Valve Releases Gift Cards for Online Distribution Service

For those of you who buy video games online from Valve Corporation's "Steam" platform, there are now roundabout ways to get those games in a store.

It seems ridiculous at first, but Valve has released pre-paid "wallet cards" that you can now buy in any Gamestop storefront. Many people might ask the question, "Why bother? I can buy and download my games from Steam itself, so what is the point of going to the store to do this?" The answer, actually, is a really smart idea.

Gamers everywhere often request games as gifts, whether for birthdays or Christmas, something like that. Often times they have to specify which games they want, because beleaguered shoppers don't know what they already have, or what they are interested in. These cards provide a nice way for them to simply go to Gamestop, buy a $20 or $50 dollar card, and then their shopping is done.

Steam users can then log onto their account and enter the card number, adding the money to their Steam account balance.

"Offering Steam Wallet codes at Gamestop extends more options and convenience to gamers around the world," said Jason Holtman, Valve's Director of Business Management.

PCGamer, a website dedicated to the news of the PC gaming industry, stated, "The move suggests that the relationship between Steam and traditional retail is warming, or at the very least that brick and mortar stores are learning that they can't ignore the digital distribution juggernaut."

While gamers may not buy the cards themselves, as there is no reason to, at least now grandparents everywhere can feel secure in the fact that they are giving their grandchildren something they will really enjoy. The alternatives, guessing on their interests or simply giving cash, are not nearly as desirable.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/05/14/steam-wallet-cards-are-real-in-us-stores-now/

Intel Produces New Processor Chip

Computer chip manufacturer Intel has outdone itself with its release of the Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition processor. This is one of the first chips to incorporate hexacore technology, meaning that it runs like six processors in one. Those six cores allow for unprecedented multi-tasking capability, and each core is clocked at 3.3GHz speeds. Intel’s turbo frequency technology also allows for the chip to run at a blistering 3.9GHz while under single-core load. That’s only part of the chip’s potential, though, as this processor is also designed for overclocking, so that PC enthusiasts can configure the chip to run at even faster speeds than normal, with some people managing to reach 5.0GHz across all six cores. These speeds are unheard of in the processing industry, creating quite a buzz among PC gurus.

This is not all that Intel has to offer with the Core i7-3960X, however. 64-bit system support, along with a 15MB chip cache, ensure powerful and reliable interfacing with the newest RAM technologies. This is compounded by four memory channels, with a maximum memory bandwidth of 51.2GB/s. Intel Hyperthreading technology enables twelve threads, two per core, to be run simultaneously, while Virtualization Technology creates virtual system resources to run smaller applications. This frees up hardware to deal with far more intensive programs, such as games and graphical editing software.

The current price for this processor is around $1000 dollars, and it is complete far more powerful than most users currently need. The price and the overkill factor have made the chip a lesser used one, and usually only those with plenty of money or extreme processor needs end up purchasing it. If you are one of those two types of people, preferably both, this is the chip for you.

AMD Releases New Video Card

Current high-definition video technologies have just been rendered obsolete. Computer component developer  AMD has just released a brand new video card that has outstripped all competition, claiming the title of “World’s most powerful video technology.” The newly released AMD Radeon HD7970 is an exceptional video card, and is officially the most powerful in history. The engineers at AMD have created a brand new architecture, allowing them to produce the most powerful and striking visuals ever seen, while using the same amount of power and space as their previous releases. This new video renderer is capable of 4096x2160 resolution. This is in comparison to the current most common detail resolution, 1920x1080. This is hardly the only capability that this card has, however. With 3 gigabytes of dedicated memory on-board, DirectX 11 support, the latest advancements in rendering technology, and the fastest memory clock speed of the market, this card is getting 5-star reviews from any tech-forum to take a look at it. The HD7970 also takes advantage of the new expansion card technology, PCI-E 3.0, allowing for the fastest possible communication with other components of the computer. With all of these high claims, the gaming community was immediately watching to find out if the card actually lived up to expectations. Tech-review company Kit Guru stated:

“AMD's HD7970 is a lightning fast graphics card set to appease performance gamers who want the maximum image quality at the highest resolutions.”

“The HD7970 sets a new performance standard in the high end, ousting the GTX580 from the single GPU top spot, without breaking a sweat.”

Priced at over $500, the AMD Radeon HD7970 will burn quite a hole in your wallet. Most who have reviewed the card, however, say that it is certainly worth the cash.

http://www.amd.com/us/products/desktop/graphics/7000/7970/Pages/radeon-7970.aspx#1