NVIDIA’s mobile graphics failure woes are increasing, as Dell’s BIOS fixes, which mitigate the chance of graphics chip failure in its laptops, come at the cost of noise and battery life.

NVIDIA has already admitted that at least a portion of the rumors involving graphics failures were true, and announced a $200 Million one-time set-aside to cover costs related to the failures. The fault was not, says NVIDIA, in the silicon pattern of the GPUs themselves, but caused by the packaging, which was sensitive and could fail under heat. It took pains to deny rumors of a broad pattern of failing chips, including problems with desktop cards.

Now, Dell is releasing new firmware for a huge number of laptops including Inspiron, Latitude, Precision, Vostro, and XPS lines. The new firmware makes fan control more aggressive, spinning fans more to keep the GPUs cooler on systems with potentially affected NVIDIA GPUs. Dell emphasizes that failed GPUs won’t be fixed by the new BIOS, but systems with it will fail at a lower rate. According to Dell, the fans on the laptop may run more frequently, but will not spin up as often-users are essentially trading short periods of full fan usage for longer periods where the fan might run at 25-50 percent. Despite these drawbacks, Dell urges everyone with the potentially affected laptops to update, and has announced that all new laptops will ship with the new BIOS.

The move by Dell is interesting. It’s possible that Dell knows more than we do and more than NVIDIA cares to admit, and is shipping the new BIOS to forestall a massive wave of failures. It’s also possible that the explanation is significantly less sinister; Dell could simply want to minimize the number of warranty service calls they get. It could also be worried about triggering a CPSC product recall or product liability lawsuits, and view it as due diligence if it fixes as much as it can, so that the recall or lawsuit never materializes.

The full extent of NVIDIA’s difficulties with G84 and G86 won’t be known for a while, but Dell is being proactive about minimizing it as much as possible. Owners of potentially affected laptops should cross their fingers.

For a long time Intel has been leading the market in processor sales and popularity but AMD is finally putting a stop to that. With the release of their Athlon 64 processor, with 64 bit computing capabilities, they have been slowly but surely regaining the market back from Intel.

The Athlon 64 processors have been around for a while now and they have proven themselves the market leaders in processing power. As we know AMD processor run at a lot slower speeds than Intel processors making them cooler to run. This has eliminated the need for expensive cooling equipment and opened the doorway for overclocking.

Although AMD hit the target by releasing their 64 bit processor long before Intel did, they are not standing still. They have been constantly upgrading their line up to increase speed and efficiency. This is apparent with their fx series processors and their dual core processors.

The fx series processor are the king of the hill at AMD. They are the most powerful processor that is available. They show blistering speeds for CPU intensive functions such video encoding and gaming. They also show great performance in database driven work and most other aspects of computing.

The dual-core line of processor are the ultimate in multi-tasking. They provide the power of two processor running in unison while still being able to fit in a single processor motherboard. Although these processors are essentially two processors in one, they are rather pricy and may not be everyones cup of tea.

Intel is trying to fight back by forming an alliance with Apple. All macs are now available with Intel processors. Whether this will be profitable for Intel only time will tell.

With competition growing stronger from AMD this can only mean increased benefits for the consumer. As the war between Intel and AMD intensifies, the consumer will benefit from lowered prices, and increased quality in their processors.

HP is really putting a lot of effort to be the no 1 low cost net book provider. Thanks to the currently booming net book market. At the recent CES in Las Vegas, HP unveiled their latest addition to the great net book arena.

Yes. HP announced that their latest HP Mini 2140 model will be made available very soon. Keeping true with their previous model, HP Mini 2133, the new 2140 is built on the same material as the 2133. That means the 2140 will also be built on a solid magnesium alloy chassis, as with the older 2133.

Cool. None of the flimsy plastic stuff. Personally, I like it better this way. With netbooks being small in size, they are more prone to physical abuse. This is especially true if you carry them around with you in your daily travels. As such, a more sturdy and strong build material is always a welcome improvement.

The only downside to the strong and sturdy build is its’ weight. It surely weights a lot more than the other net books built on them flimsy plastic material. The 2140 unit weighs about 3.0 pounds with full accessories. That makes it the heaviest netbook around. Oh well, you can’t win them all, I guess.

The HP Mini 2140 also sports probably the largest keyboard in the low cost net book range. At 92% of a standard keyboard, you would surely be able to adapt quickly to the keyboard. It even has a full sized right shift key located right below the enter key. Nothing awkward about the keyboard.

The keys are also protected with HP Durakeys. HP DuraKeys? Its a clear coating that protects the finish and printed characters on the keys. The keyboard will be look new even after years of heavy typing.

I do, however, have a beef with the mouse pad, though. Somehow, having the mouse buttons on either sides of the mouse pad really doesn’t jive with me. I would have liked it better if they had decided to put the mouse buttons at the bottom as with a normal mouse pad.

I’ve always been somewhat frustrated that these net books can only display to a max resolution if 1024×600. To those who like to have more pixels in their display, the HP Mini 2140 unit has got two display modes – 1024×576 and 1366×768. Odd resolutions? Yes. They are a bit odd. I think HP decided to make the display fit in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Why? To conform to HDTV standard perhaps?

Following are the hardware specifications for the HP Mini 2140:

CPU: Intel Atom Processor N270 (1.60 GHz, 512 KB L2 cache, 533 MHz FSB)

Chipset: Mobile Intel

If your business depends on your online connections, you need to have access to the internet and your customers no matter where you happen to be. You need to have a global roaming service that will not only provide you with high speed internet access, but a secure connection. You can get this no matter what type of product you are using – regardless of whether it is your laptop, mobile device or 3G iPhone.

An increasing number of people are taking advantage of the global community to form business partnerships. Unfortunately, it can still be difficult to get internet access at some locations around the globe. On top of that, even WiFi hotspots that offer internet connections do not offer secure connections. Doing business on an connection that is not secure is risky at best.

Business travelers have to be able to access the internet and email no matter where they happen to be. Global roaming passes can give the international traveler internet access no matter where they happen to be. And they can also make sure that they receive a secure connection, without outlandish roaming charges.

Broadband can be right at the fingertips of any business traveler no matter where they are and what type of device they are using. Many of those doing business online today are using mobile devices that can give them access to the internet, but they have to have a connection. If in an area without a connection, they need to have a roaming card.

Even if a business traveler is stuck in a hotel room without internet access, they can use a roaming card as long as there is a phone line. Simply plug in the card, connect to the phone line and everything is set. There are no extra fees and the traveler can pay only for what they use.

An increasing number of businesses are conducting the majority of their business transactions over the internet. Having a roaming card can save time and money as well as make sure that the connection they are using is secure.

Roaming cards are not just for business owners, however . Anyone can take advantage of these cards and get a secure connection on their computer device, even hand held portables such as the 3G iPhone. For example, if someone is stuck in an area where they have no connection and needs to send or request money from their bank account, they can do so securely by using one of these secure cards.

Internet roaming card give travelers secure internet access no matter where they happen to be, even on an international level. No one needs to be away from the security of an internet connection when they use these cards that work with wireless as well as dial up computers and hand held devices.

There aren’t a lot of powerful gaming laptops on the market, so the Alienware M11x is very impressive. This system packs a lot of high performance and speed. It’s a great option for those who find the Alienware desktop models too large and heavy. And, despite having so many components, this laptop is surprisingly small. It’s an 11.6″ model that weighs less than 5 pounds. The color choices are Cosmic Black and Lunar Silver.

This is a highly customizable computer. You can add all the hardware, software, and upgrades as you want. Just make sure you order online so that you can use Alienware M11x coupons through the store’s website. The best offers are exclusively available on the internet and nowhere else. The starting price is $799, and it can go up easily depending on how you choose to customize it.

Does it offer enough performance at its price? Well, let’s take a look at the details:

· ULV Core 2 Duo at 1.3 GHz

· NVIDIA GeForce GT335M at 1 GB

· 6.5 hours of battery life

· 8 GB DDR3 memory at 1066 GHz

· Your choice of 256 GB SSHD or 500 GB4

· 11.6″ LCD screen

· 2 hours of straight gaming when on battery power

Obviously, you can get a lot out of this laptop. It comes with a lot more power and speed than others out on the market. One important thing to note in an Alienware M11x review is the wide array of ports: HDMI, card reader, USB ports, Display Port, FireWire jack, two headphone ports, etc. This laptop may be a bit more costly than others, but it comes with a whole lot more as well!

Your best bet is to order this laptop online so that you can make use of numerous Alienware M11x coupons. You will be able to upgrade all you want without going over your budget. There are some really good Alienware M11x discounts and special offers available that you need to check out.

What is NWIZ.EXE?

NWIZ.EXE is part of NVidia’s Nview features installable alongside it’s graphics hardware products as part of its driver package. This application will give the user access to additional features which allow the configuration, preferences and optimization of settings of up to 32 monitors on a host computer, or to expand the desktop across many monitors. This program is set to start automatically upon installation however it is not essential for the running of the Operating System as you can run it when you need to. It is advised that you disable this program so that it does not take up necessary resources.

NWIZ.EXE is a program which could have been installed by you, or may have even arrived on your computer the day you purchased it as this may have been preinstalled software. Always verify where its located on your hard drive, as this makes sure it is not spyware or adware simply placed elsewhere on your computer, and using the same name in an attempt to fool you. The file location will be in your registry under hkey local machine, shown as
Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install

It will also be found in either your system32 or system folder depending on the Windows Operating System you have.

Security Threat

The nwiz.exe process on your Windows Task Manager without having an NVidia graphics card is usually a sign that your computer has been infected with the Gaobot or Agobot.iq viruses/trojans. Also even if you have NVidia card you should be cautious especially if you notice two or more processes named NWIZ.EXE. However if you may have an NVidia graphics card, part of the NVidia drivers software will also run a process with this name.

A number of users have also complained about NWIZ.EXE and its performance when running, eating up a lot of memory resources just to be in the system tray.

With a touch screen, users can do away with the multiple hardware systems that were required to make use of a computer system. 1971 saw the development of the first touch screens and since then they have become extremely popular.

Touch screens are very popular in commercial set-ups like restaurants, airports, ATMs, industrial automation, and in computer-based training. In restaurants, customers use touch screens as ordering points where they can place their order on their own without dealing with a retail clerk. In computer-based learning, a touch screen is very helpful especially since it keeps the learner focused on the display and learners do not need any technical know-how to operate the keyboard or hardware.

Touch screen systems are either in the form of touch screen add-ons or touch screen monitors. The touch screen add-on technology is most useful when the touch screen is an upgrade to an existing display system. Commonly, an add-on touch sensitive peripheral is placed in front of an ordinary computer display unit. A controller is connected to the overlay and the PC. This controller communicates between the PC, the display, and the monitor. The other kind of touch screen display is the touch screen monitor.

A touch screen monitor is a complete piece of hardware, which has a screen with an built-in touch sensitive overlay. The two most popular technology used in touch screen monitors are the CRT and the LCD display. CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube and LCD stands for Liquid Crystal Display. An LCD is more advanced technology and therefore it is more expensive.

Conclusively, a touch screen monitor is only an integrated system. There is no difference in using a touch screen monitor or a touch screen add-on since both perform the same function. Most companies that manufacture touch screen equipment manufacture both types of screens.

Laptops are designed keeping a target user in mind. The different parameters to consider while designing a laptop are battery life, processor speed, graphics, weight of laptop and cost. Gaming laptops come installed with the fastest processors, cutting edge graphics cards. A hefty battery pack, huge heat sink, special ventilation ducts, and several cooling fans and can give the same performance as that of high-end tower PCs. These laptops provide thrilling 3D gaming experience and mobility to gamers, be it LAN game parties or while traveling.

Gaming performance is closely connected with the quality of the graphics card. ATI and NVIDIA have mobile versions of their fast cutting edge graphics cards, complete with 128MB or even 256MB of video memory. Try looking for laptops with ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 or NVIDIA GeForce Go 7800 graphics processor. They are currently the hottest in market!

Another criterion to select a laptop is the processor. If weight of up to 13 pounds is not an issue then you could consider Intel’s 3.8-GHz Pentium 4 or the Athlon 64 FX CPU processors. For lower weight laptops go with the fastest available in the category: Intel Core Duo or AMD Turion 64 CPU.

Apart from selecting a laptop with hard disk capacity of over 80 GB, consider the speed of the hard disk. Conventional 5,400-rpm drives work fine for most desktop and entertainment PCs but you would need a 7,200-rpm hard drive to play 3D games without jitters, pauses and long loading game time.

The minimum screen size of your screen should be at least 15.4 inches. Anything less and you will limit the visual graphics detail of your games, as well as your shooting accuracy. Gaming laptops are now available in different hot designs. Manufacturer Alienware has its famous glowing alien head, and other vendors like Falcon Northwest, Hypersonic, and Vodoo PC offer automotive class custom paint jobs. Dell XPS systems come with customizable LED lights.

Now, regarding the cost. When you are talking about gaming laptops, it’s all about the best cutting edge technology available in laptop segment. Depending on what configuration you go for prices could range anywhere from $2500 to $4242 for a Vodoo brand laptop?

Troubleshooting DELL E173FPB LCD Monitor with power blink symptom is quite easy if you know the right procedure to test it. There are two sections in the monitor that can cause power to blink. It is either primary or secondary section or even sometimes both sections can be faulty. So to isolate as which section is giving problem. I used an automobile 12 volt light bulb (brake light) and connect it between the 12 volt supply line and cold ground with the fuse removed. If the bulb still blink chances is very high the power primary section have problem.

Do not overlook the other voltages line as well such as the 3.3 and 5 volts. If any components shorted that gets the supply from the 5 and 3.3 volts, the power also may blink. If the 12 volts bulb lights up we can assume that the power supply is working fine and something shorted further down the line that makes the power supply to blink. If the bulb lights and you continue to check the power section, it will be going to waste your time. You should now concentrate on the secondary section circuit such as the four transistors C5707 that drive the high voltage transformer in the inverter board.

Just think these transistors like horizontal output transistor (HOT) in the CRT monitor that drive the flyback transformer where it worked so hard and chances for it to breakdown is very high. Checking the four transistors off board found one of them have a shorted reading with an ohmmeter.. This transistor can get faulty by itself or it could be some others components that caused it to develop a short circuit such as a defective high voltage transformer but all of the four high voltage transformers checked to be okay with ringer and ohmmeter test.

Now, here is the secret that I’m going to reveal. If you just replace the defective transistor only, chances is very high the transistor or another C5707 transistor will breakdown again. Usually what a technician does is to test the other transistors with either an analog or digital meter. If you use both meters to test the transistors then you have missed out on the faulty transistor because both meters won’t reveal to you the hfe reading of the transistors. Only some digital meters have the hfe checking feature. In other words, you have to use test the hfe reading of a transistor. Although you can replace the other three transistors directly, why not we do some detective work to find the cause of the problem?

Using the Peak electronic atlas component analyzer, I could clearly see the different between a good and a bad transistor. A good C5707 transistor has hfe reading from 320 to about 390 but the bad one reads 467! The other two C5707 transistors have reading about 350. In the above case only two C5707 transistors were replaced and you save the other two. I had burn in test this LCD monitor for many days and it worked perfectly fine.

Conclusion- Whether you repair the DELL E173FPB LCD Monitor or any other model such as the E172FPB or E171FPB, basically the testing method is the same. You could also use this testing procedure on other brand of LCD Monitor too.

The new Intel 3 chip is out. This is the newest chip in the world of Intel computer processors. This is going to be a chip that will be used to power some of the world’s fastest and most powerful computers and will be used to help make a computer more efficient. Now that the new Intel 3 chip is out let’s take a look at all of the different things that will work with this new chip.

The reason why the Intel 3 chip has the three in its name is that the speed and strength of the chip is incredibly powerful at three gigahertz or higher. This is one of the strongest chips that is available on the market and will be impressive for high end products in terms of how well they will work on a computer.

One of the best things about the Intel 3 chip is how it performs in certain display technologies. Image technology is one of the newest technologies in computers, and the new Intel 3 chip works very well with this technology. It also performs incredibly well in integrated illustration display.

The audio quality of the programs that are run with the Intel 3 chip is impressive. 7.1 channels of ambient sound can be produced on programs that are run with the Intel 3 chip. This is the best sound technology that is available on the market and it can make computers that run with the Intel 3 chip work like a home theater system with its unbelievable sound quality.

One of the most notable things to see now that the new Intel 3 chip is out is that the chip supports HDMI technology. This is High-Definition Multimedia Interface technology. It works to transmit fully uncompressed video and audio streams in high definition quality. This is found to be one of the newest technologies and is expected to replace coaxial cable based technologies in the future and VGA video technologies.

Another thing to know now that the new Intel 3 chip is out is that it is a 45nm, or nanometer processor. With the smaller size of this chip there will be less power consumed by the chip. This is impressive in that it will help to keep from overheating or being especially stressed while still sending out the best technology available to a computer. Of course, because of the much smaller size of the chip, it will cost more money to make, and this will result in a cost for the chip that is going to be higher than that of other chips on the market.

Because the new Intel 3 chip is out, there will be a greater demand for this than other chips in the world of computing. However, it will also be more expensive than that of other chips that are on the market. A typical chip that has a speed of three gigahertz or more can cost over a thousand dollars in most cases.

Wholesale computer part stores and outlet stores will have these products in the Intel 3 chip family as stand-alone items that can be installed into certain computers too. Many of these products can be purchased online. The new Intel 3 chip is out. Not only is it powerful but it is also on top of the latest technologies in the world of computing.