Mobile Phone Pricelist March 2008
Brand & Model Number Price (in Rs.)
Apple iPhone 8GB (No Bill & No Warranty) 23,500/-
Nokia 1110 1,200/-
Nokia 1110i 1,300/-
Nokia 1200 1,350/-
Nokia 1112 1,500/-
Nokia 1650 2,250/-
Nokia 1600 1,800/-
Nokia 1208 1,625/-
Nokia 2630 3,900/-
Nokia 2310 2,200/-
Nokia 2760 3,450/-
Nokia 2626 2,500/-
Nokia 6030 2,650/-
Nokia 6070 3,400/-
Nokia 5140i 3,500/-
Nokia 5070 3,600/-
Nokia 6080 3,800/-
Nokia 2760 3,800/-
Nokia 6060 4,100/-
Nokia 5070 3,655/-
Nokia 2630 4,300/-
Nokia 6085 4,600/-
Nokia 5200 5,100/-
Nokia 5300 6,250/-
Nokia 3110c 4,900/-
Nokia 3500c 5,700/-
Nokia 6233 7,000/-
Nokia 6233 ME 8,950/-
Nokia 6300 7,500/-
Nokia 7500 Prism 9,200/-
Nokia 7900 Prism 17,200/-
Nokia 6500 Classic 12,800/-
Nokia 6500 Slide 13,900/-
Nokia 5310 XpressMusic 9,600/-
Nokia 5610 XpressMusic 12,500/-
Nokia 8800 Gold 30,000/-
Nokia 6110 Navigator 14,000/-
Nokia E50 7,850/-
Nokia E51 12,100/-
Nokia E61i 13,650/-
Nokia E62 9,200/-
Nokia E61i 15,600/-
Nokia E65 12,999/-
Nokia E90 34,000/-
Nokia 5700 XpressMusic 10,900/-
Nokia 6120 Classic (without bill) 9,300/-
Nokia 5500 7,800/-
Nokia 9300 9,300/-
Nokia N72 7,850/-
Nokia N77 17,000/-
Nokia N81 16,800/-
Nokia N81 8gb 18,800/-
Nokia N76 14,000/-
Nokia N91 8gb 11,900/-
Nokia N95 8gb 27,800/-
Nokia N95 21,900/-
Nokia N82 21,300/-
Nokia N73 11,700/-
Nokia N73 Music Edition 13,300/-
Nokia E65 13,000/-
Nokia N70 9,100/-
Nokia N70 ME 9,850/-
Nokia 1325 (CDMA) 2,500/-
Nokia 2505 (CDMA) 3,650/-
Nokia 6088 (CDMA) 5,950/-
Nokia 6275 (CDMA) 9,700/-
Sony Ericsson J110i 1,700/-
Sony Ericsson J120i 1,950/-
Sony Ericsson J121i 2,050/-
Sony Ericsson J230i 2,400/-
Sony Ericsson K200i 2,800/-
Sony Ericsson K220i 2,925/-
Sony Ericsson K310i 3,600/-
Sony Ericsson K530i 8,550/-
Sony Ericsson T250i 4,100/-
Sony Ericsson K320 4,200/-
Sony Ericsson K510i 4,700/-
Sony Ericsson W200i 4,800/-
Sony Ericsson Z550i 5,200/-
Sony Ericsson W300i 5,700/-
Sony Ericsson K750i 7,750/-
Sony Ericsson K550i 6,800/-
Sony Ericsson W550i 9,500/-
Sony Ericsson W580i 11,000/-
Sony Ericsson W700i 8,100/-
Sony Ericsson W710i 8,800/-
Sony Ericsson W810i 8,700/-
Sony Ericsson W610i 9,300/-
Sony Ericsson W880i 13,000/-
Sony Ericsson W950i (without bill) 9,200/-
Sony Ericsson W960i 26,000/-
Sony Ericsson M600i 14,000/-
Sony Ericsson P990i (without bill) 11,000/-
Sony Ericsson P1i 20,000/-
Sony Ericsson T650i 17,100/-
Sony Ericsson K770i 13,600/-
Sony Ericsson S500i 9,700/-
Sony Ericsson W910 16,000/-
Sony Ericson K850i 18,200/-
Sony Ericson K810i 11,600/-
Sony Ericson K790i 10,600/-
Sony Ericsson Z530i 5,100/-
Sony Ericsson Z610i 10,500/-
Motorola W205 1,700/-
Motorola W209 1,800/-
Motorola W215 2,400/-
Motorola W180 1,900/-
Motorola W375 3,350/-
Motorola W220 P 2,650/-
Motorola W220 B 2,750/-
Motorola C168 2,100/-
Motorola L6i 3,700/-
Motorola L7i 6,280/-
Motorola L9i 7,000/-
Motorola V3i 7,350/-
Motorola KRZR K1 7,700/-
Motorola RIZR Z3 6,800/-
Motorola ROKR Z6 10,000/-
Motorola MING A1200 10,300/-
Motorola ROKR E6 (1GB) 9,800/-
Motorola ROKR E6 (2GB + S9) 12,000/-
Motorola ROKR Z6 10,300/-
Motorola RAZR2 V8 12,400/-
Motorola RAZR2 V8 (2 GB) 14,600/-
Motorola RAZR2 V8 (S9) 14,800/-
Motorola RAZR2 V8 (2 GB+S9) 16,400/-
Motorola RAZR MAXX 14,200/-
Motorola Q 15,600/-
Motorola W355 (CDMA) 4,000/-
Motorola L7c 7,900/-
Motorola V3m 8,800/-
Samsung C140 1,600/-
Samsung C160i 1,950/-
Samsung C170i 2,350/-
Samsung C450i 2,700/-
Samsung M600 3,550/-
Samsung X520 3,630/-
Samsung E210 5,400/-
Samsung E250 4,600/-
Samsung E490 7,450/-
Samsung E740 7,475/-
Samsung J600 5,350/-
Samsung D840 8,950/-
Samsung E840 8,500/-
Samsung D900i 10,900/-
Samsung U600 11,600/-
Samsung F300 13,300/-
Samsung G600 15,500/-
Samsung G800 18,200/-
LG KG200 3,500/-
LG C2600 4,350/-
LG KG300 7,350/-
LG KE770 Shine 7,900/-
LG KG800 Chocolate 8,700/-
LG KE970 Shine 11,850/-
LG KE820 12,800/-
LG KG920 13,500/-
LG KU990 Viewty 20,000/-
ASUS P526 16,000/-
ASUS M530W 17,499/-
ASUS P525 18,000/-
ASUS P535 26,500/-
Blackberry Pearl 8100 23,300/-
Blackberry Curve 23,999/-
Blackberry 8800 30,450/-
Blackberry 8820 31,000/-
HTC Touch 17,000/-
HTC Touch Dual 26,000/-
HTC S710 14,000/-
O2 Stealth 17,000/-
O2 Atom 18,000/-
O2 Atom Exec 20,000/-
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Sony Launches New Full HD BRAVIA W Series
Expanding Sony’s full high-definition (HD) 1920 x 1080 television range is the latest BRAVIA W series with new and enhanced features for the ultimate home entertainment experience
Sony Electronics Asia Pacific introduces the latest additions to its industry-leading HD LCD television range. The KLV-52W400A, KLV-46W400A, KLV-40W400A and KLV-32W400A ranging from 52” to 32” feature Sony’s new “Draw the Line” design concept, combining a shimmering Midnight Blue finish with the latest enhancements in HD picture quality to deliver richer, more vibrant images. Powered by Sony’s new BRAVIA Engine 2, the improved, fully digital picture-enhancement engine leverages Sony’s advanced algorithms to portray vibrant, crisp images that remain true-to-life. Also available in the new 52” to 40” BRAVIA W series is Live Colour Creation technology which faithfully reproduces natural and vibrant colours with deep, accurate tones for a realistic viewing experience. The Intelligent Picture feature automatically boosts weak analogue broadcast signals and reduces signal noise to produce crisp images with high clarity.
Sony Electronics Asia Pacific introduces the latest additions to its industry-leading HD LCD television range. The KLV-52W400A, KLV-46W400A, KLV-40W400A and KLV-32W400A ranging from 52” to 32” feature Sony’s new “Draw the Line” design concept, combining a shimmering Midnight Blue finish with the latest enhancements in HD picture quality to deliver richer, more vibrant images. Powered by Sony’s new BRAVIA Engine 2, the improved, fully digital picture-enhancement engine leverages Sony’s advanced algorithms to portray vibrant, crisp images that remain true-to-life. Also available in the new 52” to 40” BRAVIA W series is Live Colour Creation technology which faithfully reproduces natural and vibrant colours with deep, accurate tones for a realistic viewing experience. The Intelligent Picture feature automatically boosts weak analogue broadcast signals and reduces signal noise to produce crisp images with high clarity. In addition, the new BRAVIA W series features improved connectivity to a wider range of Sony’s home entertainment devices. Known as BRAVIA Sync, it allows for convenient connections to Sony’s Handycam® camcorders as well as home entertainment systems, allowing these devices to sync with each other without the need to manage and use multiple remote controls. With an intuitive one-push play and shutdown feature and the High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), users can now view video and images from a Handycam directly on the BRAVIA W series with BRAVIA Sync. The new Digital Media Port (DMP) incorporated on the BRAVIA W series also allows users to connect portable devices such as Sony’s Walkman® MP3 players, Bluetooth®-enabled Sony Ericsson mobile phones and Apple iPod to the television, enabling users to view and manage albums, playlists, video and music tracks with the BRAVIA W series remote control.
“Sony continues to strengthen our leadership in the Full HD television industry by integrating the most advanced technologies, such as the BRAVIA Engine 2, in this new range of BRAVIA televisions,” says Mr. Hiroshi Kikuchi, General Manager of Display Marketing Group, Sony Electronics Asia Pacific. “In addition to offering exceptional picture quality, Sony has also continued to enhance both sound quality and connectivity options to give our customers an all-encompassing home entertainment experience.”
The advanced S-Force Front Surround system features an improved digital signal processor algorithm, enabling a wider listening area that delivers exceptional virtual surround sound with only the in-built television speakers. The Voice Zoom function also allows users to control speech volume and clarity while maintaining ambient surround sound levels, enhancing the overall video viewing experience.
Sony is consistently engaged in a review of our manufacturing operations and business practices to ensure products are developed in an environmentally responsible manner. With one of the industry’s lowest standby power consumption levels, the new BRAVIA W series also incorporates a Brightness Sensor that detects ambient light and optimizes screen brightness to prevent eye fatigue and conserve power.
The new BRAVIA W series is available in Asia Pacific from March 2008.
Specs
General
Screen technology
LCD
Diagonal screen size
52 inch
Aspect ratio
16:9
Additional features
Bravia Engine 2; WCG-CCFL; Live Color Creation technology; 1080p24 input-ready; Digital Media Port; Bravia Sync (for Handycam camcorders); triple HDMI terminals.
Dimensions (HxWxD)
1262 x 829 x 119 mm
Weight
32 kg
Audio
Surround effects
S-Force
Total output power
10W x 2
Video
Video input
VGA, Composite video, Component video
Contrast ratio
30000:1
Additional features
1920 x 1080 resolution; 450cd/m2 brightness; 8ms response time; 178-degree viewing angle; Full-HD-ready.
SONY Bravia v series
For those closely following the development of Sony's V-series Bravia, the moderately rated second-generation model comes at a time when its midrange counterparts are well ahead of the competition. Not that it was underperforming visually, but the issue has been that it lacks value-added functions and strong connectivity. This may have prompted the LCD TV advocate back to the drawing board. The new V300 range, Sony's third shot at this popular instalment, promises to address many of its predecessors' glaring shortfalls.
Design
The 2007 V-series has a no-nonsense design, shipped in matt-black finish and silver trimming. The quality plastic chassis is fronted by a slim bezel with integrated bottom speaker grille, relatively devoid of bling and clutter. Measuring 643mm high, it’s a tad shorter than some 40-inchers. This can be partly attributed to a factory-installed L-shaped pedestal stand. Visually, it appears to be fixed until a check reference to the user manual proves otherwise. A modest two-way 15-degree swivel is available, thanks to a thin base plate underneath the stand.
Alternatively, you could wall-mount the panel with a S$119 (US$78.29) (bundled or sold separately) bracket. But before you give the above a serious thought, do take into consideration the awkward TV controls' placement. Unlike the left-sided A/V inputs, these are high up the set and may be difficult to reach and operate for the height-deprived. Nevertheless, for cable management, there are simple hooks and clips on the rear. The latter is lockable and wide enough to hold a handful of cores, effectively keeping the snaking wires tidy and out of sight.
The 40V300A is bundled with matching basic remote. Unlike most of its peers, this offers only essential controls, trading simplicity for functionality. Though video selection here is performed by a less-than-ideal toggle key, impromptu adjustments are simplified with numerous shortcuts. Tool, for example, provides direct access to a collection of key functions otherwise deeply nested in the software menu. Another notable component is its five-way navigation key. This has nice tactile feedback and build good enough for heavy gaming.
Faring better is its comprehensive yet structured software menu. We counted no less than 70 options covering a balanced mix of basic and advanced configurations. You will even have a hand in tweaking some of the Bravia Engine processing, too. These are favorably multileveled for a higher degree of customization. Having said that, it could have been better if there was a provision for primary color adjustment. The same went for the grayed-out Tint setting, hindering us from completing an indepth SpyderTV Pro video calibration.
Wide color gamut backlighting system (WCG-CCFL) is nothing new for the V-series. But to further push the envelope, its engineers are pairing this hardware element with dynamic adjustments called Advanced Contrast Enhancer. Fancy name aside, this real-time software system analyzes onscreen video footage and automatically compensates backlight intensity for optimal contrast. This is one of its subsidiary functions under its Live Color Creation technology suite driven by the plain-vanilla flavor of the 2007 Bravia Engine video processoThree HDMI would have been nice but two will do for now.
Sony has doubled the number of HDMI terminals and updated them with the latest feature set. Now there is a pair of all-digital jacks on the rear with 1080p50/60-support for high-quality A/V interface. For added convenience, there is also the Bravia Theater Sync function, a proprietary flavor of the HDMI-CEC or Consumer Electronics Control. This allows users to operate their Sony home entertainment kit using just a single remote--think one-button powering up of your TV, disc player and sound system, for example.
In addition to the above-mentioned, you will have access to dual sets of component-video sockets. These analog jacks have identical 1080p compatibility, which is a plus especially if you own the original Xbox 360. Now that computers are almost a commodity, PC input is not forgotten, too. This has extensive resolution support including various widescreen format. Covering the loose ends are legacy S-video and composite-A/V jacks, standard flair for older equipment such as non-HD settop boxes and VHS recorders.
It was another strong showing when it came to the synthetic Avia test patterns, shining through grayscale tracking with nothing less than perfection. Color decoding-wise, there was a slight dip in red but was still within reasonable tolerance in our humble opinion. We were supposed to give our new shiny HQV DVD a nice workout. Unfortunately all we got was an "unsupported signal" error message with the Pioneer running at 480i. Togging to 480p solved the problem and we were greeted with the same level of pristine visuals and minimal jaggies.
Things just got simply better when we supplied even higher-quality video feed. In this case, a 1080p Blu-ray rendition of The Phantom of the Opera was faithfully rendered with minimal loss of details despite its modest resolution. And Live Color Creation did live up to its hype by putting out subtle gradations of hues, vibrant yet natural which also worked wonders for skin tones as well. We did, however, pick up strong vertical strobing in our HD-HQV film resolution loss test, suggesting a possible bug in its motion adaptive-processing algorithm.
Now, before you jump into any premature conclusion, we were glad to report that the 40V300A had little problem handling fast-panning scenes in the video-based Ridge Racer 7. Switching over to another graphics-centric material, we supplied a 1,360 x 768-pixel signal through an HP 6910p laptop. As expected, PC text was razor-sharp at this near-native resolution, while image alignment was accurately formatted automatically. On the other hand, color banding was not an issue at all when we displayed our customary PC test pattern.
We weren't bearing high hopes for the inbuilt speakers but these were surprisingly acceptable after a series of testing. There was a healthy dose of light bass matched by clear extended treble at reference level or 50 percent of its peak volume. We would suggest sticking with stereo sound as neither Stimulated Stereo nor S-Force delivered tangible spatial effects. At S$3,399 (US$2,236.18), the KLV-40V300A represents excellent value for its solid A/V performance, but it's a shame that aesthetics and feature sets are two stumbling blocks depriving it of an Editors' Choice award.
The good: Sharp pictures; vibrant yet natural colors; 1080p-ready HDMI and component-video; uncluttered remote control; comprehensive software menu.
The bad: No-nonsense design; poor onboard control placement; basic feature sets.
The bottom line: The midrange Sony Bravia KLV-40V300A delivers excellent picture quality but lacks the fine aesthetics of its competitors.
Design
The 2007 V-series has a no-nonsense design, shipped in matt-black finish and silver trimming. The quality plastic chassis is fronted by a slim bezel with integrated bottom speaker grille, relatively devoid of bling and clutter. Measuring 643mm high, it’s a tad shorter than some 40-inchers. This can be partly attributed to a factory-installed L-shaped pedestal stand. Visually, it appears to be fixed until a check reference to the user manual proves otherwise. A modest two-way 15-degree swivel is available, thanks to a thin base plate underneath the stand.
Alternatively, you could wall-mount the panel with a S$119 (US$78.29) (bundled or sold separately) bracket. But before you give the above a serious thought, do take into consideration the awkward TV controls' placement. Unlike the left-sided A/V inputs, these are high up the set and may be difficult to reach and operate for the height-deprived. Nevertheless, for cable management, there are simple hooks and clips on the rear. The latter is lockable and wide enough to hold a handful of cores, effectively keeping the snaking wires tidy and out of sight.
The 40V300A is bundled with matching basic remote. Unlike most of its peers, this offers only essential controls, trading simplicity for functionality. Though video selection here is performed by a less-than-ideal toggle key, impromptu adjustments are simplified with numerous shortcuts. Tool, for example, provides direct access to a collection of key functions otherwise deeply nested in the software menu. Another notable component is its five-way navigation key. This has nice tactile feedback and build good enough for heavy gaming.
Faring better is its comprehensive yet structured software menu. We counted no less than 70 options covering a balanced mix of basic and advanced configurations. You will even have a hand in tweaking some of the Bravia Engine processing, too. These are favorably multileveled for a higher degree of customization. Having said that, it could have been better if there was a provision for primary color adjustment. The same went for the grayed-out Tint setting, hindering us from completing an indepth SpyderTV Pro video calibration.
Features
Encased within the well-ventilated shell is a 10-bit LCD panel rated with an HD-ready 1,366 x 768-pixel resolution. This boasts a 60 percent increase in dynamic contrast at 8,000:1 (2,000 for typical) over its V200 predecessor, while everything else stays status quo. Just for the record, that's 450cd/m2 for brightness, a fast 8ms response time and industrial-leading 178-degree viewing angle. Some of these figures are lower than their Korean equivalents but they are by no means shabby for current midrange entries.Wide color gamut backlighting system (WCG-CCFL) is nothing new for the V-series. But to further push the envelope, its engineers are pairing this hardware element with dynamic adjustments called Advanced Contrast Enhancer. Fancy name aside, this real-time software system analyzes onscreen video footage and automatically compensates backlight intensity for optimal contrast. This is one of its subsidiary functions under its Live Color Creation technology suite driven by the plain-vanilla flavor of the 2007 Bravia Engine video processoThree HDMI would have been nice but two will do for now.
Sony has doubled the number of HDMI terminals and updated them with the latest feature set. Now there is a pair of all-digital jacks on the rear with 1080p50/60-support for high-quality A/V interface. For added convenience, there is also the Bravia Theater Sync function, a proprietary flavor of the HDMI-CEC or Consumer Electronics Control. This allows users to operate their Sony home entertainment kit using just a single remote--think one-button powering up of your TV, disc player and sound system, for example.
In addition to the above-mentioned, you will have access to dual sets of component-video sockets. These analog jacks have identical 1080p compatibility, which is a plus especially if you own the original Xbox 360. Now that computers are almost a commodity, PC input is not forgotten, too. This has extensive resolution support including various widescreen format. Covering the loose ends are legacy S-video and composite-A/V jacks, standard flair for older equipment such as non-HD settop boxes and VHS recorders.
Performance
Getting the Bravia calibrated and up to speed was a simple affair due to omission of tint and grayscale tunings. Our choices of playback sources this time round was a Sony PlayStation 3 and Pioneer DV-S969AVi players, hooked up via quality Monster HDMI interconnects. First off, our weeks-long review was over-the-air broadcast reception evaluation. This turned out mostly a walk in the park for the V300, easily one of the better HD-ready panels with its clinically clean and sharp pictures. Distracting dot crawl was also relatively low here.It was another strong showing when it came to the synthetic Avia test patterns, shining through grayscale tracking with nothing less than perfection. Color decoding-wise, there was a slight dip in red but was still within reasonable tolerance in our humble opinion. We were supposed to give our new shiny HQV DVD a nice workout. Unfortunately all we got was an "unsupported signal" error message with the Pioneer running at 480i. Togging to 480p solved the problem and we were greeted with the same level of pristine visuals and minimal jaggies.
Things just got simply better when we supplied even higher-quality video feed. In this case, a 1080p Blu-ray rendition of The Phantom of the Opera was faithfully rendered with minimal loss of details despite its modest resolution. And Live Color Creation did live up to its hype by putting out subtle gradations of hues, vibrant yet natural which also worked wonders for skin tones as well. We did, however, pick up strong vertical strobing in our HD-HQV film resolution loss test, suggesting a possible bug in its motion adaptive-processing algorithm.
Now, before you jump into any premature conclusion, we were glad to report that the 40V300A had little problem handling fast-panning scenes in the video-based Ridge Racer 7. Switching over to another graphics-centric material, we supplied a 1,360 x 768-pixel signal through an HP 6910p laptop. As expected, PC text was razor-sharp at this near-native resolution, while image alignment was accurately formatted automatically. On the other hand, color banding was not an issue at all when we displayed our customary PC test pattern.
We weren't bearing high hopes for the inbuilt speakers but these were surprisingly acceptable after a series of testing. There was a healthy dose of light bass matched by clear extended treble at reference level or 50 percent of its peak volume. We would suggest sticking with stereo sound as neither Stimulated Stereo nor S-Force delivered tangible spatial effects. At S$3,399 (US$2,236.18), the KLV-40V300A represents excellent value for its solid A/V performance, but it's a shame that aesthetics and feature sets are two stumbling blocks depriving it of an Editors' Choice award.
The good: Sharp pictures; vibrant yet natural colors; 1080p-ready HDMI and component-video; uncluttered remote control; comprehensive software menu.
The bad: No-nonsense design; poor onboard control placement; basic feature sets.
The bottom line: The midrange Sony Bravia KLV-40V300A delivers excellent picture quality but lacks the fine aesthetics of its competitors.
XFX 9800GX2
NTRODUCTION
At this time NVIDIA is now bringing the 9800GX2 out to replace its flagship product the 8800 Ultra which until today was still the fastest card out. We also want to point out that the 8800 Ultra XXX from XFX which we will test against today sold for $889.00 when launched about a year ago at this time. The XFX 9800GX2 we should see selling for from $599.00 to $649.00 e-tail.
XFX the Company
XFX, otherwise known as PINE Technologies, is a brand of graphics cards that have been around since 1989, and have since then made a name for themselves with their Double-Lifetime enthusiast-grade warranty on their NVIDIA graphics adapters and matching excellent end-user support.
XFX dares to go where the competition would like to, but can't. That's because, at XFX, we don't just create great digital video components--we build all-out, mind-blowing, performance crushing, competition-obliterating video cards and motherboards. Oh, and not only are they amazing, you don't have to live on dry noodles and peanut butter to afford them.
FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS
| XFX™ 9800GX2 Technical Specifications | |
| Number of Transistors | 1508 Million |
| Memory BUS | 256 bit |
| Memory | 1024 MB |
| Memory Type | DDR3 |
| Memory Clock | 1000 MHz (2000 MHz effective) |
| Stream Processors | 256 |
| Shader Clock | 1500 MHz |
| Clock Rate | 600 MHz |
| Total Memory Bandwidth | 128GB (G94) |
| Bus Type | PCI-E 2.0 |
| Fabrication Process | 65nm |
| ROPs | 32 |
| Texture Filtering Rate | 76.8 Giga Texels/sec |
| HDCP Support | Yes |
| HDMI Support | Yes |
| Connectors | 2 - Dual-Link DVI 1 - HDMI |
| Power Connectors | 1 - 6 pin 1 - 8 pin |
| Max Board Power | 197 Watts |
| GPU Thermal Threshold | 105° Celsius |
| Form Factor | Dual Slot |
| Fabrication Process | 65nm |
Features
- Unified Architecture
- Lumenex Engine
- 128 Bit FP HDR (High Dynamic Rendering)
- GIGA Thread: Batch processing / Load Balancing
- Quantum Engine: Embedded Physics features
- DirectX 10 support
- SLI Support
- HDCP Capable
- Dual-Link DVI
- HDMI Capable with the use of HDMI Certified components
- HDMI Certified
- Double Lifetime Warranty
THE CARD
After opening the box and pulling out the card I can say I was very impressed by its looks. This is one very classy looking card. The entire card is in a casing that covers and protects the important components. I for one am glad to see this happening. How many horror stories have we read of an end user breaking a component of a card. The card is finished in a nice glossy black and with an XFX art work on top of the card.
We can see the SLI connector is even enclosed until you are ready to try Quad SLI. The power connectors, with one being 8 pin and one being 6 pin, are even lower in the cards enclosure. The power connectors even light up when plugged in correctly and the machine is powered up. There are even lit LEDs on the top backside of the card when powered up.
TEST SETUP
The system I am using for testing is a what I call a real world system. That means it's in a case, it has a security suite, instant messenger, and various other software that a normal user would use on their machine. To me, reviewing on what I call a real world machine is very important to me. Just ask yourself, when was the last time that you played a game or used your machine daily that was spread all over a bench and not running any security software at all? Don’t think very many of you do.
| Test Platform | |
| Processor | Intel QX9650 @ 4GHz |
| Motherboard | ASUS P5E3 Deluxe, BIOS 1001 |
| Memory | 4GB of Corsair DDR 3 12800 @ 1600MHz |
| Drive(s) | 2 – Seagate 7200.11 1TB Barracuda 1 - Seagte 7200.10 750GB |
| Graphics | Video Card # 1: XFX® GeForce® 9800GX2 running ForceWare 174.53 64-bit Video Card # 2: XFX® GeForce® 8800 Ultra XXX running ForceWare 169.21 64-bit WHQL |
| Cooling | CoolIT Freezone |
| Power Supply | PC Power and Cooling 1200 |
| Display | Dell 2707 FPW |
| Case | Lian-Li 2000B Plus |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit |
At this stage of the game, high-end graphic cards are meant to be run at 1920x1200 or higher resolution. Running them at a lower resolution is rarely needed and I have found only one game. That game being Crysis and that one I run daily at 1600x1200 instead of 1920x1200 and will bench it at the 1600x1200 resolution. The card we are going to test it against is a XFX 8800 Ultra XXX. I had hoped to have an ATI X2 card to compare to but could not get one in time. From what we have seen on the web from other sites the 8800 Ultra XXX is still a faster card than the 3870X2 so this should be a good battle to see if the 9800GX2 is the new king of the hill.
| Comparative Specifications | ||
| Specification | XFX 9800GX2 | XFX 8800 Ultra XXX |
| Memory | 1024 MB | 768 MB |
| Memory Clock | 2.0 GHz | 2.0 GHz |
| Stream Processors | 256 | 128 |
| Shader Clock | 1500 MHz | 1667 MHz |
| Clock Rate | 600 MHz | 675 MHz |
| Synthetic Benchmarks & Games | |
| 3DMark06 v. 1.10 | |
| Company of Heroes v. 1.71 DX 10 | |
| Crysis v. 1.2 DX 10 | |
| World in Conflict DX 10 | |
| F.E.A.R. v 1.08 | |
| Half Life Lost Coast | |
Overclocking
| Overclocked Specifications | ||
| Specification | XFX 9800GX2 | |
| Memory Clock | 2.106 GHz | |
| Shader Clock | 1652 MHz | |
| Clock Rate | 661 MHz | |
HALF-LIFE 2: LOST COAST
F.E.A.R.
Crysis
CONCLUSION
The XFX 9800GX2 so far has left a good impression in my mind. Of course, only having it for a couple of days and having to release a review did not let me play with it as much as I would have liked to. I did run some other games on it including Microsoft’s demanding Flight X Acceleration at 1920x1200 and the game was much more fluid than on the 8800 Ultra XXX. The biggest benefit of the card for me right now is I have SLI power on a non NVIDIA chipset. We at Bjorn3D hope to soon get ahold of a 790I motherboard from NVIDIA and try Quad SLI with the product.
Many people have been dinging this card in leaked reviews on its performance. Bjorn3D does not have that complaint. If you consider that the card it is beating today sold for $889.00 USD when it was new and that this card is going for $599.00-$649.00 USD, we can’t complain. Bjorn3D is hoping to soon have an Asus 3870X2 and an Asus 9800GX2 to compare to each other to give you an interesting head to head of NVIDIA’s competition to this product.
Pros:
+ SLI in single card solution
+ Good performance
+ Low power consumption for dual card
+ Double life time warranty
+ Ready for Quad SLI
Cons:
- Price may turn some off
- Power Connectors could be hard for some to disconnect
- Doesn't support the forthcoming release of DirectX 10.1 and Shader 4.1
Final score: The XFX 9800GX2scores a 8.5 (Very good) out of 10.
XFX 650i ULTRA
INTRODUCTION
What comes to mind when you think of the word 'value'? Do images of cheap construction or poor build quality come to mind? In recent years the word value has come to be a polite way to describe a product that is cut down and offers little in the way of features for a low cost. Certainly a misnomer given the little value these items offered. Now, what if I told you that the word value was about to take on a whole new meaning? That a company well known for world class video cards is going to offer a motherboard packed with features at a price many of us can afford? Have I piqued your interest yet? Good, let's begin.
XFX 650i Ultra
XFX
XFX®, is a company that is well known to the gaming community as they produce some of the most extreme graphic products around. As a company they operate on the following corporate philosophy:
"XFX® dares to go where the competition would like to, but can't. That's because, at XFX®, we don't just create great digital video components--we build all-out, mind-blowing, performance crushing, competition-obliterating video cards and motherboards." "Oh, and not only are they amazing, you don't have to live on dry noodles and peanut butter to afford them."
ACKAGING
I have to say when I received this unit in the mail I was a little struck by the size of the box. It is quite a bit larger than the boxes my Asus motherboards of yore have come in. This turns out to be a good thing as they are double boxed for added safety. Not only do the boxes serve to protect but they also serve to inform. Flipping the box over we see a breakdown of what the board contains as well as some curious information regarding overclocking. I say curious because while many manufacturers are aware of the popularity of overclocking few have gone so far as to say it right on their packaging that this unit can handle some overclocking goodness. Thumbs up XFX.
XFX Box Front & Rear
(Click to enlarge)
XFX's reminder
CONTENTS
Opening up the box reveals the standard inclusion. Since this board is targeted at the mainstream user this suits me just fine as I like to keep costs down.
Cables & Accessories
Package Contents
- 1 - Quick install manual
- 1 - Driver cd
- 1 - Rear I/O plate
- 1 - Molex to SATA adapter
- 1 - Floppy drive cable
- 1 - IDE cable
- 2 - SATA cable
LAYOUT
Looking at the layout of this board we see XFX adhering to the reference design right down to the last transistor. This is a good thing in my opinion as everything is well spaced out. There are all solid capacitors around the CPU area allowing for plenty of clearance. The 24-pin plug is easy to get to and the 4-pin CPU plug is only tricky when using a very large heatsink like the Big Typhoon. The only minor annoyance is the location of the USB headers on the board as you will see in the next page. The floppy drive port, while it is on the very bottom of the board, is acceptable as I don't recall the last time I had to use a floppy drive. (Edit: Updating your bios from XFX will require you to have a floppy drive as the utility they provide is only extractable to a floppy disk. We hope XFX changes this in future versions.)
XFX 650i Ultra Layout
- LGA 775 Socket - Lan Grid Array sockets places the signal pins inside the socket rather than the CPU.
- 650i Ultra SPP - AKA the Northbridge, it controls the memory and PCIe interface.
- 240-pin DIMM Socket - Allows for use of DDR2 memory in dual channel mode by utilizing the same color socket for each stick of RAM.
- 24-pin ATX Plug - Allows the use of an ATX power supply to power the motherboard.
- PCIe 1x Slots - Two slots used for expansion cards, it operates at speeds up to 250MB/s in each direction.
- PCIe 16x Slot - One slot used for video cards, it operates at speeds up to 4000MB/s in each direction.
- 650i Ultra MCP - AKA the Southbridge, it controls the hard drives (IDE & SATA), USB ports, PCI slots, audio output and network connection.
- SATA Ports - Four ports for connecting Serial-ATA hard drives or optical drives.
- PATA Port - One port for connecting two IDE hard drives or optical drives.
- PCI Slots - Three 32-bit PCI slots for connecting expansion cards.
- Front Panel Audio - Connects to the audio ports of most cases. Used for plugging in microphones and headphones.
- Serial Connector - Used for connecting a serial port into an available expansion slot.
- USB Headers - Two internal headers allowing up to four additional USB ports to be connected.
- CMOS Battery - Provides power to the CMOS for storing the system time and system settings for your computer.
- FDD Port - One port allowing one floppy drive to be connected.
- Pin Out - Connects to the case switches (Power LED, HDD LED, Reset and Power)
REAR I/O
The rear I/O section of the board looks barren in comparison to some boards out there. But let's not forget that those boards cost quite a bit more money and honestly speaking, I never used a parallel or serial port. I was pleased to see the inclusion of PS/2 ports on this board since plugging in a USB mouse and keyboard lowers the throughput of other devices attached through the shared connection.
Rear I/O
- PS/2 Ports - Connections for keyboard (purple) and mouse (green)
- USB 2.0 Ports - Four Universal Serial Bus connections. Used to connect newer mice and keyboards as well as other devices such as digital cameras, printers and external drives.
- Ethernet Port - Plug a RJ-45 cable into this port for broadband access to the internet or to setup a home network. Supports speeds up to 1Gbit (1 Gbit = 1000 Mbit)
- 8-Channel Audio - Plug up to seven speakers and a sub-woofer thanks to the Azalia High Definition Audio chip. Also a microphone and an audio input port.
CONCLUSION
This board has a lot going for it and during my testing the board remained rock solid and offered such a great level of performance I would almost feel guilty for paying such a small price for such a great product. The board does have a couple of issues though none of them were deal breakers for me. As long as you take your time and plan ahead while assembling your rig you should have no problems with this motherboard. Overclocking was stellar, the board remained stable and gaming at 3.5 GHz was a real pleasure. This is a great board offered at a great price. Value has a new meaning.
FINAL WORDS
When the 6-series boards hit the scene they were plagued with problems left and right. It seemed as though the chipset would never reach its true potential. I am excited to say that during my time with the 650i Ultra from XFX I never encountered any problems that existed in the other versions. Additionally many people have stated that the best chipset for an Intel processor is an Intel chipset. This may have been true as recently as a year ago with the only competition coming in the form of the 5-series from Nvidia but times are changing. The 6-series brings with it rock solid performance, superior overclocking options and a multitude of configurations. This trifecta is a force to be reckoned with and during my time with this motherboard I would happily suggest this board to anyone looking for a solid foundation. XFX has a winner on their hands here and with the price this board is selling for you won't find a better value out there.
Pros:
+ Highly overclockable
+ Supports a wide range of Intel CPU's
+ Supports new 1333 MHz FSB
+ Supports large CPU heatsinks
+ Very stable
+ Excellent value
Cons:
- Internal USB headers too close to bottom PCI slot
- Naming of DIMM slots might confuse some
- No cooling on southbridge
Final score: 9 out of 10 and the Bjorn3D Golden Bear Award.
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