Earlier today, we covered ECS coming up with two motherboards, based on Intel P55 (LGA-1156), and AMD 785G (AM3). Coincidentally, ASRock has a similar pair which is gearing up for launch at the upcoming Computex event. The P55 Deluxe could be the company's premium LGA-1156 motherboard, while the M3A785GXH/128M a rather high-end board, especially looking at its feature-set, that expands that of the the chipset typically offers.

The P55 Deluxe supports LGA-1156 processors sans the Flexible Display Interface feature (FDI), since it looks devoid of common display connectors. It supports four DDR3 DIMMs, with the Dual-Channel DDR3 memory interface, advertising support for DDR3-2000 (probably by overclocking). The board provides three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots, (x16, NC, x4) or (x8, x8, x4, when the slots are populated). Apart from ATI CrossFireX, NVIDIA 3-way SLI support is advertised.

Over to the M3A785GXH/128M, and there is an interesting feature here. Although AMD 785G isn't specified to support CrossFire, ASRock used andexternal lane switch card to support it. The first two PCI-Express x16 are eletrically (x16, NC) or (x8, x8, when both are populated). The third slot seems wired to the southbridge and is electrically x4. The board supports AM3 socket processors, with four DDR3 DIMM slots offering support for dual-channel DDR3-1600 memory. The Radeon HD 4200 IGP makes use of 128 MB of DDR3 SidePort memory. Standard display connectors such as DVI, D-Sub and HDMI apply. An external storage controller ups the number SATA channels, by providing an internal, and an eSATA port. ASRock wasn't very generous with its photography.

Seagate and AMD will be demonstrating the world’s first SATA 6Gbps hard-drive today, theoretically offering twice the throughput of the existing SATA 3Gbps standard. The demo will compare an existing Barracuda 7200.12 HDD and a SATA 6Gbps HDD that uses a prototype AMD chipset to offer 5.5Gigabits per second performance.
The companies are hoping to provoke interest in the new SATA 6Gbps standard, which will begin showing up in hard-drives before the end of 2009. It uses the same cables and connectors as previous 3Gbps and 1.5Gbps SATA, but introduces new power-efficiency technology among other things.

New drives will be backward compatible with motherboards that only support the existing SATA speeds, so we’re hoping to see them hit themarket sooner rather than later. No word from Seagate as to when a commercial version of the current prototype will be launched.

Press Release:

Seagate and AMD Unveil World’s First Demonstration of Serial ATA 6Gigabit/Second Technology for High-Speed PC Applications

Seagate (Nasdaq: STX), teaming with microprocessor manufacturing leader Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) at the Everything Channel Xchange Conference in New Orleans this week, today unveiled the world’s first public demonstration of next-generation high-speed data transfer - Serial ATA 6Gigabit/second - for bandwidth-hungry desktop and laptop PC applications including gaming, streaming video and graphics multimedia.

The Serial ATA (SATA) 6Gb/second storage interface will deliver the highest performance - burst speeds of up to 6Gigabits per second - for all PC applications, maintain backward compatibility with the SATA 3Gb/second and SATA 1.5Gb/second interfaces, and use the same cables and connectors as previous SATA generations to ease integration. The third generation of the mainstream storage interface for desktop and notebook computers also enhances power efficiency and improves Native Command Queuing, a SATA feature, to increase overall system performance and data transfer speeds of mainstream PC applications but especially applications with heavily transactional workloads such as scientific modeling and forecasting, and engineering design and simulation.

“The increasing reliance of consumers and businesses worldwide on digital information is giving rise to gaming, digital video and audio, streaming video, graphics and other applications that require even more bandwidth, driving demand for PC interfaces that can carry even more digital content,” said Joan Motsinger, Seagate vice president of Personal Systems Marketing and Strategy. “The SATA 6Gb/second storage interface will meet this demand for higher-bandwidth PCs. Seagate has a long history of being first to market with new technologies such as Serial ATA, perpendicular recording and self-encrypting drives, and is pleased to be teaming with AMD to stage the world’s first public demonstration of SATA 6Gb/second storage.”

“AMD strives to deliver platform technology that our technology partners can use to create high- performance desktop and laptop PCs,” said Leslie Sobon, vice president of Product Marketing, AMD. “The new SATA 6Gb/second technology not only incorporates the best features of previous SATA generations but also includes new enhancements. This innovation enables AMD to continue to evolve its technology platforms and to develop low-cost designs that our technology partners can use to improve their own PC and laptop products.”

The Seagate and AMD demonstration features two Seagate SATA disk drives - one a shipping Barracuda(R) 7200.12 3Gb/second hard drive and the other a prototype Barracuda 6Gb/second drive - in a desktop PC to show the performance difference between the two generations. The PC is powered by an AMD prototype SATA 6Gb/second chipset. The Seagate SATA 3Gb/second drive runs at more than 2.5Gigabits per second and the SATA 6Gb/second drive at 5.5Gigabits per second, with the performance of each storage interface displayed on the PC monitor.

Serial ATA 6Gb/second - Blazing speed for next-generation personal computing

Serial ATA (SATA), the mainstream storage interface for desktop and notebook disk drives, is currently available in two speeds - 3Gb/second and 1.5Gb/second. SATA 6Gb/second was developed by the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) under the Serial ATA Revision 3.0 specification.

In keeping with SATA-IO objectives for designing a low-cost interface for desktop and notebook PCs, SATA 6Gb/second maintains the low cost and low-power design requirements of previous SATA generations, and is designed to be backward compatible with SATA 3Gb/second connectors, cables and other hardware.

Santa Clara, California-based Intel is expected to detail one of its highest-anticipated server processors at the upcoming International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco between February 8 and 12, 2009. The chip maker is expected to provide an early look at its first eight-core chip, which will be part of the company's Xeon family of processors. These chips are to provide a new level of performance for server systems based on a dual-socket motherboard.

Unfortunately, at this time, there aren't any details regarding the Xeon processors to be discussed at the February 9 presentation. According to the ISSCC programme, executives of the global leading chip maker will be discussing an 8-core, 16-thread Xeon processor, which will be manufactured using a 45nm process technology. According to additional info, said processor will also be featuring 2.38 transistors and support operation of up to 6.4GT/s.

As expected, Intel is yet to officially comment on the respective Xeon processor, which it will likely do during the ISSCC event. “We are presenting 16 papers at ISSCC, but don't haveanything further to share at this point,” said Nick Jacobs, a company spokesman in Singapore.
According to the available details, Intel's presentation might just be related to the company's highly-anticipated Xeon processor that will be based on the Nehalem EP architecture. This server CPU is known to have been designed specifically for dual-socket servers and workstations. According to previous details, this processor line is due to be released sometime in early 2009.

The upcoming chips will sport some of the features currently available for Intel's other Nehalem-based chips, including the use of Intel's Quick Path Interconnect (QPI), which basically replaces the front side bus, featured on Intel's previous generation of Xeon processors. This feature boosts the computer's overall performance.

NVIDIA has already upped the ante with the release of its latest 55nm-based GT200 GPUs, which have been launched under the form of two new graphics cards, the GeForce GTX 285 and the dual-GPU GTX 295. However, these two cards have been designed for computer and technology enthusiasts looking for high-end graphics solutions. Mainstream users are likely to choose one of the other GT200-based cards, including the new GeForce GTX 260, which has just been featured with a 55nm graphics processor. This is the GPU upon which Palit has just released its newest graphics card, the GTX260 Sonic 216SP, designed to provide users with the full-performance potential of NIVIDIA's 55nm-based GT200 GPU.

If you own a graphics card designed by Palit Microsystems, you are already aware of the fact that a “Sonic” model is basically a factory-overclocked version of the basic card. This is also the case with the new Palit GTX260 Sonic 216SP, which combines a 55nm GPU, equipped with 216 stream processors, with a custom dual-Fan cooling solution, ready to deliver a high-end gaming performance while maintaining the power consumption andoverall power efficiency enabled by a 55nm GPU.The card has been featured with a core frequency of 625MHz, while the 896MB of GDDR3 RAM memory has been clocked to 2.2GHz. According to the company, its latest GeForce GTX260 graphics card is 9 percent faster than other GeForce GTX260 models, the performance boost being provided by the overclocked graphics core. The dual-fan cooling solution boasts two PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation) fans and three heat-pipes, enabling a better overall cooling, consequently providing better performance.
The card also comes with NVIDIA's own technologies, including CUDA, PhysX and Stereoscopic 3D, all of which enable better performance in gaming and non-gaming applications. Palit hasn't delivered any details regarding pricing and availability of the card.

A-DATA Technology Co. Ltd., a worldwide leading manufacturer in high performance memory products, announced today that its XPG DDR3 memory modules have broken a new world record on SuperPi 32m. The record was set by utilizing the DFI Lanparty UT X58 motherboard and XPG X Series v2.0 memory, the DDR3-2133X v2.0 2GBx3 triple-channel kit.
The SuperPi 32m record of 6min 40sec 360ms was achieved at a speed of 2237 MHz and latency settings of 8-7-7-21 using DDR3-2133X v2.0 2GBx3 triple-channel kit.The XPG DDR3-2133X v2.0 is engineered with heavy Aluminum heatspreaders and active dual-fan to keep the RAMs operate in low temperatureenvironment. Through the combination of the cooling methodology, the XPG DDR3-2133X v2.0 is able to maximize its OC performance. Moreover, it was awarded with the prestigious Taiwan Excellent 2009 Award for its distinctive design.

A-DATA X Series memory represents the ultimate overclocking performance. It was developed to unleash the hidden power of CPU and motherboard by using A-DATA’s latest overclocking IC sorting technology. A-DATA XPG modules are guaranteed to satisfy the needs of PC enthusiasts and overclockers for high-performance, compatibility, and stability on memory modules.

Gigabyte today has annunced its first AMD “Dragon Platform” qualified motherboard with AM3 Phenom™ II processors support, the Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P. The board is based on AMD 790FX + SB750 chipset and features Ultra Durable 3 technology with 8+2 power phase design. It supports Dual Channel DDR3 1666+ and has 2 PCI-E 2.0 x16 interface for Crossfire, 2 Gigabit Ethernet LAN with Teaming functionality, Power/reset/Clr CMOS onboard button for power users and 106dB SNR ALC889A HD audio supporting Blu-ray playback.

Here's the official press release :

GIGABYTE, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards today is pleased to announce the GA-MA790FXT-UD5P, their first AMD “Dragon Platform” qualified motherboard with next generation AMD AM3 Phenom™ II processors support, enabling the very latest in definitive high performance platforms for work, home and play.

Sportting the new AMD AM3 socket, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P allows users to elevate their rig beyond the standard limits with support for support the highest performing ever 45nm AMD Phenom™ II processors featuring HyperTransport 3.0 and integrated DDR3 memory controller. The first motherboard to provide DDR3 memory support for the AMD platform, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P isable to reach memory speeds up to 1666+MHz (OC) for blazing fast memory access for today’s latest applications and games with greater energy efficiency. Build with top-notch high performance engineering, the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P features the highest quality 8+2 CPU VRM power phase design, able to handle the power demands from 140W CPUs with ease.

No performance platform would be complete without the very latest in graphics technologies and the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P doesn’t disappoint. Equipped with the AMD 790FX North Bridge, the GA-MA790FXT-UD5P offers Dual x16 PCI-E 2.0 graphics interfaces to deliver up the latest ATI CrossFireX™ support for the ultimate gaming platform. Plugging in dual graphics cards also enables support for up to 4 monitors, ideal for users wanting to boost their productivity by maximizing their multitasking capabilities.

Getting the most performance out of your system has never been easier as the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P delivers AMD OverDrive™ support, allowing high-end users the ability to fully customize and monitor the performance and settings of their system. In addition, high-end performance junkies will love the latest EC AOD-ACC Embedded Controller, which allows AMD Phenom™ II Black Edition CPUs to be overclocked using the AMD OverDrive™ utility further than was previously possible.

The GA-MA790FXT-UD5P is the latest edition to the GIGABYTE lineup of Ultra Durable™ 3 motherboards. Featuring the industry's first consumer desktop motherboard design to introduce 2 ounces of copper for both the Power and Ground layers, GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ 3 motherboards deliver dramatically lower system temperature, improved energy efficiency and enhanced stability for overclocking. GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ 3 motherboards also feature Japanese Solid Capacitors boasting 50,000 hours of operation, Ferrite core chokes with higher energy efficiency compared to the commonly used iron core chokes and Lower RDS(on) MOSFETs that features a lower resistance, which reduces power consumption and heat generation. The GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ 3 series motherboards promises to provide the stability, reliability and longevity essential to meet the power needs of high-end processors and other components running today's most demanding applications and games.

Advanced connectivity options are key to any high end system, and the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P delivers with a combined total of up to 10 SATA 2.0 device support. In addition to the 6 SATA 2.0 (3Gb/s) ports from the SB750 (with RAID 0, 1, 5, 10, and JBOD support), the GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P provides an additional 4 SATA 2.0 ports through the onboard JMicron controller (JM363 & JM322 with RAID 0, 1, and JBOD support), enabling GIGABYTE's Smart Backup technology which allows users to connect up to 4 SATA 2.0 devices for effortless hardware-based RAID data protection on-the-fly. The GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P also features Dual Gigabit LAN connections with Teaming, which allows 2 single connections to act as 1 single connection for twice the bandwidth to improve overall throughput.

Other Unique GIGABYTE Features

Ultra Durable™ 3 Design

The GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P is yet another example of GIGABYTE engineering at its finest with its revolutionary GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ 3 design, featuring 2 ounces of copper for both the Power and Ground layers which dramatically lowers system temperature by delivering a more efficient spreading of heat from critical areas of the motherboard such as the CPU power zone throughout the entire PCB. GIGABYTE’s Ultra Durable™ 3 also lowers the PCB impedance by 50%, which helps to reduce electrical waste and further lowers component temperatures. A 2oz Copper layer design also provides improved signal quality and lower EMI (Electromagnetic Interference), providing better system stability and allowing for greater margins for overclocking.

* Low RDS(on) MOSFETs are specially designed to produce lower switching resistance for faster electric current charging and discharging.
* Ferrite Core Choke Design - Low Power Loss
Ferrite core chokes comprised of a compound of iron oxide and other metal elements whose properties hold energy much longer than common iron core at high frequency.
* All-Solid Capacitor Design - Longer Life
Solid capacitors contain a solid organic polymer, while electrolytic capacitors use a common liquid electrolyte, hence, the terms solid capacitor versus electrolytic capacitors.

Easy Energy Saver
GIGABYTE now makes it even easier for users to take advantage of power savings with the new GIGABYTE Easy Energy Saver. Featuring an advanced proprietary software design, GIGABYTE Easy Energy Saver is able to dynamically adjust CPU power depending on workload, delivering just the right amount of power needed for the task.

Dolby Home Theater® - Enjoy a Rich Home Theater Surround Sound Experience

* Dolby Home Theater places listeners in the middle of the action, giving their PCs a powerful set of tools to deliver a cinema-style experience in vivid surround sound.
* Delivers vivid surround sound for music, movies, and games, using two to eight speakers or any set of headphones.
* Designed to automatically deliver the best possible listening experience.

Smart Backup – Plug & Play Hardware RAID

GIGABYTE's Smart Backup allows users to connect up to 4 Serial ATA devices for effortless RAID data protection. Dual onboard RAID controller chips automatically configure RAID setup without user intervention, making it easier than ever for users to enjoy enhanced data transfer performance, low CPU utilization, real-time backup on-the-fly and protection against HDD failure.

DualBIOS™ - Patented Dual Hardware BIOS Protection

DualBIOS™ is a GIGABYTE patented technology that automatically recovers BIOS data when main BIOS has crashed or failed. Featuring 2 physical BIOS ROMs integrated onboard, GIGABYTE DualBIOS™ allows quick and seamless recovery from BIOS damage or failure due to viruses or improper BIOS updating.

2 Gigabit LAN through Teaming

* Teaming functionality enabled allows 2 single connections to act as 1 single connection for twice the bandwidth, improving overall throughput with lower CPU utilization.
* Prevents network downtime by transferring the workload from a failed port to a working port.
* Receive Side Scaling balances the network traffic load evenly between 2 CPU cores in order to improve performance.
* Adjusts power consumption automatically according to your LAN cable lengths, up to 10% power savings.

EasyTune6

GIGABYTE has completely redesigned EasyTune6 from the ground up to make it easier than ever to manage and monitor your hardware resources as well as tweak your system settings in order to achieve maximum system performance. Whether you are an overclocking enthusiast, or a computer novice, EasyTune6 provides the tools you need to quickly and effortlessly fine tune your system.

Onboard Quick Switches

Onboard Power, Clear CMOS and Reset buttons allow for quick and easy tweaking for power users working in an in chassis environment.Specifications

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AMD 790FX + SB750 Chipset
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Ultra Durable 3 Technology with copper cooled quality for lower working temperature
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Revolution energy saving design with Easy Energy Saver technology
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Supports socket AM3 45nm AMD Phenom II series processors
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Advanced 8+2 power phase design for 45nm CPU highly efficiency support
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Dual Channel DDR3 1666+ for remarkable system performance
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2 PCI-E 2.0 x16 interface with ATI CrossFireX support for ultimate graphics performance
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2 Gigabit Ethernet LAN with Teaming functionality
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Power/reset/Clr CMOS onboard button for power users
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Blu-ray playback supported by high quality 106dB SNR ALC889A HD audio
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Supports Dolby Home Theater audio to enjoy a rich surround sound experience
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Patented DualBIOS with dual hardware BIOS protection

Auzentech, Inc. (http://www.auzentech.com/), a provider of quality consumer electronics products, is pleased to announce the official release of the Auzen X-Fi™ Forte 7.1 soundcard.

The Auzen X-Fi™ Forte 7.1 is the first Low Profile native PCI Express® audio card that Auzentech has designed especially for gamers and audiophiles. Compared to the X-Fi™ chipset reference design, the Auzen X-Fi™ Forte 7.1 has improved circuitry and components. The Auzen X-Fi™ Forte 7.1 marks the first timethe Creative X-Fi™ Native PCI Express® chipset has been available in a low-profile board, as well as the first time it has been available in a third-party soundcard.

X-Fi™ Forte Page: http://www.auzentech.com/site/products/x-fi_forte.php

Several days ago NVIDIA claimed it would push GeForce 9600GT Green Edition graphics card, and now we got more details about it.

GeForce 9600GT Green Edition is quite similar to GeForce 9600GT in specification, except for a little bit reduction in frequency. The core/shader clock has dropped from 650/1625MHz to 600/1500MHz respectively, while the memory clock keeps unchanged at 900MHz.

Besides, its voltage has reduced from previous 1.1V to 1.0V, and the power consumption falls from 96W to 59W. Theexternal power connector has been removed.

The price and availability of GeForce 9600GT Green Edition are unknown yet, but we guess the pricing won’t be far from that of existing edition.

The ability to drive big displays now comes in a small package with the release of the NVIDIA® Quadro® NVS 420, the industry’s only low profile professional graphics solution designed for maximum display real estate with a small form factor (SFF) computer. Featuring NVIDIA nView® display software and support for four 30-inch displays at 2560x1600 high resolutions, business professionals can maximize productivity through increased desktop real estate and easy to use display management tools.

Built to meet the needs of today’s most demanding business professional, the Quadro NVS 420 professional graphics solution offers stability, ease-of-use and wide compatibility. In addition it has been thoroughly tested to ensure compatibility with the leading business applications.

“The convenience of small form factor computers can now finally be matched with remarkable business graphicsand digital display capabilities,” says Jeff Brown, general manager, Professional Solutions, NVIDIA. “The Quadro NVS 420 transforms these small form factor machines into business graphics powerhouses.”Among the cutting-edge display features incorporated into the Quadro NVS 420 GPU are:

* Support for up to four high-resolution 30 inch. (2560x1600 resolution) displays
* NVIDIA nView display software, which allows users to spread their work across single, large or multiple displays and maximize productivity through user friendly desktop and application management features
- Display gridlines for maximizing a user’s desktop space by dividing up the displays into multiple regions
- Virtual desktops that allow users to launch applications on up to 32 different desktops
- Extended Windows Taskbar spans across multiple displays so the application window buttons can be spread over multiple displays

Equipped with large frame buffer and high memory bandwidth, the Quadro NVS 420 GPU is fully capable of the performance required by many digital signage installations, providing crystal clear 2D and 3D content as well as HD video. For extreme resolutions, the DisplayPort connectors offer more screen real estate from a single graphics card on an SFF system. Enabling EnergyStar-compliance, the Quadro NVS 420 has low maximum and idle power levels and is built with a high quality variable-speed fansink for a quieter working environment.

With a host of enterprise-friendly features, a dedicated NVIDIA Quadro NVS Enterprise support team and compatibility with most hardware and software specifications, the Quadro NVS 420 business graphics solution delivers a stable environment designed for peak functionality and a seamless enterprise deployment. The inclusion of NVIDIA Unified Driver Architecture (UDA) simplifies the upgrade process by ensuring forward and backward compatibility with NVIDIA software drivers.

The NVIDIA Quadro NVS 420 GPU will be available this February at a price of $499 (USD) MSRP. For more information on NVIDIA technologies and products, please visit: www.nvidia.com/quadro

Advanced Micro Devices has plans to release its dual core Neo processor by the end of this year. The AMD-dual core Athlon Neo is slated to be part of the chip maker's platform code-named Congo and designed for a line of ultraportable, affordable laptops.

AMD has unveiled its single core new processor, Neo for the ultraportables last week at CES based on Yukon platform. , which includes a chipset and ATI graphics controllers. Even the platform was announced on HP Pavilion dv2.

The leaked specifications for the dual-core Neo chips indicate that the dual core processor will be part of the Congo platform, which will deliver better performance and integrated graphics capabilities to ultraportable laptops.

With Congo, AMD plans to use the dual-core Athlon Neo processor along with its own RS780M chip set that includes a SB710 southbridge. Neo chips consume maximum of 15 watts assuring improved battery life to users. Neo chips are pitched as an effective combination of graphics, processor and chipset for a balanced computing performance. They are not the straight forward competitor to Intel’s Atom, which is what the analysts and vendors are updating.

No release date is mentioned as of now.

GIGABYTE Technologies INC., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards today is pleased to introduce their revolutionary Ultra Durable 3 Classic technology, featuring ounces of copper for both the Power and Ground layers to a dramatically lower system temperature, improved energy efficiency and enhanced stability for overclocking on a wide range of current AMD motherboards.

GIGABYTE once again leads the motherboard industry for the highest quality, most innovative motherboard design with the launch of their latest Ultra Durable 3 Classic technology. Equipped on the latest GIGABYTE AMD chipset-based solutions including the AMD 790GX, 790X, 780G and 770, GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards feature double the amount of copper for the Power and Ground layers of the PCB. Most traditional motherboard designs utilize a single ounceof copper for each layer, whereas GIGABYTE’s ultra Durable 3 motherboards feature 2 ounces per layer.

Benefits of 2 oz Copper design
Doubling the amount of copper provides a more effective thermal cooling solution by delivering a more efficient spreading of heat from critical areas of the motherboard such as the CPU power zone throughout the entire PCB. In fact, GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards are able to deliver up to 50°C cooler working temperatures than traditional motherboards.

In addition, doubling the amount of copper lowers the PCB impedance by 50%. Impedance is a measure of how much the circuit impedes the flow of current. The less the flow of current is impeded, the less amount of energy is wasted. For GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards, this means total PCB electrical waste is reduced by 50%, which also means less heat is generated. 2 ounces of copper also provides improved signal quality and lower EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) providing better system stability and allowing for greater margins for overclocking.

50,000 Hour Japanese Solid Capacitors
GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards are equipped with solid capacitors developed by leading Japanese manufacturers. With an average lifespan of 50,000 hours, these solid capacitors provide the stability, reliability and longevity essential to meet the meet the power needs of high-end processors and other components running today’s most demanding applications and games.

Native DDR2 1200+ Memory Support
Delivering native support for DDR2 memory up to 1200+MHz, GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards allow users to take advantage of higher memory performance to run consumption to run the even the most memory intensive applications such as high-definition video and 3D visualization with ease.

Easy Energy Saver
GIGABYTE now makes it even easier for users to take advantage of power savings with the new GIGABYTE Easy Energy Saver. Featuring an advanced proprietary software design, GIGABYTE Easy Energy Saver is able to dynamically adjust CPU power depending on workload, delivering just the right amount of power needed for the task.

Patented Dual Hardware BIOS Protection
GIGABYTE DualBIOS™ feature two physical BIOS ROMS mounted onto the motherboard. One chip acts as your "Main" BIOS, or the BIOS your system primarily uses during boot up. The second chip acts as a "Backup" BIOS and has the factory default BIOS version on it. If your "Main" BIOS happens to fail or stops functioning, the "Backup" will automatically take over on your next system boot with little or no down time.

AMD® AM3/AM2+ 45nm Processor Support
GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards also deliver an easy upgrade path for users wanting to take advantage of AMD’s latest 45nm process technology enhancements including higher core clocks with greater energy efficiency over past generations, integrated DDR2/DDR3 memory controller (DDR3 memory support for AM3 processors and AM3 designed motherboards only), HyperTransport 3.0 and C1E enhanced power savings.

For additional information on the GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 3 Classic motherboards, please visit the GIGABYTE website at: http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Default.aspx

After the ASUS P6T Deluxe OC Plam left a very good impression because of good performance and overclockability we are now happy to test the ASUS Rampage Extreme II. On this Board you'll find a lot of overclocking features and we also hope good overclockability and performance.Further you'll find a very solid power supply on this board: 16 phases CPU, 3 phases QPI/DRAM, 3 phases NB and 3 phases memory is much more than you can wish. Even the BIOS is optimized for overclockers and enthusiasts. These and other features we mention later make the Rampage II Extreme interesting to overclockers as well as enthusiasts.

Following annoncements by most motherboard manufacturers about their AM3 CPU compatibility lists, plans of motherboards based on the new DDR3-supportive platform socket have been coming to surface. After a list of eight motherboards by ASUS under the M4A and M4N series, Gigabyte's first motherboard based on the AM3 socket has been pictured. The GA-MA790FXT-UD5P is the company's first AMD motherboard that uses the Ultra Durable 3 construction, with 2-oz copper layered PCB, high-grade conductive polymer capacitors, and MOSFETs with lower RDS.

As the name suggests, this motherboard is based on the AMD 790FX chipset. It features two full-bandwidth PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots supporting ATI CrossfireX, four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting DDR3-1600+ MHz memory. The motherboard supports AM3 socket processors with TDP of up to 140W. A totalof 10 SATA II ports are provided, six of which are routed to the SB750 southbridge, four to an additional SATA II controller. Other features are common with Gigabyte motherboards in its class, with high-quality 7.1 ch audio, two gigabit Ethernet connections, twelve USB 2.0 ports (8 external), and FireWire. Gigabyte is planning two more AM3 socket models: GA-MA770T-UD3P and GA-MA790X-UD4P based on the AMD 770 and 790X chipsets respectively.

ASUS, world-leading producer of motherboards, has today launched the brand new M4 Series motherboards to fully support the AMD? next generation AM3 processors. The Phenom II AM3 processors are able to support up to DDR 3 2000MHz memory speed, so DDR3 tech. is finally realized in AMD platform. To unleash the AM3 processors’ full potential, ASUS’ constant development of the 8-Phase power design has resulted in superb performances—reaching an excellent 91% in power efficiency. With the ASUS TurboV’s intuitive overclocking utility, and the easy-to-use ASUS Turbo Key, users can easily overclock and overvoltage the new processors like never before. The ASUS M4 Series thus brings the AM3 CPU performance into full play—providing users with the perfect choice for the AM3 processors usage.
Breakthrough 8-Phase Power Design Tailored for Optimal Performance

ASUS is proud to introduce the brand new 8-Phase power design on the M4 Series; which with the highest phase number of VRM power in the AMD platform, leads industry specifications. The ASUS M4 Series isalso designed with an additional 1 to 2 power phases dedicated to the CPU embedded memory and HT controller—guaranteeing delivery of appropriate voltages for more stable operations and longer CPU lifespan—regardless of heavy or light system loading. ASUS has also adopted EPU function—a well-liked feature in ASUS P5Q series launch, in AMD platform. This unique EPU technology will provide total system power management by detecting current PC loadings and intelligently moderating power in real-time. The ASUS M4 Series also utilizes high quality 5000-hour long lifespan (at 105ºC working temperatures) capacitors that improves power efficiency and lowers system temperatures—providing a durable working environment and better overclocking capabilities.

Easy and Outstanding Overclocking with Turbo Key and TurboV

The ASUS Turbo Key is an exclusive feature that transforms the PC power button into a physical overclocking button. Completing the easy setup provides users with the ability to boost performance levels with just a push of a button—presenting users with faster, more powerful performances without interrupting ongoing work or games—overclocking has never been easier! For hardcore users, the ASUS M4 Series also features TurboV, an advanced overclocking tool that utilizes a micro-controller to provide precise 0.02V voltage adjustments. Furthermore, users can save their preferred OC profiles and easily apply the best O.C. settings for different scenarios. Now anyone can enjoy performance boosts—without needing to exit the operating system or rebooting; -with the ASUS M4 Series motherboards.

ZOTAC International, a leading manufacturer of NVIDIA-based motherboards and graphics cards, kicks off day two of the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show with a early preview of the next-generation mini-ITX platform for Intel processors powered by NVIDIA’s GeForce 9300 graphics processor – the ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi. The new ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi combines the powerful GeForce 9300 graphics processor with Intel processors for an unchained high-performance platform that’s big on performance but miniature in size.

The powerful NVIDIA GeForce 9300 graphics processor that forms the heart of the ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi packs 16 high-speed stream processors that are configurable for DirectX 10, OpenGL 2.1 and CUDA-enabled applications. The ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi also featuresa high-performance NVIDIA PureVideo HD video processor that decodes Blu-ray high-definition video formats in hardware and enhances standard-definition content to near-high-definition quality levels.
“The ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi is the perfect platform for home theater PCs. Pairing power-efficient Intel processors and a PureVideo HD enabled graphics processor with a mini-ITX form factor allows the ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi to fit nearly anywhere without sacrificing high-definition video playback capabilities desired by home theater PC users,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC Internation.

The ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi is engineered for high-performance applications and packs a full-length PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot, enabling compatibility with powerful ZOTAC GeForce graphics card upgrades. The mini-ITX board also features NVIDIA Hybrid SLI technology for GeForceBoost compatibility with select GeForce 8 and 9 series graphics cards.

“Our ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFI delivers the best of both worlds – a powerful mGPU for video processing and a full-length PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot and HybridSLI compatibility for power hungry users that want to pair a mini-ITX platform with powerful PCI Express graphics cards such as our ZOTAC GeForce GTX 200 and 9 series,” Mr. Berger added.

The ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi also features compatibility with DDR2-800 MHz memory, high-definition audio, SATA 3.0 Gbps and integrated 802.11b/g wireless network connectivity.

General Details

* New ZOTAC GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi platform
* NVIDIA GeForce 9300 mGPU
* 16 stream processors
* Hybrid SLI compatible
* Microsoft DirectX 10 and OpenGL 2.1 compatible
* NVIDIA CUDA and PhysX ready
* NVIDIA PureVideo HD technology
* Full-length PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot
* HDMI (w/Audio), DVI (w/Audio) and VGA outputs
* HDCP compliant
* Integrated 802.11b/g WiFi
* Intel Core 2, Celeron and Pentium support – Socket LGA775
* 1333 MHz front-side bus compatible
* 2 DDR2 DIMM slots
* DDR2-667/800 compatible
* Up to 8GB of DDR2 memory
* ZOTAC Extended Warranty

ASUS, world-leading producer of top quality graphic solutions, has today introduced the world’s fastest dual and single GPU graphics cards incorporating the latest generation of NVIDIA GPUs—the GeForce GTX 295 and GeForce GTX 285 chipsets; with the ASUS ENGTX295, ENGTX285 ULTIMATE, and ENGTX285 TOP graphics cards. With an outstanding 3DMark Vantage Extreme Preset score of 9126, the ENGTX295 leads the pack as the world’s fastest graphics card; while the ASUS ENGTX285 ULTIMATE and ENGTX285 TOP deliver 10% and 5% improvements respectively in gaming experiences when compared to reference designed boards. Furthermore, in order to show that ASUS cares for all gamers, both the ASUS ENGTX295 and ENGTX285 Series graphics cards will come bundled with a special coupon to obtain up to $25 or 10% off on a total of 5 games or CUDA applications at the NZONE webpage.
Up to 10% Performance Upgrades
The ENGTX285 ULTIMATE and ENGTX285 TOP’s core, shader, and memory clock performances are boosted from 648MHz up to 712MHz and 670MHz, from 1476MHz up to 1620MHz and 1550MHz, and from 2484MHz up to 2760MHz and 2600MHz respectively. This generates an astounding 10% improvement in terms of GPU performance for the ENGTX285 ULTIMATE when compared to any other reference designed board. Suchextraordinary performance upgrades help to elevate the ENGTX285 ULTIMATE and ENGTX285 TOP’s 3DMark Vantage Extreme Preset score from 6003 to 6607 and 6298—an astonishing 10% and 5% improvement in speed when compared to any other reference designed board. With such overwhelming performance boosts, get ready to feel the adrenaline rush of gaming like never before—only with the ASUS ENGTX285 ULTIMATE and ENGTX285 TOP!

Exclusive ASUS GamerOSD for Versatile Graphics Usage
The ASUS ENGTX295 and ENGTX285 Series also come equipped with the exclusive ASUS GamerOSD that unleashes the true power of ASUS’ VGA cards. This handy feature delivers GPU overclocking from onscreen displays during gameplay—allowing users real-time performance upgrades whenever required. In addition, GamerOSD can also provide users with the option to record live gaming action or broadcast live over the Internet with ease.

SmartDoctor for the Most Powerful Overclockability
ASUS garners yet another world’s first with the ASUS SmartDoctor—an overclocking utility capable of tweaking the Shader Clock on GPUs. With this application, users will be able to overclock the Shader Clock and Engine Clock independently for astonishing performance boosts, without the hassle of rebooting or re-flashing their BIOS.

Value-added Coupon Offer to All Gamers in Holiday Season
To further provide users with added gaming value, the ASUS ENGTX295 and ENGTX285 Series graphics cards will now come with a limited edition coupon. This coupon will allow them to obtain up to $25 in value or 10% off on up to 5 games or CUDA applications at the NZONE webpage. With over 200 game titles like Fallout 3, Far Cry 2 and Call of Duty: World at War, users will be spoiled for choice for the hottest and latest games. The latest CUDA applications like Badaboom are also offered on the site for users interested in unlocking the true power of their graphic card’s GPU cores to help accelerate the most demanding graphical tasks.

Speak Visual with Graphics Plus
The ASUS ENGTX295 and ENGTX285 Series graphics cards are also outfitted with CUDA technology—which not only provides world-class gaming experiences, but also offers the brand new Graphics Plus pack enhancements. Users can experience jaw-dropping PhysX gaming effects, Stereoscopic 3D, and lightning fast video and image processing all accelerated by the GPU. Regardless of whether users are experiencing new worlds of realistic physical motion and massively destructible environments, strapping on their GeForce 3D Vision glasses to game in true Stereoscopic 3D, transcoding HD videos in minutes to their portable video players, or rapidly editing digital images using Adobe CS4, the ASUS ENGTX295 and ENGTX285 Series graphics cards can do it all with mind-blowing performances.

Transcend Information Inc has released its DDR3-1333 triple channel memory kits for use with Intel Core i7 processors and Intel X58 Express Chipset motherboards. Transcend’s triple channel kits are designed specifically for the new platform, and offer an optimized combination of low voltage (1.5V), speed and enhanced latency (9-9-9-24) to deliver suitable performance and compatibility with next-generation PCs.
Available in two different capacities of 3GB (1GBx3) and 6GB (2GBx3), Transcend’s DDR3-1333 triple channel memory kits’ three identically matched DDR3 modules are carefully matched for use in triple-channel configuration, which together provide memory bandwidth of up to 32GB/sec. To ensure extra-stability and signal integrity, all DDR3 modules use robust PCBs that fully comply with JEDEC standards.Each chip is manufactured using small Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array (FBGA) packages with extra contacts to assure better thermal dissipation, electrical efficiency and reliable computing quality.

Transcend memory modules are built to the highest specifications with the finest chips and materials available, and undergo rigorous testing to ensure they provide the best performance possible. All Transcend memory modules come with a lifetime warranty and the support of a global service network.

Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, today announced the immediate availability of Ballistix DDR3-1333 (PC3-10600) and DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) three channel DDR3 memory kits. These new kits support the latest Intel chipset technology, based on the Core i7 processors. Ballistix three channel DDR3 memory kits are available in 3GB and 6GB kits through select resellers and directly from Crucial's website.
The Ballistix name is synonymous with high-octane gaming; these new three channel products are designed with the latest Intel Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP) for pre-defined memory optimization. Intel's QuickPath architecture, which connects the memory directly to the processor as opposed to communicating through a separate chipset, enables faster memory throughput and performance. Enthusiasts can continue to count on Ballistix memory for some of the fastest, most responsive performance available.

"Ballistix memory is known for its extreme performance and our new three channel kits are an excellent fit for the new Core i7 platforms. By utilizing Intel's latest XMP specifications, we are delivering a product that willallow consumers to easily configure their memory for excellent performance," said Jeremy Mortenson, senior product marketing manager at Lexar Media. "Like all Ballistix memory, the new three channel Ballistix kits incorporate specially selected components that are 100% tested at the component and module level and are a desirable memory solution for achieving outstanding throughput and speed gains. Additionally, they carry a limited lifetime warranty and feature world-class service and support."

Crucial.com delivers over 250,000 memory upgrade solutions for more than 40,000 systems. With the addition of these new three channel memory kits, Crucial.com features a complete line of high-performance memory offerings at www.crucial.com/ballistix, www.crucial.com/uk/ballistix, and www.crucial.com/eu/ballistix.

Sales of netbooks, laptops and desktop replacements has been rising these last several years, in 2008 we even saw the scale tip over in favor of these portable computers. Most of these devices share the same processor, video card and chipset technology as their desktop counterparts, delivering performance almost on par. The overall speed of a PC is determined by its slowest component, inside laptops this has been the hard drive, due to space constraints manufacturers have to use 2.5” (and even 1.8”) sized drives, which reduces the storage space as well as speed compared the desktop 3.5” disks. With the introduction of the Solid State Drives in 2008, we should be able to overcome this bottleneck in our portable PCs, unfortunately pricing is still quite high and disk size is limited to a fraction of what the good old hard drives are capable of.

In this business world every penny saved is a penny won, so you won’t see any SSD in entry and mainstream laptops just yet, instead you do get larger drives which can store up 500Gb inside a 2.5” HDD housing, impressive to say the least.

We tested a business grade Dell Latitude D630 laptop with three different 2.5” hard drives to see how much it would benefit from a HDD upgrade. On the Dell site the default configuration costs $1243, it comes with an 80Gb 5400rpm 2.5” HDD. Dell gives you theoption to upgrade to a 7200rpm model for $40 which is definitely worth it. You can also go for an SSD, but the cheapest will set you back $450 and it’s only 34Gb… not really a good deal. They also have a “128Gb Mobility Solid State Drive“ listed for $460, which can be any MLC based SSD.

The 7200rpm 80Gb 2.5” disk we found inside our D630 was a Seagate Momentus 7200.2 80gb. Dell does change brand and model over the course of a year, so it’s a not 100% certain you’ll find this disk in every D630 ordered with a 80gb 7200rpm HDD. Specifications
The Seagate Momentus 7200.2 SATA/300 80 GB laptop hard drive enables the best combination of high performance, capacity and mobility in a 2.5-inch small form factor (SFF). The Seagate Momentus 7200-RPM-class hard drive is ideal for performance-class laptops, SFF PCs and many other small or mobile performance environments.
# 8-MB cache
# SATA 3.0Gb/s interface
# Highest available laptop hard drive performance for maximum productivity
# Superb reliability
# Rugged mobility
# Whisper-quiet operation
# Low power consumption



We wanted a lot more storage on this laptop than was offered by the 80Gb Seagate, Dell only offers upgrades up to 160Gb so we had to look elsewhere. In a local shop we picked up two 2.5” drives from Western Digital, one Scorpio 250Gb and one Scorpio Black 320Gb.
Specifications Scorpio Black
With 7200 RPM spin speed, 16 MB cache, and capacities up to 320 GB, these drives enable you to have the best of both worlds: the capacity and performance of a desktop PC with the convenience and portability of a notebook.

Specifications Scorpio
With 5400 RPM spin speed and 12 ms access time and up to 3 Gb/s SATA interface speed, even the most demanding customer will appreciate the performance achieved by WD Scorpio Blue drives.



The Scorpio Black is top of the line performance drive, 7200rpm and 16Mb cache, it matches and surpasses the specifications of many desktop hard drives. The Scorpio (none-black) spins at 5400rpm which is considerably slower so it’ll be interesting to see how it stacks up to the competition.

Chip manufacturer VIA will begun to manufacture test samples of a dual-core version of its Nano CPU and expects to ship this processor by Q4 2009/Q1 2010. This new chip is an upgrade to the Nano chip, which was introduced earlier this year to compete with Intel’s breakaway Atom processor.
According to this detailed report filed by Digitimes, Via is expected to first introduce the Nano 3000 Series CPU which will feature SSE4 support which is sublicensed from Intel. These new CPUs will be manufactured using Fujitsu Electronics 65nprocess. This may change however as TSMCoffers a 40nm manufacturing process and Fujtisu itself has a 45nm process. The second iteration of this chip will be the Nano E, which will bump the FSB to 1333 MHz, utilize a 65nm process and be compatible with current NanoBGA2 motherboards.