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NVIDIA tablet mystery solved: an ODM Tegra prototype

by Nilay Patel posted Nov 10th 2009 at 1:38PM

NVIDIA just hit us with more info on that mysterious tablet Jen-Hsun Huang was pictured with yesterday, and the truth is just as we'd assumed: it's a Tegra prototype from an ODM called ICD that's being "actively" shopped to carriers around the world. Sorry, folks, no Apple involvement here -- although we're sure Jen-Hsun would enthusiastically embrace that possibility.

As far as the ICD tablet goes, we're waiting for official confirmation on specs, but we got a credible tip this morning suggesting that it's currently running Windows CE with a resistive touchscreen, and that both Android and capacitive upgrades are in the cards, as well as multiple screen sizes. We're also told that the goal is a March 2010 launch and that T-Mobile might be involved, but we wouldn't take any of that to the bank until we hear for real -- stay tuned.

NVIDIA Fermi GT300 GPU delayed until 2010?

by Ross Miller posted Nov 10th 2009 at 2:52AM

We're so sorry, true NVIDIA believers, but that airbrushed "I love Fermi" shirt is just gonna have to wait a little longer to see the light of day, at least according to a report from our favorite chip-centric foreign news syndicate, Digitimes. Taiwanese industry sources say the release of its Fermi GT300 GPU has been delayed until Fiscal 2011, which for the company means not until at least late January 2010. That "NVIDIA New Year" fete you've been gloating about on Facebook? We really hope you can get the deposit back on the rented space.

NVIDIA CEO shows off mystery tablet, makes zero statements about mystery tablet

by Joshua Topolsky posted Nov 9th 2009 at 10:40PM

You think maybe the cats at NVIDIA are a little hot to trot on the tablet concept? Not only did Mike Rayfield (the company's general manger of its mobile division) spout off on a "3G capable touchpad" a few months ago, but CEO Jen-Hsun Huang has been spotted in Dubai with some seriously radical looking hardware. When we hit a post on Huang and his love for all things Apple earlier today, we somehow missed a pic of the CEO hanging tough with that handsome slab you see up above. We're not going to speculate on what it all means, but from the looks of things, NVIDIA is trying to drum up hype around the concept of a Tegra-powered handheld that's just a bit more sizable than your standard PMP. Of course, if you were hoping for more than a tease (like, you know, a partnership announcement or something), you can just keep on waiting.

[Thanks, Ron]

NVIDIA CEO shoots down talk of Intel-compatible x86 chip, says his home is 'all Apple'

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 9th 2009 at 2:48PM

NVIDIA's feud with Intel may be at an all-time high these days, but it looks like the company isn't about to go as far as to produce its own Intel-compatible x86 chip, despite persistent rumors to the contrary. That word comes straight from NVIDIA's always talkative CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, who flatly said "no" when asked if there was any truth to the rumors. He further went on to add NVIDIA's focus is on visual and parallel computing, and on "getting our GPUs into the lowest power platforms we can imagine and driving mobile computing with it" -- as it's now attempting to do with Tegra. In a separate discussion after a talk in Dubai, Huang also interestingly revealed that the computers in his household are "all Apple," but he naturally didn't just leave it there -- head on past the break for the complete, must-read quote (as reported by Shufflegazine).

Read - CNET News, "Nvidia CEO says 'no' to Intel-compatible chip"
Read - Shufflegazine, "NVIDIA CEO, visiting Dubai, says "I'm all Apple"

Continue reading NVIDIA CEO shoots down talk of Intel-compatible x86 chip, says his home is 'all Apple'

ASRock ION 330HT-BD nettop gets unboxed and cracked open on video

by Darren Murph posted Nov 7th 2009 at 8:16AM

ASRock's family of nettops may not be anything special when it comes to design, but the ION 330HT-BD can definitely handle its fair share of multimedia. The Atom CPU could unquestionably use a ~~bit~~ lot more oomph, but the NVIDIA Ion GPU and the integrated Blu-ray drive make this little fellow quite the entertainer. Care to see what it looks like inside and out? Hop on past the break and mash play, then.

Continue reading ASRock ION 330HT-BD nettop gets unboxed and cracked open on video

Myka ION brings Hulu, Boxee and other web content to your TV

by Darren Murph posted Nov 6th 2009 at 7:12PM

It's been almost a full year since we heard a peep from the fine folks at Myka, but it looks like we could be talking about 'em a lot more often judging by the specs list on its latest contraption. The simply-titled ION is an Atom-based media PC that relies on NVIDIA's Ion graphics set and a customized interface that brings Hulu, Boxee and pretty much any other web content you can stumble upon to your television. Within, you'll find a 1.6GHz dual-core Atom 330 CPU, up to 4GB of RAM, ten USB 2.0 ports, VGA / DVI / HDMI outputs, an eSATA connector, Ethernet and plenty of audio outputs. The fanless design ensures that things remain quiet, and for those oozing cash, a Blu-ray drive, HDD and WiFi module can be implanted. It's up for order right now starting at $379, but you'll be stuck waiting four to six weeks for delivery.

Gallery: Myka ION brings Hulu, Boxee and other web content to your TV

NVIDIA Tegra 2 to double performance, arrive in 2010?

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 6th 2009 at 4:18AM

Word on the grapevine is that NVIDIA is preparing to mount a fresh assault on the mobile front, with a successor to Tegra that moves to a dual-core ARM9 CPU and adds improved graphical performance to produce what's said to be twice the power. This sort of aggressive roadmap meshes with earlier rumors of a Tegra platform powering the next generation of Nintendo's DS, and promises an equally tantalizing upgrade to the Zune HD specs. Keep in mind that the info comes from those highly anonymous and entirely unaccountable "industry sources," but given the time that will pass between the availability of the first Tegra chipset and the suggested 2010 release of Tegra 2, it makes sense to believe that the engineers have had sufficient opportunity to optimize and energize their platform. It's not like NVIDIA has been wasting its time setting up anti-Intel websites and putting together snarky cartoons about its competition, right?

[Via Electronista]

Gigabyte Booktop M1305 ultraportable gains external GeForce GT220 GPU (update: now with video!)

by Darren Murph posted Nov 6th 2009 at 2:56AM

Gigabyte's Booktop M1305 was shown as far back as June, but now it seems the stark white ultraportable is nearing its ship date. Nothing about the 13.3-inch rig seems too special at first glance -- after all, a Core 2 Duo, GMA 4500MHD graphics set, 1,366 x 768 panel, 4GB of DDR3 memory and a 320GB or 500GB HDD won't set any carpets on fire -- but it's the docking station that makes this one special. When situated in the dock, the M1305 can take full advantage of the discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT220 GPU that's squeezed within, making it entirely more capable of pushing out 3D graphics or HD multimedia to connected displays. We know, docking stations are all but dead outside of the enterprise, but who's kvetching about more power once your portable gets home?

Update: hands-on video now after the break!

[Via DVHardware, thanks Thomas]

Continue reading Gigabyte Booktop M1305 ultraportable gains external GeForce GT220 GPU (update: now with video!)

NVIDIA takes its feud with Intel to cartoonish new levels

by Donald Melanson posted Nov 5th 2009 at 8:21PM

Oh, boy. Just when you thought NVIDIA 's feud with Intel couldn't rise above endless name-calling, lawsuits and production shutdowns, NVIDIA does this. In a series of not-so-subtle cartoons on the recently established Intel's Insides website -- which NVIDIA's spokesperson has confirmed is, in fact, hosted by NVIDIA -- NVIDIA takes aim at Intel (and CEO Paul Otellini, specifically) over a range of alleged ill doings, and even goes so far as to include a cheeky disclaimer that the site "is not provided, sponsored or endorsed by Intel Corporation." Hit up the gallery below for a quick retrospective, and stay tuned for what we can only hope is a decent comeback from Intel.

[Via ExtremeTech]

Gallery: NVIDIA takes its feud with Intel to cartoonish new levels

NVIDIA confirms Intel chipsets won't support USB 3.0 until 2011

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 4th 2009 at 10:59AM

What was once an unverifiable rumor from an anonymous source has now, sadly, become a confirmed fact. Intel won't be integrating USB 3.0 support into its chipsets until at least 2011. Motherboard makers such as ASUS can still opt to add discrete 3.0 controllers at an extra cost, but Intel -- already accused of dragging its heels on the standard's development -- won't be. NVIDIA spokesman Brian Burke has expressed, in no uncertain terms, his company's disappointment with Intel, while also claiming that chipsets by NVIDIA are more feature-rich and just plain better than Intel's own efforts. We'll add this to our ever-growing collection of things NVIDIA doesn't like about Intel, but we also hope that the immature outburst doesn't obscure the real issue. NVIDIA is correct in noting that Intel needs competition in the chipset space, and the new interconnect's dependence on Intel's whims demonstrates the market-altering powers that reside in Santa Clara, CA. Unless another chipmaker gets serious about competing with Intel, we could face plenty more of these seemingly arbitrary delays in tech rollouts.

EVGA GeForce GTX 275 Co-opts a GTS 250 for PhysX duties

by Vladislav Savov posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 5:14AM

Ready for some more dual-GPU madness, only this time in the resplendent green of NVIDIA? EVGA has gone and concocted a special Halloween edition of the GTX 275, which has sprouted an entire GTS 250 appendage solely for PhysX gruntwork. Dubbed a new form of Hybrid SLI, EVGA's latest combines -- for the first time, from what we can tell -- two different GPUs and assigns them with specific and mutually exclusive tasks. Whether this concept takes off will depend to a large extent on the effectiveness of PhysX acceleration and whether it can show more efficient scaling than regular old SLI with two boards or more conventional dual-GPU setups like the GTX 295. Color us intrigued, either way.

P.S. - That's what the actual card will look like, we're not making it up.

[Via PC Perspective]

Gallery: EVGA GeForce GTX 275 Co-op PhysX Edition

Maingear unveils Core i7-packin' SHIFT, your own 'personal supercomputer'

by Darren Murph posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 9:00AM

We'll be straight with ya -- we're betting these "personal supercomputer" claims are just a bit out of line with reality, but even still, there's no denying that Maingear has shoved an insane amount of horsepower beneath the (admittedly large) hood of its newest rig. The beastly SHIFT does away with copious LED lighting and blinging accents found on many modern gaming PCs and instead opts for a classier, more ominous tower. Within, you'll find a vertical airflow system, a Core i7 processor, your choice of ATI or NVIDIA graphics, 8GB (and up) of DDR3-1600 RAM, up to 6 HDDs or 12 SSDs, DVD and Blu-ray options, an Asetek liquid-cooling solution, Razer peripherals, an optional Killer NIC Xeno Pro and Windows 7 running the show. The Intel P55 rig gets going at $2,199, while the X58 model starts $400 higher; for those in creative design fields, Maingear's expected to unveil a SHIFT just for you in the near future. Head on past the break for the full release.

Gallery: Maingear unveils Core i7-packin' SHIFT, your own 'personal supercomputer'

Continue reading Maingear unveils Core i7-packin' SHIFT, your own 'personal supercomputer'

ASRock readying three Ion-powered nettops, one with a BD drive

by Darren Murph posted Oct 29th 2009 at 1:36AM

The nettop might not be the most riveting piece of machinery out there, but ASRock's hoping to generate at least a small amount of buzz by outfitting its next trio with NVIDIA's Ion graphics technology. Reportedly, the Ion 330HT, Ion 330Pro and Ion 330HT-BD will all ship with a dual-core 1.6GHz Atom 330 processor, up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 7.1 channel audio, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI / VGA outputs, six USB 2.0 sockets and a powered eSATA port. The 330HT and 330HT-BD are both bundled with MCE remotes, while the latter also gets its DVD burner swapped out with a Blu-ray drive. There's no mention of a price or release just yet, but we're figuring that both of those points should be clarified shortly.

Asustek announces a 1.1 Teraflop, Tesla GPU powered supercomputer

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 28th 2009 at 1:18AM

Some of us love nothing more than a portable and convenient netbook -- something that Asustek knows all too well -- but how about those of us who need real computing power? To that end, Taipei's choice for all things ultraportable has just announced its very own 1.1 Teraflop supercomputer. Dubbed the ESC 1000, this (albeit large) desktop-sized machine sports a 3.33GHz Intel LGA1366 Xeon W3580 microprocessor and three CUDA-based Tesla C1060 GPUs, the likes of which we last saw in Dell's Precision "personal supercomputer" line. Shipping with 24GB of DDR3 DRAM (1333MHz) and a 500GB SATA II hard drive, the machine is said to have a cost structure of $14,519 over five years. We're guessing that you'll be able to both surf the net and watch HD quality video on the thing, although you probably won't be taking it along with you to Crazy Mocha any time soon. According to a company spokesperson, this thing is ready to ship now, although a launch date and street price have yet to be determined. One more pic after the break.

Continue reading Asustek announces a 1.1 Teraflop, Tesla GPU powered supercomputer

MSI working on Tegra-based e-book reader for 2010

by Thomas Ricker posted Oct 27th 2009 at 6:11AM

Oh Tegra, is there anything you can't do? Not only are you at the heart of the Zune HD, you're also the rumored silicon foundation underpinning next generation smartbooks, media pads, MIDs, and even the Nintendo DS. Now we've got MSI chairman, Joseph Hsu, peddling promises of an NVIDIA Tegra-based e-book reader that will be fully revealed in the first half of 2010 -- exactly as rumored. While no details have been provided, one could assume that a device with that kind of power will be doing more than just refreshing electronic ink on a single display slab, particularly with dual-display e-book readers now the norm.