New Motherboards Feature Dolby Digital Chip

By Ian Bell May 26, 2005

Abit’s AW8-Max motherboard, ASUSTeK’s P5LD2 Deluxe motherboard, and Gigabyte’s GA-8I955X Royal motherboard all passed Dolby’s rigorous audio specifications testing. Each of these motherboardsfeatures Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Live, Dolby Pro Logic IIx, Dolby Headphone, and Dolby Virtual Speaker technologies. These motherboards are now available for purchase by do-it-yourself PCenthusiasts.

The Designed for Dolby Master Studio suite of technologies merges advanced audio rendering with flexible controls and powerful digital signal processing to give consumers the power to tailor the listening experience to their media, mood, listening environment, and audience. PCs built with Designed for Dolby Master Studio motherboards, quality components, and Dolby tested and approved software applications can deliver the most advanced set of Dolby audio presentation capabilities with support for up to 7.1 channels of surround sound. These motherboards, developed in conjunction with the Dolby PC Entertainment Experience program, will feature the Designed for Dolby Master Studio logo on their retail packaging.

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Computing

I tested Nvidia’s new RTX feature, and it fixed the worst part of PC gaming

A Hallway in Portal Prelude RTX.

You wouldn't suspect that a mod like Portal: Prelude RTX would debut such a major piece of kit for the future of PC gaming. But lo and behold -- it's the first game we've seen with Nvidia's new RTX IO, a feature that was announced nearly three years ago.

It's not as flashy as ray tracing or DLSS, operating in the background and offering a slew of benefits without drawing attention to them. But according to my testing, RTX IO may have a bigger impact on PC gaming than any other RTX features.
What is RTX IO?
Portal: Prelude RTX | RTX IO Off vs On Comparison – Cake Scene

Computing

MSI’s new motherboard makes sleek PC builds, but there’s one problem

MSI's Project Zero B650M motherboard.

MSI has just unveiled a slew of new products at Computex 2023, and some of its new high-end motherboards might catch your eye. One model stands out in particular: the mysterious B650M motherboard titled "Project Zero."

The board is promising if you want to achieve the cleanest look yet with your next PC build. There's one problem, though -- even if you get it, you might not be able to use it.

Computing

Apple announces new MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips

A person sitting in a vehicle using a MacBook Pro on their lap.

Apple has unveiled new versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, ending months of speculation surrounding the devices. New features include the latest M2 Pro and M2 Max chips -- but not much else.

Almost everything else remains the same as what we saw in the M1 Pro and M1 Max versions of the MacBook Pro: the same flat-edged design, the same mini-LED display, and the same port arrangement. That’s not particularly surprising, as the M1 versions of these laptops themselves featured a major design overhaul. Another big change so soon was not really in the cards.