Touting the innards of a gaming notebook, MSI's Gaming Series AG2712 is a prominent exhibit at the company's CeBIT booth. It features a 27-inch 1080p matte display (which isn't a touchscreen), various Intel Core i5/i7 "Ivy Bridge" processor choices (with chance of a near-future Core "Haswell" refresh), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670MX as standard equipment, HDMI and D-Sub display outputs, USB 3.0, multi-format card reader, and what appears to be a THX-certified sound-bar lining its bottom.

Razer, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, software and systems, announced that its award-winning Razer Edge tablet will be available for pre-order on March 1, 2013, at 12:01 a.m. PST at this page. Purchased units will be shipped to consumers later that month.

The most powerful tablet in the world is also already one of the most decorated of its kind, with the Razer Edge claiming eight awards at the 2013 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), including CNET's "Best of Show" award, where it beat more than 20,000 other products. In addition, the Edge was voted the "People's Voice" award recipient by fans, making this the third consecutive year that a Razer product earned that honor.

With its 4th generation Core "Haswell" processor lineup not too far away, Intel is making efforts to clear inventories of its 2nd generation Core "Sandy Bridge" one. Usually, OEMs on the receiving end of such a move stand to score truckloads of chips at discounted prices. Samsung is one such OEM, which may have bagged a ton of "Sandy Bridge" Core i5-2450M dual-core chips clocked at 2.50 GHz, to deploy in its new premium Chromeboxes, which normally use entry-level Celeron B840 chips, because you can't exactly use Chrome OS to play Crysis, and so you don't need a faster CPU. The new, faster Chromebox is listed on Amazon for $423, bearing the SKU "Samsung Chromebox XE300M22-A01US."

Intel introduced a pair of new dual-core ultra-low voltage processors, the Core i5-3439Y and Core i7-3689Y, based on the current 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" architecture. The two feature a stunning 13W TDP, and are designed for cool Ultrabooks, with minimal cooling. The Core i5-3439Y features a nominal clock speed of 1.50 GHz, with 2.30 GHz maximum Turbo Boost, HyperThreading enabling four logical CPUs, 3 MB of L3 cache, and an SDP (scenario driven power) of just 7W. It is priced at US $250. The Core i7-3689Y, on the other side, features the same 1.50 GHz nominal clock speed, but a higher maximum Turbo Boost frequency of 2.60 GHz, and 4 MB of L3 cache. Other features are identical between the two. The i7-3689Y is priced at $362.

CPU cooler manufacturer Arctic (aka Arctic Cooling) may have inadvertently leaked a very long list of 4th generation Intel Core processors based on its LGA1150 socket. Longer than any currently posted lists of Core "Haswell" processors, the leak includes model numbers of nine Core i7, seventeen Core i5, five Core i3, and two Pentium models. Among the Core i7 models are already known i7-4770K flagship chip, i7-4770S, and a yet-unknown i7-4765T. The Core i5 processor list is exhaustive, and it appears that Intel wants to leave no price-point unattended. The Core i5-4570K could interest enthusiasts. In comparison to the Core i5 list, the LGA1150 Core i3 list is surprisingly short, indicating Intel is serious about phasing out dual-core chips. The Pentium LGA1150 list is even shorter.

The list of LGA1150 processor models appears to have been leaked in the data-sheets of one of its coolers, in the section that lists compatible processors. LGA1150 appears to have the same exact cooler mount-hole spacing as LGA1155 and LGA1156 sockets, and as such upgrading CPU cooler shouldn't be on your agenda. Intel's 4th generation Core processor family is based on Intel's spanking new "Haswell" micro-architecture, which promises higher performance per-core, and significantly faster integrated graphics over previous generation. The new chips will be built on Intel's now-mature 22 nm silicon fabrication process. The new chips will begin to roll out in the first-half of 2013.

The Slidebook S20, the ideal mobile work station and leisure companion, just hit the market. Its elegant streamlined exterior, all-in-one design, Intel's third generation Ivy Bridge Core i5 processor, and all-weather, long-life battery meet are designed to meet your work and leisure needs and make the Slidebook S20 stand out from the crowd of other ultrabooks.

Another MSI ingenious design, the Slidebook S20 not only offers all the audiovisual, multimedia, reading, and gaming enjoyment of a tablet, it also sports a keyboard, USB, and HDMI capabilities of a mobile office notebook. This chicly mobile machine satisfies the needs of both on-the-go businesspeople and students and the extended battery power ensures that you have plenty of time to do what you're doing. Ideal for Internet browsing, social networking, and word processing, the Slidebook S20 is the perfect choice for anybody on the go. The S20's design with keyboard and sliding cover eliminates the limitations most people feel when they use tablets. MSI's innovative, user-friendly design have you the user in mind.

Development of Razer's "Project Fiona" appears to be chugging along. CEO Min-Liang Tan posted its specs that were compiled after a lot of feedback from its Facebook community. The company even used the social networking site to gauge public interest to begin its development.

Project Fiona is an x86 Windows 8-based tablet that's optimized for gaming, with its game controller that latches on to its either sides. According to Razer, we're looking at the following specs:

• CPU: Intel Core i5 or Core i7
• GPU: Mid-range discrete GPU, brand not mentioned, should be sufficient for its 720p resolution
• Size/weight: "about double the weight and thickness of an Apple iPad"
• Detachable controllers
• Price: In the neighbourhood of US$1,299-US$1,499

Through its official blog Microsoft has announced that the x86-flavored Surface tablet, which runs Windows 8 Pro (the ARM-based Surface RT is loaded with Windows RT), will arrive in January, priced at $899 (64 GB model) and $999 (128 GB).

Set to have about half the battery life of the Surface RT, the upcoming device is equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor and has a 10.6-inch (1920 x 1080) ClearType display supporting both finger and pen input, 4 GB of RAM, 802.11 b/g/n/ WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, a micro SDXC card slot, two 720p HD LifeCams, stereo speakers, an USB 3.0 port, a mini DisplayPort output, and a kickstand. The Surface with Windows 8 Pro is 0.53 inches thick, has a VaporMg casing, and is backed by a one-year warranty.

With the dawn of 2013, and no catastrophes in sight, Intel is going ahead with its usual business of phasing out old processor models, and making way for new ones. By the end of 2012, Intel will stop taking orders for several processor models mostly based on the older 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" silicon. These include chips such as the Core i7-2700K, Core i5-2310, Core i3-2105, Pentium G440, and surprisingly, an early demise of the 22 nm Core i5-3450, which is cannibalized by the Core i5-3470 at the same price point. Pentium G870, G645 and G645T as well as Celeron G555, G550 and G550T are the other chips on the chopping block.

Come 2013, Intel will release Pentium and Celeron series processors based on its 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" micro-architecture. These include the Pentium G2130, G2020 and G2020T and Celeron G1620, G1610 and G1610T. In the mobile (notebook) CPU sphere, Intel will launch dual-core "Ivy Bridge" chips to layer out its Ultrabook product segment. These include the Core i7-3687, Core i5-3437U, Celeron 1037U, 1007U, 1020M and 1000M. In March, the company is expected to launch its 4th generation Core "Haswell" line of processors.

Intel has this week announced the discontinuance schedule for two more products, the 2.8 GHz Core i5-3450S desktop CPU and the 1.5 GHz Atom Z670 mobile chip. The i5-3450S will be available for orders until May 24th, 2013 and will ship until November 8th (for the tray version) or until supplies are depleted (boxed). As for the Z670, Intel will be taking orders for it up to May 31st, 2013 and will ship it while supplies last.

The Core i5-3450S was introduced in Q2 2012 while the Atom Z670 debuted last year (Q2).

AMD today announced its collaboration with Microsoft Corp. for more than 125 Windows 8-based PC designs from leading OEMs including ASUS, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and more. With a hardware accelerated user interface, Microsoft and AMD have collaborated to design Windows 8 to unlock the high performance graphics capabilities found in AMD accelerated processing units (APUs) and discrete AMD Radeon graphics processing units (GPUs) to deliver the best HD video, gaming and app experience consumers want with the always on, always connected, touch-driven interface with great battery life they need.

"There is a lot of exciting innovation happening in the marketplace today -- from the new Windows 8 graphics-accelerated user interface and apps, to ultraportable and sleek hardware designs -- and AMD's CPU, GPU and APU technology designed for Windows 8 helps enable a no-compromise solution," said Stefan Kinnestrand, director of Product Management, Windows Division at Microsoft.

ASUS unveiled the Zenbook UX42VS, UX52VS and U500VZ. This launch marks the first 14- and 15-inch models in a series that consists of ASUS' flagship Ultrabook products. The UX42VS features a 14-inch 1366 x 768 pixels screen, it tips the scales at 1.9 kg, and features a wedge-shaped chassis that is as just 6 mm thick at its thinnest point. It is driven by Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processor (options), with 6 GB of memory, GeForce GT 645M graphics, and 1 TB of SSD-accelerated HDD storage.

The Zenbook UX52VS and U500VZ feature 15-inch screens. The UX52VS (pictured below), features Core i5/i7 ULV processor options, 10 GB of memory, GeForce GT 645M graphics, and SSD-accelerated 1 TB HDD. The U500VZ is an anomaly in this lineup, as it features mainstream quad-core Core i7 processor, 8 GB memory, 1080p display resolution, GeForce GT 650M graphics. Despite the kind of hardware it packs, it weighs just 2 kg, and retains the wedge-shaped chassis that's as low as 6 mm-thick.

At a press event in New York, ASUS unveiled the ET2300, an all-in-one desktop featuring a 23-inch IPS LED touchscreen that can be tilted on desk to make touch ergonomic. The desktop comes with optional Thunderbolt connectivity, a variety of processor options spanning the Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 lines, GeForce GT 630M graphics, 8 GB of memory, 2 TB of HDD storage, slot-loading DVD SuperMulti drive, and Windows 8 to drive it all.

Today LG Electronics has revealed some of its first products running Windows 8, the H160 tablet boasting a slide-out keyboard and the V325 all-in-one PC. The H160 is 15.9 mm thick, it weights 1.05 kg and features a 11.6-inch IPS touchscreen, WiFi, USB and HDMI ports, a microSD card slot, and a battery allowing for up to 10 hours of operation.

The V325 has a 23-inch (1920 x 1080) screen supporting 10-finger multi-touch, a Core i5 processor, a GeForce GT 640M graphics card, a TV tuner, and it comes bundled with a remote control. In addition to the H160 and V325 LG will also be releasing (this week), another all-in-one desktop, the ET83, and two ultrabooks, the Z355 and Z460, all pre-loaded with Windows 8 of course.

Fujitsu unveiled the Stylistic QH77, a 11.6-inch convertible, which works as a large-sized tablet PC, and as a notebook, when docked. Its 11.6-inch screen packs 1366 x 768 pixels resolution. Under the hood is an Intel Core i5-3427U (dual-core, 1.80 GHz) processor, 4 GB of memory, and 64 GB SSD. Windows 8 64-bit and Office Home and Business 2010 come pre-installed.

Connectivity on the Stylistic QH77 includes USB 3.0, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WLAN, Bluetooth, HDMI, D-Sub, and multi-format card-reader. The keyboard base adds physical connectors for additional USB 2.0 ports, the RJ45 jack for Ethernet, and D-Sub. As a tablet, the QH77 packs 4.8 hours battery life. The keyboard base, with its additional battery packs give it 10.7 hours to go on. With the base attached, it measures 302 x 203 x 26.1 mm weighing 1.7 kg. Detached from its base, it measures 302 x 195 x 12.7 mm, weighing 850 g. It is slated for October 26.

Acer America today has delivered savvy new consumer desktops for customers in the U.S. The new Acer Aspire ME and XC Series feature Windows 8, a savvy new ergonomic design and all the essentials for personal productivity and digital entertainment. Available in two sizes, the Acer Aspire ME Series micro towers are made for those desiring a power-packed workhorse with ample room for upgrades, while the Aspire XC Series small form factor (SFF) desktops are built for those looking to save space.

Acer's latest desktops sport an aesthetically-pleasing black chassis that provides handy cable management. All buttons are located on the front or top of the system for easy access and making the system both left and right hand neutral. "We've retooled our latest Aspire desktops to deliver ample power and practical features in a stylish, understated chassis that will appeal to a wide range of users," said Irene Chan, senior business manager of consumer desktops for Acer America. "Combined with Windows 8, the new Acer desktops are ideal for use as a central entertainment hub for an entire household as well as a student requiring a robust system for homework and social media."

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced that its consumer line-up of Satellite laptops and Ultrabooks, Qosmio laptops as well as its All-in-One desktops featuring Windows 8 are available for pre-order starting today and will be widely available for purchase from select U.S. retailers and ToshibaDirect.com on October 26.

Toshiba's new laptops feature spacious touchpads with Windows 8 gesture support to allow users to perform gestures on the touchpad as they would on a touchscreen device. In addition, to help transition consumers to the innovative interface in Windows 8, Toshiba's new PCs come pre-installed with Toshiba Desktop Assist, a utility designed to give users easy access to their programs, control panel, as well as files and folders, similar to the Start Menu in previous versions of Windows.

Samsung Electronics America Inc., a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, today announced details about its upcoming Windows 8 mobile PC and All-In-One product lines. Building on its leadership position in the PC and tablet market, Samsung is bringing premium computing power, elegant design and an intuitive user experience to its PCs along with seamless convergence across devices, thanks to Samsung AllShare Play. In addition, Samsung offers a range of unique applications across devices including Samsung Quick Starter, and exclusive S Pen apps such as S Note and S Memo.

"Samsung has seen extraordinary growth in the mobile PC category over the past few years, and we're now taking our success to the next level by connecting the PC to other devices in the home or office through our convergence technology, Samsung AllShare Play," said Mike Abary, senior vice president of consumer IT product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "The launch of Windows 8 provides an inflection point in the evolution of the PC. Samsung has always focused on pushing the boundaries of design to create truly remarkable products that consumers and businesses want. We're confident that we will continue to lead the future with our thoughtful, powerful approach to the computing experience."

Samsung is working on a fleet of devices that take advantage of Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system. These include touch-capable Ultrabooks, tablet hybrids, and all-in-one desktops. Samsung's Windows 8 Ultrabook lineup begins with Series 5 Ultra Touch. Starting at $809.99, these 13-inch Ultrabooks are powered by Core i3 "Ivy Bridge" dual-core processors (upgradable to Core i5 for $50 extra), 4 GB of RAM, 1366 x 768 pixels touchscreen display, and 500 GB HDD accelerated with 24 GB cache-SSD. It tips the scales at 1.73 kg. Samsung's second Ultrabook in the new lineup is the premium Series 9 Ultra Touch, starting at $1,300 for 13-inch and $1,400 for 15-inch.

Moving on, Samsung has two lines of Windows 8-loaded notebooks, starting with Series 3, which is available in a variety of hardware and screen size options, priced in the range of $450 to $900; and Series 7 15-inch notebook, which starts at $1,100. Samsung's new all-in-one lineup begins with Ativ SmartPC 500T and 700T, powered by Intel Atom Z2760 and Core i5, respectively, with memory ranging between 2 GB to 4 GB, featuring 64 GB to 128 GB SSD storage. The 500T starts at $649.99, while the 700T starts at 1,199.99. Samsung's mid-range all-in-one offering is the Series 5, which starts at $800, featuring a 21.5-inch HD screen. Its premium all-in-one PC offering is the Series 7, which starts at $1,100 for 23.6-inch and $1,700 for 27-inch variants. These devices will be launched closer to that of Windows 8, slated for October 26.

Acer America today announced that it's delivering two elegant all-in-one (AIO) desktop models featuring Windows 8 to customers in the U.S. The Acer Aspire 7600U and 5600U Series were built to deliver all aspects of digital life into a stylish entertainment hub that can be enjoyed by every member of the family. Sporting an extremely slim profile of less than 1.4 inches and a clean design, these AIOs will enhance any room in the home.

With two weeks to go until the official launch of Windows 8, ASUS has given the green light to pre-orders of its Win8-running TAICHI 21 convertible notebook featuring two 11.6-inch touchscreens. The back-to-back displays of the TAICHI 21 have an IPS panel, support up to 10-finger touch, and offer a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

ASUS' multiple monitor mobile machine runs Windows 8 Home Premium (64-bit), is less than an inch thick, and also packs an Intel Core processor (a 1.7 GHz i5-3317U or 1.9 GHz i7-3517U), Intel GMA HD graphics, 4 GB of RAM, a 128/256 GB SSD, stereo speakers with Bang & Olufsen ICEpower technology, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, dual HD cameras, two USB 3.0 ports, and a 6-cell battery enabling up to 5 hours of operation.

The TAICHI 21-DH51 with a Core i5 CPU and a 128 GB SSD costs $1,300 while the 21-DH71 with a Core i7 chip and a 256 GB drive goes for $1,600.

Acer America, the number two notebook provider, today announced that the Acer Iconia W700 tablet PC, a high-performance mobile PC in a tablet PC form factor, will be available for the U.S. market. Acer's first Windows 8-based tablet PC for the U.S., the Iconia W700 features a versatile, portable design that delivers a first-rate touch and typing experience for productivity-focused PC users.

The Acer Iconia W700 tablet PC with Windows 8 delivers excellent performance using responsive and fast Intel Core i3 and Core i5 (Ivy Bridge) processors, enabling the system to take on spreadsheets, presentations, and more with ease. The powerful processors allow customers to use the Iconia W700 as their main PC for all of their everyday computing tasks, such as content creation, running multiple apps, and sharing multimedia.

Creative technologies developer Modbook Inc. today announced that customers with shipping addresses in the United States can place orders beginning at 2 p.m. PDT today for the Modbook Pro, the company's innovative 13.3-inch pen tablet computer.

To create an easy one-stop shopping experience, Modbook Inc. has opened ModbookShop.com as the exclusive online source to purchase the Modbook Pro. Customers can visit this page and use the dynamic product configurator to customize their Modbook Pro system's processor (up to 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7), memory (up to 16 GB) and internal storage (up to 480 GB solid-state drive), as well as to build out complete single- or dual-display desktop installations, and even to get Microsoft Windows 7 preinstalled and configured as a primary or secondary operating system.

Panasonic announced the new Let's Note AX2, 11.6-inch notebook that converts to a tablet. The AX2 is designed for the Windows 8 era, and features a new start key on its screen bezel. The AX2 is updated with a 1366 x 768 pixel 11.6-inch capacitive touchscreen, a DoCoMo module that gives it LTE and WiMAX support.

Under the hood is an Intel Core i5-3427U (1.80 GHz with 2.80 GHz Turbo, 3 MB cache) or Core i5-3317U (1.70 GHz, 2.60 GHz Turbo, 3 MB cache) "Ivy Bridge" dual-core processor options, 4 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory, 128 GB SSD, and connectivity that include WiMAX/LTE, 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, SDXC, HDMI, and USB 3.0. The screen bezel embeds a 720p HD web-camera. The AX2 comes with Windows 8 Pro pre-installed. Prices range from 160,000 JPY (US $2,057) to 250,000 ($3,214).

Intel has this week revealed the discontinuance schedule for a lot of its older, 32 nm processors, including the Celeron G440 and the Core i5-2310, i5-2320, i5-2400, i5-2400S, i5-2405S, i5-2500, i5-2500K, i5-2500S, i5-2500T, i7-2600, i7-2600K, i7-2600S and i7-2700K. Interestingly enough, there's also a 22 nm chip on the black list, the 3.1 GHz Core i5-3450 which was released just last quarter.

All the CPUs listed are set to be available for orders until March 29, 2013, and will continue to ship while supplies last (for the boxed versions) or until September 27, 2013 (for the tray versions).