You may have read our report from earlier today, covering the main points that AMD was trying to make in its recent teleconference with the European press (which includes us). While in the call, we were a little jolted by the choices of words some of AMD's executives used to describe their company's consumer graphics outlook for 2013, how they believe they can hold out for almost the entire year with little or no major updates to their product stack, and more interestingly, a few above-the-belt jabs at NVIDIA and its upcoming GeForce GTX Titan product.

The crux of AMD's emergency meeting with the press was to bust some misconceptions spread in the press over the last couple of weeks, to tell them a Graham's Number of times that they still hold the fastest single GPU on the planet, which powers the fastest graphics card there is (ASUS ARES II). The most ironic part of AMD's emergency meeting with the press was the one in which they called GeForce Titan NVIDIA's emergency/knee-jerk reaction to AMD's getting cozy with game developers, and netting some of the biggest PC game launches of the season for its Never Settle Reloaded bundle.

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced the arrival of its "Never Settle: Reloaded" game bundle, the sequel to last year's monumental "Never Settle" bundle. "Never Settle: Reloaded" delivers by bundling up to four of this year's most anticipated PC games -- "BioShock Infinite" by 2K Games and Irrational Games, "Crysis 3" by Electronic Arts, "DmC Devil May Cry" by Capcom and "Tomb Raider" by Square Enix -- with select AMD Radeon HD 7900 and HD 7800 Series graphics cards. The bundle highlights the continued commitment by AMD to ensure an incredible gaming experience on the world's top PC titles optimized for AMD Radeon graphics cards

"AMD knows gaming and in 2013 we plan to make a huge mark on the industry. Today we begin that journey by showing the world that the best PC game developers are AMD Gaming Evolved partners," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager of AMD Graphics. "The 'Never Settle: Reloaded' bundle clearly stands apart from anything else in the market. Gaming has always been, and will remain, the core of the AMD Graphics strategy and success. In 2013, we plan to forge greater inroads into the gaming industry and it begins with packaging this year's biggest games with the best graphics hardware from AMD." The "Never Settle: Reloaded" bundle offers the following games when purchased with select AMD Radeon HD 7900 and HD 7800 Series graphics cards:

Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. AMD won Best Merchandising Campaign for its unique "Never Settle" graphics marketing program, and John Torres, Sales Account Manager at AMD, was awarded an EggXellence Award for outstanding individual contribution to the business.

"This award underscores our commitment to delivering the best experience for our customers through highly acclaimed merchandising programs," said Roy Taylor, corporate vice president, AMD Channel Sales. "The 'Never Settle' campaign is the natural outcome of a company committed to technical excellence."

Mushkin, Inc., an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance and mission-critical computer products, today announces the U.S. availability of the 480 GB Atlas mSATA solid-state drive. Mushkin's 480GB Atlas mSATA solid-state drive (Model No.: MKNSSDAT480GB) is initially available in the U.S. at Newegg.com, with worldwide availability scheduled for end of January. MSRP on Mushkin's 480GB Atlas mSATA SSD is $499.99 USD. The Atlas mSATA SSD is covered by a three-year limited warranty.

GUNNAR Optiks, the world's leading manufacturer of computer eyewear, today announced that it has been awarded broad patent coverage on the company's lens technology and design. GUNNAR's 20/20 and prescription computer eyewear, optimized for use while viewing digital screens, combines a proprietary lens material in an advanced geometry, finished with custom tuned lens tints and coatings.

"Aggressively protecting our technological innovations is an integral part of our business," said Joe Croft, co-founder of GUNNAR. "GUNNAR Optiks computer eyewear addresses a problem affecting more than 120M Americans today. Securing broad-based patents reinforces GUNNAR's leadership position in the category that we created, and ensures that affected consumers can receive a high-quality eyewear solution that protects their vision."

ADATA Technology a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash storage application products, today announces the release of the DashDrive Durable UD310 USB Flash Drive, a tiny, water resistant USB flash drive with an attractive gem-like appearance.

The UD310 is manufactured through a special chip-on-board (COB) process, resulting in high water and impact resistance for the drive. A sparkling jewel-like faceted end-cap highlights the ultra-small and extremely portable design that takes up no space when used in a laptop or desktop. It allows for unrestricted sharing of pictures, music and videos, making the UD310 an ideal accessory for Ultrabooks and various slim and sophisticated electronic devices.

Microsoft's biggest launch of the year, Windows 8, may be under two weeks away, but there are still a couple of things Redmond managed to keep secret despite consumers getting a fair look-and-feel of the new operating system with pre-launch Consumer Previews. A large volume of Windows licenses are sold through hardware vendors, where the operating system is sold pre-installed on PCs and notebooks. The rest is sold as packaged software, through conventional retail channels.

As packaged software, the two variants of Windows 8 (Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro) will be available as upgrade and full-version. The upgrade package lets you move from an existing installation of Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7, to the new OS. The Windows 8 Pro Upgrade is listed at an introductory price of US $69.99. For the same price, you get Windows 8 Pro Pack, which is a card with a software key to Windows 8 Pro (any architecture), no installation media. The OEM (builder) packages of Windows 8 (standard), which includes a key and installation media is sold in 64-bit and 32-bit variants, each priced at $99.99. Lastly, there are similar 64-bit and 32-bit packages for Windows 8 Pro, each priced at $139.99. Newegg.com is accepting pre-orders.Source: Engadget

Galaxy's upcoming GeForce GTX 650 Ti GC (model: 65IGH8DL7AXX) factory-overclocked graphics card was listed (later deactivated) by American retailer Newegg.com for US $149.99. The sale page revealed quite a few details about the card. The specifications listed beat those which have been doing rounds for the past couple of weeks. According to the specs, the GTX 650 Ti in fact has 768 CUDA cores, and not 576, as previously believed. The GPU core is clocked at 966 MHz, with 5.40 GHz (GDDR5-effective) memory. The card packs 1 GB of memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface. Pictured below is Galaxy's GeForce GTX 650 GC (non-Ti, GK107-based), according to the source, the Galaxy GTX 650 Ti GC (GK106-based) looks very similar.Source: VideoCardz

NVIDIA will expand its new generation of graphics processors into cost-effective price points with the launches of GeForce GTX 660 Ti, GTX 660, and GTX 650, in the August-September time-frame. According to a DonanimHaber report, the products the three are replacing, the GeForce 560 Ti, GTX 560, and GTX 550 Ti; will closely follow launches of the new GPUs. When a product discontinuation notice for a particular product is issued, distributors are set a last day for placing orders for it.

After fulfilling the last orders, the product's status is changed to End of Life (EOL). To consumers, this news comes as a heads up, if they plan to buy any of the three SKUs on the chopping block, at their currently-attractive prices. The GeForce GTX 560 Ti is available on US retail website Newegg.com for as low as $179.99 (after rebate), the GTX 560 goes for as low as US $149.99 (after rebate), and the GTX 550 Ti for as low as $114.99. One can also deduce that NVIDIA will have healthy inventories of the new GPUs on launch.Source: DonanimHaber

After last Monday's launch, Intel's new Core "Ivy Bridge" processors started selling in the retail channel, today. At least six quad-core models under Core i5 and Core i7 brand extensions were listed on US retailer Newegg.com, which included the Core i7-3770K (3.50 GHz, Unlocked) at US $349.99, Core i7-3770S (3.10 GHz) at $319.99, Core i7-3770 (3.40 GHz, locked) also at $319.99, Core i5-3570K (3.40 GHz, Unlocked) at $249.99, Core i5-3550 (3.40 GHz) at $219.99, Core i5-3450 (3.10 GHz) at $199.99, and Core i5-3450S (2.80 GHz) also at $199.99.

Here is the first picture of EVGA GeForce GTX 680. The best-selling GeForce AIC partner in the US, EVGA, opted for a minimalist sticker design, while sticking to NVIDIA reference board and cooler designs. In fact, all GeForce GTX 680 launched in the first-wave, do. Speaking of first-wave, TechnoReviews managed to screengrab American Retailer Newegg.com listing out nearly all the GeForce GTX 680 models that will be available on launch of the SKU.

The listing confirms the US $499 (before taxes) pricing of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680, because that's how low these cards are available for; they will never price it below NVIDIA-recommended MSRP. Newegg.com applying a $10 margin is quite natural, they've done it with pretty much every major graphics card market-launch this year, including that of the Radeon HD 7900 series. Assuming the GeForce GTX 680 beats Radeon HD 7970, as NVIDIA claims, our educated guess is it still won't start a "price-war" as such. AMD might recalibrate prices of HD 7900 series down 5~10%, but AMD and NVIDIA won't be able to drive prices below a threshold, and that threshold is governed by TSMC, its ability to ship 28 nm chips in volumes big enough, and at prices low enough, to support a price-war between the two GPU giants.

Source: TecnoReviews, Image Courtesy: Newegg.com

While we're fairly certain about the launch-schedule of Intel's "Ivy Bridge" Core processor family and 7-series chipset from an older article, which pin-points at April 29 to be the day full-fledged reviews (including overclocking performance, and benchmarks that cover new features) can be published, there's still a looming doubt over that day being the one on which you could buy say, a Core i7-3770K off Newegg.com. A latest slide, probably sourced from Intel's Retailedge, lays that doubt to rest. April 29 is indeed the day you will be able to buy most significant "Ivy Bridge" Core i7 and Core i5 models. Certain other models are slated for June 3. Dual-core Core i3 and Pentium processors based on Ivy Bridge silicon are slated for "Holiday". As on April 29, you also be able to buy motherboards based on 7-series chipset, which support Ivy Bridge processors out of the box.Source: DonanimHaber

Outed last week, the highly-customized GeForce GTX 580 Classified Ultra from EVGA has become available for purchase, 'coincidentally' just before AMD launches the Radeon HD 7970.

This new, GF110-powered model features 512 CUDA Cores, GPU/shader clocks of 900/1800 MHz (772/1544 MHz stock), a 384-bit memory interface, 3 GB of GDDR5 memory set to 4212 MHz (4008 MHz), a 14+3 phase power design, a dual-slot cooler, 4-way SLI and EVBot support, one NEC Proadlizer, Super Low ESR SP-Cap capacitors, and high frequency 3 MHz shielded inductors.

The GeForce GTX 580 Classified Ultra costs $619.99 and can be found @ Newegg.

Exceleram announced a new value-segment 8 GB DDR3 memory module, the E30200A. This no-frills module lacks any heatspreader, because it probably doesn't need it. It can operate at DDR3-1333 MHz (PC3-10700) speed with CAS latency of 9T, and DRAM voltage of 1.5V. More importantly, it is priced at US $49.99 a piece, making 16 GB (2x 8 GB) dual-channel possible at just $99.98. Compare that to the prices of 2x 8 GB kits available on Newegg.

“[The] target for us was to find a solution for our customers to obtain a new 8GB 1333MHz CL9 Memory Module with the price at only US$ 49.99. This price combined with the strong quality level as well as Exceleram always does, it’s a really tough target for us to reach. But now we have got the solution, the E30200A Memory Module,” said by Steffen Eisenstein, the Product Manager of Exceleram.

Crucial, a leading global brand of memory and storage upgrades, today introduced Crucial 8GB DDR3-1333 MHz UDIMM (desktop) and SODIMM (laptop) memory modules to fully support the latest 2nd generation Intel Core i7 and i5 processors. Users demand more from their computers than ever before, simultaneously running and switching between multiple, complex applications such as photo editing, high-definition video editing, and gaming software. With that in mind, Crucial high-capacity 8GB desktop and laptop memory modules enable users to meet these computing challenges head on, enhancing the user experience by providing a more responsive system.

The new modules also allow for high-capacity memory in smaller form factors such as laptops, All-in-One PCs, and home theater PCs. Traditionally, most laptops have been limited to one or two DIMM slots for system memory needs. As form factors continue to shrink, providing even less space on the motherboard to populate memory, an 8GB Crucial laptop module is ideal for newer, more portable form factors that only have one DIMM slot available. Additionally, these new 8GB DDR3-1333MHz SODIMM modules are 1.35V, compared to their standard 1.5V counterparts. For laptops that support the lower voltage, the modules help reduce power consumption and operating temperature while increasing battery life.

MSI Computer Corp., a leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, announces the availability of the stylish X460 and X460DX notebooks, the 14-inch mobile powerhouse for professionals on the go. Part of the X Series ultra-slim notebooks, both units are powered by Intel Core processors, Integrated Intel GMA HD or NVIDIA GeForce GT540M video cards, Microsoft Windows 7, and THX TruStudio PRO.

"The X460 and X460DX takes our current X Series to another level, shrinking the power and performance of a larger notebook into a mobile unit with exceptional battery life," said Andy Tung, Vice President of Sales for MSI US. "Crafted with the mobile professional in mind, these units feature a sleek design that reflects MSI's pursuit for innovation and style."

PowerColor seems to be in a hurry to release its Radeon HD 6790 graphics card (model: AX6790 1GBD5-DH), so much so that it's already listed on popular retailer Newegg.com for US $149.99. Powercolor's card sticks to stock frequencies of 840 MHz core, 4.20 GHz memory, and features 1 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 256-bit wide memory interface. The HD 6790 is said to have 800 out of 1120 of stream processors on the 40 nm Barts GPU enabled.

PowerColor's card uses a more cost-effective cooler design than the one found on some of its Radeon HD 6800 series graphics cards. Display outputs include one each of DVI, full-size HDMI 1.4a, and mini DisplayPort 1.2. The card draws power from just one 6-pin PCI-E power connector. The HD 6790 will be officially released later this week on Thursday.Pictures Courtesy: Newegg.com

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the general retail availability of the Graphite Series 600T mid-tower computer case. Debuted at Computex in June, 2010, the 600T features dual 200mm fans, eight PCI-E expansion slots to accommodate multiple graphics cards, and plenty of room for large, power-hungry components.

The Graphite Series 600T has garnered enthusiastic praise from industry experts and end-users alike. Legit Reviews calls the 600T “a classy mid-tower with the room and features of a full tower.” The Tech Report states that “The truth is, the 600T is pretty much a home run for Corsair.” A customer review on Newegg.com says that “The form, fit, function, and design of the 600T are incredible.” Hardware Canucks states that “Corsair has once again produced a chassis that makes itself a leader amongst its competition.”

Turtle Beach, a leader in premium gaming headsets and audio entertainment accessories, today announced its new Ear Force DX11 7.1 Surround Sound System Bundle, available exclusively at Best Buy stores nationwide. The Ear Force DX11 combines the exceptional audio quality and comfort of Turtle Beach’s battle-tested Ear Force X11 gaming headset with the Ear Force DSS Dolby 7.1 surround sound processor. This dynamic duo delivers a rich and immersive surround sound experience with full chat support during Xbox 360 or PC gaming and while enjoying movies, TV and music.

"The DX11 headset bundle represents the ultimate in value and performance for discriminating gamers seeking a Dolby surround sound experience." Explains Michael Arzt, vice president, marketing and business development at Turtle Beach. "Players will gain a competitive edge and greater enjoyment of all their games (and movies) thanks to the well-defined directional cues and immersive power of the DX11."

VisionTek Products, LLC today announced the North American launch of the CandyBoard their wireless mini keyboard with integrated touch pad, with plug & play 2.4GHz frequency USB dongle. The keyboard is slightly bigger than the classic American candy bar and complements your collection of typical home remote controls. It features 69 keys and a "capacitive-sensing" touchpad that's comparable to a real notebook touchpad, which eliminates the need for a separate mouse. The media center PC is becoming the in-home library for movie storage and play back, creating a need for smaller and more efficient remote navigation. The VisionTek CandyBoard features backlit LEDs keys to use in low-light environments, making it a perfect complement to any home theater PC or family room game console.

The VisionTek CandyBoard is the perfect HTPC accessory and offers full Windows Media compatibility. “The integration between your home computer and your television entertainment system creates a need for more mobile and user-friendly peripherals.” Stated, Mark Bilson, VP of Sales. “Web based content has ballooned in the last year and only promises to explode in the next decade. I can honestly envision a CandyBoard in every family room across America.” In addition to compatibility with the PC, the VisionTek CandyBoard is fully compatible with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles. The need for text and search capabilities in the console environment is magnified, as more web based content becomes readily available via these platforms. Compatibility doesn’t stop with the PC and console, the CandyBoard is also compatible with Mac systems and Linux based environments too.

While NVIDIA's official GTX 465 launch won't be until Monday 31st 3 AM EST, large online retailer Newegg already started listing the cards. In total seven cards from NVIDIA's largest board partners are listed. They're all priced at $279 and available immediately. This is good news because it confirms that we will see a hard launch on Monday, without inflated prices. In terms of cooling everybody will stick to the GTX 470's thermal solution with the exception being Gigabyte and Palit (we reviewed the GTX 470 with the dual fan cooler here).

The listings also confirm the rumored specifications of 352 shaders cores, 1 GB memory, 256-bit memory interface and clock speeds of 607 MHz core / 1215 MHz shader.

Our review will be ready on time and posted when the NDA is expired.Source: Newegg

Creative Labs, Inc. today announced the Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless Headset is now available at AAFES, Amazon.com, Apple.com, BestBuy.com, Blizzard.com, Creative.com, Dell.com, Frys.com, Newegg.com and Tiger Direct for $159.99. “As the leading innovator in precision audio for PC gaming we were well positioned to develop a headset that could live up to the high standards set forth by Blizzard Entertainment games," said Steve Erickson, VP and GM for audio and video at Creative. "The Sound Blaster World of Warcraft Wireless Headset is a result of this, providing an unprecedented combination of wireless technology, THX TruStudio PC technology for enriched audio performance and a unique design that stands out from anything else available to gamers.”

The controversy surrounding Newegg's shipment of counterfeit Intel Core i7 920 processors to some customers has finally met its logical conclusion, with Newegg disposing facts and making great headway in resolving the issue with affected customers. In a statement to HardOCP.com, Newegg said that it is conducting a thorough investigation in collaboration with Intel and law-enforcement agencies, to get to the bottom of how counterfeit merchandise could get into its supply chain.

Another major revelation here is that Newegg named IPEX as the supplier behind the merchandise, and not another supplier called D&H Distributing, which the media was fairly confident in alleging for this controversy. The said company earlier issued cease and desist orders to those media sources for misinformation and wrongfully dragging it into the issue.

The supplier, IPEX, had initially told Newegg that it had accidentally shipped "demo boxes", a keyword Newegg adopted in its initial press statement and communications to affected customers. In course of time, it was found out that these so-called demo boxes indeed were counterfeits. Newegg has terminated its business relations with IPEX. Sections of the media which named D&H Distributing in the controversy tendered their apologies.Source: HardOCP.com

After last week's report on some of Newegg.com's customers receiving what the store calls "demo boxes" that it described to have been accidentally shipped by one of its "long term partners", Intel stepped in with a clarification on how it looks at these anomalies. In a statement to HardOCP.com, Intel's Dan Snyder said "Intel has been made aware of the potential for counterfeit i7 920 packages in the marketplace and is working to how many and/or where they are being sold. The examples we have seen are not Intel products but are counterfeits. Buyers should contact their place of purchase for a replacement and/or should contact their local law enforcement agency if the place of purchase refuses to help."

The "examples" Intel is referring to in the statement are these so-called "demo boxes", apparently 300 of them, which could be out on the loose. Meanwhile, Newegg.com is making efforts to get in touch with each of the affected customers and rush-delivering genuine merchandise or providing 100% refund, depending on what the customer chooses. While the whole episode seems to have taken a toll on Newegg's image as one of the most reliable, efficient, and competitive online retailers which it built over years, in the line of fire seems to be its "long term partner", a certain distributor in charge of these Intel processors. The same company sent cease and desist letters to some online publications to withdraw their reports on this issue, blaming them for publishing "untrue statements" about it. However Intel's statement adds clarity to the issue. Indeed some customers may have received "counterfeits", and indeed there are no such things as "demo boxes", at least as far as Intel is concerned. That said, whoever is behind these "demo boxes" still stands to face the law for infringement and imitation of Intel's product design, and trying to profit from it.

Sources: HardOCP.com, TechEYE.net

Newegg.com, one of America's leading online retailers of computer hardware and related sales, on its official Twitter page admitted to a botchup with one of its long-term partners that resulted in several customers who ordered Intel Core i7 processors receiving what it calls "Demo Boxes". These boxes probably are used to demonstrate what the boxes look like or weigh, or probably it's a case of "adulteration", forgery, and counterfeiting. Each of these so-called demo boxes contain a completely non-functional dummy of the processor, heatsink fan, and the instruction leaflet. When opened, the three don't really look like mockups, but when packed into the box, can easily pass off as the product.

Newegg swung into action after several customers got back to it reporting "fake Core i7 920" chips. Many of them were taken aback when their $290 investment yielded a big chunk of plastic, and a slab of metal on which is strapped on the processor's IHS. The chunk of plastic is molded roughly to the shape of an HSF, and a sticker of the HSF's top was pasted, so it could be visible from the little window on the box that lets you see the HSF. Newegg said that it has acknowledged that a number of "demo boxes" were shipped, and that its staff is working directly with each of the affected customers to resolve the issue at the earliest. It kind of begs the question: where did so many so-called demo boxes come from, and why are there so many of them?


Video of a disgruntled customer unboxing a "demo box", and statement from Newegg follow after the break.