GAME DEVELOPERS CONFERENCE, San Francisco, Feb. 19, 2008. Intel today officially announced its Skulltrail Dual Socket Extreme Desktop Platform, based on a dual socketed D5400XS desktop motherboard that supports two Intel quad core processors, the most current of which is the Core 2 Extreme QX9775 Compare Prices on Core 2 Extreme Processors. The D5400XS supports either ATI Crossfire or Nvidia SLI multi-card graphics solutions.

“For the team creating world-class games here at id, time is one of our most valuable assets,” said Robert A.

(Full article ‘Intel: Skulltrail Supports Crossfire & SLI’)

Throughout the history of personal computers, RAM has always been something of a valuable commodity – even a luxury. Only a few years ago, even reaching the memory limit of 4 GB possible under a 32-bit operating system was completely unthinkable. But then again, at one time 640 kB was considered enough for anyone. Times change; right now, DDR2 memory is as cheap as it’s ever been Compare Prices on DDR2 Memory, and equipping your PC with 8 GB will only set you back about $198. The benefit of having 8 GB of system memory is that the OS has to access the hard drive far less frequently, making Vista feel much snappier. However, several settings in the BIOS and the operating system need to be changed in order for the system to be able to take advantage of that much memory.
(Full article ‘Vista Workshop: More RAM, More Speed’)

Team Group might have missed our recent DDR3-1333 shootout, but that doesn’t mean the company isn’t moving forward: It’s DDR3-2133 provides the highest data rate we’ve yet seen. Rated at CAS 10 using 2.1 volts, Team’s Xtreem PC3-17000 modules use custom heat spreaders to increase cooling, stability, and visual appeal. Beside it were Xtreem DDR3-1866 CAS 8 and DDR3-1600 CAS 7 modules, all available in 2x 1 GB sets. Buyers not quite ready to take the DDR3 plunge might instead be interested in the firm’s Dark series DDR2 sets, available in 2x 512 MB, 2x 1 GB, and 2x 2 GB kits. Enhanced CAS 5 latencies at DDR2-1066 and CAS 4 at DDR2-800 promise to keep these “old standard” modules at the forefront of PC performance.
(Full article ‘Hardware News Roundup – February 2008′)

DDR3 memory was introduced only half a year ago, to replace maxed out DDR2 technology. While the Joint Electronic Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) has specified speeds of DDR3-800 to DDR3-1600, memory vendors have already exceeded the intended top speed by 20% – and this is not the end. While DDR3 at 1066 and 1333 speeds still is many months away from entering the mainstream due to costs still higher than those of DDR2-800, enthusiast vendors are all offering DDR3-1600 parts now, and some have already announced DDR3-2000 products. Having looked at ten DDR3-1333 kits recently, it’s time to x-ray the high-end offerings now. Enthusiast memory has had an amazing career, ever since overclocking became some sort of popular sport.
(Full article ‘High-End DDR3 Memory on the Hook’)

The portfolio of DDR3 speeds has opened up far sooner than it had for DDR2, as DDR3 data rates of 1066, 1333 and 1600 MHz have all appeared within the past few moths to replace DDR2’s 533-, 667-, and 800-MHz data rates. As with DDR2, higher “nonstandard” speeds are also available, but standard speeds are what most buyers need to be familiar with. Today, we bring you what should have eventually become the “mainstream choice” of DDR3 speeds, as its 1333-MHz data rate falls between the “low-cost” and “high-performance” 1066 MHz and 1600 MHz standards that fill the spectrum. A total of 13 top brands were invited to participate, and eight were able to respond with a total of ten kits for your consideration.
(Full article ‘DDR3-1333 Speed and Latency Shootout’)