Extropic, a pioneer in physics-based computing, this week emerged from stealth mode and announced the release of its Litepaper, which outlines the company's revolutionary approach to AI acceleration through thermodynamic computing. Founded in 2022 by Guillaume Verdon, Extropic has been developing novel chips and algorithms that leverage the natural properties of out-of-equilibrium thermodynamic systems to perform probabilistic computations for generative AI applications in a highly efficient manner. The Litepaper delves into Extropic's groundbreaking computational paradigm, which aims to address the limitations of current digital hardware in handling the complex probability distributions required for generative AI.

Today's algorithms spend around 25% of their time moving numbers around in memory, limiting the speedup achievable by accelerating specific operations. In contrast, Extropic's chips natively accelerate a broad class of probabilistic algorithms by running them physically as a rapid and energy-efficient, physics-based process in their entirety, unlocking a new regime of AI acceleration well beyond what was previously thought achievable. In coming out of stealth, the company has announced the fabrication of a superconducting prototype processor and developments surrounding room-temperature semiconductor-based devices for the broader market, with the goal of revolutionizing the field of AI acceleration and enabling new possibilities in generative AI.

At the end of January, we reported on issues with Intel's i226-V 2.5 Gbps Ethernet controllers, which are used on a wide range of motherboards with both Intel and AMD CPUs, where users were having issues with stuttering and connections dropping. Intel has now released a workaround and a patch for the issue, not only for the i226, but also the i225 and the Killer E3100 2.5 Gbps network controller. What the workaround does, is disable the Energy-Efficient Ethernet mode, or EEE as it's also known as. EEE is only supposed to kick in when an Ethernet connection is idle and it's said to reduce power consumption by up to 50 percent.

However, in this case, it seems like EEE kicks in even when the Ethernet connection is active, which is causing the stuttering and connection dropouts. The patch disables EEE for all speeds above 100 Mbps, but it's also possible to disable EEE manually in the device settings in Windows. MSI is the first motherboard manufacturer to have released an updated driver on its site, but as this isn't a final solution to the problem, it's unlikely that this is the last we'll hear about the issue. Intel is apparently working on finding the root cause of the problem, but it's unclear if it's going to be possible to patch it in software or if a hardware revision is going to be required in the end.Update Mar 4th: User @lovingbenji reports that on his system this new driver version does not fix the disconnect issue.

SK hynix Inc. announced today that it will showcase a number of its core and brand-new products at the CES 2023, the most influential tech event in the world taking place in Las Vegas from Jan. 5th through Jan. 8th. The products, introduced under the theme of the "Green Digital Solution," as part of the SK Group's "Carbon-Free Future" campaign, are expected to attract Big Tech customers and experts given the significant improvement in performance and energy efficiency compared with the previous generation as well as the effect of lessening the impact on the environment.

Attention on energy-efficient memory chips has been on the rise as global tech companies pursue products that process data faster, while consuming less energy. SK hynix is confident that its products to be displayed at the CES 2023 will meet customers' such needs with outstanding performance per watt and performance. The core product put forward at the show is PS1010 E3.S, an eSSD product composed of multiple 176-layer 4D NAND that supports the fifth generation of the PCIe interface.

BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, introduces the A68N-2100E SoC Motherboard featuring a compact mini-ITX form-factor powered by the energy efficient AMD E1-2150 Processor and AMD Radeon HD8210 graphics. The BIOSTAR A68N-2100E is designed for homes and businesses that need a capable but energy efficient desktop PC for basic tasks such as browsing the internet, running office applications, and other essentials that most students and professionals use in computers today.

The BIOSTAR A68N-2100E is powered by the AMD Kabini architecture-based E1-2150 dual-core processor with an energy efficient thermal design power (TDP) of 9 watts. It supports the low-cost DDR3 memory with maximum support of up to 16GB memory, which is well suited for home and business use. Its flexible mini-ITX form factor makes it compatible to a wide selection desktop cases, HTPCs, and small-form-factor cases.

AMD today announced the much-awaited 2nd generation Ryzen quad-core socket AM4 processors, in addition to two new E-series (energy-efficient) variants of its existing processor models. To begin with, the company announced the 4-core/8-thread Ryzen 5 2500X and the 4-core/4-thread Ryzen 3 2300X.

Unlike their predecessors that are carved out of the "Summit Ridge" silicon by disabling 2 cores per compute complex or CCX (2+2 CCX config), the 2500X and 2300X feature a 4+0 config, or an entire CCX in the "Pinnacle Ridge" silicon being disabled. This also means that the 2500X has just 8 MB of L3 cache (its predecessor has 16 MB). The 2300X is clocked at 3.50 GHz with 4.00 GHz boost, while the 2500X ticks at 3.60 GHz with 4.00 GHz boost. The TDP of both chips is rated at 65W.

AMD also released the "E" brand extension for its 2nd generation Ryzen series, with the new Ryzen 5 2600E, and the Ryzen 7 2700E. Both these chips sacrifice clock speeds for an impressive 45W TDP. The 2600E is clocked at 3.10 GHz, with 4.00 GHz (compared to 3.60 GHz ~ 4.20 GHz of the 2600X); while the 2700E ticks at 2.80 GHz, with 4.00 GHz boost (compared to 3.70 GHz ~ 4.30 GHz of the 2700X). The company didn't reveal pricing of the four chips.

While Intel's quad-core Haswell architecture based 4th generation Core processors are already out there dominating benchmark charts (even if only by a small margin) and scoring new accolades in power efficiency, the dual-core Core processors have been left in the dark. At least, in the desktop segment. Not anymore though, as PC Games Hardware managed to score a sample of the energy efficient Core i5-4570T, a dual-core Haswell based processor for the desktop with a very impressive, and low, 35W TDP only.

AMD's A-series "Richland" APUs are great to have in HTPC builds, but their 65W to 100W TDPs can be a put-off for some. The company is working on a pair of energy efficient socket FM2 APUs based on the silicon, with TDP rated at 45W. The first of the two is the A10-6700T, which features a significantly lower CPU clock speed of 2.50 GHz, with an unknown TurboCore speed; and GPU clock speed of 720 MHz. It's not known if the chip is dual-core or quad-core, but given that quad-core non-K A10-6700 rates in at 65W, it's not improbable for A10-6700T to be one, as well. Also unknown is the stream processor count. Moving on, we have the A8-6500T. Its CPU clock speed is further lowered, to 2.10 GHz, and GPU to 720 MHz, like the A10-6700T, its CPU and GPU core/SP counts are under the wraps.

Do you like TechPowerUp? Then you're going to love the awesome new Giveaway we have planned with NZXT. We are giving away some of NZXT's hottest hardware, including a Crafted Series Phantom 820 case, a HALE82 750W modular power supply, and HAVIK 140 dual-fan CPU cooler. All you have to do to participate is "Like" TechPowerUp's page on Facebook, and feed in your name and e-mail address for us to contact. The giveaway is open to all, and will run for 14 days (till 20/11/2012). A winner will be picked by random, and announced in the week of 30/11/2012.For more information, and to participate, visit this page

Dell introduced the E2013H, an energy-efficient 20-inch LED-backlit LCD monitor. With a standby power draw of less than 0.5W, the monitor draws no more than 14W under typical usage. It features 1600 x 900 pixels resolution, 250 cd/m² maximum brightness, 170° (H) 160° (V) viewing angles, 1000:1 static contrast ratio, and 5 ms response time. Display inputs include DVI-I and D-Sub. Measuring 163.5 x 478.8 x 366.9 mm, it weighs about 3.4 kg. Its stand allows for basic tilt adjustments. Expect it to be priced around $100.

Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH, the European subsidiary of Shuttle Inc., one of the leading developers and manufacturers of compact PC solutions such as the world-renowned XPC Mini-PC Barebones, today announces the introduction of a new model in its 3-litre PC product series. The XH61V - an improved version of the previous XH61 - is now available from specialist retailers.

The Shuttle Barebone XH61V is based on an Intel H61 Express chipset and is compatible with the latest Intel processors for the LGA1155 socket. Processors in 32 nm or 22 nm micro architecture and with two to four cores are suitable for use with this new model. These include Intel Core, Pentium and Celeron processors up to 65 W TDP. System cooling is provided by a heatpipe with two extremely quiet 60 mm fans for air circulation. Both SO-DIMM slots on the motherboard work in dual-channel mode and can accommodate up to a total of 16 GB DDR3 memory. An external 90 W power supply is included as well.

Japanese display maker iiyama introduced a new 21.5-inch LED-illuminated desktop monitor that boasts of an impressive 53.5 percent energy savings compared to similarly-sized CCFL-illuminated monitors. LED-illuminated monitors typically offer 30-40 percent energy savings. The ProLite E2278HD from iiyama was announced for the Japanese market earlier today, which will start selling in early-August, priced at 13,800 JPY (US $176).

The iiyama ProLite E2278HD packs a TN-film LCD panel that's LED-illuminated. It features 1920 x 1080 pixels native resolution, 5M:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 250 cd/m² maximum brightness, and 5 ms response time. Display inputs include DVI (HDCP-capable) and D-Sub (VGA). Measuring 514.5 mm x 177.5 mm x 369.5 mm (W x D x H), it weighs about 2.7 kg. Its stand allows basic tilting.

Chinese PSU maker SAMA launched its energy-efficient 400W PSU, which it unveiled in April. The model is priced at 258 RMB (US $41), and available throughout mainland China. Although not conforming to 80 PLUS standards, the maker assures energy efficiency levels as high as 82%. This 400W PSU has sufficient cabling for a single graphics card gaming PC, including a 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, 6-pin and 8-pin PCI-Express power, three Molex, and six SATA power connectors. We know from the older report that the PSU utilizes a dual-forward switching topology, with high-efficiency PowerMOS instead of conventional transistors with half-bridge structure. The PSU includes active power factor correction, and various protective mechanisms. It is revealed that the 120 mm fan is made by Yate Loon Electronics.

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.

Western Digital, a worldwide storage leader, today announced it is shipping the WD Scorpio Blue 7 mm hard drive, the latest addition to its mobile hard drive family and the 2.5-inch drive with the lowest power consumption on the market today. Specified to a best-in-class 400Gs shock tolerance, the new single-platter WD Scorpio Blue small form factor hard drives are available in 500 GB and 320 GB capacities and the drives' compatibility with industry-standard 9.5 mm slots make them ideal storage options for mainstream notebooks as well as slimmer notebook and Ultrabook devices that require a 7 mm drive height.

"Consumers want thin and light personal computers, but the limited storage capacity of SSD-based notebooks forces them to pick and choose what files to bring from their library," said Matt Rutledge, vice president and general manager for WD client storage products. "With the release of the new WD Scorpio Blue 7 mm mobile hard drives, WD is able to offer capacity, reliability and data-protection features combined with excellent power management all in a slim form factor perfect for thin and light notebooks."

Another day, another PSU maker jumping on the "green" bandwagon. Chinese company SAMA released pictures of its new line of entry-level energy-efficient PSUs, which are likely available in entry-level capacities (400~600W). The PSU relies on passive and active PFC mechanisms, with a power factor correction of 0.99, to contribute to its efficiency. While it is not 80 Plus rated, its makers guarantee at least 82% efficiency. The PSU utilizes a dual-forward switching topology, with high-efficiency PowerMOS instead of conventional transistors with half-bridge structure. Further, its main PCB is made of 2 oz copper layers. The PSU has fixed, sleeved cabling. It is cooled by a 120 mm load-controlled fan. Availability, and model information was not released.

ARM today announced the ARM Cortex-M0+ processor, the world's most energy-efficient microprocessor. The Cortex-M0+ processor has been optimized to deliver ultra low-power, low-cost MCUs for intelligent sensors and smart control systems in a broad range of applications including home appliances, white goods, medical monitoring, metering, lighting and power and motor control devices.

The 32-bit Cortex-M0+ processor, the latest addition to the ARM Cortex processor family, consumes just 9µA/MHz on a low-cost 90 nm LP process, around one third of the energy of any 8- or 16-bit processor available today, while delivering significantly higher performance.

Case specialist NZXT presents their newest line of modular power supplies with the Hale82 units. Consisting of three different versions with 650, 750 and 850 Watts along with 80Plus Bronze certification, these offer a great value with uncompromising performance. With their black housing and cables, the Hale82 goes perfectly with the many black cases out there.

With the first power supply series - the Hale Power 90+, NZXT answered to the demand of the users by offering an extremely stable and high-efficient power supply with the coveted 80Plus Gold certification. On top of that, being modular ensures a clean case interior, as the user may only use the cables needed. This reduced cable clutter also improves the internal cooling, as nothing obstructs the air flow.

Enabling IT departments to better manage data-intensive environments through new security and reliability features and record-breaking performance, a new family of server processors that accelerate mission-critical computing have been announced by Intel Corporation.

The record-setting Intel Xeon processor E7-8800/4800/2800 product families build on Intel's previous generation of server processors to set a new standard for high-end computing applications, including business intelligence, real-time data analytics and virtualization. Strengthening the line of defense for data centers, the new processors also provide advanced security features that ensure greater data integrity.

Nothing but an X could have represented the spirit of continuity of the highly successful Acer Timeline series, and underline the incredible performance improvements of the new models. Because while it goes without saying that battery life is fundamental for modern users, it is also true that they can't do without performance. Acer TimelineX embodies both, maintaining the same elegant, slim design that helped it seduce the market one year ago and setting the pace for innovations that make a tangible difference to the final result.

The latest Intel processors, dedicated graphics, HD multimedia, Dolby Home Theater v3 audio, and advanced connectivity combined with more than 8 hours of battery life. The principle behind the Acer TimelineX is exactly the same: optimize PC efficiency. Now though, this no longer means making sacrifices on power and performance.

MSI's latest ultra-thin and lightweight X-Slim Series of the dual-core model, X420, features the Intel CULV ultra-portable and energy-efficient platform equipped with the Intel Core 2 Duo processor together with ATI's Mobility Radeon HD5430 3D external display adapter (with built-in 1GB DDR3 VRAM), SRS-certified audio, as well as a battery life that lasts up to 9 hours.

MSI Director of Marketing Sam Chern points out that the X-Slim X420 is MSI's latest 14-inch ultra-thin notebook that carries on X-Slim Series' fine tradition of thin and elegant design. Weighing only 1.88kg, the entire unit is no more than one inch thick. The exterior of the new generation X420 is decorated with many new fashion elements. MSI's exclusive textured pattern color film print coating is used, the cover is treated with translucent Cappuccino Brown color, and the palm rest area is coated with golden film. The entire unit from the inside out is imbued with a bright and smooth pearl texture, redefining the new standard for notebook fashion.

In the run up for Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 "Lynnfield" socket LGA-1156 processors, it was known that Intel will be trailing the launch with a few energy-efficient variants, that come with lower rated TDPs. Two of these, namely Core i5 750S, and Core i7 860S have made it to Coolaler's lab for a quick check up. Unlike other energy-efficient variants from Intel, in the past, such as Core 2 Quad Q9550S, these parts feature lower clock-speeds compared to their standard counterparts.

The Core i5 750S comes with a clock speed of 2.40 GHz (19.0 x 133 MHz) with a Turbo Boost speed of 3.20 GHz, and the Core i7 860S runs at 2.53 GHz, with 3.46 GHz of Turbo Boost speed. Both processors as a result, have lower TDPs of 82W, compared to 95W on the Core i5 and Core i7 "Lynnfield" processors currently in the market. They are slated for Q1 2010. Coolaler used the Turbo Boost mode to overclock these chips. The Core i7 860S with its Turbo Boost multiplier of 26.0, reached 4.536 GHz (26 x 174.47 MHz, vCore at 1.32V), while the Core i5 750S reached 3.441 GHz (24 x 143.4 MHz, vCore at 1.32V). Both were seated on an ASUS P7P55D Deluxe motherboard, with one 2 GB DDR3 memory module.

Fujitsu Limited today announced that it has developed two new 500 GB 2.5" hard disk drive (HDD) models that feature a rotational speed of 5,400 RPM and deliver industry-leading levels of energy efficiency. The MJA2 BH series will be available from the end of December 2008, and the MJA2 CH series will be available in the first quarter of the 2009 calendar year. With industry-leading levels of energy efficiency, the new models consume only 1.4W of power when recording data, one-third less than previous models. Moreover, these are Fujitsu's first halogen-free HDD models, making them an environmentally friendly products across their lifecycle, from deployment to disposal.

Dell plans to transition all of its new laptop displays to light-emitting diode (LED) in the next 12 months, a major achievement in its commitment to become the 'greenest' technology company on the planet. "Our customers have made it clear that they want the greenest technology possible," Jeff Clarke, senior vice president, Dell Product Group said during the company's mobility summit in Monte Carlo today. "As an industry, we can shape the future of green innovation and significantly reduce the carbon footprint associated with mobile computing. Dell is committed to leading the transition to energy-efficient LED technology."

Electronics company LG has announced the launch of Flatron W2252TE, the world's most energy-efficient monitor. 22-inch in size, the widescreen W2252TE claims to offer a 45% reduction in power consumption, saving around 40 watts compared to other monitors that share the same size. The screen has a wide native resolution of 1680x1050, 2ms response time, a 170° viewing angle, a brightness rated at 250cdm² and a contrast ratio of 10,000:1. "The W2252TE gives consumers the chance to work, play games, watch movies or surf the internet, safe in the knowledge that they are doing as much as possible to help reduce their impact on the environment" Fiona Landsberg, marketing manager of LG Electronics says. The LG Flatron W2252TE is expected to be available in the UK first, starting from August 2008. Pricing information is unavailable.

AMD today announced the availability of the world's first energy-efficient desktop quad-core processor, providing customers with a cool and quiet digital media workhorse. With AMD Phenom X4 9100e quad-core processors, digital media enthusiasts and performance-hungry users can experience the powerful computing capabilities of a true multi-core architecture with a processor operating at a maximum of 65-watts.