| MacUpdate Weekend Sale | :This weekend MacUpdate has slashed prices on Painter 12 and Painter Lite. Painter 12 retails for $429, but has been reduced by 54% to $199. Painter Lite has seen a 58% price cut from $69 to $29. Hurry, because these deals are only available until May 19th 2013. |
NextComputing brought Intel's Sandy Bridge CPUs to its lineup of Radius portable and low footprint all-in-one PCs. The PCs are unique in that they offer a 17-inch, 1,900x1,200 display built right into the side of the case, where the hardware components live. For ease of mobility, the case has a built-in, leather-padded carrying handle.
HP's Pavilion home desktops got a major lift early this morning with both sound and visual upgrades. The Slimline s5700, Pavilion p6700 and Elite HPE-500 now have the Beats audio that was previously only an option for notebooks. Making the pick gives them richer audio output from headphones or speakers, purportedly getting closer to the intended sound.
iBuyPower wrapped up the week with an AMD version of one of its more aggressive liquid-cooled PCs. The Mage XLC M1 uses a hands-off Asetek cooling system combined with AMD's six-core Phenom II X6. Moving to the system gives gamers a very parallel system that should still be quiet and carry built-in headroom for overclocking.
HP today overhauled its desktop line to modernize it and give it more choices. The top-end HPE desktop now has the option of AMD chips and can use Phenom II processors in place of the costlier Intel equivalents, up to a 3.2GHz six-core model. Graphics choices also get more aggressive with up to a Radeon HD 5770 in the best version.
Dell swung its attention to models directly competing with Apple on Thursday as it launched a new all-in-one desktop and upgraded its smallest desktop. The 23-inch Inspiron One is meant to go both against the iMac and HP's TouchSmart line with a 1080p, multi-touch display that centers on a new touch front end known as Stage. The interface provides quick access to apps, music, photos and video, including online services such as CinemaNow and Netflix.
Chipmaker AMD on Tuesday revealed an addition to its Phenom II CPU lineup with the six-core Phenom II X6 1075T and Phenom II X2 560 BE for desktops. The former sits just below the flagship 1090T and has a 3GHz clock speed along with 9MB of cache. Thanks to its TurboCore feature, it can be boosted to as much as 3.5GHz. AMD says its thermal peak is 125W, and the chip will be priced at $245 in large tray quantities.
Dell has slipped out its new Inspiron M501R with a quad-core AMD Phenom II N930. Also on offer is the Inspiron M5030 with a triple-core AMD Phenom II P320. The 15.6-inch notebook weighs in at 5.83 pounds and is built on AMD’s 880G chipset with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4250 integrated graphics on the M5030. The more powerful M501R includes the option of an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 550v 1GB for graphics. They both come pre-installed with Windows Home Premium 64-bit and can be fitted with up to 8GB DDR3 RAM, though both come with 4GB in standard trim.
MSI has brought a new version of its 15.6-inch FX600 notebook to the US with the FX610. Rather than Intel's Core i5 in the FX600, however, the FX610 uses an AMD Phenom II chip. At the same time, the 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 325M graphics are replaced with a 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5470.
Digital Storm is now offering a number of PCs meant for multi-display 3D using NVIDIA's 3D Vision Surround. Each of the Black|OPS desktops includes three 23-inch 3D-ready monitors with a 1080p resolution from ASUS and one pair of 3D glasses. The base model gets a 2.8GHz AMD Phenom II X6 1055T CPU and two 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 graphics cards in an SLI configuration.
Dell's Inspiron Zino HD mini desktop will finally get a performance boost soon as documentation from Dell itself has confirmed faster options. The breadbox-sized PC's maximum options will jump from a dual-core Athlon X2 to a quad-core Phenom II; triple-core will also be a choice. Integrated graphics will ramp up to a Radeon HD 4250, but dedicated graphics will advance further still with a Mobility Radeon HD 5450 as a replacement for the 4330.
AMD today posted mixed but largely positive results for the spring. The firm's pure revenue surged 40 percent over last year to reach $1.65 billion, setting a record for the company, but was balanced by a $43 million net loss. Operating income also flipped from a $67 million loss the year before to $128 million today.
Without any sort of official announcement, HP has launched its newest entry-level notebook series, the Compaq CQ62Z. The 15.6-inch system is powered by a 2.2GHz AMD V120 processor in base trim. Four other AMD processors are available, including a 2.8GHz dual-core Phenom II and a 2.1GHz triple-core Phenom II.
Custom PC maker CyberPower on Friday announced the release six gaming desktop PCs that have NVIDIA's 3D Vision graphics technology. There are four systems from the Gamer Xtreme series and two in the Gamer Ultra series. All ship with a 22-inch Samsung 3D LCD and 3D Vision stereoscopic glasses. The systems are powered by AMD's Phenom II or else Intel's Core i5 or Core i7 processors.
Dell helped kick off AMD's 6-core desktop Phenom IIs by launching its first AMD-based performance desktop, the Studio XPS 7100. It uses the familiar chassis of earlier models but scales up to a 2.8GHz Phenom II X6. Systems scale up to a Radeon HD 5670 graphics card but can also carry as much as 16GB of memory and 4TB of disk space from the factory.
After brief teases from HP and others, AMD today confirmed full details of its 2010 notebook chips. The mainstream processors are now known to be much more power efficient than both previous AMD chips and Intel's quad-core hardware. The four-core 2GHz Phenom II N930 and the 1.6GHz P920 use just 35W and 25W of power, rendering either of them miserly enough to sit in thin-and-light notebooks.
Lenovo has added new AMD-powered models to its ThinkPad Edge 14- and 15.6-inch offerings, first introduced in March. Newly available chips include the 2.1GHz Athlon II X2, 2.3GHz Turion II X2 and 1.8GHz Phenom II X3. All variations get the same ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3400 graphics chipset.
Lenovo became the latest to overhaul its notebook line tonight with two major additions to its IdeaPads. Of the two, the Z series is entirely new and hits at the mainstream, scaling through all of Intel's new Core i3/i5/i7 range and also adding the new mobile Phenom II chip seen first in HP's new Pavilions. They use the new chiclet keys that showed first in newer ThinkPads and a slightly more upscale look as well as the option of Blu-ray.
HP revamped its business notebooks in large fashion today with a particularly large update to its ProBook line. The 14-inch 6455b and 15.6-inch 6555b are some of the first pro systems to use AMD's new mobile Phenom II processors. They add three- and four-core options up to 2GHz and are reckoned to be about 69 percent faster than HP's earlier AMD-running business notebooks but with 24 percent more battery life.
HP as part of a sweeping notebook update this morning became the first PC builder to use AMD's new mobile Phenom II processors. Its Pavilion dv5, dv6 and dv7 all have the option of using the dual- and quad-core versions of AMD's new chips and overcome many of the performance and battery life gaps with Intel. A dual-core 2.8GHz Phenom II N620 can be up to 69 percent faster than HP's previous best Turion Ultra but gets up to 24 percent more battery life.
Dell's website has been expanded with a teaser page for upcoming notebooks based on AMD's quad-core Phenom II X4 CPUs. The new Inspiron M501R notebook is based on AMD's M880G chipset with integrated Radeon HD4250 graphics, while customers can choose to add Radeon HD 550v discrete graphics components with 1GB of memory.
Gaming PC makers CyberPower and Maingear have released new systems that feature AMD's new six-core Phenom II X6 CPU at their hearts. CyberPower's entries are the Gamer Dragon CrossFire Ultimate and Gamer Ultra CrossFireX Pro desktops, with the former shipping with the faster 3.2GHz Phenom II X6, while the latter gets the 2.8GHz version. Each can be had with the other chip, however. The systems are otherwise largely configurable, including a choice of mainboards, graphics cards (up to three Radeon HD 5870s) and drives (up to 2TB each).
AMD this morning at last took the wraps from its first mainstream six-core processor, the Phenom II X6. It adds two new cores but without changing the power draw compared to AMD's faster quad-cores or even the price, letting regular users get added speed in newer games and other very parallel tasks. They also add a Turbo Core feature which, like Intel's Turbo Boost, shuts down unneeded cores while ramping up the clock speed; as many as three cores can be active at the higher speeds.
AMD's six-core Phenom II X6 could cost just a fraction of the price of an Intel model, mainboard producers said Thursday. The 2.8GHz 1055T and the 3.2GHz 1090T Black Edition would cost just $207 and $315 each versus the typical $999 for Intel's six-core, 3.33GHz Core i7 Extreme Edition. Both could result in six-core mainstream PCs well ahead of Intel's schedule, which may not have these options until later in the year.
HP has added a parcel of new desktops today that, in its business line, include its smallest-ever desktop using AMD. The Compaq-labeled 6005 Pro has the footprint of a piece of paper but can use desktop-level processors. It's small enough to fit on the back of a display and is also HP's first truly green PC, dropping BFRs (bromide flame retardants) and PVC plastics.
Insiders at mainboard builders today revealed some of the details for the six-core processors from AMD and Intel. The latter will take the bow first and is now believed certain to launch the Core i7-980X in March. It's known to run at 3.33GHz and will be a very high end chip with 12MB of cache. Pricing may reach over $1,000, however, and would reserve it for gaming PCs and performance workstations.
AMD on Monday swung its attention to the budget end of its processors and today launched multiple chips, including its first Phenom II to crack the $100 barrier. The 3.2GHz X2 555 Black Edition just dips below the mark at $99 (for PC builders) but is also the fastest dual-core processor from the company. Being a Black Edition also gives it headroom for overclocking.
Lenovo on Thursday revealed two new desktops that use Intel's relatively new Core i7 processor and AMD's Phenom II CPU. The first is the ThinkCentre A63 desktop meant for small- to medium-sized businesses, and it can be equipped with a range of AMD's 45nm processors, including the Sempron, Athlon II Phenom II processors.
HP as part of its CES introductions upgraded the cornerstone of its home desktops, the Pavilion Elite. The Pavilion Elite HPE (High Performance Edition) moves the baseline speed up by giving every model a quad-core processor as well as a minimum 8GB of RAM and 1TB of disk space. At the very high end, HP supplies a 2.66GHz Core i7 with as much as 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.
iBuyPower this afternoon refreshed the ready-made gaming PCs it ships to NewEgg. All of the Gamer Extreme and Supreme models, ranging from the 922 SLC through to the 979 SLC, use an Asetek-made liquid cooling setup that lets them run coolly while also giving them some performance headroom. The 979 and its sibling 929 also adds the PC builder's own internal USB expansion, which supplies added power to the normally weak front USB ports and also supplies Bluetooth.
iBuyPower on Wednesday introduced its latest gaming PC, the Chimera 2. The various hardware components are housed in a new Chimera Inferno II Chassis with a wraparound flame color scheme. Users can spec a 2.66GHz Intel Core i5 or i7 but can also switch over to AMD’s 2.8GHz or 3.2GHz Phenom II processors.
HP kicked off its week by launching a pair of business-focused LCDs as well as two desktops to match. The 17-inch LE1711 and its closely related 19-inch counterpart, the LE1911, are spun as eco-friendly displays that still use conventional backlights but use 50 percent less mercury and entirely scrap toxics like arsenic, BFRs and PVC. They also meet the requirements to earn the latest Energy Star badge.
By May of 2010, chipmaker AMD will officially introduce two new desktop platforms, with the high-end Leo and more mainstream Dorado, says Digitimes. The information comes from motherboard makers, who revealed the Leo will be made up of current 45nm Phenom II or future six-core Thuban CPUs paired with either 890FX or 890GX northbridge and SB850 southbridge chipsets.
Three custom-order PC builders today became some of the earliest to pick up AMD's ATI Radeon HD 5800 series as a video option. CyberPower has added the option to three of its systems and will see the Core i5-based Xtreme 4200 and Phenom II-based Gamer Dragon 9500 come with a Radeon HD 5850 as standard while the Core i7-founded will ship with a Radeon HD 5870. Prices start from $927 for the Gamer Dagon and mode up to $999 and $1,393 for the Xtreme 4200 and 5200 respectively.
iBuyPower wound down its afternoon with a new Chimera Killer Special Edition PC. The new model is tailored just to the hardcore gaming market with a Killer Xeno Pro standard in every model to hopefully lower latency by reducing the overhead of Ethernet traffic. Every system also has a special flame art case with an illuminated side window and a small display to show the heat levels inside the case.
Intel has reached the end of its long-standing market share gains in the global microprocessor industry according to the first quarter results of 2009, says iSuppli. The company's only distant rival, AMD, gained approximately 2.3 percent in the latest quarter, or almost an equal amount to that which Intel lost. AMD has seemingly ended its negative three quarter long trend of declines, while Intel has done the opposite, reversing its year-long positive trend.
CyberPower on Friday launched a duo of game PCs that all center on bundled GeForce 3D Vision glasses and Samsung's 120Hz, 22-inch 2233RZ LCD display needed to see the extra visual depth. They also both come with a GeForce GTS 250 video card that produces mid-range 3D capable of driving a stereoscopic 3D image.
iBuyPower has launched two gaming PCs featuring AMD's Dragon platform, the Gamer HAF 91B and Gamer Fire. Both computers integrate AMD Phenom II processors, the AMD 790GX chipset and ATI Radeon 4000-series graphics cards. The HAF 91B is geared toward entry-level gamers and provides an X4 920 processor, 4GB of DDR2 RAM and an ATI Radeon 4850 graphics card. The system also offers a 16X DVD reader, 20X DVD burner and a 500GB hard drive. A 600W speaker system is included and the computer supports 7.1-channel surround sound.
AMD marked the start of CES with the formal debut of the Phenom II, its first mainstream 45 nanometer processor. The upgrade is based on the same core "Shanghai" architecture as recent Opterons and gives a roughly 20 percent speed boost over the previous-best 2.6GHz chip through changes that involve an optimized design with more instructions handled per clock, 4MB of total extra cache, and support for up to the same 1,333MHz DDR3 memory as rival systems from Intel. The design is also now much more tolerant of high clock speeds and will run up to 3GHz in stock trim.
A couple of online computer stores are offering two versions of AMD's upcoming Phenom II CPUs, ahead of their official debut planned for CES in January. According to the web stores' listings, the two new quad-core CPUs will begin shipping on December 27th. AMD's Phenom II X4 940 quad-core, rated at a 3GHz clock speed, is being offered for $304 by Computers4Sure and $373 CAD ($305) by A-Power. The second chip, the 2.8GHz Phenom II X4 920, is priced at $271 by Computers4Sure and $317 CAD ($259) by A-Power.
AMD's mainstream Phenom II processors should rekindle the competition with Intel for clock speed, according to a collection of reports of an AMD demonstration session. Based on the recently unveiled Shanghai architecture being used for new Opterons, the quad-core desktop chips should make a modest leap to 3GHz in official clock speeds but will have room for overclocking previously only available with Intel's Core 2 chips. An example tested by AMD is capable of running reliably at 4GHz with fan-based cooling and shows the company could upgrade the clock speed to match or beat Intel if necessary.
