After bagging chip supply deals for all three new-generation consoles -- Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Wii U, things are looking up for AMD. While Wii U uses older-generation hardware technologies, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 use the very latest AMD has to offer -- "Jaguar" 64-bit x86 CPU micro-architecture, and Graphics CoreNext GPU architecture. Chips that run the two consoles have a lot in common, but also a few less-than-subtle differences.

PlayStation 4 chip, which came to light this February, is truly an engineer's fantasy. It combines eight "Jaguar" 64-bit x86 cores clocked at 1.60 GHz, with a fairly well spec'd Radeon GPU, which features 1,156 stream processors, 32 ROPs; and a 256-bit wide unified GDDR5 memory interface, clocked at 5.50 GHz. At these speeds, the system gets a memory bandwidth of 176 GB/s. Memory isn't handled like UMA (unified memory architecture), there's no partition between system- and graphics-memory. The two are treated as items on the same 8 GB of memory, and either can use up a majority of it.

ASUS announced a fleet of socket LGA1150 motherboards, covering its mainline (classic), Republic of Gamers (ROG), and The Ultimate Force (TUF) lines. With this series, ASUS is adopting a new color scheme for its mainline motherboards, breaking away from the black PCB with blue heatsinks scheme it maintained since the first LGA1156 motherboards, almost four years ago. The new mainline motherboards from ASUS feature black PCBs with golden-colored heatsinks covering the VRM and PCH, and simpler naming. ASUS' first wave of Z87-based mainline (classic) motherboards include the entry-level Z87-C and Z87-A, mid-range Z87-PLUS and Z87-PRO, and premium Z87-DELUXE.

Here are some of the first clear pictures of MSI Z87 MPower, one of the company's top socket LGA1150 motherboards, which will be unveiled a little later. The board retains the black+yellow color-scheme from its predecessor, the Z77 MPower, built more solidly. The board appears to feature a 16-phase CPU power delivery, which uses a combination of SFC chokes, DrMOS, and high-C tantalum capacitors. It draws power from two 8-pin EPS connectors, in addition to the 24-pin ATX.

The CPU socket on the Z87 MPower is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel memory, and three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/NC/NC or x8/x8/NC or x8/x4/x4); three PCI-Express x1 slots make for the rest of the expansion area. Connectivity includes an enhanced onboard audio solution named "Audio Boost," which we imagine is an onboard amp for select channels; gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WLAN, Bluetooth, display outputs that include dual-HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, and a number of USB 3.0 ports. Storage connectivity includes eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Find more pictures at the source.Source: 59Hardware.net

AMD today announced availability of servers based on its AMD Open 3.0 specification, defined as part of the Open Compute Project, delivering workload versatility and performance equal to competing proprietary OEM servers at significantly lower cost. In comparison to benchmarks running virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), the AMD Open 3.0-based system supported just as many virtual desktops and reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) by 57 percent: $4,589 versus $10,669 for just a single server. This cost effectiveness translates into a dramatic reduction in cost per virtual desktop, from $91.19 to only $38.24 per desktop. More details on the findings are available online and will be discussed at a roundtable event tomorrow in New York City and other select cities. The servers will be available through distributor partners.

"Global IT organizations have the difficult task of choosing between price and performance when investing in servers," said Bob Ogrey, cloud evangelist and fellow, AMD. "We don't believe organizations have to compromise one for the other. Using systems based on the AMD Open 3.0 specification -- the first open source, modular platform for the masses -- enables high performance and energy efficiency at a reasonable price, making it the best choice for organizations.

SMART Modular Technologies, Inc., a leading independent designer, manufacturer and supplier of value added subsystems including memory modules, flash memory cards and other solid state storage products, today announced the addition of a 24GB CoolFlex RDIMM to its product lineup. The 24GB DDR3-1333 1.35V RDIMM helps solve unique memory capacity constraints in servers. SMART's CoolFlex module product family uses state-of-the-art flexible substrate technology to increase system memory capacity.

Servers configured with two processors and sixteen registered DIMMs are generally limited to a maximum memory capacity of 256GB. When using 16GB DDR3-1333 RDIMMs these systems can be fully populated. However, when switching to 32GB four-rank RDIMMs, the maximum number of DIMMs per Channel (DPC) drops down to one. A system configured with two channels per processor and four DIMMs per channel can only be populated with one 32GB RDIMM per channel for a total memory capacity of 128GB. SMART's new 24GB Coolflex RDIMM solves this constraint by allowing these systems to be fully populated with sixteen 24GB RDIMMs totaling 384GB and representing a 50% increase in memory capacity.

Silicon Power, the world's leading provider of memory storage solutions today unveils the new generation of Xpower DDR3 Overclocking series memory module. Built in a special-made metallic heat sink, the new Xpower DDR3 is able to provide a better cooling solution and increase the heat dissipation area, maintaining a powerful speed and stability to meet the needs of overclocking enthusiasts and hardcore gamers.

Silicon Power new Xpower DDR3 Overclocking series are available in various duel channel kits in DDR3-1600, 1866, 2133, and 2400 MHz variants, reaching the high capacity from 8 GB (4 GBx2) to 16 GB (8 GBx2). Compatible with Intel Core Gen 3 and the latest Z77 platform, Xpower Overclocking series can maximize the transfer speed, unleashing the extreme system performance to the next level.

At a media event held in its Taipei headquarters, GIGABYTE demonstrated its AMP-UP integrated audio solution that will feature on some of its upcoming motherboards. On that pretense, it even got to show of two of its top socket LGA1150 motherboards, built for Core "Haswell" processors, the G1.Sniper 5, and the G1.Sniper M5. Positioned in gamer-overclocker targeted G1.Killer series, the two boards are based on Intel Z87 Express chipset. The G1.Sniper 5 is the larger standard ATX motherboard; while the M5 is a compact micro-ATX offering. The pictures also confirm that socket LGA1150 retention module and bolt-spacing is identical to sockets LGA1155 and LGA1156.

The G1.Sniper 5 appears to feature a 16-phase VRM, which uses ferrite-core chokes, and the same International Rectifier PowIRstage components as Ultra Durable 5 motherboards from the previous generation. This time around, the CPU plays a greater role in voltage regulation. The driver-MOSFETs on the board are cooled by an active fan-heatsink, which also has a liquid channel running through it, so you could make it part of your CPU loop. Thankfully GIGABYTE didn't let its imagination run away with designs of the other heatsinks on the board, one of which cools the Z87 Express chipset, and the other we imagine, a PLX PEX8747 48-lane PCI-Express 3.0 bridge chip. This chip gets you 4-way SLI/CrossFireX support.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the release of the Turbo NAS TS-x21 and TS-x20 series for home users and home offices. The new models in the TS-x21 series are equipped with 2.0 GHz CPU, 1GB DDR3 RAM, and the TS-x20 series with 1.6 GHz CPU, 512MB DDR3 RAM. Both series deliver superior performance for daily routines in file storage, sharing, and data backup, and serve as ideal media centers for storing and sharing huge multimedia files.

The TS-x21 and TS-x20 series feature the brand-new Turbo NAS operating system QTS 4.0. The new QTS 4.0 integrates multi-window operations into the web-based user interface, adds cross-device file synchronization, several smart mobile apps, and more. In an era where almost everyone has at lease one mobile phone or tablet device, the QTS 4.0 fulfills people's needs of mobile data access and synchronization, and storage for huge quantities of data. What's more, the QTS 4.0's multi-window user interface introduces users to an unprecedented NAS management experience. In addition, the multimedia applications and multi-tasking designs not only increase management efficiency but also transform home entertainment.

ADATA Technology Co., Ltd. a world leader in DRAM modules and NAND Flash storage application products, today announced the start of shipments of its latest advanced in gaming technology, the XPG Gaming v2.0 Series DDR3-2600 MHz DRAM 8GB modules. These dual channel kits are designed and engineered to bring optimum performance to third generation Intel Core processors and the Z77 platform.

XPG DRAM modules signify Xtreme Performance Gear, providing the extreme speed and performance required by advanced users. The XPG Gaming series v2.0 is targeted specifically at the distinct performance and cooling needs of the worldwide gaming community. These latest DDR3 2600G 8GB modules offer new levels of data transfer speed, along with the many features that are hallmarks of the XPG series.

AMD is ready to launch the next generation of company's APUs in June, 2013, codenamed "Richland". The new Fusion S-Series "Richland" CPU Series will have an updated graphics code which turns out to be HD-8000 series graphics and support native DDR3-2133. Today, BIOSTAR full range FM2 motherboards are ready to support the new "Richland" series; users just need to update BIOS and Drivers which are available at BIOSTAR homepage.

HABEY USA, a leading manufacturer of embedded computer and an Associate member of the Intel Intelligent Systems Alliance, introduces the PRO-6820. This is a fanless barebone system, with a chassis built tough for extended industrial processing indoors or outdoors. The system measures in at 9.45"x9.96"x4.53", not much bigger than our small form factor systems, running off Intel's 3rd Generation Ivy Bridge Quad Core i3/i5/i7 processor, and capable of up to 8GB of memory from 2x 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM slots.

Rich with I/Os, the PRO-6820 offers 6x instal USB slots, 2x front accessible USB 3.0 slots and 4x rear USB 2.0 slots. The system also has 2x PS2 ports, 1x externally accessible 8-bit GPIO port, 4x COM ports, 6x LAN ports, 1x mic-in, 1x audio-out, 1x CF Card Socket & 1x externally accessible 2.5" SATA HDD. The Intel Integrated HD Graphics controller allows 1x VGA port with resolution up to 2048x1536 & 1x DVI-D ports with resolution up to 1920x1200.

The EUROCOM Uno 3.0 is designed primarily for corporate customers, the Eco-Friendly 120 Watts, 7.5kg (16.5lbs) easy to move around All in One PC allows companies to improve overall productivity and security, reduce downtime caused by power interruptions and greatly reduce energy costs.

The EUROCOM Uno 3.0 has an integrated battery pack, which provides backup power in case of electrical failure, or unstable incoming electrical current, while also allowing for easy relocation without system shutdown. When AC power suddenly shuts down, backup battery can keep you working for up to 70 minutes and/or allow users to save uncompleted documents.

Prices of graphics cards with DDR3 memory are set to rise by 10-15 percent. The roughly 10 percent hike in prices of DDR3 memory chips, due to inventory-digestion, aided by reduced production from DRAM makers, is responsible for the hike. The June 2013 launch of Intel's Core "Haswell" platform could see a flurry of system upgrades, which could strain on DDR3 chip supply even further. Luckily for most DIY buyers, DDR3 memory is only used in sub-$100 graphics cards, with proliferation of GDDR5 to current-generation graphics cards around the $100 mark.Source: DigiTimes

Giada Technology, a world famous manufacturer of compact desktop PCs, has announced the launch of compact barebones-system: The D300. The D300 family is based on the 3rd generation of Intel Core processors. The D300 systems are designed for builders of home assembly or all-purpose, unique compact PCs and multimedia systems with a wide range of applications. In addition, support for the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) which provides extensive security with high levels of data encryption, allows the use of D300-based systems in various applications in IT departments of large enterprises.

The D300 system is also ideal for industrial control applications, smart traffic control systems, security and surveillance systems, commercial terminals and other similar applications which require small size, wide choice of interfaces, simplicity and reliability of use.

Kingston Technology Company Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, continues to celebrate its 10th HyperX anniversary by announcing all-new black printed circuit boards (PCB) on two of its product lines. Kingston's high-performance HyperX Beast and entry-level enthusiast 'black' lines will incorporate black PCB under the signature heatspreader designs.

HyperX Beast, a part of the Predator family, matches large capacity with ultra-fast frequencies. Now featuring black PCB, HyperX Beast is available in various dual- and quad-channel kits in capacities from 8GB to 64GB and speeds up to an ultra-fast 2400MHz. It is perfect for hardcore gamers, PC modders, content creators and overclockers. The 2133 MHz, 64GB and 2400 MHz, 32GB Beast memory are the fastest and highest capacity certified Intel XMP-ready kits on the market.

Stealth.com Inc. (Stealth Computer) a leading ISO 9001 manufacturer of industrial rugged computers and peripherals has released a new powerful small form factor PC. The new Stealth Extreme Power model LPC-480 mini PC is Stealth's most powerful small form factor computer to date continuing their history of delivering small high performance computers for demanding applications.

The LPC-480 outperforms other small sized PC systems due to the integration of the latest Intel 3rd Generation Core i7 mobile processors. The LPC-480 ships with a standard Intel i7 Processor 3610QE CPU exceeding the performance of computers many times its physical size. The LPC-480 LittlePC measures an amazing 5.7" x 9.9" and less than 1.65" in height or about the size of a hard cover novel.

Axiomtek is pleased to release a new 15.6" WXGA TFT widescreen fanless multi-touch panel computer, the GOT3157W-832-PCT. This panel PC comes with an industrial design with refined aesthetics, and brings the easy-to-deploy feature and advanced touch experience to a variety of commercial and industrial applications such as the self-service kiosk in retail and control panel of machine in automation field.

With the extraordinary modulized design, the GOT3157W-832-PCT gives operator hassle free benefit, no more annoying deployment and maintenance jobs! It uses 15.6-inch projected capacitive multi-touch screen to enhance mutual interactive experience. In addition, the Intel Atom processor D2550 at 1.86 GHz with Intel NM10 Express chipset has been integrated into the GOT3157W-832-PCT, offering an excellent balance between high graphics performance and low power consumption.

Axiomtek rolls out a fanless embedded system in palm size featuring Intel Atom Cedarview processor N2600 1.6 GHz dual core with Intel NM10 Express chipset. The eBOX530-830-FL has an IP40-rated and rugged aluminum & cold-rolled steel enclosure to endure severe environment. It supports one VGA or one DisplayPort interface to fit more video resources. To resist extreme working temperatures and severe environments, its fanless operation design has unique thermal solution that allows it to perform noiseless at operating temperatures of -10°C to +50°C. The eBOX530-830-FL compact system is an application-ready platform that targets for nearly any field of space-limited and mobile applications like in-vehicle PCs, in-flight infotainment systems, digital signage, entry-level gaming, medical healthcare, and other automation & embedded applications.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC hardware market, today announced new Vengeance Extreme 8GB dual-channel DDR3 memory kits rated at 3000MHz, the world's fastest rated production PC memory kits. Fitted with low profile "racing red" heat spreaders, the new 2x4GB memory kits operate at 3000 MHz air-cooled, with latency settings of 12-14-14-36, at 1.65V. A Kingpin Cooling memory cooler is included for overclockers who want to use LN2 (liquid nitrogen) to reach memory speeds well beyond 3000 MHz.

The extreme-speed 3000 MHz rating of the Vengeance Extreme memory kits is the result of a rigorous internal four-stage hand-screening process performed by Corsair engineers. This process is passed by fewer than one in 50 memory ICs. Performance qualification is performed on select Intel Z77 based motherboards, including the ASUS P8Z77-I DELUXE and ASRock Z77 OC Formula. To hit their rated speeds, the modules require a 3rd Generation Intel Core unlocked processor with an Integrated Memory Controller capable of running 3000 MHz.

GIGABYTE rolled out the C1007UN-D mini-ITX motherboard, for entry-level desktops. It ships with an Intel Celeron 1007U BGA processor hard-wired to the board, with a compatible fan-heatsink pre-installed. Based on the 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" micro-architecture, the 1007U is a dual-core chip, clocked at 1.50 GHz, with 2 MB of L3 cache, and 17W TDP. Backing the chip on this motherboard is Intel's NM70 chipset.

The C1007UN-D from GIGABYTE features two DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel memory. Storage interfaces consist of one SATA 6 Gb/s and two SATA 3 Gb/s internal ports, and an eSATA 3 Gb/s port. Legacy PCI makes for the lone expansion slot. Connectivity includes two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, 6-channel HD audio, six USB 2.0 ports, an RS232 COM port, LPT (by header), and PS/2. Display outputs include D-Sub (VGA) and HDMI. GIGABYTE did not release pricing information, but considering the CPU itself is priced around $90, we expect this board to be priced around $150.

In addition to its 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s TLC NAND flash SSD, Plextor showed off its upcoming SSD in the NGFF form-factor, designed for next-generation Ultrabooks. Based on the same Marvell 88SS9189 processor and triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash memory as its 2.5-inch cousin, the drive differs in being a 42 x 22 mm (LxW) NGFF module, with PCI-Express 2.0 x2 interface. The drives will be sold in 128 GB and 256 GB capacities, featuring 256 MB and 512 MB DDR3 DRAM caches, respectively. On offer are read speeds of up to 700 MB/s, writes of up to 550 MB/s, and maximum 4K random write performance of 100,000 IOPS. The NGFF drives should arrive around the same time as Ultrabooks based on 4th generation Core "Haswell" processors.

Axiomtek announced PICO831, its extreme-compact Pico-ITX SBC designed to support the newest ultra low-power Intel Atom dual core processor N2800 1.86 GHz and N2600 1.6 GHz with the Intel NM10 Express chipset. The PICO831's compact size, ultra low power consumption, and high performance make it a perfect fit for space-limited and power saving environments. The system memory on PICO831 can support either 2 GB or 4 GB of DDR3, depending on the processor. Its onboard SATA-3Gb/s connector and optional SATA SSD meet storage requirements with ease.

Considering to the various demands and networking requests, the tiny embedded board comes with full-size and half-size PCI Express Mini Card slots. It also provides internal connectors for VGA, 18/24-bit single channel LVDS and a Gigabit Ethernet, and a flexible I/O pin-header that integrates audio, four of USB 2.0, two of COM, LED, and power on/off interfaces. This Pico-ITX form factor board offers an excellent solution for in-vehicle PCs, medical imaging, gaming, in-flight entertainment systems, industrial automation systems, and the portable devices.

Apart from motherboards, the only big product segment ASRock made a name for itself is with pre-built mini-PCs. The company wants to put its experience to good use by cashing in for the market's newfound love for compact (mini-ITX) gaming PCs, the ones that save precious real-estate on congested living room TV racks and dorm rooms. Pictured below is the company's first such effort, timed with the launch of Intel's next-generation Core "Haswell" processor, and supporting socket LGA1150 platform based on Z87 Express chipset.

There are three components to ASRock's creation: a unique SFF case, co-designed by BMW Design; the ASRock Z87E-ITX motherboard, and a GeForce GTX 680 graphics card. The case looks pretty slick, coming from BMW. It stays slim by using a PCI-Express riser, allowing you to install graphics cards along the plane of the motherboard. The Z87-E ITX, like most efforts by ASRock in the past, is extremely feature-rich for its size. It uses a 6-phase VRM to power the LGA1150 CPU, features two DDR3 DIMM slots, PCI-Express 3.0 x16 and mini-PCIe 2.0, for the WLAN+Bluetooth card.

At CeBIT, Plextor showed off a yet unnamed line of consumer SSDs featuring 19 nm triple-level cell (TLC) NAND flash memory. The series consists of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB variants, with 256 MB, 512 MB, and 768 MB of DDR3 DRAM cache, respectively. The three are driven by Marvell 88SS9189 processor, and are built in the 2.5-inch form-factor, with SATA 6 Gb/s interface.

The 128 GB variant offers sequential read speeds as high as 530 MB/s, with up to 380 MB/s writes, and 72,000 IOPS 4K random write performance. The 256 GB variant ups that with 540 MB/s reads, and 450 MB/s writes. Leading the pack is the 512 GB variant, with 540 MB/s reads, and 465 MB/s writes. The lineup is expected to be launched this August.

Source: Guru3D

MSI displayed its upcoming Z87A Gaming Series motherboard. The company is yet to begin work on cosmetic details such as PCB color, heatsinks, component color scheme, etc., but a bulk of its development is complete. To begin with, the board uses a strong 16-phase VRM to power the CPU, which draws power from two 8-pin EPS connectors. The CPU is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory; and three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots in x16/NC/NC or x8/x8/NC or x8/x4/x4 configurations, depending on how they're populated. Four x1 slots make for the rest of its all-PCIe expansion slot area.

Storage connectivity on the Z87A Gaming Series includes eight SATA 6 Gb/s slots, two of which are driven by a third-party controller. 8-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, eight USB 3.0 ports (six on the rear panel, two by header), dual-HDMI and DisplayPort display outputs; effectively make for the rest of the board. The same exact PCB could be used to create two SKUs, the Z87A Gaming Series, and the Z87A-GD65. Apart from a swankier color scheme and heatsink design, the Gaming Series variant could feature a few additional overclocking features.Source: Lab501.ro