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Intel set to overhaul desktop CPU range with new models, lower prices
This might be about as shocking as sunny weather in España, but Intel appears set to slash some prices and bump some speeds in its desktop CPU portfolio this quarter. According to DigiTimes and its beloved motherboard maker sources, the desktop dominator intends to introduce a six-core Core i7-970 chip, at a $885 bulk purchase price that should bring the hexacore entry price down from the i7-980X's $999 perch, along with a 2.8GHz i5-760 priced at $205, and -- intriguingly -- a quad-core i5-870S designed specifically for small form factor machines and costing an appropriately inflated $351 a piece. Finally, there's word of a most welcome price tumble for the 3.06GHz i7-950, which moves down to the $294 slot currently occupied by the 2.8GHz i7-930. All this crazy talk seems to reiterate earlier suggestions coming out of HKEPC, so we advise hitting both source links and drawing your own conclusions.
Liquid-cooled Asetek prototype redefines our all-in-one expectations (video)
We've been moaning about middling AIO performance for a while now, and outside of Apple's spendy iMacs, not many have stepped up to the plate with equivalent grunt to what you might be able to splice together with a separate case and a bit of elbow grease. That won't stay true for long, however, if Asetek's prototype gets picked up by one of your favorite vendors. This liquid-cooled beastie -- which proudly proclaims it has the same profile as the iMac at 58mm in thickness -- is capable of powering and chilling both a 2.66GHz Core i7-920 and a GeForce GTX 280M. That's a total TDP output of over 200W, which is handled by a proprietary radiator design that's integrated into the stand and some pump-assisted action convecting the heat away from the chips. It both sounds and looks like a winner to us -- check it out after the break to see what you think.
Acer Aspire Timeline X laptops arrive stateside sans ULV processors
Acer's Timeline X laptops have been popping up around the world for over three months now, but the thin and light machines are finally making their way to this side of the globe, and we can only hope they're as excited as we are. The machines all shun ULV processors for standard voltage Core i3 or i5 CPUs, yet each of the models still ring up at under a grand. They also span the entire size spectrum -- there's an 11.6-inch 1830T, 13.3-inch 3820T, 14-inch 4820T and lastly the 15.6-inch 5820T. However, despite their full-power CPUs and ATI Mobiltiy Radeon HD 5650 graphics options, all the models continue to measure less than an inch thick -- yep, even the Aspire 5820T and the Aspire 4820T with onboard optical drives maintain rather trim measurements. While there are plenty of deals to be had, the $800 Aspire 4820TG with its Core i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 320GB hard drive sounds mighty tempting. Yet, there's also the $600 1830T with a Core i3 processor, 3GB of memory and 320GB of storage. We told you we were excited. These should be hitting retailers soon, but if you're dying for some more details hit the break for the full press release or the gallery below for some hands-on shots we stole at Computex a few weeks back. %Gallery-95975%
Tranquil PC iXL takes you up to 2.93GHz sans fans, has equally lofty price
We told you Intel's 32nm Clarkdales were power efficient, right? Well, Tranquil PC's slapped one of those chips, a 2.93GHz Core i3-530 to be precise, into its all-new iXL Power PC and now boasts a total system juice consumption of a measly 30W at idle. That means this HTPC can get away with living the quiet, fanless life, while HDMI, a trio of eSATA ports, a multicard reader, and a Blu-ray option flesh out a comprehensive package. Naively, we thought we'd throw the Blu-ray drive in with a 500GB hard disk to see what this might cost us, and were stricken with grief at the sight of a £742 ($1,100) price tag. Should four-digit entry fees not scare you off, you'll want to know that the iXL is shipping now. For everyone else, hit the source link for a bunch of glamor photos.
Toshiba Portégé R700 slides in with a thin design, Core power and an affordable pricetag
Toshiba's announced more than enough laptops for us in the past week, but the 13.3-inch Portégé R700 is ranking pretty high up there on our favorite list. The ultraportable has gotten a complete redesign at its core -- there's a new magnesium chassis that's been re-engineered with an internal honeycomb metal that aims to dissipate heat, as well as a new chiclet style keyboard. Yet, despite its mostly metal build and onboard optical drive, it measures less than an inch thick and only weighs three pounds -- yep, Toshiba is in fact claiming it's the lightest 13.3-inch laptop ever. Rather unexpectedly, it doesn't chicken out with ultra-low voltage power -- instead there will be Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 versions. And the pricing is really enticing -- the Core i3 version with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive will retail for $999, the i5 model with a 320GB 7,200rpm drive for $1,299, and an i7 / 128GB SSD combo for $1,599. And there will also be a blue colored Best Buy version with a Core i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM, and a 500GB hard drive for $899. Told you it was rising to the top of our list. These bad boys start shipping today, but if you need some more info before whipping out the plastic, hit the gallery below and the press release after the break. %Gallery-95645% %Gallery-95667%
Lenovo jumps on the 3D laptop train with the IdeaPad Y560d
We're not sure there are any PC manufacturers without a 3D laptop in store at this point, but add Lenovo to the confirmed list! The 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560d poo poos NVIDIA's 3D Vision, and instead utilizes TriDef's 3D technology like Acer Aspire 5738DG. The solution, which combines a specially coated screen, software and special polarizing glasses, can convert 2D content to 3D content, but in our previous experience we've been less than impressed with the quality of the end result. And unlike Toshiba's Satellite A665, TriDef doesn't support 3D Blu-ray content. Yeah, so we're hesitant about all that three-dee stuff, but the rest of the machine looks mighty tempting. It'll be available with Intel Core i3 through Core i7 processors, an ATI Radeon HD5720 GPU, and up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM. It will also apparently have Lenovo's RapidDrive technology as an option, which marries a regular hard drive with an SSD for faster boot times. Just don't put on those 3D specs yet, the Y560d won't be available until the end of the month and will start at $1,200. Check out some of the press shots below and if you're still digging for some details the full press release is after the break. %Gallery-95438%
Toshiba Qosmio V65 laptop brings Core i5, SpursEngine and Blu-ray to low-res screen
With Toshiba's Core i7-toting Qosmio X500 series laptops starting at a bit over a grand these days, we're not sure how excited we are about the company's new V65 portable PC. Though the former model spun Blu-ray discs into a fine-pixeled 1080p, this new model's SpursEngine-powered content's been relegated to a 1,366 x 768, 15.6-inch backlit screen. While Japanese consumers do get a 2.4GHz Core i5-450M processor, 4GB of DDR3 memory, 500GB hard drive, plenty of ports and a digital TV tuner for the price, said price is an estimated ¥180,000 -- or about $1,972 in hard US currency if the machine ever comes stateside. A wee bit steep, in our estimation.
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge 14 gets Core i7 option, extra vroom vroom
We'll be straight with you, we're typing away on a Core i3-equipped Edge 14 right now and we rarely feel the need for more power, but then it's not like Lenovo can afford to keep one of its prettier models sated with just i3s and i5s now, is it? Of course not, so here we are, gazing at a fresh new Core i7-620M upgrade option on the ThinkPad Edge 14, which will set eager buyers back an extra $350 over the more budget-friendly i3-330M default. Opting to splash that hard earned cash will net you Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz and a not too shabby 2.66GHz regular clock, plus 4MB of cache. The Edge 15, which has so far been just a slightly larger twin to the 14, hasn't yet felt the warm embrace of upgrade mania, but we suspect it too will soon start offering options from Intel's top tier. [Thanks, Jeremy]
Sony VAIO J joins the touchscreen all-in-one ranks
On the surface it doesn't look like much separates Sony's new 21.5-inch VAIO J all-in-one from the growing number of touchscreen AIOs on the market, but it's definitely one of the more head-turning options out there. Like its 24-inch L Series, the VAIO J has a 1920x1080-resolution display and a Blu-ray drive, but the larger model now packs a 2.66GHz Intel Core i7-620M CPU, up to 8GB of RAM, and NVIDIA discrete graphics options with 512 vRAM. It also has a 7,200rpm 500GB hard drive and boots Windows 7 Premium, though Sony has added its touch-friendly Media Gallery software layer. The best news? While the L starts at $1,300, the J will arrive next month with a $900 starting price. Sure, there are cheaper models out there, but when doesn't Sony demand a few extra bucks for its good looks? On that note, we'll leave you with some polished press shots and the full PR after the break. %Gallery-94645%
Toshiba redesigns Satellite ultrathin laptops, we go hands-on
It's no secret that the Toshiba Mini NB305 is one of our favorite netbooks on the market, mostly because of its chiclet keyboard and wide touchpad. Thankfully for us, it looks like Toshiba is planning to spread the same design to its ultrathin Satellite lineup sometime soon. Shown above is what appears to be a minty fresh update to the Satellite M135 on the Computex show floor. The 13-inch laptop looked mighty attractive -- it's about an inch thick, and as mentioned has the same sturdy keyboard as the Mini NB305. We're not the biggest fans of the pattern etched into the metal palmrest, but on the plus side its touchpad has dedicated right and left buttons. We can't tell you much in the way of specs, but it was on display at the Intel booth with a Core i5-U520 processor and also hanging out at the AMD booth with one of those new Athlon II Neo CPUs. This thing is bound to be official sometime soon, but in the meantime check out the hands-on shots below and start saving up for what could be one of the best ultrathins headed to the market. %Gallery-94277%
Intel HD graphics to support 3D this summer, 30 more WiDi laptops on the way
Intel's integrated graphics are about to get a stereoscopic shot in the arm this summer. Although the Computex presentation today wasn't clear on whether it would come in the form of a firmware update or all-new hardware, we're being promised the ability to watch 3D movies straight off Blu-ray discs. Mind you, the GMA HD graphics aren't aimed at competing with NVIDIA's 3D Vision or any other heavyweights, not least because they'll be relying on polarized lenses to generate that extra sense of depth. Intel had even better news regarding its Wireless Display tech -- which throws your laptop's picture onto a nearby HDTV -- as it will soon be spreading out to "over 30" laptop models and going global. You can count on Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Sony, Toshiba, and Samsung to bundle this Google TV-killing functionality in with their portable computers sooner rather than later. Update: A bunch of the new WiDi laptops were on display at Intel's Computex booth. Looks like we are in for some new ones from HP, Acer and Dell. Check out the gallery below. %Gallery-94341%
Leaked Intel roadmap reveals six new notebook CPUs for 2010, better battery life in 2011
We love the smell of silicon in the morning -- especially when it emanates from one of Intel's legendary leaked roadmaps. Today, we've stumbled across one with specs for Chipzilla's entire fall collection of mobile chips, and a couple new details about that desiccated overpass the execs keep talking about. First up, it appears sources were spot-on about the Core i7s and Core i5s we heard about last week, but the 2.66GHz / 3.33 GHz Core i5-580M won't be the only dual-core CPU to look for in Q4; it will be sandwiched between the 2.8GHz Core i7-640M (which turbos to 3.46GHz) and the 2.66GHz / 3.2GHz Core i5-560M -- all of which peak at a conservative 35 watts. True juice sippers will want a 15W CULV, however, and it seems more of those exist than Intel initially let on; Q4 will see a high-end Core i7-680UM that starts at 1.46GHz and turbos up to 2.53GHz and a 1.33GHz / 2.13GHz Core i5-560UM, plus a 25W 2.26GHz Core i7-660LM low-voltage chip will also join the fray. All these new dual-cores will have on-die Intel HD Graphics in one form or another, but all are also stopgaps until Intel's 32nm "Huron River" platform debuts in the first quarter of 2011. Then, we'll get WiMAX, WiDi and Intel Bluetooth alongside an intriguing new concept dubbed Zero Power ODD, which promises a power-saving sleep mode for our noisy optical disc drives (see more coverage link) and the promise of enough battery life to play two full Blu-rays on a single charge. Don't believe us? See the slides below for more. %Gallery-93924%
Intel Core i7-875K and Core i5-655K unlock multipliers, better performance
Intel's back in its familiar saddle today with the unveiling of a pair of new CPUs, marking the start of a new K-series that will cater to the overclocker inside all of us. The Core i7-875K is a 2.93GHz quad-core unit, which can scale heights of 3.6GHz via Turbo Boost, or even higher if you have the patience, tenacity and appropriate cooling to make it happen. Review action for this chip shows it to be Intel's premier offering short of the enthusiastically overpriced and overpowered Core i7-980X. Even more affordable will be the Clarkdale-based Core i5-655K, which trots along at 3.2GHz (with a 3.46GHz gallop option), but response to it was a little more muted. It's a dual-core CPU, after all, and if you don't plan on exploiting that unlocked multiplier to achieve some madness above 4GHz, you might be better off looking elsewhere. In amidst all the mad benchmarking, we've also found a review of a Falcon Northwest i7-875K rig as well, so give it all a read if you're mulling over a desktop upgrade. Read - Tech Report Read - AnandTech Read - PC Perspective Read - Hot Hardware Read - TweakTown Read - Legit Reviews
Intel's quad-core i7-740QM and i7-840QM show up on Dell laptop menu
Dell's propensity for dishing out new hardware without an announcement has struck again, though this time the company might have jumped the gun as not even Intel has yet officially acknowledged the existence of these Core i7 CPUs. The i7-740QM and its senior sibling are straight replacements for the i7-x20QM models: they retain the same cache and eight-threaded operational paradigm while jacking default and Turbo Boost clock speeds up to a maximum 3.2GHz single-core pace on the i7-840QM. Best of all? Dell's price for the 740QM is currently lower than that for its predecessor, so you might wanna order one up before somebody wakes up -- literally and figuratively -- over at Round Rock HQ. [Thanks, Paul]
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 brings Core i5, GeForce 310M to 15.6-inch CX623 multimedia laptop
Nah, it's no Core i5 ULV-powered X series, but MSI's latest does use a Core i5 processor and does have an X in the model name. Mind-blowing, right? The outfit's latest 15.6-incher is a multimedia powerhouse, humming along with a 1GB NVIDIA GeForce 310M GPU, twin DDR3 RAM slots (plenty of space for 4GB), a 1,366 x 768 resolution display, six-cell battery, 1.3 megapixel webcam and a pair of stereo speakers. There's also a 320GB or 500GB SATA hard drive, 4-in-1 card reader, 802.11b/g WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, HDMI / VGA outputs, twin USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA socket, audio in / out, Ethernet and a "film print coating" over the palm rest area to minimize wear. Mum's the word on a price and release date, but we suspect we'll know a bit more on both of those points when we touch down at Computex in a fortnight.
Tablet PC shocker! Fujitsu LifeBook T730 official, smaller version of T900
It's good to have options, right? And, bam! Just like that, Fujitsu announces a little something called the LifeBook T730. Sporting the same Intel Core i5-520M, i5-540M, or i7-620M CPU available on the LifeBook T900, this bad boy packs up to 8GB RAM, 320GB HDD (or 128GBSSD with encryption), Bluetooth, HDMI output, pen input (with optional capacitive multitouch), and a Super-Multi DVD writer into a comparatively svelte, 12.1-inch LED backlit package. Prices start at a Rockefeller-esque $1,869 and move skyward ever-so-quickly depending on your needs and budget.
HP's $950 TouchSmart tm2 surfaces at Amazon with Core i3-330M
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? Just a week after hearing that HP would soon be refreshing its TouchSmart tm2 convertible tablet with Core i3 and Core i5 options, in flies this: an Amazon product page confirming as much. The 12.1-inch, 4.72-pound TouchSmart tm2-2050us is currently in pre-order status, rocking a 2.13GHz Core i3-330M processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 640GB hard drive (5400RPM), Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), a WXGA LED-backlit display, Intel's integrated graphics set, Altec Lansing speakers, a 5-in-1 card reader and gigabit Ethernet. You'll also get a brushed aluminum finish, inbuilt webcam and fingerprint reader, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, a trio of USB 2.0 sockets, HDMI / VGA outputs, audio in / out and a battery good for around four hours of use. You can get in line now in exchange for $949.99, and if we were the betting type, we'd surmise that a Core i5 version was just around the bend. [Thanks, Daniel]
ASUS Bamboo Collection laptops: now with Taiwanese pricing, more bamboo (update)
ASUS has been attaching bamboo to its laptops for some time now, but it was only ever really for show -- though the wood itself was certainly biodegradable, adding veneer isn't exactly the greenest statement in the world. This year, however, the company's Bamboo Collection will be completely slightly more recyclable. With Core i5-450M processors, they should be reasonably good performers as well, and NVIDIA Optimus switchable graphics technology gives them a factory-estimated (read: unlikely) 11 hours of battery life. The panda fodder cases will be found in Taiwan for around $40,000 NTD (approximately $1,300) next month, though US availability is yet to be announced. Check out the gigantic ASUS PDF for additional specs while you wait, and feel free to blow Ma Earth kisses all the while. Update: Our friends at Engadget Chinese inform us the new U series laptops aren't 100 percent recyclable after all; they still have a sizable plastic substrate underneath those thicker bamboo panels. It seems ASUS still hasn't managed to shake its wooden façade. Get specs and first-hand pics from the event at our more coverage link.
Lenovo's 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 laptop goes on sale
Slowly but surely, each of Lenovo's CES introductions are popping up for sale. With nary a moment to spare, the 15.6-inch IdeaPad Y560 has finally surfaced at the company's website, offering up Core i3, i5 and i7 options, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, ATI's 1GB Mobility Radeon HD 5730 GPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) and a 1,366 x 768 native resolution panel. Plenty of options are tweakable should you not find the base configurations suitable for your needs, but you'll be hard pressed to secure one for under $949. Well, unless you've got the patience of Job.
