CoreI5-540m
Latest
Intel Core i5-580M speeding toward a fall release at 2.66GHz?
The Core i5-540M is still quite rare on the ground, but we're hearing word that Intel is already prepping the assembly line for its successor. A new Core i5-580M has been dug up by the sleuths at Notebook Italia, who say it'll run at a default 2.66GHz and ramp up to 3.33GHz via Turbo Boost when needed. Those numbers compare favorably to the 2.53GHz and 3.06GHz of the 540M, and if Intel and company get their timing right,the 580M should be stealing some of that Core i7 thunder just in time for the back to school shopping rush. Won't hear any complaining from us if that turns out to be the case.
MSI's customizable GX640 gaming notebook now shipping
MSI's gaming laptops have looked the same for years, but we aren't going to judge. As Mother always told us, it's what's inside that counts, and the new GX640 -- now stateside after a two month vacation in Europe -- is quite the upgrade. That familiar red-and-black chassis now houses a 2.26GHz Core i5-540M alongside 4GB of DDR3 memory, and the 1680 x 1050 LCD display is driven by a Mobility Radeon HD 5850 for mondo graphical performance. 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, a six-cell battery and a 500GB, 7200RPM HDD round out a value-packed $1100 Amazon.com package, but if you're looking for a little more juice (and prepared to squeeze), you'll find you can customize this mean, 5.8 pound machine with a Core i7 CPU, up to 8GB of RAM, SSDs and a nine-cell Li-ion at XoticPC.
