Hardware Canucks News

During the PAX Prime 2010 gaming expo, we happened upon a soon to be released beast, or rather beast cub. Cooler Master’s new price conscious HAF 912 gaming case is set to drop in just over 48 hours and while Hardware Canucks will be having a review primed and ready, we were allowed to snap some exclusive shots of the actual retail product to give you an idea of exactly what to look forward to.

We can’t do any explaining so we’ll have to let the pictures speak for themselves.

In our discussion about the future of the HAF series of cases, Cooler Master’s Product Marketing Manager wasn’t giving anything away, but it was said that consumers should be prepared for “something big coming” from the company just in time for CES 2011.

We’ll definitely be keeping our ear close to the ground for that.

As a part of their quest to revolutionize the way gamers think about MMORPG’s, NCSoft and ArenaNet have added some of the latest technologies to give players the best possible experience.

Apple App

Arenanet has stepped outside of the confines of just the game, developing a unique app for use with Apple devices such as the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touches. Whether it’s scheduling meetings with friends already in game or simply maintaing social connections, the app allows gamers to view friends locations on the world map, chat with guild mates and get updates all in real time.

Future plans include live access to the auction house and direct access to all the friends list functions.

Best of all, the app will be completely free

NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround & Havoc Physics

Immerse yourself in Guild Wars 2 with full NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround. Developers are embracing NVIDIA’s technologies for the most advanced game play experience possible. While you may question the use of a triple monitor 3D setup for a simple MMORPG, Guild Wars 2 offers some incredibly beautiful and detailed scenery that make the 3D experience eye popping.

Topping it off, Arenanet has employed the used of Physics technology via Havoc, allowing for a completely unique environment experience. From running through fields with individual blades of grass moving with the wind, to directed attacks on solid objects that shatter off in different directions, the addition of Physics into the updated Guild Wars engine really helps to enhance the overall immersion into the game and into your character’s story.

Given its minimum systems specs and the buttery smooth playback we viewed on the test systems, both of these eyecandy updates shouldn’t require an unobtainable rig either.

Guild Wars 2: The Technologies

Apple App

Arenanet has stepped outside of the confines of just the game, developing a unique app  for use with Apple devices such as the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touches. Whether it’s scheduling meetings with friends already in game or simply maintaing social connections, the app allows gamers to view friends locations on the world map, chat with guild mates and get updates all in real time.

Future plans include live access to the auction house and direct access to all the friends list functions.

Best of all, the app will be completely free

NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround & Havoc Physics

Immerse yourself in Guild Wars 2 with full NVIDIA 3D Vision Surround. Developers are embracing NVIDIA’s technologies for the most advanced game play experience possible. While you may question the use of a triple monitor 3D setup for a simple MMORPG, Guild Wars 2 offers some incredibly beautiful and detailed scenery that make the 3D experience eye popping.

Topping it off, Arenanet has employed the used of Physics technology via Havoc, allowing for a completely unique environment experience. From running through fields with individual blades of grass moving with the wind, to directed attacks on solid objects that shatter off in different directions, the addition of Physics into the updated Guild Wars engine really helps to enhance the overall immersion into the game and into your character’s story.

Given its minimum systems specs and the buttery smooth playback we viewed on the test systems, both of these eyecandy updates shouldn’t require an unobtainable rig either.

At PAX, Valve showed off a demo of Portal 2’s co-op mode. Co-op is separate from the main storyline but developers promise each mode will be about twice as long as Portal 1. One of Valve’s goals after feedback from the original game was to formalize co-op after hearing stories about friends working together to figure out Portal’s challenging puzzles.

In co-op mode, players taken on the role of robots for players avoid excessive blood and gore that one player would see while the other has an untimely demise. To keep failure amusing and not necessarily a negative, Valve included gesture animations for the characters. You’ll see a robot player briefly look up before being crushed by a trap from above or when one player comes back to life, the teammates will hug and high-five in a third person view. Though, the actions much be initiated by both users or you’ll be left hanging with arms outstretched.

To overcome in-game communication challenges, there is an included “ping tool” to mark where teammates can aim their portals. With four portals instead of two, expect more difficult puzzles in co-op but co-op will share the same gameplay elements as single player.  One example seen in the demo was to create an infinite drop but then the second player shoots a portal in the path, launching the dropping player to a high ledge on the other side of the room. During co-op, shooting a portal on your teammate’s portal will replace it instead of going through it.

To top it off, a completely fresh gameplay element was shown off during the demo. Gamers will have to utilize the hard light bridge, an energy walkway suspended in air between two points.  Use a portal at the end of the walkway and you can place it elsewhere but once that portal’s gone so is the pathway. Portal 2 also features lasers that can be refracted using cubes with crystal in the middle that don’t look so different from companion cubes; but get too close and you’re dead.

Portal 2 arrives on February 9th, 2011 on PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Mac. Video to come.

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Written by Tom

Hardware Canucks is live from PAX 2010, one of the largest gaming expos in North America!

Already gaming enthusiasts have crowded the Seattle Convention centre for a glimpse at some of the hottest titles expected.

Our first day is chalk full of top games including Guild Wars 2, Portal 2 and Dragon Age 2.

Also, probably the most anticipated news of the day is that Duke Nukem: Forever actually exists and we will get to play a working demo!

Feel free to give us a shout out with your question, comments or anything you want to know and we’ll do our best our get you answers!

Check out the short intro video and be prepared!

It is rare for more than two graphics chips to be launched at the same time.  However, NVIDIA is bucking this trend by introducing SEVEN new GPUs into the market with immediate availability.  They range in performance from the low-end of the performance spectrum to products which will give ATI’s HD 5870M a run for its money.  In this article we take a closer look at what these new 400-series products bring to the table.

MSI today launches the brand new N460GTX Hawk to the great expectation of global gamers to conquer the market. The world’s first graphic card with triple overvoltage function supporting core voltage, memory voltage and PLL voltage adjustments, the N460GTX Hawk is also the only model on the market that has successfully achieved 1GHz under air-cooling during overclocking.

Also, the design tradition of the Hawk series continues on the GTX460 GPU, including 7+1 PWM power design, V-Check Points, APS (active phase switching), Twin Frozr II dual-fan thermal design, and military class components, to deliver unrivaled performance in thermal solution, power supply, stability, noise reduction and performance.

World’s first triple overvoltage function and the V-Check Points

The N460GTX Hawk from MSI is the world’s first graphic card supporting triple overvoltage function. Operating with Afterburner (V2.0.0) overclocking software exclusive from MSI, users can adjust the voltage of the GPU, memory and PLL. When compared with products at the same level from other manufacturers, the N460GTX Hawk can enhance overclocking potential of the graphic card in all dimensions. More importantly, it is the world’s first GTX 460 graphic card to successfully achieve overclocking to 1GHz* under only air-cooling. Apart from triple overvoltage functions, V-Check Points allows users to measure voltage on the graphic card with just a multi-meter in order to capture various data in an overclocking session, thus making overclocking simpler.

7+1 PWM power design and APS technology

When compared with 4+1 PWM design on the reference card which supplies power only up to 90A in graphic cards at the same level, 7+1 PWM design of the N460GTX Hawk not only supplies power up to 120A for the GPU to enhance GPU stability and performance in overclocking session, APS technology can automatically save the power consumption according to the GPU’s workload.

Exclusive Twin Frozr II dual-fan thermal design

Built with two 8cm fans, four heat-pipes with SuperPipe technology and a large-area nickel-plated copper heat-sink, the MSI-exclusive Twin Frozr II thermal design can effectively and efficiently dissipate heat produced from the GPU. When compared with the reference cooler, the Twin Frozr II can effectively reduce the GPU temperature by 18°C and fan noise by 8.1dB to deliver a cool and quiet computing environment.

Military Class Components

In addition to All Solid CAPs which enhance the overclocking and high loading performance of GPU, the N460GTX Hawk is equipped with the SFC (Super Ferrite Choke) to enhance power efficiency by 10% and output current by 30%. Also, the Hi-c CAP with a tantalum core can enhance GPU power supply to increase the graphic card’s overall lifespan as well as the stability of GPU.

The sub-$150 memory market is thick with products from the likes of Corsair, OCZ, G.Skill, Patriot and so many others.  Mushkin is now adding their name to the list with their new Ridgeback series.  In this review we take a look at their PC3-12800 4GB kit.  Does it have the chops to compete with numerous products which have already entrenched themselves in the market?

This morning, geeky yet chic gizmo maker Apple, held their annual “Everything Apple” event where plenty of new products, features and services from the company were announced including the hotly anticipated new iPods.

But it wasn’t just the new iPod Touch that made headlines, check out the brief summary of other interesting announcements.

Apple TV

Apple has completely redesigned its Apple TV service, primarily by shrinking the box to about a quarter of the size and includes HDMI, Ethernet, optical audio and 802.11n connections. It also is capable of displaying in 720P.

The system goes along with a completely retrofitted video access system allowing users to stream  movies or TV directly from iTune, which also now includes access to the full Netflix library, or through their home network. The device is set to only cost $99, and rentals from popular broadcasters like ABC and Fox starting at $.99 cents. New release HD Videos will be priced at $4.99.

More Details >>

iTunes 10 and Ping, the Social Network for Music

iTunes 10 brings some new and interesting functionality, obviously including the previously mentioned TV features, but also a whole new world of social networking integration entirely based around music.

The new Apple service “Ping” allows users to follow or be followed and shows off the recent activity on their account, such as what media the user has downloaded recently. Along with that comes with the usual slightly egocentric abilities to post videos, photos and comments about yourself. Artists  can also be followed and it showcases any of their upcoming concerts; artists you follow, you will be updated with notices about nearby events.

More Details >>

iPod Touch; The Next Generation

The most anticipated news item in the lot, the next gen iPod Touch, virtually identical to the iPhone 4, just without the phone. The one interesting feature is that Apple decided to not go with the updated square design of the iPhone 4, and is instead using the same curved shell of the original design.

New features include:

• Retina Display – 3.5″ IPS LCD with a resolution of 960×640. Multi-touch capability
• Front and back camera with 720P video capture and editing capability. Supports FaceTime and can converse with iPhone 4 users
• Based on the Apple A4 microprocessor
• Three-axis gyroscope
• iOS 4.1

Other improvements include an increased battery life for up to 40 hours of music playback, as well the entire device has been slimmed down from .33 inches thick to .28, and the weight has been halve, down to 3.56 ounces (101g) from 8 ounces (226g).

With iTunes 10, iPod Touch users can also access the extensive list of TV Shows and video and download them straight to the device.

Comes in 8GB, 32GB and 64GB sizes priced at $229, $299 and $399 USD respectively.

More Details >>

This morning, geeky yet chic gizmo maker Apple, held their annual “Everything Apple” event where plenty of new products, features and services from the company were announced including the hotly anticipated new iPods.

But it wasn’t just the new iPod Touch that made headlines, check out the brief summary of other interesting announcements.

Apple TV

Apple has completely redesigned its Apple TV service, primarily by shrinking the box to about a quarter of the size and includes HDMI, Ethernet, optical audio and 802.11n connections. It also is capable of displaying in 720P.

The system goes along with a completely retrofitted video access system allowing users to stream  movies or TV directly from iTune, which also now includes access to the full Netflix library, or through their home network. The device is set to only cost $99, and rentals from popular broadcasters like ABC and Fox starting at $.99 cents. New release HD Videos will be priced at $4.99.

More Details >>

iTunes 10 and Ping, the Social Network for Music

iTunes 10 brings some new and interesting functionality, obviously including the previously mentioned TV features, but also a whole new world of social networking integration entirely based around music.

The new Apple service “Ping” allows users to follow or be followed and shows off the recent activity on their account, such as what media the user has downloaded recently. Along with that comes with the usual slightly egocentric abilities to post videos, photos and comments about yourself. Artists  can also be followed and it showcases any of their upcoming concerts; artists you follow, you will be updated with notices about nearby events.

More Details >>

iPod; The Next Generation

The most anticipated news item in the lot, the next gen iPod Touch, virtually identical to the iPhone 4, just without the phone. The one interesting feature is that Apple decided to not go with the updated square design of the iPhone 4, and is instead using the same curved shell of the original.

New features include:

• Retina Display – 3.5″ IPS LCD with a resolution of 960×640. Multi-touch capability
• Front and back camera with 720P video capture and editing capability. Supports FaceTime and can converse with iPhone 4 users
• Based on the Apple A4 microprocessor
• Three-axis gyroscope
• iOS 4.1

Other improvements include an increased battery life for up to 40 hours of music playback, as well the entire device has been slimmed down from .33 inches thick to .28, and the weight has been halve, down to 3.56 ounces (101g) from 8 ounces (226g).

With iTunes 10, iPod Touch users can also access the extensive list of TV Shows and video and download them straight to the device.

Comes in 8GB, 32GB and 64GB sizes priced at $229, $299 and $399 USD respectively.

More Details >>

iPod Nano

Not all the talk was about the iPod Touch however, the new Nano is getting an extreme makeover to bring it up to date. On a device only a little larger than a big postage stamp, Apple has now included a 1.54″ inch capacitive multi-touch screen and the entire device has been nearly halved in size and weight, now resembling something similar to the iPod Shuffle.

The OS has also been redesigned to resemble iOS, but make no mistake, iOS it is not. While it may feel the same, the functions are limited to simply music oriented tasks and it doesn’t have access to iTunes or Apps.

Interestingly Apple has axed the video camera and video playing capabilities, though with such a size conscious device such features would be a little impractical. The new Nanno also includes hard volume buttons, 29 language voiceover , FM radio, NIke+ support, a pedometer, and clip mechanism for active individuals.

Four colours are available at a cost of $149 for 8GB and $179 for the 16GB version.

More Details >>

Zalman has launched their highly anticipated VF3000F VGA cooler – designed for the rather warm running NVIDIA Fermi lineup – that appears to be inspired by the Incredible Hulk.

Aside from its very showy, metal green cover (NVIDIA, Green, get it?) the VF3000F featuress a dual fan system allowing for optimal cooling and reduced noise with the ability to adjust fan speeds from 1400rpm (18dBA) to 3000rpm (33dBA). The kit also includes a separate heatsink specifically for cooling the RAM and MOSFETs. The cooler itself uses a pure copper base and heatpipes, which dissipate heat into an aluminum fin array.

The cooler sits at 239mm (W) x 98mm (D) x 51mm (H) and carries a total weight of 430g.

There are two different models, one designed to fit the NVIDIA GTX 480 and another for the GTX 470/465. It is unfortunate that it took Zalman so long to get the cooler out to the market, especially with expectations that NVIDIA’s current GF100 lineup are expected to go EOL (end of life) in the near future.

Features:

• Powerful Cooling Performance with Zalman’s First Dual Fan Solution.
• Dedicated RAM/FET Heatsink.
• Ultra Quiet Design with Special Fin design.
• Excellent Peripheral Component Cooling.
• High Performance Super Thermal Grease ZM-STG2.
• Fan Speed Control with Fan Mate2

Early this week, Lucid announced its arming video card manufacturers with the new Unity graphics board architecture for the HYDRALOGIX engine (previously known as HYDRA). Now graphics board vendors for the first time can combine a single HYDRALOGIX 200 real time distributed processor with any single NVIDIA or ATI GPU, creating an affordable, flexible multi-GPU-ready graphics card that can make any motherboard a high performance gaming system.

Gamers and high performance PC enthusiasts will have even more options to configure multi-GPU systems, which until recently were limited to vendor-exclusive architectures or HYDRALOGIX equipped motherboards. And mainstream graphics users can now buy even a $99 graphics card and upgrade their system in the future with the brand graphics card of their choice.

“The Unity architecture provides a win-win situation for the market and for consumers,” said Offir Remez, Lucid President. “Graphics board vendors can increase the total market for multi-GPU computing from the low end to the high end. And as a consumer, why wouldn’t you choose to buy a graphics card with HYDRALOGIX on board? You only get more!”

The benefits of the UNITY architecture for HYDRALOGIX include:

Card Manufacturers:

• Create multi-vendor-multi-GPU upgradeable cards by integrating a single, low-cost HYDRALOGIX chip
• Allow their customers to couple a UNITY type VGA with any additional existing or new VGA from any vendor on Intel or AMD motherboards
• Create differentiated products by using any brand or GPU model, mixing and matching capabilities, power consumption and price points
• Easy upgrade with additional cards

Consumers:

• Add HYDRALOGIX multi-GPU graphics capabilities to existing motherboards
• Run multiple NVIDIA and/or ATI GPUs on any motherboard
• Upgrade system performance simply by leveraging any existing GPUs by coupling with a new UNITY based VGA.
• Combine a low cost graphics card with another for increased performance, or turn up the volume with multiple high end graphics card of choice
• Combine both an AMD and NVIDIA GPU to enjoy the benefits of both graphics features and performance

System Builders:

• Flexibly design custom systems at multiple price/performance targets
• Save costs with royalty-free alternative to vendor-specific multi-GPU graphics architectures

Jon Peddie of Jon Peddie Research says “The market for multi-GPU systems has shown continual growth even in a down economy. Lucid’s expansion of its HYDRALOGIX technology to the graphics board further expands options for OEMs, ODMs and consumers, and should provide additional momentum to the growth of reasonably priced, high-powered gaming systems.”

Ted Chen, TUL CEO at TUL, maker of the 1st Unity architecture based VGA – the PowerColor Evolution says: “Lucid’s graphics card implementation of HYDRALOGIX creates new marketing opportunities for graphics card vendors, and we’re proud to be first to offer this technology integrated into our graphics cards. With more options for consumers, we are looking forward to continued healthy growth for PC gaming technology.”

Pricing & Availability

The Lucid UNITY architecture for graphics board with HYDRALOGIX 200 engine are both available now to graphics board OEMs. With multiple configurations of the HYDRALOGIX engine, vendors can provide nearly limitless combinations of GPUs to meet a variety of target audiences and price points.

Consumer graphics boards are expected to be available for the holiday buying season 2010 at accessible prices under $199.

As reported just a a few weeks ago, BFG has begun denying customers RMA requests as it begins winding down its business and finds itself unable to replace products. Competing graphics card maker, PNY Technology has stepped up and taken advantage of the situation to promote its own products along with a very enticing offer to those finding themselves burned by BFG’s exit.

The company released a statement saying,

“Starting today, PNY will be offering up to a 25% discount on a selection of PNY GeForce graphics cards, valid only to existing BFG Tech graphics card owners. Consumers can choose to send in either a functioning or non-functioning graphics card in exchange for the discount. Discounts are off of MSRP pricing and are only attainable via PNY.com. This program is available for a limited time and will only be in effect until October 31, 2010.

“Consumers can feel that their investment in PNY graphics card is safe based on our 25-year-old business foundation, solid warranty program, and first class Technical Support team,” said Nicholas Mauro, senior marketing manager, PC components for PNY. “We’re giving them the opportunity to either trade in an otherwise defective card or trade up for an even better value at an incredible price.”

Consumers can visit PNY.com or call PNY Technical Support at 1-888-316-1193 to find out more about this program and for instructions on sending in their old card and how to claim their discounted card. Additionally, all graphics card users taking advantage of this program will receive a bonus copy of the acclaimed PC game “Just Cause® 2” from Square Enix, via an online download redemption code, valued
at $49.99 MSRP.

PNY themselves offer a lifetime warranty with their top tier products, and they are quick to remind us that they have been in the business for 25 years.

MSI, the world renowned motherboard and graphics card maker, has followed up the recent release of its revolutionary Fuzion series mainboard by upping the ante with the release of the 870A Fuzion Power Edition mainboard that features AMD 870 and SB850 chipset and support for AMD’s full line of Phenom II, Athlon II, and Sempron processors in Socket AM3, including the 140W high-consumption Phenom II X6 series! What’s more, exclusive Fuzion Technology, extreme power design, military class components, USB 3.0 & SATA 6Gb/s, and other popular features undeniably make the MSI 870A Fuzion Power Edition mainboard the top AMD 870 chipset mainboard.

Fuzion Technology Allows Gamers to Easily Defeat Their Opponents

To let users unreservedly experience the enhanced performance of multiple graphics cards, the MSI 870A Fuzion Power Edition mainboard comes with exclusive Fuzion Technology (utilizing the Lucid Hydra 200 chip), which can successfully carry out cross-vendor, non-identical multi-GPU processing simultaneously. In addition, the dual PCI-E ×16 Gen2 expansion slot design allows you to purchase any brand or class of new graphics card with your existing graphics card.

CPU PWM Features Military Class Components that Provide Remarkable Stability

The MSI 870A Fuzion Power Edition mainboard also incorporates military class components, specifically the three special components Hi-c CAP, Solid CAP, and Icy Choke. For the CPU power supply module in particular, Hi-c CAP, can withstand the trials of extended and severe operating conditions, provide even higher power supply efficiency and lower operating temperatures. Its low-profile design is also beneficial to overclockers who want to install their favorite high-end CPU cooler. Take cooling a step further while enhancing overclocking potential!

The Extreme Power Design Provides Overall Boost in Performance

The MSI 870A Fuzion Power Edition mainboard features an 8+2 phase DrMOS power supply module design with the most advanced version of DrMOS; the efficient power supply unit smashes the myth that a larger phase number is ideal. An additional 6-pin VGA power supply connection also allows more than 70% additional power to be provided compared to standard mainboards with 24-pin power supply inputs. Even when combining two high-end graphics cards, you can still enjoy the same broad increases in overclocking performance and operating stability — a must-have design requirement for high-end mainboards.

OC Genie Makes Overclocking Even Easier—Enhance Performance with Unlock

The MSI 870A Fuzion Power Edition also includes the exclusive OC Genie One Second Overclocking Utility. Just press the OC Genie button on the mainboard for automatic optimization of CPU, RAM, and chipset frequency and voltage settings. If the Unlock CPU Core function is started simultaneously, maximum performance boost of over 148% can be achieved! For novice gamers, these performance enhancements are easily achieved through simple operation and are definitely the best functions in terms of user-friendliness and practicality.

Ultra High Transfer Bandwidth with USB 3.0 & SATA 6Gb/s

The MSI 870A Fuzion Power Edition mainboard comes built-in with the latest USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s transfer standards: the all-new USB 3.0 features 5Gb/s transfer bandwidth that’s 10 times higher than traditional USB 2.0. Using the USB 3.0 interface, transferring a Blu-ray movie takes less than one minute to complete. Also, MSI is the first to introduce a casing with a front-facing USB 3.0 port. With a free-bundled USB 3.0 front panel, using a USB 3.0 external device is even more convenient. As for SATA 6Gb/s, it not only provides double the bandwidth of traditional SATA 3Gb/s, but also accelerates data transfer speeds at the same time, allowing it to keep in step with future trends for high-speed storage applications.

The features above show that the MSI 870A Fuzion Power Edition mainboard offers exclusive the most robust and flexible platform, with Fuzion Technology that lets you choose from a wide selection when upgrading a graphics card, ultimate power supply design, military class components, and strengthened stability. Also, the OC Genie and Unlock CPU Core combination provides a considerable performance boost. The use of USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s and a front-facing USB 3.0 panel also represent mainstream trends of future products. These design considerations are far ahead of the competition, making the MSI 870A Fuzion Power Edition mainboard the first choice for AMD fans!

EVGA has released their first new motherboard in a while, the EVGA X58 SLI3 (model: 131-GT-E767-TR, offering the x58 chipset with  impressive SLI capabilities at an affordable price.

Utilizing the Intel x58 chipset with LGA1366 socket, the board is similar in design to the basic X58 SLI, with the addition of USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s. The board is capable of up to 3-way SLI utilizing 3 PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots  (two electrical x8). Along with 6-phase VRMs, the board supports all of EVGA’s premier overclocking features including Vdroop control, Dummy OC, EZ Voltage read points and the E-LEET overclocking utility.

The board retails for an MSRP of $199.99 USD, making it the cheapest x58 ATX board offered by EVGA and comes with a 2 year warranty.

Visit the product page for more details

Corsair is just getting their hands into everything these days. Here is a new bit about the companies latest venture into audio peripherals. It only begs the question, when will we see the obligatory Corsair Killer NIC?

Corsair today announced the launch of their inaugural audio product, the Gaming Audio Series HS1 USB gaming headset. This noise-isolating headset offers long-term playing comfort and immersive multi-channel audio, with massive 50mm drivers and a carefully tuned acoustical design optimized not only for gaming, but for movies and music as well.

The HS1 is loaded with features designed to optimize your gaming experience. The 50mm drivers provide more accurate sound reproduction and far lower distortion than is produced by smaller, more typical drivers. The circumaural, closed-back design helps reject ambient noise and keeps you in the game, even in high-distraction environments like LAN parties. Replaceable memory foam ear pads provide a reliable, comfortable fit that conforms to the shape of your head without binding or pinching. The uni-directional noise-cancelling microphone on an adjustable boom enables clear, low-noise voice chat. The end result is a headset that simply provides a superior gaming experience.

“We set out to develop a headset with the performance that gamers demand, while also providing the pristine audio reproduction required for multi-channel movies and high bit rate music,” stated Jim Carlton, Vice President of Marketing at Corsair. “The Audio HS1 easily meets both these challenges.”

Corsair Gaming Audio Series HS1 Key Features:

• Acoustically-tuned enclosures with oversized 50mm drivers
• Circumaural, closed-back design
• Replaceable memory foam ear pads with soft fabric covers
• USB Connection
• Dolby Headphone technology provides multi-channel sound and improves audio quality to reduce listening fatigue
• Uni-directional noise-cancelling microphone on adjustable boom
• Extra-large inline volume and microphone controller that’s easy to grab during gameplay
• Control panel software allows you to customize the listening experience

The product should be showing up on retailer shelves shortly and intial pricing appears to hover at around $109 CAD.

This year’s PAX Prime (Penny Arcade Expo) Event is expected to attract one of the largest gatherings of gaming enthusiasts in North America and Hardware Canucks is looking forward to being a part of the action!

From September 3rd-5th, 2010, live from Seattle, Washington our event coverage will ensure that we keep you up to date and get all the details on hot releases.  We are looking forward to getting a hands on demos of the most anticipated games including Portal 2, Guild Wars 2 and Dragon Age 2 (2011 must be the year of the sequel). As well, many of the gaming industries latest technologies and products will be available for us to get a sneak peak at.

Here’s the thing though, there is so much going on that we couldn’t possibly do it all, so let us know what upcoming video game releases you are looking forward to and we’ll do our best to get as much information as possible!

Be sure to check back to the PAX 2010 Event Page over the course of the event for all the articles as well as the Hardware Canucks Youtube channel for video of gameplay demos, interviews and other fun tidbits.

ADATA Technology, the worldwide leading manufacturer in high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash application products, today introduced its new XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1333G low voltage memory, designed for gaming enthusiasts who adopt Intel X58, P55, H55 and H57 motherboards, and for HTPC applications. The XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1333G low voltage memory offers cooler operation and lower power consumption with only 1.35V and CL9-9-9-24 timing for demanding environments, enabling eco-friendly personal computers to perform at high speeds and great stability.

“Environmental sustainability is an important principle to us at ADATA, therefore we developed XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1333G low voltage memory, since energy efficiency equates to reduced CO2 emission.” said Alex Wu, Project Manager of ADATA Product Management Division. “By utilizing XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1333G low voltage memory, gaming enthusiasts can help to minimize their carbon footprint, saving money on electricity costs, and achieve the right balance of gaming system performance and stability.”

Features and specifications of XPG Gaming Series DDR3-1333G low voltage memory

• All DRAM IC are verified by high standard criteria.
• High quality 6-layer PCB.
• Optimized for 64-bit operating systems
• Tested at latency settings 9-9-9-24 at 1.35V.
• Available in 2GB single channel, 4GB dual channel, and 6GB triple channel kit.
• SPD (Serial Presence Detect) programmed at JEDEC standard DDR3-1333 with latency settings at 9-9-9-24 for basic system booting.
• Limited lifetime warranty.

Shaped like a bona fide V6 engine, Cooler Master’s new V6 GT heatsink is aiming to knock several high end coolers off of their respective thrones.  To accomplish this, the V6 GT is equipped with a pair of high speed 120mm fans and enough cooling mass to beggar most of its competitors.  However, can its performance belie an asking price of under $60?

While AMD opted to keep the ATI brand name after the buyout in 2006, it is finally time to wave farewell to the iconic trademark and accept its green overlord.

NVIDIA and Intel will now be competing directly with AMD branded graphics as the move merges all future products under one company banner. The transition however will not do away with the specific line names introduced by ATI, such as “Radeon” and “FirePro”, in fact it appears that even more effort will be placed on marketing the brand names.

While all current items will still be sold under ATI, going forward all technology and products will introduce the AMD name.  The company claims that much of the move was based around research pointing to better consumer awareness of the AMD brand, versus the ATI name as well as ideal timing given the focus on AMD Fusion, CPU-GPU products and the settlement of recent legal disputes.

Corporate PR slides provided by AMD shed more light on the decision.

Multi monitor gaming setups are expensive but through the need for an active DisplayPort connector on at least one monitor, ATI’s Eyefinity was additionally limiting for potential customers.  Prior to today, expensive adapters were available for DVI-equipped monitors but now AMD and their partners are releasing an inexpensive dongle that does 3/4 of the job for 1/4 the price.