ASUS today officially took the wraps from the first notebook to use NVIDIA's GeForce 3D Vision. The G51J 3D uses both NVIDIA's special glasses and a 120Hz LCD to add spatial depth to games that support it, such as Arkham Asylum and Borderlands. The combination of a 1.6GHz Core i7 and a GeForce GTX 260M help run the games at the 15.6-inch notebook's native 1366x768 resolution.
NVIDIA in a low-key move today launched the GeForce GT 240. The chipset brings performance from the mid-level to sub-$100 cards and uses the newer 40 nanometer manufacturing process to make itself a reasonable fit in budget PCs: its low energy use both helps it occupy only one slot and to run entirely off the power of the PCI Express bus instead of needing a separate power connector.
Origin PC on Tuesday introduced new customizable gaming PCs, with the Genesis desktop and 18.4-inch Eon18 notebook. The former can be had with a choice of processors, including a quad-core Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 975 that's been overclocked to 4.2GHz. As a gaming PC, the former can also be equipped with up to three 1GB GeForce GTX 285 video cards.
ASUS has quietly staked out a claim to the fastest CULV-based ultraportable by adding the UL30Vt to its stable. The system takes the familiar 13.3-inch display and 1.4GHz Core 2 Duo of the original version but adds a GeForce G 210M. The gesture lets the under 1-inch thick PC handle HD video and some modern 3D but includes a switchable graphics system that optionally reverts to the more miserly Intel GMA 4500 graphics when the system is running on battery power.
ASUS will release a 17.3-inch 3D notebook, the G72GX, early in 2010 with high-spec features such as an Intel Core i7 CPU, GeForce GTS 160M graphics, 4GB of memory and two 320GB hard drives, according to Chinese daily Digitimes. Before that, however, the computer maker will unveil a smaller, 15.6-inch version known as the G51J3D that should otherwise have near-identical specifications.
iBuyPower took its turn at adding a Core i7 notebook to its gaming portable mix. The Batallion 101 W870CU has its pick of every current mobile Core i7 chip, ranging from the 1.6GHz Core i7 to the 2GHz Core i7 Extreme. It also carries a GeForce GTX 280M on all configurations and can run many games smoothly at the 17.3-inch desktop replacement's native 1080p resolution.
NVIDIA chief Jen-Hsun Huang has denied rekindled talk of his company making x86 processors. Speaking after a conference call, the CEO claims that his focus is still "very, very clear" and that the focus is on graphics processors and closely related parallel computing cards like the Tesla line. The only full processors that NVIDIA is making are mobile chips like the ARM-based Tegra series for handhelds, Huang tells CNET.
Intel may have stalled adoption of the USB 3.0 standard for as long as two years, NVIDIA spokesman Brian Burke says. Following an apparent PC vendor leak which claims Intel won't have any USB 3.0-capable chipsets of its own until 2011, Burke tells TGDaily that NVIDIA has learned the same news. He contends that Intel has held the industry back by creating a near monopoly in demand for its chipsets but refusing to provide significant updates.
EVGA has released a new hybrid card, the Hybrid GTX 275 Co-op PhysX, which uses NVIDIA's GTX 275 and GTS 250 GPUs on the same card. The two split tasks accordingly, with the GTX 275 taking care of the graphics while the GTS 250 does PhysX computing for physics in games like Batman: Arkham Asylum (included in the box) or Mirror's Edge. There is 1.28GB of combined memory while the GTS 250 and GTX 275 chips run at 633MHz and 738MHz, respectively. Total memory bandwidth tops out at 179.8GBps.
(Updated with official stance) On a recent trip to China, Intel's CEO Paul Otellini has been talking about the chipmaker's upcoming high-end Larrabee GPU with China-based graphics card makers, DigiTimes reported on Tuesday, citing sources at the card makers. They claim Intel is planning on offering preferential pricing for the GPU both on its own, as well as bundled with other Intel products. The Larrabee is expected to compete with NVIDIA's GeForce and AMD's Radeon products and is due for a 2010 launch.
Acer chose a rare Monday evening launch for an update to its Aspire notebooks. Acting as the new flagship, the 8940 takes the lead from the 8935 and use the same 18.4-inch screen but with a much faster 1.6GHz Core i7 in place of the Core 2 Quad. It further brings considerably newer GeForce GTS 250M graphics to better drive the 1080p display and, as with other Acer updates, replaces Vista with Windows 7.
Maingear today tackled the very high end, designer category of gaming PCs with the SHIFT. The system is specially designed by Maingear with an aluminum chassis and a rare, vertically-aligned cooling system; besides using an Asetek system to cool the processor without fans, all other components point upwards and have their heat naturally vent upwards instead of front-to-back like in most PCs. The system is also subtler with an all-black design and a pop-up port array on the top with card readers, FireWire, USB and audio.
A pair of leaks have revealed NVIDIA's Fermi hardware should both be a dramatic visual upgrade and have a quick release of mobile parts. A post today on a Chinese forum shows samples of the graphics chipset that include 3D rendered faces with both extremely high detail as well as particularly complex visual effects, such as natural-looking facial hair or skin glare. One also shows the level of detail possible with relatively fast raytraced lighting.
Korea's LG has recently shown off its first netbook with Intel's Core i7 quad-core processor, the 15.6-inch XNOTE R590. Two models will be available, one with a 1.73GHz i7 and the other sporting a 1.6GHz version. Either version will ship with Windows 7 Home Premium and NVIDIA's GeForce GT 230M graphics chipset with 1GB of dedicated RAM.
Dell has brought its Inspiron 13z notebook to Australia and Japan, both with Windows 7. While basic specs differ slightly between the two offerings, buyers still get a 13.3-inch, 1366x768 resolution, LED-backlit screen and a choice of Intel's CULV processors.
HP this afternoon held a rare UK-first debut for one of its notebooks. The Pavilion dv8 is now HP's largest non-HDX notebook and carries an 18.4-inch, 1080p display that lets it replace a desktop. A 1.6GHz Core i7 and a dedicated GeForce GT 230M also put the dv8's performance closer to that goal.
HP early today is making an aggressive push into touchscreen PCs with two key updates to its TouchSmart home all-in-ones. The TouchSmart 300 and 600 add true multi-touch input and have significantly expanded use for the technology: they can not only use pinch-to-zoom, flicks and other gestures in the general operating system thanks to Windows 7 but in several new touch apps for the systems' custom front end. They can now navigate Hulu or Netflix streaming video, stream Pandora or Rhapsody music, or update and follow Twitter feeds all primarily using touch.
HP in gearing up for Windows 7 added two newer touchscreen PCs to its mix. The TouchSmart tx2 convertible tablet now makes better use of its multi-touch display both in the OS as well as in the new apps specific to HP's TouchSmart front end; users can watch Hulu or Netflix from the touch interface as well as update Twitter or stream Pandora and Rhapsody music. Unlike most such screens, the tx2's input isn't solely finger-oriented and will work with a stylus as well.
HP on Tuesday centered its pro PC updates for Windows 7 on a new high-end tower and two frugal notebooks. The Elite 7000 desktop is HP's new high-end outside of workstations and runs on Core i5 and i7 processors and has a new black, metal case more suited to a desk than the workmanlike old models; it's also the first desktop in the category for HP that allows SuSE Linux in place of Windows. Graphics have been given a large boost and can scale to as much as either a GeForce GT 230 or a Radeon HD 4650.
HP's sub-label Compaq tonight received three upgraded systems to ready itself for Windows 7. The Presario CQ61z refreshes the familiar 15.6-inch CQ60 with a more modern 2GHz AMD Sempron whose choice helps put the system at a particularly low $400 price (post-rebate) even while brand-new. The refresh further adds Mobility Radeon HD 4200 video in place of the older NVIDIA hardware but still has 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive.
BFG on Monday ventured into mobile computing for the first time with the Deimos, an 18.4-inch desktop replacement notebook meant for gamers. Like the Phobos desktop, video performance is the centerpiece and always has at least dual GeForce GTS 260M graphics; top-end models have twin GeForce GTX 280M chipsets. Unusually, none of the systems use Core i7, capping off at a 2.53GHz Core 2 Extreme, but in return they all have at least two RAID-striped hard drives with the option of a third drive for either a backup or to make 1.5TB of combined space.
ASUS has recently announced pricing and a release date for its previously announced UnLimited (UL) series of notebooks for the UK. Two of the three models will ship to the country's retail electronics stores on October 22nd. This includes the 13.3-inch UL30 and two variations of the 15.6-inch UL50, the UL50AG and UL50VG. There is no word on the 14-inch UL80, however. All three use Intel's CULV processors and some are claimed to provide up to 12 hours of battery life.
NVIDIA's Ion 2 chipset is still due to ship before the end of year and could provide a significant boost not just to netbooks but to notebooks using Intel's CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) processors as well, an update from the company has shown. In addition to supporting the timeframe, an executive heading chipset development has reportedly confirmed rumors that the next-generation Ion will support processors other than the Atom, including the Celeron, Core 2 and Pentium processors that make up CULV as well as VIA's competing Nano design.
NVIDIA late Wednesday said it would "postpone" any future nForce mainboard chipsets until an end is reached in the countering lawsuits between itself and Intel. As Intel alleges that NVIDIA's license doesn't cover chipsets for processors with an integrated memory controller, such as all Core i5/i7 and some newer Atom processors, NVIDIA claims that it has no choice but to freeze development of future nForce chipsets until Intel's "unfair business tactics" are either halted or cleared in court.
The last of Sony's three notebook updates Wednesday evening was the VAIO CW. It brings a 16:9 aspect ratio 14-inch display (versus 16:10 before) and is the first mid-range Sony notebook to carry Windows 7. In keeping with earlier VAIO C systems, the CW is style-centric and comes in glossy colors both on the outer shell and on the palm rest.
Sony at an event tonight launched a trio of new systems, starting with its first touchscreen PC. The VAIO L supports Windows 7's own multi-touch elements for scrolling and zooming through content without needing special software. Like Gateway and HP, Sony has its own custom touch portal, here called Media Gallery, that lets users rely on touch to edit photos and videos.
MSI on Monday said it will soon follow up its first quad-core Core i7 powered notebook, the 15.4-inch GT640, with the larger 17-inch GT740 gaming notebook. Like the smaller PC, this new one will also ship with Windows 7. Another shared feature is the NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250M 3D graphics chipset, which should give it added performance beyond just the faster Intel processor.
Adobe at its MAX show launched Flash 10.1, a major update to its plugin that promises video on devices that normally haven't been capable. The release adds hardware graphics acceleration on computers and should make HD Flash video possible on netbooks and ultraportables and standard definition possible on smartphones. NVIDIA already promises that its GeForce, Ion and Tegra chipsets will speed up the Flash update when available.
NVIDIA's Fermi architecture will start with three models if it ships before the end of the year as promised, one leak from Friday claims. A flagship single-chip model would have the 512 cores NVIDIA is advertising, but a second model would, like the GeForce GTX 295, have two slightly less powerful chipsets on one card that combined would be much faster. The slowdown may be necessary as Fudzilla believes the card would have a peak thermal power of 300W.
AMD's first mainstream graphics chipset in its ATI Radeon HD 5000 series has been leaked with photos, specifications and even performance tests. The reference model seen by Chinese site MyMyPC is a dual-slot card but has a unique teardrop-shaped cooling system. It should be a slightly scaled-back version of the 5800 line with 1,120 effects cores (versus 1,440 for the 5850), a 700MHz core (down from 725MHz) and an unknown amount of 1,150MHz GDDR5 memory.
Dell this morning added a new mid-range tower to its home and small business line. The Vostro 430 is Dell's first system in the range to use Intel's Core i5 and, even in the base model, starts off as a quad-core desktop. Dell claims that its least expensive system is as much as five times faster than a 3.6GHz Pentium D in some tasks.
NVIDIA this evening provided an early look at the next generation of its graphics processors. Nicknamed Fermi, the architecture for future GeForce, Quadro and Tesla chipsets will jump from 240 cores to a much larger 512 and should be much faster in each core courtesy of some industry-first techniques. Fermi chips will be the first GPUs to have a real cache hierarchy, with Level 1 caches to keep specific information on hand and a single, shared Level 2 cache for larger tasks; they will also have a new GigaThread engine that can transfer data in both directions at once and handle "thousands" of tasks at once.
HP inadvertently confirmed its own notebook plans this morning by posting specs of its own in a technical brief. The Pavilion dv8 (not yet pictured) will be its first 18.4-inch notebook and its second system after the Envy 15 to use a mobile Core i7 processor. While it's unclear if there will be multiple stock configurations, the one model on show has the base 1.6GHz Core i7, which can clock up to 2.8GHz when less than four cores are needed.
Sager has released its first Core i7-powered gaming notebook, the 15.6-inch NP8690. The hardware maker is touting the portable PC as the world's most powerful gaming notebook of its size, with 1.6GHz, 1.73GHz or 2GHz quad-core CPUs; RAM is limited to a maximum of 4GB, however. The screen can be had with the standard 1600x900 resolution or a higher 1920x1080. Graphics are handled by NVIDIA's high-end GeForce GTX 280M. Security is also in place through a fingerprint scanner.
Despite a report of NVIDIA's 40nm GeForce 300 series GPUs facing a possible delay until 2010, the card is currently at the tape out (initial silicon production stage), Fudzilla reported on Friday. Codenamed GT300, it was was originally believed to be going on sale in October and may still reach the target if all goes smoothly during testing. The DirectX 11-capable card has already been seen by key industry people, and if the tape out began in early September, it could be shipping by middle or late October.
Apple could be on the verge of launching its increasingly rumored redesigned iMacs as early as next week, a new rumor suggests today. A pair of sources for AppleInsider say the company has already been assembling the new all-in-ones for the past two weeks and that large-scale buyers have been given discounts in an effort to clear excess stock. These would only last one week.
Quickly following the UK release, Toshiba has brought out an American version of the Qosmio X500. The 18.4-inch desktop replacement notebook is the PC builder's first to use a Core i7 processor and revolves around the 1.6GHz quad-core chip's added power for games and movies. It similarly comes with a 1GB GeForce GTS 250M for video. The 1080p display is stock, though for the US release Toshiba notes that not every model will have a Blu-ray drive.
Toshiba UK on Wednesday announced it has added a new flagship gaming notebook, the 18.4-inch Qosmio X500. The system is just the second notebook driven by Intel's mobile Core i7 CPU, which normally runs at 1.6GHz but can operate at 2.8GHz when in Turbo Boost mode. Toshiba also regards it as a media system beyond the processor and gives it both a 1080p display as well as a Blu-ray burner and HDMI-CEC support for remote control from other peripherals.
(Updated with more specs and links) Alienware this morning touted a symbolic milestone as the first company to ship a notebook with Intel's mobile Core i7 processor. The 15-inch m15x can be equipped with a 2GHz Core i7 920XM that not only gives it a quad-core processor but should support Hyperthreading for as many as eight effective cores. Despite the clock speed, the system should outrun the Core 2 Extreme and many higher clocked dual- and quad-core older systems.
AMD's graphics label ATI tonight claimed to set a new benchmark for graphics with the Radeon HD 5800 series. The new video hardware is theoretically twice as fast as the 4870 and has an extremely large set of 1,600 stream (visual effect) cores -- enough to calculate 2.72 teraflops per second. Besides handling twice as many rendering tasks at once, the 5800 is also running a sixth-generation engine that shades and tessellates geometry more quickly, more GDDR5 memory bandwidth (150Gbps), and much improved techniques for antialiasing and anisotropic texture filtering.
Intel's upcoming Core i7 four-core parts for notebooks, nicknamed Clarksfield, should be much faster per clock cycle compared to their existing Core 2 Quad counterparts based on tests published today. Although normally clocked at just 1.73GHz, the mid-range Core i7-820QM is seen in PCPro benchmarks often coming close to, matching or outperforming the 2.53GHz Core 2 Extreme that costs significantly more than the expected $750 for the newer chip. The edge comes despite extra handicaps on the test system versus the Dell M6400 Covet used for comparison, as the Core i7 system had just half the RAM (4GB), a slower-spinning 5,400RPM hard drive and a more mainstream GeForce GT 240M graphics chip versus the workstation-grade Quadro FX 3700M in the older PC.
HP's plans for a notebook with a 3D display could soon be followed by at least one and as many as three more computer makers, a Taiwan area newspaper said on Friday. The Commercial Times claims that local assembler Wistron is not only contracted by HP to build the notebooks but has been tapped by Dell to build a similar design. Talks are also reportedly underway with Lenovo and Sony as well.
LG on Thursday announced the release of its WIDEBOOK family of notebooks, made up of the R380, R460, R480, R560, and R580. All have a 16:9 HD LED-backlit display and a choice of Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs. The R380 has a 13.3-inch display with a 1366x768 resolution, the R460 and R480 have 14-inch displays with the same resolution, while the R560 and R580 use 15.6-inch LCDs with 1366x768 panels or an optional 1600x900 display.
As part of a shift to ultra-thin notebooks, HP tonight launched two crossover 13.3-inch notebooks that it hopes are both fast and portable. The ProBook 5310m is unofficially the most portable full-performance notebook ever with an 0.93-inch thick body (versus Apple's 0.94 inches) and a 3.8-pound weight; it accomplishes the feat through an aluminum shell without an optical drive and, unusually, by giving the option of a full-speed 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo as well as a CULV-based 1.2GHz Celeron dual-core. Using the Celeron gives the system as much as 7 hours of battery life using the stock 4-cell battery.
PC maker Vigor has recently released its Stealth NE gaming PC, which is unique in that it combines NVIDIA's Ion platform together with a choice of dedicated NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards. It also has an Asetek liquid cooling system built-in that quietly dissipates heat through a 120mm radiator. CPU choices themselves range from a 2.83GHz Intel Core 2 Duo to a 3GHz Core 2 Quad.
ASUS has begun the week by launching an entirely new line of notebooks centering on Intel's CULV processor mix. The UL series uses a relatively thin (about 1 inch) and lightweight aluminum shell that renders it much easier to carry even with the DVD burners present in most models. As with most CULV systems, they all have particularly long battery life and in some cases run for up to 12 hours on a charge.
Dell quickly seized on the launch of Intel's Lynnfield architecture by introducing a new system to take advantage of it. The Studio XPS 8000 is a smaller, less costly counterpart to the Studio XPS 435 (to be rebranded as the 9000) and starts off with a 2.66GHz Core i5 and more modest Radeon HD 4350 dedicated graphics to give most of what higher-end users expect but without having to scale up to a full Core i7 system and mid-range visuals. It continues to share the basic chassis concept of the 435 and has both a tray for peripherals and cooling designed for airflow first.
ASUS on Friday announced it will soon add two notebooks to its multimedia N-series, including the 16-inch N61 and 17.3-inch N71. Among the improvements, ASUS is touting a new SonicMaster amplification system that includes new paper-foam cones for the speakers that are said to improve sound quality. Both the N61 and N71 will be available with Intel's Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad CPUs and with up to 4GB of RAM.
MID and netbook maker Medion on Friday revealed its Touch X9613 all-in-one PC, the company's first. Billed as a home entertainment PC, the X9613's 24-inch touchscreen display supports multitouch inputs and sports 1920x1080 resolution. The PC will ship with NVIDIA's GeForce GT240M graphics card with 1GB of dedicated memory. Processing is handled by Intel's 2GHz Core 2 Quad CPU, and there is 4GB of RAM onboard.
Dell today quietly added a third color option to its Studio XPS 13 and Studio XPS 16 notebooks. The Arctic White shell complements the existing black and red options and adds a color-matching leather accent at the base of the lid to improve both the aesthetics and grip of the system. As always, the palmrest and the rest of the inside notebook remain the same two-tone black and silver.
