AMD yesterday launched Comal mobile platform, accompanied by several mobile Accelerated Processing Units (APU). New processors use "Trinity" design, that combines 1 or 2 Piledriver modules (2 or 4 CPU cores), HD 7000M series graphics unit and HD Media Accelerator on a single die. "Trinity" chips feature many enhancements over previous generations of Bulldozer processors and Llano APUs. According to AMD, improved micro-architecture and higher operating frequencies result in up to 29% better CPU performance than previous generation of APUs. Furthermore, new HD 7000M series GPU provides up to 56% better performance in graphics applications.   [Full story]

As you may already know, dual-core Ivy Bridge microprocessors will be released in less than three weeks. Last week we reported about 5 different mobile models, that will be available on June 3. Computerbase.de spotted another Ivy Bridge mobile SKU in specifications of several upcoming Acer, MCI and Samsung laptops. Newly discovered chip has processor number i5-3210M, and it may also launch in June.   [Full story]

As we expected, Intel announced today Xeon E3-1200 v2 microprocessors for single-socket servers and workstations. This family is going to supersede E3-1200 series, that was in production since April of last year. The company also launched Xeon E5-2400 CPUs for dual-socket systems, and E5-4600 for quad-socket servers. Xeon E3-1200 v2 products are built on the latest Intel's microarchitecture, codenamed Ivy Bridge, while Xeon E5 series employs one generation older Sandy Bridge core.   [Full story]

This and next quarter AMD plans to release new generation of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). Soon to be available microprocessors will use enhanced microarchitecture, and feature significantly improved on-chip graphics, codenamed Graphics Core Next. There were a couple of reports in the past month, placing the launch of first mobile APUs in the middle of May. Release date for mobile APUs was confirmed last week by DigiTimes. They also revealed launch dates of desktop APUs, and ultra low voltage processors from Brazos 2.0 platform.   [Full story]

AMD FX-400 quad-core series currently includes two CPUs: FX-4100 and FX-4170. At least two other models from the same series, FX-4130 and FX-4150, were discovered in leaked AMD roadmaps, although they are not launched yet. It is possible that another quad-core FX processor may be released before the 4130 and 4150. AMD FX-4200 was spotted in Gigabyte and MSI CPU support lists in March and April, and recently appeared in Bottom Line Telecommunications online store.   [Full story]

NVidia has silently launched a new entry level mobile GPU, GeForce 405M. With 16 CUDA cores and a shader processor clocked at 1212 MHz, this is currently the slowest GPU in the company's mobile line-up, and is presumably therefore also the product with the lowest power consumption.   [Full story]

NVidia today launched the third card in the Kepler line-up, GeForce GTX 670. The card uses a GK104 core, with 7 of it's 8 SMX enabled, giving it 1344 CUDA cores. The reference clock speed is 915 MHz, with a boosted clock speed of 994 MHz. The 2 GB memory runs at 1502 MHz (6008 MHz effective), with a bus width of 256-bits.   [Full story]

Less than a week left before the launch of the next generation of AMD Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) with "Trinity" core. At first, AMD will introduce mainstream mobile processors, and later this and next quarters we will see new desktop and low-voltage mobile APUs. AMD also readies several embedded SKUs, based on "Trinity" core. The processors will be branded as "R-Series", and in many aspects they will be similar to mobile "Trinity" parts. Some characteristics of these products, such as model number, TDP and performance in graphics applications, relative to Intel Sandy Bridge CPUs, surfaced on AMD website.   [Full story]

Today Dell announced PowerEdge C5220 micro-servers based on upcoming Ivy Bridge processors from Xeon E3-1200 v2 family. According to Dell, the new microservers will deliver up to 95% higher performance within the same rack, and up to 50% increased density in comparison with previous generation of PowerEdge C5220 systems. The micro-servers will be available on May 22, 2012, which implies that the launch of Ivy Bridge Xeon CPUs is just around the corner. Indeed, based on information that we have at hand, E3-1200 v2 series of processors will be announced on May 14. Even more, Xeon E5-2400 and E5-4600 series will be also announced on the same day.   [Full story]

It seems that AMD are not happy to take second place (out of two) in the discrete PC graphics card performance charts. According to a report at atomicpc, AMD will be increasing the reference clock speed of Radeon HD 7970 cards to 1 GHz, and rebranding it as "GHz Edition", following in the steps of the 7870 and 7770 cards.   [Full story]

On April 23 Intel announced first "Ivy Bridge" based mobile processors, all of which had 4 CPU cores and could handle as many as 8 processing threads at once. These chips were not cheap, and even the least expensive Core i7-3720QM model had price tag close to $400. On June 3 Intel plans to launch more affordable dual-core CPUs, also based on Ivy Bridge micro-architecture. Prices of these microprocessors will range from $225 to $346.   [Full story]

In January Intel launched "Medfield" platform, aimed at tablets and smartphone devices. "Medfield" systems on a chip (SoC) are built on 32nm technology, and integrate Atom CPU along with SGX 540 graphics, memory controller, video and audio units, and peripheral controllers. Current lineup of SoCs includes Z2460 SKU. Intel also announced plans to release Z2580, twice as powerful as the Z2460, as well as Z2000 budget model. Fudzilla and VR-Zone reported about another Medfield product with processor number Z2610, that should perform on the same level as the Z2460. According to Fudzilla the Z2610 SoC will be available in the second quarter. The launch in the second quarter was confirmed by recently released Intel's public roadmap.   [Full story]

The first Ivy Bridge mobile microprocessors, introduced last Sunday, were high-performance quad-core models. These processors are not cheap, and ultimately they will take only a small part of mobile market. Things will get more interesting when we get closer to the launch of mid-class chips from Core i5 and Core i3 families. Core i5-branded dual-core CPUs will be released on June 3. In the third quarter, there will be two Core i3 mobile parts available. Specifications of one of these products, ultra-low voltage i3-3217U, were made public by VR-Zone two months ago. The second processor is a Core i3-3110M.   [Full story]

There has been much talk about how hot Ivy Bridge chips gets when overclocked, and just as much speculation about why. Initially, most reviewers were assuming the extra heat at higher frequencies was down to an increased power density, while others said there were problems with the process. A few days ago, we reported that part of the problem may be the use of TIM between the die and the heatspreader. The Inquirer have reported that Intel have admitted the chips are hotter than Sandy Bridge when overclocked.   [Full story]

According to the latest rumors, NVidia will imminently be releasing two more GK104 based cards, which will probably be known as GTX 670 and GTX 660 (Ti?). This means they will be using sub-standard high-end products before they release mid-range and low-end SKUs. With the GTX 680 launched last month, and the GTX 690 due this week, there will be a lot of sub-standard chips the company will want to make use of.   [Full story]

We already reported about AMD's plans to refresh existing Opteron 4200 and 6200 series with several new SKUs, which will be done before transitioning to the next generation of server processors, based on Piledriver core. Last month new Opterons surfaced in a few US online stores, and today AMD added these CPUs to official pricelist. We consider this as an indication that the SKUs have been launched. The company also added prices for Opteron 3200 series chips, that were released in March.   [Full story]

This quarter Intel will launch two Xeon E5 subfamilies. Xeon E5-4600 series will offer support for quad-CPU servers, and it will utilize socket R (LGA2011). Xeon E5-2400 processors will use less expensive socket B2 (LGA1356) platform, although they are going to be limited to single- and dual-processing. In addition to E5-2400 series, later this year Intel plans to release two off-roadmap Pentium chips for socket 1356. These chips will have processor numbers 1403 and 1407.   [Full story]

Last Monday Intel announced Ivy Bridge microprocessors, and disclosed initial lineup for desktop and mobile markets. The same day the announcement was followed by numerous reviews and benchmarks, published by hardware news site. Today is another big day: the processors are now officially released, and they are hitting retail. Also today, Intel added new SKUs to official pricelist.   [Full story]

At this weekend's GeForce LAN/NVidia Game Festival 2012, on April 28 in Shanghai, NVidia announced their upcoming dual-GPU flagship card, GeForce GTX 690. With two GK104 cores, the new cards will have a total of 3072 CUDA cores, running almost as fast as the GTX 680. The announcement came during the opening addresses at the festival, attended by over 6000 gamers from across China.   [Full story]

Most readers will have already seen numerous articles, along with our own summary of Ivy Bridge. Most reviewers that we have read have written about how Ivy Bridge gets so hot when overclocked, with temperatures 20-30C higher than a comparable Sandy Bridge chip. It seems that the problem may be nothing like what most of us assumed, but could be an issue with the use of TIM (thermal interface material) between the die and the IHS.   [Full story]

With the paper launch of Ivy Bridge earlier this week, and products shipping from the end of the week, we have taken a look at a number of reviews to give you an idea of what to expect if you buy an Ivy Bridge system, along with an overview of what to expect if you overclock it. Indications so far are that at the same clock speeds, Ivy Bridge will outperform Sandy Bridge by a few percent, but if you overclock it will get much hotter much quicker.   [Full story]

A few days after announcement of Intel's Ivy Bridge micro-architecture, many news sites reported that some European retailers slashed prices of FX-8150 processors by 15% - 20%, and suggested that AMD may have dropped the prices of other processors as well. Today AMD published new pricelist, confirming price drop for the FX-8150 model. The company also cut prices of six- and quad-core FX-Series chips, and for all microprocessors from A-Series.   [Full story]

Earlier this week, AMD added three new SKUs to it's mobile graphics line-up. The Radeon HD 7900M series, currently comprising solely of the HD 7970M, is based on Pitcairn, the HD 7800 Series desktop SKU. Cape Verde has been reused to create both the Radeon HD 7800M and the Radeon HD 7700M series, making their new GCN architecture available to mobile devices.   [Full story]

Earlier this month NVidia quietly launched GT 605 and GT 620 OEM graphics cards. Both cards were based on one generation older technology, and they were re-brands of GT 530 and GT 520 Fermi cards. Continuing the trend of quiet launches and card re-branding, NVidia yesterday released details of GT 640 with three memory options, GT 630 and GT 645 GPUs, some of which are re-packaged GeForce GT 5xx products.   [Full story]

On April 23 Intel revealed their latest micro-architecture, codenamed Ivy Bridge, and disclosed details of quad-core desktop and mobile microprocessors. Despite the fact that we now know the specs and prices of new CPUs, they are merely announced, and they will be officially launched only on April 29. Also on April 29, Intel will release three embedded chips, Core i7-3610QE, i7-3612QE and i7-3615QE. These CPUs were not referenced in Intel's press release and in the 3rd generation Intel Core processor multimedia press kit, however the microprocessors did appear yesterday in Intel's product database.   [Full story]

Today Intel announced Ivy Bridge (IVB) microarchitecture, as well as 15 quad-core microprocessors, and 5 wireless chipset options. Initial IVB line-up includes six mobile processors, four desktop Core i7 CPUs with Hyper-Threading, and five Core 5 desktop models without Hyper-Threading. All processors will be available in OEM systems and in retail later this month. Some processor benchmark results are already available on Intel website, and earlier today many hardware news sites posted their own reviews with detailed benchmarks.   [Full story]

Later this quarter Intel will release six Sandy Bridge microprocessors, refreshing their lineup of Celeron and Pentium desktop CPUs. The CPUs are expected to launch on June 3rd. We already reported on their specifications, and last week we published their official prices. S-Spec and box part numbers of some of these SKUs recently surfaced on Intel website in Material Declaration Data Sheets (MDDS) database.   [Full story]

AMD have recently announced their HD7000M mobile GPU line-up, to be launched on April 24. Mobile line-up uses the same GPU architecture as the desktop one, but renamed for the mobile market. The top-end SKU will be the HD 7970M, part of the HD 7900 line-up, codenamed Thames and using the Pitcairn GPU (HD 7800 series).   [Full story]

Intel and Lava International Ltd today announced availability of the world's first Intel powered smartphone, the XOLO X900. The partnership was first announced at Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, in Feb 2012. The XOLO X900 is the first smartphone to be powered by an Intel Atom processor. It will be released first in India.   [Full story]

This week Intel published three Product change Notifications, advising its customer of forthcoming discontinuation of several mobile processors. All retired processors are from Westemere group of families, built on 32nm technology. 6 OEM microprocessors, including P4600, P6100, P6200, P6300, Core i3-370M and i3-390M will be end-of-lifed on October 16, 2012, and their last shipment date is April 16, 2013. In addition to OEM chips, Intel is planning to retire boxed Core i5-520M, i5-540M, i5-560M and i5-580M CPUs. Their last order (EOL) date is October 19, 2012, and they will be shipped until January 18.   [Full story]

Intel budget processor families, currently represented by Pentium and Celeron brands, will be the last to switch to soon to be released Ivy Bridge micro-architecture. Before transitioning budget CPUs to the new microarchitecture, Intel will refresh existing lineup of Pentium and Celeron desktop chips. On June 3rd, together with the second wave of Ivy Bridge products, Intel will release new G540T, G550, G640T, G640, G860T and G870 Sandy Bridge models. We published their specifications in the past, and now we have details on their pricing.   [Full story]

On April 17, ARM announced availability of a quad-core, power-efficient and high-performance hard macro implementation of their flagship ARM Cortex-A15 MPCore processor, an industry leading licensable processor design. Designed to run at 2 GHz, the Cortex-A15 MP4 hard macro offers more than 20K DMIPS performance, with the power efficiency seen in a Cortex-A9 processor.   [Full story]

We previously reported about Intel plans to launch several embedded microprocessors along with consumer Ivy Bridge mobile parts, all based on not yet released Ivy Bridge (IVB) microarchitecture. This quarter Intel will introduce Core i7-3610QE, i7-3612QE, i7-3615QE quad-cores, as well as Core i7-3517UE and i7-3555LE dual-core models. Later this year we will see two embedded chips from Core i3 family, i3-3120ME and i3-3217UE. Additionally, we learned that this quarter the company will offer new embedded Core i5-3610ME model.   [Full story]

A report from Hardware Canucks says that AMD has officially announced a price reduction for three of their recently released Radeon HD 7000 Series graphics cards. Following the release of NVidia's GTX 680, AMD's price/performance ratio on their high end cards was no longer favorable for many purchasers, so the prices are being lowered from today.   [Full story]

Last few weeks I spent working on interface for buying / selling chips in the forum. When it will be ready, the interface will make easier for buyers in the forum to track their purchases, and for sellers to track their sales. At this time I almost completed the first phase of the project: tracking group buys. Before going to the second phase of this project, I decided to spend some time on site improvements. The first improvement, that was done yesterday, was addition of CPU pictures to CPU comparison pages. The pages will now display one processor image, if available, right above specifications, as can be seen on the Intel Core i5-2500 vs Intel Core i7-2600 page.