11/13, 1:05pm
Best Buy Thanksgiving sale flyer leaked
The flyer for Best Buy's Black Friday/Thanksgiving sale has been leaked on the Internet ahead of its official release thanks to a copy posted today. Among the 'doorbusters' are a $300 PS3 bundle that includes two games, while an Xbox 360 bundle with six games will carry the same sticker price. Another front-page deal involves a 46-inch, 120Hz LED-backlit Samsung HDTV with free home delivery, hook-up and recycling for $1,600, or $1,000 off.
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11/12, 8:55am
Dell Zino HD uses AMD to undercut Apple
Dell this morning officially unveiled its most direct attempt at claiming the ultra-compact desktop space currently held by the Mac mini. Shown after multiple teases, the Inspiron Zino HD occupies roughly the same footprint as its Apple counterpart but uses AMD processors to keep the costs low while still supplying options its rival doesn't have. The micro PC is seen as a home theater PC and comes with native HDMI output as well as options of discrete Radeon HD 4330 graphics and a Blu-ray drive.
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10/23, 10:45am
Toshiba adds four new Windows 7 Satellite Pros
Toshiba UK on Friday launched four new business notebooks in its Satellite Pro series, all preloaded with Windows 7 Professional. The additions include the 13.3-inch U500, the 15.6-inch L500, the 17.3-inch L550, 15.6-inch L450 and the same-sized L450D. Each includes Toshiba's LifeSpace application suite just for Windows 7-powered Toshiba notebooks, which helps users to organize their appointments and help them find up to 5,000 recently accessed files visually.
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10/05, 3:15pm
Dell ZinoHD will be labeled Inspiron, specs leak
Some specs and details of the upcoming Dell Zino HD series of nettops were revealed, thanks to a recent DellZinoHD search. Two models in the Zino HD series will be offered, including the Inspiron 300 and Inspiron 400. Both have potentially been readied for Windows XP, Windows Vista or the upcoming Windows 7, with the support page also including a manual for Ubuntu.
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09/15, 8:50pm
First 45nm X4 offerings to hit budget prices
AMD has introduced several new processors, the Athlon II X4 620 and 630, that have been added to the company's 'mainstream' desktop platform. The 620 component represents AMD's first quad-core processor to ship for less than $100, while still integrating the latest 45nm process architecture.
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09/15, 12:00am
HP Pavilion MS200 with Windows 7
HP's launches today have included the company's first Pavilion All-in-One PC, the MS200. The system borrows the same core design principle as the iMac and balances the entire computer on an angled stand; compared to Apple's full speed computer, though, the MS200 is consciously treated as a step above nettops and is meant as a dorm room or kitchen PC. The new offering is based on a 1.5GHz Athlon X2 and brings Radeon HD 3200 integrated video that can offload much of the 3D acceleration and movie decoding work.
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08/26, 4:00pm
MSI WindTop AE2010
MSI today added a larger, faster version of its WindTop all-in-one desktop to its American lineup. In addition to a larger 20-inch touchscreen with a higher 1600x900 resolution, the easel-like PC is also the first for the US to use a processor faster than an Atom and uses a low-power, 1.5GHz AMD Athlon X2 that gives it enough power to run Windows Vista and eventually Windows 7. Switching to the new platform also gives MSI a much faster Radeon HD 3200 integrated graphics chipset for better 3D and HD processing.
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08/04, 4:40pm
HP Compaq 515, 610 outed
HP has released a pair of business notebooks, with the 14.0-inch Compaq 515 and 15.6-inch Compaq 610. Either sports an LED-backlit display with 1366x768 resolution, and the 515's processing power coming from a choice of AMD Athlon X2 or Turion X2 processors paired with as much as 8GB of RAM. Graphics processing is handled by the integrated ATI Radeon HD 3200 GPU. Otherwise, users can opt for a 250GB hard drive, and there is a standard-issue DVD burner and optional 2-megapixel webcam. Wi-Fi is integrated, and the systems start at 5lbs with a standard 6-cell battery.
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07/01, 9:05am
eMachines White Desktops
eMachines today gave a new look to its least expensive ET series desktops along with hardware upgrades to match. Like the recent EL1300 slimline PC, the ET1300 and ET1810 shed the company's previous black-and-silver look for a sleeker, glossy white. They all also make NVIDIA's lower-end graphics standard for slightly faster than usual performance in the category.
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06/25, 8:30am
Gateway NV Notebooks
Gateway has quickly followed up on its desktop news with the addition of a relatively high-style but more frugal notebook line intended for the back-to-school audience. The NV series has a minimalist, glossy design with a relatively sturdy barrel hinge and touch-sensitive shortcut keys. At the same time, the notebooks keep costs down with a 15.6-inch, 1366x768 (but LED-backlit) display and lower-end AMD or Intel mobile chips.
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06/23, 8:45am
Gateway LT3100 Netbook
Gateway this morning chose to follow an unusual tack and launched the LT3100 as its second-generation netbook. The crossover PC is just an inch thick and about 3.1 pounds but uses an 11.6-inch, 1366x768 display and has components closer to a regular notebook's: it uses a low-power, single-core 1.2GHz Athlon 64 with Radeon X1270 graphics and a full 2GB of RAM. Consciously breaking Microsoft's rules for netbooks means the system uses Windows Vista Home Basic instead of XP, but the faster components should support the full Aero Glass interface where Atom netbooks usually struggle.
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06/22, 9:40am
Acer Aspire 5536 and 7735Z
Acer on Monday added three 16:9 ratio notebooks to its media-centric Gemstone Blue designs that all focus on price over raw performance. The 15.6-inch, LED-backlit Aspire 5739G is the fastest of the trio with a 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive, an 8X Blu-ray drive and a GeForce GT 130M for video. It comes with a multi-touch trackpad and ships at the end of June for a particularly low $750, making it the least expensive new Blu-ray notebook today.
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06/17, 4:40pm
Shuttle intros SA76G2 PC
Shuttle PC has recently announced a new barebones mini-PC, the SA76G2, which is its first barebones product to support AMD socket AM3 processors using the 760G chipset, including the Phenom II as well as original Phenom, Athlon 64 X2, Athlon 64 and Sempron CPUs. There are also two DDR2 DIMM slots for up to 8GB of RAM. The PC is backwards-compatible with AM2 and AM2+ CPUs.
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06/16, 4:00pm
BenQ Joybook Lite T131
BenQ recently announced the upcoming release of its ultra-portable netbook, the 13.3-inch Joybook Lite T131. Weighing in at just under 4lbs, the 13.3-inch T131 sports a 1.6GHz AMD Sempron 200U processor based on the same platform as the Athlon Neo and which should give performance better than netbooks without a major increase in bulk. A minimum of 1GB of RAM is onboard, as is an ATI Mobility Radeon X1270 graphics chipset that can drive HD video playback. The standard 250GB hard drive -- a 320GB drive is an option -- comes preloaded with Windows Vista Home Basic.
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06/11, 12:10pm
Intel market share slips
Intel has reached the end of its long-standing market share gains in the global microprocessor industry according to the first quarter results of 2009, says iSuppli. The company's only distant rival, AMD, gained approximately 2.3 percent in the latest quarter, or almost an equal amount to that which Intel lost. AMD has seemingly ended its negative three quarter long trend of declines, while Intel has done the opposite, reversing its year-long positive trend.
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06/10, 12:05pm
HP dv2z and Mini 110 Ready
HP today acted on two of its planned system updates by launching them through its online store, including an unannounced processor. The new dv2z costs slightly more than promised at $625 but now has a white color trim option and starts with a single-core 1.6GHz Athlon Neo, 1GB of RAM and a 250GB hard drive with Radeon X1250 integrated video. Adding a dual-core 1.6GHz processor costs $25; in a surprise, an option now exists for a 1.6GHz Turion Neo that likely boosts performance still for an additional $75.
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06/04, 4:25pm
HP dv2 Gets Dual Athl Neo
AMD this afternoon confirmed that its new dual-core Athlon Neo should show in a new version of HP's Pavilion dv2 ultraportable next week. The upgraded system is due on June 10th and, according to CNET, should have the same power use as the present-day single-core model but run much faster in multi-threaded tasks. Integrated graphics will also get a lift through the Radeon HD 3200 chipset, though HP's notebook currently uses dedicated Radeon HD 3450 video.
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06/02, 2:05pm
AMD dual-core Neo out
Closely following Intel's news of its CULV platform, rival chipmaker AMD at Computex on Tuesday announced its dual-core Athlon Neo chip is now shipping to makers of ultra-thin and light notebooks. The dual-core Neo will be aimed at the same clients as Intel's CULV CPUs. All the specs for the dual-core CPU, which goes by the Conesus codename, are not yet known, however. What is known is that is sports 1MB of L2 cache, a DDR2 memory controller and more power-miserly 45nm construction.
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05/27, 12:20pm
HP CULV Notebook Designs
HP's first ultraportables to use Intel's Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) processors will at first just conversions of existing models, those building the notebooks in Taiwan said on Wednesday. They claim to DigiTimes that the first models will actually use existing case designs and that a true redesign to take advantage of the platform won't be ready until the fall. The makeshift change is reportedly triggered by pressure to chase after the Acer Timeline as well as reducing the costs of the systems themselves.
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05/19, 5:15pm
eMachines EL1300 Desktops
eMachines this afternoon hoped to spark new life in its desktops with both a cosmetic and performance upgrade to its most economic AMD-based models. The EL1300 series switches from the typical black and silver of most PC builders (including eMachines itself) to a glossy white eMachines considers friendlier. They continue to use the small form factor design that most eMachines systems now use without affecting their prices.
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04/29, 7:15am
AMD X2 7850 processor
AMD has announced the AMD Athlon X2 7850 Black Edition 2.8GHz processor. The 65nm dual-core chip ups the speed of AMD's budget line and, as a Black Edition model, lets owners overclock past the factory settings. The Black Edition processor allows users to select memory controller, HyperTransport, and CPU core frequencies through either Windows software such as OverDrive or through the mainboard’s system BIOS.
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04/21, 5:05pm
AMD Q1 2009 Results
AMD tonight showed slight improvement in its performance by reporting reduced losses for its first quarter of the year. The chip designer managed a net loss of $416 million; while worse than a net loss of $351 million for the first quarter of 2008, the figure is less than a third of the $1.4 billion loss reported just in the fall. It also notes that revenue was "flat" versus the fall and thus that its losses are under better control.
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03/16, 7:55am
Averatec 18.4-inch AIO PC
TriGem has announced the latest in its line of Averatec all-in-one desktops, the 18.4-inch D1133 AIO. The system aims to improve on other budget nettops by giving the system desktop-level performance: instead of an Atom chip, it gets a 1.5GHz dual-core Athlon X2 processor and can play HD video courtesy of the AMD platform's integrated Radeon HD 3200 graphics chipset. TriGem sees the D1133 as a low-cost web video station and to that end gives the display a 1680x945 resolution that still keeps the 16:9 aspect ratio.
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01/28, 5:20pm
No Geode replacement: AMD
Computer chipmaker AMD said on Monday it will not be replacing its low-power Geode CPU currently used in devices such as the XO laptop made by the One Laptop Per Child project, UMPCs and set-top boxes, according to a Tuesday report. An AMD spokesperson did reassure those who depend on the current CPU that the company will continue to offer the product as long as there is demand for it.
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01/19, 12:15pm
ASUS F50 F70 and RT-G32
ASUS is claiming a pair of firsts for notebooks with two new models and pairs the systems with a new network router. The F70 is the first notebook to have a 17.3-inch display and gives the desktop replacement-sized system a 16:9 ratio, 1600x900 display better-suited to movies. It accordingly gets a Blu-ray combo drive as an option which is unusually made external rather than built-in. ASUS gives the system a GeForce 9300M GS video chipset to offload HD video decoding work from the main processor.
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01/19, 7:45am
More Intel CULV Details
Intel's budget ultraportable processor has more details, a more specific timeframe and some specific launch partners, tips from notebook builders indicate. Now referred to as the Consumer Ultra Low Voltage (CULV) design, the chip is specifically meant for the $699 to $899 price range occupied by AMD Athlon Neo-based systems like the HP dv2 and should be an alternative for systems with screens between 11 and 13.3 inches.
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01/19, 12:00am
AMD 760G Chipset
AMD has begun the week early by launching a new mainboard chipset it hopes will bring gaming even to the lowest-cost systems. The 760G platform is designed to be mated with the Athlon X2 7000 and is pitched as one of the least expensive chipsets to be capable of DirectX 10 and full OpenGL 2 graphics. It comes with a Radeon HD 3000-era core that the chipmaker claims is much faster than Intel's own GMA 4500 architecture: an AMD run through of World of Warcraft has it running at 31 frames per second even at 1280x1024 with high detail, or about 63 percent faster than Intel's 19 frames per second.
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01/15, 2:30pm
AMD Dual Core Neo Soon
AMD is on track to release a dual-core version of its Athlon Neo budget ultraportable processor in just a few months, company spokesman John Taylor has said at a CES press conference. Having just launched the single-core version and its initial platform, the semiconductor firm says it fully expects to launch dual-core Athlon Neo and Sempron editions, codenamed Congo, that will be significantly faster in most cases than the single-core model. They shouldn't cost more or generate more heat than the simpler design, AMD says.
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01/12, 4:00pm
Intel Budge UPortable Chip
Intel is developing a new Core 2-based processor that would bring ultraportable notebooks to non-premium prices, leaks from within the company at CES have revealed to CNET. The contacts say the processor will be faster than the Atom processors for netbooks but less expensive than the Core 2 Duo S or ultra-low voltage Core 2 Duo processors that currently inflate the prices of systems like Apple's MacBook Air and Lenovo's ThinkPad X301, which regularly start at prices of $1,800 or more.
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01/08, 12:35pm
Dell XPS 625
Dell today used CES to launch its first gaming desktop to use AMD processors in place of Intel's. The XPS 625 mid-tower shares the same custom-lit aluminum case as the XPS 630 but switches to an AMD 790FX-based mainboard and can be equipped with one of several overclockable Black Edition processors up to and including the 3GHz, quad-core Phenom II just introduced at the same time. All video card picks are equally AMD-based and scale up to dual Radeon HD 4850 cards in CrossFire mode.
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01/06, 10:45am
AMD Athlon Neo
AMD today fought back against the mounting wave of Intel-based netbooks by introducing the Athlon Neo processor and a matching platform. A compromise between low-power but also slow chips like Intel's Atom and traditional notebook chips, the Neo consumes at most 15W of typical power and measures just under 1.1 inches square but still clocks in at 1.6GHz and with the feature set of a larger notebook chip, such as a 1.6GHz system bus, a 512KB Level 2 cache and 64-bit code support.
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01/05, 10:35pm
HP dv2 and dv3
HP's pre-CES launches today include two new Pavilion notebooks, one of which marks a first for the company's choice of processors. The 12-inch dv2 is one of the first systems to carry AMD's new Athlon Neo processor and uses a 1.6GHz version of the chip to provide ultraportable dimensions closer to a MacBook Air without cutting too deeply in terms of performance or price, unlike the aluminum chassis and Intel Core 2 Duo S of the Apple system; this and an LED-backlit display help keep the weight down to 3.8 pounds and the case down to between 0.93in and 1.29in despite the use of traditional notebook hard drives. HP likewise promises a 92 percent sized keyboard in the normally tight spaces of ultraportables.
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12/15, 7:45am
AMD Athlon X2 7000
AMD on Monday catered to the budget set with a new, faster version of the Athlon X2. The 7000 series is the first based directly on the "Stars" architecture used for Phenom chips and carries both a 2MB smart Level 3 cache absent on previous Athlons and a faster 3.6GHz HyperTransport bus (up from 2GHz), all of which are said contribute to better performance per clock. The switch from quad-core to dual-core and a smaller 1MB Level 2 cache appear the only concessions in the name of price.
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11/19, 12:00am
HP TouchSmart tx2
HP today became the first PC maker to incorporate a multi-touch display in a home-focused notebook with the TouchSmart tx2. Stylistically similar to the tx2500 series convertible tablets, the new model now accepts two-finger gestures to pinch, rotate and otherwise control media both in the MediaSmart front-end (which also makes its first notebook appearance) and in general apps such as the Office suite. Users can drag objects or flick to scroll quickly, and still have the option of falling back to a stylus for handwriting or more precise actions.
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11/12, 4:20pm
MSI outs gaming notebook
MSI Computer on Wednesday announced the release of its newest gaming notebook, the 15.4-inch, 1280x800 GX630-028US. It's powered by AMD'a Athlon X2 dual-core processor and is optimized for gaming with the inclusion of an NVIDIA GeForce 9600M graphics chipset with 4GB of dedicated video processing memory. The notebook's 250GB SATA drive is preloaded with Windows Vista.
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10/30, 11:10am
eMachines 14.1" notebook
Acer has brought back its eMachines notebook line-up when it announced the launch of a 14.1-inch widescreen notebook, the eMachines eMD620-5777, on Thursday. The new notebook sports a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 160GB hard-drive for a price usually associated with much smaller netbooks. Other features of the notebook include a full-size keyboard, integrated b/g Wi-Fi module, a DVD-R/RW drive and an ATI Radeon X1200 graphics chipset that can pull up to nearly 2GB of system memory for its own ends.
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10/20, 10:15am
HP w2558hc and a6600 SEs
HP this morning marked the low-key introduction of a large yet mainstream w-series display as well as a pair of eco-friendly desktops. The w2558hc (pictured) is said to have rich color output but is pitched primarily as an all-in-one companion to a desktop or notebook. The 25.5-inch LCD has a two megapixel camera, stereo speakers and secondary HDMI inputs that turn it both into an all-in-one video conferencing device as well as an HDTV alternative for some devices.
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10/10, 2:30pm
eMachines EL 1200
eMachines has chosen an unusual mid-Friday launch for the EL 1200, the company's first small form factor PC. The system's case is about 40 percent smaller than eMachines' normal mini-towers and consumes less power as well; all models carry a 1.5GHz Athlon 64 chip that demands just 15W of power by itself. The range potentially serves as a budget home theater PC with HDMI-out and more recent integrated GeForce video as an option.
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10/08, 9:35am
Intel on AMD Split
Intel today said it was concerned its patents might be at risk as a result of AMD's manufacturing split. The former company licenses its x86 chip architecture and other key technologies to AMD and has "serious questions" about whether those licenses will be honored if AMD's division into design and manufacturing companies is approved, according to Intel spokesman Chuck Mulloy.
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08/15, 4:40pm
AMD intros business CPUs
Chip and motherboard maker AMD added four new business-class processors, according to a Friday report. Two of the chips, the 2.4GHz, 95W, X4 9750B quad-core and X3 8750B triple-core, are based on the Phenom architecture, while the other pair is built on the Athlon family. The X2 5600B dual-core is rated at 2.9GHz and draws 65W of power, while the X2 4850B dual-core is rated at 2.5GHz and draws 45W of power. In the past, Business-class Athlon CPUs from AMD predominantly used less energy, and the same holds true here as well.
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07/18, 3:00pm
Shuttle H7 Phenom PC
Shuttle has switched its attention back to AMD with the launch of one of its first small form factor barebones systems designed with AMD's Phenom processor in mind. The SN78H7 can handle at least some versions of the tri-core and quad-core AMD chips and comes with a 300W power supply to handle both the processor as well as peripherals attached to the system. The mainboard also comes with GeForce 8200 video built-in that can take on most of the workload for processing Blu-ray movies in home theater systems as well as providing enough 3D power for Vista Home Premium.
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07/08, 9:20am
Acer Aspire X1200
Acer today gave the US a rare miniature addition to its Aspire desktop lineup. The X1200 is just over a foot long at its largest measurement but fits in desktop components and expansion that would normally be impractical in its size. Up to a 2.6GHz Athlon 64 X2 is complemented by a GeForce 8200 for integrated graphics as well as a PCI Express 2.0 slot that allows dedicated video or other peripherals. Every system also fits 4GB of memory.
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06/10, 4:00am
HP Pav Notebooks June 2008
HP today gave virtually all its notebook line both a cosmetic and performance update, including some of the first Centrino 2-based notebooks. The Pavilion series is now said to have a subtler look with displays that are flush with the bezel, silver-on-silver insides, and a new Imprint finish on the outside. The Intel-based systems use their new notebook platform to supply both faster Core 2 processors as well as faster X4500 graphics on systems that go without dedicated video hardware, while a similar match uses the platform behind the Turion Ultra platform. Improved touch-sensitive media controls and an External SATA port are common across most systems, HP notes.
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05/28, 12:15pm
ASUS Cent 2 Notebook Leaks
Much of ASUS' notebooks running both Intel's Centrino 2 platform and the corresponding AMD Puma foundation have been revealed in advance, according to several leaks from Notebook Italia. The M-series will still serve as ASUS' media-oriented flagships, but will now trade power savings for performance: the stock M51VR will use Intel's new low-power 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo that uses only 3MB of Level 2 cache but also consumes just 25W of average power, while both the M51VA and the 17-inch M70VM will use a 35W chip that doubles the cache size to 6MB.
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05/19, 9:15am
AMD GAME Platform
AMD this morning hoped to wipe out some of the confusion surrounding games with the advent of its AMD GAME! platform. A more precise parallel to the company's LIVE! platform for media center PCs, the new concept would certify systems as capable of a minimum gaming experience based on their choice of AMD parts. The platform will always be "balanced" and guarantee that users get both a strong processor and a good dedicated video chipset. Buyers can pick up a game meeting a given GAME! standard knowing the system won't lag or drop frames based on a sub-par component, AMD says.
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04/28, 1:00pm
AMD Biz Class platforms
AMD on Monday announced it will be adding Business Class platforms to its line-up of multi-core CPUs. The maker's dual-core Athlon and triple or quad-core Phenom CPUs, coupled with AMD 780V chipset and optional ATI Radeon integrated graphics support are featured in the Business Class. The benefits of the new platforms will include up to 24-month image stability when installed in first-issue desktops, and a minimum 12 months in subsequent models. Furthermore, all are energy efficient thanks to Energy Star 4.0 rating.
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04/17, 2:25pm
eMachines AMD April 2008
eMachines on Thursday released a pair of AMD-based towers that serve as the very entry level for desktops. At $300, the T3646 is the Gateway label's least expensive system and accomplishes the feat with a 2.2GHz Sempron, 1GB of memory, and a 160GB hard drive; Vista Home Basic also trims the price and reduces the operating system's demands on the computer.
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