Archive for Computer Components

Research firm says integrated graphics are a dying breed

Posted in Computer Components, Video Cards by Shane McGlaun on March 5th, 2009

JPR LogoToday your average notebook has integrated graphics that are built into the notebook and many desktop systems have the same sort of graphics. Some of the higher-end gaming and multimedia notebook and desktop computers have discrete graphics, which are graphics cards that fit into motherboard expansion slots.

Today the bulk of the notebook market has integrated graphics. However, JPR says that by 2012 integrated graphics will be all but gone. The research shows that in 2008 67% of graphics processors shipped were integrated.

Pyramid PC mod built by ancient astronauts

Posted in Cases by Conner Flynn on March 4th, 2009

Pyramid PC mod built by ancient astronautsOr is it? No one knows for sure. But is man capable of such a feat? How could man have built such a thing using only primitive tools? It may forever remain a mystery. One theory is that the Great Pyramid PC Mod was made by modder polo360x from the Techpowerup forums.

The amazing case was made from a customized Luxor Pyramid case, which itself was made from laser cut aluminum, and is a combination of black and silver aluminum. The base measures 19 by 19 inches and the case stands 25 inches tall. Some specs: CPU: Q6600 B3 OC @ 3.15 GHz (Max stable OC @ 3.4 GHz) – “water cooled”, Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L, RAM: G-Skills 4GB PC2-8000 OC @ 1066 MHz, GPU: 512 MB 8800GT Zotac AMP Editions (700 MHz Core/ 2000 Mhz Memory), HDD: 500 GB Cavier WD 300 SATA, PSU: 500 Watts Rosewill, Cooling: Thermaltake Tide water plus w/ Swiftech apogee GT CPU block.

Asus Marine Cool concept motherboard

Posted in Motherboards by Conner Flynn on March 2nd, 2009

Asus Marine Cool concept motherboardMotherboards are always cool to look at, but soon Asus will be rolling out a brand new Marine Cool concept motherboard that is truly a sight to behold. The board will target hard core gamers and one of the main features is a brand new backplate with “micro-porous ceramic” technology, which is said to deliver quicker heat dissipation while improving the structural integrity of the board.

What this means is a better ability in handling overclocking, which gamers will love. The motherboard will also use a couple of SO-DIMM memory slots to save space for other components.

OCZ Alchemy Illuminati keyboard

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on February 19th, 2009

OCZ Alchemy Illuminati keyboardIlluminati. You’ve heard the conspiracy, now try the keyboard. They really missed out on a catchy tag-line with that one. OCZ Technology might be better known for making memory, but they’ve just announced a new addition to the company’s Alchemy line of peripherals with the Illuminati multimedia backlit keyboard series.

It’s the keyboard that’s hell-bent on world domination, population control, ushering in the new world order and they’re probably working with Aliens and abducting people too. Cause you know, the illuminati are like that. Actually in this case the name just implies that the keys themselves light up when they’re connected to your computer.

MIMO Monitors delivers USB displays

Posted in Displays by Nino Marchetti on February 5th, 2009

MIMO

Some new USB-powered monitors from MIMO Monitors are now available for those needing a supplemental display. The MIMO UM-710 and MIMO UM-740 are priced at around $130 and $200, respectively.

These new MIMO displays are both seven-inch secondary displays using a single USB 2.0 connection for both power and connectivity. They are designed to be portable and weigh around 1.3 pounds. They work with both Windows and Mac operating systems.

The all-white Apple keyboard

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on January 28th, 2009

The all-white Apple keyboardIt may come as a shock to some Apple fanboys, but not everyone likes the look of the Apple keyboard. Some people may prefer something a bit more minimalist. Like plain white. That’s what Essell likes and so he decided to spray it white. Which, surprisingly looks pretty awesome.

If Apple keyboards went to heaven, this is what they would look like for sure. They would probably be floating like clouds and land under your fingertips when needed. I think I might have problems typing on this though. This guy is obviously a far better typer than I am.

Fast Finger Keyboard keeps letters in order

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on January 25th, 2009

Fast Finger Keyboard keeps letters in orderMost of us are happy with a nice QWERTY keyboard. Why not have a keyboard that has the ABC’s one letter after each other the way nature intended? The Fast Finger Keyboard is exactly that keyboard. There are three ways to use it. If you are just learning typing, the keys are layed out on the keyboard in alphabetical order. Just press the ‘ABC’ button and the keys will type in that order.

But if you are ready to take it to the next level, you can use it as a normal QWERTY keyboard. The letters are layed out on the keyboard under the ABC keys in red. The other thing this keyboard does is when the ‘F’ key is pushed, IM abbreviations are available with the function keys. “CYA”, “LOL”, and “BTW” etc.

Dell ships new 22-inch widescreen display

Posted in Displays by Nino Marchetti on January 23rd, 2009

Dell 2209WA

Dell has quietly taken the wraps off a new 22-inch display said to have very solid color representation for its display size. It is called the 2209WA and prices around $300.

The Dell 2209WA is a 22-inch widescreen flat panel monitor, said Dell, which makes use of something called TrueColor to garner “deeper, more vibrant reds, greens and blues.” It offers 1680 x 1050 resolution, 300 cd/m² brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 5ms response time and a vertical viewing angle of 178 degrees.

Half-Life 2 PC case mod looks pretty awesome

Posted in Cases by Conner Flynn on January 21st, 2009

Half-Life 2 PC case mod looks pretty awesomeThis Half-Life 2 case mod is a real looker. It was created by “Geno” and was part of the “Beat This” case mod contest. What’s amazing about it, aside from it’s good looks, is that it was constructed in under two weeks… From scratch.

The custom PC is fitted with a water cooling system and three fans to keep the air circulation going and keep everything cool. It’s one of the coolest mods we’ve seen lately. His wife even got in on the action and helped with some of the modding. Which is probably a good thing, because during those two weeks that it took to build, he was also busy getting married and having a honeymoon.

Homemade Scrabble keyboard

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on January 18th, 2009

Homemade Scrabble keyboardSomeone loves Scrabble a whole bunch and by creating this awesomely nerdy keyboard, they must have scored themselves a quadruple word score. It’s a wood and brushed aluminum keyboard that features real Scrabble tiles. The points score is slightly edited to show each key’s secondary function.

Everyone knows Scrabble and this is an awesome mod that looks like it could have come straight out of the game box. It’s a USB keyboard and the aluminum accents will very nicely match the Mac that it will be paired with.

Smartfish Pro prevents carpal tunnel by adjusting itself

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on January 14th, 2009

Smartfish Pro prevents carpal tunnel by adjusting itselfTyping on the computer all day can lead to some problems. And I’m not talking lack of sleep and a steady diet of Hot Pockets. I’m talking carpal tunnel syndrome. Between comments on Facebook, twitter, gaming and commenting here at the ‘Brick, we are all just one keystroke away from carpal tunnel at any given time. The Smartfish Pro is designed to help prevent it rather then causing it.

Yeah, we’ve heard it all before. There are all kinds of ergonomic gadgets on the market and most seem like they don’t do jack. There’s even an ergonomic mouse or five. The Smartfish Pro actually has a chance of helping the problem and standing out from the crowd. That’s because it is outfitted with motors that slightly shift the keyboards angle throughout the entire day. This may actually help with repetitive stress injuries.

Klingon Language Keyboard let’s you type with honor

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on January 13th, 2009

Klingon Language Keyboard let’s you type with honorYou own the dictionary. You speak the language. Sadly, you’ve even tried to pick up women using the Klingon tongue. Unsuccessfully of course. But until now, you have not been able to type with a Klingon keyboard. Well, Cherry Keyboards’ Klingon Language keyboard has your back. All it needs is a PS/2 port and a willing nerd. You’re good to go.

They were able to keep it looking like regular keyboards thanks to the fact that the Klingon alphabet has 26 characters, the same as the English language. Now you can pretend to be a Klingon ALL the time, not just at the conventions. Just don’t sit in front of it all day long typing Klingon love letters and death threats, or else your fake armor isn’t going to fit over your gut anymore.

Eee HTPC keyboard specs

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on January 11th, 2009

Eee keyboard: A touchscreen Home Theater PCLast week we had a look at Asus’ HTPC keyboard concept, but now we’ve got some specs to go along with it. The only thing we don’t know about are pricing and availability. The keyboard boasts a 5-inch built-in display, a 1.6 GHz Atom processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16/32 GB SSD, WiFi, flat Mac-like keys and Bluetooth.

Where ports are concerned, it’s got wireless HDMI, 2 USB 2.0, VGA, HDMI, and audio in/out. It’s OS of choice is Windows XP home, which is a bit odd for something that wants to be a home theater PC, though it’s not packing a TV tuner either. No info on price or release date, but according to the Asus CEO, it’ll be available in the next 3 to 6 months.

Samsung shows off uber thin display

Posted in Displays by Nino Marchetti on January 9th, 2009

Samsung P2370L

One of the last new product cards Samsung had to deal at CES this year happens to be a rather nice looking new LED monitor. It is called the P2370L and it prices around $400.

The Samsung P2370L is of a super thin design, sporting a wrapper of just 0.65-inches. It makes use of a LED BLU, producing what Samsung says are more vibrant color and higher contrast ratios than other monitors. The contrast ratio is some 2,000,000:1.

Eee keyboard: A touchscreen Home Theater PC

Posted in Keyboards by Conner Flynn on January 6th, 2009

Eee keyboard: A touchscreen Home Theater PCMeet the new best keyboard ever. The official Eee Keyboard. It features wireless HDMI, and it’s a “fully functional PC” with full QWERTY and an awesome mini secondary touchscreen.

Asus is mum about if and when we’ll actually see the Eee Keyboard come to market (It looks like a very real product), but if it’s a concept for a home theater PC, it is an amazing one. With wireless HDMI you could probably make any television into your monitor without having a huge PC taking up space.





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