Intel has posted two product change notifications regarding the Gemini Lake Refresh, which is now reaching the end of its life. Launched in 2019 as a refresh to the original Gemini Lake, these low-end products had a longer lifespan than the original Gemini Lake (2017-2020). Most commonly found on low-end PCs, AIOs, and Mini PCs, these Gemini Lake Refresh CPUs were based on the 14 nm Goldmont Plus microarchitecture. Coming with up to four cores without HyperThreading, these CPUs were ideal for lower-power applications as their TDP was rated between 6-10 Watts.

Intel has separated the product change into two categories, with the first consisting of Celeron N4120, Celeron 4020, and Pentium Silver N5030, while the other features Celeron J4025, Pentium Silver J5040, Celeron N4020C, and Celeron J4125. Intel will ship the first group of CPUs by May 24, 2024, and the second by February 23, 2024. The last round of orders will go out by November 24, 2023, and August 25, 2023, respectively.

ASUSTOR Inc. today launched the Lockerstor 2 and 4 featuring a 2.0 GHz Gemini Lake Intel Celeron J4125 Quad-Core processor as well as with 4 GB of DDR4-2400 RAM. The DDR4 RAM found in the Lockerstor 2 and 4 is 30% faster and uses 40% less power than DDR3 RAM. As with the Lockerstor 8 and 10, the Lockerstor 2 and 4 come with two M.2 NVMe SSD slots and feature dual 2.5-Gigabit Ethernet ports to unlock maximum performance out of your NAS. The dual 2.5-Gigabit Ethernet ports also support Link Aggregation that increases performance to up to 5 Gbps.

The Lockerstor 2 and 4, building on the success of their predecessors features tweaked improvements to the rock-solid ASUSTOR chassis design. Hardware features include HDMI 2.0a with support for 10-bit 4K hardware decoding, 2.5-Gigabit Ethernet and Wake on LAN, Wake on WAN. Wake on LAN and Wake on WAN optimizes power usage, helping companies control costs and maximize hardware longevity. The Lockerstor 2 and 4 come with two and four bays and supports up to 32 and 64 TB respectively. An additional 192 TB can be installed with three AS6004U units. ASUSTOR's MyArchive cold backup technology turns hard drives into a hot swappable hard drive for offsite backups, ensuring data security.

Intel is preparing to update its low-end segment designed for embedded solutions, with a next-generation CPU codenamed Jasper Lake. Thanks to the popular hardware finder and leaker, _rogame has found a benchmark showing that Intel is about to bless low-end with a lot of neat stuff. The benchmark results show a four-core, four threaded CPU running at 1.1 GHz base clock with a 1.12 GHz boost clock. Even though these clocks are low, this is only a sample and the actual frequency will be much higher, expecting to be near 3 GHz. The CPU was spotted in a configuration rocking 32 GB of DDR4 SODIMM memory.

Jasper Lake is meant to be a successor to Gemini Lake and it will use Intel's Tremont CPU architecture designed for low-power scenarios. Designed on a 10 nm manufacturing node from Intel, this CPU should bring x86 processors to a wide range of embedded systems. Although the benchmark didn't mention which graphics the CPU will be paired with, _rogame speculates that Intel will use Gen11 graphics IP. That will bring a nice update over Gemini Lake's Gen9.5 graphics. That alone should bring better display output options and more speed. These CPUs are designed for Atom/Pentium/Celeron lineup, just like Gemini Lake before them.

Update: Updated the article to reflect the targeted CPU category.

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), the global leading motherboard, Mini-PC, Notebooks, mobile device, IoT, IoV, and smart solutions provider, is proud to announce the participation of the "2020 CES'' at Booth No. : 40842, Sands Expo, Level 2, Hall A-D, Las Vegas from January 7 to 10. We will introduce our latest technology and smart application equipment to provide complete solutions for edge computing, digital signage, IoT, IoV, modern classroom and so on. Versatile Utilization out from Multi-functional Sorts of PCs

ECS is going to kick off CES with much fanfare, firstly announcing the new LIVA Mini PCs and All-in-One PCs adopted in all kinds of situations with our continuous innovation to fulfill the needs of being used in various categories like entertainment, offices, schools, banks, transportation etc. In addition, ECS's aggressive endeavor on the collaboration and exploration with our partners blossoms this year, and we also keep discovering more potential. A series of successful applications springs up in the scenarios of information KIOSK, retail store, vending machine, hospitality, smart home, public security and children's safety system.

Intel is preparing to debut its next generation Pentium Silver and Celeron "Gemini Lake Refresh" low-power processors in November 2019. The latest company roadmap slide detailing low-power SoC rollout, sourced by FanlessTech, pinned their launch sometime between week 45-47 (November). These are two key variants of this silicon, J and N. The J variant targets low-power desktops and AIOs, while the N variant targets notebooks, tablets, and other portables.

"Gemini Lake Refresh" SoCs are built on Intel's latest 14 nm node, and pack up to four "Goldmont Plus" CPU cores, and the same Intel UHD graphics, but offer significantly higher clock-speeds on both the CPU cores and the iGPU. Leading the pack is the Pentium Silver J5040, clocked at 2.00 GHz with up to 3.20 GHz boost. This chip succeeds the J5005, which ticks at 1.50 GHz with 2.80 GHz boost. The table below details the other J and N series models with the clock-speeds and core-counts.

Microsoft started deploying microcode updates to some of Intel's older Core, Pentium, and Celeron processor generations through Windows Update. The latest Cumulative Update packages chronicled under "KB4497165" apply to machines running Intel's 4th generation Core "Haswell" processors, and low-power Pentium and Celeron chips based on "Apollo Lake," "Gemini Lake," "Valley View," and "Cherry View" microarchitectures.

The microcode update provides firmware-level hardening against four major variants of the MDS class of security vulnerabilities, namely CVE-2019-11091 (MDS Uncacheable Memory), CVE-2018-12126 (Microarchitectural Store Buffer Data Sampling), CVE-2018-12127 (Microarchitectural Load Port Data Sampling), and CVE-2018-12130 (Microarchitectural Fill Buffer Data Sampling).

ECS today rolled out the LIVA Z2L, a palm-size compact desktop with something in it for electronics hobbyists - a GPIO header. Driven by Intel Pentium/Celeron "Gemini Lake" SoCs, these desktops measure 132 mm x 118 mm x 56.4 mm (WxDxH), and feature VESA mounts, so you could tuck them away behind your display. The unit is completely fanless, and draws power from an external power adapter. Connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports, including a type-C, two USB 2.0 ports, D-Sub and HDMI display outputs, gigabit Ethernet, and 802.11ac WLAN. Under the hood, the "Gemini Lake" SoC is wired to 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory over two SODIMM slots (single channel), and storage is care of a 64 GB eMMC device that can juggle hot data from a 2.5-inch HDD. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), the global leading motherboard, Mini-PC, Notebooks, mobile device and smart city solutions provider, is pleased to announce the LIVA Z2 and Z2V silent, energy efficient multi-functional mini PC designed for digital signage, workstation, and noise sensitive situations. The LIVA Z2 and Z2V are available with three Intel Gemini Lake based options, for varying processing needs. Both models are supported by 64GB of on-board eMMC, with a 2.5" HDD bay available for expanded storage options, 3 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0 and a high-speed USB type C connector. The LIVA Z2 features HDMI 2.0 for high bandwidth needs while the Z2V has HDMI 1.4 and D-Sub connectors for legacy and presentation situations. The all new LIVA Z2/Z2V Mini PC features a fanless design, allowing power saving and complete silence. It provides stunning 4K / UHD high quality playback with the full function of a desktop in a space-saving design.

The LIVA Z2 fits a lot of tech into its small size. The case is only 0.48 liters yet provides a multitude of connectors including one reversable USB type C, two HDMI, 802.11ac Wi-Wi, Bluetooth 4.1 and a Kensington lock. For the maker and professional developers, the LIVA Z2 includes a GPIO, an uncommitted digital signal pin whose behavior is controllable by the user at run time. The LIVA Z2/Z2V is easier to upgrade than many mini PC despite its small size. Simply remove four screws and the user can access the M.2 Wi-Fi, memory modules and 2.5" HDD storage slots.

Expectations of a budget Microsoft Surface tablet that would bring the company's reach to mainstream pricing ranges have been doing the rounds for years now. The company, however, has preferred to build on its product design chops on a higher margin market, going after Apple's usual product language. It now seems those days are over, as rumors and leaks have somewhat coalesced into an actual, impending product launch - if insiders are correct, this product should materialize this Friday, July 13th.

The new Surface tablet will launch starting from $399 under Microsoft's Education program, but configuration options should bring options up to the $829 mark. The screen is expected to be a 10" affair, with an 1800x1200 resolution. CPU options should start with Intel's "Gemini Lake" Pentium Silver N5000, a quad-core SoC with a 1.1 GHz base clock and up to 2.7 GHz boost. The more expensive versions will likely feature the Intel Pentium Gold 4410Y and the Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y, both based on the "Kaby Lake" architecture. Base configurations should carry 4 GB of DDR4 memory (configurable up to 8 GB), and 64 GB of storage (up to 256 GB), on a 562 g body and USB Type-C. A special-purpose Type cover and mouse will be made available as well.

MSI introduced the Cubi N 8 GL line of compact mini-PCs powered by Intel "Gemini Lake" Celeron and Pentium Silver SoCs. These include variants with Celeron J4005 and Pentium Silver J5005. Despite "Gemini Lake" chips featuring dual-channel memory support, the Cubi N 8 GL only features one DDR4 SO-DIMM slot, which supports up to 8 GB of DDR4-2400 memory. Storage options include either an M.2-2280 slot with both SATA 6 Gbps and PCIe 2.0 x2 wiring, or a 2.5-inch drive bay with SATA 6 Gbps. An interesting inclusion here is the Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 9461 WLAN card, which gives you 802.11ac (up to 433 Mbps), but Bluetooth 5.0. Other connectivity includes four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 2.0 and D-Sub display outputs, and gigabit Ethernet. The company didn't reveal pricing.

As a global leader in small form factor computer technology, Shuttle always seems to be expanding their portfolio of products. Shuttle has unveiled an Intel Gemini Lake based fanless XPC slim DL10J, which is more geared towards for business use cases like digital signage and multi-display solutions. To meet the diverse applications of Internet of Things, the DL10J offers 4G/LTE network support via M.2 2230 expansion slot.

Powered by Intel Gemini lake Celeron J4005 processor, the DL10J is capable of supporting 4K/UHD content with Intel integrated graphics GPU engine, makes this model ideal for digital signage applications. At a body thickness of just 43mm, the new DL10J is equipped with a vast array of connectivity for a wide range of commercial uses; it features built-in Gigabit LAN, two COM ports, four native 2.0, two USB 3.1 Gen 1, and optional 4G/LTE SIM card adaptor. In terms of storage there is SATA 6G, M.2 interfaces. Triple displays are provided by HDMI, DisplayPort and D-sub outputs. Plus, the VESA mount complaint makes the DL10J fully integrate into diverse and space-critical environments.

Intel today released two new barebones NUCs based on its latest "Gemini Lake" Pentium Silver and Celeron SoCs, the NUC 7 PJYH, and the NUC 7 CJYH. As their names might suggest, the PJYH is based on Pentium Silver J5005, while the CJYH implements Celeron J4005. The Pentium Silver J5005 packs a "Goldmont Plus" quad-core CPU clocked at 2.80 GHz, 4 MB of cache, and UHD Graphics 605 iGPU, while the Celeron J4005 features a dual-core "Goldmont Plus" CPU clocked up to 2.70 GHz, 4 MB cache, and UHD Graphics 600 iGPU.

As a barebones NUC, you're supposed to add your own memory, populating its two DDR4 SO-DIMM slots (up to 8 GB), and a 2.5-inch SSD or HDD. Networking connectivity includes 802.11ac WLAN, Bluetooth 5.0, and gigabit Ethernet. Display outputs include two HDMI ports. USB connectivity includes two each of USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, from which one of the front USB 3.0 ports (yellow) has high-current (10A). There's also an SD card slot. A 65W power-brick runs the NUC. The two could be priced in the range of $299-$399.

ASRock introduced a pair of mini-ITX desktop motherboards implementing Intel's new Celeron "Gemini Lake" SoCs. The ASRock J4105-ITX and J4105B-ITX, as their names suggest, are powered by Celeron J4105 "Gemini Lake" SoCs, which combine a quad-core "Goldmont Plus" CPU ticking at 2.50 GHz, with new Intel UHD 600 Graphics. The integrated graphics features hardware-acceleration of 10bpc HEVC video encoding and decoding in addition to new DRM standards, which should enable Netflix 4K, and other on-demand video services at 4K UHD resolution. The J4105-ITX and J4105B-ITX are similar, but for the latter featuring legacy connectivity such as LPT and RS232 COM ports, replacing 8-channel HD audio with 6-channel, and a DVI port. While the former has a PCIe x1 slot, the latter has an x16 slot with x2 wiring.

The board draws power from a 24-pin ATX connector. The SoC is cooled by a fan-less heatsink, and is wired to DDR4 SO-DIMM slots, supporting up to 8 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2400 memory. The 22 mm M.2 slot that has x1 wiring, is recommended only for a WLAN card. Storage connectivity includes four SATA 6 Gbps ports on the J4105-ITX, and two ports on the J4105B-ITX. Both boards come with gigabit Ethernet. Display outputs include DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub on the J4105-ITX; while the J4105B-ITX features D-Sub and HDMI. Both boards are expected to be priced around $170, given that the SoC itself costs $107.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, has announced the release of new generation Gemini Lake based J/N series motherboards with the built-in latest Intel Pentium Silver/ Intel Celeron processors. With humidity protected glass fabric PCBs, long acting capacitors, anti-surge ICs, low resistance MOSFETS, and Ultra Durable components, GIGABYTE J/N series motherboards maximize product value by offering users the ability to customize performance settings.

GIGABYTE newest J/N series motherboards utilize a fanless cooling solution and the built-in Intel Gemini Lake processors make them perfect for compact, mainstream builds. The motherboards support HDMI 2.0 4K at 21:9 resolution for high definition video quality. Integrated PCIe Gen2 x2 M.2 slots supporting high speed NVMe SSD allows for fast data transfer speeds. The board's native Intel WIFI via the M.2 Connector along with an independently sold Intel CNVi wireless networking solution can make way for impressive wireless connectivity exceeding 1 gigabit per second, traditionally found in wired connections. Additionally, its support for M.2 SATA SSD, UDIMM DDR4 modules rated for 2400MHz, and noise free configurations makes it a perfect option for school, business, and home usage.

It's evident that conquering the small form factor market was one of ECS's New Year's resolutions. The Taiwanese motherboard manufacturer used CES 2018 to reveal their multiple LIVA offerings to the public. The updated LIVA lineup is mainly powered by Intel's low-power Gemini Lake SoC platform with integrated UHD Graphics 600. The LIVA One is currently the new kid on the block. Consumers can choose between a Celeron J4005, Celeron J4105 or Pentium Silver J5005 processor. This mini-PC has one SO-DIMM DDR4 slot, a M.2 slot to accommodate 2242/2280 SSDs, and two SATA 2.5" bays. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2. Consumers have a tough decision to make on the video outputs though. The LIVA One either comes with a HDMI and DisplayPort or a HDMI and VGA port.

Similar to the LIVA One, the Z2 employs a Gemini Lake processor. However, the Z2 incorporates an extra SO-DIMM DDR4 slot, thus allowing it to support more memory. In terms of storage options, the Z2 is sold with a 32GB or 64GB eMMC SSD, but it has a 2.5" bay for additional storage. Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2 is provided by the onboard wireless combo card, while a pair of HDMI (1.4 and 2.0) ports are available for connecting monitors, TVs and projectors.

ZOTAC Technology, a global manufacturer of innovation, is excited to unveil the latest innovation at CES 2018. ZOTAC and ZOTAC GAMING will demonstrate new designs and engineering with a new line-up of next-generation ZBOX Mini PCs, along with new gaming accessories that will make their debut. "Our pioneering products always align the latest technologies to reinvent the concept of PC productivity," says Tony Wong, CEO of ZOTAC Technology. "CES 2018 marks the beginning of a new year of consumer electronics, and we are proud to join the frontline of the industry."

Showcased for the first time are the new ZBOX Mini PCs that incorporate the new range of workstation-class NVIDIA Quadro graphics. From a range of Quadro P series graphics cards from P1000, P3000, and up to P5000 graphics, the high performance of enterprise desktop graphics is endorsed in a sleek and compact enclosure, providing a portable workstation for the creative and technical professionals. A world first for a Mini PC equipped with NVIDIA Quadro P series graphics hardware.

Intel delivers industry-leading innovations and creates new experiences across its portfolio products. Today, Intel unveils the all-new Intel Pentium Silver and Intel Celeron processors.

The new Intel Pentium Silver and Intel Celeron processors are based on Intel's architecture codenamed Gemini Lake, and are engineered for a great balance of performance and connectivity for the things people do every day - working on office documents and spreadsheets, browsing online, enjoying favorite shows and movies, and editing photos - with great battery life. And it can all be performed on a range of devices at an amazing value. Pentium Silver will deliver 58 percent faster productivity performance compared with a similar 4-year-old PC.

The latest version of Intel's desktop client-platform roadmap has been leaked to the web, which reveals timelines and names of the company's upcoming product lines. To begin with, it states that Intel will upgrade its Core X high-end desktop (HEDT) product line only in Q4-2018. The new Core X HEDT processors will be based on the "Cascade Lake-X" silicon. This is the first appearance of the "Cascade Lake" micro-architecture. Intel is probably looking to differentiate its Ringbus-based multi-core processors (eg: "Coffee Lake," "Kaby Lake") from ones that use Mesh Interconnect (eg: "Skylake-X"), so people don't compare the single-threaded / less-parallized application performance between the two blindly.

Next up, Intel is poised to launch its second wave of 6-core, 4-core, and 2-core "Coffee Lake" processors in Q1-2018, with no mentions of an 8-core mainstream-desktop processor joining the lineup any time in 2018. These processors will be accompanied by more 300-series chipsets, namely the H370 Express, B360 Express, and H310 Express. Q1-2018 also sees Intel update its low-power processor lineup, with the introduction of the new "Gemini Lake" silicon, with 4-core and 2-core SoCs under the Pentium Silver and Celeron brands.

Intel this Tuesday, issued a curious-looking product-change notification (PCN) directed at retail-channel distributors, which points to the re-branding of 7th generation Pentium "Kaby Lake" desktop processors under the new Pentium Gold brand (PCN #115827-00). The re-brand affects retail SKUs of the Pentium G4560, G4620, and G4600. Intel is borrowing the precious-metal nomenclature from its Xeon product-line over to the Pentium brand, which will help consumers tell the MSDT (mainstream-desktop) Pentium processors from the ULP (ultra low-power) chips branded Pentium.

When this product-change comes into effect from the 2nd of November, 2017, MSDT Pentium dual-core chips will be branded Pentium Gold, while low-power "Gemini Lake" SoCs will bear the Pentium Silver brand, besides Celeron. Re-branded names apart, the Pentium Gold SKUs will be identical to the parts they are replacing. The Pentium G4560, for example, will be re-branded Pentium Gold G4560 (or simply "4560") and will carry an identical feature-set. You probably won't even need to update your motherboard BIOS (of your 100-series and 200-series chipset motherboards) to use these chips. It's not likely that these chips will work on 300-series chipset motherboards since they feature a different pin-map, and the retail box design will reflect that with clear markings. The name change also comes with a refreshed case-badge and a slightly modified box design.

Intel is on the verge of launching its 8th generation Core "Coffee Lake" processor family with six SKUs, and its top-tier Z370 Express chipset, early next month. Those looking for cheaper motherboards and don't intend on overclocking their processor, will have to wait until the first quarter of 2018, with the company confirming Q1-2018 as the launch window of three of its client-desktop chipsets for 8th generation Core processors, in a leaked Desktop outlook slide, scored by GamersNexus.

Among the new desktop chipsets launched will be the H370 Express, B360 Express, and the H310 Express. The H370 Express offers essentially the same platform connectivity as the Z370 Express, minus CPU overclocking and NVIDIA SLI certification. The B360 Express has a slimmer connectivity loadout, and lacks SLI support, but its predecessors have been generally preferred by gamers wanting to build single-GPU rigs with CPUs running at stock speeds, which is why major motherboard brands have built gamer-centric motherboards on B-series chipsets. The H310 chipset has the lightest connectivity, and is designed to power entry-level motherboards.

Intel's upcoming Celeron and Pentium "Gemini Lake" SoCs feature not just faster CPU cores, but also a more feature-updated integrated graphics core. In a change-log entry made by Intel for a Linux kernel patch; the company describes hardware decoding support for 10-bit (1.07 billion-color) video formats, such as VP9. The integrated graphics now supports hardware decoding of VP9 10-bit Profile2. Its predecessor, "Apollo Lake," only supported hardware decoding up to VP9 8-bit Profile0. The change-log entry reads "Add support for Gemini Lake (aka. GLK) - Decoding: H.264/MPEG-2/VC-1/JPEG/VP8/HEVC/HEVC 10-bit/VP9/VP9 10-bit."

Intel "Gemini Lake," the upcoming low-power x86 CPU micro-architecture which succeeds "Apollo Lake," will feature a wider 4-way decode unit, according to WikiChip, citing an Intel kernel patch, which mentions "Goldmont Plus has 4-wide pipeline for Topdown." The unit is now 33% wider than that of the "Apollo Lake" architecture, and double that of its predecessor, "Braswell." The new "Gemini Lake" CPU cores will be part of a new lines of Celeron and Pentium "Goldmont Plus" SoCs for low-power desktops, convertible notebooks, and tablets.

Intel is giving final touches to its next-generation "Gemini Lake" SoC, which will be sold under the Celeron and Pentium brands, and will succeed the current-generation "Apollo Lake" SoC. Built on a refined 14 nm process, the chip features a TDP of just 6W for the mobile variant, and 10W for the SFF desktop, but boasts of improved performance-per-Watt than its predecessor, translating into direct performance gains.

To begin with, "Gemini Lake" will embed a dual-core or quad-core CPU based on Intel's "Goldmont Plus" micro-architecture. A Goldmont Plus core isn't physically different from the current-gen "Goldmont," but apparently doubles the L2 cache to 4 MB from the existing 2 MB, and takes advantage of process-level improvements to lower power-draw, which Intel is using to bump up the CPU clock speeds.