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HP unveils new Pavilion desktop lineup, packs new Intel and AMD chips
It's a song as old as rhyme, as Mrs. Potts would say: new AMD and Intel chips are out, and there are new desktops to take advantage of them. HP's playing its part with three new budget-friendly Pavilion desktop series: the p6700 (starting at $300), s5700 ($330), and HPE-500 ($600). They all offer a wide range of configurations, with the standard-sized p6700 starting out at a Pentium E5700 proc and ranging up to an Athlon II 445 triple-core processor, the slim s5700 ranging from Athlon II 260 dual-core up to Phenom II 511 dual-core, and the HPE-500 blazing away with Phenom II 1045T six-core chips and discrete Radeon HD 6450 graphics, on up to Phenom II 1090T six-core and Radeon HD 6770 graphics. All of the desktops have "Beats Audio," an Envy feature that HP is spreading out across its product line. Other than that little perk, there are few surprises in any of these when it comes to specs and options: prepare to be generally nonplussed. Still, with these new (cheap!) chips from AMD and Intel, budget buyers should get a lot more power for their buck when these desktops land on January 9th... until the next round of procs comes out, of course. %Gallery-112424%
Phenom II X6 1100T review roundup: AMD's fastest desktop processor to date
When it comes to GPU and CPU releases, there are quantum leaps, and then there are baby steps. Based on the web's collective views on AMD's newest slab of silicon -- the Phenom II X6 1100T -- it seems as if this chip is a better example of the latter. According to TechSpot, the device "does little to improve upon the performance of AMD's hexa-core CPU series, [but] it does help improve the value of these high-end desktop processors by making the 1090T BE model even cheaper." By and large, that sentiment was mirrored throughout. Hot Hardware found that while it was easily "the fastest desktop processor released from AMD to date," it still couldn't topple Intel's (admittedly more expensive) six-core chips in terms of performance. But of course, AMD rarely competes strictly on benchmarks -- the 1100T lists for just $265, making it one of the more affordable desktop CPU options for this level of oomph. Those really looking for a bargain could snap up the now-deflated 1090T or 1075T, and while the bulk of the reviews below focus primarily on today's new flagship, the 3.4GHz Phenom II X2 565 Black Edition ($115) and 3.3GHz Athlon II X3 455 ($87) are also touched on. Read - AnandTech Read - Hot Hardware Read - TechSpot Read - HardOCP Read - Firing Squad Read - Hexus Read - Legit Reviews Read - PC Perspective
Acer Revo 100 now available in UK, slide-out RevoPad and all
We did a bit of a double take when we first saw the press release this morning for the new Acer Revo 100. Sifting through our memory banks (and Engadget archives), we finally remembered: the "Revo 2" with Intel CE4100 shown off earlier this year at IDF. We're betting this is just a twin and the Intel version is still en route, but for now, the Revo 100's packing AMD Athlon II Neo dual-core processor with NVIDIA ION graphics, up to 4GB DDR3 SDRAM, Dolby Home Theater v3, Blu-ray drive, 802.11b/g/n, and a multitude of ports including HDMI and two mini-PCI Express card slots for expansion. More interesting, though, is the slide-out RevoPad, which can function as either a multitouch gesture pad or, when activated, a QWERTY keyboard with lit-up keys on the same surface. Software-wise, we've got Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and Acer's new clear.fi media sharing system. When's it available? Now -- at least in the UK. How much? £599.99 including VAT. We've dropped Acer a line as to US release details; we'll let you know what we hear. Press release after the break.
Lenovo's ThinkCentre M75e desktop range introduced, complete with business socks
They ain't much to gawk at, and they certainly won't satisfy your craving for tomorrow's best first-person shooter, but Lenovo's newest ThinkCentre machines will undoubtedly tear through an Excel spreadsheet and block your access to any website deemed remotely entertaining. The M75e will be arriving in two versions: a small form factor mini-tower starting at $504, and a standard tower starting at $524. Both units ship with a baseline configuration that includes a 2.8GHz AMD Sempron 145 AM3 processor, Windows 7 Professional, 2GB of DDR3 memory, an integrated AMD GPU (capable of driving two displays by its lonesome), a 250GB hard drive and a three-year warranty. Big spenders can upgrade to an Athlon II or Phenom II CPU, up to 16GB of memory and a Haspel tuxedo. Or so we're led to believe. Bonus video is after the break.
eMachines Mini-e ER1402: all the PC your mother can handle for just $300
We're guessing that you may actually save even more space if you take the Mini-e from atop that stand and actually let it lay flat on your desk, but it sure looks cute, don't it? eMachines latest, um, machine "looks more like modern art than a computer," or at least that's what we're being told in the presser hosted up just past the break. The Mini-e ER1402 measures just 7.1 inches in diameter and weighs 9 pounds, and while it won't handle the latest installment of Crysis, it should plow through those late night Hulu catch-up sessions with ease. Touting an AMD Athlon II Neo CPU, NVIDIA's GeForce 9200 GPU, 2GB of RAM, four USB 2.0 ports, a built-in card reader, 160GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n WiFi and an HDMI port, this SFF PC can also be mounted upside your wall or closet if you so choose. Best of all? That totally reasonable $299.99 price tag, coupled with an availability of status of "right now, compadre."
Gateway brings ZX4300 and ZX6900 all-in-one touchscreen PCs into a world of fingers
We've still yet to find a great reason to eschew our tried-and-true mouse / keyboard tandem in favor of using our desktop with just our fingers, but if you know better, Gateway has a new duo it'd sure love for you to check out. The ZX4300 line, which is the lower-end of the two, gets served AMD's Athlon II X2 CPU, Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), a 20-inch touchpanel (1,600 x 900 resolution), integrated ATI Radeon HD 4270 graphics, 4GB of DDR3 memory a 640GB hard drive, 8x SuperMulti drive, a bundled wireless keyboard and mouse, inbuilt WiFi, gigabit Ethernet, six USB 2.0 sockets and a pair of five-watt speakers. The Gateway One ZX6900 family sports a 23-inch LCD (1,920 x 1,080), and while the vast majority of the specs mimic the others we've mentioned, the Core i3 power plant is a notable reason for paying extra. Speaking of which, the ZX4300-01e is slated to first hit stores next month for $749.99, while the ZX6900-01e lands alongside of it for $1,019.99. %Gallery-93320%
Toshiba updates Satellite Pro line with Core i3 / i5, Athlon II-based models
New laptop processors mean new laptops, and Toshiba has now joined the party with four new Satellite Pro models packing Intel's latest Core i3 and i5 processors and AMD's new dual-core Athlon II. Those include the 15.6-inch C650 / C650D, the 13.3-inch L630, the 15.6-inch L650 / L650D, and the 17.3-inch L670 / 670D, all of which are available with Intel Core i3 or Core i5 processors, while those with a "D" suffix pack an Athlon II. Otherwise, each boast either a 1,600 x 900 or 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit display, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5145 or integrated Intel GMA HD graphics, up to 8GB of RAM, an optional Blu-ray burner, and Toshiba's own Media Controller software to let you stream content to other networked devices, among other standard fare. Still no indication of pricing or availability over here, but the whole lot should at least be available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa sometime in the second quarter of this year. Hit up the gallery below for a closer look at the complete, nearly identical-looking lineup.%Gallery-93000%
AMD comes real clean with 2010 desktop platform: Phenoms, Athlons, Radeons, oh my!
AMD got serious with its VISION guide to buying PCs last September, but we've yet to see it actually put into practice until today. In addition to a new spate of laptop chips, the company is finally coming clean with the desktop CPUs that we've seen whispered about, touched and even benchmarked for weeks now. Frankly, there's not much here we didn't know already, but we're guessing that AMD's just aligning its official launch with the plans of Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo and all the other big names that'll be introducing rigs based on this silicon in short order. Regardless, bargain gamers should greatly appreciate having the dual- and quad-core Athlon II range as well as the quad- and six-core Phenom II crew hitting the scene in official fashion, offering plenty of performance (for most, anyway) at a fraction of the cost of Intel's swankest Core i7 chips. And yeah, we're pretty stoked to see AMD getting its chips into so many desktops -- it's been awhile since there was even a semblance of an AMD / Intel balance in the customize-to-order sections of the world, and it's about time that changed.
Lenovo adds touch to IdeaCentre A700 and B305 all-in-ones, vies for your desktop dollars with H320
While keeping the overdesigned aesthetic of their IdeaCentre brandmates, the new A700 and B305 (above) all-in-ones from Lenovo are moving things forward with optional touchscreens and freshened up spec sheets. The A700 offers the full range of Intel's Core 2010 laptop CPUs, but tops things off with the slightly older 45nm Core i7-820QM, which gives you four cores operating at a somewhat pedestrian 1.73GHz default speed that can be cranked up to 3.06GHz when circumstances demand it. Other specs include a 1080p 23-inch display, built-in 802.11a/b/g/n wireless, and a side-mounted Blu-ray drive. If you're feeling extravagant, you can even cram in 8GB of DDR3 RAM, but don't expect to be paying the $999 entry price for that package when these become available at the end of June. The B305 gives AMD fans something to admire, with Athlon II X4 processors, Radeon HD 5450 graphics -- great for multimedia, but forget about 3D gaming -- up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and up to a 21.5-inch display stretching to 1,920 x 1,080. Built-in wireless and a DVD-RW drive are again present, along with up to a terabyte of storage (2TB on the A700, that showoff) should you opt to tread beyond the $699 entry price. The B305 will be purchasable next month, as will be the H320 old schooler. Starting out at $549, this small form factor pc offers Intel's 32nm desktop parts, with the finest of the bunch being the 2.8GHz Core i7-860. Radeon HD 5570, up to 8GB of memory, a terabyte of storage, Blu-ray, and wireless options fill out its vital statistics, though you'll have to buy your own monitor. Full PR after the break. %Gallery-92697%
HP unleashes seven new ProBooks, cuddles up with AMD
No, we wouldn't say we've been looking at AMD lately, HP -- but we've got a strong feeling that we're about to with the slew of not-yet-announced processors that are powering these new affordable business laptops. The HP ProBook 4325s, 4425s, and 4525 may look like their brushed-aluminum business laptop brethren, but instead of Intel inside, they can be configured with AMD's new Phenom II quad-core, Phenom II triple-core, Turion II or Athlon II processors -- all which are apparently 69 percent faster than previous generation HP AMD laptops. Add in an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 530v discrete graphics option and an $619 starting price, and the S-series may just be our new favorite HP sub-brand -- though we'll reserve final judgment until we test these puppies and check out the battery life. In addition to those three, the 14-inch 6445b and 15-inch 6555b pack the same new processor options, but for $799 they have a more durable case with a spill-resistant keyboard. Oh don't worry Intel, the ProBook line hasn't forgotten about you: there's still some Core i3, i5 and i7 love in the new HP ProBook 6450b and 6550b, which now also have vPro remote management technology. And just when you thought HP couldn't go any lower in price with its business line up, the 14-inch HP 425 and 15.6-inch 625 emerge at $550. While these guys aren't exactly the thinnest or lightest of the bunch, they should still provide an ample amount of performance with AMD's new 2.3GHz Turion II dual-core, 2.1GHz Athlon II dual-core and V Series processors and ATI Radeon HD 4200 integrated graphics. Not a bad time to be in the boardroom, huh? Head down below for some glossy press shots and the full releases. %Gallery-92238%
Pentium 4 takes on modern CPUs in a benchmarking showdown, suffers ignominious defeat
If there's one thing that bugs us about desktop component reviews, it's that they tend to compare the latest hardware against the stuff immediately preceding it. Everyone wants to know what the improvements between generations are, but for many it's also equally useful to know how 2010's freshness compares to their own computers, which might have been bought or built a few years back. For those precious prospective upgraders, Tech Report have put together an extremely thorough benchmarking session which compares the venerable Pentium 4 670 and its silly 3.8GHz clock speed to a pair of new budget parts: the Core i3-530 from Intel and quad-core Athlon II X4 635 from AMD. Naturally, they've also included other contemporary parts like the high-end Core i7s and Phenoms, as well as a Core 2 Quad Q6600 from a couple of years ago to bridge the gap between the ancient 90nm Prescott and the 32nm young pretenders. It's all quite fascinating in the geekiest (and therefore best) of ways, so why not hit that source link and get reading.
Lenovo's AMD-based G455 and G555 make thrifty Stateside debut
China may have gotten its hands on the G455A model a touch earlier, but Lenovo hasn't kept its US-based loyalists waiting too long, as today it's announcing the forthcoming availability of a pair of new additions to its G series. Sadly, the Chinese vendor hasn't furnished us with spec sheets as yet, though we can be safe in assuming the G455 and G555 will differ primarily in their screen sizes (14 versus 15 inches), and with 16:9 screen ratios advertised, they're also likely to share the 1366 x 768 resolution of the Chinese G455A. Athlon II and dual-core Turion II processor options will be available for both, with ATI Radeon HD Mobility graphics also noted, though the DirectX 10 reference means they'll be from the older 4xxx series. Still, these machines are clearly intended for the value segment -- with both becoming available in March for $449 -- and look likely to be Lenovo's answer to those looking for the basic functionality of a netbook married to a more generously proportioned screen.
AMD launches new Phenom II and Athlon II CPUs right onto the test bench
Hot on the heels of its first quarterly profit in three years (thanks to Intel, strangely enough), AMD is launching a new pair of desktop processors today that hit for under a buck twenty (amongst a few others). The $99 Phenom II X2 555 Black Edition is the company's quickest dual-core desktop CPU to date at 3.2GHz, while the Athlon II X4 635 is expected to be one of the least expensive quad-core chips around. Both slabs of silicon hit the test bench over the weekend, and as you may expect, no one was particularly blown away. Of course, AMD never set out to shock and awe with this duo, but the performance-per-dollar ratio was downright beautiful. We'll spare you the nitty-gritty details (all the bar charts you can handle are just below), but suffice it to say, these two are certainly worth a look if you're fixing to build a low-end, low-cost tower for... um, your mother. Yeah, her. Read - Hot Hardware Read - AnandTech Read - Computer Shopper Read - Tom's Hardware Read - Overclocker's Club Read - ExtremeTech
AMD 's new Athlon II processors aim to go easy on the power, your wallet
AMD has just outed a selection of new Athlon II procs, which do little to help it reclaim the performance crown, but will be of interest to anyone who likes to keep things minimal -- whether we're talking about prices or temperatures. Starting at $69 per chip (when bought in bulk) with the 2.7GHz dual-core X2 235e and topping out at $143 for the 2.3GHz quad-core X4 605e, AMD's new e-tagged processors operate within a 45W thermal envelope, as opposed to the relatively standard 65W TDP. The Sunnyvale outfit makes some ill-advised claims of "up to 75 percent" better performance versus comparable Intel CPUs -- the small print tells us that number is derived from 3DMark Vantage while testing with different GPUs -- but we suppose until the Thuban six-core shows up, AMD will have to take performance gains from wherever it can get 'em, including its own imagination.
AMD debuts Athlon II X2 250 and Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition CPUs
If you're AMD, you've got to be feeling pretty good right now. Intel's busy handling a lawsuit bigger than the left half of Russia, you're finally free of that dreaded manufacturing business and you've got a new pair of mainstream CPUs debuting at Computex. The first of the two is the dual-core 45nm Athlon II X2 250, which features a TDP of 65-watts and can whittle power consumption down to 50 percent when handling just "basic tasks." Then there's the first-ever dual-core AMD Phenom II, the X2 550 Black Edition. Built from the ground-up for its 'Dragon' platform, this here chip also supports OverDrive 3.0 and should provide some higher-end features on a budget. Unfortunately, details beyond that are inexplicably scant, but we'll be sure to pass on whatever surfaces at the show. Full release is after the break.Read - HotHardware reviewRead - AMDZone reviewRead - OverclockersClub reviewRead - PC Perspective reviewRead - LostCircuits reviewRead - BenchmarkReviews reviewRead - TechSpot reviewRead - X-bit Labs reviewRead - Legion Hardware review
