A Simple Choice As the demands of technology users and computers evolve, AMD64 technology provides the unified foundation of performance and capability you need today and in the future: * AMD64 processors like the AMD Opteron and AMD Athlon 64 processors are compatible with today�s hardware and software and smooth the transition to the next crucial step in the evolution of the personal computer, workstation, server, and supercomputing cluster. * With AMD64, businesses of all sizes and consumers can protect their investments and fully leverage their hardware, software, and knowledge of existing standards while adopting a world-class solution for their current and future computing needs. * The power of AMD64 technology is now available in industry-standard processors with a broad base of knowledge, vendors, and skilled professionals ready to meet the challenges of the future. �True innovation makes the greatest possible technology available to the widest possible audience. True innovation is not just bigger and better, but is measured by its availability and relevance to end users.�

There are three heatpipes. They stick out in the front and end in the rear. Basically, each one starts from the rear on the bottom, going through the bottom and curv upwards outside the heatsink, then go back through the heatsink near the top and are capped off on the rear. Heatpipes are best at transferring heat and since they curve inwards near the top, that's where the more powerful air is coming from the fan. The idea is for the bottom of the heastpipes to obsorb the heat and transfer it to the top where the more powerful air from the fan can cool it off quicker. And this should provide better cooling since the heat is dissipated quicker. Heatpipes are commonly used in things like laptops and some vga coolers but are rare to a cpu heatsink. System heatsinks rely on active cooling from the fan to help dissipate the heat and it will be interesting to see if heatpipes do in fact help much with active cooling and a large copper heatsink.

GDDR3 memory is coming to the forefront with exclusive use on the latest performance cards. The 256 MB of memory installed on the 6800GT is from Samsung and labeled as GC20 or 2.0ns ram. Previously, on the FX5700 Ultra with its 128 MB of GC20 ram, I was able to clock up to 1025 MHz from a theoretical maximum of 1000 MHz over the default of 950 MHz. However, the 256 MB of GC20 ram on-board the 6800GT proved to have more overhead. From the default of 1000 MHz I was able to easily clock the ram at 1100 MHz stable. The highest clock I achieved was 1135 MHz which anything above this mark began to show artifacts. At 1100 MHz I was rewarded with solid stability throughout all testing and through several lengthy gaming sessions in Morrowind, UT2004, Call of Duty, and of course, Far Cry.

Pronounced "dim-moo bore-gear", the Dimmuborgir is a large area of unusually shaped lava fields east of Lake M�vatn, on Iceland. The Dimmuborgir area is composed of various caves and rock formations. It would seem that this has been formed from a lava-lake, out of which molten lava flowed and left behind strange formations. The most famous cave being Kirkjan - the Church - high with a large gothic style vault. Dimmu=foggy/dark, Borgir=castle/fortress. Dimmu Borgir is a melodic black metal band hailing from Norway. Shagrath, Silenoz and Tjodalv initiated the band in 1993. Shortly after, Brynjard Tristan joined to play bass, and Stian Aarstad joined for keyboard duties. Dimmu Borgir was born. They are a band which success is measured with such bands as Emperor, Kreator and Cradle of Filth. I will without a doubt say that Dimmu Borgir is the best black metal band in the world today (webmaster's comment). Haunting keyboard melodies, aggressive guitar work, destructive drums, grim/raw vocals and a touch of melodic/operatic vocals characterize Dimmu Borgir's sound. They are musically inspired by 80's black metal and heavy metal. Classic composers, like Wagner and Dvorak, also inspire them.

Rhythm guitarist / vocalist James Hetfield met drummer Lars Ulrich, who had placed an ad in a South California paper called The Recycler looking for musicians to play with, in the spring of 1981 and recorded some songs. The twosome were joined by Dave Mustaine (lead guitar) and Ron McGovney (bass). Metallica (the band name was actually "stolen" by Lars from a friend of his who wanted to call a fanzine like that) began gaining a large word-of-mouth reputation, particularly in Europe. The band had recorded a demo called "No Life 'Til Leather", containing the songs "Hit The Lights", "Mechanix", "Phantom Lord", "Jump In The Fire", Motorbreath", "Seek & Destroy" and "Metal Militia". Soon after, Metallica got a record deal with Megaforce and recorded in New York. At this point, the band had also settled into a firm line-up, dropping bassist Ron McGovney for Cliff Burton and lead guitarist Dave Mustaine (who later founded Megadeth) for former Exodus picker Kirk Hammett. In fact, Dave Mustaine got kicked out of the band after having a rough fight with Hetfield. Though they had initially wanted to call their 1983 debut "Metal Up Your Ass", the more eloquently titled "Kill 'Em All" (released in July 1983) was still enough to do the trick, selling over 300,000 copies, thanks to the blazing songs written largely by Hetfield and Ulrich. Interestingly, the version of "Hit The Lights" that kicks off the album is less like what we now call "thrash" than an embellishment on the high speed boogies of Motorhead and their NWOBHM counterparts.