E3 Hardware Roundup by Leonard "Viking1" Hjalmarson
	Game Commander and Verbal Commander I've already done a brief hands on report with Game Commander, but I only learned of Verbal Commander post E3. The former is a software solution, but it seems limited in effectiveness to newer systems. Your video board need not support DirectSound3d acceleration, but if your CPU power is limited you may have problems so it's best to download the demo. Game Commander This leaves the market open for a dedicated hardware product, and Verbal Commander is it. I spoke with the company this morning and should have the hardware in hand next week. In fact, the hardware they are sending is a new prototype and it should be hot! More on Audio Speaking of audio, I looked at new sound systems by Creative Labs and Guillemot. Creative Labs will soon release a high end version of the FourPoint system that will compete directly with Microsoft's Sound System 80. I listened to a demo while watching a DVD movie and it was very, very good. I didn't get a chance to hear Guillemot's system, but the MSRP is roughly the same at $199 US. I did, however, get a chance to hear a demo of Turtle Beach Montego II Quadzilla, and it was what I would expect from these guys: quality and clarity in sound reproduction. This board will come in a new package including digital IO (SPDIF input), four speaker output, and digital gameport for $99 US. Click to continue		Universal Serial Stuff USB is everywhere this year. Saitek, CH, and SUNCOM are all in up to their whetlocks. Sorry, nothing to report from Thrustmaster though we know it's in the works. The big advantage of USB? Precise control, no jitters, no 8MHz gameport necessary. If you have more than two USB devices you'll also need a USB junction box, and Saitek is making their own. Watch for CH pedals to show up in USB form soon. Will we see pedals from Saitek and SUNCOM this year? Most likely. Watch for hands on with more USB gear in June. Saitek's new USB duo (X36) will include all new software and they have completely eliminated previous problems. Watch for the new sticks early this fall. While wandering the floor I discovered a new Taiwanese maker of controllers called "Rockfire." Some of their gear looks interesting and we'll report on it soon. CPUs and the Need for Speed The PIII 500 is being commonly overclocked to 5x112 = 560, but the new 550 is being overclocked to 5.5x 112 and sometimes 5.5x 117! This means that the new high end gaming machine has just become a 616MHz monster and in some cases 643MHz! Where do I sign up? Meanwhile the K6-3 450 is available, and we hope to have a hands on report for you shortly. Where support is in place for 3dNOW this is one hot system. I haven't heard about overclocking, but I would guess that 4.5x 112 will be workable on many of these systems. If you are preparing to build a new gaming system, see our recent Abit BX6 report.
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