AMD announced today that the visionary behind Gustafson's Law, John Gustafson, has joined the company as senior fellow and chief product architect, Graphics Business Unit. In this role, Gustafson will set the technical vision for the AMD graphics business unit, driving the technology roadmap and platform for the AMD Radeon and AMD FirePro product lines as well as new technology planning and execution of business objectives. Gustafson will be based in Sunnyvale and will help evangelize AMD graphics leadership internally and externally.

"Our industry-leading graphics technology predicates that we consistently deliver the most differentiated and superior graphics processor unit (GPU) architectures and products -- without compromise," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics. "With the growing importance of parallel compute in defining the computing experience, John brings the full package of industry experience and knowledge needed to help us expand and execute our AMD Radeon and AMD FirePro graphics technology programs, and will help forge an aggressive long-term roadmap that allows AMD to continue to lead and win with our gaming and virtualization technologies."

In a keynote address opening the prestigious annual Hot Chips symposium, AMD CTO Mark Papermaster delivered a vision for the coming "Surround Computing Era", and unveiled new processor architecture details, enabling technologies and design methodologies that will help drive the next era in computing. Surround computing is an extension of pervasive and ambient computing trends and describes an environment where computing technologies are completely natural and seamless parts of daily life.

"Surround computing imagines a world without keyboards or mice, where natural user interfaces based on voice and facial recognition redefine the PC experience, and where the cloud and clients collaborate to synthesize exabytes of image and natural language data. The ultimate goal is devices that deliver intelligent, relevant, contextual insight and value that improves consumers' everyday life in real time through a variety of futuristic applications. AMD is leading the quest for devices that understand and anticipate users' needs, are driven by natural user interfaces, and that disappear seamlessly into the background," said Papermaster during his opening remarks.

NVIDIA posted a statement following last week's interactive session lead by Linus Torvalds, at a Finnish University, which didn't end too well for NVIDIA. The audience complained to Torvalds about lack of consistency between features available to Windows and Linux, and NVIDIA's stubbornness to help the community come up with alternative solutions to get the advertised features (such as Optimus) to work. NVIDIA's statement focuses on exactly that, consistency of features across platforms, and states that it is one of NVIDIA's priorities.

The statement by NVIDIA doesn't refute any of what a member of the audience complained about. There is still no proper Optimus feature made available by NVIDIA to Linux users, but a reminder that NVIDIA recently made changes to its drivers that makes interface with an alternative system software made by various open-source communities, the Bumblebee Project, easier. Said the statement "While we understand that some people would prefer us to provide detailed documentation on all of our GPU internals, or be more active in Linux kernel community development discussions, we have made a decision to support Linux on our GPUs by leveraging NVIDIA common code, rather than the Linux common infrastructure. While this may not please everyone, it does allow us to provide the most consistent GPU experience to our customers, regardless of platform or operating system."

The statement follows:

NVIDIA today announced that its GPUs will be used by scientists at Germany's Forschungszentrum Jülich, which hosts the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, one of Europe's largest and most powerful supercomputing resources, to accelerate advanced neurological research targeted at unlocking secrets of the human brain.

NVIDIA also announced a new, multiyear collaboration with the center to drive the next generation of GPU-accelerated scientific research in neuroscience and a range of other fields, including astronomy, astrophysics, material science, particle physics, and protein folding. Together the two organizations are launching the "NVIDIA Application Lab," a jointly run and staffed resource for the European scientific community located at the center's facilities in Jülich.

Today CM Storm, Cooler Master's gaming brand, releases a new full tower case which is based on the highly popular CM Strom Trooper: The Stryker. Built to be amongst the most agile full-towers, Stryker becomes the second in its class to include an ultra-strong carrying handle; allowing a gamer to travel with the finest system configurations available with relative ease. CM Storm Stryker includes the features that are most desired by gamers like a windowed side panel, full dust filter coverage, a fan controller, an external SSD drive hot-swap dock and two uniquely designed modular hard drive cages and this in a full, stylish white color.

NVIDIA today announced that NVIDIA Tesla GPUs are now available in Fujitsu's PRIMERGY CX400 S1 servers, offering high-performance GPU-accelerated computing to Fujitsu's large installed base of customers in Japan and Europe.

Fujitsu designed the PRIMERGY CX400 S1 server for high performance in a compact form factor by using half-wide, two-socket server nodes -- doubling the number of cores per unit height. The system houses either four 1U hot-plug PRIMERGY CX250 S1 server nodes with two CPUs per node, or two 2U hot-plug CX270 S1 server nodes with two CPUs and one NVIDIA Tesla GPU per node.

Today at the AMD Fusion Developer Summit (AFDS), global technology leaders came together to announce the formation of the Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) Foundation. The HSA Foundation is a non-profit consortium established to define and promote an open, standards-based approach to heterogeneous computing that will provide a common hardware specification and broad support ecosystem to make it easier for software developers to deliver innovative applications that can take greater advantage of today's modern processors.

AMD, ARM, Imagination Technologies, MediaTek Inc., and Texas Instruments (TI) are the initial founding members of the HSA Foundation. The companies will work together to drive a single architecture specification and simplify the programming model to help software developers take greater advantage of the capabilities found in modern central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs), and unlock the performance and power efficiency of the parallel computing engines found in heterogeneous processors.

PNY Technologies, Inc. ("PNY") today announced the release of the Verto GeForce GT 640 1024MB DDR3 graphics card. This new entry-level NVIDIA 28nm Kepler card features dedicated graphics performance from this powerful next-generation GeForce architecture.

The GT 640 delivers premium multimedia performance and reliable entry-level gaming, for a faster, more immersive experience. Harnessing PhysX technology, bring your HD videos, photos, web, and games to life; edit your photos and videos; or play the latest DirectX 11 games with GPU-accelerated tessellation. Accelerate your desktop's performance with cutting-edge features, such as CUDA technology to handle the most demanding system tasks -- such as photo editing -- and delivering incredible performance improvements over traditional CPUs. Adding to the incredible performance and power efficiency of the GT 640 is the new -- built from the ground up -- SMX unit, available only on Kepler. The revolutionary Kepler GPU has taken graphics to the next level and allows the GT 640 to simultaneously run up to three monitors with NVIDIA Surround technology -- expanding your viewing perspective and increasing productivity.

MSI introduced a new cost-effective variant of its GeForce GTX 550 Ti graphics card (model: N550GTX-Ti-MD1GD5-V2), which will allow the company to compete in price-points deep within US $150. The card features a similar cooling solution to that of NVIDIA reference design, backed up by a new PCB design. The GPU sticks to NVIDIA-reference clock speeds of 900 MHz (core), 1800 MHz (CUDA cores), and 3.80 GHz (GDDR5 memory effective). The GPU packs 192 CUDA cores, and a 192-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, holding 1 GB of memory. The new PCB layout also allowed MSI to improve the display output loadout, which includes one each of dual-link DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI (standard-size). The N550GTX-Ti-MD1GD5-V2 from MSI has started shipping to retailers, end-buyers should find it in local stores shortly.

Jon Peddie Research (JPR), the industry's research and consulting firm for graphics and multimedia, announced estimated graphics chip shipments and suppliers' market share for Q1'12. The news was not good. AMD was able to grow shipments over last quarter by 0.3%, in a down quarter. Intel slipped 1.3% and Nvidia declined 4.5% from the last quarter.

Although this did not shape up to be a great quarter for the suppliers, it actually wasn't as bad as it could have been. We found that shipments during the first quarter of 2012 behaved according to past years with regard to seasonality, declining from the previous quarter; however, this quarter's decline (of 0.8%) was less than the ten-year average of 3.1%. If we use graphics as an indicator, the industry seems to be recovering from the floods in Thailand.

Accelero Xtreme III offers the best cooling solution for the fastest single GPU graphics cards in the market, and it is extraordinarily quiet too. Its up-to-date mounting mechanism and heatsink design makes it compatible with a wide range of graphic cards. It comes with a comprehensive set of 31 RAM and VR heatsinks to cool all the components surrounding the GPU. With an impressive cooling capacity of up to 300 Watts, the Accelero Xtreme III is the dream of enthusiasts looking to build the ultimate game rig.

Eurocom Corporation, a developer of long lifespan, fully upgradable Notebooks and Mobile Workstations has been testing the AMD Radeon HD 7970M in its new line of 3rd Generation Intel Core i7 (Ivy Bridge) powered notebooks. Eurocom technicians achieved a score of P22111 in 3DMark Vantage in the EUROCOM Racer and a score of P5848 in 3DMark 11.

The AMD Radeon HD 7970M is currently the highest performing mobile GPU by AMD, giving Eurocom customers a superior choice of video processor options to configure into their new Eurocom system or upgrade into their existing system. The addition of the AMD Radeon 7970M GPU offers customers a greater selection of video processor options to fit any preference or performance level

NVIDIA today unveiled a new family of Tesla GPUs based on the revolutionary NVIDIA Kepler GPU computing architecture, which makes GPU-accelerated computing easier and more accessible for a broader range of high performance computing (HPC) scientific and technical applications.

The new NVIDIA Tesla K10 and K20 GPUs are computing accelerators built to handle the most complex HPC problems in the world. Designed with an intense focus on high performance and extreme power efficiency, Kepler is three times as efficient as its predecessor, the NVIDIA Fermi architecture, which itself established a new standard for parallel computing when introduced two years ago.

The Z77 series mainboard released by MSI is equipped with Military Class III components, and has met 7 rigorous testing standards conforming to MIL-STD-810G via third-party laboratories, certifying it for the best quality and highest stability! Equipped with a Hybrid Digital Power design, it allows voltage options to be more precisely adjusted, providing a more stable power source that can achieve a higher overclocking result.

Equipped with Intel's 3rd Gen Core processor, its overclocking potential is astounding: using the Z77A-GD65 mainboard, the i7-3770K processor can successfully be overclocked from the default speed of 3.5GHz up to 7GHz, with a 200% overclocking margin! In addition, MSI's Z77 series mainboard exclusively integrates the UEFI BIOS and Windows application into one unified interface: Click BIOS II. MSI Z77 series mainboard leads global users towards an all-new overclocking realm with unlimited possibilities.

NVIDIA released its first desktop graphics cards based on its 28 nm GK107 silicon, in as many as three models, the GeForce GT 630, GT 640, GT 640 (second variant). Apart from these, NVIDIA appears to have launched two more models, one labeled GT 640, and another GT 645, which are based on previous generation GF116 and GF114, respectively. These new SKUs are available only to OEM partners, who will implement them in their new desktop PC designs.

Of the five new SKUs, the GT 630 and GT 640 (28 nm) are most interesting, as they are based on the GK107 silicon, with as many as 384 CUDA cores, and TDP as low as 50W. The GT 630 is a single-slot, low-profile graphics card with 384 CUDA cores, and a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, 875 MHz GPU clock speed, and 891 MHz memory clock speed. The GT 640 (28 nm) features different clock speeds. The specifications may seem confusing to the end user, but then they really don't concern people who buy retail-channel graphics cards. NVIDIA and AMD design OEM-specific SKUs completely à la carte, to OEM partners' requirements.

NVIDIA is poised to launch its high-end GeForce GTX 690 dual-GPU graphics card on the 28th of April, according to a VR-Zone report. NVIDIA has chosen the 2012 NVIDIA GeForce LAN / NVIDIA Gaming Festival (NGF) held in Shanghai, China, as its launchpad. NVIDIA even put up a countdown timer on GeForce.com that counts down to the event. GeForce GTX 690 combines two 28 nm GK104 graphics processors for an SLI-on-a-stick solution. It is gunning for absolute performance leadership, enabling gamers to throw any game, at any resolution at PCs equipped with it.

PowerColor launched its second Radeon HD 7750 graphics card, a Go! Green variant. Models of this series tend to be energy-efficient (with slightly lowered voltages, reducing power draw), while maintaining reference clock speeds. Another striking feature of Go! Green variants is their silent passive-heatsink that cools the GPU and VRM. To maintain high temperature tolerance, and energy-efficiency, PowerColor tends to employ high-grade voltage regulation components on their Go! Green cards. In case of this card, it is said to utilize PowerPAK SO-8 MOSFETs, shielded chokes, and conductive-polymer capacitors.

The card sticks to reference clock speeds of 800 MHz (core) and 1125 MHz / 4.50 GHz effective (memory), packs 512 Graphics CoreNext stream processors, and 1 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 128-bit wide memory interface. The cooler is similar to the one featured on previous-generation Go! Green cards from PowerColor, it consists of a dense aluminum fin heatsink, to which heat is conveyed by copper heat pipes that draw head directly off the core. Heat dissipation happens passively. Expect the card to charge a tiny premium over other Radeon HD 7750 cards in the market.

NVIDIA, along with Qualcomm, is reportedly in talks with foundries other than TSMC, for manufacturing of its new 28 nm chips. Despite the fact that TSMC is ramping up its 28 nm capacity at a breakneck pace, NVIDIA is seeing a shortage of production that could affect its competitiveness. An interesting revelation here is that NVIDIA has begun sampling its GPUs on Samsung's 28 nanometer fab process. Samsung uses this process for contract-manufacturing of ARM application processors. Other foundries with proven 28 nm manufacturing capability include UMC.

With launches of new-generation GPUs by NVIDIA and AMD, and new ARM application processor designs by various industry players, TSMC is under pressure to ramp up its production capacity for its new 28 nanometer note. DigiTimes research suggests that this ramp-up is going at a faster rate than older processes such as 40 nm and 65 nm nodes (when those were new). Digitimes Research analyst Nobunaga Chai claims that the 28 nm node started generating revenues in Q4, 2011, and sales ratio reached 5% in the following quarter. It is anticipated to see TSMC significantly ramp up its 28nm production capacity later in 2012, Chai believes.

Hightech Information System (HIS) today announced the launch of HIS 7870 Fan 2 GB. The card offers outstanding graphics quality and excellent cooling technology for enthusiastic users. With core and memory clocks at 1000 MHz and 4800 MHz, the card ensures the highest graphics enjoyment during hardcore gaming.

Equipped with HIS outstanding cooler, the card is 13 °C cooler than the reference cooler and provides a less than 28 dB quiet environment for daily tasks and movies.

The card is made of HIS high quality component. It has better OC capability with overclocking equipment and longer life span with safety design.

Content creators ranging from 2012 Oscar winners Industrial Light & Magic, a division of Lucasfilm Ltd. (Rango) and Pixomondo (Hugo) to up-and-coming independents such as Bandito Brothers (Act of Valor, Waiting for Lightning) and smaller creative services shops such as Dawnrunner Productions and Digital Spatula are increasing the speed, quality and productivity of their workflows through the adoption of GPU computing featuring NVIDIA Quadro and Tesla GPUs.

Visual effects studios, post-production houses, advertising agencies and film studios are under constant pressure to more rapidly deliver better content under tight production budgets. They use NVIDIA GPU technology to transform their content creation workflows, using parallel computing on tasks once reserved for supercomputers or racks of costly CPUs.

Following the launch of a couple of more GK104-based SKUs, namely GeForce GTX 670 Ti, and GeForce GTX 670, some time in May; NVIDIA will launch its third (after GK104 and GK107) Kepler architecture-based silicon, codenamed GK106. GK106 will make up sub-$200 SKUs, and succeeds the GF116, on which SKUs such as the GeForce GTX 550 Ti, are based. The GK106 will make up at least one known desktop SKU, called GeForce GTX 660.Its specifications are listed below.

ZOTAC unveiled a monster LGA1155 motherboard aimed at professional overclockers, and based on the new Intel Z77 Express chipset, the ZT-Z77-U1D. Pictured below, the designers' focus was evidently on giving the motherboard a very strong VRM, apart from just enough expansion and connectivity features for 2-way multi-GPU setups. To begin with, the LGA1155 socket is powered by a 27-phase VRM, which consists of AIO ferrite-core solid-state chokes, DrMOS, tantalum capacitors, and a super-ML multiphase capacitor to condition power. The VRM is controlled by a VRD12-compliant controller.

The LGA1155 socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-2133+ MHz memory, and two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x8/x8, when both are populated). Other expansion slots include four PCI-Express 2.0 x1, wired to the Z77 PCH. All six SATA ports from the PCH are assigned as internal ports, that's two SATA 6 Gb/s, and four SATA 3 Gb/s. Display connectivity includes DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Other connectivity includes 8+2 channel HD audio, 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, gigabit Ethernet, six USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, four via headers), and a number of USB 2.0 ports.

Sony's next-generation PlayStation, reportedly codenamed "Orbis", is known to be powered by an AMD x86-64 CPU with graphics based on its Southern Islands architecture, from the older report. We're now hearing that Sony may implement a multi-GPU solution of its own. According to an IGN.com report, the CPU in question will be a custom-version of AMD's A8-3850 quad-core APU. This should serve as indication that the processor cores will be based on AMD's K10 Stars architecture, rather than K15 Bulldozer/Piledriver.

The GPU, on the other hand, will be based on the "Southern Islands" architecture, and the IGN.com report pin points it to resemble Radeon HD 7670. The HD 7670 is a re-branded HD 6670, which is based on the 40 nm "Turks" GPU. Turks uses neither Graphics CoreNext nor VLIW4, but the older VLIW5 number-crunching machinery. The most interesting piece of information here is talk of a multi-GPU configuration between this Turks-based GPU, and the GPU that's embedded into the "Llano" APU. We know that the graphics core embedded into AMD A8-3850, the Radeon HD 6550D, can work in tandem with Radeon HD 6670 to yield an AMD Hybrid CrossFireX configuration called "Radeon HD 6690D2". This could be end up being Sony's graphics weapon of choice.

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console, codenamed "Durango", will implement an "always-on" DRM, according to a VG 24/7 report. Always-on is a stringent anti-piracy measure that's already in use with some PC game titles published by Ubisoft, which requires the players to be connected to the Internet when playing. Even as its proponents (read: game publishers only), claim increased sales, it faces strong opposition from the gaming community. The Christmas 2013 (tentative) launch of Durango rides on the assumption that fast, always-on broadband Internet will have proliferated to every living room.

Next up, there's talk of Durango featuring a unique multi-GPU hardware design that doesn't resemble symmetric PC multi-GPU technologies such as NVIDIA SLI or AMD CrossFire, but instead, the two GPUs will be tasked with rendering the same object redundantly. Perhaps Durango features native flicker-free stereoscopic 3D capability, and the two GPUs are merely rendering the two planes? Once again, there's talk that these GPUs will be designed by AMD. The CPU of Durango will feature "four or six" cores. Lastly, Blu-ray disc is back as the storage medium, in these latest rumors.