280 GTX Tri-SLI a disappointment

WHEN WE READ THIS ARTICLE the image of toddlers smashing plastic shapes in the wrong slots crossed our mind, only in a Tri-SLI version. Let us explain: TweakTown was brave enough to try the Tri-SLI config, but… First they had to jury-rig a power supply just because their 1000W PSU couldn’t keep up; Second, Tri-SLI offered anything but performance gains over two card SLI (which was fine, btw). Tri-SLI is just the wrong fit... Read on.

One of the things we hadn’t seen yet was the comparison between the 280GTXs and their older SLI siblings. Hardspell published some curious numbers about this matter. It appears that a 8800GT SLI setup is roughly equivalent to one single 280 GTX – so if you have one already, don’t go rushing off to buy the 280… unless, that is, you’re playing on a 2560x1600 display. Look at the graphs here.

Anandtech is enumerating the virtues of quad-core server computing at the house of AMD – in the form of the Opteron 8356. There’s an opportunity for AMD to make it in the four-socket-four-core server business, since it carries a price/performance/wattage ratio similar to Intel’s – and with several enterprise benchmarks being led by AMD in this respect. Intel won’t sit on its thumbs for long tho’. Catch up on the server battle, here.

LED-lit HTPC cases usually have the disadvantage of glowing in the dark when what you really want them to do is be completely invisible in the living room. Well, Sunbeamtech sent their Acrylic HTPC-style PC case to Madshrimps, and maybe it’s just us, but… acrylic? No EMI shielding and lots of flashing little leds from the PC’s insides to make life really annoying. Still, it looks good for a PC – just maybe not an HTPC… Catch it here.

Small Net Builder is a fave of ours when it comes to finding networking device reviews. Device reviews like the D-Link DPG-1200 PC-on-TV which Jim was gracious enough to bless us with. So what does it do? Well, it takes your PC to 720p resolution on a TV, with or without wires. That would actually sound good, if it were for the absence of DirectX support (no big screen gaming for you, sorry). It also comes with a remote to command your PC… Read on.

In the realm of 22-inch screens, Trusted Reviews has reviewed the SyncMaster 226cw, which offers a bit more than the average 1680x1050 panels out there. It offers a wide colour gamut, which makes it especially good for entertainment (gaming and movies). It’s pricier than therun o’ the mill 22-inchers: 235 quid… Gamers and movie-goers click here.

Frenchie website Puissance PC has a… uhm… review of the astonishingly small-yet-performing Velociraptor right here (or magical Googlenglish here). We still can’t stop thinking how tremendous the move from 3.5-inch to 2.5-inch platters was and we’re really waiting for the competition to respond. On the review side of things, Puissance PC does think it’s a bit pricey, but that’s natural for a step like this, wethinks. µ