External enclosures provide a great avenue for many professional & enterprise users in the media field looking for an easy way to store, backup data or transport hard drives. The ability to have slim, removable and heat dissipation are all critical features that truly protect, transport and store your data. With that said, Icy Dock is proud to introduce the MB559U3S-1S, 3.5" SATA III USB 3.0 slim aluminum external hard drive enclosure.

The MB559U3S-1S uses an ultra slim fan-less design, to give the best portability in any professional environment. The height of the enclosure reaches just a bit higher than the standard 3.5" hard drive height under 2 inches, making it easy to place anywhere from your suitcase to your office drawer. The hard drive removability compliments the portability of the MB559U3S-1S by utilizing a simple and easy tray system to swap and transport your hard drive to different locations.

Thermaltake, an award winning state of art PC power supplies, the leader and pioneer in PC thermal solutions, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, with “delivering the perfect user experiences” as our mission, today announced the new Toughpower XT 1275W Platinum Snow Edition, a white color scheme of the series, defining the performance and style of power supply unit for enthusiasts.

Streacom's newest duo of silent all-aluminum cases for HTPCs, the micro-ATX FC9, and the ATX FC10, inch closer to their Computex 2012 launch. Their specifications were leaked by the company's Chinese website. Both cases ensure the machines running in them stay quiet, and remain completely fanless, because their bodies double up as heatsinks for sensitive components, such as the processor. Both cases are made of brushed silver and black (sandblast finish) color options.

Measuring 348 x 289 x 100 mm (WxDxH), the Streacom FC9 supports motherboards in the micro-ATX and mini-ITX form-factors. It features one 2.5-inch drive bay, and a 3.5-inch bay, which supports 2.5-inch drives. It also has a bay for a slimline slot-loading optical drive. A CPU base makes contact with the processor (LGA775, LGA1155, LGA1156 supported), which conveys heat to a side panel via four copper heat pipes. All six panels of the case are made of thick aluminum sheets, some of which are ridged to increase surface area for heat dissipation. The case features three low-profile expansion slots.

Dell today announced it has completed its acquisition of Wyse Technology, the global leader in cloud client computing. The combination of Wyse’s capabilities with Dell’s existing desktop virtualization offerings position the company as the leader in the desktop virtualization, enabling it to offer true end-to-end IT solutions for customers and partners.

Dell has made significant strategic investments over the past three years to expand its enterprise technology and services capabilities. The Dell Wyse portfolio with current Dell desktop virtualization offerings, leading data center products such as servers and storage, and Dell’s services division, provides customers and partners with a single vendor that can match the full range of their cloud computing and desktop virtualization needs.

Monster, the global leader in the development and manufacturing of high-performance headphones, is dramatically raising the bar for headphone sound and style at this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, introducing three ground-breaking new models that deliver an astounding new level of audio quality, while providing high style that boldly positions headphones as a fashion accessory. The company’s offerings include the upcoming Inspiration, Monster’s first over-ear, noise canceling headphone, as well as the elegant over-ear Diamond Tears – Edge. In alliance with Diesel, the iconic lifestyle company, Monster is offering VEKTR, a trendsetting personal listening solution. Each new Monster lifestyle headphone has been expertly engineered to deliver a powerful music listening experience, combined with stunning new designs that allow users to express their individuality and style. Monster will showcase and demonstrate its upcoming headphones at a May 25th press conference at the MC Bay Hotel.

Spansion Inc., a leading innovator in Flash memory solutions for embedded markets, today announced it has started sampling its first family of single-level cell (SLC) Spansion NAND products using 4x nm floating-gate technology, targeted specifically for data storage in automotive, consumer and networking applications.

Spansion SLC NAND will be offered in densities from 1 Gb to 8 Gb in 3.0V and 1.8V families that feature high performance, extended temperature range, long-term product support and stringent reliability demands, such as 1-bit error correction code (ECC). Additionally, Spansion also unveiled its SLC NAND product roadmap through 2017.

As revealed by a leaked slide, Dell's Windows 8 plans include the launch of a 10-inch tablet running Microsoft's upcoming operating system. Interestingly-enough, although Windows 8 will be ARM-friendly the tablet Dell has in the works, named Latitude 10, is going to be powered by an x86 processor, more specifically, a dual-core Intel Atom (Clover Trail).

The Latitude 10 will feature a 10.1-inch (1366 x 768) capacitive touchscreen, integrated graphics, 2 GB of LPDDR2 memory, up to a 128 GB SSD, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 2MP front camera, stereo speakers, WiFi, Bluetooth and optional broadband, and a removable 2-cell or 4-cell battery enabling up to 8/12 hours of operation.

The tablet is rumored to become available around October/November.


Source: Neowin

As cloud computing becomes mature, most enterprises have already regarded this innovative management technology as the key point to building future information architecture so as to meet the needs for the massive data processing. To fully meet the stringent demands for cloud computing, Apacer, the leading memory module manufacturer, rolls out industry-leading enterprise-level 16GB bulk storage DDR3-1600 high-speed server memory module.

It uses both internal and external voltage reference(Vref.) circuits, allowing the storage system to directly use external Vref. with high efficiency while eliminating signal noise. It provides powerful computing to process on-going massive data, optimizes cloud computing and storage performance and realizes the most stable server storage environment.

Although AMD has plans to unveil its dual-GPU Radeon HD 7990 some time during Computex 2012, next month, it is reported that its add-in board (AIB) partners will be rolling out custom-design dual-GPU graphics cards labelled "Radeon HD 7970 X2." These cards most likely feature a pair of 28 nm "Tahiti" GPUs with high GPU clock speeds (perhaps above those of the HD 7990, perhaps even over 1 GHz). The new cards could then target the performance levels of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 690 at competitive prices. It could also be AMD's strategy to give the onus to AIB partners to come up with "off-spec" dual-GPU cards to compete with GTX 690 in terms of performance, while maintaining an "on-spec" Radeon HD 7990 that seeks a higher price-performance ratio than that of the GTX 690.


Source: DonanimHaber

Century Japan introduced CRNS35U3MR "EX Volume" 2-bay HDD enclosure, which provides fast external storage. The enclosure holds two 3.5-inch SATA hard drives in lockable caddies. It allows you to run them in standalone (as independent USB mass-storage volumes), or in RAID 0 (performance) and RAID 1 (redundancy) modes. To alleviate host interface bottlenecks, the enclosure utilizes USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface.

The enclosure draws power from an external AC power line (power supply is located internally), its controller logic spins down the hard drives sensing extended periods of inactivity (5 minutes, by default). The enclosure also has a temperature-controlled fan that completely spins down, below a temperature threshold. Measuring 130 x 210 x 115 mm (WxDxH), the enclosure weighs about 1922 g. Slated for early-June, the CRNS35U3MR from Century is priced at 14,800 JPY (US $186).


Source: Hermitage Akihabara

ASUS announced a new retail and OEM channel DVD writer drive, the DRW-24B5ST. Built in the conventional 5.25-inch SATA form-factor, the drive is said to pack energy-efficient components that reduce idle power draw (mounted disc idling, and no disc idling), by 50%. ASUS branded this feature as E-Green. Armed with 1536 KB of cache, the drive offers DVD access times as low as 160 ms, and CD access times as low as 140 ms. It writes DVDs at speeds as high as 24X depending on the media type, and CDs at speeds as high as 48X. It is priced at 2,500 JPY (US $31).


Source: Hermitage Akihabara

Eurocom Corporation, a developer of long lifespan, fully upgradable notebooks, Mobile Workstations and Mobile Servers is offering a full line of Ivy Bridge based notebooks with support for professional graphics from NVIDIA Quadro 5010M, 4000M and 3000M. Eurocom offers a complete line of NVIDIA Quadro powered Mobile Workstations from 15.6” to 17.3” that are specifically designed for professionals of all kinds.

Introducing MyDigitalSSD Bullet Proof 3 (BP3) mSATA III solid state drives for laptops, ultrabooks, tablets, desktop computers and more.

BP3 drives are easy to install SSD upgrades that eliminate the bottle-neck of stock hard drives and double the performance of SATA II drives with R/W speeds up to 500MB/s and 315MB/s respectively; not only increasing productivity but lowering energy consumption and prolonging battery life per I/O.

Introducing the Spire Star LED fan series, the Star series consist out of RedStar & BlueStar LED fans which are high quality, LED colored and silent cooling fans for the PC gamer. Based on the new Star fan blade design these LED series are destined to provide good airflow at silent noise levels. Top of the line components and features are applied to build these powerful LED fans.

The Star series LED fans feature PWM which automatically controls the fan speed between 600~1200 rpm, according to the computers temperature. This ensures that the fan is as quiet as possible at all times and automatically adjusts to meet your systems cooling needs. To make this fan series extra silent we have included 4 rubber anti-vibe mounts to install the fan and stop any fan vibration. Trust the brand with the industry leading experience, Spire.

Today, BitFenix is proud to launch its latest creation - Prodigy. The first mini-ITX chassis designed with enthusiasts in mind, Prodigy is set to turn the mini-ITX chassis market on its head. With support for long graphics cards, tower coolers, and even watercooling radiators, Prodigy offers unparalleled flexibility in a compact Mini-ITX form factor.

"The wave of enthusiast class mini-ITX motherboards is upon us, and with Prodigy, users finally have a case to match," says BitFenix Product Manager David Jarlestedt. "No longer will users have to choose between compact size and blazing performance. With Prodigy, mini-ITX users can finally have it all."

Intel Corporation today announced it will invest more than $40 million over the next 5 years in a worldwide network of university research communities called the Intel Collaborative Research Institutes (ICRI). The ICRI program is based on the successful U.S.-based Intel Science and Technology Centers (ISTCs), and will bring together experts from academia and industry to help explore and invent in the next generation of technologies that could impact the lives of many in the future.

“The new Intel Collaborative Research Institute program underscores our commitment to establishing and funding collaborative university research to fuel global innovation in key areas and help address some of today’s most challenging problems,” said Justin Rattner, chief technology officer at Intel. “Forming a multidisciplinary community of Intel, faculty and graduate student researchers from around the world will lead to fundamental breakthroughs in some of the most difficult and vexing areas of computing technology.”

Intel is working on a strange new processor model based on its new 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" silicon, the Core i5-3350P. This part is reported to lack integrated graphics, much like the Core i5-2380P and i5-2450P, from the previous generation. The new i5-3350P will be a quad-core chip, with 6 MB of L3 cache. It comes with a base clock speed of 3.10 GHz, and 3.30 GHz Turbo Boost speed. Like every other Core i5 quad-core processor, it lacks HyperThreading. The lack of integrated graphics also takes a toll on its TDP rating, which is down to 69W. The new Core i5-3350P is expected to be launched in Q3, 2012.


Source: DonanimHaber

Sharkoon releases its CeBIT introduced Nightwriter gaming keyboard into the market. With the Sharkoon Nightwriter the PC accessory and gaming specialist present a gaming keyboard in which users can easily use in darkened environments - and in addition looks very stylish. The matte black, low-profile keyboard features a classic three-block layout with a switchable blue LED backlight to illuminate the transparent labeled keys. In addition to the 105 standard keys, the Nightwriter offers thirteen multimedia keys which facilitate the use of E-mail, Internet and Media Players.

With its low-profile design, height adjustment and ergonomically formed palm rest its ideal for a relaxed, continuous use. The keyboard measures 465 x 189 x 25 mm, weighs 808 g and is equipped with a 150 cm long USB cable.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the immediate availability of the Force Series 3 SSD Notebook Upgrade Kits. The kits, available in sizes of 120 GB and 240 GB, provide users with an easy, affordable way to upgrade their laptops to a solid-state drive (SSD) for improved performance, battery life, and reliability.

Corsair SSDs provide significant advantages over standard hard drives. The solid-state design enables SSDs to deliver faster data read and write speeds which can reduce software load and PC startup times. And because SSDs have no moving mechanical parts, they help laptops run cooler, run longer on batteries, and resist data loss from bumps.

Corsair Components, Inc. (“Corsair”) (NASDAQ: CRSR), a leading designer and supplier of high-performance PC hardware components for gaming enthusiasts, announced today it has postponed its initial public offering due to market conditions.

“Corsair’s board of directors has decided to postpone its IPO due to weak equity market conditions. Our business is growing, and is generating increasing profitability and cash flow. We have decided that we will re-launch when equity market conditions are more favorable. While we do intend to expand our capital base through public capital markets, our existing capital structure and balance sheet provides sufficient capital to enable continued investment in our brand strength, products and people,” said Andy Paul, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Corsair.

From the launch day server meltdown to the way everyone you know seems to be playing, it's pretty clear that Diablo III is quite popular. But just how popular? Blizzard announced today that it sold 3.5 million copies within the first 24 hours, which supposedly makes it the fastest-selling PC game of all time. On top of those 3.5 million copies were another 1.2 million doled out free to World of Warcraft Annual Pass subscribers. After a week, Blizzard says, Diablo III was up to 6.3 million players--not including South Korean game rooms, where it's estimated to have a 39% share. "We're definitely thrilled that so many people around the world were excited to pick up their copy of Diablo III and jump in the moment it went live," CEO Mike Morhaime said in the announcement.

"We also regret that our preparations were not enough to ensure everyone had a seamless experience when they did so. I want to reaffirm our commitment to make sure the millions of Diablo III players out there have a great experience with the game moving forward, and I also want to thank them for their ongoing support." As well as rolling out sneaky little balance updates, Blizzard is investigating reports of nasty hacks, and preparing to launch the real-money auction house on May 29.


Source: Shacknews

Microsoft's legal battle with Motorola has taken another large step towards a console ban, but the company could still narrowly avoid that fate. Judge David Shaw recommended to the International Trade Commission (ITC) that Microsoft be given a cease-and-desist order on sales of the Xbox 360 slim model in the US. He also recommended ceasing Chinese imports of the systems, and a payment of 7% of the value of unsold systems in stores. Courthouse News Service (via Develop) reports that the ITC can now choose to let that determination stand, in which case it becomes the official stance of the ITC. Alternately, the commission could amend some terms, or send it back for a rewrite. If it does adopt Shaw's recommendation, President Barack Obama will have 60 days to review the decision, after which it would have to be appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This follows a one-two punch against Microsoft in this case, after Motorola won its patent ruling, and was subsequently hit with a German sales injunction -- which won't go into effect until the US case is settled. Motorola claims a technology used across several Microsoft devices, but Microsoft alleges that Motorola demanded an unreasonable licensing fee for the patents.

Microsoft has argued that banning consoles would not serve the public interest, but Shaw claimed that enforcing property rights takes precedence. Though Microsoft could still potentially appeal, the threat of a ban is more real now. Either way, this likely isn't something Microsoft wants hanging over its head as we approach E3.

Source: Shacknews

Fusion-io today announced that it is enabling high performance database and virtualization solutions with seven new Fusion-powered HP IO Accelerator products for the industry-leading HP ProLiant and HP BladeSystem platforms. Integrated into HP ProLiant Generation 8 (Gen8) servers, the new HP IO Accelerators can boost application performance to address organizations' growing requirements to cost-effectively accelerate data-intensive applications.

To enable enterprises to cost-effectively enhance their data infrastructure, one or more HP IO Accelerators can be easily integrated within servers according to application and organizational needs. The HP IO Accelerators sit inside the server, directly on the PCIe bus with CPUs and Memory, rather than external to the server in a storage array being accessed over much slower links. The IO Accelerators boost applications by bypassing traditional storage controllers and unlocking trapped compute cycles.

Lian Li today announces three new brushed aluminum cases, PC-Q02, PC-Q03, and PC-Q16, designed for modern users who need a compact central storage hub to share information among all their latest generation mobile devices.

The Lian Li PC-Q02, PC-Q03, and PC-Q16 take advantage of the increasing efficiency of small form factor motherboards and progressively cheaper hard drives, and are able to hold the essential storage hardware in a small form factor. They also have high-quality features that are to be expected from Lian Li including: elegant brushed aluminum frames, easy-to-remove pop-off panels, USB 3.0 connectivity, rounded yet stable aluminum feet, as well as many tool-less features to make installations and upgrades easier. These three chassis also all have a dual LED power button which turns blue when on and glows red while reading.

ADATA Technology today announces the launch of new Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) and Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) Ultra High Speed I (UHS-I) U1 memory cards. These latest additions to the company's flash storage lineup bring improved performance in speed and capacity, and are expected to strengthen the company's already formidable Premier Pro Series memory solutions.

ADATA's new Premier Pro SDHC and SDXC cards make the most of the UHS-I specification, providing read/write speeds up to 95/45 MB per second for the 16, 32, and 64 GB capacity cards. This remarkable transfer performance is combined with data protection features required by expert users, including: X-ray proof construction, resistance to extreme temperatures, error correcting code (ECC) and write-switch protection functions.

Korean company Zalman added a new segment to its expanding lineup, that of USB 3.0 flash drives, with its new "SLC Series". As the name suggests these flash drives incorporate SLC (single-level cell) NAND flash memory. The drives are available in two capacity options, 16 GB (model: U3M16SLC) and 32 GB (model: U3M32SLC). Taking advantage of the USB 3.0 interface, the drives provide transfer rates of up to 155 MB/s reads, with up to 135 MB/s writes. Measuring 78 x 17 x 8.6 mm (WxDxH), the drives are built in conventional capped form-factor. Slated for an early-June release, the U3M16SLC is priced at 5,480 JPY (US $69), while the U3M32SLC goes for 8,980 JPY (US $113).


Source: Hermitage Akihabara

Logitec Japan introduced a new external hard drive (model: LHD-EG40THEU3F), which provides 4 TB of storage. Beneath its enclosure is a 7,200 RPM drive, and to take advantage of its speed, are two high-bandwidth interface options, USB 3.0 and eSATA. Measuring 120 x 199 x 35 mm (WxDxH), and weighing 1.1 kg, the drive packs a 40 mm fan to cool the unit, which gets activated only if the interior temperature crosses a threshold. It relies on an external AC adapter for power. The drive includes support for a variety of TVs that take in USB mass-storage devices. It is priced at 39,800 JPY (US $500).


Source: Hermitage Akihabara

BIOSTAR, a world famous manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and peripherals, starts sales of the next-generation BIOSTAR TZ77B boards based on the latest Intel Z77 chipset and meant for powerful desktop systems with an excellent price/performance.

The boards are designed for the latest third-gen Intel Core CPUs (Ivy Bridge) manufactured using the 22 nm fab process based on the 3D transistors and retain the full backward compatibility with the second-gen Intel Core CPUs (Sandy Bridge). They support all Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 chips for the LGA 1155 socket with the TDP up to 95 W including Intel K-Series chips with the unlocked multiplier.

According to a stock market analyst with Seeking Alpha, Corsair is going public, with an initial public offering (IPO), in an effort to raise US $78 million, with a market capitalization of $223 million. Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., and RBC Capital Markets, will be underwriting it. Corsair will use the name "Corsair Components", and market symbol "CRSR" in its IPO.

Corsair has two main branches of products, memory products (DRAM and NAND flash products), and peripherals (power supply, cases, and gaming peripherals). Its income fluctuates with consumers' seasonal purchasing patterns. The company plans to net $42.5 million from its IPO, some of its proceeds go toward repaying a cumulative debt of $28 million, the rest of the proceeds go toward working capital and general corporate purposes. An estimated 4.1 million shares are expected to be sold by Corsair.


Source: Seeking Alpha

The annual event is approaching, computer gurus, enthusiasts and novices all alike prepare anxiously to cover the grounds of Computex 2012. Attendees seek for the most innovative technology available and exhibitors are kept on their toes to present eye-catching IT hardware and software. The time has come Computex 2012 is set for June 5th – 9th at Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taiwan. Visit Thecus at booth K0510 as new hardware and software will be presented to the public.

Thecus proudly exhibits:

• ThecusOS 5.0
• McAfee Antivirus
• TopTower Series
• Microsoft Windows Storage Servers: W Series
• V Series (Microsoft Windows 2008R2 Certified)
• Home & Small Office: Vision & EVO Series
• Thecus NVR, Visoguard

United Microelectronics Corporation, a leading global semiconductor foundry, today held a groundbreaking ceremony for its 300mm Fab 12A Phase 5 & 6 (P5 & P6) at its Tainan, Taiwan fab complex. The expansion begins UMC's new generation of 300mm manufacturing that will extend 28nm production and establish a solid foundation for 20nm and beyond to meet customers' high-end demand, thus ushering in the company's next era of growth.

Stan Hung, Chairman of UMC, said, "UMC remains optimistic about the long-term outlook of the semiconductor and foundry industries. However, with increasing industry volatility, a clearly defined business strategy is needed in order to take full advantage of upcoming market opportunities. We stay firm to our 'Customer-Driven Foundry Solutions' approach that is constituted on the classical foundry model and open ecosystem approach. This commitment enables true synergies between UMC, customers, and ecosystem partners. Based on this philosophy, we will continue to invest timely capex according to our key position in the supply chain so that customers, partners and UMC may prosper together. Cumulative capex for UMC's Fab 12A phases 1-4 is projected to reach US$ 8 billion, with P5 & P6 to add nearly US$ 8 billion more. There are further plans for P7 & P8. This balanced capacity expansion demonstrates UMC's determination to maintain self-sustainable growth."

Samsung Electronics has just launched (in South Korea first) a brand new, high-grade consumer monitor, the Premium Smart Monitor 970 aka the S27B970. Seen below, this 27-inch display features a PLS (Plane to Line Switching) panel with 178/178 degree viewing angles, a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, a 5 ms response time, 300 cd/m2 maximum brightness, DVI, HDMI (with MHL support) and DisplayPort connectors, a 2-port USB hub, plus built-in speakers.

The S27B970 comes with a three-year warranty and costs about $1,177 (in South Korea).


Source: Samsung

Nonstop Technology from Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) finally delivers a hassle free computing experience by solving common PC hardware problems before they can even occur. A specially-devised testing regime – far stricter than common industry standards – combined with the highest quality components and shielding, ensures that ECS Nonstop certified motherboards can be relied on for stability and reliability far into the future.

For PC owners suffering crashes, instability and poor performance, ECS Nonstop motherboards can now deliver the stability, reliability and power that other manufacturers only promise. All ECS Black Series Motherboards are Nonstop certified, including these models: X79R-AX, X79R-AX deluxe, A990FXM-A, A990FXM-A Deluxe, A75F-A, H61H2-A2 Deluxe, Z77H2-AX, Z77H2-A2X, and Z77H2-A2X deluxe. Future Black Series Motherboards will adopt ECS Nonstop Technology, as well.

Axigon, a Palit subsidiary for the Chinese market, launched a new factory-overclocked GeForce GTX 670 graphics card model, the GTX 670 Raptor Edition. Its design involves a reuse of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 reference design board, which supports higher out of the box clock speeds thanks to its stronger cooler and VRM. The card even comes with clock speeds that match those of the GTX 680 (1006/1058/6008 MHz), which leaves only its CUDA core count of 1344 as a difference from the GTX 680. Selling now, the Axigon GeForce GTX 670 Raptor Edition is priced at 2,999 RMB (US $473), in China.


Source: Expreview

GIGAZONE, a brand owned by GIGABYTE, unveiled its latest chassis, the GZ-M1. Built in the micro-ATX tower form-factor, the case measures 180 x 400 x 365 mm, weighing about 3.5 kg, and is made of SECC steel and ABS. The case includes a few innovations for today's gaming PC builds, including up to 340 mm of headroom for extra-long graphics cards, which can be obtained by detaching a 3.5-inch drive cage. Internally, the case has its PSU bay located above the motherboard tray.

Drive bays include two 5.25-inch, two 3.5-inch (exposed), and two 3.5-inch (discrete, detachable). Ventilation includes one 90 mm rear exhaust, one 80/90 mm front-intake (fan not included), provision for one 80 mm side-panel intake, and provision for smaller 60 mm fans on the drive cages. Its front-panel includes one each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, apart from front-panel audio jacks. Slated for market-release on May 28, in Japan, it is priced at 5,480 JPY (US $69).


Source: Hermitage Akihabara

GameStop, the world’s largest multichannel retailer of video games, is lifting the curtain on its annual conference that, until now, has been open only to GameStop employees. GameStop PowerUp Rewards members are invited to experience more than 200,000 square feet of video gaming at the first-ever GameStop EXPO 2012 in San Antonio, Texas. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience the hottest new video games months before they're released, enter to win great prizes and meet with top video game publishers and special guests.

In addition to general EXPO admission, GameStop is offering a limited number of VIP admissions that include up to four in-depth sessions with some of the biggest names in gaming, access to VIP-only lines and entrance to the VIP gaming lounge. General admission is $35 and VIP admission is $100. Both are payable with PowerUp Rewards points or credit card.

While content-creation and media transcoding applications have transitioned to native x86-64 applications that can take advantage of large amounts of system and video memory, a similar transition by game developers has been rather slow. Very few PC games ship with 64-bit executables, as most games are ported from game consoles anyway, which have slim system requirements.

EA-DICE has been behind developing games that take advantage of the latest PC technologies (such as DirectX 11), and according to a lead developer and rendering architect with the studio, Johan Andersson, games that are driven by Frostbite engine, which are slated for 2013, will require 64-bit operating systems, these games will not run on 32-bit Windows, or in 32-bit mode, on 64-bit Windows, but with full-fledged 64-bit executables. The 64-bit address-space would allow games to take advantage of system memory over 4 GB, and more importantly, high amounts of video memory, as 2 GB and 3 GB become standard with performance-segment graphics cards.

Known more for its VIA Nano and Intel Atom-powered fanless IPCs (industrial PCs), Habey is readying BIS-6763, a new IPC model that is driven by a robust Core i3 "Sandy Bridge" dual-core processor. Measuring 190 x 190 x 67 mm, the IPC is made of a metal chassis, a portion of which is ridged, to double up as a heatsink. Beneath it is a pair of cylindrical heat pipes that transport heat to the top panel (heatsink), which cool the Core i3-2367M processor (dual-core, 1.40 GHz, 3 MB L3, 17W TDP), and Intel HM65 Express PCH.

Sadly, the IPC does not take advantage of the processor's dual-channel DDR3 IMC, there's just the one DDR3 SO-DIMM slot, supporting up to 8 GB of DDR3-1333 MHz memory. For expansion, there are two mini-PCIe slots. The sole storage option is a 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s SSD/HDD bay. Connectivity includes one serial RS232 interface, six USB 2.0, gigabit Ethernet, and Intel HD 3000 graphics that gives out an HDMI, and a D-Sub display output. With 2 GB of DDR3 memory included, the BIS-6763 is expected to be priced at US $499. A variant that's powered by Intel Celeron 857 (dual-core, 1.20 GHz, 2 MB L3, 17W TDP), is also expected to be available, at US $299.


Source: FanlessTech

Production of AMD's next-generation FX processor family, which are based on its "Piledriver" microarchitecture, will commence in Q3 2012, according to industry sources. Some of the first client processor models based on the "Vishera" silicon, will be the eight-core FX-8350, six-core FX-6300, and quad-core FX-4320. The three model names were earlier misinterpreted with an "x" prefix from a roadmap slide.

A few more details are known about these chips. For starters, the chips will be built on the existing AM3+ package, retaining compatibility with current AM3+ platforms. The chips will also retain dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz integrated memory controllers, and Turbo Core 2.0. The main differences here, are increases in IPC (performance to clock-speed ratio), and the implementation of resonant clock mesh technology, which increases energy efficiency.

Source: DonanimHaber

Keeping up with a trend pioneered by the likes of ASUS, ZOTAC, and others, PowerColor is working on a high-performance albeit triple-slot graphics card cooling solution called Vortex III, which the company plans to implement on upcoming Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition graphics cards. A teaser picture, which reveals quite a bit about the new cooler, was posted by DonanimHaber. The picture reveals the cooler to use a black+red color scheme matching with a black colored PCB, a design that appears to occupy three expansion slots, and three fans ventilating a large aluminum fin heatsink below them. PowerColor is likely to exhibit new graphics cards that implement the Vortex III cooling solution, at Computex 2012.


Source: DonanimHaber