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HP EliteBook 8440w lives up to its "workstation" title, says the reviewing masses
Since the royal unveiling of HP's six new Elitebooks and ProBooks last week, the Elitebook 8440w (w standing for workstation) has been making the review rounds, and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback from the chaps at Notebook Review, LAPTOP and Computer Shopper. All were impressed by the Core i7-620M and NVIDIA Quadro FX 380M power that's been crammed into the 14-inch chassis, but unsurprisingly that causes some warm underside temperatures. Other than that, the 8440w received high praise for its durable gunmetal-build and "exceedingly" comfortable keyboard, but the touchpad was noted as being too small. Actually, the guys over at Notebook Review even go as far to say that the laptop would be "absolutely perfect" if that pad and its buttons weren't so squished. Now that's quite a bold statement. All in all, the 8440w seems like a solid and very mobile workstation, but hit up the sources if you're dying to know more about the $1,650 rig.
HP now shipping select Envy 15 models with USB 3.0
Welcome to the most recent benchmark we've been referring to as "the future." HP has become what appears to be the first company to actually ship a laptop featuring USB 3.0. According to a rep speaking with CNET, if you order an Envy 15 with a Core i7 processor and an ATI 5830 GPU, the new ports come along for the ride. Feeling patient? Not to worry, we're pretty sure this crazy USB 3.0 thing isn't an isolated incident -- expect more machines to support it soon enough, including HP's own EliteBook in just a few weeks' time.
Congatec BM57 fits mobile Core i7 onto tiny mobo
Should you be lusting after some of that Core i7 oomph but have a distaste for the large thermal and physical footprint of desktops, you'll want to hear more from Congatec. A relative unknown hailing from Germany, the outfit has just announced its BM57 small form factor setup, which looks to be ideal for homebrew HTPC enthusiasts -- primarily because its i7-620M CPU is both powerful (up to 3.33GHz with Turbo Boost) and relatively easy to cool (35W TDP, including chip-integrated graphics). The kit is able to support up to 8GB of dual-channel DDR3, as well as drive two video outputs concurrently. Choices include HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA, leading to some tantalizingly versatile possibilities for the creative self-builder. Prices are not yet available, but the BM57 will be demonstrated at the International Gaming Expo in London at the end of this month.
Intel Infoscape HD wall brings real-time web visualization (hands-on)
We hate to dampen your excitement right from the get-go, but Intel confessed that it has absolutely no plans of commercializing something like this itself -- but that's not to say someone else couldn't grab a Core i7 and run with the idea themselves. The Infoscape was generating quite a bit of attention at the chip giant's CES booth, boasting twin 7-foot touch panels (each with a 1,920 x 1,920 resolution). The entire installation was powered by a single Core i7-based machine with Intel's own graphics, and it was seen rendering 576 links of live information. Users could touch any individual panel in order to dig deeper and bring up more information on each link, and it had absolutely no trouble pulling up dozens of boxes at once when legions of onlookers decided to touch boxes simultaneously. Hop on past the break to check out a video, and feel free to drop your wildest ideas of where this could be used (like, your den) in comments below. %Gallery-82532%
Lenovo ThinkPad T410s, T510 and W510 now sniffing for your wallets
Lenovo's just reminded us that there's still a world outside CES -- their recently-announced ThinkPad T410s, T510 and W510 are now available for on-line ordering. If you're up for some of that Core i5 / i7 action, prices start from $1,389, $999 and $1,599 respectively, but hey, save some money for the rest of 2010, OK? Your dog needs it.
Toshiba Qosmio X505 gets Core i5'd
As if it wasn't enough to unleash seven new mainstream laptops, Toshiba's updating its 18.4-inch Qosmio X505 desktop replacement with new Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors. The chassis is unchanged and continues to be a beast of a laptop with Harmon Kardon speakers and a wide 1920 x 1080-resolution display. The rest is all based on what configurtion you choose, but its safe to assume the starting at $1,199.99 model will have the lower end Intel Core i5-430M processor and a 320GB hard drive option. From there on up it will have options for NVIDIA GTS 360M graphics, an 64GB SSD and up to 6GB of RAM. Basically, the Qosmio just continues to be one mother of a rig. Hit the break for full specs. %Gallery-81774%
Lenovo ThinkPad W701 hints at Core i7 Extreme in FCC reveal
Lenovo can't be feeling too much warmth toward the FCC right now. After Intel and Wistron combined to remove any mystery from its next IdeaPad, here comes the latter with yet another filing revealing yet more tasty morsels of knowledge. Wistron's latest submission is for a "Notebook Computer with Wacom Digitizer," which immediately points us toward the high-end ThinkPad W series,with the W700 being the only Lenovo laptop to sport such an appendage so far. Reassuringly, the new model name appears to be W701 and we've spotted a 2GHz Intel CPU, 320GB Fujitsu HDD, and a Samsung-made 17-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display in amongst the test specs. If your appetite hasn't been titillated already, the only contemporary mobile CPU from Intel that we know to run at a default speed of 2GHz is the quad-core Core i7-920XM, which comes with 8MB of L3 cache, 3.2GHz single-core max speed, 55W TDP, and a truly stratospheric price. We might have a Holiday Gift Guide candidate for 2010 already.
MSI GT640 houses Core i7, claims to be 'world's most powerful gaming notebook'
Man, Core i7 laptops just keep coming and coming (kinda like Arnold). The latest in what's sure to be a torrent of companies upgrading their premier products to Intel's finest quad-core battery killer is MSI, with the GT640. Though MSI hasn't yet specified which of the trifecta of Clarksfield chips it has inside the machine, we do know there's a 1GB NVIDIA Geforce GTS 250 taking care of graphics, as well as options for up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM, half a terabyte of storage and a Blu-ray burner. Other notables include a two megapixel webcam, HDMI, 7.1 channel audio output and an eSATA input. While we don't yet know the wallet damage for that red-striped aluminum alloy body, its Windows 7 installation would indicate a release some time around, oh, October 22 perhaps? One more shot of the keyboard and screen after the break.[Via Laptoping]Update: The German announcement for this machine has been more forthcoming with the details. There's a 1680 x 1050 resolution, 4,800mAh battery and a two-year warranty among the things we didn't know about before, and the most important thing, the CPU model, is now revealed as a 1.6GHz Core i7 720QM. [Thanks, Johannes]
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.
Fujitsu unleashes CELSIUS ULTRA specs, offers test drives at gamescom
And now we know what the "world's fastest" air-cooled gaming rig is made of -- a 3.33GHz Intel Core i7-975 and a pair of souped-up GeForce GTX 295s running in SLI. They're backed up by 12GB of DDR3 memory, a 150GB WD Raptor as an OS drive and two 1TB storage hangars, but you must be wondering where all that German ultra clocking is. Well, the motherboard is of Fujitsu's own making and a custom tweaker-ready BIOS is promised, but the truth is we really can't see anything overclocked especially for this rig. Which is not to say it won't be the most powerful pixel pusher in the world (this week), with hardware like that we're sure you'll be able to run Vista Business without a hitch... oh yea, that's the listed OS, and since we're spilling bad news, recommended price tag is €4,000. If you're anywhere near Cologne this week, head on down to gamescom, and if you ask really nicely, the Fujitsu people might even let you play on this fiery beast of a machine. See it undressed after the break. [Via Netzwelt]
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]
Leaked Intel roadmap specs upcoming Core i5 and i7 'Lynnfield' CPUs
Looking for something to print out and put on your wall that demonstrates the full extent of your Intel dedication? PC Watch has some mighty high resolution charts of the company's desktop and mobile CPU roadmaps, including a handful of chips that we haven't seen before. On the Lynnfield / desktop side, there's the Core i7 870 (2.93 to 3.6GHz) and 860 (up to 3.46GHz), due out second half 2009, with the latter having a greater range in available clock speeds and a less power hungry, 82 watt version due out next year. Listed squarely in the Q3 2009 column is one of the first spec'd Core i5-branded chips we've seen, the 750 (up to 3.2GHz), which also boasts a more energy efficient iteration due out sometime in first third of 2010. Looking to mobile, the three Core i7 Clarksfield processors that were recently rumored for September are also listed here for Q4 of this year as 720QM, 820QM, and 920XM, and on the more value end of the charts, Intel's Atom / Pineview series (N450 for mobile and D410 / D510 for desktop) is listed for release just after the stroke of 2010. There's seriously a lot to digest here, so if reading over large multi-colored tables full of data is your idea of a fun time, hit up the read link for a veritable gold mine of delight.[Via Electronista]
Maingear's Axess HD Gamer PC looks to blow your mind, empty your wallet
Make no bones about, Maingear's new Axess HD Gamer (and by merit of its namesake, HTPC, too) is nothing if not a powerhouse for those wanting to pay an arm and a leg for a souped up gaming experience. You want specs? At its best, we're looking at an Intel Core i7 on a X58 chipset, dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT in SLI, up to 12GB of DDR3 RAM, Blu-ray, Windows Vista / Media Center, and two 3.5-inch storage bays supporting 320GB SSD or 2TB HDD. If you need more nerd cred, ghost of vaporware past Phantom Lapboard serves as one of the bundled input devices, as does the NVIDIA GeForce 3D vision kit and a 22-inch Samsung LCD. Starting price is $1,799, but if you wanna go for broke -- and whether not you can, you probably want to -- top configurations can run you well over $5,000.
Intel rebrands: Core i3, i5, i7 are in, Centrino on the outs
Intel's doing some spring cleaning on its branding structure, adding new Cores on the block. Joining the high-level Core i7 series will be the mid range Core i5 in the coming months and the lower-end Core i3's early next year. To be more specific, the Lynnfield chipsets will be either i5 or i7 depending on the feature set, Clarkfield mobile chips will be i7, and the 32nm Arrandale will at least at first fall under i3. Of course, with the new gang in town, some older monikers will be going wayside, and getting the slow fade out are Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, and Centrino, the latter being eventually marginalized for WiMAX and WiFi products only. Making the cut are Celeron, Pentium, and the ever-resilient Atom names. We're a bit sad to know there will never be a Core 2 Dodeca, but hey, it's only a name, right?. Hit up the read link for more details, including a video interview with Intel's VP of Marketing Deborah Conrad.[Via CNET]Read - Intel's New Brand Structure ExplainedRead - Fewer Brands, Greater Impact
Eurocom lays claim to Core i7-equipped Clevo D900F
Remember all those Clevo laptops revealed last month? While we're expecting more information at CeBIT 2009, those crazy Canadians at Eurocom have gone ahead and spilled the beans on the 17-inch D900F. As conjectured, the 11.9-pound behemoth's packing an equally-mighty Intel Core i7 processor in 2.66, 2.93 and 3.2GHz varieties. It's also got three 500GB hard drives totaling 1.5TB of space, 8GB DDR3 RAM, an NVIDIA G280 GPU, and a Blu-ray burner. Launch date is May 1, although according to Notebook Reviews we shouldn't expect to get our hands on it until Q4 2009. No word on pricing, but we suspect this powerhouse is gonna burn a giant hole in our pockets from both the inside and out.[Via Notebook Reviews]
Intel Core i7 desktop roundup: the rest of what's new
You likely don't need any reminders that the likes of Gateway and Dell (and Alienware) have released some new systems based around Intel's flagship Core i7 processor, but it's a whole other matter to sort out the multitude of options available from some of the smaller PC manufacturers out there, and we thought we'd take this opportunity to shed a bit light on some of those slightly lower profile contenders for the desktop throne. Ready to get started? Then check your bank account and head on past the break.
Intel Core i7 CPUs reappear on NewEgg
Remember those Core i7 processors that showed up -- ever so briefly -- on NewEgg a few days ago, only to promptly disappear, leaving us to ponder what we'd done wrong? Well, even though they're not slated to officially hit shelves until November 17th, we've heard from a slew of vigilant tipsters (hipsters?) that they're back. The prices are the same as we saw before, but you might want to check 'em out yourself right away, just in case they disappear again and you're forced to wait until tomorrow.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Intel Core i7 listings show up on NewEgg to tease you, then split
Listings for Intel's new Core i7 processors popped up on NewEgg for a couple hours yesterday before getting pulled back into the pre-launch ether -- a cruel tease to desktop PC hardware aficionados counting down the nanoseconds till that red letter day, November 17th. We knew it wouldn't last, but we're glad of the error, 'cause now we've seen pricing info which should reflect what we'll be paying next week. The 2.66GHz 920 was listed at $319.99, the 2.93GHz 940 at $599.99, and the 3.2GHz Extreme 965 at $1,069. Benchmarks have shown even the 920 besting top-of-the-line Core 2 Quads, so the entry point is alluring, but if you're a True Gearhead we expect you'll embezzle a grand to afford the Extreme chip. [Thanks, Staff]
Core i7 dated for November 17th, approximately priced
Intel will launch its Core i7 processors at a press event in San Francisco on the 17th of this month and already we have pricing estimates sliding off whispering lips. Distributors buying in bulk will pay a modest $284 for the 2.66GHz Core i7-920, $562 for the 2.93GHz 940, and $999 for the 3.2GHz Extreme 965 -- consumers will pay more of course, but we don't know exactly how much. Even the 920 squarely defeated the Core 2 Quad Q9650 in benchmarks, and we'll admit we had fun playing with the 965 over the weekend. As for those of you who haven't been so lucky, your chance to run up that credit card debt is fast approaching.[Via TG Daily]
Intel Core i7 review roundup
We've already seen a few benchmarks of Intel's new Core i7 processor, but if you're still craving some more details about Intel's latest and greatest you now have plenty more than that to chew on, with reviews, overviews, and yet more benchmarks pouring in left and right. As you might expect, most sites are describing the CPU as a very big deal for Intel, with the folks at Maximum PC even going so far as to call it the company's "most significant CPU launch in, well, ever." What's more, as those early benchmarks hinted at, it doesn't look like there's too many folks disappointed with the new processors, with even the "low end" Core i7 920 able to defeat the higher clock speed Core 2 Quad Q9650 "over and over" according to TechSpot, a feat due in large part to the CPU's on-die memory controller and Intel's new QPI technology. The first few systems shipping with the processor also look to have been fairly well received, with Slash Gear finding that Gateway's new Core i7 920-based FX6800-01e delivered a reasonable but not revolutionary upgrade over its Core 2 Quad-based predecessor, and Computer Shopper also finding plenty of things to like in new systems from Falcon Northwest and iBuypower, though the price of each of those systems is another matter. That, of course, is just skimming the surface, and if you've got a few hours to spare, you can find plenty more to keep you busy by diving into the links below.Read - PC Perspective. "Nehalem Revolution: Intel's Core i7 Processor Complete Review"Read - Techgage, "Intel Core i7 Performance Preview"Read - Maximum PC, "Core i7 Dissected and Benchmarked"Read - Computer Shopper, "Intel's Core i7 Debuts: Systems, CPUs, and Motherboards Reviewed"Read - HotHardware, "Getting To Know Intel's New Core i7, Video Spotlight"Read - HotHardware, "Intel Core i7 Processors: Nehalem and X58 Have Arrived"Read - TechSpot, "Intel Core i7 920, 940 and 965 Extreme Edition review"Read - Custom PC, "Intel Core i7 - all you need to know"Read - SlashGear, "Gateway FX6800-01e Review"
