Foxconn X58 Flaming Blade Pictured
Over the course of the last year, Foxconn's channel division emerged as a mature, seasoned and determined player in the high-end PC motherboard industry. For Intel's new Core i7 platform, Foxconn started off with an enthusiast-grade motherboard called the X58 Blood Rage, and a premium X58 Renaissance model. Over time, the X58 Blood Rage became a series of motherboards based on the scaling-down of its feature-set. The first variant to emerge out of it was the Blood Rage GTI, and now a newer "value" offering: the Blood Rage Flaming Blade.
Pictured by Japanese AKIBA PC Hotline, the Flaming Blade shows a distinct scaling-down of Blood Rage's feature-set, beyond that of the GTI variant, with a remodeled PCB, rearranged components and colour-theme. To begin with the CPU is powered by standard ferrite-core chokes as against the PWM circuitry on the original Blood Rage, and the semi-digital circuitry on the GTI variant. A standard 6-phase circuit is employed. The board continues having three DDR3 DIMM slots. Memory is powered by a two-phase circuit. Instead of four PCI-Express x16 connectors on the other variants, Flaming Blade makes do with only two, with a PCI-E x4 slot added to the mix. There is a notable amount of changes with the placement of connectors and headers. The board reduces the use of red in colour-coding the connectors and slots. The SONAR X-Fi sound card gets replaced by onboard audio, while the rest of the back-panel remains the same in terms of connectors. According to the source, Foxconn is looking to target the US $200~$220 price range with the Flaming Blade. For reference, the third picture below is that of the original Blood Rage.
Sources: Expreview, AKIBA PC Hotline
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Intel Discontinues Core 2 Extreme QX9650 and QX9770
Intel recently informed its partners that as part of its nonstop update process, some of the giants processors that are not competitive anymore are going to be slowly phased out. Both the 3.0GHz Intel QX9650 and the 3.2GHz QX9770 desktop processors will dissapear from market shelves forever. Both processors are no longer listed in Intel's official processor price list. Final orders will be taken till June 5th of this year and the final tray processors are expected to ship February 2, 2010, while boxed versions will ship until September of next year.
Source: TweakTown
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SILICON POWER Releases 256GB 2.5-inch SATA Solid-State Drive
After releasing the 128GB 2.5-inch SATA 3.0Gbps SSD, flash memory manufacturer Silicon Power is expanding its SSD product line with a larger 256GB version. Except for its larger capacity, the new version utilizes MLC Flash and reaches read speeds of 165MB/s and write speeds of 95MB/s. The new 256GB SSD also features an integrated ECC (Error Correction Code) to ensure an accurate data transfer, as well as built-in wear leveling technology that guarantees long-term reliability and ultra-long storage lifespan. Customers can easily install the SSD in laptops, PCs or other devices that support the SATA 3.0Gbps interface.
Source: TweakTown
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ASUS to Completely Phase Out 8.9-inch Eee PCs in 2009
According to Benson Lin, president of ASUSTeK's Asia-Pacific division, the company is all set to send away their 8.9-inch Eee PCs. Prompted by the fact that 10-inch siblings and even bigger models are becoming mainstream in 2009, ASUS will phase out its smaller netbooks. Of ASUSTeK's 2009 Eee PC shipments, 10-inch models will account for 95% of total sales, while the other 5% will be 7-inch models for telecom service operators, Lin said.
Source: DigiTimes
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Gateway Unveils New 14-inch Mainstream Entertainment Laptops
Gateway today extends the popular design and features of its MC Series and MD Series notebook lines to its new compact and lightweight TC Series notebook line, which sports a 14-inch high definition display and an attractive price tag. The Gateway TC Series notebook line is intended to be a mainstream entertainment notebook with a 14-inch 16:9 Ultrabright HD widescreen display with (1366x768 resolution) and plenty of multimedia features. Included are an integrated 1.3 megapixel webcam, 802.11b/g Draft-N wireless, Gigabit Ethernet 5-in-1 media card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS Pro and xD) as well as three USB 2.0 ports and illuminated multimedia touch controls. The first models available are the TC7306u in black and the TC7307u in burgundy. Both notebooks have the same value-focused configuration; they are equipped with an Intel Pentium Dual-Core Mobile T4200 processor (2.00GHz, 1MB L2 cache, 800MHz FSB), 4GB of Dual Channel DDR2 667MHz memory and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M. Transferring and storing large files is easy with the 8x Multi-Format Dual Layer DVDRW and a single high-capacity 320GB hard drive. They both come with a legal copy of Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium with SP1 64-bit. Both machines have a 6-cell Lithium Ion battery and an MSRP of $649.99.
Source: Engadget
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Logitec Releases New 1.5 TB External Hard Drives
Japanese hardware manufacturer Logitec (≠ Logitech) released the new LHD-ED line of 1.5TB external hard drives, variants of which are segregated on the basis of connectivity options:
- Model LHD-EDU2 provides just USB 2.0
- Model LHD-EDFU2 provides USB 2.0 and FireWire
- Model LHD-EDSAU2 provides USB 2.0 and eSATA
Source: TechConnect Magazine
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Dell Inspiron Mini 10 Ships Next Month
E-tailer QVC.com has updated its online offerings to include the latest Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook. Available now for pre-order and first announced at CES in Las Vegas, the small Inspiron Mini 10 will ship to owners who pre-payed $559 for it on March 20, 2009. Those who wish to buy one can choose from six different colors: black, white, red, pink, green, and blue. Specs for all variants are identical and include a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor Z530, 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 500, 10.1" diagonal glass LED display with 1024x576 resolution, and a 160GB hard drive. Dell will ship the netbooks with a legal copy of Windows XP Home SP3 and one year limited warranty.
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(PR) Dell OptiPlex FX160 is First Product to Support SiSM671 Chipset and Intel Atom CPU
SiS today announced the SiSM671 chipset supporting the Intel dual-core Atom 330 CPU has been adopted by Dell for its Flexible Computing Solution the OptiPlex FX160.
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''Wouldn't Rule Out a Renegotiation If We Win The Suit'': Intel
Earlier this week, Intel slapped NVIDIA with a complaint claiming that NVIDIA lacked the privileges derived from earlier agreements between the two companies NVIDIA to make chipsets for Intel's new generation of processors featuring integrated memory controllers. NVIDIA however, dismissed the charges making it clear it didn't have any products in the making that currently violates the agreement, though it feels confident that under the existing agreement it could carry on with development of chipset technologies (more here). Intel pressed fresh charges against NVIDIA which state that the company falsely claimed to have acquired a license to the QuickPath Interconnect technology.
Interestingly, a report by bit-tech.net sheds light on what Intel wants: nothing, while keeping the window open for re-negotiation of agreements between the two companies as an option. Intel does not seek any form of damages from NVIDIA, except merely asking it to pay for its legal fees if Intel wins, a standard practice in court cases. Intel also seems to be using the "re-negotiation" part as a carrot to let NVIDIA concede. "I wouldn't rule out a re-negotiation if we win the suit," said Intel spokesperson Chuck Mulloy, in an interview to bit-tech. "There are options available to us and re-negotiating the license is one of them." he said. The "other options", according to Mulloy, are kept under the wraps, which might as well include termination of the whole agreement, forcing a re-negotiation if NVIDIA needs to continue making core-logic technologies for the Intel platform? Intel has made a redacted version of the complaint public as it may contain some very confidential information that cannot be disclosed. The redacted copy can be read here (PDF). So what is the whole point in this exercise? To make drastic changes in agreements between the two companies by working out a renegotiation? The turn of events in weeks, or even days to come will tell.
Sources: bit-tech.net, IT Examiner
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MSI Preparing Custom GeForce GTX 260 with 1.8 GB Memory
MSI is said to be readying a custom graphics card called the N260GTX Lightning, based on NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 260 GPU. There is currently no word on clock speeds but one would expect this card to come factory overclocked. The graphics card has a custom red PCB, featuring 8+2 phase power, 5000 hour capacitors, 1792 MB of GDDR3, D-Sub, DVI and DisplayPort or HDMI and a dual slot, dual fan cooler, featuring 5 heatpipes. MSI will also be bundling an AirForce panel which appears to allow on the fly adjustments to core and memory voltage, core, shader and memory clock speeds, as well as profile selection and brightness and contrast adjustments. The MSI N260GTX Lightning is expected to make its first official appearance at CeBIT 2009.
Sources: TechConnect , Matbe
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(PR) Patriot Memory Releases Tri-Channel Signature Series
Patriot Memory, a global provider of premium memory module and flash memory solutions, announced today the release of their DDR3 Tri Channel Signature Kits.
"With today's economy, 'value' has become even a greater concern for the consumer. Patriot Memory plans on making sure we provide solutions that provide value and the high quality that has made Patriot Memory a leader in the memory industry," says JR Wakabayashi, Marketing Manager for Patriot Memory.
Coming in kits of 3GB (3 x 1GB) and 6GB (3 x 2GB), Patriot's Signature Tri Channel is being offered at 1066MHZ, Cas Latency 7. The Patriot Tri Channel is compatible with all current X58 DDR3 motherboards.
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(PR) Inno3D Make the i-Chill GTX 260 with Accelero XXX Official
Inno3D today announced the launch of their i-Chill GTX 260 with Accelero XXX, a factory overclocked NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260, featuring Arctic Cooling's Accelero XTREME GTX 280. Dubbed by Inno3D as the Accelero XXX for, Xtreme Performance (30آ°C lower), Xtreme Architecture (3 x 90 mm fans + 5 heatpipes over 110 fins) and Xtreme Silence (PWM support with <30dB noise). The card clocks in at 620 MHz on the core, and 2100 Mhz on the memory. Inno3D have stated that this will be a limited edition card.
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TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.3.2 Released
TechPowerUp announces the availability of GPU-Z version 0.3.2 for download, that expands its GPU detection capabilities, adds new features, and fixes several issues detected with the older version. GPU-Z is our graphics sub-system diagnostic utility that provides information on the computer's installed graphics hardware, their various specifications, and provides real-time updates on their parameters such as clock-speeds, temperatures, and fan-speeds. It backed by our overclock validation system and an extensive video card BIOS database.
Important changes in the current release are as follows:
- Clock reading on ATI cards fixed
- GT200b is now detected as 55 nm
- Added detection for GeForce GT 120, GT 130, GT 130M, FX 5200, 9400 GT, 9600 GSO 512, FX 2700M, 9500 GS, Quadro FX 540M, Quadro FX 3700M, 9650M GT, Quadro FX 370M, 9400 IGP, 9300 IGP, 8200M G, and S3 Chrome 500 Series
- Fixed screen corruption during screenshot of sensors tab
- Added support to show lowest, highest and average reading on sensors tab (click on sensor value to switch)
- Fixed Catalyst version reading
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(PR) WD Delivers My Book World Edition Network Storage Drive with up to 2TB Capacity
WD, the world's leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its newly redesigned My Book World Edition network storage drive, simplifying the critical but tedious task of backing up an entire household's precious files. Designed for consumers who have multiple computers on a home network, the new drive will be available in 1 terabyte and 2 terabyte capacities, and is compatible with PC and Mac computers.
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(PR) OCZ Technology Introduces Alchemy Illuminati Backlit Keyboard
OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and components, today announced the expansion of its peripherals under the Alchemy line, with the introduction of the Illuminati multimedia keyboard series for advanced computing complete with a stylish backlit effect. Featuring a wealth of user-friendly options combined with an ergonomic and sturdy design, the Illuminati's unique combination of features and value won't leave users in the dark.
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(PR) AMD Stockholders Approve New Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
AMD today announced that its stockholders approved a proposal to issue common stock and warrants to an affiliate of Mubadala Development Company PJSC, paving the way for AMD and the Advanced Technology Investment Company of Abu Dhabi to create "The Foundry Company".
With the stockholder approval received today, all closing conditions for the creation of "The Foundry Company" manufacturing joint venture have been met, and the transaction is expected to close by March 2, 2009.
AMD stockholders approved a proposal to issue 58 million shares of the company's common stock and warrants to purchase 35 million shares of its common stock and 35 million shares of the company's common stock upon exercise of those warrants to an affiliate of the Mubadala Development Company PJSC, on the terms described in the proxy statement related to the Special Meeting of Stockholders that was held today in Austin, Texas.
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Mobility Radeon HD 4870 X2 Days Away From Clinching Top Spot
ASUS chose last month's CES event to announce its flagship gaming notebook, the W90. Usual high-end specifications aside, the most distinct component used in it is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4870 X2, AMD's flagship mobile graphics platform, which is on the brink of snatching the performance crown away from NVIDIA for the platform. A North American sales representative for ASUS tells GPU Cafأ© that the W90 will be available from February 23, which perhaps makes it the launch-date for the Mobility HD 4870 X2. It is also noted that the Mobility HD 4670 will be out around the same time, while Mobility HD 4850 will arrive a week or two later.
XtremeSystems forum member Kinc posted some early performance numbers relating to the Mobility HD 4870 X2, featured on the ASUS W90 with an Intel Core 2 Quad T9400, which effortlessly overclocked to 4 GHz on the notebook's stock cooling system. The Mobility HD 4870 X2 carried clock speeds of 600/900 MHz (core/memory). The notebook used Intel's X38 core-logic. At the said parameters, it was put through 3DMark 06. The notebook secured a score of 20,284 3DMarks at default setting. When released, the Mobility Radeon HD 4870 X2 will replace NVIDIA GeForce 9800M GTX SLI as the fastest mGPU solution, replicating a similar feat by its desktop cousin.
Sources: GPU Cafأ©, XtremeSystems
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(PR) Intel Sues NVIDIA Over Chipset License, NVIDIA Responds
In a surprising move by Intel, the silicon giant filed a lawsuit against NVIDIA corporation at the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware, over the chipset licensing agreement between the two companies, that allows NVIDIA to make core-logic (chipset) for Intel microprocessors. Intel's contention states that the licensing agreement signed between the two companies about four years ago, that allowed NVIDIA to make nForce series chipset supporting Intel processors, does not cover the the privileges required by NVIDIA to prepare chipsets for Intel's new generation of processors that feature integrated memory controllers.
As of now, NVIDIA does not stand at the receiving end of any legal action, since the company has no chipset products either released, or in production, that supports Intel's Core i7 series processors. The legal-spat in the making, between the two companies, may however affect NVIDIA's possible plans to develop chipset products for Intel's new 45 nm and 32 nm processors. NVIDIA on its part, defends its position, dismissing Intel's claims. Jen-Hsun Huang, NVIDIA's president and CEO maintained that the license agreement negotiated earlier would still apply, though he did not miss the opportunity to affirm his beliefs that the focus on CPU being the soul (if not the heart) of the PC, is slowly yet surely shifting towards the GPU. "This is clearly an attempt to stifle innovation to protect a decaying CPU business" he said. According to the NVIDIA CEO, it is obvious that Intel fears the competition NVIDIA poses with its platform core-logic innovations, that it had to file the complaint. This spat between the two major computer hardware companies could get uglier in the days to come. The press-release from NVIDIA in response to Intel's charges follows:
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NVIDIA GeForce Driver Version 182.06 WHQL Released
Just over a week since we covered the release of the 182.05 BETA driver, NVIDIA have now released a WHQL with version number 182.06. The driver has been released for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Vista and is for GeForce 6, 7, 8, 9, and 200-series desktop GPUs.
New in Release 182.06:
- Recommended for the best experience in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin.
- Boosts performance in numerous 3D applications. The following are some examples of improvements measured with Release 182.06 WHQL drivers vs. Release 181.22 WHQL drivers (results will vary depending on your GPU, system configuration, and game settings):
- Up to 8% performance increase in Fallout 3 at high resolution and AA.
- Up to 10% performance increase in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin.
- Up to 9% performance increase in Half-Life 2 at high resolution with AA.
- Up to 11% performance increase in Left 4 Dead at high resolution with AA.
- Up to 10% performance increase in Race Driver: GRID at high resolution and AA.
- Includes full support for OpenGL 3.0 on GeForce 8-series, 9-series, and 200-series GPUs.
- Automatically installs the new PhysX System Software version 9.09.0203.
- Additional information on specific bug fixes can be found in the release documentation notes.
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