We have updated the device switching tool from our Xonar article, renaming it to Auto Output Device Switcher and adding a configuration tool.

You can find it in our article.

ASUS · Auto Output Device Switcher · Update · Updates · Xonar

When we took a look at the Sapphire Radeon HD 5570 recently we also mulled over the usage of the Home Theatre as a gaming platform in general. One area which we didn’t touch upon in that piece which has proved a weakness for some – audio.

For most gamers this isn’t a big issue, surround sound devices are connected by multiple stereo audio jacks or in the case of some headphones, USB. But with a Home Theatre set up there’s a good chance you’ll want to connect your system to a separate receiver over TOSLINK or Coaxial S/PDIF – this is where problems can arise.

So today we’ve taken a look at the ASUS Xonar DX, how it deals with surround sound gaming over S/PDIF connections, the problems its approach cause, and our very own makeshift solution. Read on to find out more…..

ASUS · Dolby Digital · Dolby Digital Live · DTS · Gaming · MCE · Xonar DX

The Tech Report has taken a look at the AMD 890GX chipset for Socket AM3 processors, along with a pair of motherboards from ASUS and Gigabyte.

The 890GX includes AMD’s new SB850 southbridge, and is the first chipset to natively support SATA3. Combined with a low power Athlon or Phenom II and an SSD could this chipset be the foundation of a quick and quiet HTPC set up?

890GX · AM3 · AMD · ASUS · Gigabyte · Tech Report