Asus A8Jr, featuring the 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo processor, is the world’s first notebook series to utilize ATI Mobility Radeon X2300 graphics, the company announced.
“The new ATI Mobility Radeon X2300 will boost graphical performance, and utilize ATI’s HyperMemory management technology to deliver enhanced ‘performance-per-watt’ operations. It will also offer Certified for Windows Vista 3D graphics that supports the visually stunning Windows Aero user interface,” the press release says.
Alienware announced the overclocking option for the 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile (Merom) processors in Area-51 m5790 and Area-51 m5550 laptop PCs.
The company says the customers now can take advantage of higher processing performance without the higher price, when purchasing the 17-inch m5790 and 15.4-inch m5550 gaming notebooks.
MSI has introduced ER600 and PR200 laptops built on Intel’s Mobile 965GM Express Chipset and MSI GX700 notebook based on Intel’s Mobile 965PM Express Chipset, both made for use with Intel’s 64-bit Core 2 Duo processors. The Intel’s Mobile 965 chipsets are not announced by chip manufacturer yet.
MSI ER600, showed at company’s 2007 CES Online Exhibit, features the 15.4-inch widescreen 1280×800 display, one of the Core 2 Duo CPUs, Intel 802.11a/b/g wireless LAN, Gigabit Ethernet, built-in DVD burner and a 4-in-1 card reader.
VoodooPC unveiled the 20.1-inch widescreen Voodoo ENVY HW:201 gaming laptop, featuring two NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX GPUs running in NVIDIA SLI mode and powered by AMD Turion 64 X2 dual-core processor.
At the core of the ENVY HW:201, users can choose between two NVIDIA graphics cards: the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7950 GTX with 512MB of RAM for PC gaming or the NVIDIA Quadro FX 2500M with 512MB of RAM for those looking for a portable workstation. Users can additionally select a choice of a single graphics card or two in NVIDIA SLI mode for the ultimate in gaming performance and image quality, the VoodooPC, which is part of the Global Gaming business unit of HP, published.
Voodoo ENVY HW:201 is set to begin shipping to customers on January 8, 2007. There is no info on its price.
Micro-Star International today unveiled 13.3-inch widescreen laptop with ring made of 120 pieces of “genuine SWAROVSKI crystal”. MSI S300 Crystal Collection laptop incorporates Intel’s 945GM chipset, 2.0GHz 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 120GB SATA hard drive, DVD burner and a 802.11b/g wireless connection.
The S300 is the second Crystal Collection notebook, after the 15.4-inch M677 based on 64-bit AMD platform.
S300 Crystal Collection integrates 4 high-quality speakers, two located on the top of keyboard and another two located on the left-hand and right-hand sides of the notebook, according to the company’s press release.
The MSI S300 Crystal Collection is also equipped with a 3-in-1 card reader, IEEE 1394 interface and a Bluetooth.
Hewlett-Packard introduced the AMD Turion 64 X2 dual-core processor powered Pavilion tx1000 Tablet PC featuring 12.1-inch WXGA touch-screen display with 180° rotation, at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.
HP Pavilion tx1000 Tablet PC also incorporates an integrated NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics with up to 128MB of shared memory, a 2GB main memory, a 160GB SATA hard drive and a DVD burner. Pavilion tx1000 has wireless and Gigabit Ethernet connections, and a 56k modem.
The tx1000 comes with three USB ports, VGA out and TV out (S-video), and ExpressCard slot. It has HP Webcam with integrated microphone and a finger print reader.
HP Pavilion tx1000 Tablet PC will ship with Windows Vista Home Premium preinstalled, but there is no info if 64-bit version is to be optionally preloaded on this computer.
Asus today unveiled the 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo powered W5Fe laptop featuring SideShow, an auxiliary display on the back of the notebook’s screen panel. The SideShow, which runs as an independent operating system and complements with Windows Vista, can be switched on without booting up the main operating system. With embedded flash memory, users can save selected data to SideShow, in forms of text, image and audio, for later review, and also are able to play music, as same as access emails and calendars.
Based on Mobile Intel 945GM Express chipset, the the 12.1-inch widescreen Asus W5Fe incorporates up to 1536MB of DDR2 533/667Mhz memory, Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection, 160 GB Serial-ATA hard drive and Intel’s Graphics Media Accelerator 950.
Asus W5Fe also has Bluetooth V2.0+EDR, an integrated 1.3M pixel web-camera, three USB ports, VGA and TV-Out, a Card-Reader, and an ExpressCard slot.
AMD has unveiled elements of its forthcoming processors and other chips planed to arrive in next two years, such as HyperTransport 3.0, use of L3 cache shared between the CPU cores, use of DDR3 memory, PCI-Express 2.0, shift to DirectX 10 and use of hybrid graphics in laptops. AMD also showed details of desktop, notebook and server/workstation processors roadmaps for 2007/2008, as same as a concept of the future multi-core chips called Accelerated Processing Units, during company’s Financial Analyst Day held this week.
Regarding desktop processor and chipset roadmap, AMD plans quad-core CPU introduction in mid-2007, featuring Level 3 cache shared between the cores. At the same time, AMD will introduce CrossFire chipset family for use with multiple graphics cards. This AMD platform will incorporate HyperTransport 3.0 providing faster chip-to-chip and board-to-board communications. HT 3.0 extends HyperTransport 1’s 800 MHz clock to 1.8 GHz, 2.0 GHz, 2.4 GHz and 2.6 GHz, while the PCI Express 2.0 will double the bus standard’s bandwidth. DirectX 10 graphics in AMD’s desktop platforms will also debut in mid-2007, while the new AM3 CPU socket will be introduced in 2008.
The DDR3 memory support will show up in AMD powered desktops in mid-2008, along with new single-, dual- and quad-core parts. The DDR3 SDRAM (Double Data Rate 3 Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) is the successor to DDR2 SDRAM. The DDR3 promises a power consumption reduction of 40% compared to current DDR2 modules, according to the Wikipedia.
AMD Desktop Roadmap – Source: AMD
The laptop platform refresh will include processors update, as same as use of hybrid graphics and forthcoming wireless 802.11n standard, according to the unveiled company’s public roadmap.
The mobile ‘Hawk’ processors will debut in second half of next year with an 800MHz DDR2 memory support. Additionally, in 2008, AMD’s Griffin processors and ‘Puma’ notebook platform will bring low-voltage portable computing, PCI Express 2.0, HyperTransport 3.0 and DirectX 10.
An interesting feature in next generation AMD-based notebooks will be hybrid graphics, scheduled to arrive in 2007. It is a combination of integrated and discrete GPUs. According to AMD, simply plugging in or unplugging the laptop’s AC adaptor will automatically flip between the discrete and integrated graphics. The battery life is to be saved by using less power-demanding integrated graphics chip, when laptop is unplugged from power supply.
AMD Mobile Roadmap – Source: AMD
In the field of server and workstation computing, AMD Opteron CPU roadmap announces a quad-core processor code-named Barcelona, which will come out mid-year in 2007. The CPU will be aimed at two-socket and four-socket platforms, according to the reports. At the same time, Budapest will debut as a quad-core Opteron offering for one-socket servers and workstations. The Budapest will shift Opteron platforms to HyperTransport 3.0.
In the first half of 2008 the quad-core Shanghai will be introduced featuring HT 3.0 and L3 cache. It will still have DDR2 (not DDR3) options, according to the AMD’s officials.
AMD Opteron Processor Roadmap – Source: AMD
The mentioned Accelerated Processing Units represent a future of multi-core chips that include a mix of processor cores and other dedicated cores. The dedicated cores could be used for separate physics processing or audio/video encoding for example. According to the reports, APUs may bring specific tailored processors in the future, such as office, gaming or CAD CPUs. This direction of processor development is significantly different from Intel’s strategy, based on adding large number of identical cores to existing dies.
AMD Accelerated Processing Units – Source: AMD
All announced AMD’s processors will certainly be 64-bit units.
Dell Precision M90 is a rare laptop offered with Windows XP Professional x64 OS, along with 32-bit XP Pro. The installation of 64-bit Windows was enabled by recent addition of 64-bit Intel’s Core 2 Duo (Merom) processors to M90 mobile workstation.
Dell Precision M90 laptop workstation is designed for work with graphically-demanding applications like animation, special effects, video editing and CAD design and modeling. Dell has also added the latest NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500M graphics, as an option when configuring the M90. The mobile workstation features the 17-inch widescreen display, up to 4GB of DDR2 main memory, and a 120GB SATA hard drive.
The Dell Precision M90 price starts at $1714. There is also an upgrade option to Windows Vista Business for $10.
Forthcoming Intel’s notebook platform, codenamed “Santa Rosa”, designed for use with 64-bit Core 2 Duo processors, will be officially named “Centrino Pro”, Digi Times reports. “In the second quarter of 2007, Intel will launch its new Core 2 Duo CPU lineup, which includes the T7300, T7500 and T7700 models, featuring Socket P connector, 800MHz FSB and 4MB L2 cache, as well as the T7100 with 2MB of L2 cache”, the report says.
Intel plans to raise the proportion of Core 2 Duo Mobile (Merom) CPU to over 50% of its laptop processor shipments of in the first quarter of 2007, making 64-bit dual-core models the mainstream in the notebook market, Digi Times writes according to industry sources.
While Intel is expected to officially unveil its Merom processors by the end of July, volume production may only begin in mid-August, and the first Intel-based 64-bit dual-core notebooks may not hit shelves until the end of August, the sources pointed out.
Intel’s initial shipment goal for Merom after its launch is 15% of its laptop processor shipments, and the proportion will increase to 30% in the fourth quarter, the sources said.
In the first quarter of 2007, Intel expects the launch of Microsoft’s Vista to drive up demand for 64-bit dual-core laptop PCs, and Merom’s proportion in its notebook processor shipments will top 50% in the first quarter, the sources added.
HP announced today its latest thin and light laptop, the Compaq nx6325. Designed for the high–flying road warrior, this relatively small and lightweight machine weighs a manageable six pounds (starting weight; actual weight depends on which configuration you select). This business-minded laptop is also one of the first to feature AMD’s latest Turion 64 X2 mobile CPU, a 64-bit multiple processor platform designed to compete head-to-head with Intel’s Pentium Core Duo chips.
Intel‘s August launch of its 64-bit dual-core Merom processors will include the high-end T7600 series and mainstream T7200 and T7400, according to sources. Of the Merom lineup, the T7600 will feature a 2.33GHz core speed and will be priced at over US$600. The 2GHz T7200 and 2.16GHz T7400 will be priced at US$294 and US$423, respectively, close to the 2GHz T2500 and 2.16GHz T2600 (codenamed Yonah).
In addition, Intel plans to introduce the Celeron M 440 and M 450, with respective core speeds of 1.86GHz and 2GHz, later this year, the sources indicated. The chip giant will also reduce prices for the existing Celeron M 420 and M 430 to as low as US$86, with the price-cut strategy improving the company’s competitiveness in the entry-level segment, according to the sources.
Sources at Taiwan notebook makers suspect that by pricing the mainstream Merom chips in a similar range to the T2400 and T2500 Intel may cause higher inventories of Yonah-based dual-core models in the worldwide notebook market over the next three months, after which a significant price war to clear inventory may take place. From January 2006, when the dual-core Napa platform was launched, the average selling price (ASP) of Napa models has fallen from US$1,500 to US$700, the sources mentioned.
Chipmaker AMD has released its family of 64-bit dual-core processors designed for small notebook PCs. The AMD Turion 64 X2 touts the ability for people to get more from their mobile lifestyle through long battery life and high performance, even when using multiple applications simultaneously, including digital media applications.
“AMD is first to market with the only 64-bit dual-core mobile processor, driving the wave of next-generation mobile platforms that are ready today to run the upcoming 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows Vista,” said Chris Cloran, vice president, AMD Mobile Division. “This is advanced mobile technology for the office or home, packing dual-core processing for extreme multi-tasking, 64-bit computing, extended battery life and cutting-edge technology from industry leaders in wireless, connectivity and graphics.”
AMD, which has been stealing market share off Intel in recent quarters, is currently engaged in a technology race with its larger Silicon Valley rival. Vendors who will launch notebooks with the new AMD Turion 64 X2, include HP, Gateway, Acer and Fujitsu Siemens. Yesterday, Apple announced its new MacBook range featuring the Intel Core Duo dual-core processor. While today, HP got into the act touting the new AMD dual-core processors.
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