The Ring Dvd
We have fallen in love with Intel’s Atom 230 processor, a tiny powerhouse delivering 1.6GHz of power on a motherboard the size of an open DVD case. It shows a lot of promise for the future of home computing: at last a media centre-capable PC in a small enough form factor that won’t look and sound like you’ve got an electricity substation sitting next to your TV.
But the Atom-powered board isn’t without a key problem – in that it only has support for the positively Neanderthal PCI graphics slot, as opposed to the far more modern PCI-E. It is a serious, deliberate hobbling of the platform by Intel that does affect its performance as a media centre PC: it couldn’t handle recent games, and could only run 1080p video with a firm overclocking boot up the processor’s behind.
Enter Via’s Nano processor and Epia mini-ITX board. It’s the same size as Intel’s, but the chip runs at 1.8GHz, and – crucially – includes a PCI-E slot. It puts Intel’s board to shame; but there’s a catch in that it’s not actually available yet, and Via have yet to finalize the form it’s going to come in. However, we’d never let that stop us putting the pre-production model through its paces.
Admittedly, we were slightly skeptical about Via’s latest venture: the company has a spotted history, to say the least. From severe technical problems using their previous processors with AGP graphics cards, to an almost-company-destroying patent wrangle with Intel; suffice to say Via is at the infamous end of chip companies.
Thankfully, the Nano looks set to put all that animosity in the past, and shows the company is finding its feet again. The Nano uses the same C7 architecture as Via’s previous mini-CPUs, and therefore is backward compatible with older mini-ITX motherboards. The Epia motherboard itself includes Via’s latest CN896 Northbridge, which is where the PCI-Express support lies, as well as an onboard VGA port. Alas, there is no built-in DVI port as of yet – a chief complaint of a colleague is that he would be unable to plug in a TV tuner card and output high definition broadcasts at the same time.
As with the Atom motherboard, the Epia includes passive cooling on the processor itself, and has one tiny low-power fan on the Northbridge. The Nano achieves this by automatically scaling the performance and voltage states based on the temperature of the die, which causes optimal cooling without affecting performance. Not only does this stop your computer melting but it also optimizes the power consumption of the processor – the Nano will draw a minimum of 5W, and maximum of 25W. So despite not quite equaling the Atom from a straight performance angle, it stands head and shoulders above on the power/performance ratio.
A drama out of a Crysis
But there’s one thing we’ve neglected to mention: the Nano will run Crysis. We coupled the board with an ATI 4850 and a gig of ram; then ran Crysis in DX9 with all settings on ‘high’. It achieved an astonishing average of 20 frames per second – which admittedly isn’t that smooth, but is at least playable. There was some slightly odd blurring around the HUD, but for the most part the South China Sea looked as good as we’d expect from a fully fledged bargain PC. High definition 720p video playback was acceptable, but the processor’s touted ability to play back 1080p fell a little short, with videos playing slowly. An overclocked processor might have handled the full 24 frames per second, but our test model didn’t give tweaking the BIOS as an option. Still, with a cheap graphics card occupying the PCI-E slot the GPU will be able to take the strain of HD playback without a problem.
Via obviously has the technical clout to knock Intel’s Atom out of the ring, but it lacks Intel’s canny marketing and brand recognition. If Via can smooth out the niggles we experienced on the processor and card, it’ll definitely be a winner; the Nano could be the product that launches Via into the stratosphere.
Subscribe to Sandra Prior’s Online Newsletter and get up to date Computer Technology News delivered right to your email box for free. See website for details http://usacomputers.rr.nu and http://sacomputers.rr.nu.
Closing The Ring DVD bonus EXTRAS
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (DVD, 2003, Wi… $0.99 |
|
|
THE RING TWO (DVD, 2005) w/NAOMI WATTS & DAVID DORFMAN $1.99 |
|
|
Fiddler on the Roof (DVD, 2009, Dove O-Ring) $14.98 |
|
|
The Ring Two (DVD, 2005, UNRATED – WIDESCREEN) $0.88 |
|
|
The Ring Brand New DVD WideScreen W/ Naomi Watts $7.99 |
|
|
“The Ring 2″ UNRATED DVD – New $0.99 |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (DVD, 2003, Fu… $4.99 |
|
|
THE LORD OF THE RINGS THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING DVD $7.76 |
|
|
LORD OF THE RINGS FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (DVD,2002) Ful $6.49 |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (DVD, … $2.00 |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (DVD, 2003, Wi… $2.00 |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (DVD, NEW $5.99 |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (DVD, … $0.99 |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2003, DVD $0.99 |
|
|
Ring Around the Rosie (DVD, 2006) $2.99 |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (DVD, 2003, Wi… $5.00 |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (DVD, … $5.00 |
|
|
The Ring Two (DVD, 2005, UNRATED – WIDESCREEN) $0.99 |
|
|
LORD OF THE RINGS RETURN OF THE KING DVD VIDEO “USED” $2.25 |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (DVD, 2003, Pl… $3.99 |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings DVD $8.00 |
|
|
1 CENT DVD:: ‘Lord of the Rings Return’ 4DVD WIDE $3.76 |
|
|
The Postman Always Rings Twice~DVD~Warner Bros. 2004 $4.00 |
|
|
Ring Of Fire – The Emile Griffith Story (DVD, 2005) $6.80 |
|
|
THE RING (DVD 2003 WS) Martin Henderson, Naomi Watts $1.49 |
|
|
DVD Refill Pages, Capacity 20 $11.99 The soft lining on our DVD Album Pages protects delicate DVD surface. Album refill pages hold 10 DVDs and movie title notes… |
|
|
Lord of the Rings – Trilogy Poster 27×40 Elijah Wood Ian McKellan Viggo Mortensen Lord of the Rings – Trilogy reproduction poster print Pop Culture Graphics, Inc is Amazon’s largest source for movie and TV show memorabilia, poster and more: Offering tens of thousands of items to choose from. We also offer a full selection of framed posters.. Customer satisfaction is always guaranteed when you buy from Pop Culture Graphics,Inc… |
|
|
Bellagio Italia Brown Cd/dvd/blu-ray Storage Binder (3 Pack) $39.99 Trendy Leather-like Storage Binders have been created to meet your organizational needs in an efficient and stylish way. The Bellagio Italia CD/DVD Storage Binders provide comfortable storage for the stacks of CDs, DVDs, Blu-Ray Movies, and Photo Discs; you may have piling up around your home. Put your troubles to rest and get the Storage Binders, which are now featured in 3 different colors, in o… |
|
|
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) [VHS] $19.98 Even under the heavy censorship of 1946 Hollywood, Lana Turner and John Garfield’s libidinous desires burn up the screen in Tay Garnett’s adaptation of James M. Cain’s torrid crime melodrama. Platinum blond Turner is Cora, a restless sexpot stuck in a roadside diner married to mundane middle-aged fry cook Nick Smith (Cecil Kellaway) when handsome drifter Frank (Garfield) blows her way. It’s lust a… |
|
|
Semi-Tough [VHS] $1.29 This comedy is based on Dan Jenkins’s novel about two good-old-boy pro football players (Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson). Best friends on the field and off, they’re also friendly competitors in the arena of love for the same woman (Jill Clayburgh), who happens to be the daughter of their team’s owner. Directed by Michael Ritchie, who was something of a poet of films about competition in the … |
|
|
Fear of the Dark $5.20 Each night Ryan lies awake wataching as the evil in the darkness grows stronger. Big brother Dale ssees this as an attentin getting antic. Trapped alone in the house during a violent storm, Dales quickly realizes that little Ryan has every reason to be afraid. In the tradition of The Ring and the Sixth Sense, Fear of the dark is a tightly woven tale that taps into our universal fear of what lies h… |
|
|
Thunder Ranch Illumination System, TL-2 LED Tactical Light, Key-Mate LED Mini Light, Tiger Ring, Instructional DVD, Warranty Includes: TL-2 LED tactical light Key-Mate LED mini light Tiger Ring deployment/shooting grip retention system Green filter Flip-up lens cover Instructional DVD w/Clint Smith, Director of Training at Thunder Ranch firearms training facility Key-Mate LED mini light: White LED w/100,000 hrs. life Reflector optics enhance brightness of LED Anodized, machined aircraft aluminum Rotary head switch 4… |
|
|
Help! $19.80 The Beatles followed up their debut film A HARD DAY’S NIGHT with this fanciful spy spoof. When Ringo adds a new ring to his collection he’s unaware of how important and dangerous this piece of jewelry is. On one hand a religious cult considers it a sacred object and the wearer must become a sacrifice to their gods. On the other hand the ring has magical abilities that hold the key to supreme power… |
|
|
The Promise $2.65 The Promise Il Divo Label: Sony Release Date: 11/18/2008 1 The Power of Love Length: 5:01 2 The Promise Length: 4:28 3 Adagio, for violin, strings & organ in G minor, T. Mi 26 (composed by Remo Giazotto; not by Albinoni) Length: 4:37 4 Hallelujah, song Length: 3:21 5 I Knew I Loved You, song Length: 4:47 6 Enamorado Length: 3:15 7 Angelina Length: 4:32 8 The Winner Takes It All Length: 3:48 … |
|
|
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring $5.50 Score composer Howard Shore has informed this first installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy with his distinctly modern sensibilities. Revolving loosely around a brief, heroic brass theme, this epic is infused with a powerful rhythmic thrust and a musical range that encompasses centuries (from the Renaissance pastoralism of “Concerning Hobbits” to the fiery, Prokofiev-influenced drama of “A Kn… |
