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:: PC Perspective . News Archive
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.:News Archive ( 5/2009 )
Ryan Shrout | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Processor
The first official meeting we took part in at Computex 2009 was with the GlobalFoundries - the recently created independent silicon manufacturer that was previously simply a part of AMD. The company officially launched in March of this year and just last month we spent some time with company executives and the site of their upcoming New York fabrication facility to talk about the future of their process and customer base.
About $25,000 worth of wafer technology rests on this simple table. In Taiwan for the annual Computex convention, GlobalFoundries is meeting with the local and international press to showcase some of the new and upcoming technologies that will soon be offered to customers OTHER than just AMD. 
AMD's upcoming Istanbul processor, a 6-core Opteron, is shown. Of course, it never hurts to get the media's attention if you have a previously unreleased product on hand; this was the case for the first images of the 45nm AMD Istanbul wafer seen here. Built in Fab 1 Module 1 in Dresden, Germany, the Istanbul architecture is arguably one of the most complex designs in current CPU technology. 
A 32nm SOI test wafer on display. 32nm is a already well on its way to being ready for mass production and the GlobalFoundries team was showing off an SOI test wafer built with some simple CPU logic and memory. GF claims that the 32nm process will increase transistor performance by as much as 40% compared to current 45nm technology. 32nm technology, both SOI and bulk, will be the first generation of High-K metal gate technology from GF as well. 32nm SOI technology will be shipping in 2010 in an AMD design though GF does have a 32nm bulk technology that they will begin accepting orders for in the second half of this year. 
First image of a 28nm SRAM bulk test wafer. After the introduction of the 32nm technology, GlobalFoundries will release a 28nm technology tested and ready to go for taking orders in early 2010 with full-scale production later in the year. Compared to the 32nm process, GF expects to see some significant power and size reductions on 28nm that could potentially really spotlight that particular process as the target for GPU architectures going forward. 28nm technology will also be the 3rd generation of immersion lithography and 2nd generation High-K metal gate design. 28nm is also the target technology that GlobalFoundries believes they will have a big advantage over the competing TSMC process of the same level. It is likely then that once GF has the 28nm wafers ready for production we will see the number of customers that the fabrication company acquires spike. We'll have more information on GlobalFoundries as we find it this week in Taiwan! I have provided a few close ups of the wafers seen above for the curious!! 
45nm AMD 'Istanbul' SOI wafer - you can count all six cores 
32nm SOI test wafer 
28nm SRAM wafer
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective Forums | Subject: General Tech
[H]ard|OCP may have started this particular trend but it takes a PC Perspective Forum member to test CPUs to destruction to determine what other common household items work best. Apparently Celeron + Toothpaste = Win. In a slightly less bizarre thread, a member is trying to compile a list of other members favourite monitor brands. It doesn't matter what size or technology the display uses, they simply want to know what your favourite brand is. Of course, if you are using 4 monitors or so, you might have multiple favourites to go along with the odd problems that sometimes crop up on multi-display systems. The Video Forum is great for clearing up any confusions you might have concerning your graphics, unless it's happened on a laptop, in which case you are best off heading straight for the SFF/HTPC/Mobile Forum.
Dropping by the Hardware Leaderboard isn't a bad idea right now, it's newly updated and every recommended rig, from the Bargain system up is now using DDR3; the prices are just too attractive to pass up! You can also grab the audio only version of this weeks PCPer Podcast right here. The video version is rerun on TWiT, but with Computex making life interesting, the video version is not yet on the front page. Keep your eyes peeled for its arrival. If, on the other hand, you are more in need of cheering up with the latest and (theoretically) greatest on the web then it's off to the Off Topic Forum for you. No seriousness required, just a good sense of humour. If you are feeling more serious than silly, The Lightning Round is likely to strike your fancy. Whatever you chose you are bound to come away enriched!
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: iXBT Labs | Subject: Processor
iXBT has put three Intel Core 2 processors through some serious testing. A pair of boards, one supporting DDR2 and one DDR3 give them a broad choice of timings and frequencies to test. The E6600, E8200 and QX9770 all get a work out as they try various DDR2 and DDR3 memory frequencies to determine the sweet spots. Drop by to see if you really are willing to spend the money it takes for the fastest memory, for a 6-8% gain in performance.
"In case of popular Core 2 processors with 1066/1333MHz FSB, it makes sense to use dual-channel memory of much higher bandwidth than the nominal FSB can provide. If we consider DDR2-667 the reference point, fast DDR2 or DDR3 memory can bring a 6-8% performance gain in real applications." Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: GIGABYTE Technology | Subject: Show and Expo
City of Industry, May 29, 2009 - GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards and other computing hardware solutions will showcase their latest range of innovative motherboards featuring GIGABYTE's 24-phase power VRM design and Smart 6 technologies at Computex 2009. Also on offer will be a sneak peek at various motherboard models featuring the highly anticipated Intel P55 chipset series, as well as the GA-MA785G-UD3H based on the exciting AMD 785G chipset. The first of its kind, GIGABYTE's proprietary 24-phase power VRM is designed to enhance efficiency of power delivery to the CPU while reducing heat essentially by spreading the workload over the 24 power phases. Other key features of the VRM include the use of only the highest caliber components to provide the most reliable and durable high-performance motherboards. The new technologies that are being unveiled are not only limited to hardware; GIGABYTE will also introduce smarter computing with its Smart 6 Technologies that have been designed with user-friendliness in mind. They include SMART QuickBoot, SMART Recorder, SMART TimeLock, SMART Recovery, SMART QuickBoost and SMART DualBIOS for easier, smarter PC system management. Intel Platform
AMD Platform
Also on showcase will be the GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-UD3H that offers stunning DirectX 10.1 gaming and fluid computing with ATI Stream technology. The GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-UD3H features the latest AMD 785G chipset with ATI RADEON HD 4200 graphics and is AMD's Mainstream Desktop solution for Microsoft Windows 7.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Legit Reviews | Subject: Case and Cooling
From the over sized 1200g, $120 CoolerMaster V10 to the 550g, $36 Spire TherMax II, Legit Reviews has gathered a bakers dozen of LGA1366 coolers to see which can deal with Nehalem's heat the best. With honoured names like Thermaltake, Thermalright and Spire you might expect the big guys to take the prize, after all they have been making heatsinks since the days when 100g of aluminium and a 40mm fan were enough. Surprisingly it is a relative newcomer, the Titan Fenrir that takes the top prize.
"At first I had mixed feelings the new top air cooler, the Titan Fenrir TTC-NK85TZ. With never having used or seen a review for a Titan cooler before I didn’t know what to expect. When I picked up the Fenrir it didn’t have the “feel” of a solid cooler like the NH-U12P or the Ultra 120. I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the numbers come up, and I’m looking forward to see more offerings from Titan..." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: TechFragments | Subject: General Tech
Available in yellow, red or white gold with white or black trim and with 59 diamonds in either a flower pattern or a scattered pattern, this Swiss made mouse is really something else. So what if it only has an 800dpi resolution and a total of three buttons, at over $20,000 it's the most expensive mouse on the planet!
Follow the link over at TechFragments to order yours now. "Shopping for a new mouse? Got $20k to blow? Well then we have the the mouse for you! The world's most expensive computer mouse, cast from 18 carat white gold and set with 59 brilliant cut diamonds. "A perfect gift for a 60th wedding anniversary, as diamond is the traditional gift for this event, it is also a great choice for a 50th wedding anniversary, as Gold is the traditional gift for this event!" the site says that sells the mouse. I don't know about you, but I don't have $20k burning a hole in my pocket!" Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: HDMI.org | Subject: General Tech
HDMI cables are getting even more fun to identify with the advent of the 1.4 revision. Five different types will now exist for various applications, for instance the High Speed version will support up to 3840x2160 @ 24Hz/25Hz/30Hz or 4096x2160 @ 24Hz and will support 3D applications. Another interesting version has the ability to pass data over a network connection at up to 100MB making transfers of data or browsing much easier. For more information head straight to the source, HDMI.org.
"Consumers will also see new HDMI cables introduced to the market. In order to take advantage of the HDMI Ethernet Channel, consumers will need to purchase either a Standard HDMI cable with Ethernet, or a High Speed HDMI cable with Ethernet. Consumers connecting an external device to an in-vehicle HDMI-enabled HD system will need the new Automotive HDMI cable. Consumers can expect to see new HDMI 1.4 cables introduced to the market when new HDMI 1.4 devices are available. Consumers will have a choice of the following HDMI cables:
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Report | Subject: Storage
If you haven't heard or seen this weeks podcast yet, we offer a bit of background to take into our discussion of the state of SATA drives. The Tech Report fired up some heavily used SSDs from Corsair, OCZ and Intel to see just how the performance has degraded, if at all. It is also a study of the controllers, from Indilinx, Samsung and Intel as the controller is one of the major influences on the change of speed of an SSD over time. Head on over to get a firm grasp on the controller and the changing firmware, and then give the podcast a listen.
"Many would argue solid-state drives are the future of PC storage, but some of today's SSDs apparently aren't as resilient as one might expect. Drives based on Indilinx's "Barefoot" IDX110M00-LC controller are a case in point. In a recent SSD round-up, we discovered that although Barefoot-based OCZ Vertex and Super Talent UltraDrive ME drives excelled in synthetic tests like HD Tach and IOMeter, they suffered from surprisingly poor real-world write and file copy performance. Our results were consistent and repeatable within the confines of our test environment, so we probed deeper in an attempt determine the true nature of the issue." Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Legit Reviews | Subject: System
The Axentra HipServ Plug is a tiny little box (110mm x 69.5mm x 48.5 mm) powered by a 1.2GHz Marvell Sheeva CPU with 512MB of NAND storage memory and 512MB of DDR2. To interface with it you have a USB 2.0 slot and a gigabit NIC, and to power it up, you simply plug it into a mains power wall wart. All the interface is web based, as you might assume from it's size, shape and lack of video output. Legit Reviews does feel it is a work in progress, they used an 8GB USB key that was pre-formatted and it worked fine but when they connected a 1TB USB hard drive, things did not go so smoothly. Take a look at 'plug based' computing here.
You might also want to drop by the PC Perspective Hardware Leaderboard, it has been thoroughly updated and now only features DDR3 based systems. "Besides being a web server and UPnP media server, the HipServ Plug also sports a slick backup software suite. For this you must install the appropriately named HipServDesktopApplication. Once the application is installed, fire it up, and it'll search the network for a HipServ. Upon finding one it'll ask you for login credentials and then let you setup a backup sequence. I've been doing daily backups of my review photo archive and it has been working like a charm..." Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: NVIDIA | Subject: Mobile
SANTA CLARA, CA-MAY 28, 2009-Todays students and young professionals need a versatile notebook that can serve as their workhorse by day and entertainment center at night. The new Dell Studio 14z powered by the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor provides a perfect blend of performance and portability with graphics support for gaming, HD video, and creative self-expression. The GeForce 9400M in the Dell Studio 14z delivers up to five times faster graphics performance than Centrino 2 notebooks to accelerate image editing, video playback, and video conversion. With vReveal, the Studio 14z can fix grainy, shaky video twice as fast as comparable notebooks1, and then let you upload the video to YouTube in minutes. The Studio 14z is also ideal for quickly converting video from desktop resolution to a personal media player. By running Badaboom Media Converter software on the GeForce 9400M, users can convert video up to 6 times faster than using a comparable notebook with standard integrated graphics. Starting at only $649, the Studio 14z is the most affordable GeForce 9400M GPU-based notebook in North America. Yet it is powerful enough to deliver a superb high definition Blu-ray movie experience with an optional Blu-ray drive on the notebook’s screen, or onto a larger screen via HDMI. "Our groundbreaking GeForce 9400M graphics processor gives the Dell Studio 14z superior performance at a solid value," said Rene Haas, general manager for notebook GPUs at NVIDIA. "It delivers a great experience whether you’re working or playing, catching up with your friends on Facebook, enjoying high definition video, or playing games like World of WarCraft." This is the second Dell notebook to feature the GeForce 9400M graphics processor, following the January introduction of the Dell Studio XPS 13. The Dell Studio One 19 desktop PC also features GeForce 9400M. The GeForce 9400M GPU boasts 16 CUDA parallel processing cores to deliver:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: techPowerUp! | Subject: General Tech
We have all heard great things about in ear headphones, and how the sound quality and noise isolation are worth every penny it costs you to get a hold of them. Of course, they work better if the rubber nub that heads into your ear canal is custom fitted, and being able to pick your own colours and styles is nice as well. The drawback is that it will cost you several hundred dollars to try them out. techPowerUp has a review of some less expensive in-ear headphones which might make trying out this style of headphones a little more attractive. The Cresyn C750E phones have great sound and will only run you $100.
"Cresyn C750E is the name of an interesting set of in-ears, from a relatively unknown manufacturer. The C750Es feature a sweet bundle and a well thought out design. With a price point of $100 they are positioned nicely for the average user who wants to get decent sound quality on the move without breaking the bank." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Register | Subject: Case and Cooling
Windows 7's kernel is zipped up tightly against buffer overflow attacks, or at least more so than previous OSes. Microsoft has added safe unlinking to the already in use protections known as Data Execution Prevention and Address Space Layout Randomization which help prevent against overflow attacks. The basic idea in this new preventative
measure is to check each memory block before it is deallocated, and returning a fatal error if that blocks integrity has been compromised. Drop by The Register for a brief overview.
"Microsoft engineers have fortified the latest version of Windows with a feature designed to make it significantly harder for attackers to exploit bugs that may be lurking deep inside the operating system. The safeguard is called safe unlinking, and it's been dropped into a part of the Windows 7 kernel that allocates and deallocates chunks of memory. Safe unlinking performs a series of checks before entries are removed to make sure attackers aren't trying to exploit the operating system using what's known as a pool overrun." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: AMD | Subject: Graphics Card
SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- May 28, 2009 --AMD (NYSE: AMD) announced that users of its computing platforms can accelerate new video editing and processing software from a range of developers, designed to vastly reduce the time required to perform increasingly popular, but highly compute intensive tasks like converting a large, high-definition file into something suitable for viewing on a portable media player. AMD is able to accelerate this process by taking advantage of ATI Stream technology, a set of advanced hardware and software technologies that enable AMD GPUs to work in concert with its CPUs to accelerate applications beyond just graphics. As one example, comparative benchmark data of the video transcoding acceleration possible via ATI Stream technology shows impressive results.
Supporting Resources
Ryan Shrout | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: General Tech
Update: Thanks to all who tuned in for the (longer than normal) show!!
Thursdays at 10pm ET you get to us record the PC Perspective Podcast LIVE!! 
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Email | Subject: Mobile
Twinsburg, OH (MMD Newswire) May 27, 2009 -- AVADirect, a leading customer computer integrator, has begun offering a Core i7 notebook for sale on its website. AVADirect will be the first official consumer and business retail outlet for this new notebook. AVADirect has already begun taking pre-orders as of last week and plans to ship out the notebooks to expecting customers first week in July. This new notebook being offered is a big step toward a truly workstation replacement. Unlike previous notebooks utilizing specialized notebook motherboards and components, this notebook is utilizing a desktop processor and desktop components. While power usage will be higher, AVADirect does not need to wait until Intel or some other company designs and implements mobile offerings of current desktop hardware. Notebook hardware always lags behind desktop hardware in terms of technology in power by 6 to 12 months as the hardware needs to be redesigned for notebook usage. By using a desktop Core i7 processor, the notebook is able to enjoy all the benefits that accompany this hardware platform. Some of the benefits include triple-channel memory, a first ever in a notebook design. Also, the memory in this notebook is high-speed DDR3 memory, running as high as 1333 MHz, with 1600 MHz on the horizon from several memory manufacturers. With an on-board memory controller found only in current Intel Core i7 processors, these notebooks will enjoy over four times the memory bandwidth of older notebook technology. Other benefits of this platform is the re-introduction of Simultaneous Multi-Threading, SMT for short, otherwise known as HyperThreading when it was first introduced on Pentium 4 processors. SMT allows for a single processor core to work on two threads at the same time, effectively doubling the core count that the operating sees. With the current Core i7 processors having four cores, SMT virtualizes up to eight cores, allowing for even the biggest applications to be run faster than ever. The D900F is not an entirely new design. It was based on an older model known as the D901C. This model again used a desktop processor and desktop components, but was based on the ageing Core 2 technology which limited its total overall performance. However, this system implemented a few features which can be found on the D900F such as the ability to hold three hard drives, Bluetooth, WUXGA 17" LCD screen, wireless N, internal card reader, Blu-Ray reader and writer, webcam, and a full size keyboard. Full specifications of the system can be seem below. 
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PCStats | Subject: General Tech
The brilliant white finish on this Sparkle GTX260 isn't the most unique thing on this card, it is the 216 shader processors, 24 more than a standard GTX260 that stands out. The heat management isn't anything to laugh at, PC Stats hit a rather impressive overclock, reaching 682MHz core and 1221MHz memory. It doesn't quite hit the point where is faster than an HD4890, which is unfortunate as nVIDIA would like to see a reclamation of the top spot. It does perform on par with the HD4870, and at roughly the same price point so your decision might end up based on CrossfireX versus SLI.
"Sparkle has teamed up with nVidia to produce the Sparkle GTX260 Core 216, a graphics card that stands as a direct challenger to AMD's Radeon 4870 graphics card. The "Core 216" part of the Sparkle GTX260 Core 216 videocard's name refers to the GPU having additional shader processors enabled. While the original Geforce 260 GTX had 192 shader processors, the Core 216 variant has an additional 24 enabled, for a grand total of, you guessed it, 216 shader processors." Here are some more Graphics Card articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Kingston Technology | Subject: Memory
Fountain Valley, CA - May 27, 2009 - Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it is first to market with DDR3 1600MHz 12GB triple-channel memory kits. The HyperX kit of three 4GB modules allows enthusiasts to get the most out of their Intel Core i7 and X58 platforms. "Kingston was first to release 2GHz kits and has continued to lead the memory charge with more DDR3 offerings since Intel created the triple-channel architecture," said Mark Tekunoff, senior technology manager, Kingston. "Our latest kit of three was tested with great success on the Asus P6T Deluxe motherboard and runs at a speedy 1600MHz to take full advantage of the memory controller on the Core i7 processor for unmatched performance." The 12GB kit is the largest kit available in the HyperX family of triple-channel memory solutions. Other kits are available in 3GB and 6GB capacities with frequencies up to 2GHz. Kingston HyperX is backed by a lifetime warranty and free 24/7 technical support. For detailed information please visit the Kingston Web site at www.kingston.com.
information please visit the Kingston Web site at www.kingston.com.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Hexus | Subject: Case and Cooling
Steam is hosting another free weekend, this time featuring Unreal Tournament 3 Black Edition. Don't get too excited about the Black label as that simply indicates you have downloaded and installed the free Titan Pack. If, like some who have purchased UT3 when it first came out and haven't touched it in months, you can install and activate the full Black Edition over Steam by providing your CD Key. Who knows, maybe enough people will see the game on Steam or in HEXUS' quick article here that there might actually be someone to play with.
It still won't have Onslaught though. "Unreal Tournament 3 together with the free Titan Pack constitutes Unreal Tournament 3 Black. The Titan Pack is a bonus pack with loads of enhancements and new content including environments, the Titan mutator, the Greed and Betrayal gametypes, the Stealthbender vehicle, weapons, deployables, characters and more. Unreal Tournament 3 Black also includes over 50 Steamworks Achievements." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Ars Technica | Subject: General Tech
Users of some versions of Windows Vista and Server 2008 can grab Service Pack 2 from TechNet or Windows update if they are so inclined. It is not an automatic update, so you won't have to worry about it sneaking onto your system if you would like to wait to see how stable the update is, but expect to see it there on June 30th. About 800 fixes are rolled up into this service pack, from virtualization
improvements, to networking changes to native Blu-Ray recording, there is a lot to look forward to. Drop by Ars Technica for an overview of the top changes.
"After a lengthy development cycle that included delays and furious testing, Microsoft has finally given the public Service Pack 2 for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 (final build is 6.0.6002.18005). You can download the installer from the Microsoft Download Center: 32-bit (348.3MB), 64-bit (577.4MB), and IA64 (450.4MB). There's also an ISO image (1376.8MB) that contains these installers. The installers will work on English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish versions of either Vista or Server 2008. Other language versions will arrive later. Those interested in slipstreamed versions of Vista and Server 2008 with SP2 will need to get an MSDN or TechNet subscription." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: VIA Arena | Subject: System
Taipei, Taiwan, May 27, 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced the adoption of its VIA Nano processor by Shuttle Inc. in its latest ultra small form factor PC, the fanless Shuttle XS29F. Ideal for home office or small business environments where space is often at a premium, the Shuttle XS29F is completely fanless for near silent operation. The VIA Nano-powered Shuttle XS29F takes performance efficiency and low noise to new levels of genius, combining a low profile, unobtrusive design with the superior multimedia and productivity performance of the VIA Nano processor. From office applications and browser-based tasks, to high-end multimedia playback, the XS29F excels where other fanless SFF systems falter. SME and SOHO users will also benefit from a lower TCO through reduced energy consumption and lower fuel bills. "The VIA Nano processor is designed from the ground up to offer that long sought after blend of performance and energy efficiency", said Richard Brown, Vice President of International Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Shuttle have leveraged this to produce a remarkable device that redefines the modern desktop in terms of both size and noise." "The Shuttle XS29 Slim series offers small but can do it all functionality that meets VIA's design strategy of small is beautiful," said David Yu, chairman of Shuttle Inc. "By adopting the VIA Nano processor, the Shuttle XS29 Slim series takes advantage of performance and power efficiency that makes it ahead of its kind, and perfectly suited for any modern living room or office." 
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Case and Cooling
If you are building a new greener machine, one of the key areas to focus on is the PSU. If it has lousy efficiency it doesn't matter that it is not a 1000W PSU, it will drain a lot more energy than is needed. Stepping up to the challenge is the Enermax Liberty ECO 500W Power Supply, whose very name implies efficiency. Strangely, it only claims an 80+ rating, from Lee's testing you can see that this PSU deserves an 80+ Bronze. It is also nice to see Enermax didn't sacrifice everything for the sake of the ECO branding, a pair of 24A 12V rails can together deliver up to 38A and along with the 2 PCI-E connectors ensure you are not stuck with a sub par graphics card.
"The new Liberty ECO 500W power supply from Enermax delivered very good voltage regulation with clean outputs and excellent efficiency. On top of that, the Liberty ECO 500W proved to be one of the quietest PC power supplies we have tested to date in this power range. Throw in support for high-end graphic adapters, a compact chassis that will fit in most any ATX style case, and plenty of peripheral connectors and you have a very attractive PSU package! These new power supplies from Enermax should be of particular interest to anyone building a HTPC or silent PC." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: ECS | Subject: Motherboard
Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) announces the latest Intel P55 chipset based Black Series motherboard in Computex 2009 held in Taipei, Taiwan June 2-6. The brand new Intel P55 chipset based Black Series motherboard, ECS P55H-A, is designed to deliver Intel's first mainstream performance platform supporting the revolutionary Nehalem architecture. Come to see this new platform with exciting next-generation technologies at TICC (Hall 4) Room#105 in Computex 2009. Supports Lynnfield Processor
Features of ECS Black Series Motherboards
The P55H-A motherboard fully supports the upcoming Lynnfield processor delivering incredible speed and efficiency for faster multi-tasking, gaming and multimedia creation performance that takes your PC's performance to the next level. Features
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Guru of 3D | Subject: Case and Cooling
Assuming Intel does eventually manage to release the Core I5 and other LGA1156 socket chips, Cooler Master will be ready. Their new Hyper 212 Plus will work with LGA 775, 1156 and 1366
as well as s939, AM2 and AM3 though a case may be a problem at it's overall size is 116x51x159mm. As a large sized cooler, fitting a 120mm fan is easy which will lower both noise and temperatures, in theory. The Guru of 3D's testing proved that this new improved Hyper 212 sits on the good side of the middle of the pack when compared against other choices in heatsinks.
"Cooler Master has been updating their product lineup extensively lately; everything from their elite cases like the HAF series towards all sorts of coolers. Today another new cooler sees the light, Well new ... it's actually the Hyper 212 cooler we reviewed a long time ago that is being updated, overhauled one could say. The updated Hyper 212 is now called the Hyper 212 Plus and it will be Cooler Master’s first of many LGA1156 and LGA1156/1366 compatible coolers to come. Again we spot DHT as in Direct contact heat-pipes, dual fan cooling options and new PWM fans are now included into this cooler design." Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Daily Tech | Subject: General Tech
JMicron might just become the most beloved storage controller company on the planet if Daily Tech is right. This may seem a little odd as the rushed out JMF602 and JMF602B have been destroying the random write performance of cheaper SSDs. Some companies figured out a fix, SSDs like OCZ's Apex and G.Skill's Titan
depend on two controllers and a RAID chip to deal with the performance problems without raising prices into the land of the Intel X25-M. The next generation of SSD will use a new type of NAND and may well use the new JMF612 controller. This new generation uses an ARM9 with 32KB of ROM and 128KB of RAM at its core, and it will support up to 256MB of DDR
or DDR2 DRAM for an external cache. The JMF612 will support NCQ, AES,
ECC and a whole alphabet of features that will be the standard with SATA-II.
Along with the features comes the most important part of this announcement, the performance gap between SSDs using JMicron controllers and those using Samsung or Indilinx should narrow. If that does indeed happen, those higher end controllers are going to have to reduce prices to compete and that will mean cheaper SSDs for everyone. "DailyTech has learned that JMicron will be unveiling a new NAND flash controller for use in Solid State Drives (SSDs) in the near future. The JMF612 chip uses an ARM9 core in a 289-ball TFBGA package, and will support the use of up to 256MB of DDR or DDR2 DRAM as an external cache. The new chip was designed to remedy stuttering problems during random write operations, which has plagued SSDs using the JMF602 flash controller. JMicron rushed out a JMF602B chip to address shortcomings, but was only partially successful. Several firms decided to combine two JMF602B chips and an internal RAID chip from JMicron to boost performance. Although it raised costs significantly, it was still cheaper than controllers from Samsung and Indilinx, which were not yet available at the time. It was for this reason that SSDs like OCZ's Apex and G.Skill's Titan series were born." Here are some more Storage reviews from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Digitimes | Subject: General Tech
nVIDIA's Tesla card hasn't been in the news lately, once the initial buzz from its release wore off it faded into the background. Transtec may reverse that with their CUDA supercomputers, built off of the Tesla cards. One model offers 4 teraflops of computing power for all your mainframe level needs. This is a big score for nVIDIA, as up until now there have been few companies willing to build using the new GPU based machines and the power that nVIDIA bragged about was only being used for their own PR. As The Inquirer points out, you had better have deep pockets, the 4 teraflop model will set you back about $16,000.
"CUSTOMISED HARDWARE MAKER, Transtec, has unveiled a couple of rather compact Cuda supercomputers based on Nvidia's
Tesla graphics cards, boasting up to four Teraflops of computing power.
Transtec's 1000W Cuda supercomputer - which the firm is touting as "an individual supercomputing workstation" - sports two Tesla C1060 cards with over four Gigabytes of storage each, an Nvidia Quadro NVS 290 graphics card, 8 Gigabytes of RAM, an Intel Core 2 duo and a 160 Gigabyte SATA-2 hard disk for a purported two Teraflops of computing power, all packed into a small(ish) 43 cm high by 53 cm deep tower." Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
Ryan Shrout | Source: PC Perspective | Subject: Processor
Sure, the show won't even start until next week, but why can't they give out the awards BEFORE hand?
VIA Nano Processor Platform Receives Coveted
'Best of Computex' Award High performance, low power VIA Nano processor, together with the new VIA VX855 Media System Processor, is recognized for excellence in mobile platforms Computex, Taipei, Taiwan - May 26, 2009 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today announced that the VIA Nano processor and VIA VX855 digital media IGP chipset received the 'Best of Computex' award from the Taiwan Computer Association (TCA) and the Taiwan Trade Council (TAITRA) during a ceremony today. Nominated in the LSI/VLSI Category for Mobile Platforms, the VIA entry was honored for its power efficiency, miniaturization and optimized performance, enabling system builders to design ever smaller, lighter, and more portable systems. And with increasing consumer focus on multimedia capabilities, also praised was the platform's ability to offer true 1080p HD video playback through support for full hardware acceleration of the widest variety of leading video standards including H.264, MPEG-2/4, VC-1 and WMV9. "We are delighted to receive this award and the attention it brings to VIA's focus on producing innovative, leading-edge mobile platform hardware," said Epan Wu, Director of CPU Product Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "Together, the VIA VX855 chipset and VIA Nano processor offer the ideal blend of performance and power efficiency needed to address the key requirements of today's small form factor and mobile PC systems." Live demonstrations of the VIA Nano processor and the VIA VX855 Media System Processor are on display on the second floor of the Taipei International Conference Centre, room 201D. For more information, please visit the VIA website at: http://www.via.com.tw/en/company/events/computex2009/index.jsp About the VIA Nano Processor The first 64-bit, superscalar, speculative out-of-order processors in VIA's x86 platform portfolio, VIA Nano processors have been specifically designed to revitalize traditional desktop and notebook PC markets, delivering truly optimized performance for the most demanding computing, entertainment and connectivity applications. The VIA Nano processor family leverages Fujitsu's advanced 65 nanometer process technology for enhanced power efficiency, and augments that with aggressive power and thermal management features within the compact 21mm x 21mm nanoBGA2 package for an idle power as low as 100mW (0.1W), extending the reach of power efficient green and silent PCs, thin and light notebooks and mini-notes around the world. About the VIA VX855 Media System Processor The VIA VX855 MSP integrates a high performance DDR2 memory controller, a 400/800 MHz FSB processor interface, and extensive I/O capabilities (such as 6 x USB 2.0, SDIO, UART, SPI, LPC and SMBus) in a single chip. Support for the integrated VIA Chrome9 HCM Graphics Processor, HD audio controller, and a host of display interfaces in its in-built LVDS transmitter, CMOS LCD and CRT interfaces, allows for more flexible multimedia playback options. An advanced graphics experience is powered by a high frequency 2D/3D graphic engine and video decode acceleration. The high performance image processing features include support for hardware acceleration of leading video standards as well as up to three audio streams of up to eight channels each, with 32-bit sample depth and sample rates up to 192 kHz. VIA Nano Processor and VIA VX855 Chipset Availability The VIA Nano processor and VIA VX855 Media System Processor are available now for OEMs and motherboard vendors.
Ryan Shrout | Source: The Inquirer | Subject: Graphics Card
NVIDIA might have thought it was all going to be rosy news over the weekend, what with the announcement of the Lenovo S12 notebook integrating the NVIDIA ION chipset, but not if this story pans out. Apparently Dell is on the edge of removing NVIDIA from its entire lineup of desktop and notebook PCs. If true, this could be very bad news for NVIDIA. The Inquirer believes that NVIDIA's problems with GPUs in notebooks (and some desktops) forcing vendors like Dell and HP to face some harsh criticism from customers is finally going to bite them where it hurts most: the wallet.
The story posits that if you search around Dell.com for a new system, fewer and fewer NVIDIA graphics options are showing up though Charlie does indicate several places where NVIDIA's cards continue to claim a spot. For notebooks, the length of time for a new design is what is causing the NVIDIA parts to be removed at a slower pace, the article goes on to say. The NVIDIA options are being replaced with AMD/ATI graphics and even CrossFire in some instances.
This is definitely a story to keep an eye on and I imagine that we'll be getting a fair dose of contact from the PR inside NVIDIA telling us ALL ABOUT the various options with NVIDIA products. On the non-AIW desktop side, there isn't a single Nvidia card in a Dell machine that I could find other than in the XPS line. Gone, poof, almost overnight. The high-end gaming boxes are where Nvidia theoretically should shine. Its image hasn't been as tarnished among the fanboi set to the degree it has elsewhere. That said, there are three lines of XPS machines, the 625, the 630, and the 730, each with four sub-models. The 625 line is entirely devoid of Nvidia cards, but Dell offers multiple ATI graphics card configurations, including several versions of CrossfireX. One of the four 630 models has no Nvidia graphics option, two of the remaining ones have more ATI choices than Nvidia options, and the fourth has two from each vendor. On the top of the heap in the 730 models, where Nvidia has traditionally dominated, one 730 model has no Nvidia option at all while the others offer cards from both graphics vendors about equally. Nvidia is hanging on by its fingernails on the high end, likely because of gaming fanbois more than anything else.
Ryan Shrout | Source: Digitimes | Subject: Processor
An odd little story is popping up at Digitimes tonight that seems to contradict itself by claiming that Intel's Lynnfield processors (we are still calling them the Core i5 until told otherwise) are being delayed until September of of this year though both motherboards and CPUs will be available in August.
This delay will not only apply to the Core i5 series of CPUs but also to the 5-series of chipsets and associated motherboards likely to be shown off next week in Taiwan during the annual Computex show. 
When will Lynnfield see the light of day? Last month we had a detailed article that looked into the delay on the Intel Core i5 parts - and our theory of a late 2009 introduction appears to be coming to fruition. It would seem that pressure from board partners may be one of the key factors in the delay as the abundance of 4-series chipsets still on hand during the slow economy would be a huge issue for companies like ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI. Digitimes does list prices for three frequencies of Core i5 CPU (2.93 GHz, 2.8 GHz and 2.67 GHz) though its hard to believe those numbers if the parts themselves continue to be pushed back deeper into 2009. Intel has decided to postpone the debut of its new mainstream desktop PC platform, Lynnfield processors (tentatively Core i5) and 5-series chipsets, from July as originally scheduled, to early September 2009, according to sources at motherboard makers. However, Core i5 processors will be available early for retail sale in late August, while P55-based motherboards will appear even sooner in mid-August, the sources noted. Due to the global economic downturn driving down market demand, Intel expects the launch will allow more time for 4-series inventory to deplete. Intel plans to launch three Core i5 CPUs with frequencies of 2.93GHz, 2.8GHz and 2.66GHz and priced at US$562, US$284 and US$196 in thousand-unit tray quantities. All of them will feature a TDP of 95W. The P55 chipset will be priced at US$40. The entry-level Havendale processor is scheduled to launch in January next year, while P57, H57 and H55 chipsets will launch in the first quarter next year.
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: The Tech Zone | Subject: Mobile
Although very difficult to find on sale, the Acer Aspire One Linux Netbook
will run you about $100 less than the Windows powered version, so slightly over $200. At that price you cannot expect a supercomputer, but this 8.9-inch netbook runs Linpus Linux Lite on an Atom N270 processor with 512MB RAM, and 8GB flash NAND storage, Intel 945GME graphics, Wi-Fi and numerous other features common to netbooks so you are not missing out on anything. Drop by The Tech Zone for a look at this mobile little Linux box.
"One of the most affordable netbooks on the market today is the Acer Aspire One lineup, particularly when you look at the lower end of the scale. While its specs won’t best some of its more expensive compatriots, the cheap Aspire One is just as capable of checking your email, watching some YouTube videos, and surfing around on TheTechZone. At just a touch over $200, it’s even cheaper than a lot of smartphones on the market." Here are some more Mobile articles from around the web:
Jeremy Hellstrom | Source: Think Computers | Subject: Memory
At over $200 the Crucial Ballistix Tracer Blue DDR3-1600 DDR3 kit isn't the cheapest on the market, but speeds above 1066MHz are still a small enough niche to demand a high price. The voltage is right on Intel's spec of 1.65V and the timings are fairly impressive for the overall frequency at 8-8-8-24. The biggest change from previous Tracer DIMMs is the colour, these guys have blue LEDs for those who like that sort of thing and there are red, green, and multicolored Tracers if the blue doesn't match the current ambiance of your case. Drop by Think Computers to see how they perform.
"Our friends at Crucial are definitely onboard, they have released new Ballistix Tracer triple channel kits. If you didn't know, Crucial Tracer memory modules have LEDs on the PCB to lend an interesting light display to your case interior. Today I will be looking at one of these, the Crucial Ballistix Tracer Blue DDR3-1600 6GB kit. Yes, the Tracer is now in blue, to match the lighting in a majority of rigs. Will the Tracer Blue live up to the high expectations we always have for Crucial products? Read on to see!" Here are some more Memory articles from around the web:
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