3ms LCD Acer monitor ATI Catalyst 5.9 End of Pentium 4 561 & 571 ASUSTeK nForce 430 & 410

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3ms LCD Acer monitor   Posted on 22/09/2005 at 15:34 by Vincent

	After ViewSonic, it is now the turn to Acer to announce a 3ms response time monitor, the AL1951Cs. If Acer also called on AU Optronics for the panel (it is highly probable because of the monitor characteristics and the two companies past history), it is important to remind how you such a low figure is reached: you take a 4ms panel, change how you measure response time and, it’s magic! it falls to 3ms. It seems that other companies have followed the lead of ViewSonic with the VX924. Ok, let’s give them the benefice of the doubt. It is maybe a new panel produced by another company, who knows… In any case, the monitor is superb. It has the same design as the current AL1951As (AU Optronics TN 8 ms panel). Nice materials, sober, elegant, reduced bulkiness… The only problem is the external power supply. Monitor characteristics are: 4ms response time, 700:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m² brightness, and CrystalBrite technology. For Acer, but also for Nec, Sony and Neovo for example, this technology means a panel special treatment to reinforce color intensity and increase contrast perceived. In practice we notice indeed brighter colors than standard more mat monitors. The counterpart you have to cope with is reflection. Bright panels reflect all kinds of light sources. This is particularly problematic for films and dark scenes in games: the user sees its reflection in the monitor. Last annoying point, to reduce costs and gain market shares during the past few years, Acer covered its monitor with a return to depot warranty instead of onsite like other manufacturers. Acer is now in the top three of LCD sales or even sometime the first. Isn’t it time for them to offer onsite warranty? The monitor price and release date are still unknown to this date.

ATI Catalyst 5.9   Posted on 22/09/2005 at 01:14 by Marc

	Today, ATI released their Catalyst 5.9 drivers. These drivers include new video deinterlacing algorithm through the 3D shader, but their most important aspect is the list of issues resolved. To find this list go to this page. To download the drivers, click here !

End of Pentium 4 561 & 571   Posted on 22/09/2005 at 00:51 by Marc

	Intel published a PCN (Product Change Notification) to announce the Pentium 4 561 and 571 processors end of life cycles. We remind you that these Socket 775 Pentium 4 « Prescott » processors include 1 MB of cache L2 and are clocked at 3.6 and 3.8 MHz. As usual it will be possible for Intel’s customers to order processors till next November 18, and shipments will continue until April 2006 for box and March 2007 for “OEM” version. What is unusual about announcement is that habitually lower clocked CPUs are the first to disappear in the same product range. This time, Pentium 4 521, 531, 541 and 551 (2.8, 3, 3.2 and 3.4 GHz) processors are maintained. We need however to point out that they aren’t the best choice as 630, 640 and 650 versions have two times bigger cache and officially the same price. The Pentium 4 670 and 660 are even 32 and $16 cheaper than the 571 and 561... !

ASUSTeK nForce 430 & 410   Posted on 22/09/2005 at 00:33 by Marc

	ASUSTeK is the first manufacturer to officially release motherboards based on new nForce integrated graphic chipsets (see news published two days ago). A8N-VM and A8N-VM CSM motherboards will be available in France in October for 79 and 89 € (VAT included). The A8N-VM features the nForce 410, GeForce 6100 whereas the nForce 430, GeForce 6150 has been chosen for CSM version. Additionally to differences due to the chipset choice, ASUSTeK has decided to equip the CSM version with FireWire controller and one DVI output.