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Acer wants the Aspire 8940 to be your Core i7-packing portable of choice

by Ross Miller posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 6:50AM

You'd think you've seen all the Windows 7 holiday laptops to last you through this yuletide season, but in comes Acer with another offering, the Core i7-packing Aspire 8940. The 18.4-inch 1080p widescreen monitor brings with it a NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M, Blu-ray drive, 600GB HDD, and 4GB RAM. Let's also throw in a webcam, 802.11 a/b/g Draft-N, webcam, multi-card reader, HDMI and eSATA ports and a 8-cell Li-Ion battery for good measure. Quite a hefty number, so expect a little bit of workout if you're wanting to haul this around. Suggested price is $1,349 and all we know of the release date is "holiday season" so it should be safe to add this to your wishlist.

Gallery: Acer Aspire 8940 press shots

Tilera's 100-core Tile-GX processor won't boil the oceans, will still melt faces

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 26th 2009 at 3:16AM

Sixty-four, sixty-shmore... that's so 2007 in terms of processing cores found in a single CPU: one hundred cores is where the future of computing resides. This magnificent engineering feat isn't from AMD or even Intel, it's the latest Tile-GX series of chips from the two-year old San Jose startup, Tilera. Its general purpose chips can run stand-alone or as co-processors running alongside those x86 chips that usually ship in four-, six-, or now eight-core configurations like Intel's upcoming Nehalem-EX chip. Tilera's 100-core chip pulls 55 watts at peak performance while its 16-core chip draws as little as 5 watts. Tilera uses the same mesh architecture as its previous 64-core chip in order to overcome the performance degradation accompanying data exchange on typical, multi-core processors -- or so it says. Tilera's new 40-nm process chips have cranked the clock to 1.5GHz and include support for 64-bit processing. And while its processors could be applied to any number of computing scenarios, Tilera's focusing on lucrative markets like parallel-processing where its meager developer and marketing resources can extract a relatively quick payout. The fun begins in early 2011 with volume pricing set between $400 and $1000.

[Via PC World]

Intel's Lynnfield processors now officially official, benchmarked

by Ross Miller posted Sep 8th 2009 at 12:11AM

Sure, Taiwan's been enjoying these chips for almost a month at this point, but it's taken until now for Intel go official with its announcement of the "Lynnfield" processors, Core i5-750 and Core i7-870. If the early reviews are to be believed, both chips are dominant in their performance and price range, although there are some notable caveats for the tech savvy to take heed of. If you're in need of the finer details of all these, hit up the read links below for the skinny.

Read - HotHardware
Read - PC Perspective
Read - Tech Report
Read - TweakTown
Read - Official Intel Press release

Leaked Intel roadmap specs upcoming Core i5 and i7 'Lynnfield' CPUs

by Ross Miller posted Jul 15th 2009 at 4:33AM

Looking for something to print out and put on your wall that demonstrates the full extent of your Intel dedication? PC Watch has some mighty high resolution charts of the company's desktop and mobile CPU roadmaps, including a handful of chips that we haven't seen before. On the Lynnfield / desktop side, there's the Core i7 870 (2.93 to 3.6GHz) and 860 (up to 3.46GHz), due out second half 2009, with the latter having a greater range in available clock speeds and a less power hungry, 82 watt version due out next year. Listed squarely in the Q3 2009 column is one of the first spec'd Core i5-branded chips we've seen, the 750 (up to 3.2GHz), which also boasts a more energy efficient iteration due out sometime in first third of 2010. Looking to mobile, the three Core i7 Clarksfield processors that were recently rumored for September are also listed here for Q4 of this year as 720QM, 820QM, and 920XM, and on the more value end of the charts, Intel's Atom / Pineview series (N450 for mobile and D410 / D510 for desktop) is listed for release just after the stroke of 2010. There's seriously a lot to digest here, so if reading over large multi-colored tables full of data is your idea of a fun time, hit up the read link for a veritable gold mine of delight.

[Via Electronista]

Intel's Core i7 'Clarksfield' CPUs for laptops launching late September?

by Thomas Ricker posted Jul 13th 2009 at 6:53AM

Taiwanese rumor-rag, DigiTimes, has a knack for sniffing out insider information from within Taiwan's MoBo manufacturing cartel. So it's worth paying attention when it claims to have the latest launch schedule for Intel CPUs. Up first is a trio of laptop-based Clarksfield CPUs -- 2GHz Core 2 Extreme XE, 1.73GHz Core 2 Quad P2, and a 1.6GHz Core 2 Quad P1 –- ready to make their debut sometime around the end of September or October. These processors should carry the Core i7 brand to keep things as ~~confusing~~ simple as possible and would be a suitable match for a Q4 refresh of the MacBook Pro or Dell XPS laptop, for example. At the low end of the rumored schedule are a pair of Celeron SU2300 and Celeron 743 CPUs for ultra-thin laptops with an expected announcement coming at the end of September. Intel's also pegged with plans for desktop-based Lynnfield CPUs and P55 chipsets to be announced between September 8-11. The first announcement is set for early August -- if Intel starts making a fuss about its new Xeon procs for servers at that time then we'll have a pretty good idea as to the validity of DigiTimes' claims.

Intel rebrands: Core i3, i5, i7 are in, Centrino on the outs

by Ross Miller posted Jun 17th 2009 at 8:09PM

Intel's doing some spring cleaning on its branding structure, adding new Cores on the block. Joining the high-level Core i7 series will be the mid range Core i5 in the coming months and the lower-end Core i3's early next year. To be more specific, the Lynnfield chipsets will be either i5 or i7 depending on the feature set, Clarkfield mobile chips will be i7, and the 32nm Arrandale will at least at first fall under i3. Of course, with the new gang in town, some older monikers will be going wayside, and getting the slow fade out are Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, and Centrino, the latter being eventually marginalized for WiMAX and WiFi products only. Making the cut are Celeron, Pentium, and the ever-resilient Atom names. We're a bit sad to know there will never be a Core 2 Dodeca, but hey, it's only a name, right?. Hit up the read link for more details, including a video interview with Intel's VP of Marketing Deborah Conrad.

[Via CNET]

Read - Intel's New Brand Structure Explained
Read - Fewer Brands, Greater Impact

ARM promises dual-core Cortex A9-based smartphones next year

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 16th 2009 at 5:31AM

The world's two most visually engaging smartphones -- the iPhone and the Pre -- share very similar cores based on ARM's Cortex A8 architecture, and with the newer, more advanced Cortex A9 in the pipeline, you can't help but let your mind wander a bit as you envision what twice as much computational power could bring to a handset. The A9 employs more advanced instruction pipelining than its predecessor, but the biggest news has to be the fact that it can pack two or more cores -- and ARM fully expects dual-core A9-based phones to hit in 2010. Of course, power consumption is the biggest constraint when it comes to this category of device, and while the company says that peak drain will exceed that on today's crop of devices, average consumption will actually drop thanks largely to a move from 65nm to 45nm manufacturing processes. Add in 1080p video promised by TI's next-gen OMAP4 silicon wrapped around an A9 core, and you've basically got a home theater in your pocket that's ready to rock for a few hours on a charge. That and Snoop Dogg, of course.

Microsoft's New Xbox Experience storage "solution": Free memory cards, discounted hard drives

by Richard Lawler posted Oct 13th 2008 at 9:28PM

Microsoft's New Xbox Experience has been pored over and dated, but now that Major Nelson has revealed it requires "at least" 128MB storage available to work, where does that leave ~~suckers~~ Core and Arcade SKU Xbox 360 owners? Enter the Xbox 360 Memory Upgrade Program, doling out free 512MB MU's or $20 20GB HDDs to Core owners, and a $30 20GB HDD + 3 months of Xbox Live package to Arcade owners looking to upgrade. November 19, Xbox Live becomes a storage-only affair (that goes for Netflix streams too, requiring 8MB of free space), so grab your serial number and console ID from the current Xbox 360 Dashboard and hit the registration website. Impressive customer service gesture to extend functionality for all, or more evidence of a short sighted and flawed dual-SKU launch plan that's cost gamers and developers alike? All we know for sure is we've probably figured out where the profits from those $149 120GB HDDs are going.

[Via NeoGAF]

Xbox 360 Arcade console landing on October 23rd?

by Darren Murph posted Oct 2nd 2007 at 10:03PM

C'mon, surely you've coped with the fact that Microsoft's Xbox 360 Core system will likely be replaced with the impending Arcade console, right? If not, now would be a great time for some serious soul-searching, because both Amazon and Toys 'R' Us are listing the system on their respective websites as having an October 23rd ship date. Of course, we're still not sure exactly what ports / extras the Arcade flavor will arrive with, but it's safe to say it'll run you $279.99 when it (probably) ships in three weeks.

Read - Amazon's listing
Read - Toys 'R' Us' listing

Will Xbox 360 Core become Xbox 360 Arcade on August 24th?

by Joshua Topolsky posted Aug 20th 2007 at 5:59PM

It appears the Xbox 360 rumor mill is hard-partying once again, this time over the fairly sketchy information that in addition to the European price cut we mentioned earlier, the game system may be receiving a "changing of the guard" on the SKU front, with the dismissal of the Core system, and the inclusion of a new "Arcade" package. Word on Box Street is that Microsoft is about to upend the low-impact Core units, add an HDMI port, throw five free XBLA games in the mix, slap on a wireless controller, and put a new line of text somewhere on the box. Otherwise the system will remain the same -- AKA no hard drive, white finish, and a target of constant ridicule by your friends, and will be made available for €279 (or about $376). The whole thing makes you wonder if this could have something to do with that discontinued SKU rumor we keep hearing about in the US. Can't wait to find out? Join the club.

[Via Joystiq]

Target bidding the Xbox 360 Core model adieu?

by Darren Murph posted Aug 7th 2007 at 11:34PM

It wouldn't be a legitimate discontinuation rumor without an incredibly blurry picture as proof, now would it? In yet another disputable case of "is the Xbox 360 Core model on its way out," a certain Target employee apparently snapped a picture of horrific quality showing the "Xbox 360 Core Hardware Sys" with a "Discontinued" status. The shot was reportedly taken from one of the store's oh-so-knowledgeable PDAs, and while there's obviously no confirmation either way just yet, this tidbit does substantiate the questionable Best Buy slip. Ah well, it's not like we won't have yet another iteration coming up soon to ease the pain if this proves accurate.

Is Microsoft about to kill the Xbox 360 Core?

by Joshua Topolsky posted Jul 30th 2007 at 5:34PM

You can add this to your ever-growing file folder stuffed with blurry photos of "products" or "internal memos." Joystiq is reporting that a source inside the hive-mind of Best Buy is claiming that the retailer has earmarked the Xbox 360 Core system for deletion in the company's computers. Apparently, this usually means that a product has been discontinued and "replenishment of the item is not expected," which seems to indicate that if the rumored $50 price cut happens, it may be taking the Core offering with it. Of course, this also might just be a piece of paper that your annoying neighbor knocked out on his dot matrix.

PSP Core pack unsurprisingly falling to $169.99

by Darren Murph posted Apr 2nd 2007 at 6:22PM

Although the PSP Core pack isn't dropping to the lows in which we had hoped it would, the stripped-down package is getting a slashing nonetheless as it attempts to attract buyers who still aren't down with a $200 Value pack. Apparently, GameStop / EB Games locations have already received displays and instructions (posted after the jump) to lower the Core's price down a few notches starting on April 3rd, which means that you should put your PSP shopping trip on hiatus until tomorrow rolls around. Of course, this leveling out of pricing doesn't come to anyone's surprise, but if you've managed to both hold off on a PSP until now and still have an urge to pick one up outside of the used market, Wednesday's your day.

Continue reading PSP Core pack unsurprisingly falling to $169.99

Nike unveils iPod-controlling C.O.R.E. Backpack iD

by Darren Murph posted Nov 27th 2006 at 7:42PM

We're sure you're well aware of Nike and Apple's mutual partnership (or two) by now, and this time Nike's C.O.R.E. Backpack iD is getting some familiar iPod lovin' with a built-in remote keypad system and dock connector interface. While we're fairly certain you already own at least one piece of apparel with electrostatic iPod controls on them, they'll eventually end up in the wash (we hope), leaving you liaison-less for the day. With Nike's new pack, your books, laptop, Cheetos stash, and little white (or colorful) Apple are all taken care of on a daily basis. Nike allows you to fully customize the backpack, and aside from choosing your alma mater's colors, the "Nike Flow" backpanel, or the sweet "security zippers," you can opt to have the iPod controls built straight into the strap. Per usual, you can dictate the volume, track, and play / pause / stop functions while on the go, and it even boasts a handy headphone port as well as a storage compartment for when you ditch the cans and actually pay attention in class. The C.O.R.E. Backpack iD starts at just $55, but the oh-so-tempting iPod interface bumps the price up to $105, but it's still a bit cheaper than your alternatives.

[Via iLounge]

Here they come: Intel unveils Core 2 Duo processors

by Paul Miller posted Jul 14th 2006 at 12:45PM

The reign of Core Duo has dominated 2006, but now is the time for a line of desktop processors to take the stand for justice. Or something like that. Announced in June, Intel's Core 2 Duo is officially "out" today -- though you can't buy 'em just yet -- and bit-tech.net has given the Conroe and Allendale lines (4MB vs. 2MB L2 cache) an incredibly thorough rundown. We're not total chip nuts, so some of the architecture notes went a bit over our heads, but it's clear that the Intel's Core architecture has the makings of a champ. While sharing a misleadingly similar name, Intel's Core Duo mobile line isn't actually built on Intel's "Core" chip design, notably lacking 64 bit compatibility. However, the breakthroughs made in the "Yonah" Core Duo chips really shine through in the Core Duo 2, and the chip thoroughly trounced AMD's offerings in bit-tech.net's benchmark tests. Of course, at $999 in the high end (the 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800), and with AMD timing price cuts for Intel's July 24th release party, you might not be quite getting the performance-per-dollar for your desktop that the Athlon has been boasting of lately. Luckily, even faster chips are on the way, and AMD and Intel are charging into a price war that should give us some of the best valued chips we've seen in a while.