating system by Microsoft that will be released worldwide on October 22, 2009. The new OS supports native multimedia playbacks such as support for Dolby Digital Plus and popular codecs built right into its hood.

ION platform which composed of Nvidia Geforce 9400m and Intel Atom CPU are perfect for this multimedia centric netbooks according to Lenovo and Samsung so it makes sense to just delay the release rather than offering free upgrade which eventually will cost consumer of shipping.

Lenovo integrates Nvidia 9400m on Ideapad S12 while Samsung has N510 netbook to compete as well.

Recent ATI Radeon GPUs already support DirectX 10.1 since 2007 but Nvidia has become reluctant and didn’t bother to upgrade their chipsets past DX10.

According to tech insiders, Nvidia will release its new 40nm GPUs this coming September and might be branded as GT210 and GT220 however Nvidia hasn’t released an official statement about this.

Later this year or probably early 2010, Nvidia is scheduled to introduced GT300 with DX11 support while ATI will release their new flagship DX11 GPUs alongside the release of Windows 7 on October 22, 2009.

Both Nvidia and ATI is in a tight race on releasing the first card to support DX11 and so far it seems ATI will win this round.

DirectX 11 is the next graphics api that Windows 7 will introduce to market.

Last february, I bought an MSI Wind U100 for Php15,900.00. It was my first portable computer since I came to know the bits and bytes of digital world. The unit came with no bluetooth and has limited 80GB of hard disk space.

Later on, after a month of craving for a bluetooth and larger disk space, I decided to purchase a new one hence I picked Lenovo S10. This unit came with probably all the features I needed for a laptop. Finally I could share my MP3’s and 3GP movies to my friends celfone. The larger 160GB of disk space enables me to store more than 40 movies and thousands of MP3s. Heck, I could also bring my copy of World of Warcraft and transfer it to my friend’s desktop to play.

I was almost satisfied with my Lenovo S10 until Aris, a very good friend of mine, pursuaded me to consider purchasing the new Asus Eee PC 1000HE. This new netbook from Asus boasts remarkable battery life of around 9 hours of light usage. To make the story short, I caved in and bought it at Greenhills for only Php20,000.00 ($421.00). 1000HE proved its worth when I used it during a long trip from Manila to Olongapo back and forth.

Yet, one week hasn’t passed and I missed the features I have with my old Lenovo S10. The One Key Recovery which is standard to Lenovo’s notebook has been a valuable tool for me to backup and restore my system. Unfortunately Asus does not provide such a similar feature except for the standard system restore partition and DVD disk.

It seems that data protection is much more valuable for me than the extra juice I can get with 1000HE’s battery.

Lenovo already announced the availability of Ideapad S10-2 netbook. It features sexier design, better keyboard layout, a Dolby sound and glossy display.

Ranns of Netbooks Philippines was kind enough to take a picture of his new Lenovo Ideapad S10-2 netbook and posted it at the forum.

“As for the initial testing, I find it very solidly built, with a 6-cell battery already. Initial charge gave me a solid 4 hours and 30 minutes continuous browsing with WIFI on and a wireless mouse receiver plugged in on one USB port before it showed me a 10% reminder. Its energy management utility software which controls the battery is set at low power. Other settings are Performance, Balanced, and Super Energy Saver mode.” as Ranns described the new netbook.

Without further ado, here’ some of the pictures he shared to us. You can visit Netbooks Philippines to see all the pictures posted and read the comments of other netbookers.

Quick glance of Lenovo Ideapad S10-2 specs:

• Intel Atom Processor N280 1.66GHz CPU
• 1GB RAM
• 160GB Hard Drive
• 10.1-inch 1024×600 LCD Display
• WiFi 802.11b/g
• 1.3 Megapixel webcam
• 6 Cell Lithium-Ion battery

I went to SM City Annex and I found one shop that sells it for Php21,000 ($439.00) cash, or Php23,000 ($481.00) if paying via 12 months installment.

I don’t care if my Eee PC 1000HE is still a week new, what matters now is that I want the features I once have with Ideapad S10. And now that S10-2 has arrived, the only reason I should delay my next purchase is if Lenovo Ideapad S12 will hit the shelves anytime this June.

Last year we had MSI Wind, Acer Aspire One and Asus Eee to choose from. They were all equipped with the same basic features such as Atom N270 CPU, 1GB DDR2 memory, 3 USB slots, multi-format card reader, 8.9″ to 10.2″ display, optional bluetooth and built-in webcam and mic. There’s nothing else that are different from each aside from cost and style.

Consumers were happy with those basic features that helped them accomplish their tasks such as e-mailing, web surfing, chatting, socializing and making reports with office suites until there was a clamor for more features.Of course it’s a big opportunity for PC manufacturers, so vendors responded with improved features and sleeker design.

Leading the innovation is Asustek with its Eee PC series. Last March 28, they unveiled their newest netbook, the Eee PC 1004DN boasting a Super-Multi optical disc drive as its primary feature. Also, 1004DN is equipped with Atom N280 processor and GN40 chipset which is capable of 720p playback. Blueray is not supported yet though. That is until the Ion platform from Nvidia is introduced.

The owner of this new netbook will have an easy way of watching DVD movies. There’s no need to rip DVDs from your main desktop machine as you can simply insert your DVD movie on the drive’s tray.

The Eee PC 1004DN is also equipped with ExpressCard 34 slot and fingerprint scanner for biometric security. Other standard features include 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR, a multi-format card reader, three USB 2.0 ports, a D-sub connector, an Ethernet port and a pair of audio jacks.

Display remains limited to 1024×600 but Asus says that it is capable of displaying 720p high resolution playback though I doubt if it could since its 720p requires higher resolutions in full screen.

With regards to storage, Asus chose to equipt 1004DN with 1.8-inch 120GB 4,200rpm PATA drive. This is a big drawback that will hold back its disk write and read performance. Standard to other netbooks are 2.5-inch SATA 5,400rpm drive.

Finally, Eee PC 1004DN weighs 1.45kg with a 6-cell battery,  a bit heavy. The battery can reach 5.9 hours in full power with the power saving features enabled. Expect 4 hours with normal use.

If you are the type of person who likes to watch movies then this netbook is definitely good for you but if you seldom use a DVD-drive then you may look for other netbooks and just buy an external ODD.

I can still remember while I was assembling a PC for a client. It was during President Ramos’ time that the Philippine economy was suffering from economic depression. Computer parts’ prices were going up, almost doubling the price a week ago that time, but PC Express was still offering cheap SDRAM modules. One staff member told me that they were able to stock supplies of low priced SDRAM before prices shot up and were able to offer cheap memory modules for a week more. So I bought lots of memory modules and was able to sell them at a higher price later (editor’s note: GM hoarding oh! yokyokyok).

Today’s scenario is different. Although the US stock market is falling, affecting global economies, there is an oversupply of DDR2-667 memories caused by aggressive production by companies who thought sales of Microsoft Vista OS will prompt consumers to add more RAM to their systems. It was this scenario that they were trying to capitalize on by which consumers will undoubtedly purchase additional memory modules or require their new PC to don hefty memory to feed Vista. The new operating system however was not immediately adopted by XP users, causing the delay of purchases of more RAM.

Companies setup more production facilities to pump their DRAM production, hoping to sell to consumers who are upgrading to Windows Vista. From what we are seeing, Filipinos didn’t adopt Vista immediately upon launch. So far, I haven’t seen internet cafes using Vista OS and only a few of my friends have acquired it. (editor’s note: *Raises hand* Vista bebeh!) Looks like people are delaying their upgrade which of course is hurting DRAM distributors.

Users of XP and Microsoft’s previous operating system were not immediately convinced to upgrade their systems. Reasons include, of course the, cost of new licenses. Next is hardware requirements since Vista renders most PC components obsolete.

This isn’t bad news for all of course since it’s the consumer that benefits from price drops. Later patrons of Vista, including me, are enjoying the lower cost of purchasing additional DDR2 RAM.

I have 1GB memory in my system until yesterday when i bought another 2GB DDR2-667 module for only Php1,350.00 at PC Option. That was really cheap compared to 1GB DDR-400, which until now costs around Php1,600.00.

Before rushing to the store, check your motherboard first if it’s DDR2 compatible. Download CPUID utility at http://www.cpuid.com to see the type of memory you are currently using. Of course you can consult your motherboard’s manual to see your motherboard specification.

You are lucky and can afford the upgrade if the CPUID report indicates that you are using DDR2. If the report is different or shows only DDR then you’re out of luck and will spend more for the upgrade.

Another thing to consider is that you should have at least an extra available slot in your motherboard for  memory. This time you may need to open your case and see for yourself.

Check the image below to have an idea what a DRAM looks like. Be careful not to loosen any attached wires while navigating inside your computer.

So if you think you are ready for the upgrade, head on to your favorite computer vendor and ask for a DDR2 memory which has at least 2GB minimum size. There are different DDR2 memory frequency rated at MHz. Get at least 800MHz speed or a 667MHz if you’re saving money. There are higher memory speeds available such as 1066MHz but not all stores sell them though.

The amount of memory you actually need to buy depends on how you use your computer and you need to factor in if you are using Windows Vista OS. Vista requires plenty of memory to run smoothly, more than its older brother Windows XP. If you want basic document processing, internet surfing and chatting, then 2GB total system memory is more than enough. Gaming, image editing, video editing will require a minimum of 2GB, but 4GB is a must for optimal experience. (editor’s note: If your system is 32-bit, your maximum memory can only be 4GB. If it is 64-bit like Vista 64, you can go all the way up to 4 or more. Consult your manual or check your OS)

I’m not sure how long this trend of dropping DRAM prices will continue but one thing is for sure, you will definitely need more memory if you plan to upgrade to Vista.

Little did we know about the alternatives. Of which, AMD is offering its Athlon and Phenom processors. AMD might not be able to match the power and efficiency of Intel’s Core 2 processors but nevertheless they are offering cheaper and more power efficient products that still provides decent speed for gaming, office and multimedia.

Yesterday sparked another aggressive marketing strategy by AMD by launching their Fusion suite of utilities and information for its upcoming processor – The Fusion.

The first utility they released is designed to speed up your gaming experience.  Called Fusion for Gaming tool, it promises to add more speed for your gaming by automatically turning off extra services running on your Vista operating system.  This includes your instant messenger, antivirus and antispyware, and other bunch of applications and utilities that you never need while playing.

Fusion for Gaming tool also automatically overclocks your AMD CPU and Graphics Card but not of course to the extent of fyring your chips.  It is smart enough to detect the heat around your PC to reasonably pick the best setting for overclocking.

Unfortunately, Fusion for Gaming tool will only run for people who have AMD CPU and ATI graphics cards. There’s no information yet if AMD will allow its software to run on hardware manufactured by Intel and nVidia.

Apart from the Fusion for Gaming tool, AMD is also preparing Fusion processors to succeed its Phenom processors.  Fusion will run best on AM3 socket motherboards and will support DDR3 memory modules. Fusion will be backward compatible with AM2 and AM2+ motherboard but if you want to enjoy its full glory then I suggest you use AM3 motherboards.  Expected release of the new processor will be on late 2009.

If you have AMD and ATI system then you can download a beta version of the utility here, found on the new AMD Fusion site.

So what does this mean if you have this card? Well this will mean that games will have a chance to create more calculations in them. This will make your game more realistic, more stunning and a lot faster! Imagine mo nagluluto kayo ng dalawang kapatid mo ng panghapunan. Ikaw nagsasaing at nagluluto ng sinigang, yung isang kapatid mo naman naghahain ng mesa. Kung may pangatlong kapatid kayo (dedicated physics card) na taga luto lang talaga ng sinigang, eh di pagsasaing nalang at paghahain ang problemahin niyo diba? Mas mabilis pa kayo makakain!

To better illustrate this, here’s a video of 2 game renderings. The one on the left is without the physics card. The one on the right is WITH the physics card.

Kitams? Diba hamak na mas mabilis at maganda yung nasa kanan? So what’s the point of all this? Everybody knows the two companies that make the best video card technologies in the industry today; ATI and Nvidia.

Well, recently Nvidia bought Ageia, the developer of the dedicated physics card. And, they are planning to integrate the physics capabilities of the Aegeia Physx dedicated card into their next generation video cards! This is good news for all of us in the gaming industry and all gamers out there since we won’t have to spend an extra peso into buying ANOTHER card for physics.

So far there are over 150 games that employ this techonology and their numbers are growing. Also consoles like the PS3 and Wii are getting into the act with software versions of this technology. Later this year and perhaps early next year we will start seeing graphics cards with their own built-in physics processors.

Here’s a look at a game called Cell Factor using a dedicated physics card.

Sarap tingnan no? yokyokyok. Ngayon maglalaway nalang muna tayo kung ayaw pa natin bumili ng physics card. Sooner or later though, they’ll come built in into our Nvidia cards and the golden age in physics engines in games will begin! Listen… IT HAS BEGUN!! (yokyokyok gusto ko lang gayahin yung sa Mortal Kombat)

Sources: Nvidia.com

For us gamers, we look for the most powerful card out there that is within our budget. Kung baga sulit sa presyo pero bawi sa performance. Well, good news mga kapatid! Nvidia just released its new 8800GT! Sa mga di pa nakakaalam ang 8 series ng nvidia ang pinakamaganda at pinakamalakas na video cards na nabibili ngayon. As a primer on the naming conventions kung ano yung mga GT, GS, atbp, tingin po sa baba.

Picture of a Leadteck Nvidia 8800GT care of Tom’s Hardware

GS – Value (mura pero di gaano kaganda performance)
GT – Mid-line
GTS – Upper Mid-line
GTX – Mahal pero magandang maganda na
Ultra – Overkill (kung dadalawahin mo pa to gaya ng SLI – sunog pc mo. yokyokyok)

So kita po sa nailagay sa taas kung saan tong 8800GT. It’s a midline card that gives power ang yet at a lower price.

Now what is so good about the 8800GT besides the price? Well it offers better anti-aliasing than its lower ranged predecessors (anti-aliasing kapatid ay yung pagbubura ng parang hagdanan na nakikita niyo sa pagka-render ng inyong graphics lalo na pagmay curves). It has finer anti-aliasing settings that you can tweak depending on how much you want those “stairs” to disappear.

The new 8800GT also has the same shading features as its 8800 Ultra and GTX counterparts making it just as powerful at generating shadows and lightfalls. So yung mga dark na games mas maganda tingnan po dito. Games like Doom3, Quake 4, Lineage 2, and even the old Counterstrike Source gets a big ramp in performance and graphics with this card.

Surprisingly, the 8800GT performs better than the GTS upon testing! Siguro dahil 512mb and memory nito compared sa mas mababa ng GTS. Para sa mga mas technical natin na mga kapatid, ito pa ang vital stats ng 8800GT.

Clock Core – 600Mhz
Shader Clock – 1500Mhz
Memory Clock – 900Mhz
Video RAM – 512MB
Memory Interface – 256-bit

If you have spare cash and you need power for low cost, the 8800GT is a good deal for you. If you want additional details on the 8800GT, you can ask me or check the nvidia website.

(Nvidia and Nvidia SLI seal are property rights of Nvidia Corp. Thanks for the use guys! Great product!)

So we start plotting out what we need the computer for. In this case, we need a computer for intense gaming experiences. So we will need hardware that can play almost any game out in the market today. With that, here’s the list of what I have come up for myself.

Sir David’s specs:
Intel core 2 Quad 2.40 Ghz Processor (4 processing cores babeh!)
250 GB hard disk drive
4 GB Kingston DDR2 RAM
P6VN SLI V2 motherboard (comes with on board lan, 5.1 surround sound – yoko na gumastos para soundcard.)
A beautiful chassis – what may be beautiful for me may be ugly to you
2x MSI Nvidia Gforce 8600GT dual SLI video cards – this is the prize of the entire system

If you don’t know anything about computer parts, you can ask for professional help or ask a techy friend for advice. To anybody out there who may not have learned about the new leap in technology, dual SLI video cards means you use 2 video cards and make them function as one. Kung baga pagtutulungan ng dalawang graphics card ang isang rendering. As they say, two heads are better than one.

So the next thing we do, is to canvass how much we will spend on the specs. You could probably find good prices at Greenhills. If you can assemble your own PC, it’s better to buy the parts individually. But if you’re unable to do so (or pag tinatamad ka parang ako), look for the shop that can give you the lowest price and assemble the PC for you.

Heto yung mga hinihingan ko ng discount, tingnan niyo yung dalawa, hirap na hirap. yokyokyok

After you find the parts it is now time to assemble the PC.

We begin by inserting the Power Supply. Then we breakout the motherboard and place it in the casing or chassis.

Then the CPU chip itself is inserted. This is done with great care so as not to damage any part of the CPU chip. (Obviously there are more complicated steps to this process. We will not delve into them for this article is just an overview. Tsaka nagyayabang lang ako sa bago kong baby. yokyokyok)

After which, the memory cards are inserted. The four amigos you see here are the memory modules.

Tapos break muna, kain ng pansit canton at inom ng kape.

Then we start to connect the power wires to their respective slots on the motherboard. Tapos dapat marunong ka mag-tirintas para mas malinis tingnan ang loob ng computer mo. (Si JR may gawa ngtirintas na yan, puede na siya magtrabaho sa Ricky Reyes)

Then the hard drive/s are connected including your DVD or cd-rom drives.

And of course the icing of this system, the two Nvidia 8600GT Video cards are inserted.

There we have it mga kapatid! After closing the lid, we just completed assembling a new killer gaming PC. It is alive! I think I shall name him, Sylvester! Long for Sly, yokyokyok SLI, Sly, get it? So in the future articles, I will constantly refer to this computer as Sly.

I would like to thank the people at XT Pro Greenhills for helping me assemble Sylvester. Maraming maraming salamat po! At sana mas maganda discount next time. yokyokyok