Strontium expanded its Python performance SATA 6 Gb/s SSD series with a new high-capacity 480 GB variant, which was displayed at Computex. Built in the 2.5-inch 7 mm-thick form-factor, the Python 480 GB is driven by SandForce SF-2281 processor, and uses MLC NAND flash. It offers sequential speeds as high as 550 MB/s reads, with 520 MB/s writes; and 4K random access performance of 60,000 IOPS. The company assures 1.5 million hours MTBF, and backed the product with 3 years warranty. The new 480 GB variant will reach stores soon, priced around US $450-500.

Biostar is ready with a trio of socket FM2 motherboards, based on AMD's new A85 FCH chipset, the higher-end Hi-Fi A85X, mid-range Hi-Fi A85W, and value Hi-Fi A85S. Biostar implemented some of its latest innovations on the two. To begin with, the thee feature Hi-Fi amplifiers for the analog channels of the onboard audio. Another innovative feature with the two is a bank of capacitors that make the board electrostatic discharge proof up to 15,000V. Find the furriest carpet to assemble your rig on.

The audio solution combines a high SNR CODEC (probably ALC898) with an OPAMP circuitry that uses sound card grade electrolytic capacitors. The entire audio portion of the motherboard, including the rear panel jack cluster and front-panel headers, have a ground PCB layer of their own, that is isolated from the ground layer of the rest of the board. This ensures there's no ground layer interference from other high-current components on the board, a problem common with onboard audio solutions.

The Pure Platinum Z77i isn't the only new mini-ITX motherboard from Sapphire, the company also has one based on the AMD A75 chipset, supporting upcoming "Trinity APUs from AMD, in the socket FM2 package, called the Pure Platinum A75T. There are quite a few design differences between Sapphire's new mini-ITX motherboards besides the platforms they support. The most significant being, that the Pure Platinum A75T features two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots, instead of standard 240-pin UDIMM ones.

The Pure Platinum A75T draws power from 24-pin ATX + 4-pin ATX connectors. The APU is powered by a 5-phase VRM, with a heatsink cooling the driver-MOSFETs. The APU is wired to two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot; and a mini-PCIe 2.0 x1 slot (for WLAN cards). The A75 FCH gives out four SATA 6 Gb/s internal ports. There are four USB 3.0 ports, two each on the rear-panel, and by headers. Display connectivity includes one each of DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. 6-channel HD audio and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of the connectivity. The Pure Platinum A75T could feature in the first wave of socket FM2 motherboards.

Sapphire's growing motherboard lineup as a new entry in the form of the Pure Platinum Z77i. This socket LGA1155 motherboard is based on the Intel Z77 Express chipset, and is built in the super-compact mini-ITX form-factor, making it ideal for gaming PCs that are LAN party-animals. The motherboard is designed to draw power from a 24-pin ATX, and a 4-pin CPU power connector. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a simple 4-phase VRM, which uses ferrite-core chokes and compact driver-MOSFETs. The VRM should be strong enough to handle CPUs that aren't heavily overclocked.

The LGA1155 socket on the Pure Platinum Z77i is wired to a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, and two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory. The Z77 PCH gives out two internal SATA 6 Gb/s, and two SATA 3 Gb/s ports. Display connectivity includes one each of DVI, D-Sub, HDMI, and DisplayPort. There are a total of four USB 3.0 ports, two on the rear panel, two by headers. Rounding off the connectivity are 8-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth.

It looks like the Pure Platinum A75 FM2 isn't Sapphire's top socket FM2 offering. Sapphire showed off its Pure Platnum A85XT among its other top-tier motherboards. The A85XT is based on AMD A85 FCH chipset, and supports next-generation "Trinity" APUs in the FM2 package. The APU socket is powered by an 8-phase VRM. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, and two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots (x8/x8, when both are populated).

Other expansion slots on the A85XT are a strangely positioned mPCIe, a PCI-Express 2.0 x4, two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and two legacy PCI. Seven of the A85 PCH SATA controller's eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports are assigned as internal ports, with the eighth one as mSATA. There are four USB 3.0 ports, two on the rear panel, and two via headers. Display connectivity includes DVI, D-Sub, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, and 8-channel HD audio complete the package.

Although ASRock was bold enough to give its upcoming entry-level FM2A75M-DGS socket FM2 motherboard the SATA 6 Gb/s equipped AMD A75 FCH, the company did not have any motherboards based on the new AMD A85 FCH chipset, on show. It's fair to assume that the company's mid-range ATX motherboard, the FM2A75 Pro4, will be topping up its socket FM2 lineup. Pictured below, the ASRock FM2A75 Pro4 utilizes everything the chipset provides, and adds a few third-party controllers.

The FM2 socket, which supports upcoming AMD "Trinity" APUs, is powered by a 6-phase VRM. There are four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting DDR3-2400+ MHz by overclocking. The socket is also wired to a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. The second x16 slot is electrical x4, and wired to the A75 FCH. ASRock somehow found it necessary to add three legacy PCI slots, and just two PCI-Express 2.0 x1.

With AMD's "Trinity" desktop APU platform just around the corner, ASRock is ready with motherboards that run it. At Computex, the company displayed a pair of micro-ATX socket FM2 motherboards, based on the AMD A75 FCH chipset. The two include the FM2A75 Pro4-M, and FM2A75M-DGS (pictured in that order).

The FM2A75 Pro4-M is the more premium offering between the two, designed for home desktops, while the FM2A75M-DGS is designed for entry-level PCs. The reason we feel FM2A75M-DGS will win in its segment, is because unlike competitors' offerings (such as MSI A55M-P33 (F2) and GIGABYTE F2A55M-DS2), the board is based on the A75 chipset, with SATA 6 Gb/s ports. It will be priced competitively.

ASRock showed off its new high-end socket LGA1155 motherboard for overclocking, the Z77 OC Formula. The new product sits several notches above its Extreme and Fatal1ty series. Its design focus is on CPU overclocking potential, with ASRock cramming in strong VRM circuitry, active-cooling for the CPU VRM area, and a load of overclocker-friendly features, at the expense of connectivity.

The CPU is powered by a 12+4 phase DigiPower VRM that uses high-current chokes, tantalum capacitors, and active cooling to the MOSFETs. The VRM active-cooler packs a coolant channel, as well as a 40 mm fan. The CPU is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-3000+ MHz memory, by overclocking. A staggering 8-phase VRM powers the memory, preventing even the slightest voltage droop.

If you thought the GIGABYTE Z77X-UP7 with its 32-phase CPU VRM was over the top, check out the Z77 Wolverine from ASUS. A design concept for the time being, this beast packs 40 (yes, forty) CPU VRM phases. The VRM makes use of compact chokes and driver-MOSFETs, with 20 phases on each side of the PCB. Given that it draws power from just one 8-pin EPS connector, the only idea we see behind this concoction is reducing load per "phase", resulting in lower temperatures per driver-MOSFET, perhaps even letting the motherboard do away with with VRM area heatsinks altogether.

ASUS insists that the CPU VRM of the Z77 Wolverine features Digi+, so we assume it uses the same EPU controller found on several other P8Z77-V series motherboards. The bottom half of the Z77 Wolverine is nearly identical to that of the P8Z77-V Deluxe, including the layout of expansion slots (3x PCIe 3.0 x16, 3x PCIe 2.0 x1). The board's connectivity resembles that of the P8Z77-V Deluxe, too. This include four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, and two eSATA 6 Gb/s ports; eight USB 3.0 ports (6x rear-panel, 2 via header); dual gigabit Ethernet; and 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth module.

Foxconn's channel brand is ready with a socket FM2 motherboard of its own, the A85AP. The motherboard is based on the new AMD A85 FCH, and supports next-generation AMD "Trinity" APUs in the FM2 package. The motherboard doesn't add much to the feature-set of the A85 FCH. The APU is powered by a 5-phase VRM. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory, and one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. Other expansion slots include a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4, wired to the FCH), an mPCIe, and two each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI.

The AMD A85 FCH gives out eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, six of which are assigned as internal ports on the A85AP, and two are given out as eSATA. The board also features six USB 3.0 ports, four of which are given out through the rear panel, and two via headers. Display outputs include DVI and D-Sub. 8-channel HD audio and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of the connectivity. Foxconn A85AP could feature in the first-wave of socket FM2 motherboards to be launched.

Sapphire's newest motherboard is the Pure Platinum A75 (model: PT-ABA75). Although based on the previous-generation AMD A75 FCH, the board supports AMD A-Series "Trinity" APUs in the FM2 package. The board is a bundle of simplicities. The APU is powered by a 5-phase VRM. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a single PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, without any lane switches en route. Two each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1, legacy PCI, and a PCI-Express 2.0 x4 make up the rest of the expansion slot area.

The AMD A75 FCH gives out six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, five of which are assigned as internal ports, and one mSATA. Display outputs include DVI and HDMI. 8-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, and two USB 3.0 ports make up the rest of the connectivity. The Pure Platinum A75 will be part of the first wave of FM2 motherboards.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC hardware market, today announced the Neutron Series solid-state drives (SSDs), the industry's first consumer SSDs to feature the LM87800 6 Gb/s SSD controller from Link_A_Media Devices (LAMD), a leader in the development of semiconductor SoC (system on chip) solutions for the enterprise and mobile storage market. Also available in an extreme performance Neutron GTX model, the new SSDs bring professional-grade performance and reliability to PC enthusiasts, content creators, and IT professionals.

Available in capacities of 120 GB, 240 GB and 480 GB, Neutron Series GTX SSDs are designed with toggle NAND flash memory to deliver up to a super-high 90,000 random read and write IOPs (input/output operations per second), which speeds up data-intensive tasks like video and image editing. These drives also provide superior sequential speeds of up to 555 MB/s read and 500 MB/s write, for lightning fast file access. The standard Neutron Series models, available in 120 GB and 240 GB capacities, provide up to 90,000 random read IOPs and 85,000 random write IOPs with sequential speeds of up to 555 MB/s read and 370 MB/s write.

As promised, Walton-Chaintech made a comeback to the PC motherboard and graphics card markets, by partnering with Colorful. The duo launched a full-fledged lineup of motherboards across various sockets (including LGA1155, AM3+, FM2), and graphics cards. Leading the lineup on the motherboard front are the Z77 X5 and X990FX X7.

Based on the Intel Z77 chipset, supporting the Core "Ivy Bridge" and "Sandy Bridge" processors, the Z77 X5 makes use of the entire feature-set of the platform. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 8-phase VRM with special branding "Smart Power Engine 3," which gives user. fine control over the VRM via BIOS. Expansion slots include two each of PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (red, x8/x8, when both are populated), PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and legacy PCI. AMD CrossFireX is the only multi-GPU technology supported. 8-channel HD audio, 802.11 b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, 2x SATA 6 Gb/s + 4x SATA 3 Gb/s, are among its features.

ASUS displayed a nerdtastic motherboard design concept, at Computex. Called the Republic of Gamers ZEUS, ASUS' creation is a socket LGA2011 motherboard with a dual-GPU graphics hardware soldered onto the board, in the place otherwise assigned for expansion slots. The top half of the ZEUS resembles that of a conventional LGA2011 motherboard, with the processor being powered by a 10-phase Digi+ VRM, and eight DDR3 DIMM slots. ASUS somehow made the platform support up to 128 GB of unregistered DIMM DDR3 memory (double the 64 GB limit of the Sandy Bridge-E HEDT platform).

The second half of the motherboard has the X79 PCH, and two PCI-Express 3.0 GPUs in dual-GPU configuration. ASUS hasn't revealed which GPUs these are, but sources predict it's a pair of AMD Radeon HD 7970 (Tahiti XT) or HD 7870 (Pitcairn XT). Each GPU system has its own set of memory, and a set of 8-pin + 6-pin PCIe power connectors. The display outputs of this dual-GPU setup are given out on the rear panel, as two mini-DP + Thunderbolt ports, and one each of HDMI and standard DP. The ZEUS even has as many as 8 SATA 6 Gb/s ports, four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, and 12 USB 3.0 ports, besides two Thunderbolt 10 Gb/s ports. For now, ASUS' monstrosity is a design concept, and the company is undecided about launching it to the market. If nothing, the ZEUS serves as a testament of ASUS' mammoth engineering potential.

Apart from the premium A85XA-G65, and mini-ITX A85IA-E53, MSI has two other mainstream socket FM2 motherboards, the A85MA-E35, and A55M-P33 (F2).

The A85MA-E35, like its mini-ITX cousin, has a misleading name. It is actually based on the AMD A75 FCH chipset. The socket FM2 APU is powered by a simple 5-phase VRM, it is wired to just the two DDR3 DIMM slots, and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. Other slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and a legacy PCI. Display outputs include DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. All six SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the FCH are wired out as internal ones, the board features a total of four USB 3.0 ports.

MSI's second most interesting socket FM2 motherboard is the A85IA-E53, perhaps the first socket FM2 motherboard in the mini-ITX form-factor. Although its name says otherwise, it is based on the previous-generation A75 chipset, which is no big deal, there's no room for eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the A85 FCH, anyway, and you still end up with four 6 Gb/s ports. In the limited board space, MSI was able to cram in a 5-phase VRM to power the APU, a power design consisting of 24-pin + 4-pin power inputs, two full-size DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory, a lone PCI-Express 2.0 x16 expansion card slot, display outs that include HDMI and D-Sub, 802.11 b/g/n, and Bluetooth.

MSI showed off its top socket FM2 motherboard, the A85XA-G65. Based on the AMD A85 FCH chipset, the board supports upcoming AMD "Trinity" APUs in the FM2 package. MSI designed the A85XA-G65 with its Military Class III construction. The FM2 APU is powered by an 8-phase VRM. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots (x8/x8, when both are populated). Given that it supports both NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFire, it's a little strange that MSI didn't name this model "A85XA-GD65." Other expansion slots include three PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and two legacy PCI.

All eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the A85 FCH are wired out as internal ports, with no eSATA. Display outputs include one each of DVI, D-Sub, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Other connectivity options include four USB 3.0 ports, gigabit Ethernet, and 8+2 channel HD audio. The A85XA-G65 features quite a few OC-friendly features, including voltage-measurement points with lead-holders, OC Genie, ClickBIOS II UEFI BIOS, etc. It will be among MSI's first socket FM2 motherboards to be launched, a little later this quarter.

GIGABYTE did not leave out the Sandy Bridge-E HEDT platform when designing its new Ultra Durable 5 line of motherboards, the company showed of two new socket LGA2011 parts, the X79S-UP5 WIFI, and the X79-UP4.

The X79-UP4 is designed to be a sub-$300 offering, being a notch above the X79-UD3 (and perhaps even the X79-UD5). It uses a 6+1 phase CPU VRM, which consists of high-current ferrite core chokes, and PowIRstage IR3550 driver-MOSFETs. GIGABYTE added eight DDR3 DIMM slots, four on either side of the socket, supporting up to 64 GB of quad-channel DDR3 memory. Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x16/x8), two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and one legacy PCI. The X79-UP4 otherwise has a similar connectivity load-out as the X79-UD3.

Among GIGABYTE's new motherboard extravaganza, are some of its first socket FM2 motherboards, which based on the new AMD A85 FCH chipset (higher price-points) and previous-generation A55 FCH (lower price-points) and support next-generation "Trinity" APUs. Among these are the high-end F2A85X-UP4 with Ultra Durable 5 construction, mainstream F2A55-DS3, and entry-level F2A55M-DS2 Ultra Durable 1 motherboards.

The F2A85X-UP4 is loaded with top-tier VRM components, including high-current ferrite core chokes, IR3550 PowIRstage driver-MOSFETs, which make up an 8-phase CPU VRM. The FM2 socket is wired to four DDR3 memory slots, with support for dual-channel DDR3-2400 MHz by overclocking; and two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots (x8/x8, when both are populated). Other expansion slots include three PCI-Express 2.0 x1, a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4), and a legacy PCI, all of which are wired to the A85 FCH.

It's good to see GIGABYTE back to doing high-end motherboards with overkill CPU power designs. Its latest creation, the Z77X-UP7, was shown to sections of the media, at a private exhibition, ahead of Computex. The Z77X-UP7 is the company's first motherboard to feature its Ultra Durable 5 motherboard construction technology, which is basically Ultra Durable 4 augmented with higher current 60A chokes, and International Rectifier PowIRStage IR3550 ICs (a highly potent driver-MOSFET implementation). The Z77X-UP7 is based on the Intel Z77 Express chipset, and supports Core "Ivy Bridge" and "Sandy Bridge" processors in the LGA1155 package.

GIGABYTE recently rolled out the 6PXSV3, a workstation motherboard designed for Xeon E5-1600/2600 processors in the LGA2011 package. Based on the Intel C604 chipset, the motherboard is designed to provide essential modern and legacy connectivity to workstations in mission-critical environments. The LGA2011 socket is powered by a 6-phase VRM with CPL-made chokes, and IR-made FETs and VRM controller. It is wired to eight DIMM slots, which support up to 256 GB (RDIMM) and 64 GB (UDIMM) of quad-channel DDR3-1600 MHz memory.

There are just the three expansion slots, two PCI-Express 3.0 x16, and one open-ended PCI-Express 2.0 x4. The remainder of the processor and chipset's PCI-Express lane budgets are allocated PCI-Express DMI-assist, which helps drive the mini SAS with 4 x SAS ports (3Gb/s), apart from four SATA 3 Gb/s, and two SATA 6 Gb/s ports. An ASPEED 2300 provides display output (resolutions up to 1920x1200 supported), and remote management (iKVM, IPMI 2.0). There are two gigbit Ethernet interfaces, driven by Intel 82574L chips, a third management port is also available. The GA-6PXSV3 will be available shortly.

It looks like Sapphire wants slices of not just the performance and enthusiast pies, but also the high-volume mainstream one. Its latest creation is a motherboard based on Intel's small business-oriented B75 chipset, the Pure White B75M-MA. Built in the micro-ATX form-factor, this board doesn't add too much over the B75's feature set. To begin with, its LGA1155 socket, which supports current generation Core "Ivy Bridge" and previous generation Core "Sandy Bridge" processors, is powered by a 4+1 phase VRM, which draws power from an 8-pin EPS connector. That's a giveaway that a performance/enthusiast design team was behind this mainstream motherboard.

The LGA1155 socket is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory; and a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. Three PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slots that are wired to the B75 PCH, make up the rest of the all-PCIe layout. Storage connectivity includes one SATA 6 Gb/s, and three SATA 3 Gb/s ports. The board provides a total of four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear-panel, two via headers). 6+2 channel HD audio, a number of USB 2.0 ports, a keyboard/mouse combo PS/2, and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of the connectivity. Display outputs include DVI and D-Sub. Expect competitive pricing.

Known more for its VIA Nano and Intel Atom-powered fanless IPCs (industrial PCs), Habey is readying BIS-6763, a new IPC model that is driven by a robust Core i3 "Sandy Bridge" dual-core processor. Measuring 190 x 190 x 67 mm, the IPC is made of a metal chassis, a portion of which is ridged, to double up as a heatsink. Beneath it is a pair of cylindrical heat pipes that transport heat to the top panel (heatsink), which cool the Core i3-2367M processor (dual-core, 1.40 GHz, 3 MB L3, 17W TDP), and Intel HM65 Express PCH.

Sadly, the IPC does not take advantage of the processor's dual-channel DDR3 IMC, there's just the one DDR3 SO-DIMM slot, supporting up to 8 GB of DDR3-1333 MHz memory. For expansion, there are two mini-PCIe slots. The sole storage option is a 2.5-inch SATA 6 Gb/s SSD/HDD bay. Connectivity includes one serial RS232 interface, six USB 2.0, gigabit Ethernet, and Intel HD 3000 graphics that gives out an HDMI, and a D-Sub display output. With 2 GB of DDR3 memory included, the BIS-6763 is expected to be priced at US $499. A variant that's powered by Intel Celeron 857 (dual-core, 1.20 GHz, 2 MB L3, 17W TDP), is also expected to be available, at US $299.

Seeing as how some of the newest socket LGA1155 processors, such as the Core i7-3770K, competes with Sandy Bridge-E HEDT platform, and how today's GPUs are beginning to benefit from PCI-Express 3.0 in x8 and x4 configurations, ASRock decided to go beyond its Z77 Fatal1ty Professional, and launched a new Extreme series model, with a focus on features and connectivity. The Z77 Extreme9 from ASRock crams has every square inch of its standard ATX size PCB with features.

To begin with, the Z77 Extreme9 uses a fairly strong 8+4 phase VRM, which is similar to that of the Z77 Extreme6. The CPU VRM MOSFETs are cooled by a fairly big heatsink, which shares its head with a neighbouring heatsink, which cools a PLX PEX8747 PCI-Express 3.0 bridge chip, which takes in the lone PCI-Express 3.0 x16 link from the processor, and drives four of the board's six PCI-Express 3.0 x16 long slots, enabling 3-way and 4-way SLI/CrossFireX capability. The other slots are electrical PCI-Express 2.0, and wired to the Z77 PCH.

Japanese retailer Kuroutoshikou.com listed two new unique USB 3.0 products, the USB3.0F-P7-PCIe and KRHK-SATA3U3. The USB3.0F-P7-PCIe is a 7-port (yes, 7-port) USB 3.0 add-on card. Essentially, it is a low profile PCI-Express 2.0 x1 add-on card that has one FrescoLogic 4-port USB 3.0 host controller, one of its ports is is wired to a VLI VL810 USB 3.0 hub controller, which increases the number of ports to six, while its others vacant port is wired out.

The card has a total of 7 downstream USB 3.0 ports, 5 on the rear panel, and 2 via a standard front-panel header (angled). The card draws auxiliary power from a SATA power connector. It includes a low-profile bracket. While the card many not be able to push 5 GT/s from all the ports simultaneously, it provides a novel solution to connect several USB 3.0 devices at the same time, without needing a messy external desktop hub.