Image Source: Pexels

Companies

Despite the multitude of gaming hardware companies, one of the most prominent rivalries is largely agreed to exist between Nvidia and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices Inc.). Nvidia was founded 34 years ago, in 1993, by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. The company has partnered with numerous others over the years – such as SGS-Thompson in 1994 and TSMC in 1998 – as well as made many acquisitions (including Graphics Pioneer 3DFX and Media Q) – in order to deliver products at the cutting edge of the industry market. They were named America’s fastest growing company in 2002, while 2007 saw Nvidia being proclaimed by Forbes as company of the year. It was in 1999, however, that the company invented its first GPU, named the “GeForce 256”. In recent years, although Nvidia has begun to delve into the newest technological markets, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, the company still persist in making new models of graphics processing units.

Nvidia’s competitor AMD, on the other hand, was first established in 1969, with Jerry Sanders becoming the first president and CEO. The company started by making logic chips, then RAM chips in 1975, in 1985 was listed for the first time in the Fortune 500, then in 2006 merged with ATI Technologies. By 2016 we can see just how far the company has evolved, with their popular new CPU releases, acquisition of software company HiAlgo Inc. and development of a graphics card designed especially with VR users in mind.

Image Source: Pexels

Products

Each of these companies has, among their wide array of GPUs, some that are the most optimal for gaming computers.

The versions within the 10th GeForce series from Nvidia range massively in price, memory size, power, and just about every other key aspect that you can think of. While the GTX 1050 possesses CUDA cores at 640, memory size of 2GB, power of 75W and recommended PSU of 300W, the newest model, the GTX 1080 Ti has CUDA cores of 3584, memory size of 11GB, power of 250W and PSU of 600W. The newest model is based on the company’s Pascal architecture and is their flagship gaming GPU, with next-gen GDDR5X memory and 11 GB frame buffer. The price difference makes the earlier model, the GTX 1050, more affordable than the GTX 1080 Ti, the former coming in at upwards of $120.58, whereas the latter totals at $909.79.

Furthermore, professional eSports players have been known to use Nvidia’s graphics cards in their gaming PCs: an earlier model introduced by Nvidia in 2013, the GTX 780 Ti, was used by Team SoloMid’s sponsors, Origin PC. Additionally, teams competing in The International have, for the last four years, used Nvidia GPUs – this year, the GTX 1080 was the graphics processor of choice. It is no wonder, then, that there is speculation that one of Nvidia’s newest GPUs may be used by teams at the Epicenter tournament for video game CS:GO. With CS:GO betting sites predicting odds of 31/20 in the first half and 9/20 in the second between NRG vs Optic, Epicenter looks to be host to an interesting series of battles, concluding in October 2017, and the perfect opportunity for pro players who have not had the chance yet to test out a new GTX GPUs.

Meanwhile, AMD is pitching their Radeon RX 480 graphics card on the basis of its enhancement of VR graphics, and is their first model that is based on the company’s 14nm FinFET Polaris architecture. AMD pledges low-latency gaming and incorporates gating and clocking technologies. The graphics card boasts 150 board power, boost clock speeds of 1266 MHz and base clock speeds of 1120 MHz.

Nvidia’s GTX graphics card series may often be a little more expensive than AMD’s cards, yet many feel that the investment is worth it, in part for the fact that Nvidia’s cards naturally support their graphical technologies like Nvidia “HairWorks” (such as that used in The Witcher 3 on Geralt) and “Physx”.

Why Might You Need a New Graphics Card?

Graphics cards may age more rapidly than the other components within PCs, such as motherboards, cases, RAM and hard drive docks. Therefore, it may be the case that it is just the graphics card that requires replacement. Alternatively, graphics cards will also need to be purchased along with all the others if attempting to build an entire PC from scratch. In this scenario, there is far more freedom to almost build the PC around the graphics card if you so wish, instead of having to carefully ensure that the graphics card corresponds to specifications of the other components.

The post The Best Gaming Graphics Cards: Rivalries and Recommendations appeared first on OCFreaks!.

The Indian Space Research Organisation i.e. ISRO has created a history in space research by launching 104 satellites using its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C37 (XL Variant). PSLV’s 39th flight successfully lifted off at 9.28am 15th Feb 2017 from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota. The total weight of all the 104 satellites was 1378 kg.

Check out the official PSLV-C37 Lift off and On-board Camera Video below:

This record was previously held by Russian Space Agency which launched 37 satellites in June 2014. Earlier in the same year America’s Orbital Sciences Corporation had launched 34 satellites in a single mission. In June 2016 ISRO had lauched 20 satellites in a single flight with its PSLV-C34.

The launched satellites include 714kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite (which will be used for remote sensing) along with 103 co-passenger satellites. The pool of 103 co-passenger Sats on the PSLV-C37 has:
1) ISRO Nano Satellite-1 (INS-1) & INS-2 are from India which are technology demonstration satellites.
2) 96 satellites from USA.
3) One satellites each from The Netherlands, Switzerland, Israel, Kazakhstan and UAE.

In 16 minutes 48 seconds the satellites achieved a polar Sun Synchronous Orbit of 506 km inclined at an angle of 97.46 degree to the equator and in the next 12 minutes, all the 104 satellites were successfully separated from the PSLV fourth stage in a predetermined sequence beginning with Cartosat-2 series satellite, followed by INS-1 and INS-2. In its offical post isro said:

After separation, the two solar arrays of Cartosat-2 series satellite were deployed automatically and ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, the satellite will be brought to its final operational configuration following which it will begin to provide remote sensing services using its panchromatic (black and white) and multispectral (colour) cameras.

Mayilsamy Annadurai (Director, Isro Satellite Centre) said:

We can also hit centuries like our cricketers. In another two months, the number of satellites built by Isro will reach 100. Besides GSLV missions, we have get Chandrayan – 2 ready for launch next year.

You can watch the complete lanuch video below:

Sources: ISRO , TOI Image Source: ISRO

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New Update on AMD Ryzen: Official release, Benchmarks and pre-order list

With the launch of AMD’s new Ryzen CPUs inching closer, more and more information is surfacing about them online. Not even two days past the leak about the the full lineup and pricing, Ryzen CPUs have been seen listed for pre-order on multiple online stores, with a Thai retailer revealing the legit box-art. Have a look.

Source: Wccftech

AMD has chosen to go with a “less is more” approach for their box art, consisting of a black background with the Ryzen logo in the middle. A small AMD logo can be seen right below the Ryzen logo, and on the top-right corner of the package. The left side of the box contains a short passage giving the features of the processor. Judging from the thickness of the package, it is fair to say that the CPU cooler will be bundled along with the processor. The coolers look amazing, complete with RGB lighting (apparently the biggest innovation of the year 2016 😀 ) From all the praise the new AMD stock coolers (Wraith) have been getting, this is a good move by AMD, as it could allow the XFR enabled processors to reach higher clock speeds.

The prices listed here are a bit on the higher side. The final pricing is expected to be lower than this(according to the leaks, anyway). A Belgian retailer (Centralpoint.be) also has listed Ryzen 7 CPUs as available for pre-order. Heres the list:

Source: Centralpoint.be via Wccftech

What intrigues me here is that they have two SKU listings for each part, with a €20 price difference between the two SKUs (for the same product), except for the R7 1700, whose two SKUs are priced the same too. Maybe they’ve messed up on the naming.The pricing given here is closer to what the leaked pricing suggests.

The Ryzen CPUs are expected to be released at Feb 28th 2017 – the same date AMD will host its ‘Capsaicin & Cream'(GDC) 2017 press event.

Source(s): Wccftech(1) Wccftech(2)

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New Update on AMD Ryzen: Official release, Benchmarks and pre-order list

Some new details have emerged about AMD’s new “Ryzen” series of processors, and it is astounding to say the least. This new information is leaked from the internal product listing of a Chinese retailer. Without further ado, here are the details:

Source: Baidu

Here’s a table translated to English and with prices normalised for USD:

Source: Wccftech

Okay, now let’s analyze the details in the table. According to the leaks, AMD would be releasing Ryzen in 4C/4T(R3), 4C/8T(R5), 6C/12T(R5) and 8C/16T(R7) variants. All of these configs are further subdivided into Normal edition and “X”(Whatever cheesy name AMD comes up with) edition chips that are clocked higher, have a higher TDP and have XFR enabled. XFR is AMD’s version of Enhanced Auto Overclocking (to be introduced with Ryzen), that allows the chip to be clocked at frequencies higher than the Turbo boost speed, should your cooling solution be able to handle it. The whole process is automated and does not require any user intervention.

At the top of the chart are the R7 variants (Enthusiast and Professional Grade). Among these, the 1800X and 1700X are 8C/16T CPUs with 16 MB L3 cache and a TDP of 95 W. The only difference between these (apparently) is that the 1800X has a higher Stock Clock and Turbo Boost by a margin of 200MHz, for which it carries 110$ higher price than the latter. Previously leaked benchmarks have shown the 8C/16T Ryzen variants literally obliterating the i7 7700k (Kaby Lake); which is a 350$ chip. Also, AMD themselves have demoed benchmarks (in their new horizon event) showing the same chip (clocked at 3.4 GHz w. Turbo disabled, ie, SLOWER than the released chips) going toe-to-toe against the 1100$ 6900k (Broadwell-E). So, it’s really surprising to see the top of the line Ryzen CPU priced at less than half the price of it’s direct competitor. A price that is in fact closer to the 4C/8T Intel Chip (7700K). At this price point, AMD need not even compete on performance to the Intel counterpart. Any person with a slim budget could sense the much better deal that AMD is offering. But if it does in fact compete, well, it would be a huge icing on the cake for consumers and a big blow to Intel. Below this is the R7 1700 which has a lower Stock Clock of 3 GHz without XFR, and with a lower TDP of 65W.

Moving lower, the R5 variants are mid range CPUs that are either 4C/8T or 6C/12T, with both having “X” edition and Normal chips. These are priced between 175 – 260$. 259$ for the 6C/12T variant with XFR(R5 1600X) and 175$ for the 4C/8T variant without XFR(R5 1300). These would be going against the Core i5 CPUs of Intel, whose top performer is priced closer to the 1600X.

All 8C/16T and 6C/12T CPUs will have 16MB of L3 Cache. Below this, all CPUs will have 8MB of L3 Cache

At the lower end of the spectrum are the R3 variants, that are 4C/4T with and without XFR. The R3 1200X(hope you understand the naming convention. I won’t be going through it again!!!) is priced at 149$ and the R3 1100 is priced at 129$. These would be going against the i3 CPUs.

All the Ryzen CPUs will have unlocked multipliers. Whether or not a system built around Ryzen is OCable will depend on the Motherboard chipset (Motherboards with X370 and B350 chipsets support Overclocking. Those with X320 and X/B/A300 chipsets dont).

One thing I don’t get is why AMD is abandoning (OK, strong word, but you get the point) the sub 100$ market. That could’ve been a huge get for AMD, if it would have released a Dual Core Variant to compete with Intel’s Pentiums. After all, who needs a premium range CPU for office work? I hope for their own sake they do come up with something for this segment.

Coming back to the point of the post, let me say that if AMD does price their CPUs close to what this leak suggests and does compete in performance, Intel would have to seriously up their game (or increase their marketing budget, whatever works for them :-)) to stay relevant in the market.

P.S., how very refreshing it is to see AMD CPUs have a TDP close to that of the Intel CPUs?!?!

Source(s): Wccftech and Baidu

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When Sir Tim Berners Lee invented the World Wide Web, he wanted it to be open and neutral. This was the way he dreamt it to be, and it most definitely is the way it’s supposed to be. Come today, and this idea is being threatened by a bunch of selfish money grubbing nitwits.

Net neutrality is the simple idea that all internet traffic should be treated equally by the ISPs, with no preferential treatment given on any basis. The idea is to keep the internet open and free to all. The threat looming over this is due to the greediness of a few network providers, who leap at any opportunity they get to make some extra cash.

In India, it all started back in December 2014, when Airtel decided that it was fair game to exclude VoIP from it’s standard data plans, and offered separate packs for it. As expected, Airtel drew flack from all four corners for this act, and they were forced to roll it back.

Later in February 2015, Facebook with Reliance Communication, launched Internet.org in India, a platform that aimed to provide free net connectivity to users via an app. The catch? You could only access the websites which they have partnered up with.

And now, Airtel announced it’s Airtel Zero Plan, by which App and Web developers could pay a fee to make their app or site toll free for the end users. Sounds great, right? Airtel is calling it a win-win solution, which benefits the users as well as the developers, and they wouldn’t be wrong in thinking so.

But I urge you to see the bigger picture. The Internet wouldn’t be place it is now if it weren’t for the existence of many websites that have made a significant mark. But most of these sites had humble origins. Even the mighty Google had its origins in a garage. So, it really isn’t right to assume that all new startups will have the sufficient means to consistently pay for the plan. And as end users, we would naturally be inclined to use the free alternative. So, such biasing would eliminate competition as we know it completely. And this is not all. Now, Airtel has announced this plan. If this goes on track, then it’s safe to assume that other providers will follow suit with similar plans of their own as well. So, to level the playing field with the bigwigs, the startups will have to pay the tariff to all the network providers, which is next to impossible. So, we’ll have apps that will be toll free in one network, and carry a hefty toll on others. And whats to stop the network providers from throttling the websites not on the platform in the future?

Right now, the final say in whether to pass this plan or not rests in the hands of TRAI. But that is not the only issue. Internet.org has already been passed and has an Android app. And trust me, newer threats will emerge. So, in light of all this, I urge all the fellow netizens to respond to TRAI of this here: Save the Internet. All it takes are a few clicks, and it gives you the satisfaction of knowing that whatever the outcome, at least you did your part.

Here ends the rant!

Link to TRAI’s consultation paper on OTT : Consultation Paper on Regulatory Framework for Over-the-top (OTT) services

Also, read this worderful article by Sir Tim Berners Lee on Net neutrality: Net Neutrality is critical for Europe’s Future.

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It seems AMD, after lying dormant in the CPU segment for quite a while now, is ready to reenter it with a bang.A leaked slide containing the details of AMD’s upcoming High Performance Server APU based on it’s new micro-architecture, Zen, has surfaced on Fudzilla, and is making quite a noise.

According to the Slide; the APU comprises of 16 Zen cores and will support 32 threads via SMT (Simultaneous Multi Threading). With AMD’s previous attempt at utilizing CMT (Clustered Multithreading) being underwhelming to say the least, this is quite a welcome change. The chip offers 512 KB of L2 Cache per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache, 8MB per module (consisting of four cores). It also offers secure boot and a Crypto Coprocessor, which clears all doubts that the said chip is indeed, most likely a server part.

Apart from this, the chip also features “Greenland” Stream Graphics processor, with upto 16 GB of HBM running at 512 GB/s. With AMDs first GPU supporting HBM just around the corner(R9 380X/390X), this doesn’t seem too far off. And if true, this could deal a major blow to Intel in the Graphics department, whose efforts so far have been nothing but futile (but whoever buys Intel for the igp anyways, am I right? 🙂 ).

The APU supports quad channel DDR4 system memory running at a speed of upto 3200 MHz. The slide also speculate the chip to support a whopping 64 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, with 16 lanes switchable with 2 lanes of SATA Express and 14 lanes of SATA.

On paper, this appears to be a monster of a chip. What remains to be seen is if AMD could actually pull this off. Who doesn’t remember the Bulldozer fiasco. But this time things seem quite a bit different. AMD has brought back Jim Keller (remember those amazing Athlon chips based on the K8 Architecture, which hit Intel where it hurt and showed them the harsh truth that it aint all about Clock Speed? He was the lead architect of K8.) and Raja Koduri (Graphics Guru. Now the Corporate VP of Visual Computing) back from Apple. Some other big name recruits include Dr. Lisa Su and Mark Papermaster. With a team consisting of such heavyweights, it shouldn’t be a surprise if AMD’s next chip does surpass all expectations. If AMD does manage to pull this off at a reasonable TDP and power envelope, this chip should be a no brainer.

No word has come from AMD’s side on the legitimacy of this slide. Some of the features mentioned do appear far fetched (64 PCIe 3 LANES!!! 16 GB IGP MEM!!!), but none of them are impossible. Regardless of all this, a bit of competition is severely needed in the CPU segment to keep the prices in check. So I do hope AMD’s new chips heat up the market (not literally AMD, not literally!).

Source : Fudzilla

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Asus X99-Deluxe Tops this range and comes fully loaded while the 2 little siblings viz. X99-Pro and X99-A are designed for Budget conscious enthusiasts and gamers with a little feature reduction compared to X99-Deluxe. The X99-Deluxe is now available while X99-A will follow up in stores shortly and X99-Pro will show up at the end of September. All of them support Quad channel DDR4 with over 3Ghz+(OC) frequency support.

The Deluxe comes loaded with :

• 802.11ac 3×3 (3T3R) WiFi adapter
• Crystal Sound 2 with DTS
• Hyper M.2 X4 PCI-Express card for dual 32Gbps M.2 SSD support
• Fan extension hub with 3 extra 4-pin fan connectors

X99-Deluxe Gallery :

Source : Asus

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GIGABYTE motherboards on display:

The demo rig: Still yet to be powered on.

Representatives from GIGABYTE India:

Demo rig in action:

Audience:

GIGABYTE representative Prathamesh Patil explaining improvements achievable in games due to overclocking.

A key ring won by a participant answering correctly.

USB hub:

A GIGABYTE Z97 series motherboard won by a participant. Surrounded by GIGABYTE regional manager Mr. Amit Raj and Representative Mr. Prathamesh Patil:

Mr. Ganesh Kalita from AMD hosts a quiz.

We had a very nice experience. As for me, it was the first time in my life I met with professionals working in reputed multinational companies. It was great to talk to them and to people around us.

The post Inside Game-O-Thon held at Lalani eTech City, Kolkata – Presented by AMD and GIGABYTE appeared first on OCFreaks!.

Shripad’s 6.4Ghz OC with Core i7 4770k on LN2 :

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Warface features action-packed Co-op & Versus gameplay. As per crytek Warface will offer new missions every day along with new content flowing constantly. Warface emphasizes on good teamwork as players and fight under Warface banner against rival forces of Blackwood. Warface is a class based gamed and features 4 distinct soldier classes.

“Team-based actions broaden the possibilities in battle, while extensive customization options mean every soldier has a unique part to play as they set off on daring campaigns. In Versus mode, players pick a side and choose to represent Blackwood or Warface in one of six game types, including Team Death Match, Plant the Bomb, Free for All and more.” – Crytek

Hasit Zala (Warface Franchise Director) says :

“Bringing Warface to Steam paves the way for a new audience to discover the game’s engrossing cooperative and competitive action; completely for free. As well as putting the power of CRYENGINE to work, Warface draws on Crytek’s FPS expertise to ensure players are immersed in the heat of battle – whether they’re jumping in for a quick game with friends or dedicating more time to the game’s extensive multilayer modes.”

Launch Trailer :

Gameplay Trailer :

Download Warface on steam @ http://store.steampowered.com/app/291480

Official website @ http://www.warface.com

Crytek’s official news post @ Warface Launches on Steam – Hit the Front Line for Free in Crytek’s Thrilling FPS

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