IvyBridge
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NVIDIA: there's nothing 'Ultra' about Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks unless you add Kepler
This is a vaguely awkward message for NVIDIA to be putting out. On one hand, the company is best buddies with Intel and is hoping to see its next-gen GPUs bundled with a large portion of the Ivy Bridge notebooks that will ship this year. But to reach that target, it must risk irking Chipzilla by emphasizing the limitations of Ivy Bridge's integrated graphics. That's exactly what happened at a recent presentation, when NVIDIA told us there'll be "nothing Ultra" about the performance of a regular Ivy Bridge Ultrabook because the integrated HD 4000 graphics will only handle around 43 percent of current games. By contrast, if you add in a GeForce GT 640M you'll find that 100 percent of current games are playable with frame rates over 30fps and high detail settings, including Battlefield 3, Batman: Arkham City, Crysis 2 and many others. If you leave the lightweight Ultrabook spec behind and combine Ivy Bridge with a GT 670M GPU then you can go even higher -- as we just discovered in our review of the MSI's GT70 gaming laptop. Fortunately, Intel was pretty magnanimous about HD 4000 when it briefed us, and readily accepted that enthusiasts will still want discrete graphics, so we don't imagine the slide above will cause too many hurt feelings.
Intel puts Ivy Bridge on the map: first 22nm product, decent official benchmarks, desktop quad-cores from $174
We hear that pilgrims have already started flocking to the town of Ivybridge (population 12,056) in the forested depths of southwest England. Very soon though, you'll be able to pay homage to Moore's law without travelling further than your favorite online retailer, because the third generation of Intel Core processors has just launched and should be available to buy before the end of this month. These include eight different variants of Core i7 for desktops and notebooks (including Ultrabooks of course), plus five types of Core i5 destined for desktops only. Those watching out for cheaper dual-core i5, i3 and Pentium-branded options will have to wait a little longer, because today's launch is all about the high-end. And just how high is 'high'? Judging from the gossip we've heard, and from benchmarks of leaked desktop and notebook chips, we're looking a significant improvement over Sandy Bridge. But if you want the first official boasts, then read on.
MSI GT70 gaming laptop review
MSI outs new GT60 / GT70 gaming laptops, we go hands-on (video) Everything old is new again: NVIDIA rebrands Fermi-based GPUs into 600-series Intel puts Ivy Bridge on the map: promises up to 20 percent faster CPU, doubled graphics, desktop quad-cores from $174 Now that Intel's let the cat out of the bag (and into the Ivy), it's high time we took a look at what manufacturers are going to do with those fancy new processors. Behold: The MSI GT70 gaming laptop, one of the first gaming beasts out of the door with Intel's next generation architecture. Living up to its next-gen CES promises, this 17.3-inch behemoth falls squarely in the desktop replacement category, at 8.6 pounds, and packs a new 2.3GHz Core i7-3610QM processor, NVIDIA's latest GeForce GTX 670M chip with 3GB of video memory, 16GB of DDR3 RAM and a fancy RAID 0 dual SSD setup -- all wrapped in one hefty, formidable package. So how powerful a combination do Ivy Bridge and NVIDIA make? Let's find out.
Acer dips its toes into Ivy Bridge, refreshes two of its desktops with new processors
Now that the Ivy Bridge cat is out of the bag, you can expect to see a deluge of press releases from PC makers over the coming weeks, each of them saying that this computer or that is getting refreshed with Intel's latest processors. From Acer, at least, we expect multiple announcements: it's only ready to talk about a couple of desktops today, with news around laptops and Ultrabooks coming later. Right now, you can choose from several configurations of the Predator AG3620 gaming tower, with the top-shelf $1,200 model packing a 3.4 GHz Core i7 3770 CPU, NVIDIA GT630 graphics, 16GB of RAM and 2TB of storage space. On the budget end, the $799 Gateway D4860-UR14P will feature a 3.1 GHz Core i5 3450 processor, 6GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. Both are available now -- you know, if you've been waiting for precisely this sort of thing.
Sony VAIO E Series 14P gets Ivy Bridge processor nudge, improved display
While they may not be the Sony ultrabooks we're still all itching to see, the company's E Series 14P laptops have reappeared with some Ivy Bridge bones. According to Sony Australia, the previously Intel Core i3 processor has been bulked up to a third-generation 2.1GHz Core i7-3612QM, capable of 3.1GHz with Turbo Boost. That's not the only difference, with the 14-inch display boosted to 1600 x 900 and a new choice between AMD'S Radeon HD 7670M or Intel's HD Graphics 4000 to provide the graphical horse power in the updated hardware. The aluminum-splashed laptops, priced at $1,500 AUD (around $1,608 USD), will still house Sony's Gesture Control functions. This should allow you to navigate around websites and media playback with some arm flailing -- provided you're using Microsoft perennials like Internet Explorer 9 and Windows Media Player. These updated specs are tinged with some (minor) bad news; it looks like the pink iteration won't be getting the same improvements seen on the black and white models. Regardless, monochrome fans can hit up the source for all the new details.
Intel's Ivy Bridge will offer '20 percent more performance with 20 percent less average power'
So, there's still a little while to go before Intel gives Ivy Bridge a full unveiling, with official benchmarks, pricing and all those trimmings. But in the meantime, the BBC has detailed just how different this new architecture is compared to 32nm chips like Sandy Bridge and also AMD's coming Trinity processors. Most of this stuff we already knew -- like the fact that Intel has switched to a 3D or 'tri-gate' transistor design -- but what's new is a direct and official boast about performance. According to Kirk Skaugen, Chipzilla's PC chief, we can expect Ivy Bridge to deliver "20 percent more processor performance using 20 percent less average power." Now, judging from leaked desktop and laptop benchmarks, this broad-brush claim masks some very different realities depending on what type of CPU or GPU workloads you want throw at the chip, so stay tuned for more detail very soon.
First ASUS G55VW gaming laptop configuration spotted and priced
ASUS's G-series has been warming the laps of gamers for a while, whether it's the smart G74 or the elder statesman G73JH. The newest splinter of the G-team, however, is the G55 line. Right now, it's the G55VW-DS71 that's just had its specifications splayed out for all to see. It'll be a quad-core i7-3610QM Ivy Bridge chip calling the shots, with a 2GB NVIDIA GTX 660M providing graphical backup. A solid 12GB of DDR3, 1,333MHz RAM and a 750GB HDD will come with the configuration mentioned here. There are two drive bays, though, so you can set it up to your liking, and higher spec versions of this 15.6" machine will be coming in the future. It's only up for pre-order at the moment, but $1,475 will make sure it finds its way to you once released, hopefully around the end of this month -- the Intel gods willing.
The Engadget Interview: AMD's Sasa Marinkovic
This isn't the easiest time to be an AMD fan. The company's eight-core FX-8150 desktop chip was widely panned on the review circuit, and then NVIDIA's GTX 680 graphics card ran off with Radeon HD's thunder. Even when you look at notebook processors, where AMD has long excelled with its Fusion APUs, the hype wars currently favor Ultrabooks and Ivy Bridge. Affection for the gamers' brand and its ATI back-story may make this stuff uncomfortable, but the predicament is already starting to mess with AMD's balance sheet. Which raises the obvious question: what's to be done? Sasa Marinkovic, AMD's Head of Desktop and Software Product Marketing, bravely took up the challenge of providing his side of the story -- even after we warned him that we'd try to disrupt his flow with accusatory glances. In the end, we did get him to acknowledge some recent hard knocks, particularly with respect to the FX chips and their (lack of) single-threaded performance. But we also got some insight into the mind of a chap who remains genuinely and abundantly confident about his employer's future. Read on and see for yourself.
AMD confirms Trinity and Brazos 2.0 shipping now, globally available 'soon'
Any troglodytes out there who didn't know that AMD's next APU architecture is inbound? If so, we're gonna toast marshmallows outside your cave and give you a little pre-brief: Trinity will be a range of processors for "performance" notebooks and desktop PCs, which will continue in AMD's Fusion tradition of providing both the CPU and discrete-class graphics in a single-chip, power-efficient design. A potential rival to Ivy Bridge and the coming stampede of Ultrabooks? Yes indeed, although it's too early to say how closely matched these athletes will be, despite some early indications of 4GHz+ clock speeds. Judging from our recent look at a Trinity-packing Compal laptop, undercutting Ultrabooks on price will also be part of AMD's strategy -- along with throwing out Brazos 2.0 APUs to mop up the extreme low-power category. After all, Ivy Bridge probably won't offer truly discrete-class graphics until it's paired with an add-on GPU, which will inevitably bump up its price for gamers and multimedia types. If Trinity serves up great visuals and next-gen performance all in one go, AMD's accountants might be able to leave their subterranean hideouts too. [Thanks, Tyler]
Lenovo ThinkPad T430 with Ivy Bridge surfaces on university website
Who would've thought the scholars over at St. John's U. would be the ones to unintentionally reveal an unannounced Lenovo laptop? In this particular case, the star of the informal unveiling is a certain 14-inch ThinkPad T430, which we imagine is just one of many notebook refreshes we're going to see once Intel goes official with Ivy Bridge. Of course, the main attraction here is the T430's Core i5-3210 CPU, that's paired alongside 6GB of RAM, a 500GB, 7200RPM hard drive and a 6-cell battery -- at least in this specific model. Much to our disappointment, however, we couldn't spot any info related to pricing or availability, though the university's laptop program home page makes it seem as if it's up for grabs now. So, those hitting the books at the Big East school can head to the source below and see if you can claim one of these for yourself.
Lenovo roadmap outs Intel Chief River Ivy Bridge-equipped laptops for June 5th
Has the anticipation of finding out when Intel's Chief River Ivy Bridge chipsets might finally become available got you all hot and bothered? Well, here's something to cool you down a bit, for now. A product roadmap from Lenovo explicitly lists June 5th as the official on-sale date for its apparently upcoming, yet still unannounced batch of laptops equipped with the silicon. As is still the case, the flow of information from Intel about its Ivy Bridge offerings has been less than a trickle -- if only the company itself would detail an official rollout date on its own for the stuff. You'll find the full document at the source link below, with the juicy details on listed on page 33. [Thanks, Brett]
Ivy Bridge-packing HP EliteBook gets reviewed, scores well in early tests
Hear that? That, friends, is the sound of someone in Intel's PR department banging his head against a desk. Though we've read more than a few rumors about the company's forthcoming Ivy Bridge chips, Intel has yet to fully detail the new platform, and has controlled the flow of information so tightly that laptop makers won't even use the words Ivy Bridge when talking about upcoming systems. (It's always "next-generation Intel Core processors," but we digress.) So it's a pleasant surprise, then, to see a review of an Ivy Bridge system before Intel even makes its official announcement. Laptop Reviews has apparently been testing a yet-to-be-announced HP EliteBook 8470p with an unspecified Core i7 processor, integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics, 8GB of RAM and an Intel 320 solid-state drive. Though the testing team doesn't have much to say about battery life, the raw performance scores are quite impressive, surpassing those belonging to heavy hitters like the HP Envy 17 and Lenovo ThinkPad W520 workstation. Then again, Laptop Reviews is quick to admit that that SSD may have helped boost scores beyond what you'd see in an Ivy Bridge system with a good old-fashioned hard drive. On the graphics side, too, the spankin' new HD 4000 provides a nice (read: several-thousand-point) boost over systems running HD 3000, though we'll have to wait a little longer for real-world gaming tests, it seems. That's the abridged version, but we encourage you to hit up the source link for some more detailed remarks, along with comparisons to other systems.
ASUS to unveil new K and N series notebooks at Milano Design Week
ASUS still hasn't clued us in how it'll have us experiencing "infinity," but it is letting some of its other plans for Milano Design Week slip -- namely its N56, N76, N46 and K55 notebooks. Notebook Italia gave the rigs a quick pre-show rundown. The new machines in the N-series lineup are reported to ship with 8GB of DDR3 1333 MHz RAM, up to 1TB HDD space, a Blu-ray or DVD combo drive and a NVIDIA GeForce GT 635m GPU, all driven by various Sandy Bridge CPUs, depending on the model. The K55 mirrors this almost exactly, save for the substitution of a GeForce GT 630m. Notebook Italia says that while these machines are currently slated to launch with Intel's current architecture, Ivy Bridge variants should crop up soon after the CPU hits the market. Curiosity piqued? Check out the source links below for more details, or just stick around -- Design Week is only a couple of days away. [Thanks, Marco]
Google demos Coreboot on Chromebook prototype, hints at Ivy Bridge support (video)
Well what do we have here? Our friends over at Netbooknews spotted this Samsung Chromebook prototype at IDF Beijing 2012. Better yet, Google was using the machine to demo Coreboot -- a fast boot open source BIOS replacement for Linux systems -- after recently adding support for Intel's Ivy Bridge platform to the project. Are Coreboot-enabled Ivy Bridge-based Chromebooks on the way? We'll have to wait until Google I/O to find out. In the meantime, there's a video waiting for you after the break -- come on, we know you're secretly big Chromebook fans just like us!
Intel plans to roll out Ivy Bridge based Xeon E3s, low-power Atom chips for micro servers
Ask any gardener, once you let ivy grow, it gets everywhere. Even though Intel just planted a fresh family of Sandy Bridge-based server CPUs, reports of a new line of Xeon E3 chips sporting the firm's next generation architecture are sprouting up. The new Ivy Bridge server chips use the firm's 3D Tri-Gate transistors to improve performance without using more power. For micro servers looking for an even smaller power footprint, Intel is introducing an Atom-based system on a chip, dubbed Centerton. These new 64-bit chips will feature two Atom processor cores and consume only six watts of electricity. Intel hasn't said yet just where these new processors are going to end up, but mentioned that it had a few customers on board.
Intel says 75 Ultrabooks in the pipeline with 3rd-gen HD 2500 and 4000 GPUs
Intel's new laptop chips should start hitting shelves soon, packing those new 2500 and 4000 HD graphics chips in a package manufactured using Chipzilla's new 22nm process. And we're not talking about just one or two either. The CPU giant reiterated that 75 Ultrabook-branded machines are planned by various manufacturers for 2012, including "many touch-enabled systems." Which we take to mean some of those convertible tablets we saw at CES may actually see the light of day. If you're in the mood for a bit of corporate fluff check out the PR after the break.[Image credit: Anandtech]
An early look at Ivy Bridge motherboards: or, the side order without the main
Ssshh. Ivy Bridge is officially still a mystery, remember? Nevertheless, through some quirk of chronology, the accompanying Z77 chipset for motherboards has already been announced. If there's a reason for this early entrance, it's probably because Z77 is backwards compatible with Sandy Bridge, which means that the latest crop of motherboards from Asus, Gigabyte, Intel and MSI can be considered fully-fledged products in their own right. Well, kind of, anyway. In reality, some of the key selling points of Z77 won't get activated until you clamp on Ivy Bridge silicon -- including PCIe 3.0 support (hitherto only found on X79 big-momma-boards), so the real testing can't begin in earnest until the new kid arrives. With that caveat out of the way, read on for a quick review round-up.
You're the Pundit: Mac Pro refresh or graceful finale?
When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is the Mac Pro. As Apple moves briskly towards the post-PC future, does the tower Mac make the trip? We've covered the Mac Pro before in the Pundit series, but the question is really on the table now. This month, the server-class versions of the Sandy Bridge processors the hypothetical Mac Pro refresh depends on began shipping from Intel. With the multiprocessor Sandy Bridge/Xeon E5 chips hitting the market, Apple has a choice to make: revise the draft horse of its computer lineup, or put it gracefully out to pasture. (Not for nothing, those are some really expensive CPUs; the next iterations of Mac Pros, should they come to pass, will undoubtedly continue to carry premium price tags.) With well-equipped iMacs taking on some of the roles in business that Pros used to occupy, is it time for Apple to end-of-life its power machine? Is the Thunderbolt port a fair substitute for a full rack of slots and GPU options? Or are there still enough seats in animation, video production, scientific computing and high-end graphic design (where every cycle makes a difference and time is money) to keep the Mac Pro on the product list for another few years? You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your insight. %Poll-74120%
Intel leaks: ValleyView chip could bring 4x graphics boost to netbooks in 2013
One of many reasons to still be excited about Ivy Bridge is the integrated HD4000 graphics, which are zippy enough to handle Skyrim at modest settings. Desktoppers may not be so enthused if they stick to discrete GPUs anyway, but the potential for better graphics in cheaper, low-power mobile PCs is huge. That's why we're hyped to hear talk of a forthcoming 22nm "ValleyView" processor, described by Intel insider Jesse Barnes as a "CedarView-like chip but with an Ivy Bridge graphics core". That implies HD4000 may not only be destined for desktops, laptops and Project Fionas, but for future netbooks too. Meanwhile, leaked slides (shown above and after the break) from an outfit called Advantech spill more beans. Listed under a chipset codenamed "Balboa Pier", the Cedar Trail successor is described as fanless, packing "4x Gfx performance" compared to current PowerVR-equipped Atoms, and scheduled to arrive early next year. Will it be enough to bring netbooks back into vogue? It can't hurt.
HP sneaks out new dv4, dv6, dv7 and g4 Pavilion laptops, Ivy Bridge in tow (video)
We know Ivy Bridge is close to landing, but when damn it, when? Until we know for sure, what about these new notebooks from HP that sneaked out with barely a flicker of ballyhoo. There are four new Pavilions on their way, the dv4-5000, dv6-7000, dv7-6000 and g4-2000. All of them are getting the Ivy Bridge treatment bar the g4, which sticks with Sandy Bridge. The dv4 and dv6 both sport 2.3GHz i7-3610QM processors, GeForce GT630M graphics, Beats Audio and 14-inch or 15.6-inch (1366 x 768) displays respectively. The dv7 model steps things up with a 2.6GHZ i7-3720QM chip, GeForce GT 650M graphics and 17.3-inches of 1920 x 1080 screen. The g4, on the other hand, comes in a range of processing flavors, including the i3-2350M and i5-2450M Sandy Bridge variants and a 14-inch screen. The g-series will likely carry a £399 (about $630) price-tag, while the dv6 and dv7 are rumored start around £599 ($940) when they eventually land potentially in April -- but don't count your chickens. Full specs in the source, and promo videos after the break.[Thanks Andrew]
