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Intel adds new desktop processors to roadmap
It looks like those playing along with Intel's roadmap at home have a bit of updating to do to their scorecards, with HKEPC Hardware revealing a few new details on the chip maker's plans for the new year. The biggest bit of news this time around concerns Intel's new 45nm dual-core desktop processor, now codenamed "Wolfdale," which will have a thermal design power rating (TDP) of 65W, in line with current Core 2 Duo processors. Look for it to launch sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Intel has also firmed up a few more details on its quad-core Yorkfield processor, with it clocking in with a 95W TDP and apparently still on track for a (late) Q3 release this year.[Via Reg Hardware]
Shuttle launches XPC X200 mini PC, goes Core 2 Duo
While tossing an Intel Core 2 Duo chip into last year's rig isn't enough to impress anyone anymore, Shuttle's hoping to catch the eye of studio-bound media freaks who need that HTPC flexibility in a very tight space. Upping the ante on last year's X100, the XPC X200 comes in two flavors (X200MA and X200BA), and measures in at just 5.5-centimeters tall and taking up "no more space an A4 sheet of paper." Externally, the form factor has remained similar, but this rendition has received a trendy black makeover (including a vertical stand) on the outside, and a whole new lineup of hardware on the inside. Powered by your choice of dual-core / Celeron M Intel processors, this wee machine also touts Intel's GMA950 integrated graphics set, a hybrid TV tuner for analog / DVB-T reception, SATA hard drive, up to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 7.1-channel HD audio, FM radio tuner, dual-layer DVD burner, built-in 802.11b/g, PS/2 connectors, DVI output, multi-format flash card reader, an audio input jack, and an IR remote to boot. Notably, it managed to lose the FireWire and S-Video ports found on the X100, but it does boast five USB 2.0 ports in a feeble attempt to compensate. Both versions should be hitting the market soon, and while the somewhat stripped X200BA will run you just £499 ($972), the beefed-up X200MA will demand at least £637 ($1,240) depending on options.[Via RegHardware]
Vigor Force Recon QX4 gaming rig brings the Quad FX power
AMD's Quad FX chips haven't been on the market for all that long, but that hasn't stopped one company after another from pushing out the gaming machines. Today we bring you the third rig that we've spotted in as many weeks, the Vigor Force Recon QX4. This baby is pretty loaded, with two 3.0GHz Athlon 64 FX-74 dual-core chips, a NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB DDR3 video card with DVI and TV out, 2GB of RAM, two 7200rpm, 250GB SATA II drives, an internal 16X dual-layer DVD burner, gigabit Ethernet, a whopping 10 USB ports, and for good measure, a floppy drive. The whole setup will start at $2900 and will be officially launched at CES 2007, coming up next month. We're pretty sure though that you'll have to BYO floppies -- that is, if you can even find a use for them anymore.[Via 64-Bit-Computers]
AMD's revamped roadmap unveils APUs, Hawks, and Griffins
While we've had plenty of time to digest Intel's path forward, we've been critiquing AMD's latest efforts rather than gazing down their intriguing roadmap. Nevertheless, a (presumably yawn-inducing) four-hour presentation yielded a few noteworthy tidbits about where AMD's headed, and how it plans to arrive. The firm insinuated that Intel's gazillion-core approach was simply rehashing the megahertz race, and said it would be focusing it efforts instead on Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). Although the composition is still a bit vague, the devices will supposedly be "multi-core chips that include any mix of processor cores and other dedicated processors," such as discrete units for graphics, physics, audio, video, encoding, etc. While a dash of this has already been divulged when we heard about Fusion, it looks likes AMD's getting pretty serious about it now. Additionally, the desktop roadmap didn't deviate from what we'd previously seen, but the firm plans to unveil a new power-conscience "Hawk" processor to replace the current Turion 64 X2 and Mobile Sempron chips. Moreover, it's working on offering up a hybrid graphics solution, which would see discrete GPUs disabled when unplugged from a power source, letting the integrated graphics set take over and conserve juice. Finally, the company plans to introduce yet another mobile chip (dubbed Griffin) in late 2007 that will reportedly support split power planes and HyperTransport 3.0, hopefully meaning that it'll be based on a quad-core architecture. While we don't exactly recommend sitting through the entire webcast, those who eat, sleep, and drink circuitry can hit the read link for the full (and we do mean full) skinny.[Via TechReport, thanks Keaton]
DosPara unveils snow white ultraportable: the Prime A Note Cressida NB
There's nothing like a PC wrapped in Apple's white clothing, and DosPara's latest ultraportable sports a glossy WXGA display, dual-core processor, and a decent pricetag to go along with the trendy white finish. While the company has unveiled a few larger offerings of late, this 12.1-inch gem features a 1.6GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-50 CPU, 512MB to 2GB of DDR2 RAM, 80GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive, dual-layer DVD burner, an option for NVIDIA's GeForce Go 6100 graphics, three hours of battery life, and built-in 802.11b/g -- all in a knapsack-friendly four-pound package. On the sides, you'll find VGA out, a Kensington lock port, 4-pin FireWire, audio in / out, Ethernet, a 56k modem, and a trio of USB 2.0 connectors. Sans an operating system, the basic Prime A Note Cressida NB will run you ¥109,980 ($957), while tossing in Windows XP Home (with a discounted upgrade to Vista, mind you) will cost ¥121,980 ($1,061).[Via Akihabara News]
AMD breaks out the cigars for its very first 65nm chips
As evidenced by a certain recent trouncing, that 65nm stuff is the real deal. Now AMD has joined the party, with a nice little collection of Athlon 64 X2 dual-core desktop processors. The X2 4000+, 4400+, 4800+ and 5000+ are all available now, and priced from $169 to $301 -- the same as those 90nm forebears which the new chips are replacing. Of course, it'd kill AMD to hand out an actual GHZ number, so we're in the dark as far as that's concerned. What we do know is that AMD is boasting its lineup consumes half the power of that of Intel's Core 2 Duo chips, which seems quite the claim, but we're no watt experts. Apparently when pushed to full strength, power and heat exceeds that of Intel's chips, but when they aren't busy, the chips idle at 3.8 watts, compared to the 14.3 watts of Core 2 Duo. An actual test of real-world power consumption is a bit hard to do, and AMD's Jack Huynh says "We don't want to get caught in the processor technology game." Which he ironically follows with "We have superior power management features than our competition." Which is it going to be, Jack? Luckily, benchmark wizards will sort all of this out in a few weeks, and until then you can take solace in the fact that these are some great processors at a great price. Notebook chips should follow in the first half of 2007, and AMD is hoping to be fully caught up with Intel in 18 months at the next milestone: 45nm.[Via ExtremeTech; thanks Ivana]
Rock goes for broke with its SLI-equipped Xtreme SL Pro laptop
If you're the kind of person who likes their gizmos to the Xtreme, then you're sure to love Rock's new Xtreme SL Pro. Following in the same 20-inch vein as Acer's Aspire 9800 and Dell's XPS M2010, this gargantuan machine packs specs most commonly found in a full-fledged desktop. Powered by a 2.0GHz AMD Turion X2 TL-60 processor, the SL Pro also packs twin NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX 512MB graphics cards, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, a pair of 100GB 7200RPM SATA drives, dual-layer DVD burner, WSXGA+ display, 5.1 surround sound output, 1.3-megapixel webcam, and a 4-in-1 flash card reader. Additionally, you'll find built-in WiFi / Bluetooth connectivity, a DVI output, FireWire, and five USB 2.0 ports. Aside from weighing 15.2 pounds, having a presumed 28.4 (at best) minutes of battery life, and being nearly two inches thick, this prodigious laptop will set you back at least £2,499 ($4,720) depending on options -- but hey, it'll sure be easier to snag than that other crimson-clad eXtreme toy this holiday season.[Via Pocket-Lint]
Averatec goes dual-core with ultraportable 2300
After blessing its slightly larger offerings with that dual-core goodness, Averatec is finally looking after the little guy by upping the innards of its slim and trim 2200. The 2300 retains the same 1.3-inch thickness and four pound weight as before, while receiving a welcome upgrade in the CPU department. Still sporting the tantamount 12.1-inch WXGA AveraBrite LCD, the machine boasts an 1.6GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-50 dual-core processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 100GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive, 802.11b/g, and a dual-layer DVD burner. It also packs a plethora of ports for its size, including gigabit Ethernet, 56k modem, audio in / out, 4-in-1 flash card reader, VGA output, 4-pin FireWire, a trio of USB 2.0 connectors, and a snazzy ExpressCard slot to boot. To top it off, Averatec coupled the boosted specs with a drop in price -- the 2300 ranges from just $849.99 to $949.99, depending on those BTO add-ons.[Via Laptoping]
Cohen on Mac Pro's gaming prowess
Macworld's Peter Cohen (author of the magazine's recently vanished GameRoom column) has posted an online idolatry to Apple's new Mac Pro workstation, in which he praises the G5 successor's potential as a gaming tour de force.Cohen summarizes, "With Leopard coming next spring, Universal Binary games here today and Cider-wrapped games coming within the next couple of months, Mac gaming is on the upswing, and the Mac Pro is a rig that should really be able to take advantage of everything that's offered." Do you agree? Some of the comments we received for our original post on the Mac Pro raised issues with the Xeon's shortcomings as a gaming chip (which Cohen also addresses), while other Joystiqers engaged in a healthy debate on cost comparisons with similarly configured PCs.
Samsung X11 Core Duo notebook reviewed
Samsung seems to be on a roll with the Core Duo laptop gig, so it's not surprising to see the X11 taking some heat for not quite living up to the standards set by the well-received Samsung Q35. While you can customize the notebook to your liking, TrustedReviews' test unit packed a T2300 Intel Core Duo 1.66Ghz processor, 80GB hard drive, 512MB RAM, 14.1-inch 1,280 x 800 glossy display, and uninspiring integrated Intel 945GM graphics. The X11 has a fair amount of ports, featuring VGA and S-Video out, a trio of USB 2.0 inputs, 4-pin FireWire connector, and the obligatory WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0. Reviewers didn't find all this hardware incredibly thrilling, however, and the X11 seemed to underperform across the board. Although the benchmarks weren't awful in any one category, it got knocked for its overall lack of style and the (understandably) annoying "sticking spacebar." The two biggest performance digs came from the "lack of sharpness" the LCD provided and the 2 x 256MB RAM setup that was "a bit 2004;" TrustedReviews felt that dual 512MB DIMMs would have been more appropriate, but noted this was an available option if you pony up the extra coin. Ultimately it was deemed that the Samsung X11 could "get the job done," but was priced too closely to the Q35 to be considered a solid value, and at £799 ($1,492) -- only £81 cheaper than the aforementioned little sibling -- we can't find much room to disagree.
Dell Precision 390 workstation goes Core 2, too
Dell's giving that sweet Core 2 love to more than just the XPS 410 and XPS 700 desktops; even workstations are getting into the game. As part of the continuing onslaught of spec-bumped machines, the company announced that its Precision 390 tower is now available with four Core 2 Duo options (1.86GHz E6300, 2.13GHz E6400, 2.40GHz E6660, or 2.66GHz E6700) or even the blazing 2.93GHz Core 2 Extreme X6800, along with a seemingly-ancient 3.0GHz Pentium 4. The new rig can handle up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, up to a 7,200RPM, 500GB hard drive, and comes with a number of graphics options from either nVIDIA (the Quadro series) or ATI (either a FireGL V7200 or V3400). If you act now, you can pick up a base configuration (which includes the E6300) for just $800, though going high-end will cost significantly more: a Core 2 Extreme--equipped setup more than doubles the price to $1,790.[Thanks, Michael]
Evesham releases SLI-enabled Quest Nemesis notebook
If Evesham's 19-inch Quest A630 gaming rig was just a little too much laptop for you, now the company has introduced another dual-core model that maintains the A630's SLI goodness but drops two inches off the screen -- and a full $1,300 off the pricetag. The new 17-inch Quest Nemesis features a Turion 64 processor from AMD, dual nVidia GeForce Go 7900 video cards, 1,680 x 1,050 WSXGA resolution, 160GB worth of 5400RPM SATA drives, and 1GB of rather pokey 333MHz DDR RAM, along with a DVD burner, 3-in-1 card reader, and Bluetooth and 802.11g radios. There's also a full suite of connectivity options, including FireWire, DVI, VGA, S-Video, S/PDIF, and 4 USB 2.0 ports, as well as an ExpressCard slot for eventually adding a wireless 3G modem. You can order the 8.8-pound Nemesis right away starting at $2,775, or wait around for the inevitable flood of identical rebadges that will probably drive the price down a bit.[Via Pocket-Lint]
More from BenQ: the webcam-equipped Joybook T31
The R55 wasn't the only Joybook BenQ had on display at Computex; the company was also showing off its 13-inch T31, which is the first notebook in this lineup to feature a built in webcam (with Sony having already snatched up the MotionEye name, this 1.3 megapixel cam is known as the QEye). Like the R55, this model also features an UltraVivid display (with a 220-nit brightness, though, as opposed to 180-nit), SRS Trusurround XT audio enhancement, and a dual core processor, but the T31 eschews Intel's Core Duo chip for a Turion 64 X2 from AMD. Rounding out the specs are ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 graphics pushing WXGA resolution, four USB 2.0 ports, and a 5-in-1 card reader that can handle SD/MMC, MemoryStick, and the still-kicking xD format, but unfortunately, prices and release dates remain elusive.[Via AVING]
Okoro's OMS-GX300 adds SLI to the HTPC
Although home theater PCs are great for watching and listening to your digital content from the comfort of your couch, most lack the graphics horsepower for playing your favorite games on your 60-inch plasma and eight speaker setup. Not so with Okoro's new OMS-GX300, which besides sporting a dual-core Athlon64 FX-60 processor from AMD, also packs in that tasty SLI goodness in the form of nVidia's GeForce 7950 GX2 card featuring a full gig of video RAM. As if that weren't enough to get you excited, the GX300 also comes with 1TB of storage standard -- upgradable to a whopping 3TB thanks to four open SATA bays -- three TV tuners (2 analog and one OTA digital), an HDA Digital X-Mystique 7.1 sound card, and just about every input and output that you could ask for -- except, curiously, HDMI. Best of all, this model features a 7-inch front panel touchscreen for displaying tons of infoswag, at a price that's at least four hundred bucks less than the $5,000-and-up screen-less Denali series from Niveus.
First International's slim, VIIV-powered GE2 multimedia PC
Ever since the Mac mini made its much-heralded debut, new small form-factor multimedia PCs have been popping up seemingly every day, so a new company called First International (FIC) has its work cut out for it if it hopes to top the likes of AOpen, Blueado, and Hi-Grade with the super-slim, VIIV-powered GE2 revealed at Computex. Not surprisingly, the specs on this machine closely match other models on the market, so features like a Core Duo processor, integrated graphics, slot-loading DVD burner, WiFi and Bluetooth 2.0, optional TV tuner, and DVI and S/PDIF outputs will probably sound quite familiar by now. Since neither pricing nor release date are known at this point, all we can hold onto is FIC's promise that the GE2 will be shipping "very soon."
Acer Aspire 9510 and 9110 HD-DVD-sporting laptops
Along with the 15.4-inch 5670 and 20.1-inch 9800 notebooks that we'd already known about, Acer formally unveiled at Computex two other HD-DVD- and Centrino Duo-toting models from the Aspire line that we hadn't seen before: the 17-inch 9510 and 15.4-inch 9110 (pictured). All four models are being billed as all-in-one multimedia centers, and with all but the 5670 sporting 1,920 x 1,080 resolutions, S/PDIF and HDCP-capable HDMI outputs, optional analog and DVB-T tuners, and of course those high-def, backwards-compatible optical drives (still waiting on those Blu-ray models, though), it sure sounds like Acer knows what it's talking about. Both of the new-new notebooks also offer up to 4GB of DDR2 RAM and nVidia graphics cards, but the 9510 rocks the GeForce Go 7900 GS with 512MB of RAM and up to 240GB of hard drive space, while the 9110 has to settle for the GeForce Go 7600 with 256MB of RAM and a HDD that maxes out at 120GB. Unfortunately, Acer was so busy selling us on the benefits of all these new machines that they forgot a few important details, so both pricing and release dates for each and every one remain a big fat mystery for now.[Via Notebook Review]
Alienware Aurora 7500 gaming tower reviewed
When reviewing a computer from Alienware (or any other "boutique" electronics manufacturer, for that matter) it's difficult to compare to other systems on the market, mainly because these machines will offer a lot more power than your typical white box PC but also cost a good deal more than a similarly-equipped rig that you've built yourself. Therefore, setups like the ~$3,000 Aurora 7500 tower will never lead the pack in value, but XYZ Computing gives this particular model a thumbs up when it comes to performance, build quality, and upgradability -- and those benefits don't come cheap. As you'd expect, the 7500's dual-core AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ processor and dual nVidia GeForce 7900GT cards in SLI configuration make short work of even the toughest benchmarks, delivering more-than-acceptable framerates for high-end games even at a resolution of 1,600 x 1,200. Besides the steep price (though again, if you want this kind of power on the cheap, you're gonna have to spend hours building your own box), there's not much to criticize about this model, although XYZ laments the lack of dedicated fans for the dual hard drives and the fact that the toasty GPUs don't receive the same kind of liquid-cooling love as the CPU. Still, if you've got some extra dough laying around, but not a lot of extra time, it sounds like you can rest assured that the Aurora 7500 will deliver the top-notch fragging capabilities you desire.
AMD's "4 x 4" platform pairs 2 dual-core CPUs, 4 GPUs
Gamers gather 'round, for we have a tale of a new platform from AMD that will surely get your pulses racing, at least if the idea of having two dual-core processors and four graphics cards in one machine sounds as appealing to you as it does to us. Known as the "4 x 4" Enthusiasts Platform (four cores plus four GPUs -- we know, it's a bit of a stretch), the setup will allow manufacturers to offer configurations which users can upgrade over time, so consumers could start out with one dual-core chip and and one or more video cards, for example, instead of laying down what will likely be loads of cash on a maxed-out system. Another interesting bit of info revealed at the AMD analyst day in Austin, Texas was the fact that dual ATI Crossfire configurations can be used with 4 x 4, which indicates that AMD's possible acquisition target is probably working on a quad-SLI-esque solution to match rival nVidia. So start saving your pennies, dear gamers, because things are looking to get mighty interesting this year.
VoodooPC's 17-inch, dual-core Envy u:734 notebook
If VoodooPC's $5,000 Envy u:909 gaming laptop is a bit too rich for your blood, the company has come out with a more reasonably-priced 17-inch model that still manages to pack in a dual-core processor and top-of-the-line graphics card. The new Envy u:734 starts at "just" $3,800 and features a T2400 Core Duo processor (upgradable to the T2500 or T2600), nVidia GeForce Go 7900 GTX video card, 1,900 x 1,200 pixel widescreen display,1GB of RAM (2GB max), an 80GB HDD (160GB possible), 8x DVD burner, and the usual suite of ports, card readers, and wireless radios (three flavor WiFi and Bluetooth). You can place your order for this 8.1-pound desktop replacement starting today, and as usual, you can choose from about a million different color schemes along with numerous tattoo options for shlocking up personalizing your rig.[Via DailyCE]
Next-gen AOpen MiniPC unveiled
It seems that the engineers over at PC manufacturer AOpen have been studiously reading the reviews of the first generation of their Mac mini ripoff homage, the miniPC, as the latest version is promising to eliminate the loud whine that made its predecessor almost unusable. The company has just formally announced the Core Duo-powered version of what is now called the MiniPC (with the capital "M" presumably meant to further differentiate the box from its Apple counterpart), which is essentially the same machine that was being shown off at CeBIT 2006, except with a black case that makes it look less like an external DVD burner. Besides Yonah CPU support and a slight bump in RAM speed, the MiniPC model MP945-VXR sports nearly identical specs to the MP-915 (version one), although you do get a built-in mic and the Media Center Edition version of Windows XP. The price this time around, however, is decidedly less "mini," with AOpen claiming a MSRP of $955 -- compared to only $500 for the 915 -- whenever the new model hits stores.[Via Reg Hardware]
