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Sony Vaio Y11, S11 and F11 leaked ahead of launch, Z and CW series refreshed
It appears that the Vaio T's return is only the tip of a giant iceberg of refreshes coming out from Sony HQ this month. Greek e-tailer Compuland has a trio of new models listed -- seemingly prematurely -- for sale: the Vaio Y11 (pictured) is a relatively standard 1.3GHz Core 2 Duo SU7300 machine with 4GB of DDR3 memory and 320GB of storage, and its nomenclature seems to fit given that its specs land somewhere between the underpowered X and fully-equipped Z series. Speaking of the latter, Sony is adding a Core i5-520M to its refreshed Z line, as well as to the new 16-inch F11 model which adds a half terabyte storage drive just for kicks. The lesser Core i3-330M Arrandale chip finds a home in the new 13-inch S11 laptop, which may or may not be replacing the SR series we know and love, as well as a freshened up CW number. Hit the read links for early pricing and more details, and if you hope really hard maybe we'll get proper announcements from the official channels some time soon. [Thanks, SpaceCowboy1973 and Al] Read - Compuland (VPCY11S1E) Read - Compuland (VPCF11M1E) Read - Compuland (VPCS11X9E) Read - Laptopshop.nl (VPCZ11X9E) Read - Laptopshop.nl ( VPCCW2S1E)
ASUS prepping 17.3-inch Core i5-powered X77 gaming laptop?
Details are still fuzzy at best, but word on the street has it that ASUS is preparing to unveil a new mobile gaming rig in short order. The biggest news is the powerhouse within: it'll purportedly be based on Intel's dual-core Core i5-430M processor. In addition to that, the rumored GPU will be a potent ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730, which is likely to feature DDR3 memory. You'll also find a pair of 500GB hard drives, 4GB of RAM, an eSATA and HDMI port and a 1,600 x 900 LED panel that spans 17.3-inches diagonally. There's no official availability or pricing information to speak of, but Fudzilla is reporting that it should show up in just a few weeks for around€1,000 ($1,435). [Thanks, Karl]
Intel Core i3, mobile Core i5 processors coming January 7
Intel's Arrandale chips haven't been the best-kept secret around, and today Chipzilla made 'em official: the Core i3 and mobile Core i5 will launch on January 7, and we'd guess a bunch of new machines come along for the ride. Although the desktop Lynnfield Core i5 is a quad-core, both the new Core i3 and mobile Core i5 are dual-core -- and in a first for Intel, both of the new chips have an integrated GPU core that's being branded "Intel HD Graphics." The new GPU is supposedly good enough for "high-end" HTPC use, but manufacturers can add switchable discrete GPUs, so don't fret too much. Both Arrandale chips have Intel's latest hyperthreading tech, and the mobile i5 also has the Turbo Boost core-overclocking feature found in the desktop i5 and i7, which redirects power to a single core to boost performance when needed. We got to see a few Core i3 and i5 laptops and desktops in action at Intel's pre-CES briefing today, although we didn't get to run any tests. The mobile Core i5 systems on display were doing a fine job running Call of Duty 4, while the scaled-down Core i3 rigs were playing Blu-ray movies and World of Warcraft -- not a bad demo, but we'll let you know when we see some real numbers. %Gallery-80522%
Digital Storm's gaming rig shows that Core i5 can trump i7
Since the dawn of computing, gamers on a budget have been flaunting their ability to best higher-spec'd systems courtesy of a little extra cooling and a lot of time fiddling with BIOS settings. So, no real surprise here that an Intel Core i5 processor can keep up with a Core i7 when properly configured. What is surprising is that you can get one suitably configured with a warranty. The provider in this case is Digital Storm, the system is the Core i5-750, and the warranty is three years. HotHardware put one through its paces and found that, if anything, it was too aggressively overclocked. But, with a few minor tweaks (which hopefully will be made standard for future iterations) the machine was stable, fast, and rather noisy. It managed to keep up with Alienware's Core i7 Aurora ALX in most benchmarks, despite being about $2,000 cheaper. That kind of savings should buy enough thermal paste to last you at least 18 months.
HP leaks forthcoming Radeon GPUs, Core i3 CPUs, Hulu and Netflix software integration
We've come across a bonanza of information about HP's Spring 2010 plans for North America. Kicking off the new year in style will be Pavilion desktops featuring a choice between ATI's Radeon HD 5350 (code named Evora Cedar), which will have HDMI, DVI and VGA ports along with 1GB of onboard memory, or the juicier Radeon HD 5570 (aka Jaguar), which bids adieu to VGA in favor of DisplayPort and bumps up the memory allowance to 2GB. Core i3-5xx and Core i5-6xx machines are also slated for the early part of 2010, based on that energy-conscious Clarkdale core we've already seen, with the difference being that Turbo Boost and higher L3 cache (4MB versus 3MB) will be available on the higher numbered chips. Arrandale fans need not despair either, as HP's TouchSmart 600 all-in-ones will be getting upgrades to Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs based on that architecture. Finally, on the software side, HP is introducing native Hulu and Netflix to its MediaSmart software suite. Check out the gallery below for more, and let the waiting begin! %Gallery-79908%
Intel's desktop roadmap leaked, with faster i5 and i7, introduction of i3
Just when you thought you had enough gigahertz in your life, along come the folks at Impress to blow the doors off Intel's upcoming crop of desktop processors. In the highly detailed charts there's wild talk of a low-powered "S" version of Core i5 that lowers the chip from 95W to 82W, a new Core i3 line that strips out the Turbo Boost technology and dips into budget-priced territory, and word that at the time of this roadmap at least the Core i9 "Gulftown" chip isn't slated for until Q2 of next year. We could probably bore you all day with the details, so hit up the source link for all the sordid details before we get ourselves too worked up.
Intel Arrandale chips detailed, priced and dated?
Who's up for some more Intel roadmap rumoring? The latest scuttlebutt from "notebook players" over in the far East is that the chip giant has finally settled on names, speeds, and prices for its first three Arrandale CPUs, which are expected to arrive in the first half of 2010. The Core i5-520UM and Core i7-620UM both run at 1.06GHz, while the top Core i7-640UM model speeds ahead at 1.2GHz, with bulk-buying prices of $241, $278, and $305 per unit of each processor. Even if the processing speeds might not impress on paper, these 32nm chips splice two processing cores, the memory controller, and graphics engine all into the same package and thereby deliver major power savings. Platform pricing is expected to remain at around $500 for netbooks, while the ultrathins these chips are intended for should hit the $600 to $800 range... if Lord Intel wills it so.
Apple's Core i5 / i7 27-inch iMacs now shipping to expectant owners
Lovers of Snow Leopard, oversized IPS display panels, and Intel's very latest processors, your time for rejoicing has come. Apple has begun sending off shipping confirmations to customers who ordered up their slab of quad-core all-in-one nirvana in October, and the biggest and baddest iMacs should be arriving at their new homes imminently. To remind you, the reason for waiting on these units was the 2.66GHz Core i5 750 inside, which comes along with 4GB of RAM, a Radeon HD 4850, and a cool terabyte of storage. We're sure some of the eager new owners couldn't resist upgrading that spec to a 2.8GHz Core i7 860, which we can kind of see the sense in -- after all, an iMac is for life, not just for Christmas. That's how that saying goes, right?
Gigabyte fixes iPhone sync issue with BIOS update
The Intel P55 Express chipset snafu that caused iPhones to lose their syncing minds has now been remedied -- at least by one motherboard maker. Gigabyte has issued a BIOS update making things all hunky-dory between the phone and the mobo, putting your troubles to an end. The P55 is Intel's latest midrange chipset and orchestrates things for newer Core i5 / i7 machines. The other two P55 purveyors, ASUS and MSI, were also caught by the bug, and there are anecdotal reports of success with an ASUS BIOS update, but not official fixes as of yet. Given the competitive nature of this market, though, we'd be surprised if those two companies didn't quickly follow suit. All's well that ends well, right?
Is the MacBook Pro about to receive a quad-core speed bump?
With all the news circulating around about updated Apple hardware, you might be asking yourself "What about the MacBook Pro?" Apple certaintly hasn't forgotten about its high-end notebook computer, and details are starting to slip out that the MacBook Pro might be receiving a speed boost sooner than anyone might have predicted. Applesfera is reporting that some information about unreleased MacBook Pro models has been found in support files of the latest developer build of Mac OS X 10.6.2. In addition, there's been some talk on 9to5Mac that Apple Store geniuses are starting to work with the new Core i5 and i7 Quad-Core processors that may make their way into the notebooks. While nothing is definite, it's looking like the release of OS X 10.6.2 and the refresh of the MacBook Pro might come in tandem, and sooner than we think. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
iMac line updated with 16:9 displays, quad-core Core i5 / i7 model
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-75974%
ASUS intros first 'Marine Cool' motherboard, the SABERTOOTH 55i
ASUS is good for canning concepts just before they've had a chance to truly thrive, but thankfully the company has made an obvious effort to bring its "Marine Cool" mainboard to life. After peeking said device at CeBIT earlier this year, the SABERTOOTH 55i has become the first actual, working product to be based around the technology. The newly-developed TUF series is designed to handle "extreme conditions," and while ASUS claims that it'll survive "military-style testing," we wouldn't recommend submerging it under liquid or blasting it with a railgun. For those looking to piece together a new Core i5 / Core i7 rig, feel free to give the read link a look for all the details, but don't bother searching high and low for a price or release date.
Dell packs Intel's Lynnfield CPUs into Studio XPS 8000 and 9000 desktops
With the introduction of new Intel CPUs comes the introduction of new rigs, and you can bet that Dell has been champing at the bit to unveil these two beauties. The new Studio XPS 8000 and 9000 machines are amongst the first from the Round Rock powerhouse to include Intel's minty fresh Core i5 and Core i7 processors, with the 8000 aimed squarely at mid-range users who'd prefer a smaller case. Both rigs can be equipped with some pretty decent innards, with up to 16GB of DDR3 RAM, room for dual internal hard drives, eight USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA socket, 350W power supply and an optional TV tuner available. Graphics cards from ATI and NVIDIA are also available (ATI's HD 3450; NVIDIA's GT220, GTS240 and GTX260), and if you're really feeling crazy, a Blu-ray drive can also be slotted in. Both rigs can be ordered up today, with the 8000 starting at $799 and the 9000 requiring at least $1,999 to bring home.
CyberPower announces new range of overclocked Core i5, i7-based gaming rigs
Not content with a pricey system powered by the latest and greatest Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor? Then you're just sort of madcap individual that CyberPower is looking for, as it has rolled out a new range of gaming rigs packing factory overclocked versions of said processors. That includes no less than five new models in Gamer Xtreme 1000 to 5000 series, which will be available with your choice of Core i5 750 (2.66GHz), i7 860 (2.80 GHz), or i7 870 (2.93 GHz) processors, and one of a number of different P55 chipset motherboards from manufacturers including Gigabyte, ASUS, EVGA, and MSI. Otherwise, you can expect some fairly high-end and fully configurable options across the board, and some equally high-end price tags for most of those options, although you can apparently get in on the base level for just $749.
Intel's Lynnfield processors now officially official, benchmarked
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
Intel rumored to be launching new Core i5, i7 processors September 8th
Well, Intel hasn't exactly been making many secrets about its latest cadre of processors, and at least a few of them already seem to be shipping in some parts of the world, but it now looks like things could soon be about to get a whole lot more official. According to DigiTimes, Intel is set to announce its new Core i5-750, Core i7-860 and Core i7-870 CPUs (and the P55 chipset to go along with 'em) on September 8th, which is almost right in line with some of the earliest rumors on the matter. Details are otherwise a bit light, although DigiTimes' "sources" estimate that P55-based motherboards could account for as much as 20% of total motherboard shipments by the end of 2009.
Intel is clandestinely selling Core i5 and new i7 chips in Taiwan (video)
Well, clandestinely is perhaps too strong -- and long -- a word for it, but the fact is that Intel's thoroughly roadmapped and unnecessarily delayed desktop refresh has already happened for folks in Taiwan. Our buddies at TweakTown even went to the trouble of putting together a video of Taipei's computer market, which didn't seem to suffer any shortages of Lynnfield parts. In US currency, the prices above are $204 for the Core i5-750, $296 for the i7-860 and $593 for the i7-870, which at least confirm earlier indications on the matter, but come on Intel, if you're not going to announce these things, at least start selling them on the sly over here too.
NVIDIA inks deal for SLI support on Intel Core i5, i7 systems
The relationship between the two companies may have descended to the level of a schoolyard fight at times, but it looks like NVIDIA and Intel are now doing their best to get along -- in public, at least -- united, in part, by AMD's entirely in-house CrossFire graphics solution. This latest gesture of goodwill comes in the form of an announcement that NVIDIA will indeed be licensing its SLI graphics technology to Intel and various motherboard manufacturers for use in upcoming Core i5 and Core i7-based systems, which Intel describes as the "perfect complement" for each other. Intel further goes on to say that "NVIDIA and Intel share a combined passion for furthering the PC as the definitive platform for gaming," while unconfirmed reports also have NVIDIA holding up its fingers in a comical gesture behind Intel's head during the announcement.[Via Electronista]
Intel's Core i5 750 spotted in the box, hastily removed and photographed
If you're itching to get your hands on Intel's latest mid-range supremo, here's another good sign. Last week it was a dual-retail listing of the so-called 570 entrant of the upcoming Core i5 line, now we have pictures of the 750's retail box and specs -- making us wonder if, perhaps, those two retailers don't share a case of mild dyslexia. This new source has a definite case of Русский язык, but from what we can glean from our high-school Russian lessons (and a little help from The Googles) this is, again, a 2.66GHz chip with 8MB of cache that's due in the very near future. This site mentions the price as "estimated at $196," a bit cheaper than we've seen so far and perhaps good tidings for bargains to come. Stay tuned for more info on that front, but go ahead and click on over for more pictures of this chip and its companion heat sink. [Thanks, Doniyor]
Intel still won't talk Core i5 details, but you can order one anyway
It's been a long, strange road for the Core i5 series of processors, first announced way back in March not by Intel, but by a motherboard spec sheet. Since then we've seen rebranding talk, lots of grids of various colors, and a delay purely for selfish reasons. Intel still isn't saying how much they'll cost or when they'll ship, but that's okay, because retailers have answered the first question and given us reason to believe the answer to the second is "soon." Two computer hardware sites confirm that the Core i5 570 will have a 2.66GHz clock speed and sport 8MB of cache, matching expectations for this new mass-market processor, and the prices (as low as $233) are a fair bit cheaper than a comparably spec'd but higher performing Core i7. Mind you, both of those retailers list the chip as being out of stock, but we're sure if you're so inclined they'd be happy to put you down for a pre-order. [Via PC World] Read - Core i5 570 at Fad Fusion Read - Core i5 570 at Computer Connection
