Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST, which is now owned by Western Digital) has developed a new 2.5” mobile hard drive called the Travelstar 5K1500. The hard drive uses three 500GB platter drives for a total capacity of 1.5TB. HGST claims that the drive is the highest capacity 9.5mm mobile drive on the market. Additionally, the company has stated that the new drive is faster than its existing two-platter hard drives according to the PCMark Vantage and PCMark 7 benchmark suites.
The 1.5TB Travelstar 5K1500 is a 5400 RPM hard drive with 32MB of on-board cache, a 6Gbps SATA III interface, and shock protection features.
The new mobile drive will be used in external hard drives, all-in-one systems, and notebooks where storage space is valued more than pure performance. It will be available sometime in June for an as-yet-unannounced price point. Another version of the Travelstar 5K1500 that offers automatic encryption of data will be available in Q3 2013.
If you are on the look out for a low cost Android tablet in the 7-in form factor, we have a great deal for you this afternoon. HP's latest Slate 7 offering, powered by a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 SoC running at 1.6 GHz, brings the price down even lower with our deal; you can pick it up for just $169 with FREE shipping.
Be quiet!, a power supply manufacturer based in Germany, has announced that almost all of its recent power supply lineups are fully compatible with Intel's upcoming Haswell processors. The PC Perspective team has talked in-depth about the new C6 and C7 sleep states used by Haswell CPUs. However, for the uninitiated, the new Intel processors have two new low power sleep states. The lowest state, C7, draws as little as 0.05A from the 12V PSU rail. That is a good thing, but not all power supplies will be compatible with the new sleep states as such low load on the 12V rail was not a concern when the PSUs were designed and manufactured. Notably, even incompatible power supplies will still work in Haswell systems, but those computers will not be able to enter the lower-power C6 and/or C7 sleep states.
There is good news for users of Be Quiet! Power supplies, however. The following power supplies are fully compatible with Haswell and the new sleep states:
Dark Power Pro 10 Series (all models)
Straight Power E9 Series (all models)
Pure Power L8 Series (all models)
System Power 7 Series (all models)
Pure Power L7 Series (the 630W and 730W models only)
Older Be Quiet! power supplies will still work in Haswell systems, but use of the lowest power C7 state is not recommended. Fortunately, most desktop users can live without the new low power states (which, while nice to have, the new sleep states are more beneficial to laptop users).
As the launch of Haswell approaches, more and more PSU manufacturers are releasing compatibility information. So far, the following companies have put together compatibility lists.
Market analytics firm Jon Peddie Research recently released estimated market share and GPU shipment numbers from Q1 2013. The report includes information on AMD, NVIDIA, Intel, and Via and covered IGPs, processor graphics, and discrete GPUs included in desktop and mobile systems powered by X86 hardware. The report includes x86 tablets but otherwise does not factor in GPUs used in ARM devices like NVIDIA's Tegra chips. Year over Year, the PC market is down 12.6% and the GPU market declined by 12.9%. It is not all bad news for the PC market and discrete GPU makers, however. GPUs through 2016 are expected to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.6% with as many as 394 million discrete GPUs shipped in 2016 alone.
In Q1 2013, the PC market is down 13.7% versus last quarter (Q4 2012) but the GPU market only declined 3.2%. This discrepency is explained as the result of people adding multiple GPUs to a single PC system, including adding a single discrete card to a system that already has processor graphics or an APU. By the end of Q1 2013, Intel holds 61.8% market share followed by AMD in second place with 20.2% and NVIDIA with 18%. Notably VIA is out of the game with 0.0% market share.
In terms of GPU shipments, NVIDIA had a relatively good first quarter of this year with an increase of 7.6% for notebook GPUs and desktop GPU shipments that remained flat. Overall, NVIDIA saw an increase in PC graphics shipments of 3.6%. On the other hand, x86 CPU giant Intel saw desktop and notebook GPUs slip by 3% and 6.3% respectively. Overall, that amounts to PC graphics shipments that fell by 5.3%. In between NVIDIA and Intel, AMD moved 30% more desktop chips (including APUs) versus Q4 2012. Meanwhile, Notebook chips (including APUs) fell by 7.3%. AMD's overall PC graphics shipments fell by 0.3%.
In all, this is decent news for the PC market as it shows that there is still interest in desktop GPUs. The PC market itself is declining and taking the GPU market with it, but it is far from the death of the desktop PC. It is interesting that NVIDIA (which announced Q1'13 revenue of $954.7 million) managed to push more chips while AMD and Intel were on the decline since NVIDIA doesn't have a x86 CPU with integrated graphics. I'm looking forward to seeing where NVIDIA stands as far as the mobile GPU market which does include ARM-powered products.
Dell's UltraSharp U2413 1920 x 1200 24" IPS claims a 6ms response time which makes it suitable for gaming, as well as offering superior colour support. As it is a new model it supports HDMI, DisplayPort 1.2, DVI-D and mini DisplayPort inputs as well as acting as a 4-port USB 3.0 hub.
Dell UltraSharp U2413 1920 x 1200 24" IPS Monitor (2013 model)
Dell Works is offering newest 24-inch UltraSharp U2413 Monitor (2013 model) for $499.99 with FREE shipping. Use $100 instant savings to get final price. Backed by 3-Year Advanced Exchange Service and Premium Panel Guarantee.
Envision Peripherals Inc. (EPI), a company that sells Philips monitors in North America recently announced three new high resolution IPS desktop monitors. The company is releasing one 29” 21:9 monitor for consumers and two high resolution displays for professionals.
Philips Brilliance 29” UltraWide Monitor
This Philips monitor is of the 21:9 variety and offers up a resolution of 2560 x 1080 on its AH IPS display. The monitor features a narrow bezel, built-in speakers, and comes bundled with SmartControl software to adjest settings via a PC software application.
It has DL-DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, and (optional) Thunderbolt video inputs. It supports MultiView technology, which allows the monitor to accept multiple video inputs and display them simultaneously on the screen.
The Philips Brilliance 29” UltraWide display is available now at online retailers like Amazon. While it has an MSRP of $599 according to the press release, Amazon is actually charging $667.90 for the monitor currently.
While the Brilliance 29” UltraWide is aimed at consumers, the following two monitors are intended for professionals doing CAD, finance, and art/design work.
P-Line 29” UltraWide Monitor
The P-Line 29” UltraWide is a 21:9 monitor for professionals. It features a 2560 x 1080 resolution AH IPS display with MultiView technology and a “ultra narrow” bezel. EPI claims that the display has both a 178-degree vertical and horizontal viewing angles. There are four USB 3.0 port as well as a height-adjustable stand.
Video inputs include DisplayPort 1.2a ports that allow daisy chaining monitors. The MultiView technology also allows the display to show two display inputs simultaneously.
The monitor is available now to business customers from resellers like CDW for $699.
P-Line 27” Quad HD Monitor
Finally, the P-line 27” Quad HD monitor is the final new professional series display. It has the highest resolution at 2560 x 1440 (109 PPI). This IPS display supports 8-bit color and has a professional price to match. The monitor itself has a height-adjustable stand, built-in speakers, a 2MP webcam with microphone, USB 3.0 ports, and a PowerSensor which detects when the user leaves the computer and automatically dims the display. EPI claims that the PowerSensor results in up to 80% power savings. It would be useful for businesses, though less crucial for home users.
Like the P-line 29” UltraWide, this monitor can daisy chain other monitors to the PC video output via DisplayPort connectors. Video inputs include DL-DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, and Thunderbolt.
It is available now from resellers with an MSRP of $799.
Last month OCZ introduced the Vertex 3.20, which took their popular Vertex line to 20nm flash territory. The Vertex 3.20 used the same tride and true SandForce controller used in previous iterations of that line. The older Vertex line was starting to show its age, and the move to 20nm didn't really help the issue. We knew it was just a matter of time before they brought 20nm to their Indilinx Barefoot line, and that time is now. The new model suggests OCZ may abandon the Vector name, and resurrect the performance of their flagship product line by shifting their Indilinx Barefoot 3 (BF3-M10) over to a newly dubbed Vertex 450:
HGST Develops 1.5TB 2.5" Mobile Drive With 500GB Platter Tech
Subject: Storage | May 21, 2013 - 10:01 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: hgst, western digital, 500GB platter, 1.5tb drive, mobile hard drive
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST, which is now owned by Western Digital) has developed a new 2.5” mobile hard drive called the Travelstar 5K1500. The hard drive uses three 500GB platter drives for a total capacity of 1.5TB. HGST claims that the drive is the highest capacity 9.5mm mobile drive on the market. Additionally, the company has stated that the new drive is faster than its existing two-platter hard drives according to the PCMark Vantage and PCMark 7 benchmark suites.
The 1.5TB Travelstar 5K1500 is a 5400 RPM hard drive with 32MB of on-board cache, a 6Gbps SATA III interface, and shock protection features.
The new mobile drive will be used in external hard drives, all-in-one systems, and notebooks where storage space is valued more than pure performance. It will be available sometime in June for an as-yet-unannounced price point. Another version of the Travelstar 5K1500 that offers automatic encryption of data will be available in Q3 2013.
HP Slate 7 Android Jelly Bean Tablet for $169
Subject: General Tech | May 21, 2013 - 10:12 PM | PCPer Staff
Tagged: deals
If you are on the look out for a low cost Android tablet in the 7-in form factor, we have a great deal for you this afternoon. HP's latest Slate 7 offering, powered by a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 SoC running at 1.6 GHz, brings the price down even lower with our deal; you can pick it up for just $169 with FREE shipping.
HP Slate 7 Android Tablet for $169!
German PSU Manufacturer Be Quiet! Lists Its Haswell-Ready Power Supplies
Subject: Cases and Cooling | May 21, 2013 - 10:50 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: sleep state, PSU, Power Supplies, haswell, c7, c6, be quiet
Be quiet!, a power supply manufacturer based in Germany, has announced that almost all of its recent power supply lineups are fully compatible with Intel's upcoming Haswell processors. The PC Perspective team has talked in-depth about the new C6 and C7 sleep states used by Haswell CPUs. However, for the uninitiated, the new Intel processors have two new low power sleep states. The lowest state, C7, draws as little as 0.05A from the 12V PSU rail. That is a good thing, but not all power supplies will be compatible with the new sleep states as such low load on the 12V rail was not a concern when the PSUs were designed and manufactured. Notably, even incompatible power supplies will still work in Haswell systems, but those computers will not be able to enter the lower-power C6 and/or C7 sleep states.
There is good news for users of Be Quiet! Power supplies, however. The following power supplies are fully compatible with Haswell and the new sleep states:
Older Be Quiet! power supplies will still work in Haswell systems, but use of the lowest power C7 state is not recommended. Fortunately, most desktop users can live without the new low power states (which, while nice to have, the new sleep states are more beneficial to laptop users).
As the launch of Haswell approaches, more and more PSU manufacturers are releasing compatibility information. So far, the following companies have put together compatibility lists.
JPR Releases Q1 2013 GPU Market Share Numbers, Good News for NVIDIA
Subject: Graphics Cards | May 20, 2013 - 12:54 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: VIA, Q1 2013, nvidia, jpr, Intel, gpu market share, amd
Market analytics firm Jon Peddie Research recently released estimated market share and GPU shipment numbers from Q1 2013. The report includes information on AMD, NVIDIA, Intel, and Via and covered IGPs, processor graphics, and discrete GPUs included in desktop and mobile systems powered by X86 hardware. The report includes x86 tablets but otherwise does not factor in GPUs used in ARM devices like NVIDIA's Tegra chips. Year over Year, the PC market is down 12.6% and the GPU market declined by 12.9%. It is not all bad news for the PC market and discrete GPU makers, however. GPUs through 2016 are expected to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.6% with as many as 394 million discrete GPUs shipped in 2016 alone.
In Q1 2013, the PC market is down 13.7% versus last quarter (Q4 2012) but the GPU market only declined 3.2%. This discrepency is explained as the result of people adding multiple GPUs to a single PC system, including adding a single discrete card to a system that already has processor graphics or an APU. By the end of Q1 2013, Intel holds 61.8% market share followed by AMD in second place with 20.2% and NVIDIA with 18%. Notably VIA is out of the game with 0.0% market share.
In terms of GPU shipments, NVIDIA had a relatively good first quarter of this year with an increase of 7.6% for notebook GPUs and desktop GPU shipments that remained flat. Overall, NVIDIA saw an increase in PC graphics shipments of 3.6%. On the other hand, x86 CPU giant Intel saw desktop and notebook GPUs slip by 3% and 6.3% respectively. Overall, that amounts to PC graphics shipments that fell by 5.3%. In between NVIDIA and Intel, AMD moved 30% more desktop chips (including APUs) versus Q4 2012. Meanwhile, Notebook chips (including APUs) fell by 7.3%. AMD's overall PC graphics shipments fell by 0.3%.
In all, this is decent news for the PC market as it shows that there is still interest in desktop GPUs. The PC market itself is declining and taking the GPU market with it, but it is far from the death of the desktop PC. It is interesting that NVIDIA (which announced Q1'13 revenue of $954.7 million) managed to push more chips while AMD and Intel were on the decline since NVIDIA doesn't have a x86 CPU with integrated graphics. I'm looking forward to seeing where NVIDIA stands as far as the mobile GPU market which does include ARM-powered products.
Deal for May 20th - Dell UltraSharp U2413 1920 x 1200 24" IPS @ $499
Subject: General Tech | May 20, 2013 - 02:48 PM | PCPer Staff
Tagged:
Dell's UltraSharp U2413 1920 x 1200 24" IPS claims a 6ms response time which makes it suitable for gaming, as well as offering superior colour support. As it is a new model it supports HDMI, DisplayPort 1.2, DVI-D and mini DisplayPort inputs as well as acting as a 4-port USB 3.0 hub.
Dell UltraSharp U2413 1920 x 1200 24" IPS Monitor (2013 model)
Dell Works is offering newest 24-inch UltraSharp U2413 Monitor (2013 model) for $499.99 with FREE shipping. Use $100 instant savings to get final price. Backed by 3-Year Advanced Exchange Service and Premium Panel Guarantee.
EPI Announces New High-Resolution Philips Desktop Monitors
Subject: Displays | May 23, 2013 - 01:08 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: quad hd, philips, epi, 2560x1440, 2560x1080, 21:9
Envision Peripherals Inc. (EPI), a company that sells Philips monitors in North America recently announced three new high resolution IPS desktop monitors. The company is releasing one 29” 21:9 monitor for consumers and two high resolution displays for professionals.
Philips Brilliance 29” UltraWide Monitor
This Philips monitor is of the 21:9 variety and offers up a resolution of 2560 x 1080 on its AH IPS display. The monitor features a narrow bezel, built-in speakers, and comes bundled with SmartControl software to adjest settings via a PC software application.
It has DL-DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, and (optional) Thunderbolt video inputs. It supports MultiView technology, which allows the monitor to accept multiple video inputs and display them simultaneously on the screen.
The Philips Brilliance 29” UltraWide display is available now at online retailers like Amazon. While it has an MSRP of $599 according to the press release, Amazon is actually charging $667.90 for the monitor currently.
While the Brilliance 29” UltraWide is aimed at consumers, the following two monitors are intended for professionals doing CAD, finance, and art/design work.
P-Line 29” UltraWide Monitor
The P-Line 29” UltraWide is a 21:9 monitor for professionals. It features a 2560 x 1080 resolution AH IPS display with MultiView technology and a “ultra narrow” bezel. EPI claims that the display has both a 178-degree vertical and horizontal viewing angles. There are four USB 3.0 port as well as a height-adjustable stand.
Video inputs include DisplayPort 1.2a ports that allow daisy chaining monitors. The MultiView technology also allows the display to show two display inputs simultaneously.
The monitor is available now to business customers from resellers like CDW for $699.
P-Line 27” Quad HD Monitor
Finally, the P-line 27” Quad HD monitor is the final new professional series display. It has the highest resolution at 2560 x 1440 (109 PPI). This IPS display supports 8-bit color and has a professional price to match. The monitor itself has a height-adjustable stand, built-in speakers, a 2MP webcam with microphone, USB 3.0 ports, and a PowerSensor which detects when the user leaves the computer and automatically dims the display. EPI claims that the PowerSensor results in up to 80% power savings. It would be useful for businesses, though less crucial for home users.
Like the P-line 29” UltraWide, this monitor can daisy chain other monitors to the PC video output via DisplayPort connectors. Video inputs include DL-DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI, and Thunderbolt.
It is available now from resellers with an MSRP of $799.
You can find the full press release below.
OCZ Vertex 450 256GB SSD Full Review - Indilinx drives 20nm flash
Introduction, Specifications and Packaging
Introduction
Last month OCZ introduced the Vertex 3.20, which took their popular Vertex line to 20nm flash territory. The Vertex 3.20 used the same tride and true SandForce controller used in previous iterations of that line. The older Vertex line was starting to show its age, and the move to 20nm didn't really help the issue. We knew it was just a matter of time before they brought 20nm to their Indilinx Barefoot line, and that time is now. The new model suggests OCZ may abandon the Vector name, and resurrect the performance of their flagship product line by shifting their Indilinx Barefoot 3 (BF3-M10) over to a newly dubbed Vertex 450:
Lets jump right into the specs:
Specifications:
Continue reading our review of the OCZ Vertex 450 256GB SSD!!