AMD Radeon HD 7970 launch is just around the corner. Ahead of its launch, AMD conducted its usual press briefing. DonanimHaber has access to some of the slides shown in that meeting. Earlier this day, we brought you perhaps the most important of them all, specifications. Let's take a look at the reference board design itself. AMD is sticking to the black+red colour scheme, and has come up with a swanky new cooling assembly design. The design, unlike those of higher-end Radeon HD 6000 series graphics cards, is surprisingly curvy and features dashes of red plastic making up its contours, surrounded by tougher black ABS.

A welcome change here from the previous generations, is that the card is truly single-slot capable, when say, a single-slot full-coverage water block is used. High-end cards from previous generation HD 5000 and HD 6000 have a dual DVI connector cluster that extends into two expansion slots, which many enthusiasts found to be annoying, especially when setting up benches with four single-GPU graphics cards in scenarios where PCI-Express slot spacing isn't kind. Moving on to display connectivity, the card has one DVI, one HDMI, and two mini-DisplayPort connectors, all arranged in the confines of a single expansion slot. The space of the second slot is dedicated to a hot-air exhaust of the cooling assembly. All board partners are required to ship HDMI-to-DVI dongles, and active mini-DP dongles.

EVGA kicked off its limited edition GeForce GTX 560 448 cores graphics card lineup with a bang, with models boasting of two of its top-end brand markers, Classified and FTW. The EVGA GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores Classified (model: 012-P3-2068-KR) features a premium design that makes use of a dual-fan cooler by EVGA, and high clock speeds of 792 MHz core, 1584 MHz CUDA cores, and 975 MHz (3.90 GHz effective) memory. Its display outputs include two DVI and a mini-HDMI.

The next card is the EVGA GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores FTW (model: 012-P3-2066-KR). It makes use of a more cost-effective non-reference card design that has been used on the EVGA GTX 570 HD, but features the same exact clock speeds out of the box as the Classified (792/1584/975 MHz). Its display outputs include two DVI, and one each of HDMI and DisplayPort, both standard sized. Both cards are 3-way SLI capable. The EVGA GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores Classified is priced at US $299.99, while the EVGA GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores FTW goes for $289.99.

The latest beta drivers and the first in the 290 series have been released by NVIDIA today, supporting all graphics cards since the venerable 6-series. Their main new feature are official support for enabling ambient occlusion settings in the control panel separately for specific games and enabling NVIDIA Surround on the new X79 SLI-certified motherboards. Ambient occlusion (AO) is settable for uber-popular games The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. So, what does AO do? We'll let Andrew Burns of NVIDIA explain:

If you're unfamiliar with Ambient Occlusion, it is most easily described as a way to make in-game shadowing more realistic, and therefore better.

What he doesn't say of course, is how it kills your frame rate, especially on lower end hardware. Anyway, there's all the usual goodies in this release: 3D Vision game profiles for games such as MW3, Diablo 3 & LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 (yes really). There's a HD audio update and nine fixes too, including one for random flickering of the Windows boot logo as it's loading or fading away and a fix for the mouse cursor flickering and shaking in games such as Crysis 2 & Deus Ex when SLI is enabled when using 3DTV Play. The NVIDIA product release page is here and they have a snazzy-looking driver selector here. The release notes follow.

Here are some of the first pictures of an unreleased custom design GeForce GTX 580 graphics card by Galaxy, given out by the good folks at HardOCP. It may look like yet another GTX 580 graphics card with a beefy cooling solution, but it's a little more than that. To begin with, it has a redone display logic that gives it a total resolution of 5760 x 1080. This means that three 1920 x 1080 displays can be connected to it without needing another card. Its display outputs include three mini-HDMI and a full-size DisplayPort. Display management is backed by Galaxy's in-house EZY display setting software.

Chinese company Yeston released a new Radeon HD 6790 graphics card for gamers on a tight budget. It makes use of cost-effective cooler and PCB designs to make itself available at a price-point of 799 RMB (about $125). The familiar-looking cooler borrows its design from the likes of MSI Cyclone. It consists of a copper-plate base which makes contact with a heatsink with spirally-projecting fins and two 8 mm thick nickel-plated copper heat-pipes; these heat-pipes pass through two aluminum fin arc structures on either sides of the main heatsink. Ventilation is care of a central 80 mm fan.

The PCB uses a cost-effective 3+1 phase VRM to power the 40 nm Barts LE GPU, making use of common coil-type chokes and DPAK MOSFETs. The card is one of few HD 6790 offerings out there, that draw power form just one 6-pin PCIe power connector (most designs use two). The GPU features clock speeds of 840 MHz core and 1050 (4.20 GHz effective) memory; and is aided by 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 256-bit wide memory interface. It packs 800 stream processors. Display outputs include two DVI, and one each of HDMI 1.4a and DisplayPort 1.2.

SAPPHIRE Technology has just announced a new model in its successful HD 6900 series of graphics cards - the HD 6970 2GB with a new super efficient Dual fan cooler and Dual BIOS giving users the choice of fast, quiet operation or performance tuning.

The new SAPPHIRE HD 6970 has the same internal architecture as the standard model, with 1536 stream processors and 96 texture processing units, and clock speeds are 880MHz for the core and 1375Mhz (5.5Gb/sec effective) for the 2GB of GDDR5 memory. This new design has two 90mm fans with thin impellers that can move the same amount of air at 10% lower rotation speeds than conventional fans, keeping noise low, and their special dust repelling bearings contribute to high reliability.

AMD today launched the AMD FirePro V4900, which delivers unequaled performance for Digital Content Creation (DCC) and Computer Aided Design (CAD) professionals at an entry-level price point. By leveraging AMD's most advanced graphics technology, including AMD Eyefinity technology, the AMD FirePro V4900 significantly improves application performance and drives efficiency in the workplace. In fact, the AMD FirePro V4900 more than doubled the performance of competitive offerings in many CAD and DCC application tests.

"The AMD FirePro V4900 stands in a league of its own and redefines entry-level professional graphics card capabilities," says Sandeep Gupte, general manager of Professional Graphics, AMD. "The AMD FirePro V4900 leverages AMD's most advanced graphics technology, which not only enhances user experience and boosts performance of professional applications, but also features AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology that supports up to six displays, increasing user productivity."

Matrox Graphics Inc. today announced that Shuttle Inc., a leading specialist in innovative mini PCs, has validated the Matrox M-Series multi-display graphics cards with the new Shuttle XPC H7 5820S mini PC. The M-Series PCI Express (PCIe) x16 boards support up to eight DisplayPort or single-link DVI monitors at resolutions of up to 2560x1600 per display. A second M-Series card can be combined within the H7 5820S workstation, allowing system integrators to actualize a wide range of multi-display installations in corporate, digital signage, security surveillance, process control, and other professional environments.

Measuring only 19 centimeters (7.5 inches) in height, the space-saving Shuttle XPC H7 5820S mini PC comes equipped with an Intel Core i7 processor with up to six cores and up to 16 GB of DDR3 memory to reliably run the most demanding professional applications. The high-performance H7 5820S can be incorporated with one or two M9128 dual-monitor, M9138 triple-monitor, M9140/M9148 quad-monitor, and M9188 octal boards. With up to 2 GB of on-board memory and advanced desktop management features such as stretched and independent desktop modes, M-Series cards render pristine image quality and exceptional functionality across all displays.

HIS unveiled a new Radeon HD 6970 graphics card that makes use of its IceQ cooler design, which features what the company calls Eyefinity RTS (ready to see). Simply put, this card lets you set up 3-display Eyefinity without needing to connect any of the displays to the mini-DisplayPort connectors. The third display can be connected to the HDMI 1.4 port, instead.

The feature weeds out the need for hard-to-find mini-DP active dongles. An increasing number of full HD monitors support the HDMI interface, they naturally support DVI, and hence this card makes setting up a 3-display Eyefinity a lot easier, in essence, "ready" out of the box. That aside, the card sticks to AMD reference clock speeds of 880 MHz core and 5.50 GHz memory, and features 2 GB of GDDR5 memory. Pricing and availability information is not known.

Here's the latest Radeon Catalyst driver suite for all you Radeon graphics card fans! It has one major new feature:

Enables AMD HD 3D technology support on DisplayPort panels, such as the Samsung 750 and 950 series 3D displays

which sounds very cool and is begging to be reviewed and benchmarked, plus quite a few fixes:

Intel released its latest generation of Atom processors, codenamed "Cedar Trail". Unlike earlier expected, the portable (netbook) variants of the new Atom processor aren't launched this day, just the low-power desktop (nettop) variants of Atom D2500 and Atom D2700. Cedar Trail is built on the 32 nm fabrication process, it features faster graphics, more graphics connectivity options (such as DisplayPort), hardware HD video acceleration, and a faster integrated memory controller.

Both the D2500 and D2700 are dual-core processors, with two x86-64 cores, and four logical CPUs for the OS to deal with, using HyperThreading technology. The D2500 is clocked at 1.86 GHz, while the D2700 runs at 2.13 GHz. Both chips feature 1 MB of shared L2 cache, the TDP of both are rated at 10W. New features included with the two are Intel Wireless Display Technology, Fast Boot, and PC Sync. The improved embedded graphics core is capable of 1080p video playback, supports hardware acceleration of popular HD video formats, and supports Blu-ray 2.0 format. Available to OEMs, the Atom D2500 and D2700 are BGA chips, priced at $42 and $52 in 1K quantities, respectively. The portable (netbook) variants of this generation, the N2600 and N2800, are expected to arrive a little later.

Today at Embedded Systems Conference East, AMD introduced the AMD Radeon E6460 discrete graphics processor as AMD's next generation entry-level embedded graphics processor, complementing the previously announced AMD Radeon E6760. With support for up to four simultaneous displays and more than double the 3D graphics performance of the ATI Radeon E2400 GPU1, the AMD Radeon E6460 GPU sets a new bar for features and performance in an entry-level embedded GPU. With five years of planned supply availability and with the graphics memory included in the same package, the AMD Radeon E6460 GPU delivers the longevity, small footprint, and ease of design demanded by embedded system designers.

"The AMD Radeon E6460 GPU provides the high value, small footprint, and long supply demanded by embedded customers," said Richard Jaenicke, director of Embedded Client Business for AMD. "With a footprint-compatible subset of the high-performance AMD E6760 GPU, the new AMD Radeon E6460 GPU enables broadly scalable graphics and multimedia performance in a single board design."

HIS today released its latest performance segment graphics card, the HD 6870 IceQ 1GB. This card makes use of the large IceQ cooler found on Radeon HD 6970-based IceQ graphics cards. Its cooler makes use of a large heatsink to which heat is fed by four exposed-copper heat pipes, and ventilation is care of what HIS calls "Black Hole Impeller", a blower that draws in air from both sides of the card (obverse, reverse), channels it though the heatsink, and out of the case. This cooler, HIS claims, can keep temperatures down by as much as 24°C, and noise levels down by as much as 10 dB, compared to the AMD reference cooler.

Under the hood is an AMD Radeon HD 6870 GPU, which follows reference clock speeds of 900 MHz core, and 1050 MHz (4200 MHz effective) memory. It is backed by 1 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 256-bit wide memory interface. Perhaps the idea here is to let users take advantage of the cooler and overclock the card themselves. The HD 6870 packs 1120 VLIW5 stream processors, and is DirectX 11 compliant. The card draws power from two 6-pin PCIe power connectors. Display outputs include two DVI, one HDMI 1.4, and two mini-DisplayPort 1.2 connectors. There is a single CrossFire connector, that allows you to pair with any other HD 6800 series graphics card. Expect the HIS HD 6870 IceQ to charge a small premium over the reference base model graphics card.

ZOTAC is readying a new ZBox mini-PC model that makes use of VIA Nano X2 ultra-low power x86 platform. Nano X2-powered ZBox models have been already spotted in the Japanese market. The new ZBox model will make use of Nano X2 U4025, which is a dual-core processor clocked at 1.20 GHz. While VIA is the smallest x86 processor vendor, in the ULV category, the company does tend to punch above its weight, competing with low-wattage Intel Atom processors.

The Nano X2 U4025 processor will be backed by VIA VX900H chipset, with integrated S3 Graphics. The VIA-powered ZBox will be available in two SKUs: a complete product, and a barebones package to which you have to add some of your own compatible components. Both will support up to 4 GB of DDR3 memory, a 2.5-inch SATA bay will be provided to install a hard drive or SSD. Most other features will be consistent with other ZBox models: 6-in-1 card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB 3.0 connectivity, as well as HDMI and DisplayPort outputs. Originally based on the Intel Atom platform, ZOTAC's ZBox is available in AMD Fusion "Zacate" platform apart from the new VIA-powered one. The new ZBox models will be available worldwide by the end of this month.

SAPPHIRE Technology has just announced a new model in its successful HD 6800 series of graphics cards - the HD 6870 1GB Dirt3 Edition with Dual fan cooler and a voucher code for the full game in the package.

The SAPPHIRE HD 6870 Dirt3 Edition has the same internal architecture as the standard model, with 1120 stream processors and 56 texture processing units, but clock speeds are increased to 920MHz for the core and 1050Mhz (4.2Gb/sec effective) for the 1GB of GDDR5 memory giving users a boost in performance. The new SAPPHIRE exclusive cooler design has Dual fans to keep this model cool and quiet even when under load conditions, keeping even extreme gamers happy! This new design has two 90mm fans with thin impellers that can move the same amount of air at 10% lower rotation speeds than conventional fans, keeping noise low, and their special dust repelling bearings contribute to high reliability.

Eizo Nanao Corporation today introduced two 23-inch full HD (1920 x 1080 native resolution) monitors for trading rooms, back offices, and other business environments, the FlexScan EV2335W and FlexScan EV2315W. These models are the latest in EIZO's "EcoView" line of ecological, ergonomic and energy-efficient monitors. They both feature white LED backlights which are mercury free and reduce power consumption to just 16 watts during typical use.

NEC Display Solutions of America, a leading provider of commercial LCD display and projector solutions, announced today the addition of the 20-inch widescreen MultiSync EX201W to the award-winning MultiSync EX Series.

Joining the 23-inch MultiSync EX231W with TN panel and MultiSync EX231Wp with premium-grade PVA panel, the EX201W ultra-thin (16.4mm bezel depth) desktop monitor offers extensive viewing angles (176°H/170°V) and contrast ratio (25,000:1 dynamic, 1000:1 typical). The ultra-slim design and lightweight portability (4.9 lbs. without stand) make the EX201W ideal for business users on-the-go and small-to-medium-sized business client meetings and presentations. The LED backlighting allows a low power consumption of 21W, which helps customers looking to lower their total cost of ownership.

Samsung launched a new PC monitor targeting 3D gaming (as in gaming with stereo 3D). The SyncMaster S27A750D is a 27-inch LED-backlit LCD monitor that is geared for stereo 3D, thanks to support for 120 Hz refresh rate. The display boasts a native resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, with 2 ms (GTG) response time. Other panel specifications include 10,000,000:1 Mega Dynamic Contrast Ratio, 1,000:1 static contrast ratio, and 300 cd/m² brightness.

The SyncMaster S27A750D is equipped with ambient light sensors to adjust brightness accordingly, and a motion sensor that detects if the user is away, so it can dim down the panel and save power in the process. Display inputs include HDMI and DisplayPort. A pair of 3D shutter glasses come bundled. The SyncMaster S27A750D is priced at €518, on pre-order.

ViewSonic released two new 27-inch PC monitors, the VG2732m-LED and VP2765-LED. Part of the gamer-oriented VG series, the VG2732m-LED has low response time of 3 ms. The VP2765-LED, on the other hand, is fine-tuned for graphics professionals, making use of an Advanced MVA (AMVA) panel, with a response time of 5 ms, and packs 2W stereo speakers. Both displays make use of a slim bezel design, use LED-backlit illumination, full-HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution, 300 cd/m² brightness, and 20 million to 1 dynamic contrast ratio. Further, both displays feature 4-port USB 2.0 hubs, display inputs that include DVI, D-Sub, and DisplayPort; and stands that allow 90° pivot, tilt and height adjustments. The VG2732m-LED is priced at US $429. The VP2765-LED goes for $459. Both are expected to be released next week.

Kanex, maker of audio-visual solutions for Apple computers, is excited to announce the C24DL, a full resolution dual-link digital video inverter (DVI) to 27 inch Apple LED Cinema Display (ACD). The C24DL is a simple dual-link DVI with USB to Mini DisplayPort converter designed for users with legacy Macs (2006-early 2008 MacBook Pro, 2005-mid 2007 Mac Mini) or PCs with high-end graphics cards to connect specifically to a 27 inch ACD.

The Kanex C247DL supports the native HD resolution (2560x1440) of the ACD not available with other standard DVI adapters. The innovative converter actively converts the video signal from the dual-link DVI delivering pixel perfect resolution. The included USB cable powers the C247DL, allows for audio transfer to the ACD speakers, and supports all USB 2.0 functions including use of the iSight camera.

SAPPHIRE Technology, a leading manufacturer and global supplier of graphics, mainboard and multimedia solutions has just introduced a new mainboard developed to support the latest SandyBridge family of CPU's from Intel.

The SAPPHIRE Pure Platinum Z68 is a full ATX sized board that supports the 2nd Generation Intel SandyBridge i3 / i5 / i7 processor family using socket LGA1155. Four dual channel memory sockets are provided, supporting up to 16GB of DDR3 memory with current technology, and capable of supporting up to 32GB when suitable modules become available. There two USB 3.0 ports and four USB 2.0 ports (plus 8 on headers), as well as Gigabit LAN and Bluetooth connectivity with EDR (enhanced data rate). It has four SATA II 3G ports, and two SATA III 6G ports (+ two more on a header) and supports Intel "Rapid Storage" technology as well as RAID 1, 0, 5 and 10.

Lenovo today announced the ThinkCentre M71 all-in-one (AIO) desktop designed for large businesses, schools and governments. The new AIO boasts a variety of performance features, from fast boot up to the latest second generation Intel Core processor family, interactive touchscreen options and advanced video conferencing features.

"We're seeing more and more business customers embrace all-in-one desktops for their space savings, portability and style benefits," said Tom Shell, general manager and vice president, Worldwide ThinkCentre Business Unit, Lenovo. "We've built the ThinkCentre M71z to go beyond these advantages and give any business that needs it the highest levels of desktop performance."

SAPPHIRE Technology - the world leading supplier of graphics solutions, mainboards and other PC products - has just announced the SAPPHIRE HD 6950 TOXIC Edition, the fastest production card in its class.

The SAPPHIRE HD 6950 TOXIC Edition ships with clock speeds of 880MHz for the core and 1300Mhz (5.2 Gb/sec effective) for the memory making it the fastest production HD 6950 on the market. This has been achieved by building the card on a high specification PCB with digital VRMs for excellent power regulation and 8 + 6 pin power connectors. It has a high performance cooler featuring a Vapor Chamber, blower fan and a new perforated backplate to increase airflow out of the system case.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today announces the ZOTAC DisplayPort to Dual HDMI and mini-DisplayPort to Dual HDMI adaptors designed to double display output capabilities on desktops and notebooks.

The ZOTAC Dual HDMI adaptors transform native DisplayPort and mini-DisplayPort outputs from notebooks, desktops - graphics cards and integrated graphics - to dual HDMI outputs. The HDMI outputs are capable of resolutions up to 1920x1080 per port for a combined spanned resolution of 3840x1080 with the ZOTAC Dual HDMI adaptors.

ASUS unveiled its first socket FM1 motherboard in the mini-ITX form-factor, catering to the premium HTPC and small form-factor (SFF) markets. Like with similar mini-ITX boards, the F1A75-I Deluxe crams in all the connectivity features it can on its tiny PCB, outdoing even large ATX boards. It is based on the AMD A75 chipset. The FM1 socket supports AMD's A-Series "Llano" APUs, and is powered by a 4+1 phase VRM. It is wired to two full-length DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory. The board draws power from standard 24-pin ATX with 4-pin CPU power.

The lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, letting you plug in just about any PCIe addon card. Storage connectivity includes four SATA 6 Gb/s ports with RAID support, and one eSATA 6 Gb/s. Other connectivity features include 6-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF (our only gripe), four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by header), WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. Display connectivity includes one each of DVI, HDMI 1.4a, and DisplayPort 1.2. The HDMI 1.4a output includes 8-channel HD audio of the GPU, so the 6 analog audio channels is sort of compensated. The board features ASUS TPU performance control chip, EPU energy-efficiency chip, and a UEFI firmware with ASUS EZ-mode GUI setup program. There's no word on pricing.