Items tagged with shift
It’s Haswell time in a major way, and the latest custom PC builder to update its entire line with 4th-generation Intel Core (Haswell) processors is MAINGEAR. The company announced that its SHIFT, F131, Potenza, and Vybe desktops in addition to its Nomad 15 and Nomad 17 gaming notebooks will all sport the new Intel chips. MAINGEAR also pushed the latest SHIFT’s selling points by comparing it to previous generations of custom SHIFT rigs. Unsurprisingly, the 2013 version obliterates the 2009 and 2010 version, but MAINGEAR is trying to make a point, which is that for as substantial as the performance increase is with the new Haswell system, it actually costs less than the other two systems....
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Every system builder that wants to stay in business is rolling out new rigs built around Intel's awesome Ivy Bridge architecture, but Maingear's taking it one step further by using Ivy Bridge as a launching pad for its vertical heat desktops in smaller form factors. This is something Maingear was already doing with its Shift desktops, and now the same VRTX Cooling Technology is being applied to its F131 (micro ATX) and all new Potenza (mini ATX) systems as well. "We are very excited and offer the option for our customers to select a Maingear desktop with heat dissipation solution in three different chassis size and performance levels," said Wallace Santos, CEO and Founder of Maingear. "The new...
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When Maingear computers first stepped out with their high-end SHIFT line of gaming and workstation PCs, we took note and were genuinely impressed; a bit of rarefied air if you will. It wasn't so much the component selection that stood out, but it was the excellent build quality and the SHIFT's 90-degree rotated layout that caused our double-take, and ultimately put Maingear on the map as a major player in the space... Maingear's products may not be the low price watermark, but they definitely set the high quality bar up a notch or three. Recently, Maingear announced that they'd be offering a DIY SHIFT chassis and cooling system kit for a limited time, to folks that might want to try their...
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Alright, we'll come right out and gush a little bit. Our cynical, sometimes overly-critical opinions can occasionally be tempered by momentary flashes of greatness. We see a lot of high-end (and low-end) gear around here, so after a while, you can't stop your eyeballs from glossing over and a yawn from escaping from the cranium. However, when Maingear computers first stepped out with their high-end SHIFT line of gaming and workstation PCs, we took note and were genuinely impressed; a bit of rarefied air if you will. It wasn't so much the component selection that stood out, but it was the excellent build quality and the SHIFT's 90-degree rotated layout...
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In this latest episode of HotHardware's Two and Half Geeks webcast, Marco, Iyaz and Dave discuss the MainGear SHIFT do-it-yourself case kit and the recently released Intel SSD 520 series solid state drive built on SandForce controller technology. The guys also discuss the used game debate and game devs locking down DLC content for new game buyers only, and ask the question, “Should next-gen consoles be upgradeable?” Finally, Dave hints at an upcoming contest and a whole lot more! Show Notes: 00:50 - Maingear Shift DIY Sneak Peek 06:12 - Intel SSD 520 Series Solid State Drive Review 10:14 - The Other Side Of The Used Games Debate: Gamestop Manager Responds 10:15 - Outrage...
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You know a computer case means business when it warrants naming an entire PC line after it, and that's what you have with Maingear's SHIFT chassis. Designed in conjunction with Silverstone, the SHIFT computer case is the centerpiece of not one, but two full blown system configurations featured at Maingear, including the "The SHIFT" (for consumers/enthusiasts) and "The Quantum SHIFT" (workstation). But what if you're not in the market for a brand new system and just want the case? Too bad, so sad, up until now. Maingear tells us there's been so much interest in the standalone chassis that they've decided to offer a limited run of SHIFT computer cases with the EPIC 180 liquid cooler (featured in...
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Maingear's got a new rig out today, and more importantly, there's a new 2nd-generation Intel Core i7 chip to go along with it. The company has just updated their SHIFT and F131 desktops with the new 2nd generation Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor and the company’s exclusive EPIC Audio Engine. Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 and Hyper-Threading are both here, as is a 34% improvement in performance at normal clock speeds that can also be overclocked up to 5.2 GHz. This top gaming computer platform is also the first to feature quad-channel memory offering up to 102% memory performance that is more than twice the memory bandwidth of the previous generation. The EPIC Audio Engine leverages...
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If there's one thing you can count on, like clockwork, it's the prescence of new desktop rigs each time AMD or NVIDIA launches a new flagship graphics card. Companies like iBuyPower, Cyber Power, Digital Storm, HP, Dell and Maingear all jump at the chance to get something fresh into their lineups, and the latter is doing so now. The company's highly-prized SHIFT "personal supercomputer" is joined by the F131 desktop in having the option to support NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 590 GPU -- called the "most powerful and quietest DirectX 11 dual graphics card ever built." Should you choose to spend the cash, you can order either of those machines with a GTX 590, boasting dual 512-core GTX 500 Series GPUs,...
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We never put a whole lot of thought into the name of Maingear's SHIFT "personal supercomputer," but the machine sure is shifting with the tides of technology. This morning, Maingear revamped the SHIFT with the addition of Intel's newest Xeon processors, the X5687 and X5690. Much like Apple's Mac Pro, which is also available with Xeon CPUs, these new processors will make the SHIFT desirable to those who spend most of their time in content creation. Users will see speeds as high as 3.86GHz, with the 5600 Series offering up to a 38% improvement in performance for digital content creation and advanced workflow. The workstations will be paired up with NVIDIA Quadro graphics, which tend to work well...
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Need a new machine? Not content with the stock options out there? As any real modder and hacker would advise, you should probably consider an overclocking rampage. But not without some help, of course. Maingear is a long-standing player in the custom PC business, and in order to gain a leg-up over the mass-market competition, they're announcing new Super Stock options that will boost the performance of everyday parts while still providing a warranty to end-users. The Super Stock options on the SHIFT "personal supercomputer" includes an overclocked processor, liquid cooling and custom paint options. Paired an overclocked CPU with a 3-way SLI graphics set ensures that you'll be getting serious...
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You're not still using a $10 plank from Walmart for your frag fests, are you? With the torrent of gaming keyboards on the market to accommodate any budget, there's no reason to saddle yourself with an ordinary board. The latest gaming keyboard to enter the fray (and compete for your gaming dollar) is SteelSeries Shift. SteelSeries didn't just pull the name out of a hat, but chose it because of the Shift's ability to alter its appearance and functionality through interchangeable keysets. "With the introduction of the SteelSeries Shift, we’re able to bring another unique and powerful gaming tool to consumers," said SteelSeries CEO, Bruce Hawver. "The Shift greatly expands the functionality...
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When it comes to the business of building PCs, true innovation is hard to find. There are exceptions—HP had the Blackbird 002, Alienware designs its own enclosures, and there's always the Thermaltake Level 10—but most companies aren't willing to take the financial risk that's part and parcel of designing new and different products. Fortunately, MainGear is. While they've not been around as long as Alienware or Falcon-Northwest, the company has six solid years of experience in building custom PCs. MainGear recently sent us a high-end system built around its unique SHIFT chassis. When it designed the Shift, Maingear took a standard ATX configuration and literally turned it 90'. Add...
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When it comes to the business of building PCs, true innovation is hard to find. There are exceptions—HP had the Blackbird 002, Alienware designs its own enclosures, and there's always the Thermaltake Level 10—but most companies aren't willing to take the financial risk that's part and parcel of designing new and different products. Fortunately, MainGear is. While they've not been around as long as Alienware or Falcon-Northwest, the company has six solid years of experience in building custom PCs. MainGear recently sent us a high-end system built around its unique SHIFT chassis. When it designed the SHIFT, with their chassis partner Silverstone, Maingear took a standard ATX configuration...
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Maingear already made a name for themselves in the gaming PC market with the SHIFT. The company calls that company the world's first "personal supercomputer," and though we doubt it'd be good for solving NASA problems or the like, it really is quite powerful. In an effort to cater to the creative professionals who also want that kind of power, but need GPUs that are better suited to computational programs rather than sheer gameplay, the company has introduced the Quantum SHIFT Workstation PC. It's billed as the ultimate PC for Adobe's Creative Suite 5 (which just launched today, actually), and who are we to argue? When a machine comes with up to three NVIDIA Quadro FX CPUs, a selection of Intel...
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We're sensing a trend here, and Maingear is helping to substantiate our assumptions. Right after NVIDIA announced their new GeForce GTX 470 and 480 GPUs, Maingear has arrived with new high performance gaming PCs that have none other than NVIDIA's Fermi graphics cards in them. Of course, the SHIFT "personal supercomputer" is the first to arrive on the scene, with "a dedicated 3D engine designed from the ground up for DX11 tesselation, 2 times the CUDA cores for raw computing power, a dedicated 3D engine that supports realtime ray tracing for dynamic realism, and enhanced depth of field and image quality." Not bad, yeah? The machines are up for order now on the company's website. MAINGEAR High...
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Major League Baseball is joining the growing ranks of companies who are less than enthusiastic about the "placeshifting" feature. Here's a tidbit from Ars Technica: "Like other professional sports leagues, Major League Baseball is jealous of its content. The latest company to come under its scrutiny is Sling Media, makers of the Slingbox television place-shifting device. According to The Hollywood Reporter Esq. (subscription), MLB is upset that fans can watch out-of-market games via the Slingbox, calling the device illegal." So what's the big deal? Well it seems that MLB and other media organizations want to have some control over what various markets watch, and of course what they pay...
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EETimes reports: Executing on its goal of keeping pace with archrival Intel Corp., Advanced Micro Devices rolled out its first 65-nm x86 CPUs Tuesday (Dec. 5). The new Athlon 64 X2 cuts die size in half and power by a third in existing 90-nm desktop processors. AMD is maintaining its position as a fast follower of giant Intel with plans to ramp its 65-nm process quickly and ship its first 45-nm devices by mid-2008. The new dual-core desktop processors have a maximum power consumption of 65W down from 89W. They come in existing speed grades of 2.1 to 2.6 GHz and costs ranging from $169 to $301....
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The Inquirer's ever controversial Faud is reporting that it wouldn't be very risky for NVIDIA to produce the upcoming G80 GPU at 80nm because the shrink can be done at the fab and not in the chip development stage. Regardless of NVIDIA's reasons, launching G80 at 90nm and later tweaking and moving to 80nm gets NVIDIA their typically faster "refresh" product, while their engineers can focus on the next gen. "When you go to 80 nanometre you have to design your logic and even the floor plan at 90 nanometre and all you have to do is the optical shrink in the fab. At the litho stage of chip development you just produce a smaller...
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