It's finally happened! ASUS took a long overdue plunge into the ocean of enthusiast storage, by unveiling the Republic of Gamers (ROG) RAIDR, a PCI-Express SSD that uses a number of mSATA SSD sub-units in an internal RAID 0 configuration that's abstract to the host. As it goes with every other ROG product, the RAIDR is dressed in secsi red+black, and uses a conventional full-height add-on card design that's completely covered by an EMI shield. The card connects to its host over PCI-Express 2.0 x4, and probably packs four mSATA 6 Gb/s sub-units, which make up various capacities.

When Gigabyte ported a bulk of its socket AM3+ motherboard lineup to the modern UEFI BIOS, back in October 2012, top models that support NVIDIA SLI, such as the 990FXA-UD5 missed out, with the 990FXA-UD3 leading the pack. The company made amends launching the 990FXA-UD5 Rev 3.0, which tosses out decades-old legacy BIOS for modern AMI Aptio UEFI BIOS, backed by the company's Dual-UEFI innovation, which protects against failed BIOS updates. The 990FXA-UD5 features a 12-phase VRM to power the CPU, five PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots, supporting 3-way NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX, eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, two eSATA 6 Gb/s ports, four USB 3.0, 8-channel HD audio, and a single gigabit Ethernet interface. It is expected to be priced around US $160.

Chinese peripherals maker Orico rolled out the DNSB-84172, a unique 2.5-inch SATA drive enclosure that is built out of solid metal, designed to resemble conventional 3.5-inch hard drives, so much so, that it even features curves and domes over parts that typically cover the platters, spindle and actuator. Its top metal lid can be unscrewed to reveal a 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s drive bay, which is wired to both a properly-located SATA power+data interface (letting you insert the enclosure into NAS caddies), and a USB 3.0 connector, letting you carry the enclosure around, like a boss. Place an inherently shock-resilient SSD inside, and 'shock' coworkers with its speed and the acrobatics it lets you perform.

MSI unveiled a new entry-level socket FM2 motherboard, the FM2-A75MA-P33. Based on the AMD A75 FCH chipset, the board supports newer A-series "Trinity" APUs. The board uses a 5-phase VRM to power the APU, which is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and legacy PCI make for the rest of the expansion.

Storage connectivity on the FM2-A75MA-P33 includes six internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports, supporting RAID 0/1/10. The A75 FCH gives out four USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports, which are wired out as two type-A ports on the rear-panel, and two ports by header. The board features headers for legacy connectivity such as LPT (parallel) and COM (serial). Display connectivity includes one each of dual-link DVI and D-Sub. 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and PS/2, make for the rest of the connectivity. The FM2-A75MA-P33 is expected to be priced around $70.

HighPoint Technologies, Inc., a leading SAS, SATA and USB 3.0 HBA and storage solutions manufacturer, Proudly announces the next generation of eSATA storage devices; boosting performance from 3 Gb/s to 6 Gb/s - the RocketStor 5322 Dual 6 Gb/s eSATA Storage Dock. HighPoint's innovative dual-dedicated 6 Gb/s eSATA architecture optimizes the transfer speeds of 6 Gb/s SATA storage devices. Each of the RocketStor 5322s dual 6 Gb/s SATA bays is built for today's fastest SATA storage devices, and deliver twice the performance of eSATA 3Gb/s storage docks - up to 12 Gb/s of aggregated transfer bandwidth.

HighPoint's no-compromise approach to eSATA technology aims to revolutionize desktop and workstation storage. The RocketStor 5322 overcomes the known performance shortfalls of existing 3 Gb/s eSATA devices and delivers dual-dedicated 6 Gb/s eSATA host connectivity. Each 6 Gb/s SATA bay is capable of fully leveraging the performance potential of today's high-speed SATA 6 Gb/s SSD's.

Japanese peripherals maker Logitec announced the LHR-DS05EU3 line of 3.5-inch external HDD enclosures. Available in four color options - silver, red, black, and purple; the enclosure is sold empty/dry, priced at 4,280¥ (US $50), with a 3 TB WD Green HDD pre-installed for 19,980¥ ($237), and a 2 TB WD Green HDD pre-installed for 13,980¥ ($166); and WD Red HDD pre-installed options priced at 22,980¥ ($273) for 3 TB and 15,980¥ ($190) for 2 TB.

The enclosure features a front-loading caddie that makes it easy to swap out the enclosed HDD, lending it hot-plugging capabilities. Internally, it features a SATA 6 Gb/s interface, which is wired out as both eSATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0 SuperSpeed. The enclosure features shock and vibration dampening material to protect the enclosed drive, which is also kept cool by a temperature-controlled 40 mm fan. The body, made of steel and ABS, is designed to be stackable. Measuring 50 x 195 x 134 mm, its dry-weight is about 340 g.

On taking apart the Acer S7 Ultrabook, The SSD Review discovered a strange new SSD form-factor, which bears the label of Lite-On, and carrying the model number "CMT-256L3M." This is perhaps the first mSATA SSD with two independent SSD subunits, one on each side. The mSATA interface itself is modified to have two SSD ports. The drive registers on the system BIOS as two individual drives, which is then run as a 256 GB (physical) RAID 0 volume by the BIOS and operating-system.

Each of the CMT-256L3M's two subunits feature a Marvell 88S9175 controller, which supports SATA 6 Gb/s interface, two 64 GB dual-channel 24 nm toggle NAND flash memory chips by Toshiba, and a Nanya-made DRAM cache chip. Putting the drive through sequential-friendly benchmarks such as CrystalDiskMark shows a sequential read speed of the drive (combined with its two subunits) to be around 877 MB/s, with sequential writes up to 672 MB/s. Multi-subunit SSDs aren't new, most high-end consumer SSDs from the pre-TRIM, pre-SandForce era used to be dual- to quad-subunit drives. The CMT-256L3M is the first one in the super-compact mSATA form-factor, and its performance numbers could impress more Ultrabook designers.

MSI is working on a new micro-ATX motherboard with Celeron 847 BGA processor hard-wired onto it, the C847MS-E33. The Celero 847 is a dual-core processor based on the 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" architecture, clocked at 1.10 GHz, featuring 2 MB of L2 cache, and a dual-channel DDR3 IMC. Its 17-Watt TDP is low enough for MSI to use a passive heatsink to cool it with. Aiding the CPU is an Intel NM70 chipset, which provides one each of SATA 6 Gb/s and SATA 3 Gb/s ports.

The C847MS-E33 features two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1333 MHz memory. Its processor is wired to a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, two legacy PCI and a PCIe 2.0 x1 make for the rest of its expansion. Connectivity includes 6-channel HD audio with optical and coaxial SPDIF outputs, gigabit Ethernet, a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports on the rear panel and by headers, and display outputs that include HDMI and D-Sub. We expect the board to be priced around $70-80, providing a decent entry-level PC solution.

MSI expanded its entry-level socket LGA1155 motherboard lineup with the B75MA-G43, featuring Intel Small Business Advantage. The micro-ATX board is positioned to be a notch below the B75MA-G45. It features a simpler 5-phase CPU VRM. The CPU socket, which supports 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" and 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" processors, is wired to four DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory, and a PCI-Express 3.0 x16. Other expansion slots include a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4, wired to PCH), and two legacy PCI.

Storage connectivity on the B75MA-G43 includes one SATA 6 Gb/s, and five SATA 3 Gb/s ports. The chipset gives out four USB 3.0 ports, two of which are given out by a standard header, and two at the rear panel. Display connectivity includes DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. 8-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, PS/2 combo, LPT and COM (by headers), and a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports make for the rest of it. The B75MA-G43 is expected to be priced under $60.

It will be towards the end of 2013, when Western Digital will have 5 terabyte (or 5000 GB) models of its NAS-optimized WD Red, and energy-efficient consumer-optimized WD Green lines of consumer hard drives. According to launch plans unearthed by Russian website AlwaysMoreDigital, the 5 TB WD Red (model: WD50ERFX) and 5 TB WD Green (WD50EZRX) will be launched in Q4 (in or after October 2013). A little earlier than that, the two lines will be updated with 4 TB variants, the WD40ERFX and WD40EZRX. All four drives feature 64 MB of cache, SATA 6 Gb/s interface, and are built in the 3.5-inch form-factor.

Have you ever felt the need to have control (which can't be second-guessed by the OS) over which drives stay active in your multi-bay drive enclosure? If so, this enclosure (model: CRCH35U3IS) from Japanese peripherals vendor Century could be a Godsend. The enclosure allows you to manually toggle power to individual drives. It features four 3.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s lockable caddies, and connects to its host over USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface. A single SSD has been tested to achieve transfer rates as high as an honest-sounding 400 MB/s. The enclosure is cooled by a temperature-activated fan, which can be overridden. Measuring 130 x 260 x 185 mm (WxDxH), the enclosure weighs about 3.2 kg (probably because it includes a power supply). Slated for early-December, it is priced at 17,800¥ (US $220)

ECS unveiled the NM70-TI, a slim Mini-ITX variant of the NM70-I, which was launched in October. The board is designed for extremely compact chassis, perhaps even those meant for nettops that latch onto monitors using VESA wall mounts. The board stays low profile thanks to a dense aluminum fin fan-heatsink, half-height connectors, and SO-DIMM memory slots that are arranged almost along the plane of the motherboard.

The NM70-TI integrates an Intel Celeron 807 single-core 1.50 GHz processor (Celeron 847 dual-core option available), wired to its low board-footprint NM70 PCH. In addition to two SATA 6 Gb/s ports, the board features a SATA 3 Gb/s, and an mSATA 3 Gb/s slot. The lone bus expansion slot is an mPCIe. D-Sub and HDMI make up display outputs. Gigabit Ethernet, and a few USB 2.0/1.1 ports on the rear panel, and by headers, make for the rest of it. The board is driven by UEFI BIOS. More details are awaited.

Gigabyte launched the Z77X-UD4H, a new socket LGA1155 motherboard model designed to fill the gap between the $155 Z77X-UD3H and $190 Z77X-UD5H. It is built with Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 4 construction, featuring 2 oz copper layer, temperature, humidity, and electrostatic protection features. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 11-phase VRM that draws power from an 8-pin EPS connector. The socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, and three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (electrical x16/NC/NC, x8/x8/NC, x8/x4/x4, depending on how they're populated). 3-way NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX are supported. Other expansion slots include three PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and a legacy PCI.

Straightaway, you'll notice that Gigabyte did away with the mSATA slot featured on the Z77X-UD3H and Z77X-UD5H. In addition to the two SATA 6 Gb/s and four SATA 3 Gb/s ports that the Z77 PCH provides (all of which are wired as internal ports), Gigabyte added two additional 2-port SATA 6 Gb/s controllers, which provide two each of internal SATA 6 Gb/s, and eSATA 6 Gb/s. The board features a total of eight USB 3.0 ports, six on the rear panel, and two by headers. In addition to the four ports the Z77 PCH provides, a 4-port VLI-made host controller is used.

Foxconn Channel brand unveiled the AT-5570, a new mini PC based on the AMD "Brazos" 2.0 platform. Measuring 19 cm x 13.5 cm x 3.8 cm, and weighing 600 g, this VESA-mountable PC is driven by AMD C-70 APU with Radeon HD 7290 graphics. It features one DDR3 SO-DIMM slot, supporting up to 8 GB of memory, and a 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s drive bay.

Connectivity options on the AT-5570 include two USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0/1.1 ports; SD/SDHC/MS/MS Pro/MMC card reader, stereo HD audio, 802.11 b/g/n WLAN, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, and D-Sub (VGA). The AT-5570 from Foxconn is expected to be launched later this month.

MSI unveiled a new all-integrated mini-ITX motherboard that steps above the Intel Atom and AMD E-Series crowd, being based on Intel Celeron 847 dual-core processor (1.10 GHz, 32 nm "Westmere" micro-architecture, 2 MB L3 cache, SSE4.2, EM64T). MSI used a small fan-heatsink to cool the chip, which has 17W TDP. The processor is backed by Intel NM70 chipset. It is based on the compact 1023-pin BGA package, and is hardwired to the motherboard. One of the features that give the processor its edge over Atom and E-Series is its dual-channel DDR3 integrated memory controller with maximum memory support of up to 16 GB. The chip is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots.

The only expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x1. Storage connectivity includes one each of SATA 6 Gb/s and SATA 3 Gb/s. Display outputs include DVI and D-Sub. A missed opportunity here is the lack of HDMI. 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, legacy PS/2, and a number of USB 2.0/1.1 connectors make for the rest of it. Surprisingly, MSI designed the board with modern UEFI BIOS, which lets you take advantage of Windows 8 Secure Boot feature. There is no word on availability and pricing of the C847IS-P33.

Gigabyte rolled out the B75M-D2V entry-level micro-ATX motherboard. Supporting Intel Core/Pentium/Celeron "Sandy Bridge" and "Ivy Bridge" processors in the LGA1155 package, the board is driven by Intel B75 Express chipset, featuring Intel Small Business Advantage. The board's feature-set barely goes beyond that of the B75 PCH. To begin with, the LGA1155 socket is powered by a 3+1+1 phase VRM, which draws power from a 4-pin CPU connector. The socket is wired to two DIMM slots supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory, and a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. Two PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slots, wired to the PCH, make for the rest of the expansion.

In terms of connectivity, the B75M-D2V provides one SATA 6 Gb/s, and five SATA 3 Gb/s ports; four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by headers), DVI and D-Sub display outputs, 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and legacy PS/2 mouse/keyboard connectors. The board is driven by UEFI BIOS. Expect the B75M-D2V to be priced around US $60.

AMD's FirePro APUs built on the "Trinity" silicon, with the GPU feature-set of AMD's FirePro professional GPUs and durability of Opteron enterprise CPUs; and compatible motherboards made by PC Partner (Sapphire) have started selling in Japan. Among the new products on sale are the FirePro A300 (3.40 GHz CPU core, 4.00 GHz CPU TurboCore, 760 MHz GPU, quad-core, 65W), and FirePro A320 (3.80 GHz CPU core, 4.20 GHz CPU TurboCore, 800 MHz GPU, quad-core, 100W), and the AMD reference design micro-ATX motherboard, manufactured by PC Partner.

The motherboard features socket FM2, powered by an 8-phase digital PWM power supply to the APU socket, four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory, expansion slots that include PCI-Express 2.0 x16, PCI-Express 2.0 x4, x1, and legacy PCI; eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, display outputs that include dual-link DVI, dual-link DisplayPort, and D-Sub. HD audio and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of it.

Japanese peripherals retailer AREA announced three USB 3.0 and one SATA 6 Gb/s add-on card models. The PE4U3E-3E1 "Sport Quattro" is a 4-port USB 3.0 card that uses a Etron EJ188 host controller, which connects to the machine over PCI-Express 2.0 x2 (physical PCI-Express 2.0 x4), resulting in higher downstream bandwidth when using multiple ports. The card features three external and one internal USB 3.0 type A ports, it draws auxiliary power from a SATA power connector. It is priced at 2,480¥ (US $30).

Next up is the SD-PEU3R-2E2IL, another 4-port PCI-Express add-on card, driven by Renesas D720201 4-port USB 3.0 host controller. The card features PCI-Express 2.0 x1 bus interface, and unlike the PE4U3E-3E1, features two type A ports on the rear panel, and two ports via standard USB 3.0 front-panel header. It is priced at 2,680¥ (US $33.5). The last of the three USB 3.0 cards is the D-EP34U3R-S3, which ships in ExpressCard-34 form-factor, is driven by Renesas D720202 host controller, and features just one USB 3.0 type A port. It is priced at 1,980¥ (US $24.7). Lastly, the company launched the SD-PESA3ES2L, a 2-port SATA 6 Gb/s add-on card, which lets you choose between using the two ports as internal or eSATA ports, using jumpers. It goes for 2,980¥ (US $37).

Gigabyte unveiled the F2A75M-HD2 entry-level socket FM2 motherboard. Built in the compact micro-ATX form-factor, measuring 225 x 174 mm, the F2A75M-HD2 is driven by AMD A75 chipset, and is designed for HTPCs. The APU socket is powered by a simple 5-phase VRM. It is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. One each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI make for the rest of the expansion area.

The F2A75M-HD2 features four SATA 6 Gb/s ports supporting RAID 0/1/10, and four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by header). Display outputs include one each of DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub. The rest of the connectivity includes eight USB 2.0/1.1 ports (four on the rear panel, four by headers), 6-channel HD audio, serial (COM), and gigabit Ethernet. The board is driven by AMI Aptio UEFI, with Gigabyte dual-BIOS and 3D BIOS technologies. It is expected to be priced around $70.

Gigabyte announced its newest socket FM2 motherboard, the F2A85X-D3H. Built in the ATX form-factor, and as a pleasant surprise, with a black PCB, the F2A85X-D3H is based on AMD A85X chipset. The APU socket is powered by a simple 4+2 phase VRM, which has been featured on several of the company's micro-ATX models. The APU is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. Other expansion slots include a PCI-Express 2.0 x4 (physical x16, wired to the A85X FCH), three PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and two legacy PCI.

All eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the A85X FCH are wired as internal ports, two of which are angled. The board features four USB 3.0 ports, two at the rear panel, two via headers. Display connectivity includes dual-link DVI (capable of 2560 x 1600 @ 60 Hz or 1080p @ 120 Hz), D-Sub, and HDMI. Other connectivity includes 8-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF output (Realtek ALC892 CODEC), gigabit Ethernet (Realtek 8111F), eight USB 2.0 ports, mouse/keyboard PS/2 combo port, legacy COM header, and trusted platform module header.

ADATA announced a new line of affordable client SSDs, the Premier Pro SP600 series. Built in the 9.5 mm-thick 2.5-inch form-factor, the drives take advantage of SATA 6 Gb/s interface. Available in 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB capacities, the Premier Pro SP600 series is driven by JMicron JMF661 processor, and features 20 nm-class MLC NAND flash memory. The drives offer sequential read speeds of up to 360 MB/s, and up to 130 MB/s writes. Random access performance numbers provided to us include 40,000 IOPS 4K random reads, and 30,000 IOPS 4K random writes. The drives pack most common client SSD features, including TRIM, NCQ, and 40 b/KB ECC. The 32 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB variants are priced at US $49.99, $69.99, and $99.99, respectively.

Gigabyte made a late addition to its socket FM2 launch lineup, the F2A85XM-D3H. Based on the AMD A85X chipset, the micro-ATX motherboard builds on its feature-set with a few legacy connectivity options. The APU socket is powered by a 5-phase VRM that draws power from an 8-pin EPS connector. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory, and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. The memory is powered by a 2-phase VRM. Other expansion slots include one each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1, PCI-Express 2.0 x4 (long slot, wired to the A85X FCH), amd legacy PCI.

All eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the A85X FCH are wired out as internal ports. Display outputs include DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. The four USB 3.0 ports from the chipset are split in groups of two between the rear panel and on board as headers. Other connectivity includes 6-channel HD audio with 8-channel digital TOSLINK output, gigabit Ethernet, eight USB 2.0 ports, and headers for COM (serial), LPT (parallel), and trusted platform module. The board is driven by dual-UEFI firmware. It is built using Gigabyte's Ultra Durable 4 Classic construction. It is expected to be priced around US $129.99.

ASUS released the P8Z77-I Deluxe/WD, a variant of the P8Z77-I Deluxe socket LGA1155 motherboard based on the Intel Z77 Express chipset, in the mini-ITX form-factor. Essentially identical to the original, its WLAN controller features Intel Wireless Display Technology (WiDi), which lets you stream high-definition video to displays and projectors wirelessly. The P8Z77-I Deluxe/WD features a 10-phase Digi+ CPU VRM, two DDR3 DIMM slots, a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, two each of SATA 6 Gb/s and 3 Gb/s ports, and connectivity that includes 6-channel analog and 8-channel digital audio, DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort display outputs, and a number of USB 3.0 ports. ASUS could charge a small premium over the original's US $199 price-tag.

Mushkin, Inc., an industry-leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance and mission-critical computer products, today announced that its new line of slim 7 mm Mushkin Chronos Deluxe Solid-State Drives (SSDs) geared for the new generation of ultrabooks that has started shipping worldwide.

Continuing the tradition of Mushkin's award-winning Chronos Deluxe SSDs, the new drives unleash scorching-fast read and write speeds, cutting-edge SandForce technology, and unmatched performance for the dollar. Featuring high-speed synchronous MLC NAND, advanced controller technology, optimized NAND management and a SATA 6 Gb/s interface, Mushkin now offers enthusiasts the ability to upgrade their PC or notebook that pushes the limits of slim computing.

ASRock unveiled a new line of motherboards for socket FM2 AMD A-Series "Trinity" accelerated processors. Spread across three chipsets - AMD A55, AMD A75, and AMD A85X; and three form-factors - ATX, micro-ATX, and mini-ITX; ASRock's lineup includes a total of six models. Leading the pack is the FM2A85X Extreme6 (ATX, A85X), followed by the FM2A75 Pro4 (ATX, A75), FM2A75 Pro4-M (micro-ATX, A75), FM2A75M-DGS (micro-ATX, A75), FM2A55M-DGS (micro-ATX, A55), and FM2A75M-ITX (mini-ITX, A75).

The FM2A85X Extreme6 comes fully-loaded with a 10-phase CPU VRM, 3-way multi-GPU support (x16/NC/NC; x8/x8/NC; x8/x4/x4), DDR3-2600+ memory support, seven SATA 6 Gb/s + one eSATA 6 Gb/s ports, and a suite of ASRock XFast technologies. The board eyes a price tag around US $149. The only other ATX socket FM2 model in ASRock's lineup, the FM2A75 Pro4, features a simpler 6-phase CPU VRM, single PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (the other long slot being electrical x4), with just about all the features accommodated by the AMD A75 chipset. The FM2A75 Pro4-M is a slightly miniaturized version of this board, which retains most of its features, with fewer PCI-Express x1 and legacy PCI slots.