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quad-core posts

iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model

by Joshua Topolsky posted Oct 20th 2009 at 12:01PM

After months of speculation, Apple has unveiled some completely new iMacs, featuring 21.5-inch and 27-inch 16:9 displays and all-aluminum enclosures. The new widescreen IPS panels are LED-backlit and have 178-degree viewing angles -- the 21.5-inch iMac has a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, while the 27-incher comes in at a staggering 2,560 x 1,440. Ports are the same as the outgoing model with the addition of an SD card slot and video-in on the 27-inch (via a special cable), and the wireless keyboard is now standard (as is the all-new Magic Mouse). Pricing tiers haven't changed much: there's a low-end $1,199 21.5-inch model with a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB drive, a $1,499 model that bumps things up to 1TB of storage and ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics, while the base 27-inch config starts at $1,699 with the same bumped specs. All of those can be custom-configured with up to a 3.33GHz Core 2 Duo, but it's the top-end $1,999 27-inch model that'll bring the real heat when it ships in November; it's packing a 2.66GHz quad-core Core i5 processor (with a 2.8GHz Core i7 available for $200 more) and Radeon HD 4850 graphics. Not a bad little refresh -- but it looks like all you Blu-ray fans are going home alone again. Check the full specs list after the break.

Gallery: iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model

Continue reading iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model

ASUS and Sager issue first Core i7 mobile-based laptops

by Darren Murph posted Sep 25th 2009 at 1:57AM

Not sure if you got the memo, but Intel introduced a few new processors this week at IDF. In fact, they were chips designed to work in laptops! While Dell and Alienware were quick to issue new rigs based around the mobile iteration of the Core i7, a few others are slowly trickling out. ASUS has just introduced its M60J, a 16-incher that can be outfitted with a 1.6GHz Core i7 720QM or 1.73GHz Core i7 820QM. Other specs include a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT240M GPU, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, upwards of 1TB of HDD space, an optional Blu-ray drive and a lackluster 1,366 x 768 resolution. Sager's also jumping in on the action by pushing out a 15.6-inch NP8690 that offers the same shiny CPUs, a 1GB GeForce GTX 280M GPU, up to 8GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB HDD and a 1080p display. As for pricing? Mum's the word on the former, though the 7.6-pound Sager gets going at just under $1,800.

Read - ASUS M60J
Read - Sager NP8690

Continue reading ASUS and Sager issue first Core i7 mobile-based laptops

Quad-core Core i7 720QM slips into Dell Studio 15 / 17 and Studio XPS 16

by Darren Murph posted Sep 23rd 2009 at 1:00PM

Ready for some fireworks? Good. Intel's just-announced Clarksfield processor -- which was accurately rumored for a September launch way back in July -- is landing in Dell's lineup in a big way. The refreshed Studio 15 and Studio 17 will both be sold with an available Core i7 720QM or Core i7 820QM, as will the gamer-centric Studio XPS 16. As a reminder, the former checks in at 1.6GHz with a 1,333MHz FSB and 6MB of L3 cache, while the latter hums along at 1.73GHz. The Studio 17 is also seeing a few non-CPU related updates, with a JBL-sourced 2.1 audio system, optional 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 and support for dual HDDs. Outside of that, most everything else on these rigs is just as it was yesterday, though consumers interested in snagging one with a shiny new chip should take note of the price points. The Core i7'd Studio 15 gets going at $999, while the 17.3-inch sibling starts at $1,099 and the Studio XPS 16 (available today, or so says Dell) at $1,249.

Read - Dell Studio 15
Read - Dell Studio 17
Read - Dell Studio XPS 16

AMD pops out sub-$100 quad-core Athlon II X4 CPU: review roundup

by Darren Murph posted Sep 16th 2009 at 8:53AM

AMD has always been one to play the pricing card in its never-ending tussle with Intel, but we get the feeling this introduction may pack more of a punch than any before it. It's a simple concept -- the $99 quad-core CPU -- and given just how in love we Americans are with value menus, you can bet new PC builders will at least give the new Athlon II X4 620 ($99) and 630 ($122) a look. Reviews around the web essentially came to the same conclusion: it's not the fastest quad-core chip around, and the lack of L3 certainly doesn't make it the most attractive, but the 620 somehow manages to compete with all of the processors in its price range while being the cheapest. The "cut-down Phenom II," as HotHardware calls it, suffers a bit on the gaming side due to the L3 removal, but in general scenarios it was plenty potent. Hit the links below if you feel like digging in way, way deeper.

Read - HotHardware
Read - TechSpot
Read - MaximumPC
Read - PC Perspective
Read - TweakTown
Read - PC Pro
Read - AMD Zone

AMD's 3.4GHz Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition review roundup: fast, but not Intel fast

by Darren Murph posted Aug 13th 2009 at 12:32AM

Say what you will about AMD, but don't you dare call it lazy. Within a matter of weeks, the outfit has launched a 2GB FirePro for um, pros, a 785G integrated chip for laypeople and now a new Phenom II X4 for the gamers in attendance. The all new Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition is the "highest clocked quad-core processor for desktop PCs," checking in with a stock frequency of 3.4GHz and support for DDR3 and AMD OverDrive 3.0. Based on the Dragon platform, the chip is actually identical to the 955 it replaces at the top save for the clock speed, and during the collective web's testing, it easily outpaced every other AMD option out there. Unfortunately, it still couldn't put the hurt on a smattering of Intel chips, with the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Core i7 920 besting it in all but a few tests. All told, the chip was found to be an incremental (albeit fun) update, but given that it's currently priced between Intel's Core 2 Quad Q9550 ($219) and the aforesaid Core i7 920 ($279), it's not a clear-cut bargain at $245. Still, give it a lil' shelf time, let the MSRP sink and it just might be worth another look in due time.

Read - HotHardware review
Read - Tom's Hardware review
Read - Anandtech's review
Read - PC Perspective's review
Read - Elite Bastards review
Read - Neoseeker review
Read - Overclocker's Club review

Continue reading AMD's 3.4GHz Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition review roundup: fast, but not Intel fast

AMD ships six-core 'Istanbul' Opteron CPU ahead of schedule

by Darren Murph posted Jun 1st 2009 at 1:12PM

Say it ain't so! Despite AMD's past of announcing more delays than actual shipping products, the outfit has managed to deliver its six-core 'Istanbul' Opteron CPU five months ahead of schedule. Announced today in a company press event, the new chip is shipping today with support for two-, four- and eight-socket servers. If all goes well, they'll be available to order from the likes of Cray, HP, Dell, IBM and Sun later this month, with HE, SE and EE versions of the six-core Opteron planned for the second half of this year. As for performance, users can expect up to 34 percent more performance-per-watt over the previous generation quad-core processors in the same platform, though we wouldn't expect to see these stray too far from traditional server boxes.

Alienware's M17X gaming laptop with twin GTX 280M GPUs truly is all powerful

by Thomas Ricker posted May 29th 2009 at 5:28AM

The announcement wasn't scheduled for a few more days -- four according to the teaser site -- but it looks like Alienware's All Powerful gaming laptop has been set free anyway. So, does it live up to the clues? Pretty much... how does a pair of 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280M GPUs strike you? No Core i7 listed, instead we're looking at a Core 2 Extreme quad-core CPU at the top end with up to 8GB of 1333MHz DDR3 memory, and 1TB of 7200-rpm disk or a 512GB SSD if you prefer. RAID 1 or RAID 0? Sure. Rounding things out is a nine-cell battery of unstated performance, FireWire, 4x USB, eSATA, ExpressCard, 802.11n WiFi, 8-in-1 media card reader, dual-layer Blu-ray, a 1920 x 1200 pixel edge-to-edge LCD, DisplayPort and HDMI-outs all wrapped up in a massive chassis weighing 11.68-pounds with a 15.98 x 12.65 x 2.11-inch footprint. It's also packing a GeForce 9400M G1 GPU with HybridPower technology that allows you to scale the graphics back to conserve battery power. Prices start at $1,799 for a lot less than we mentioned above.

As a footnote to the details above, PCWorld also says that Alienware will use next week's E3 show to update us on its 42.8-inch curved monitor we went hands-on with back in January of 2008.

[Thanks, Steve]

New Intel Core i7 CPUs show up unannounced

by Darren Murph posted May 27th 2009 at 8:05PM

Intel's Core i7 has become somewhat of a mainstay in the most recent wave of gaming rigs, but it's been quite awhile (in processor years, anyway) since we've seen any new siblings join the launch gang. We'd heard faint whispers that a new crew was set to steal the stage on May 31st, and those rumors are looking all the more likely now that a few heretofore unheard of chips have appeared online. The 3.06GHz Core i7 950 is shown over at PCs For Everyone with 8MB of shared L3 cache and a $649 price tag, and it's expected that said chip will replace the aging Core i7 940. Moving on up, there's the luscious 3.33GHz Core i7 Extreme 975, which is also listed with 8MB of shared L3 cache but packs a staggering price tag well above the $1,100 mark. If all this pans out, this CPU will replace the Core i7 Extreme 965 as Intel fastest Core i7 product. Just a few more days to wait, right?

[Via PCWorld]

Read - Core i7 Extreme 975 listing
Read - Core i7 950 listing

How would you change Apple's Nehalem-based Mac Pro?

by Darren Murph posted May 9th 2009 at 12:41AM

Apple's freshest Mac Pro, which was the first machine of any kind to ship with Intel's newest Nehalem-based Xeon processors, has been on the block for a few months now. By our estimation, that's plenty of time for the pros (and "prosumers," if you will) to get a good feel of their new workstation. Design wise, not a lot has changed in the machine, but we're anxious to know how you feel about the more subtle changes as well as the internal overhauling. Apple's charging a small fortune for this bad boy, so we fully expect you to be critical here. What's it missing? What should've been included? Are you still bitter that WiFi is a $50 option on a multi-thousand dollar machine? Sound off below!

Apple Nehalem-based Mac Pro in-depth impressions

by Darren Murph posted Mar 18th 2009 at 1:30PM

When Apple's ever-so-slightly refreshed Nehalem-based Mac Pro showed up on our doorstep, we were understandably taken aback by the enclosure. Sure, it looks exactly like the previous Mac Pro externally, and only slightly more beautiful internally, but it's hard to deny the gorgeousness of this metallic wonder. That said, the so-called cheese grater design is one that's mighty familiar to Mac fans by now, so we'll spare you the details there. What you're probably wondering is whether or not this rig is really worth the steep asking price. At $2,499 for a single quad-core 2.66GHz rig and $3,299 for a twin quad-core 2.26GHz machine (which is our test system, by the way), neither option is particularly "affordable." And outside of the refreshed Intel Xeon processor, there aren't too many new hardware components to really convince you that an upgrade is a dire necessity. Follow us past the break to get a real-world perspective on the value proposition, and moreover, to get a better understanding of who exactly benefits most from a workstation of this magnitude.

Continue reading Apple Nehalem-based Mac Pro in-depth impressions

Video: Apple Nehalem-based Mac Pro unboxing and hands-on

by Darren Murph posted Mar 14th 2009 at 12:58PM

Here she is, fresh off the Saturday Express. Apple's latest Mac Pro is said to be significantly more nimble and entirely easier to upgrade than its Penryn-based predecessor, and while it'll take us a few days yet to check out the former claim, we can already assure you that the second one is valid. Upon unboxing this beast (to be fair, it's not all that monstrous), we immediately dug within the cover to see what was up with Apple's new tray system. Rather than forcing users to squeeze their hands into unfathomably tight places just to pop in a new DIMM or add in a fresh 2TB hard drive, the engineers at Cupertino found a way to place all eight RAM slots on a removable tray, meaning that you can actually take that piece elsewhere and operate under better lighting. The tray was dead simple to remove and replace, and while it's a small inclusion, it's definitely an appreciated one. We'll be stressing this thing out and writing up a more thorough review soon, but for now, enjoy the snapshots / video below and after the break, respectively.

Gallery: Apple Nehalem-based Mac Pro unboxing and hands-on

Continue reading Video: Apple Nehalem-based Mac Pro unboxing and hands-on

AMD's triple-core Phenom II X3 goes quad-core via BIOS hack

by Darren Murph posted Feb 27th 2009 at 6:35AM

Here's a little known secret for you to chew on: that triple-core AMD Phenom II X3 you purchased actually has four cores. The last one's just locked down for pricing purposes. A Korean site has disclosed information that enables owners of select motherboards to unlock that fourth core, and apparently, all you need is a Biostar mobo and / or a BIOS that has an option labeled Advanced Clock Calibration. When said selection is flipped to "Auto," the fourth core is loosed from its shackles and able to ever-so-slightly up your frame rates and overall level of excitement. Of course, you're taking a big risk by running a chip in a fashion it was never intended, but what fun is life without a little edge-side living?

[Via Slashgear]

AMD ushers in five new Phenom II CPUs, benchmarking ensues

by Darren Murph posted Feb 9th 2009 at 9:42AM

Just a month after AMD launched its Phenom II CPUs and Dragon desktop platform, the chip maker is hitting back with five new processors in the quickly expanding line. The newcomers include the planet's first 45nm triple-core CPU and three more quad-core siblings, all of which can operate in either AM2+ or AM3 sockets. As for performance? We hope your expectations haven't been set too high, as the chips were generally found to be just "a logical extension of [the company's] piecemeal upgrade plan and a fill in [the] gap to its lineup." Reviewers across the web were generally pleased but underwhelmed by test results, with HotHardware noting that "overall, Intel still has the performance edge clock-for-clock and core-for-core." In fairness, these chips were found to be good for overclocking, and for the right price, we could certainly see a few gamers giving them a go. For the full spill, dive on into the deep, intricate reviews below.

Read - Official AMD announcement
Read - HotHardware benchmarks
Read - PCPerspective benchmarks
Read - DesktopReview's review

AMD finally launches Phenom II and its Dragon desktop platform

by Paul Miller posted Jan 8th 2009 at 2:49AM

It was a struggle getting it "officially" out the door, and the reviews are already lackluster, but AMD's 45nm, quad-core Phenom II has finally arrived. It's available in two flavors, the 2.8GHz X4 920 and the 3.0GHz X4 940 Black Edition, going for $235 and $275, respectively. AMD's naturally touting the ostensible cost savings of the chips -- they're supposed to split the difference between Intel's Core 2 Quad and Core i7 processor -- but in reality they seems to trail Intel's offerings pretty soundly on the price / performance curve. The accompanying Dragon platform includes a Phenom II proc, 4800-series Radeon HD graphics and a 790-series motherboard, all of which should combine for low power consumption -- up to 40 percent compared to Phenom processors. Where the Phenom II definitely wins is the fact that some AMD folks will be able to drop in the chip to existing motherboards, but otherwise it looks like value hounds and performance junkies aren't being served by this new chip -- at least until unreasonable overclocking activities make all the pain go away.

Read - AMD PR
Read - PC World review
Read - HotHardware review

AMD's Phenom II CPU goes on sale online in a curious, quiet fashion

by Darren Murph posted Dec 26th 2008 at 8:30AM

Uh, AMD? We know most of your staffers are probably throwing back a glass of Egg Nog right about now, but you might want to get out something akin to a simple press release acknowledging the release of your dual-core Phenom II processor. For those keeping track, we've now seen the CPU announced via an outlet other than AMD, purchased by a normal citizen without access to AMD's labs and now, for sale on the world wide web. Word has it that the units will start shipping on December 27th, which will probably be prior to an actual confession of their existence in the retail channel by AMD. Not that we're complaining about the distinctly different than usual approach here, but our heads are certainly spinning.

[Via PC World]