Computer Power User - June 2012
Computer Power User - June 2012
Computer Power User - June 2012
|
VOL 12 ISSUE 06
58
Increase Your Pixel Proficiency
Video Card Buyers Guide
72
The Professionals
Gaming PC Buyers Guide
Did you fnd the hidden CPU logo on our cover? Turn the page to fnd the answer.
Copyright 2012 by Sandhills Publishing Company. CPU Computer Power User is a registered trademark of Sandhills Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in
Computer Power User is strictly prohibited without written permission. Printed in the U.S.A. GST # 123482788RT0001 (ISSN 1536-7568) CPU Computer Power User USPS 020-801 is published
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24
AMD Performance
Edition DDR3-1600
26
Aerocool Shark Fan
Evil Green Edition
28
Plextor M3 Pro 128GB
33
Patriot Memory
PBO Alpine
38
ZOTAC ZBOX nano
XS AD11 Plus
Frontside
8 Whats Happening
16 Digital Economy
Heavy Gear
17 Panther Point Meets Ivy Bridge
A Bevy Of Z77 Motherboards, Raced & Paced
23 Intel Core i7-3770K
24 AMD Performance Edition DDR3-1600
25 ARCTIC Accelero Xtreme III
26 Aerocool Shark Fan Evil Green Edition
28 Plextor M3 Pro 128GB
29 Cooler Master CM Storm Trigger
30 Featured On The Cover:
Intel 3rd Generation Core Processors
32 Patriot Memory Wildfire 480GB
33 Patriot Memory PBO Alpine
34 Deepcool By Logisys Gamer Storm
36 Enermax DreamBass Genie AP001
37 TRENDnet TPL-405E 4-Port 500Mbps
Powerline AV Adapter
38 ZOTAC ZBOX nano XS AD11 Plus
Hard Hat Area
PC MODDER
40 Mad Reader Mod
Station 6
44 Advanced Q&A Corner
48 X-ray Vision: Powerful Power Supply
LEPA Takes Top Wattage Crown With
Release Of G1600
51 White Paper: Intels Ivy Bridge
Meet The Tick That Thinks Its A Tock
JUNE 2012
|
VOL 12 ISSUE 06
92
Gotcha.
Here it is.
96
JUNE 2012
|
VOL 12 ISSUE 06
Loading Zone
84 The Bleeding Edge Of Software
Inside The World Of Betas
86 Up To Speed
Upgrades Thatll Keep You Humming Along
87 Microsoft Windows Store
We Get Up Close & Personal
92 Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12
93 Innovative Solutions Advanced
Uninstaller Pro 10
Empty Loop Unlocker
94 Software Tips & Projects
Own Your Data
Digital Living
96 At Your Leisure
PC & Console Games & Gear
Whats Cooking
102 Technically Speaking
An Interview With OWCs Larry OConnor
105 Under Development
A Peek At Whats Brewing In The Laboratory
Back Door
110 Q&A With Mark Leathem
Kingstons VP Of Corporate Marketing
On HyperX
Infinite Loops
Strange stats and other oddball items from
computings periphery 95
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WA T C H I N G T H E C H I P S F A L L
Here is the pricing
information for
various AMD and
Intel CPUs.
* As of April 2012
** Manufacturers
estimated price
per 1,000
CPU Released Original Price Last Months Price Online Retail Price*
AMD FX-8150 Black Edition Eight-Core 10/12/2011 $245** $249.99 $239.99
AMD FX-8120 Black Edition Eight-Core 10/12/2011 $205** $189.99 $189.99
AMD FX-6100 Black Edition Six-Core 10/12/2011 $165** $149.99 $149.99
AMD A8-3870K Black Edition Quad-Core 12/20/2011 $135** $139.99 $139.99
AMD A8-3850 Quad-Core 7/3/2011 $135** $129.99 $119.99
AMD A6-3670K Black Edition Quad-Core 12/20/2011 $115** $109.99 $119.99
AMD A6-3650 Quad-Core 7/3/2011 $115** $109.99 $109.99
AMD FX-4100 Quad-Core 10/12/2011 $115** $109.99 $109.99
Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition 11/14/2011 $990** $1,049.99 $1,039.99
Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition 2/14/2011 $999** $1,029.99 $1,029.99
Intel Core i7-3930K 11/14/2011 $555** $599.99 $599.99
Intel Core i7-2700K 10/24/2011 $332** $339.99 $339.99
Intel Core i7-2600K 1/9/2011 $317** $324.99 $319.99
Intel Core i7-2600 1/9/2011 $294** $299.99 $299.99
Intel Core i7-3820 2/13/2012 $285** $319.99 $309.99
Intel Core i5-2550K 2/8/2012 $225** $229.99 $229.99
Intel Core i5-2500K 1/9/2011 $216** $224.99 $219.99
Intel Core i5-2500 1/9/2011 $205** $209.99 $209.99
Intel Core i3-2130 9/4/2011 $138** $149.99 $149.99
Intel Core i3-2120 2/20/2011 $138** $127.99 $127.99
PNY Launches The XLR8
GeForce GTX 680
PNYs XLR8-branded graphics card and memory
products generally need no introduction, but PNYs
latest piece of XLR8 gear is based on NVIDIAs GeForce
GTX 680, a 28nm Kepler card that includes features
such as GPU Boost (dynamic clock speed optimization),
Adaptive Vertical Sync Mode (seamless behind-the-scenes
vsync adjustment), Single GPU 3D Vision Surround,
and so on. Te XLR8 680 also comes with a very handy
accessory: a PNY 16-foot Smart Active High Speed
HDMI Cable, so you can hook your new 680 up to a
monitor or an HDTV for 1080p gaming right out of the
box. Like all of PNYs XLR8 cards, the XLR8 GeForce
GTX 680 comes with free 24-hour tech support and
PNYs standard one-year warranty, which you can extend
to a Limited Lifetime Warranty by registering your card
within 90 days of purchase at PNY.com.
Carbon Nanotubes Continue To Amaze
To paraphrase Ronald Joseph Aaron Burgundy, carbon nanotubes are
kind of a big deal. Many believe these amazing bits of nanoscale tech
hold the keys to future advancements in several scientifc areas, and
researchers at the University of Maryland recently found another reason
why. As you know, the transistors that make up current CPUs are limited
by how much heat they generate. Tis heat is the result of a phenomenon
known as Joule heating, which occurs when electric current running
through a metal wire causes electrons to bounce of of the atoms that
make up the wire. Tese vibrations create heat, which is why you need a
CPU cooler for your PC to run. But Kamal Baloch and John Cumings
of the U of Ms A. James Clark School of Engineering have discovered
that although carbon nanotubes conduct electricity like nanoscale metal
wires, they do not manifest Joule heating. The nanotubes in their
experiments stayed cool, causing the silicon nitride substrate beneath to
heat up instead, possibly via electrical felds generated by the electrons
travelling through the nanotubes. Te research duo calls this remote
Joule heating and suggests that it could change the way we think about
building computers. A transistor that doesnt dissipate energy within
itself as heat, like the nanotubes in our experiment, could be a game-
changer, Baloch says. Tis new mechanism of thermal transport would
allow you to engineer your thermal conductor and electrical conductor
separately, choosing the best properties for each without requiring the
two to be the same material occupying the same region of space.
8 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
Corsair Adds Cases
To Its Vengeance Line
Corsairs Vengeance line of gaming products started
with Vengeance memory kits and then expanded
to include Vengeance-brand mice, keyboards, and
headsets. Now theres a new member of the family:
the Vengeance C70 gaming PC case. Te C70 is a
midtower that Corsair designed especially for gamers
who occasionally (or frequently, as the case may be)
haul their PCs to LAN parties and the like: Its steel
construction and built-in carry handles mean you
can move it easily and without worrying for the safety
of your expensive components. Corsair built it for
maximum airfow (it comes with three 120mm fans and has
mounts for a total of 10 fans altogether), and its side panels are
equipped with quick-release latches for easy access when adding,
swapping, or readjusting hardware. Speaking of hardware, the
C70 has eight expansion slots (quad GPUs, anyone?), room for
long graphics cards, tool-less drive bays that you can pull out
if you want, and room enough for two 240mm radiators. You
can get the C70 in one of three colors (Arctic White, Gunmetal
Black, and Military Green) at an MSRP of $139.99.
Put The Ninja Cloud
To Work For You
Lots of interesting projects
have hit their funding goals
and become reality thanks to
the Kickstarter microfunding
site, and one of the coolest
gadgets weve seen is the Ninja
Block (ninjablocks.com). Ninja
Blocks are tiny, web-connected
devices that contain an assortment of sensors and take
simple commands from you to carry out very specific
functions. For example, the companys site says, you can
tell your Ninja Block to take a picture of your front lawn
and save it to Dropbox when it detects movement there.
Or, you can have it send a notifcation to your phone when
your UPS or FedEx guy leaves a package at your door.
Want to know when people from your Friends List are on
Xbox Live or Steam? A Ninja Block can detect such status
reports and let you know. A standard Ninja Block comes
with an Ethernet port and built-in accelerometer and
thermometer; you can order such extras as a webcam, Wi-
Fi, and sensors for light, humidity, distance, and motion
on the site, thereby making your Ninja Block exponentially
more useful. Either way, you can start dreaming up tasks
for your Ninja Block to solve right out of the box, and
the Ninja Blocks easy-to-use web browser interface and
powerful open-source software will do the rest.
MSI Unveils
Trio Of Power
Edition Radeon Cards
MSI recently announced that it had three new additions to its
Radeon HD video card line: the R7850 Power Edition 2GD5/
OC, the R7770 Power Edition 1GD5/OC, and the R7750 Power
Edition 1GD5/OC. As you probably noticed, the phrase Power
Edition is a recurring theme here; these cards are all equipped
to handle considerable overclocking via MSIs Afterburner
performance app. Using Afterburners Triple Overvoltage
setting, the new MSI Radeons will provide up to 45% boosts
to performance. The cards also come with advanced cooling
features such as MSIs Dust Removal Technology, which runs
fans backward for 30 seconds on boot up to clear dust from the
fan blades. The R7850 Power Edition incorporates a custom
Twin Frozr IV cooler, while the R7770 and R7750 are the frst
cards to feature MSIs TransTermal design, which lets you add
a second fan to the cards standard single Propeller Blade fan for
increased airfow and lower temperatures. All three cards boast
MSIs Military Class III components, which meet MIL-STD-
810G military specs. No pricing info was available at press time.
CPU / June 2012 9
TRENDnet Is In Ur Electrics
TRENDnet has been banging the gong for Powerline
networking for many years now, and with good reason.
Powerline connections are a godsend for lots of people for whom
Wi-Fi just wont get it done thanks to too much neighborhood
interference, structural issues, or other problems. And now
TRENDnet has launched a Powerline adapter with a top end
speed of 500Mbps; this bad boy will
deliver your packets anywhere in your
house where theres an outlet, and at
blistering speeds. The TPL-405E has
an MSRP of $109.99, and is especially
adept at enabling high-speed video
streaming throughout your domicile. It comes equipped with
four Gigabit Ethernet ports and LED displays that provide
activity and troubleshooting information. Te adaptor is, of
course, always on, but it has a power-saving mode that lets it
lower power use by as much as 70% when not in use. Te TPL-
405E is backed by TRENDnets limited three-year warranty.
Enermax
OSTROG The
Most Case
Ever For
Under 40
Bucks?
Were not sure as of yet,
but the companys newest
midtower, the OSTROG
3250, has an MSRP of
$39.99 and comes with
internal USB 3.0 header
support, tool-less drive
bays, up to 174mm
clearance for a CPU cooler,
and (if you remove the upper of two hard drive cages)
more than 16 inches of horizontal clearance for high-end
graphics cards. Te case has a nice fat black fnish that
extends throughout its interior, and comes in four variants,
each with a diferent color of mesh running along the front
panels bezelthis comes in white, black, red, or blue. Te
OSTROG 3250 also comes with a CPU cutout and cable
management features built into its motherboard tray, a
PSU mount with vibration-dampening rubber pads and
a removable dust flter, mounts for as many as seven fans
(one 120mm rear fan is included), and support for ATX
and Micro ATX boards.
Cooler Master Adds New
& Improved Sentinel To
Its CM Storm Line
Te latest CM Storm mouse from Cooler Master may look
similar to the Sentinel Advance, but a quick look under the
hood shows that appearances can be deceiving. Where the
original Sentinel Advance maxed out at 5600dpi (which is
nothing to sneeze at), the CM Storm Sentinel Advance II is
equipped with the newest Avago sensor available (the ADNS-
9800) and can track from 200 to 8,200dpi. (You can adjust
resolution on the fy in 200dpi increments as needed.) Te
Sentinel Advance II also weighs a hair less than its predecessor
at just under a third of a pound, but includes the same weight
fne-tuning options via its fve 4.5g removable weights. It also
provides similar customization options via the programmable
multicolor LED inside the case and behind the scroll wheel.
Te mouses onboard Sentinel-X 128KB memory lets you
store your profles and macros, and the eight programmable
buttons can provide functionality of up to nine more virtual
buttons using various combinations.
Hardware Mol e
10 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
NCSoft Offering Early Guild Wars
2 Access With Pre-purchase
Anyone whos ever been involved with an MMO knows that
one of the biggest challenges can be coming up with cool
character and guild names that havent been taken. (Were
looking at you, xXLegolas24Xx.) Thats why one of the
coolest perks tied to a pre-purchase of NCSofts upcoming
Guild Wars 2, aside from access to all beta weekend events
(starting on April 10 and running up to the launch in June),
is a three-day head start. Tats right, if you purchase the game
now at buy.guildwars2.com or a participating retailer, you
get to jump into the GW2 world three full days ahead of the
general, non-preordering public, which in turn means that you
have a much better chance to stake your claim to the character
and guild names that you fancy than if you wait and take your
chances post-launch. Te pre-purchase program includes three
options: the $59.99 Digital Edition, which is a download of
the standard game; the $79.99 Digital Deluxe Edition, which
includes a number of in-game bonuses; and the $149.99
Collectors Edition, which includes all of the Digital Deluxe
Edition stuf plus a 10-inch Rytlock fgurine, fve prints and
an art portfolio along with a custom art frame, and a Best of
Guild Wars 2 soundtrack CD.
Windows 8 To Come
In Just Four Versions
Microsofts Brandon LeBlanc posted on his Windows blog on
April 16 that Windows 8 will come in four versions, a nice
change from previous releases that included as many as six.
Tese will include Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, Windows
RT, and Windows 8 Enterprise. Windows 8 and Windows 8
Pro, LeBlanc wrote, will be the primary consumer versions of
the OS, designed to run on PCs and tablets powered by x86
processors (both 32- and 64-bit) . . . Pro will improve on the
vanilla ofering by adding enhanced features for enthusiasts
and business and tech professionals, such as encryption,
virtualization, and network management. Windows 8
Pro will also come with an economical option to add
Windows Media Center. Windows RT (aka Windows on
ARM, or WOA) will not be a retail package but will be
preinstalled on ARM-based devices and will include special
touch-optimized versions of the key Ofce apps. Windows
Enterprise will be Win8 Pro plus additional IT management
and security features. Oh yeahLeBlanc also officially
confrmed that Windows 8 will be the new OS name. (No
word at press time on pricing or availability.)
Flash
Player
Updates,
Malware
& You
If youve gotten to the point where you click through the frequent
dialogs prompting you to update Adobes ubiquitous, handy
Flash Player plug-in without even stopping to glance at them,
youre not alone. Weve done it plenty of times, and we wouldnt
be surprised to learn that most people do this almost refexively.
Tats why the Flash Player update dialogs are a perfect tool for
social engineers to exploit so they can load up your machine
with malware. Te recent spate of Flashback infections on Macs
should serve as a reminder to PC and Mac users alike that its
best to view such update reminders with a critical eye, especially
if they appear just as youre clicking a tantalizing link from your
favorite social networking site, as happened to many folks back
in 2008. Adobes site ofers direct downloads of the most current
version of Flash Player, Acrobat Reader, and so on, so if youre
ever unsure about the validity of a prompt to update, disallow the
update and visit Adobe.com to see whether you have the current
version. If not, download it from the source.
Sof t ware Short s
12 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
Surf TV On Boxfsh
Weve all grown accustomed to amazing web search technology
that can help us fnd mentions of people, places, and things,
from weighty, mainstream topics like Brangelina to more
obscure things like, you know, Chicago Cubs World Series
victories. Wouldnt it be great if there were a similar search
engine for TV so you could fnd references to specifc things
and people in real time? Thats what the folks behind the
Boxfsh beta site thought (beta.boxfsh.com), and now there
is. You can enter a search word or phrase on Boxfsh and it
will quickly retrieve a list of current, appropriate references,
including the network and show where the reference has
occurred. Youre probably thinking, What manner of devilry is
this? Actually, its quite simple, but then most really good ideas
are. Boxfsh grabs close captioning streams from all over TV
land and scans it for your search. Now youre wondering why
you never thought of this, and we have no answer for that.
One In Five Adults Not Online
Te Pew Internet & American Life Project began tracking Internet usage statistics
in 2000, and at the time the organization found that there were several factors that
clearly correlated with whether people were online. Age, race, household income,
education, and other factors were pretty solid predictors of a survey respondents
likely Internet use. Some of those factors are still in play, although some, like race,
have become less efective as predictors. In a survey of 2,260 U.S. adults (age 18
and up), Pew found that senior citizens, survey respondents who preferred to
take the survey in Spanish rather than English, adults with less than a high school
education, and respondents from households with less than $30,000 annual
incomes were the least likely to have Internet access. In many cases, however, Pew
found that limited access was less of an issue than perceived relevance. Half of those
surveyed who indicated they dont use the Internet said they werent interested
because they didnt think the Internet was relevant to them. (For some perspective,
its important to note that the majority of those respondents also told Pew that they
had never used the Internet.)
Si t e Seei ng
Google Drive
Takes A Bow
Have you ever used
Google Docs or Picasa
to store your stuf in the cloud? Have
you ever used an online file storage/
sharing/synchronization service like
Dropbox? If you said yes to either or
both of these questions, you might
be interested to know that Google
launched its new Google Drive service
just a few days before this issue went
to press. Google Drive makes it easy
to access your fles from any Internet-
connected device; just drag and drop
your fles into the Google Drive folder
created when you install the client, and
those files are instantly available and
up-to-date. Google gives you 5GB of
storage space gratis. For those of you
who require more, you can pony up
$2.49 per month and bump your
Drive real estate up to 25GB, $4.99
per month for 100GB, or $49.99 per
month for 1TB. As with any online
storage service, its a good idea to check
the terms of service before you sign up
so youll know what sort of fles you feel
comfortable storing there.
CPU / June 2012 13
Job Of The Month
The comics industry is in peril. Print sales have been in decline for years. Comic book shops are
an endangered species. Are you the digital superhero who can help the industry migrate to a new
age of apps, tablet and smartphone editions, and interactive comics before its too late? Marvel
Entertainment (yes, the company behind The Avengers) needs a Web Application Developer who
can help it craft web and mobile experiences from its many comics and character franchises. You
will be working with the guys who make the comics and who generate new generations of apps.
Marvel recently introduced comics that trigger augmented-reality enhancements on smartphones
and apps that animate the comics narrative. To do your part in making a post-print future for comics,
you will need fve years of experience with web services like SOAP and with the PHP and LAMP
environments. And you should know what it means to make digital services millions of people use
each month. Yup, the print experience may be on the wane, but mobs of fan boys are focking to new
digital experiences. Excelsior!
E-Book Reading Escalates Sharply in Two Years
The proliferation of dedicated e-ink book readers and now multipurpose tablets has had a profound effect
on reading habits, according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project study. As of late 2011, 84% of those
who had read a book yesterday when asked are using print books while 15% are using an e-book, up
from 95% using print and only 4% on e-books in June 2010.
22.2% I do not use a social network
40.2% Quit/withdraw my application
and fnd a different job
10.9% Hand them over
I need the job
10.5% Edit my social media profles
frst, then hand over my
passwords
16.1% Delete my social media pages
If An Employer
Asked You For
Your Social Media
Passwords, What
Would You Do?
Following reports that some prospective
employers were asking applicants for
access to their social profles, American
Pulse asked more than 3,500 survey
panelists how they would react.
Turning On
The Second Screen
According to a recent survey conducted by
Nielsen, about 88% of tablet owners report using
their devices while watching TV in the last month,
while 86% of smartphone owners say they are
consulting the second screen during TV time.
bit.ly/IxfpvJ
21%
Percent of Americans who have read
an e-book in the last year
(Pew Internet & American Life Project)
32.3%
Percent of mobile customers playing
mobile games
(comScore)
66%
Percent of people under age 30 who access
their email on mobile phones
(Constant Contact)
55
Number of U.S households
that own at least one
Apple product
(CNBC)
M
I
L
L
I
O
N
Frequency Tablets Smartphones
Several Times 26% 27%
A Day
Once a Day 19% 14%
Several Times 24% 23%
A Week
Several Times 13% 13%
A Month
Once a Month 7% 9%
Or Less
Never 12% 14%
16 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
SATA ports. Here again, most vendors
also added a couple extra 6Gbps SATA
connectors. In terms of memory, standard
Z77 chipsets will support DDR3 modules
up to 1,600MHz, and it operates dual-
channel configurations, rather than the
quad-channel setup found in Intels X79
chipset. 3rd Generation Intel Core i7/i5
processors can utilize Intel new XMP 1.3
profles for a quick way to bring the RAM
up to its rated performance.
Overall, the Z77 chipset offers a
number of incremental upgrades and a
few new features, which make it a good
choice for those who want a motherboard
to take full advantage of their Ivy Bridge
processor. In our roundup, well examine
the diferent additions that each vendor
has provided to enhance the Z77 chipset.
For instance, nearly all vendors added
LucidLogix Virtu MVP Technology,
Of course, the Z77 also supports the
new HD Graphics 4000 found in several
of Intels Ivy Bridge CPUs. A step up,
naturally, from HD Graphics 3000,
this latest on-chip GPU operates at a
maximum frequency of 1,350MHz and
supports DirectX 11. Intel also indicates
that its 3rd Generation processors support
the spanning of your Windows Desktop
across up to three displays.
Panther Point also provides you with
built-in USB 3.0 connectivity, which
wasnt found on the Z68 chipset. Z77
natively offers four USB 3.0 ports and
10 USB 2.0 ports. In our roundup, we
found that most vendors opted to install
third-party USB 3.0 ports, as well as
front-panel headers, to give you more
ways to connect USB 3.0 devices. The
stock Z77 configuration features two
6Gbps SATA ports and four 3Gbps
T
he Z77 chipset is Intels update of the
Z68 platform, so the target audience
includes both mainstream users and
performance enthusiasts. Key technology
upgrades in the Z77 chipset, compared
to its Z68 predecessor, include standard
support for Intels Rapid Start and Smart
Connect technologies. Rapid Start is a
feature that captures a snapshot of your
PCs open apps and saves the data to an
SSD (or flash memory), which allows you
to suspend the computer at nearly zero
power. When you wake the system, Intel
indicates that the snapshot will let you
return to work after only five seconds.
Smart Connect is somewhat similar in
that it can update web-based content
(including email, social media, and
cloud services) while the system is asleep,
meaning everythings current when you
resume your system.
Architecture Upgrades
Te Z77 chipset, code-named Panther
Point, features an Intel LGA1155 socket
and provides support for both Sandy
Bridge and Ivy Bridge processors. Like its
Z68 predecssor, the Z77 chipset allows
for CPU overclocking and supports Intel
Turbo Boost and Hyper-Threading.
Dedicated graphics capabilities are the
same as Z68, with 16 PCI-E 3.0 graphics
lanes; Intel updated the Z77 to use a
PCI-E 3.0 interface rather than the Z68s
PCI-E 2.0 interface. Dual-GPU setups
will split into two x8 PCI-E lanes, and a
triple-GPU system will split one of those
x8 connections to two x4 connections.
Panther Point
Meets Ivy Bridge
A Bevy Of Z77 Motherboards, Raced & Paced
DZ77GA-70K
$240 | Intel
www.intel.com
CPU / June 2012 17
deliver precise levels of power to your
CPU, VTT, processor graphics, and
memory. Te digital controller array also
works with GIGABTYEs 3D Power
Utility that gives you control over things
like OVP (overvoltage protection) and
PWM frequencies.
The rear I/O panel of the GA-
Z77X-UD3H provides you with six
USB 3.0 ports and two 6Gbps eSATA
ports, so youll have a number of fast
transfer options. Video outputs for
the processor graphics include HDMI,
DisplayPort, DVI, and VGA. The GA-
Z77X-UD3H supports 7.1-channel
surround sound, and with buil t-in
HDMI, S/PDIF, and Di spl ayPor t
connections, there are plenty of ways to
get it to your surround-sound system.
For internal headers, youll find a USB
3.0 header, two USB 2.0 headers, and
a TPM (Trusted Platform Module)
header, which can store cryptography
keys. There are six SATA ports, and
the top two provide you with 6Gbps
speeds. Well note that if you choose to
add a mini PCI-E SSD to the mSATA
port, the board will shut off the 3Gbps
port 5.
GIGABYTE lays out the board with
overclockers in mind. Onboard voltage
read points let you see real-time power
readings, and onboard power and reset
buttons provide you with quick power
that use the PCI-E x1 or PCI slots,
because youll have room to install
them around the graphics cards. Intel
also offers a variety of I/O headers
along the bottom of the motherboard.
There are two USB 3.0 headers, three
USB 2.0 headers, a FireWire header,
and an S/PDIF header.
To handle your SATA devices, the
DZ77GA-70K provides you with four
6Gbps SATA ports and four 3Gbps
SATA ports. The four 3Gbps SATA
ports are sandwi ched between the
6Gbps SATA ports. Another thi ng
we like about the design of Intels
DZ77GA-70K are the four fan power
connectors, whi ch are wel l -spaced
ar ound t he mot her board. Int el s
benchmarks were si mi l ar to al l of
the others in our roundup, but what
really sets this board apart is the well
thought-out design and variety of extra
features and I/O options provided.
GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H
With the GA-Z77X-UD3H, GIGA-
BYTE includes an mSATA slot where
you can install a low-capacity SSD that
can work with Intels Smart Response
and Intels Rapid Start technologies to
improve your PCs responsiveness.
GIGABYTE also indicates that the GA-
Z77X-UD3H ofers a completely digital
PWM controller, which is designed to
which essentially utilizes the processors
integrated GPU to remove redundant
rendering from your dedicated GPU.
As always, we put the various Z77
motherboard through our collection
of ri gorous benchmarks. Our test
system consisted of an Intel Core i7-
3770K processor, Thermaltakes Frio
CPU cool er, two ZOTAC GeForce
GTX 580s, 16GB of G.Skill Ripjaws
memory (DDR3-1600MHz), and a
128GB Crucial RealSSD C300all
of whi ch were housed i n Corsai rs
Graphite Series 600T.
Intel DZ77GA-70K
This is Intels newest Extreme Series
motherboard. The DZ77GA-70K in-
cl udes al l ki nds of extra goodi es,
including a Bluetooth receiver, Wi-Fi
adapter, and USB 3. 0 front-panel
module. With the DZ77GA-70K, Intel
also has introduced a new version of its
Visual BIOS that is designed to let you
more quickly configure speeds for your
processor, memory, and graphics.
The DZ77GA- 70Ks r ear I / O
panel provides you with four USB 3.0
ports, four USB 2.0 ports, and one
6Gbps eSATA port. Well note that
the 6Gbps eSATA port was a rarity
among the boards we tested. Another
helpful feature are the two fast charging
(yellow ports) USB 2.0 ports, which
is perfect for connecting and charging
peri pheral s such as a smartphone
or tabl et. Compared to other Z77
boards, there are fewer video outputs
(only an HDMI port), but we suspect
most DZ77GA-70K buyers will plan
on investing in a dedicated graphics
card, anyway.
Speaking of graphics, the DZ77GA-
70K offers two PCI-E 3.0 x16 slots.
Youl l al so find two PCI-E 2. 0 x1
slots (located above and below the top
PCI-E x16 slot), two legacy PCI slots
(located above and below the second
PCI-E x16 slot), and one PCI-E 2.0
x4 slot found at the bottom of the
board. The spacing of the slots makes it
convenient for those with add-in cards
GA-Z77X-UD3H
$169.99
GIGABYTE
www.gigabyte.us
18 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
MSI provides you with lots of bun-
dled software, including Lucids Virtu
MVP and THX TruStudio PRO. MSI
exclusives include OC Genie II (to access
overclocking settings in Windows), MSI
Super Charger (lets you boost power to
USB ports for quick charging of tablets
and smartphones), MSI M-Flash (lets you
save BIOS data to a USB flash drive),
and 3TB+ Infnity (support for 3TB hard
drives). MSIs benchmark results were
similar to the rest of the competition,
but well note that they had the second
highest marks in several tests, including
3DMark 11, PCMark 7, Cinebench 11.5,
and POV-Ray Beta 3.7.
Te Z77A-GD65 is a wise choice for
builders who plan on using their PC as
an entertainment center, as it ofers both
coaxial and optical S/PDIF, as well as an
HDMI output. Its also a good option for
overclockers, with its voltage checkpoints,
status indicators, and support for RAM
speeds up to 2,800MHz.
BIOSTAR TZ77XE4
BIOSTARs TZ77XE4 offers three
PCI-E x16 sl ots, and the top two
will run at x8 with graphics cards
installed in both. The third PCI-E
x16 slot is located at the bottom of
the motherboard and maxes out at x4.
BIOSTAR also ofers you two standard
PCI slots for compatibility with legacy
highlights found on the Z77A-GD65
include support for up to 32GB of
DDR3-2800, three PCI-E x16 slots
(which run at x8/x4/x4 speeds when all
flled), and eight SATA connectors (four
6Gbps and four 3Gbps).
On the rear I/O panel of the
Z77A-GD65, youll have access to two
USB 3.0 ports and four USB 2.0 ports,
as well as audio outputs for coaxial
S/PDIF, optical S/PDIF, and analog
portsall of which support up to
7.1-channel surround sound. Internally,
the Z77A-GD65 offers you three USB
2.0 headers, a USB 3.0 header, and a
TMP Module header. Teres also a voice
control module header that you can use
with the optional MSI Voice Genie for
voice commands to boot up your PC, as
well as other functions.
Overclockers needs are also covered
with the Z77A-GD65. MSI provides
you with a multi-BIOS switch that
allows you to shift from one BIOS to
another prior to boot-up. You can also
update each BIOS independently. Tere
are LED status indicators for the CPU
power phases, and a DrMOS alarm that
will turn red when the motherboard is
about to overheat. Along the right side
of the board, MSI has installed voltage
checkpoints where you can measure
system voltages for the CPU, memory,
and the platform controller hub.
controls. An LED display shows you
debug codes when something goes wrong.
Performance enthusiasts will also like that
the GA-Z77X-UD3H supports DDR3
memory up to 2,666MHz and Intel XMP
memory profiles. Other key features
of the Z77X-UD3H include support
for Lucids Virtu GPU virtualization
technology, a LAN optimizer software
app to prioritize network traffic, and
a PCI-E x4 connection (using an x16
physical slot) at the bottom of the board.
The GA-Z77X-UD3H posted the
highest marks in SiSoftware Sandra
2012s Proces s or Ari t hmet i c and
Processor Multimedia tests. The rest of
the scores were all in line with the rest
of the motherboards in the roundup.
Overall, we like the board layout of the
GA-Z77X-UD3H, especially the inclu-
sion of the mSATA port. Those who
want a convenient way to utilize Intels
Smart Response and Rapid Start tech-
nologies should definitely check out
this motherboard.
MSI Z77A-GD65
MSIs newest Z77-based mother-
board, like many of MSIs boards,
is built using MSIs Military Class III
components for the capacitors and
chokes. MSI indicates that all Military
Class III components have passed the
MIL-STD-810G certifcation. Just a few
Z77A-GD65
$189.99 | MSI
www.msi.com
TZ77XE4
$169.99 | BIOSTAR
www.biostar-usa.com
20 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
would go nicely with some understated
interior lightning. ECS also includes
lots of other bells and whistles with the
Z77H2-A2X.
Starting at the rear I/O ports, youll
fnd built-in Bluetooth (2.1+EDR) and
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n), so you wont need
to install wireless add-in cards to your
system for wireless access. In terms of
video outputs, there are VGA, DVI, and
HDMI ports. The Z77H2-A2X offers
four rear USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0
ports, and a 3Gbps eSATA port. You can
add an additional two USB 3.0 ports
through the front panel/rear panel USB
3.0 header, while the USB 2.0 header
can provide power and connectivity
to two more USB 2.0 ports. For extra
audio connectivity, youll find both a
front panel audio header and a S/PDIF
output header. To connect your SATA
devices, youll fnd six SATA portsfour
6Gbps and two 3Gbps.
The Z77H2-A2X of f ers several
options for add-in cards. For graphics
cards, there are two PCI-E 3.0 x16 slots,
which support two cards running at
x8 speeds. Youll also find two PCI-E
2.0 x1 slots, two standard PCI slots,
and a mini PCI-E x1 slot. LucidLogixs
Virtu MVP lets the motherboard utilize
the power of Intels integrated graphics
with a discrete video card. ECS provides
support for 32GB of DDR3 memory
that can be clocked up to 2,800MHz.
Mot herboard cool i ng i s provi ded
through ECSs Qooltech IVthree
copper heatpipes that pull heat away
from the chipset.
In our benchmarks, the ECS Z77H2-
A2X was abl e to post the hi ghest
scores in SiSoftware Sandras Memory
Bandwidth test, and all of the other
tests were within a few points of the rest
of the group. Overall, we like the gold
accents and like that ECS was able to
include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a variety
of diferent slots for add-in cards. Its a
good choice for enthusiasts who want
a board that provides them with lots
of different options for their compo-
nent choices.
BI OSTAR pr ovi des a number
of software and hardware features
t o i mprove your medi a pl ayback
and gamepl ay. BIOSTAR i ncl udes
LucidLogix Virtu MVP Technology
and THX TruStudio PRO, the latter
of which allows you to control sound
quality of your music, movies, and
games. For example, the Pro Dialog Plus
feature that helps enhance the voices
in movies so you can hear them over
the soundtrack.
The TZ77XE4s scores were in line
with the rest of the motherboards in
our roundup. Well note that it did
notch the highest overall scores in both
3DMark 11 and PCMark 7. BIOSTARs
support for high-performance memory
speeds make this board a good option
for enthusiasts looking for an afordable
Z77 board that can handle demanding
memory specifcations.
ECS Z77H2-A2X
If you want to add a touch of gold
styling to your PC, the Z77H2-A2X
i s the motherboard for you. Thi s
board is part of ECSs Golden Edition
Extreme, which includes gold plating
on the CPU pins, memory slots, and
PCI-E slots, as well as a golden PCH
and VRM heatsink. We think the gold
accents are all tastefully done, especially
in contrast with the black PCB, and
add-i n cards. Those pl anni ng on
utilizing the CPUs built-in graphics
will like that the TZ77XE4 includes
outputs for HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI,
and VGA, so you shouldnt have to
mess around with an adapter to connect
this motherboard to your monitor. We
also like that the TZ77XE4 supports
RAM speeds up to 2,600MHz, so it
can handle high-performance mem-
ory overclocks.
In terms of extra USB connectivity,
BIOSTAR has added one USB 3.0
and two USB 2.0 headers, and the
TZ77XE4 includes a USB front-panel
bay, as well as a blanking plate for the
rear panel if you dont have space on
your cases front panel. Tere are four
6Gbps SATA ports and four 3Gbps
SATA ports. All the SATA outputs are
oriented with the connectors facing
to the right side of the motherboard.
SATA ports 1 through 6 support RAID
0/1/5/10 and Intels Smart Response
Technology. Below the SATA ports,
you l l f i nd a BIOS POST Code
indicator and onboard buttons for clear
CMOS, power, and reset. Board layout
is fairly standard, with the exception
of the second system fan connector
thats found along the bottom of the
motherboard near USB headers. Rear
exhaust fans with short cords may not
reach this location.
Z77H2-A2X
$220 | ECS
www.ecsusa.com
CPU / June 2012 21
Z77 Overall
The Z77 chipset doesnt mark a huge
change in performance, but Intel has
managed to include a number of new
features that may make it worth upgrading
for enthusiasts. Te motherboards in our
roundup represent a good range of prices,
and the vendors all ofer slightly diferent
feature sets that sets each apart, depending
on the goal of your build.
BY NATHAN LAKE
Intel GIGABYTE MSI BIOSTAR ECS
Benchmark Results DZ77GA-70K GA-Z77X-UD3H Z77A-GD65 TZ77XE4 Z77H2-A2X
Price $240 $169.99 $189.99 $169.99 $220
3DMark 11 Extreme
Overall X3986 X4057 X4105 X4107 X4078
Graphics Score 3599 3750 3795 3798 3787
Physics Score 9292 8748 9257 9013 8163
Combined Score 4525 4611 4647 4605 4615
Graphics Test 1 18.81 18.72 19.29 19.25 19.25
Graphics Test 2 17.92 19.49 19.58 19.56 19.57
Graphics Test 3 16.99 18.83 18.98 18.93 18.94
Graphics Test 4 11.39 11.43 11.53 11.58 11.48
Physics Test 29.3 27.73 29.42 28.62 25.92
Combined Test 21.05 21.45 21.66 21.42 21.41
PCMark 7
Overall 5245 5245 5286 5294 5242
Productivity 5239 5353 5291 5013 4880
Creativity 5149 5041 5281 5218 5069
Entertainment 5158 5179 5210 5196 5169
Computation 5427 5407 5595 5538 5368
System Storage 5126 5069 5104 4904 4733
SiSoftware Sandra 2012 SP1 Lite
Processor Arithmetic
Dhrystone SSE4.2 (GIPS) 120.92 122 121.4 121.11 121.13
Whetstone iSSE3 (GFLOPS) 93.1 94.38 92.48 93.26 93.28
Processor Multi-Media
x16 Multi-Media Integer iAVX (Mpixels per second) 224.5 224.9 222.78 222.24 222
x16 Multi-Media Float iAVX (Mpixels per second) 311.12 314.87 312.55 311.63 311.44
x8 Multi-Media Double iAVX (Mpixels per second) 174.53 176.69 174.83 174.67 174.38
Memory Bandwidth
Integer Memory Bandwidth B/F AVX/128 (GBps) 19.89 20.35 20.16 20 20.37
Floating Memory Bandwidth B/F AVX/128 (GBps) 19.89 20.32 20.16 20.22 20.37
Media Transcode
Transcode WMV (KBps) 1020 1000 1007 1019 1000
Transcode H264 (KBps) 994 965 1000 1006 958
Cinebench 11.5
CPU* 7.32 7.48 7.42 7.36 7.29
POV-Ray 3.7 Beta** 1309.35 1340.04 1336.43 1325.34 1313.25
Games (2,560 x 1,600)
Metro 2033 (4XAA/16XAF) 34.93 38.7 34.18 37.65 37.88
Aliens vs. Predator (8XAA/16XAF) 53.6 53.6 53.7 53.5 53.6
* points
** pixels per second
Test system specs: CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K; RAM: 16GB G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3-1600; GPU: ZOTAC GeForce GTX 580 (2x, SLI); Storage: 128GB Crucial
RealSSD C300
22 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
T
he new Core i7-3770K is Intels flagship
processor for the Z77 chipset, and as such
includes of all of the new 3rd Generation
Intel Core i7 processor features. Theres
support for DDR3-1600 (2nd Generation
Intel processors support a maximum
1,333MHz) and the improved Intel HD
Graphics 4000 graphics processor.
As we saw with the 2nd Generation
processors, Intel continues to add more
technologies into the processor. For
example, the new Intel HD Graphics 4000
supports DirectX 11 (HD Graphics 3000
only supports DX10.1) and a maximum
resolution of 2,560 x 1,600. HD Graphics
4000 processors can also span the Windows
Desktop across up to three independent
displays. Theres also embedded support
for DisplayPort and HDMI v1.4a. Intel
indicates that it has improved its Quick Sync
Video performance by up to 60%.
At stock, the Core i7-3770K runs at
3.5GHz with a Turbo Boost speed of
3.9GHz. Of course, the K sufx on means
youll have an unlocked multiplier at your
disposal. Similar to the Core i7-2600K and
2700K, the i7-3770K provides you with four
cores with Hyper-Treading, as well as an
8MB of Intel Smart Cache. Intel also added
support for DDR3L.
As it runs on the Z77 chipset, the Core
i7-3770K is built for the LGA1155 socket.
Intel indicates the Core i7-3770K will
work on motherboards with Intel 7-Series
chipsets and the following Intel 6-Series
chipsets: Z68, P67, H67, and H61. Te
Core i7-3770K also offers two built-in
security technologies, Intel Secure Key and
Intel OS Guard. Secure Key is a hardware-
assisted tool that helps you to create highly
secure and long strings of random numbers
for computing tasks that require security.
OS Guard helps to prevent malware
from gaining kernel-level access to your
operating system.
We ran the Intel Core i7-3770K against
Intels Core i7-2600K, which includes
using the processors integrated graphics
core as our GPU. The Core i7-
3770K offers slight performance
upgrades across the board, with
the biggest gains to be found in the
gaming benchmarks. We were able
to hit 25.3fps in Metro 2033 at
1,280 x 720 with the settings on low;
the HD Graphics 4000 produced
40.7fps in Aliens vs. Predator. Our
SiSoftware Sandras Media Transcode
results back up Intels claim for
improvements to Quick Sync Video,
as we saw a nearly 60% increase.
Processor-intensive scores are similar
between the two, but with only a
100MHz stock speed difference,
theres not much of a gap in terms of
pure processing power.
Builders planning a new system will
want to pair the Core i7-3770K with
a Z77 motherboard, because youll
have access to all of the processor and
chipsets new features. On the other
hand, those whove recently built a
system based on one of Intels 6-Series
motherboards will find that, after a
motherboard BIOS update, the
Core i7-3770Ks Socket LGA1155
compatibility makes the processor a
simple drop-in replacement.
BY NATHAN LAKE
Intel Core i7-3770K
Intel Core Intel Core
Benchmark Results i7-3770K i7-2600K
3DMark 11
Overall P765 P545
Graphics Score 649 486
Physics Score 7200 6700
Combined Score 769 590
Graphics Test 1 3.87 2.98
Graphics Test 2 3.85 3.01
Graphics Test 3 4.15 3.78
Graphics Test 4 1.52 1.04
Physics Test 22.86 18.76
Combined Test 3.58 2.63
PCMark 7
Overall 4422 4203
Productivity 5348 5138
Creativity 7205 6978
Entertainment 3353 3145
Computation 8907 8720
System Storage 5019 4621
SiSoft Sandra 2012 SP1 Lite
Processor Arithmetic
Dhrystone SSE4.2 (GIPS) 121.4 108.9
Whetstone iSSE3 (GFLOPS) 93.4 85.5
Processor Multi-Media
x16 Multi-Media Integer iAVX
(Mpixels per second) 223.4 204
x16 Multi-Media Float iAVX
(Mpixels per second) 311.12 277
x8 Multi-Media Double iAVX
(Mpixels per second) 174.9 157.78
Memory Bandwidth
Integer Memory Bandwidth
B/F AVX/128 (GBps) 19.63 18.32
Floating Memory Bandwidth
B/F AVX/128 (GBps) 19.58 18.32
Media Transcode
Transcode WMV (KBps) 3,690 2,314
Transcode H264 (KBps) 4,290 2,674
Cinebench 11.5
CPU* 7.44 6.54
POV-Ray 3.7 Beta** 1327.86 1162.59
Metro 2033 (4XAF) 25.3 19.4
Aliens vs. Predator (4XAF) 40.7 33.8
Games tested at 1,280 x 720.
*points
**pixels per second
Specs: Socket: Intel LGA1155; Clock speed: 3.5GHz
(3.9GHz Max Turbo); 8MB Intel Smart Cache; TDP: 77W;
Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000
Test System Specs: Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K;
Motherboard: Intel DZ77GA-70K; GPU: Intel HD
Graphics 4000; RAM: 16GB G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3-
1600; Storage: 128GB Crucial RealSSD C300; OS:
Windows 7 Enterprise (64-bit)
Core i7-3770K
$313 | Intel
www.intel.com
CPU / June 2012 23
T
his 8GB kit of AMDs Performance
Edi ti on DDR3 memory runs at
1,600MHz with aggressive timings of
8-9-8. The use of a low-profile heat
spreader is also ideal for those who
own wide, tall CPU heatsinks, because
its more likely the memory modules
wont present an cl earance i ssues.
Wel l note that AMDs memory i s
manufactured and supported by Patriot
Memory, and like Patriots modules,
the AMD Performance Edition DDR3
is backed by a lifetime warranty and is
100% hand-tested.
With AMDs Performance Edition
lineup, theres a black heat spreader
thats affi xed to ei ther si de of the
modules, and the AMD Performance
Edition logo graces the heat spreaders.
We installed the kit in a system with
SAPPHIREs PURE Platinum Z77K
and Intels Core i 7-3770K. (AMD
memory can operate on both Intel
and AMD memory platforms.) The
modules also can operate at DDR3-
1333 wi th a vol tage of 1. 5V and
timings of 8-8-8 if you prefer your
RAM to run at a lower voltage.
In SiSoftware Sandras 2012 Lite
Memory Bandwi dth test, the 8GB
AMD Pe r f or ma nc e Edi t i on
kit produced a bandwidth of a
21.36GBps in the Integer B/F
iAVX/128 test and 21.34GBps
in the Float B/F iAVX/128 test.
It also posted an impressive score
of 23.5 nanoseconds in Sandras
Memory Latency benchmark.
Thos e l ooki ng f or an af -
fordable 8GB kit can pair the
Performance Edi ti on ki t wi th
either their AMD or Intel set-
up. The 1,600MHz speed and
low latency provides you with
qui ck response ti mes for memory-
intensive tasks.
BY NATHAN LAKE
Performance Edition DDR3-1600
$54.99 | AMD
www.amd.com
AMD Performance Edition DDR3-1600
AMD Performance
Benchmark Results Edition DDR3-1600
SiSoft Sandra 2012 Lite
Memory Bandwidth
Integer B/F iAVX/128 (GBps) 21.36
Float B/F iAVX/128 (GBps) 21.34
Memory Latency 23.5ns
Specs: Capacity: 8GB (2x 4GB); Timings 8-9-8-24; Voltage:
1.65V; Unbuffered; Non-ECC; Lifetime warranty
System specs: Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K;
Motherboard: SAPPHIRE PURE Platinum Z77K; GPU:
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 580; Storage: 128GB Crucial
RealSSD C300; OS: Windows 7 Enterprise (64-bit)
24 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
Specs: Maximum cooling capacity: 300W; Materials: Copper (base, heatpipes), aluminum (fns); Fans: 3 92mm PWM; Warranty: 6 years
the completion of the benchmark, we
waited for the temperature to decrease
and level of and then measured that as
the idle value. We did the same with the
Accelero Xtreme III installed and also
performed some sound testing, as well.
Te GeForce GTX 580s cooler, which
we lauded at the time of its launch as
being nice and quiet, generated 11.5
more decibels compared to its idle value.
The temperature performance was 43
degrees Celsius (idle) and 79 C (load).
The Accelero Xtreme III blew those
numbers out of the water, idling at
30 C and peaking at 51 C. Noise
output remained effectively flat, right
around the stock coolers idle noise level,
under both idle and load. Troughout
the testing, the PWM fans never saw
fit to increase the fan speed above
2,000rpm. Looking at those temps, we
can see why.
BY ANDREW LEIBMAN
Accelero Xtreme III
$119.95
ARCTIC
www.arctic.ac
a massive series of 84 aluminum fns. A
thin black plastic heat shroud surrounds
a trio of 92mm PWM fans; all told, the
unit is capable of dissipating 300W of
thermal energy. Also included in the
package are 31 RAM and VRM heatsinks,
a thermal paste spreading tool, and more
thermal adhesive to apply to those heat-
sensitive components. Once installed,
we were impressed that the Accelero
Xtreme III didnt increase our GeForce
GTX 580s footprint much at all. Most
importantly, it remained a dual-slot card,
so we can still use this card in SLI (or
CrossFire for Radeon cards).
As a prototype of the Accel ero
Xtreme III, our unit didnt have the
pad of MX-4 preapplied to the copper
surface of the heatsink, but we applied
some using the packaged thermal paste.
Installation was quick and painless; the
hardest part was simply removing the
dozen or so screws on the GeForce GTX
580s stock cooler.
To test the Accelero Xtreme III,
we first ran a stock GeForce GTX
580 through Unigine Heaven with
Tessellation set to Extreme and measured
the GPU temperature at load. Following
H
igh-end graphics cards are responsible
for a hearty chunk of your systems
power consumption and subsequently
generate heat like nothing else. If youre
running two, three, or even four graphics
cards, then heat can quickly get out of
hand. Even if its not too much to sound
alarms and initiate a shutdown, the slow
baking of your internal components
can reduce their respective life spans.
ARCTICs latest aftermarket graphics
card cooler, the Accelero Xtreme III, is a
one-size-fits-plenty cooler that claims to
be able to lower your temperatures and
do so while running significantly quieter
than stock coolers.
The unit is designed to work with
reference boards from NVIDIA and
AMD and supports about 50 diferent
graphics cards from both, including
most of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX
600 and 500 series, as well as some of
the AMD Radeon HD 7000 and most
of the 6000 series. To see the complete
list of supported graphics cards, visit
tinyurl.com/7fswjlg and then click the
Compatibility tab.
The Accelero Xtreme III consists of
five copper heatpipes threaded through
ARCTIC Accelero Xtreme III
CPU / June 2012 25
Specs (140mm): Dimensions: 140 x 140 x 25mm (HxWxD); Voltage: 12V (Power), 7V (Silence);
Speed: 1,500rpm (Power), 800rpm (Silence); Air fow: 96.5cfm (Power), 50cfm (Silence); Noise:
29.6dBA (Power), 14.5dBA (Silence)
Specs (120mm): Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25mm; Voltage: 12V (Power), 7V (Silence); Speed:
1,500rpm (Power), 800rpm (Silence); Air fow: 82.6cfm (Power), 32.5cfm (Silence); Noise: 26.5dBA
(Power), 12.6dBA (Silence)
If youre looking to take a bite out
of your thermal budget and keep your
enthusiast gear cool, then Aerocools
Shark fans can do the job in style.
BY ANDREW LEIBMAN
Shark Fan Evil Green Edition
$15.99 (120mm), $17.99 (140mm)
Aerocool
www.aerocool.us
are 25mm thick. Te fans have a MTBF
rating of 100,000 hours.
Such reliable and versatile fans are
perfect for replacing your old case fans
or supplementing the current air cooling
in your case. To test this fan, we installed
it in the top panel of our Enermax
SpineRex case, to draw more heat from
the VRM, CPU heatsink, and memory.
Installation was quick and easy, and we
liked the variety of mounting hardware.
H
ere at CPU, we spend a lot of
time talking about enthusiast-
grade processors, graphics cards,
memory, motherboards, and more.
In short, were all about any-
thing that makes your PC better
and faster. Sadly, those adjectives
almost always show up with an
uninvited guest in tow, heat. But
heats not hard to chase off, espe-
cially if youre toting one (or more)
of Aerocools Shark Fans.
The Shark Fan is available in
a handful of colors, including
red, black, blue, white, and Evil
Green to perfectly complement
your cases interior or LED color
scheme. Speaking of LEDs, this
fan has four of them, whi ch
look particularly nice reflected
against the translucent green fan
blades of the Evil Green fans we
installed. The Shark fans come
with two mounting methods, via
a quartet of antivibration screws
or with four standard screws.
Also in the package is a 3- to
4-pin converter cable, and every-
thing is sleeved black.
Te fan also includes a voltage
reduction cabl e with an inl ine re-
sistor (12V to 7V) for Silence mode
(800rpm). Without the resistor, the fan
operates in a 1,500rpm Power mode. In
Silence mode, the 140mm fan outputs
50cfm, and in Power mode, it nearly
doubles to 96cfm. As youd expect,
the diferent modes also have diferent
noise output ratings. In Power mode,
you can expect the Shark fan to add to
your overall system noise to the tune
of 29.6dBA. Silence mode slashes the
noise output to 14.5dBA, which was
easily lost among the hum of our CPU
fan and rear exhaust fan.
Another unique feature of the Shark
fans is the blade design, which features
a ribbed design. Aerocool offer these
fans in 120mm and 140mm sizes; both
Aerocool Shark Fan Evil Green Edition
26 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
Visit www.Processor.com or call (800) 334-7458
to sign up for your complimentary subscription.
Processor is the industrys most comprehensive source for:
Processor. Another great resource
from the publishers of CPU magazine.
Learn more at Processor.com
Snapshots of new data center and IT hardware and software
Rundowns of major industry news
Information on manufacturers and resellers
TIps, strategies, and advice from experts in the field
ESRB: N/A
Almost Human
www.grimrock.net
nd. Te enemy combat AI is excellent, so
youll see archers slide away from your melee
attacks and imps hover out of range before
shooting forward to claw at your party. Te
visuals are stunning, with great animations
and particle efects in resolutions up to 2048
x 1546and, best of all, it runs like a dream
with all the graphical stops pulled out, even
on a dual-core with 2GB RAM.
Some game design elements have
changed along the path that led from
Beholder to Grimrock. Te Advanced
Dungeons & Dragons classes, races, and
alignment systems are out, presumably due
to licensing considerations, and that suits
us just ne: Weve had it up to our eyeteeth
with the AD&D clichs in nearly every RPG
game. Youll get to choose among humans,
minotaurs, lizardmen, and insectoids for races,
with the classes limited to ghters, rogues,
and mages. Good? Evil? How does that really
matter when the only philosophical choice
your party faces is whether it will or wont kill
the thing in front of you that wants ambed
adventurers for dinner?
Spells arent auto-acquired with levels,
though your party members do gain stats
and skills as their experience improves.
Instead, a system of nine runes that the
player clicks to combine is used to produce
magical efects. Spells are discovered on
scrolls (or by experimenting) and can be cast
as long as a mage has sufcient power. Power,
like health, is recovered when not in combat,
and especially while resting. Auto-mapping
and auto-pickup on missiles make life in
Grimrock a bit easier, though you can turn
the former of at the start of the game.
But the core stuf remains the same:
You right-click to launch an attack, use
the arrow keys to move around, open
inventories to chug potions, eat food,
and swap out gear. And just like Beholder,
Legend of Grimrock is both simple and
perfectly beguiling. Teres always just one
more corridor ahead, one more puzzle to
solve, one more monster whose shufing
you can hear around the corner. Good
luck in escaping Mount Grimrock, and in
escaping this game, as well.
96 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
Te Last Samuraiby Dr. Malaprop
Fall Of Te Samurai is a standalone expansion for turn-based Total War: Shogun
2. Te game is a culmination of everything thats right with the Total War series and
eschews much of the controversial design decisions weve seen in recent Total War games. Tose
new to Total War will be welcomed to turn-based strategic moves a la Risk with diplomacy and
trade aspects. All of this on a massive scale with thousands of troops on-screen. Make your turn
and then enter the real-time strategy mode, where you can get into the tactical engagement.
Attributes such as soldier fatigue and morale play a big part here.
Fall Of Te Samurais gameplay is set during the mid-19th century during the Boshin War
when Japan was entering a dramatic modernization brought about by the industrial revolution.
Until this point, the country was efectively a medieval society with a feudal government system.
With modernization came turbulence, which plays exceptionally well for strategic and tactical
gameplay and revisionist history in this superb turn-based strategy game. As the game moves
toward its inevitable conclusion, the traditional pro-Shogun faction faces of against the modern
pro-Emperor faction.
What really stands out after playing a slew of Total War titles is how well developer Creative
Assembly created a user interface to manage the rather hefty complexity of the game. Tis
makes Fall Of Te Samurai one of the more accessible titles in the series. Tis time, you can even
directly control certain units and artillery, and theres an abundance of unit types on which you
can expand. Its a treat for strategy lovers.
$29.99 (PC)
ESRB: (T)een
Sega
totalwar.com/shogun2/fall-of-the-samurai
Pirates, Sea Monsters
& Lots Of Rumby Barry Brenesal
Have you played any of the rst three Gothic games,
or the original Risen? If so, you have some idea
what to expect from Risen 2: a rst person action
RPG where decisions you make really do afect the
progress of your characters adventures. Tere are
attributes, talents, and skills such as gunsmithing,
pickpocketing, and liquor distillation to improve
through a mix of glory (killing and quest fulllment,
denitely not the same thing) and paying trainers in
gold. Te dialog is gritty, and the distrustful NPCs are
seldom inclined to do a favor without rst receiving
one in return.
German developer Piranha Bytes has chosen to set
Risen 2 in a Caribbean-like area infested with pirates.
(But no pirate jokes, thanks be to the gods.) Your main
mission, in fact, is to help a pirates daughter whom
$59.99 (PC, PS3, X360)
ESRB: (M)ature
Piranha Bytes
www.risen2.com
you rst encountered in Risen acquire her fathers
treasure, which hes hidden awayand in exchange,
shell assist in nding a legendary artifact that will
destroy a sea monster known as the Kraken.
Tere are three joinable factions in the game.
You begin under a secret directive requiring you to
join the pirates, but along the way you can return
to your old allegiance with the Inquisitionnow
shorn of their magic, weapons onlyor ally with the
natives, who are used as slaves, but have their own
legends and unique magic. Unlike so many other
action RPGs, quest series here genuinely open and
close depending upon the choices you make. Tis
really helps Risen 2s replayability, just as it did its
predecessors.
Te voices and artwork are very ne, as is the
animation, except for plenty of grotesque gestures
and exaggerated arm-waving in the lm cutaways,
as though these pirates, ofcers, and slaves acquired
their social skills by watching TV commercials for
used car dealerships. Otherwise, we found Risen 2
less open-ended than the Gothic games, but less
narrowly focused than Risen, and a delight to play.
98 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
Te game begins with Te Eight Guardian Generals
and the Shinkoku army bearing down from space
to attack the impure Gohma. General Asura is
one of the eight demigod generals, and he leads
the attack on the Vlitra, which is the source of the
Gohma. Tanks to Asuras ranged attacks and a
giant Buddha space weapon, the Vlitra are subdued,
but not defeated. Amidst the celebration of the
Shinkoku in the following days, Asura is framed
for the emperors murder, his wife murdered, and
his daughter abducted. Tats enough to make
anyone angry. Unfortunately, the seven remaining
demigods throw Asura to his death.
Tousands of years elapse before Asura comes
to with a foggy memory. However, with the
goading of a golden metallic spider, his memory
slowly returns, as does his wrath. Youve seen rage
and revenge in classic novels and Kill Bill, but
its a bit diferent when the key combatants are
demigods larger than planets. It raises the stakes.
Asura screams, punches, and performs all manner
of insane cut-scene or QTE combat that looks
phenomenal. Youll play through 18 episodes, each
of 20 minutes or so, mostly battling demigods and
other enemies with the occasional surprise tossed
in for good measure. Tese episodes are not unlike
TV episodes with their own recaps and credits.
Animation is excellent, which is good because
a large portion of the game is about the player
watching events unfold. Ultimately, youll spend
more time watching than playing the
seven hours it takes to complete
Asuras Wrath. But those
seven hours are
entertaining if you look
at this as an interactive
anime experience
with shooting and
brawling elements.
We walked away
thoroughly enjoying its
insanity and story.
$59.99 (X360, PS3)
ESRB: (T)een
Capcom
facebook.com/asuraswrath
You begin your journey sitting in exquisitely shifting desert sand. With minimal guidance
or complication, it becomes clear that youre going to want to reach that towering
mountain of in the distance. Te sand is blowing, the sun is beating down, and you
are very alone. Cresting the rst dune, you revel in surng down the sand. Along the
way, you encounter basic puzzles and platforming that can be solved by taking time
to explore environments. In addition to moving around, your onscreen character can
discover pieces of cloth that build out a scarf. Te scarf length indicates jumping and
ying powers, which let you access locations that provide bonus collectible items,
symbols, and tapestries that tell the story. Last but not least, your character can chirp/
sing to interact with objects in the world. Te narrative is yours to discover.
Tis last feature plays a key role when you discover another anonymous character
in your game: a player that looks just like in-game you, perhaps with a diferent length
scarf, one who communicates by movement or chirps. You sometimes discover that
you bond closely with this unnamed stranger. Te game manages to bring a level of
emotional depth thats not often found in videogames, and this aspect on its own
elevates Journey in our minds.
Journey manages to be endearing, often poignant, captivating, elegant, beautiful,
and wallet-friendly. Whether or not you agree with its artistic sensibilities, it makes you
experience emotion during the three hours or so it takes to nish. Journey is a game that
will raise your expectations for what videogames can and will achieve in the future. To
feel or understand Journey, youll need to go beyond academic descriptions and reviews
and play it. Tats a suggestion we heartily stand behind.
$14.99 (PS3)
ESRB: (E)veryone
Sony Computer Entertainment
thatgamecompany.com/games/journey
Interactive Anger Managementby Dr. Malaprop
Captivating & Emotionalby Dr. Malaprop
CPU / June 2012 99
Free-To-Play Done Rightby Chris Trumble
Te free-to-play model has become increasingly
popular, and Hi-Rez Studios does a nice job of
rewarding players for buying into its online team-
based shooter Tribes: Ascend without making the
game hostile to new and/or frugal players. Tis
is partly a function of the games well-balanced
class system and partly due to Tribes: Ascends
naturethe game is played at breakneck speed,
and when you are ying in one direction and
trying to shoot someone hurtling through the
air in another, your skill is the overriding factor
Free (PC)
ESRB: (T)een
Hi-Rez Studios
www.tribesascend.com
Te Best Defense Is A Good Ofenseby Chris Trumble
Anomaly: Warzone Earth, which recently came to
Xbox Live Arcade after having been a hit on PC, Mac,
iOS, and Android, takes the tower defense paradigm
and inverts it, putting you in command of an armored
column charged with going on the ofensive in various
locales in Iraq and Japan and taking out mechanized
alien towers that cropped up following the impact of an
extraterrestrial object. Te story itself is inconsequential
and the accompanying voice acting can get repetitive, but
Anomalys gameplay is intuitive and fun.
Most missions are straightforward clear-the-board
afairs, but the game also mixes in some escort
missions, beat-the-clock rushes, and others, and
aside from the campaign mode there are three
variants of Horde-style survival minigames and a
series of tactical trials that present some pretty
intricate scenarios under the guise of training
missions. (Tese are present in the XBL Arcade
version; other versions have the campaign mode
and two survival minigames.)
Te game is brief but provides a ton of fun for a very
modest price. Take a break and blow some stuf up;
youll be glad you did.
in whether youre successful. You may nd that
some classes and weapons best suit your personal
style of play, but paying to unlock a premium class
doesnt guarantee kills.
Tribes: Ascend rewards teamwork, and there are
ags to capture and objectives to achieve, but at its
core, this game is a pure run-and-gun shooter with a
couple of very intriguing mechanics tossed into the
mix: skiing and ying. If youre looking for a fast shooter
that is easy to pick up but tough to master, Tribes:
Ascend is denitely worth a look.
800 Points (X360); $9.99 (PC/Mac);
$3.99 (Android); $1.99 (iOS)
ESRB: (E)veryone
11 bit studios
anomalythegame.com
Ubisofts I Am Alive is a unique and engaging
action game that is well worth every penny of
the 1,200 Microsoft Points (aka 15 bucks) youll
spend acquiring it on XBL.
You play the role of a man who ew out
east just before a worldwide cataclysm referred
to early on simply as the event wiped out
most of the human race. Your goal is to journey
through the ruins of your city and reunite with
your wife and daughter.
Fear & Loathing In Haventonby Chris Trumble
1,200 Points (X360)
ESRB: (M)ature
Ubisoft
iamalive-game.ubi.com
Survivors mainly fall into two groups:
victims and enemies. Members of both
groups will drain your resources and put you
in harms way; add to that intimidation-based
combat and an interesting climbing mechanic
that youll use to scale the listing skyscrapers
littering the horizon, and you have a
challenging little adventure with big-game
production values that feels like survival-
horror, only without zombies and stuf.
100 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
Q
It sounds like Macs are
possibly getting second-
generation Thunderbolt con-
trollers soon, while their PC
counterparts have yet to adopt
the standard. How big an impact
on the computing world in gen-
eral do you think Tunderbolt
will have, and do you foresee it
making greater inroads in the PC
market than FireWire did?
LO
Although the proof will be
in the pudding, I do believe
Thunderbolt/Light Peak will have
a very long and successful place in
the industry. It is really ahead of
its time in many ways, and once
the availability of peripherals and
even cable options catch up, I think
well see things really blow open.
Its a real long-term benefit for
Apple owners that this interface has
been standard on the new models
for over a year now. Tere will be a
lot of choice in the near future for
Tunderbolt products. At the same time,
I do acknowledge that USB 3.0 is more
than suitable for many consumer needs
while also having a far lower cost.
Q
We have reviewed a couple of your
companys SSDs now, and came
away very impressed both times. In the
case of the Mercury Electra 6G (the
roundup starts on page 17 of the May
issue), your drive actually produced
better numbers in our tests than we
expected from your marketing material,
which almost never happens. What is it
Q
Now, of course, you sell products
for Macs and PCs. Did your
business change dramatically in 2005
when Apple adopted Intel platforms
for Macs, or has getting PC folks
to take another look been a more
gradual process?
LO
Things are always evolving, and
weve long supported both Mac
as well as Windows customers. Since
Apple has shifted into the PC space, it
defnitely enabled an acceleration of our
multiplatform support capabilities.
Q
We heard a story that you
founded Other World Com-
puting because you were tired of
paying too much for memory for
your Apple II when you were a
kid. Is that true, and how did you
get started?
LO
Tats it in a nutshell. But
i t wasn t j ust the l ocal
Apple dealer; it was all the outlets
advertising memory for Apple II.
I picked up a Computer Shopper
at the News Depot that was right
down the street from school and
work, found places listing the part
numbers for the actual chips that
made up these upgrade sets (used
to be chips you plugged into a
board), and gave it a whirl. Once
all was confrmed, I upgraded my
Apple for a fraction of the cost
being ofered in the space. I also
began adverti si ng on Ameri ca
Onlines Classified Mall and in
chat rooms to help others save
on upgrades I then sold for a fraction
of the big guys prices and provided
assistance with the how-to.
I remember the drill of taking the
computer in to the tech, signing it in,
and then having to come back a couple
days later after they completed the
service. When I found out this was
basically a 5- to 10-minute install, I
had to educate others and help make
the benefit of memory upgrades more
accessible for a lower cost than what that
two-day service costbefore the cost of
the memory itself.
An Interview With OWCs Larry OConnor
Larry OConnor is the founder and CEO of OWC (Other World Computing), a manufacturer and e-tailer of solid-state drives, data
storage solutions, memory, and accessories for Macs and PCs. OConnor has provided the strategic initiative and vision establishing
OWC as a leading provider of technology products and services. His firm has developed the only non-Apple SSD solution for MacBook
Air systems and a growing family of Windows notebook solutions. An alumnus of Marquette University, OConnor has received
numerous industry awards; he has been included in Dealerscopes 40 Under 40, the Inc. 5,000 list (five consecutive years), and was a
two-year honoree in Crains Chicago Business Fast 50 list.
102 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
quality aspects that ofset some of the cost
diferential vs. building overseas. What I
think we know and believe more so than
the competition is that the benefits in
quality and performance are well worth
a couple extra pennies spent in the long
run. Were long-term focused, not short.
Q
Te My OWC area on your site
is a nice resource for people with
Macs who are looking for upgrades or
replacements. Is this something that
you might expand at some point to
include help for PC owners looking
for memory and/or SSDs? We notice
you have some PC troubleshooting
information on the site already.
LO
We have huge plans for the same
expansive coverage with PC specifcity
as we move forward with our PCSales.com
site especially. Its all in the works.
Q
Your site has a Coming Soon
banner over a link to a Plasma
us i ng per f or mance as ynchr onous
NAND configs, the EXTREME Pro
6G is built with Toggle-sync NAND.
For those working with certain data
types, the Toggle-sync NAND provides
a higher level of performance. For the
typical user, the Electra is all the SSD
they should need.
Q
Your site says that your drives are
designed and built in the United
States. Weve all heard for many years
now how difcult it is for domestic
manufacturing to compete, yet your
SSD prices are extremely competitive.
How do you manage this? Do you think
this issue has been overblown, or do
you just know something others dont?
LO
There are significant challenges
to building in the United States,
but with the right manufacturing partner
and sound management, one can enjoy
signifcant advantages. For instance, we
are able to turn on a dime and manage
about OWCs Mercury-series SSDs that
makes them such strong performers?
LO
We chose confgurations as well
as overal l desi gn parameters
that seek performance and reliability.
Both the grade and the configuration
of NAND i n an SSD make a bi g
diference, and we choose accordingly.
All of our Mercury SSD models are
manufactured in the United States,
built to last and perform for the long-
term. As for our published specs, wed
rather be conservative and talk about
real-world results vs. talking about a
controllers theoretical maximums the
way it seems others do.
Q
How do your Mercury Electra 6G
and Mercury EXTREME Pro 6G
SSD lines difer?
LO
Both are actually very similar,
both built in the exact same
platform. While the Electra is built
CPU / June 2012 103
themselves as an incredible option vs.
the much more expensive and slower
Fibre Channel storage today. Were not
done evolving our PCI-E SSD products,
either. Not entirely, but somewhat
by choice, weve taken the slow road
on our Thunderbolt product entries.
However, in the second half of the year,
well have an explosion of such. By
Christmas, these solutions will be much
more cost-efective when compared to
competing performance interfaces, and
while still more expensive than USB
3.0, will be a bit more comparable with
consideration to the performance delta
Tunderbolt will provide.
Our customers are large drivers of
what products we support directly and
indirectly, and were here to make them
happy with the right products for the
evolving needs our customers of all
types have.
have a 1TB SSD coming soon, but
it doesnt mention what form factor
it might be. Do you expect such ca-
pacities to be 2.5-inch SATA drives, or
do you think its more likely that the
initial 1TB drives will be PCI-E or will
take some other form?
LO
We just began shipping our
1TB (960GB after 7% over-
provisioning) Mercury Accelsior PCI-E
SSDs and will soon add a 2.5-inch profle
1TB, as well.
Q
What else can we expect from OWC
in 2012? Do you have any upcoming
launches you can talk about?
LO
Faster, higher capacity, lower
cost per gigabyte. (Smiles.) Our
Jupiter mini-SAS solutions are already
gaining wide attention and will prove
& LCD TV and display area. How
soon will you be offering TVs, and
how did you arrive at the decision to
branch out in this direction?
LO
Its a logical extension of our
computing side. More and more
people are using their Macs and PCs as
home-theater controllers/media sources,
and we already have many products that
support this particular use. We want
to offer high-performance and reliable
products that are the right solutions
for the longer term; were not here to
promote cycles of 9- to 14-month
replacement needs. You dont have long-
term customers if you promote such
products, in my opinion.
Q
In reply to a customer question
about larger SSD capacities,
one of your tweets says OWC will
104 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
New Analysis Methods Could Produce Better Prosthetics
I
t seems like many of the alerts and
security measures in the United States
deal with external dangers, but the
news is also full of stories of military
or government employees going off
the rails. Identifying these insider
threats is a time-consuming process,
because analysts only have the capacity
to investigate perhaps five (out of
thousands) reported anomalies each
day out.
A consortium of researchers at
Georgia Institute of Technology, along
with peers at Oregon State University,
the University of Massachusetts, and
Carnegie Mellon University have come
together under the leadership of SAIC
(Science Applications International
Corporation) to create a system that
identify rogue personnel before they
cause any trouble.
The $9 million project has the
researchers developing an unprecedented
combination of algorithms in two
categori esgraph-processi ng and
knowledge-based relational machine
learningcoupled with statistical
anomaly detection methods, to devise
a system prototype called ADAMS
(Anomaly Detection at Multiple Scales).
ADAMS can aggregate immense
amounts of communication data in
real timetexts, emails, file transfers,
IMs, etc.and scan them for unusual
behavior. ADAMS would be installed
in civilian government and military
situations where personnel would
expressly agree to monitoring, and the
system then processes the information
culled from all electronic activities.
ADAMS t hen coul d del i ver t o
superiors, a very short, ranked list of
unexplained events that should be further
investigated, says Dr. David Bader, a co-
principal investigator at Georgia Tech.
Early Warning System Attempts To Curb Insider Threats
A Peek At Whats Brewing In The Laboratory
T
he result of combat wounds, such as the amputation of
a lower leg, are devastating in many ways, not the least
being loss of mobility. Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists
Boyd Evans and John Mueller are working on a system that will
better guide prosthetic development for disabled vets. Evans and
Mueller want to perfect prosthetic fit and performance, helping
soldiers who want to return to active duty or simply want to
regain as many physical capabilities as possible.
Currently, prosthetics are designed for restricted physical
exercise and can cause an uneven gait, which, beyond being
uncomfortable, may lead to structural health issues later on.
Evans and Mueller, taking a page from new developments
in videogaming (such as Kinect for Xbox 360), are studying
natural walking patterns by strapping IMUs (inertial
measurement units) and other sensors to a subjects foot, calf,
and thigh. The device and sensors capture data regarding
velocity, orientation, and gravitational forces on the leg while
in motion; then they deliver it to a computer running analytic
algorithms that assess the impact on specifc joints.
Evans and Mueller have used a robotic leg (programmed with
a humans info) to show proof of concept. In the coming months,
theyll test their system on a person who has a prosthetic.
A team of researchers from
Georgia Tech have joined forces
with several other universities
to develop a system that will
inform authorities if military
or civilian governmental
personnels electronic behavior
looks suspicious. The idea is to
stop possible illegal activities
before they happen.
PHOTO CREDIT: GARY MEEK
CPU / June 2012 105
A
s electronics that use inexpensive computer chips
have become ubiquitous, so has the habit of
tossing, instead of repairing, devices when they go
on the fritz. With an eye on conservation, a group of
engineers at the University of Illinois have created a
system that lets broken circuitry to heal itself, even
without diagnostics or human intervention.
Aerospace engineering professor Dr. Scott White
explains how their system works. We encapsulate
a liquid metal [an eutectic alloy of Gallium
and Indium] in a polymer microcapsule [made of
urea-formaldehyde]. We then put these capsules onto
a gold conductive line. When the line breaks, it also
breaks the capsules, releasing the liquid metal. It fows
into the broken line, and conductivity is restored.
White says that fnding a suitably conductive liquid
challenged them, but they found a solution when they
tried metals that are liquids at room temperature, and
were successful in encapsulating them.
Te team envisions their product seeing widespread
adoption in circuit boards, but also in aircraft, satellites,
and spacecraft, where you need fault-free operation for
many years and you have no opportunity to repair.
Self-Healing Electronics
Work Longer, Reduce Waste
H
istorically, there have been a few notable hit-makers in the music
industry, folks who have a finger on the pulse of popular sound. In a
curiosity-driven research project dubbed ScoreAHit, (scoreahit.com) the
University of Bristols professor Tijl De Bie atand a team of researchers are
trying their hand at throwing science into the hit-predicting mix.
We wanted to know to what extent it is possible to automatically
distinguish songs that reach the top of the chart from those that remain
at the bottom, based on just the audio, says De Bie. Tis seemed quite a
challenging task, given that its likely that other factors will have a strong
impact on the popularity of a song, as well. For example, the marketing
budget, the prior popularity of the band, and social aspects surrounding
the song are no doubt very important.
Te team used machine-learning technology for their investigation,
which involves algorithms that learn from data input. Specifcally, they
examined the last 50 years of UK top 40 hits as baseline data to see if
ScoreAHit could correctly predict each songs status on the charts.
To be able to do this, songs must be represented in a way that is
mathematically convenient, explains De Bie. In this case we represent each
song by a set of musically relevant numerical features. Tis set of features
includes basic ones related to the duration of the song and its tempo (beats per
minute), and more advanced ones such as the danceability, energy, mode, time
signature, and even harmonic simplicity (characterizing how musically simple a
song is) and nonharmonicity (characterizing how harmonic the sound is).
ScoreAHits ability to determine a hit song currently lands at about
60%, but De Bie and his team also unearthed some unexpected results.
Predictability of a hit was at its lowest during the 1970s and 80s, leading
to the conclusion that those were extraordinarily creative musical eras.
Another uncovered truth is that music, over time, has indeed become
louder. (See, your parents were right about one thing.)
De Bie says that the research group is currently examining additional
audio elements and external infuences (such as artist popularity and
lyrics) that could improve ScoreAHits performance.
New App Predicts The Hits
Researchers at the University of Bristol utilized a variety of musical features
to mathematically identify elements in the algorithm they crafted for their hit
song prediction application, ScoreAHit.
University of Illinois scientists have created liquid-metal-
flled microcapsules that reside on gold conductive wires
to be used in a variety of electronic devices. When the
wire fails, the microcapsules break and fll in the gaps,
instantly restoring the wires conductivity.
IMAGE CREDIT: AMANDA JONES,
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
106 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
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108 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com
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CPU / June 2012 109
Q&A With Mark Leathem
Kingstons VP Of
Corporate Marketing
On HyperX
ML
Its no challenge, really. This
is part of our everyday busi-
nesskeeping track of processor and
motherboard roadmaps to ensure that
we have complementary products at
launch. Enthusiasts who want to push
the performance boundaries with Ivy
Bridge will want to pair it with Kingston
HyperX memory. At the Z77 launch,
we will have HyperX dual-channel
XMP-certified kits made especially for
the new Intel Ivy Bridge 3rd Generation
Core i7 and i5 processors. Tey will be
available in 8GB and 4GB kits of two
starting at 1,600MHz and going up to
speedy 2,666MHz frequencies. Weve even
successfully tested 2,800MHz HyperX kits
on ASUS, GIGABYTE, and MSI Z77
motherboards, not to mention the SATA
6Gbps HyperX SSDs and DataTraveler
HyperX USB 3.0 fash drives that we also
have to complement Z77.
Q
What can we expect from Kingston
in the second half of 2012? Any
upcoming product launches in the works
that you can talk about, or anything youd
like to add?
ML
Given that it is HyperXs 10-year
anniversary this November, keep
on the lookout for some limited-edition
SKUs, as well as some great promotions.
We really want to reward our loyal
fans for supporting Kingston HyperX
throughout its 10-year existence.
Q
How long have Kingstons HyperX
enthusiast products been around,
and can you talk about the impetus for
launching the brand?
ML
Kingston Technology, which has
been in business for around 25
years, launched its frst HyperX enthusiast
product almost 10 years ago, when we
released a 256MB 333MHz DDR1
HyperX Genesis memory module on
November 13, 2002.
Whyd we do it? It just made sense.
At the ti me, we were al ready the
worlds largest third-party memory
manufacturer, and while working with
leading motherboard partners we became
increasingly aware that the high-end
consumer, gamer, and enthusiast was
being underserved with their own line of
high-performance products.
Q
Kingston recently launched its 3K
HyperX SSDs. How do these newer
drives compare with the original HyperX
SSDs, and what kind of user did Kingston
have in mind when creating them?
ML
The HyperX 3K SSD is essen-
tially a cost-down version of
the original HyperX SSD released last
summer, while maintaining the exact
same performance specifications. The
only difference (aside from the lower
price and the aesthetics) would be the
usage of 3,000 program/erase cycle
NAND. While the 3K has a lower
endurance rating than the 5,000 P/E
cycle NAND used in its predecessor, it
still has plenty of endurance
f or t he t ypi cal us er. The
difference between Kingston
and some of our competitors is that we
give our consumers the choice to pick
which is best for their workloads.
Q
When PC enthusiasts think about
Kingston, lots of them probably
immediately think of HyperX. But we
remember that a few years ago, Kingstons
SSDNow drives were among the frst on
the market to provide consumers with
afordable solid-state boot drives. How has
the SSDNow line evolved since then?
ML
SSDNow is still very much en-
trenched in providing value and
performance SSDs to mainstream consumers
and business professionals. What have
evolved are our component relationships,
especially in regards to our afliation with
LSI SandForce. Tis controller technology
afforded us the opportunity to release
industry-leading, enthusiast-grade SSDs.
When we launched our enthusiast line of
SSDs, it only seemed appropriate to launch
them under the HyperX brand.
Q
Weve seen a lot of changes for
memory support among Intel chipsets
over the last few years, from dual-channel
to triple-channel to quad-channel, and
now it looks like were headed back to
dual-channel for Ivy Bridge. Do these
changes present a challenge for companies
like Kingston, and what do you have
planned (or released) for folks looking to
build Ivy Bridge systems?
110 June 2012 / www.computerpoweruser.com