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X-bit Watch: Half-Life 2 Deathmatch Explored

Also: 32-bit and 64-bit Server Performance Compared, Modern Smartphones Tested, Digital Media Search Investigated

by Yaroslav Lyssenko
12/05/2004 | 09:50 AM

Servers

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AnandTech has posted an article containing a comparison of 2-way database servers. The article focuses on the read heavy database applications performance numbers. The author investigates how important is memory latency and bandwidth, microprocessor cache size as well as the capability to operate in a 64-bit mode.

Graphics cards

BeHardware has issued an article containing a roundup of graphics cards from ATI and NVIDIA chip designers. The author compares all of the modern graphics cards in terms of price and performance criteria.

Continuing the Half-Life 2 theme AMDZone has reviewed the recently updated official multiplayer part of the game. Find out the benchmarking results, read some analysis from the author and see a lot of screenshots from the Half-Life 2 multiplayer match.

MechWOLLIers Driver Lab has posted an article about ForceWare 61.76 NVIDIA graphics card driver performance in Windows XP 64-Bit Edition operating system. This small investigation contains some performance numbers obtained on NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra graphics card. As usually in such cases numbers obtained in 64-bit mode are compared to the numbers obtained in 32-bit mode.

Displays

PyroPort.com has reviewed Samsung SyncMaster 172X TFT LCD display. This 17” TFT display boasts with native resolution of 1280x1024 and response time of 12ms. It comes complete with an analogue and digital interfaces, a height-adjustable swiveling neck, a good picture quality and a reasonable price tag. Also if you do not want it on the desk you can mount it on the wall.

Mobile devices

PCStats.com as reviewed Gigabyte G-MAX N512 notebook. This product is built around Intel Pentium M microprocessor on Dothan core clocked at 1.70GHz. The G-MAX N512 features a 15” wide TFT LCD screen, ATI MOBILITY RAREON 9700 graphics chip, 60GB hard disc drive, built-in 802.11g wireless networking, 512MB of RAM, and weighs a neat 2.5kg.

Smartphones are devices which incorporate both phone and PDA capabilities into one product. TrustrdReviews has posted an article about a pair of modern smartphones. Both Mio 8390 and the Orange SPV C500 run Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition operating system and boast with an imposing long list of features for so small devices.

Pointing devices

The Tech Zone has reviewed Logitech MX900 mouse. This wireless pointing device is based o the Logitech MX700 cordless mouse, but with the Bluetooth interface. If you are looking for a high quality wireless pointing device to use with your desktop or notebook, consider this product.

Striking up digital video search

Google, Microsoft and Yahoo are quietly developing new search tools for digital video, foreshadowing a high-stakes technology arms race in the battle for control of consumers’ living rooms. Google’s effort, until now secret, is arguably the most ambitious of the three. According to sources familiar with the plan, the search giant is courting broadcasters and cable networks with a new technology that would do for television what it has already done for the Internet: sort through and reveal needles of video clips from within the haystack archives of major network TV shows. Read the whole story at CNET News.com.

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