With the release of the next generation Intel Core processors (codename Haswell), Intel will introduce technologies for reducing power consumption of the CPU in sleep mode. While Ivy Bridge CPUs had a minimum power consumption of 0.5 A in a C6 or C7 state, the Haswell processors would require only as little as 0.05 A. The problem is that a number of older power supplies are unable to deliver such low loads at stable voltages, meaning that the system could crash due to unstable voltages when in C6 or C7 state.
A number of manufacturers are already advertising power supplies that have perfectly stable voltages even down to 0 W, among which is Thermaltake, Enermax, and Seasonic.
Today, Futuremark announced the PCMark 8. For the first time in the series, PCMark 8 will combine performance testing with battery life measurement. You can estimate battery use from each benchmark test or use Battery Life mode to loop a test until the battery is almost empty for more accurate results.
PCMark benchmark tests are based on common use scenarios such as browsing the web, photo editing, video chat, writing, and gaming. PCMark 8 takes this one step further by including additional benchmark tests based on popular productivity and creativity applications from Adobe and Microsoft.
PCMark 8 has been developed in partnership with the members of our Benchmark Development Program. PCMark BDP members include Acer, AMD, Condusiv Technologies, Dell, HGST, HP, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Samsung, SanDisk, Seagate, and Western Digital.
PCMark 8 will be available in several editions ranging from a free to download Basic Edition to a fully-featured Professional Edition designed for device manufacturers, businesses, and the press.
PCMark 8 is in the final stages of development with a public release expected towards the end of Q2.
ASRock is bringing better Internet connections to its upcoming Intel 8 Series motherboards with A-Style: 2T2R Dual Band 802.11ac WiFi + Bluetooth v4.0.
802.11ac WiFi is a new wireless computer networking standard that provides high-throughput wireless local area networks on the 5 GHz band with data transferring speeds up to 867 Mbps, a whopping 289% speed boost compared to the former models with 2T2R 802.11n WiFi. Besides the new WiFi, some models will also come with a new ASRock Wi-SD front tray which includes four USB 3.0 ports and an SD 3.0 card slot.
Razer has just announced the Razer Atrox Arcade Stick for Xbox 360, the final product following an extensive beta testing program. Tested by some of the world’s best pro-gamers and Fighting Game Community members all over the world, the Razer Atrox Arcade Stick is constructed with modders and tournament gamers in mind. Featuring premium quality Sanwa components, the ten highly responsive buttons and a precision eight-way joystick allow gamers to strike instantly and surely, game after game, while maintaining peak performance and reliability.
An extremely moddable controller, the inside of the arcade stick platform opens up at the touch of a button, making the Razer Atrox a breeze to customize for all tastes and play styles. Users can swap in their own personal designs for a unique look, while also getting access to the internal compartments and honeycomb structure for easy screw mounting.
The easily accessible internal compartment of the Razer Atrox reveals dedicated slots to store an included alternate bat top joystick, the detachable cable, and a screwdriver for modding, giving gamers plenty of room for storage as they travel around dominating FGC events.
The Razer Atrox will reach on the market on June 2013 for a suggested retail price of USD 199.99.
Lenovo has announced that customers can place orders for the IdeaPad Yoga 11S beginning today on www.lenovo.com or pre-order on www.bestbuy.com. The 360° flip and fold Yoga 11S follows its predecessor, the IdeaPad Yoga 13.
Sized well for mobility in a thin, 11.6-inch design, the Yoga 11S Ultrabook convertible comes with choices of a third generation Core i3, i5, or i7 Intel processor giving consumers the ability to create high-performance content and presentations and seamless graphics that make it a great entertainment device.
Yoga converts into four special modes to fit the changing ways people are using technology. It offers a new way to experience mobile computing, letting people define which mode works best for them in their environments, from the park and the coffee shop to in transit, at home, or at the office.
For example, users can watch movies like never before by putting Yoga in tent mode while enjoying the convertible’s rich Dolby Home Theatre audio. They can convert Yoga into stand mode for a different environment; good for things like swiping through family photos using the high definition IPS screen’s 10-finger multitouch support. Yoga even supports hand gestures so consumers can just wave their hand in front of the webcam to instantly advance photos, videos, and other content.
In tablet mode, Yoga makes exploring Windows 8 apps fun and up close with its 11-inch touchscreen. And in laptop mode, Yoga offers a great typing experience with its comfortable and responsive keyboard. Additionally, the Yoga 11S has a soft-touch exterior and comes in attractive Silver Grey and Clementine Orange colors.
Beginning today, customers can place orders on www.lenovo.com and www.bestbuy.com. Models will be available in Best Buy stores starting on June 23. Multiple configurations will be available with suggested list price starting at US$ 799.99.
Xigmatek has just released the Janus (CAC-EXAI6-U01), a low-profile CPU cooler equipped with a copper base, aluminum fins, six 6-mm heatpipes, and two fans: The top fan is a 120 mm model, while the bottom one is an 80 mm model.
The cooler supports most modern CPU socket types, including Intel LGA1150, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA2011, LGA1366, and LGA775; and AMD AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2, FM2/FM1.
The new ECS family of motherboards featuring the new Intel 8-series chipset family designed specifically for the new 4th generation Intel Core processor family of CPUs, which will be available and shipping worldwide in Q2 2013. The new chipset features support for full SATA-600 internal ports and PCI Express 3.0 bus design. They also integrate USB 3.0, Thunderbolt, and enable responsiveness technologies like Intel Smart Response, Intel Smart Connect, and Intel Rapid Start.
ECS is also introducing a new family of motherboard tiers including: Pro series optimized for power computing, Deluxe series optimized for small office and home, and Essentials series optimized for home and multi-media. The new ECS family of motherboards will feature ECS’s new Durathon durability technology which includes a triple density PCB, extreme temperature resistance, 1.5K point marathon testing, and superior solid capacitors designed to greatly improve motherboard quality, stability, and longevity.
Additional features includes ECS’s exclusive Hyper Alloy Choke technology, Sound Blaster Cinema Technology, 4-way video output (DVI, HDMI, Display Port and VGA), EZ quick charger, Motherboard Intelligent Bios III, 4K video output, ECS EZ Bios, and ECS ADS (Anti-Dust Shield).
ECS will also be introducing a new brand and family of motherboards specially designed for gaming and high performance processing to be announced in Q2 of 2013. These motherboards will be designed for extreme gaming performance with the highest quality components, and numerous exclusive technologies designed to enhance the gaming experience.
AMD has expanded its notebook GPU offering with the launch of the Radeon HD 8970M. This brand new chip runs at 850 MHz (900 MHz in turbo mode), and can accesses up to 4 GB of GDDR5 memory at 4.8 GHz through a 256-bit interface.
Notebooks equipped with the Radeon HD 8970M GPU are expected to reach the market soon.
AMD is adding bonus games to the Never Settle Reloaded program as a limited-time offer called “Level Up with Never Settle Reloaded.” Here’s the summary:
The promotion adds Tomb Raider to the AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition, HD 7970, HD 7950, and HD 7790 video cards and Crysis 3 to the AMD Radeon HD 7870 video card.
AMD is adding these bonus games in response to the two biggest pieces of feedback they received: “can you add more games?” and “why do I have to choose between Tomb Raider or Crysis 3?” Referring to the way Never Settle Reloaded currently splits these games between the AMD Radeon HD 7900 Series and the AMD Radeon HD 7800 Series.
Starting today, this limited-time promotion will run, while supplies last, at participating retailers. It is expected retailers willcome online next week as they update their checkout systems to support the new promo.
The list of participating retailers and the details of the bundle will be available and updated regularly at http://www.amd.com/levelup.
Project Shield (which is now, officially, Shield) is a portable game console powered by NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 chip (quad core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU and 72 custom GPU cores). It provides a full console-grade controller with two joysticks, a D-pad, ABXY buttons, left/right bumpers, left/right analog triggers, Start/Back/Home/Volume buttons, and a multi-function NVIDIA/Power button. A lid flips up on the top to reveal an integrated 5-inch (1280x720) HD touchscreen display.
The Shield is priced at USD 349 and pre-order will go live on May 20th from the partners listed on shield.nvidia.com. Fans who have signed up to receive Shield updates by clicking “Notify Me” on the Shield website will have an exclusive opportunity to pre-order starting today.
Today, Lian Li announced a new brushed aluminum Mini-ITX case, the PC-Q30. With a curve-shaped design and large acrylic front window, the fully aluminum PC-Q30 allows users to show off their systems
Thanks to the two expansion slots on the top of the case, the PC-Q30 supports video cards up to 7.8” (200 mm). For storage, up to four 2.5” hard drives or SSDs can be mounted in the removable hard drive cage at the bottom of the case.
A 140mm fan in the rear of the case expels hot air, while ventilation on the top and side allows for cool air to enter. A small form factor power supply up to 4.9” (125 mm) is placed on rubber pads in order to reduce vibrations.
The front of the PC-Q30 is minimalistic in aesthetics and houses the dual LED illuminated power button that glows blue when on and red while loading. The I/O panel with two USB 3.0 ports and HD audio connections is located on the left side of the front of the chassis to not interrupt the elegant aesthetics.
The PC-Q30 will be available in June in the U.S. and Canada for the suggested retail price of US$ 149.
Arctic has just announced the Alpine 20 PLUS CO, a low profile CPU cooler dedicated to Intel LGA-2011 socket. It uses a high quality dual ball bearing from Japan to offer a lifespan up to 5 times longer than common sleeve bearing types. This low profile yet long-lasting CPU cooler is no doubt an excellent cooling solution for entry level servers.
Equipped with a 92 mm PWM fan with low noise impeller, the Alpine 20 PLUS CO offers a decent boost of cooling performance and lowers the noise level significantly compared to the box cooler. Thanks to the PWM control, it adjusts the fan speed according to the CPU temperature and thus the noise is always maintained at an absolute minimum.
The pre-installed spring-loaded screws guarantee hassle-free setup and ensure optimized contact pressure. It also comes with the pre-applied MX-4 thermal compound which enhances the heat dissipation from the CPU.
The Alpine 20 PLUS CO CPU cooler is priced at US$ 17.90.
The N200 is the latest addition to Cooler Master’s brand new N Series of compact mainstream cases with extensive water cooling support and improved air cooling performance wrapped in subtle and simplistic designs.
The N200 not only supports 120 mm radiators at the back, but is the first mini-tower that supports installing 120 mm or even 240 mm radiators in the front of the case. Thanks to an all mesh front panel, two high quality Cooler Master XtraFlo fans, and large air vents, it boasts excellent cooling performance.
Despite its extremely compact size, the N200 supports 160 mm tall CPU tower coolers, long high end VGAs, including the upcoming HD 7990, four 2.5” SSDs and three of 3.5” HDDs.
The EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G2 (120-G2-1000-XR) is the newest EVGA power supply. It offers 1,000 W of continuous power, is 80 Plus Gold rated, has a single +12 V rail, Japanese capacitors, a 140 mm double ball bearing fan, a modular cabling system, and the following protections:
OVP (Over Voltage Protection)
UVP (Under Voltage Protection)
OCP (Over Current Protection)
OPP (Over Power Protection)
SCP (Short Circuit Protection)
OTP (Over Temperature Protection)
This brand new unit from EVGA is priced at USD 199.99.
Seasonic’s power supplies listed below are already prepared for the upcoming Intel processors. They are equipped with a DC-to-DC converter which enables the so-called ZERO Load Design. These power supplies will deliver rock-stable voltages even at 0 W load.
