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January 5th, 2009
 Value In SLI? GTX 260 Core 216 Vs. GTX 280
We recently built a $2,500 gaming system with three GTX 260 Core 216 graphics cards, noting that these were less expensive than two GTX 280s. In the performance-value game, is 3-way SLI in the cards?
Thermaltake Spedo Advanced Chassis
Thermaltake has launched a new high-end chassis with more features than you can shake a memory stick at... but is less sometimes more?...
Nothin' but a number: two views of life on the grid
A world in which we are sliced and diced into "buckets" and numbers, microtargeted, then bombarded by customized ads caters to a computer's speed and a company's bottom line. But what gets lost?
January 2nd, 2009
Reinventing conservatism, one tweet at a time
The conservative movement is struggling to recover and rebuild in light of November's defeat, with a new focus on adapting to the Internet era.
Foxconn Blood Rage - If Looks Could Kill (UPDATE)
The Blood Rage is one of the hottest looking X58 boards to grace our test bench, but what lies beneath the surface beauty?...
December 31st, 2008
Innovation and Anticipation
What did you think was the most interesting, innovative and exciting developments we talked about in 2008?
If I had to pick something that actually shipped this year, it would be Intel's SSD drives. Those things are the new hotness. Still a bit pricy, and still a bit small, but two of these in RAID 0 can saturate a SATA controller. Consistent latency...
OpenCL 1.0: The Road to Pervasive GPU Computing
NVIDIA and AMD have been moving toward GPU Computing for a long time with CUDA and what became ATI Stream. How do things change with an API that runs on all hardware?...
Personal Computers of 2009: Nine Predictions
Some like to review the year ended in an attempt to find certain trends or experience certain events again. But we decided to summarize our expectations for the coming year. In 2009 we seem to be going to bid adieu to Windows XP and get very stylish personal computers, we will see the rise of two polar worlds: ultra-cheap PCs and higher-end multimedia systems and also witness a number of other things that will define the PC world going forward.
300W to 450W: 20 Power Supplies on the Test Bench
You asked and we delivered: 20 lower wattage power supplies tested and reviewed. Those of you looking for a good PSU for a moderate system need look no further....
System Builder Marathon: $2,500 Enthusiast PC
We?ve seen how far a moderately priced Core i7 system can take us and now we?re ready to assess the performance advantages of better cooling and a stronger graphics configuration. Will our upgrades be worth the money?
December 30th, 2008
Antitrust: AMD, Intel, and the cases in between
The upcoming litigation between AMD and Intel, as well as the various ongoing investigations into the CPU giant's activities combine in a tangled web of interconnected cases. We aren't going to settle any of the legal issues today, but clarifying the structure of the cases has a value all its own.
System Builder Marathon: $1,250 Mid-Range PC
We see how far $1,250 gets us when building a new Core i7-based system, and how it compares to last month?s similarly priced Core 2 Duo machine.
December 29th, 2008
SSDs Replacing HDDs Soon? Not A Chance
Some say 2010 and even 2009 will be the year of SSDs. We think not.
Personal Experiences With The Need For NAS and SSDs
In to every geek's life a little rain must fall. This month, that rain fell on my wife, Laura.
Laura is a sort of right brained artist. She has a bachelors degree in applied mathematics from NCSU, and she's also a musician and an artist. Before our daughter Lorien was born, Laura drew a web comic. Most recently, she was getting into flash. She's...
Everything old is new again: resurrecting classic games
The art of remaking games is much harder than it looks. You have to upgrade the graphics, update the game play, avoid annoying old fans, and gain new ones. Ars explores the treacherous path of the classic-gaming update.
System Buyers Guide: PCs for Under $1000
Entry, Budget, or HTPC: $1000 can buy a lot of PC these days....
Analysis: the FCC and its impact on the enterprise in 2009
The FCC has a lot on its plate in 2009, and much of that agenda will directly affect enterprise computing. Ars looks at the coming year in network policy, and what it means for business.
December 28th, 2008
Multimedia Ideal Arrived: ATI Radeon HD 4550 Graphics Adapter Review
ATI Radeon HD 4550, one of the junior solutions in the latest Radeon lineup, boasts pretty attractive features: it supports DirectX 10.1, advanced second generation Avivo HD video processor, hardware video streams acceleration, 7.1 sound over HDMI, and consumes very little power. But this is all the promises from the developers. In our turn, we are going to find out if Radeon HD 4550 is really as good for playing new gaming titles and functioning as part of HTPC system for playing back Blu-ray movies.
December 27th, 2008
Gigabyte GA-EP45T-Extreme: Universal Overclocker Mainboard Review
We are going to review the ultimately best overclocker mainboard for LGA775 processors with DDR3 SDRAM support and the largest heatsink system you have ever seen on a mainboard!
December 25th, 2008
ASUS P6T - Not the Deluxe Version but equally impressive...
The competition in the X58 market is finally heating up and that is good news for enthusiasts and buyers alike. The retail introduction of the Foxconn BloodRage and DFI LP X58-T3eHS at the $299.99 price range is significant in this market sector as both boards were expected to be priced near the $400 mark. This pricing strategy should drive...
Tom's Overdrive Competition: Finals Recap
With the Overdrive overclocking competition two weeks behind us and Team USA victorious, we wanted to check in with a quick recap of our final contest held in Paris, France.
December 24th, 2008
Innovation is Even More Critical During Times of Economic Turmoil - Interview with AMD Graphics Products Group
Even though graphics processing units are very complex these days and take years to develop, just as central processing units, the right GPU at the right time can completely reshape the market in just one or two quarters. This is why it is crucial to make the right business decisions for the next month and right technology decisions for the next two-three years. With these rules in mind, we decided ask ATI, graphics products group of Advanced Micro Devices, a dozen of question regarding current state of the business and future products.
ASUS N10JC: the Netbook Goes Corporate
Yes, netbooks are inexpensive and can handle basic computing tasks, but many people would like a little bit more oomph -- and perhaps a larger package. The ASUS N10JC gives users exactly that, and may just be the netbook you've been waiting for!...
December 23rd, 2008
Roundup: Six Core 2 Motherboards Under $100
As Intel?s Core i7 architecture starts moving down from the high-end, value seekers can build high-performance LGA775 systems cheaply. Low-cost motherboards compete for the value crown with added features, performance, and overclocking capabilities.
Graphics Accelerators Performance in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Not so long ago a continuation of the popular strategy series, Command
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