Computex 2013: First official Windows 8.1 preview

Subject: General Tech, Shows and Expos | June 6, 2013 - 03:29 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: computex, Windows 8.1, windows blue

Jensen Harris, member of the Windows User Experience (UX) team at Microsoft, performed a video walk-through of the new Windows interface. Of course, as I always say when discussing Windows 8, the real problems will arise with the Windows Store and certification requirements; interface problems annoy, censorship problems harm.

But, disclaimer aside, the interface of Windows 8.1 seems much more useable.

First and foremost is the Lock Screen. People enjoy digital photo frames and a locked tablet certainly looks more classy than any other that I have seen. It will collage photos together, stored locally and shared from a phone or Skydrive over wireless, with a thin font date and time. Combined with a decent resolution IPS display, that could be an interesting way to encourage users to leave their device on its charger. Not to mention, the frame would continually synchronize with Skydrive and thus receive new photos without end-user interaction; it is useful, for instance, for the family of an elderly person who wants to keep in touch but actively rejects technology.

The All Apps screen lists all applications installed on screen. This allows users to take a little weight off of the Start Screen and, instead of using it as a launcher, use the All Apps screen as a launcher and use the Start Screen as a nexus of important information. If you wish to use the Start Screen as a launcher, similar to pinned icons for Windows 7, you will have more choice in icon size to either fit more apps or give tiles with relevant information more space.

Screen splitting was pretty horrendous in Windows 8. An application could either be in full screen, be a sidebar app, or take up the room not taken by a sidebar app. If you have multiple monitors, bringing up the Start Screen would shuffle everything around pretty much ensuring that you do not have more than a couple of apps focused at any given time. Windows 8.1 allows you to split apps directly down the middle and, if you have a large display, allow you to fit three or four applications on screen at once.

Unfortunately, and I contacted Paul Thurrott last week to confirm I was up to date, there does not seem to be any multiple monitor enhancements in Windows 8.1. If you have want to punch through your second display because of applications from the Windows Store, keep using the desktop.

Or, if you wish to try it out for yourself, Windows 8.1 will be available for public preview on June 26th.

Not Computex 2013: StarCraft II is changing. Free to play (with friends) and potential new Steam-like Battle.net

Subject: General Tech | June 6, 2013 - 02:40 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: Starcraft II, HoTS

Big news for fans of Blizzard titles, as if we did not have enough news items. While the majority of this news pertains to fans of StarCraft II, Diablo and Warcraft players should pay attention. You have more to digest than the crumbs Kerrigan let fall to the ground.

The first news is most relevant if you have not yet played StarCraft II yet have a friend or friends who keeps nagging you to play with him, her, or them. A new feature, called "Spawning", allows Battle.net accounts to piggyback on the expansion level of party members. Actually, they even encourage it with XP boosts and a custom CarBot-illustrated achievement. This will also upgrade the free StarCraft: Starter Edition in a party with a Wings of Liberty or Heart of the Swarm owner to whatever expansion level is highest in the party. Starter can be promoted to Wings of Liberty or Heart of the Swarm, and Wings of Liberty can be promoted to Heart of the Swarm until the party breaks up.

The only restriction that I feel is worth mentioning: you, still, are only able to select the Starter Edition race (currently Terran) if you only have a Starter Edition account.

Of course there are other restrictions. You are unable to play the campaign, for instance. But, for the most part, the rest seem quite logical. This might also have some indirect relevance beyond Starcraft. If successful, I can see Blizzard implementing Spawning into their other franchises such as Diablo. Of course, this is just speculation of what might be at this point.

Image, MMO-Champion

The other story comes from mmo-champion who posted screenshots of a unified Battle.net launcher. I was immediately suspicious, but after checking out the linked Battle.net Support Pages I am more convinced. The launcher looks quite a bit like Steam and that is really the only way to describe it. Each page is laid over a faded background image and players can choose from one of over a hundred avatars.

We then of course enter into the question, "Why would Blizzard spend so much effort for their handful of games?"

Who knows... yet, at least.

Kingston Technology Ships Intel XMP-validated HyperX Memory to Support new ‘Haswell’ Platform

Subject: Memory | June 5, 2013 - 09:17 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: kingston, haswell

Fountain Valley, CA -- (June 5, 2013)-- Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced a series of Intel® XMP-validated HyperX® memory solutions for the ‘Haswell’ 4th generation Core™ i7, i5 and i3 processors and Z87 chipset-based platforms.

Kingston® has HyperX memory in frequencies ranging from 1600MHz to 2666MHz, in various kits of two and four. The complete list of HyperX XMP-validated memory can be found here. More information on Kingston’s offerings for this new platform can be found here. HyperX memory is backed by a lifetime warranty and free technical support.

Kingston is celebrating 25 years in the memory industry. The company was founded on October 17, 1987, and has grown to become the largest third-party memory manufacturer in the world. The 25th anniversary video can be found here along with more information, including a timeline of Kingston's history. In addition, HyperX memory is celebrating its 10th anniversary. The first HyperX high-performance memory module was released in November 2002.

Computex 2013: Thunderbolt 2 with 4K support

Subject: General Tech, Shows and Expos | June 5, 2013 - 08:58 PM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: computex, thunderbolt, Thunderbolt 2, Light Peak

We received Thunderbolt, on the PC at least, a year ago. While not yet ubiquitous, we will be receiving an update to the interface sooner than you would expect. The main advantages of Thunderbolt is the ridiculous bandwidth and ability to daisy-chain with displays. Thunderbolt 2 looks to advance both of those features.

Thunderbolt is based around a PCI Express signal for data and DisplayPort for video, both combined down a single cable. The cable, in fact, is compatible with Mini DisplayPort adapters and devices if used exclusively for video. The upgrade to Thunderbolt 2 advances the video standard to DisplayPort 1.2; as a result, Thunderbolt 2 devices will be capable of driving a 4K monitor (supposedly with sound) without requiring multiple cables to be connected.

In terms of strict bandwidth, Thunderbolt 2 will provide double the data rate of the original Thunderbolt. Instead of 10Gbps, new devices will be able to transfer at 20Gbps. This is especially useful for video content creators looking to manage, in real time, 4K or 120Hz data transferring between cameras and video gear. Struggling with large video capture bandwidth is something we know about...

As expected, there is not really any talk about specific prices yet (I would expect that depends on implementation) but you should look forward to it landing either really late this year or early next year. As for the original Thunderbolt? Well, the new standard is backwards compatible but there is concern whether new devices would be fairly crippled without the new standard.

Just when you thought it was going to calm down AMD drops Richland on your lap

Subject: Processors | June 5, 2013 - 04:25 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: VLIW4, trinity, Richland, piledriver, fm2, APU, amd, a10, 6800K, 6700

Richland is here, in the form of the A10-6800K with a 4.1GHz base clock and 4.4GHz Turbo clock, support for DDR3-2133 and an improved GPU called the 8670D with 384 shaders and a 844MHz clock speed ... all for $142!  Computationally you can compare it to a Core i3 or a slower Core i5 but graphically this CPU is head and shoulders above the competition as you can see in X-Bit Labs' testing.  You really need to keep the price in mind, as it may not provide as much power as a Core-i5 it costs about half as much which can mean a lot to someone on a tight budget, especially when they can skip purchasing a discrete GPU altogether.

Make sure to check out Josh's reivew where he contrasts the last few generations of AMD chips.

"AMD decided to refresh their Socket FM2 platform and release a new generation of hybrid processors for it based on Richland design. This is exactly the one that earned the “Elite Performance APU Platform” title in the mobile segment."

Here are some more Processor articles from around the web:

Processors

• AMD Elite A-Series A10-6800K APU (Socket FM2) @ techPowerUp
• AMD A10-6800K & A10-6700 APU Review @ Neoseeker
• AMD A10-6800K and A10-6700 Richland APU Reviews @ Legit Reviews
• AMD A10-6800K & A10-6700 Richland APU Review @ OCC
• AMD A10-6800K / A10-6700 @ Hardware.info
• AMD A10-6800K and 6700 A-Series "Richland" Processor Review @ HiTech Legion
• AMD A10-6800K APU Richland Processor @ Benchmark Reviews
• AMD Richland APU - Release Day Coverage @ Overclockers.com
• AMD Richland Desktop Review; A10-6800K & A10-6700 Benchmarked @ Hardware Canucks
• AMD A10-6800K and A4-4000 Richland APU @ TechSpot
• Intel Core i7-4770K @ Legion Hardware
• Choosing a Gaming CPU at 1440p: Adding in Haswell @ AnandTech
• Intel Core i7-4770K CPU Review. Intel Haswell for Desktops: Ruin of Our Hopes? @ X-bit Labs

Get your game on in a simulated prison

Subject: General Tech | June 5, 2013 - 03:34 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: gaming, Alpha, Prison Architect

The makers of DEFCON have come up with another very original game idea which they are currently developing and which is available in an alpha version on Steam.  Prison Architect is a game which is exactly as it's name implies, you attempt to run a prison and keep the guards safe and the prisoners controlled.  This is not about abusing prisoners but instead is an exploration into the dynamics of the prison system and how difficult it can be to run a safe prison.  As an example of how the prisoners work the designers revealed to TechSpot that "50% of prisoners plead innocent to their crimes, and about 5% of all prisoners are actually innocent" which has an effect on their behaviour.  Check out the interview to see if you might be interested in trying out the alpha.

"Prison Architect is like 'SimPrison', if there ever was one, made by people who seem to be damn near fearless about making video games about uncomfortable topics. The game is from the indie studio Introversion, who have also made the saddest/best game about nuclear war.

Here's a brief interview with Introversion's own architects about their newest work. They served up some fascinating answers about the possibilities of a game about building and running a prison."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Gaming

• Mirror’s Edge 2 Is Probably A Thing Again @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
• A Slash From The Past: Shadow Warrior Free On Steam @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN
• Microsoft and 343 Industries announce Halo: Spartan Assault @ The Inquirer
• AMD Aiming To Smooth Ports Between PC And Console @ Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN

Computex 2013: Gigabyte Shows Off GA-990FXA-UD7 AM3+ Motherboard That Hints At 5GHz AMD FX Processor

Subject: General Tech, Motherboards | June 5, 2013 - 02:13 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: gigabyte, ga-990fx-ud7, computex 2013, computex, amd fx, amd, am3+

Gigabyte is showing off quite a few motherboards at Computex 2013. One of the most interesting motherboards on display is the GA-990FX-UD7 for AMD AM3+ desktop processors. This is a high-end motherboard for enthusiasts and is packed with features.

The GA-990FX-UD7 features an 8+2 power phase, AM3+ CPU socket, four DDR3 DIMM slots, six PCI-E 2.0 x16 (physical) slots, one legacy PCI slot, and eight SATA 3 6Gbps ports. It has a black and glossy orange color scheme with large finned heatsinks around the CPU socket and over the southbridge. The board uses a Realtek ALC889 chipset for onboard audio that supports Dolby Home Theater and has a 108dB SNR rating. Further, the GA-990FX-UD7 supports 4-way SLI or CrossFire, Gigabyte's UEFI DualBIOS, and 3X power which allows faster battery charging for supported USB-connected mobile devices.

The Gigabyte GA-990FX-UD7 at Computex 2013 as spotted by Sweclockers (Click for larger image).

Rear IO includes a single coaxial S/PDIF and six analog audio outputs, four USB 3.0 ports, two eSATA+USB combo ports, and a RJ45 LAN jack.

Interestingly, Gigabyte's Computex display mentions that the new AM3+ motherboard is compatible with AMD's 5GHz AM3+ processor, which lends credibility to previous rumors of a Piledriver-based eight core “Centurion” AMD FX processor clocked at 5GHz with a 220W TDP. That chip was rumored for a summer 2013 release in limited quantities, and it looks like enthusiasts might be able to get their hands on that chip later this year after all!

Although AMD is not talking, Sweclockers has managed to put together a list of preliminary specifications for the codenamed Centurion processor. Rumors have it that the Centurion chip will be officially named the AMD FX-9000, and that it is a 4-module, 8-core part with a 4.8 GHz base clock and 5.0 GHz turbo clockspeed. It has a total of 8MB L2 cache, and 8MB of L3. Further, this 220W TDP part will support a maximum of DDR3-1866 (officially, before overclocking) and is build on AMD's 32nm SOI HKMG manufacturing process. You will need a beefy air cooler at the minimum to keep this chip happy, but otherwise it should be a fun chip for enthusiasts to tinker with!

How well does Haswell do Ubuntu?

Subject: General Tech | June 5, 2013 - 01:45 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: linux, haswell, ubuntu 13.04, i7-4770k

The story is familiar as you can quickly see from this quote in Phoronix's review of Haswell on Linux, "Polished Haswell support coming to an "out of the box" Linux desktop won't really be there until later in H2'2013."  However that does not mean it does not work at all, they tested several kernels and versions to find the most stable way to run Haswell and to take advantage of the internal GPU.  They successfully tested with Linux 3.10 kernel, Mesa 9.2, GCC 4.8.1, and LLVM 3.3 and found performance improvements across the board when compared to Ivy Bridge processors which could be a good reason to consider holding out on an Ivy Bridge CPU as an upgrade choice, as Intel is working to improve Haswell support and it is a much improved CPU compared to previous generations.

"This past weekend I shared the first experiences of running Intel's new Haswell CPU on Linux. While Intel Haswell is a beast and brings many new features and innovations to the new Core CPUs succeeding Ivy Bridge, there were a few shortcomings with the initial Linux support. It still appears that the Core i7 4770K is still being finicky at times for both the processor and graphics, but in this article are the first benchmarks. Up today are benchmarks of the Intel Core i7 4770K when running Ubuntu 13.04 with the Linux 3.10 kernel."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• Intel's plan for Haswell, Silvermont, Bay Trail: WORLD DOMINATION @ The Register
• A quick look at LSI's Syncro CS, HA DAS Collaboration with Microsoft
• Meeting The Men Behind Haswell @ TechARP
• Haswell Xeons bring brawn to microservers, media servers, more @ The Register
• Eyeing the gaming market: Q&A with ECS executive Sam Yeh @ DigiTimes
• Stuffa Jacket @ NikKTech

Dell XPS 8700 with Core i7-4770 3.4GHz "Haswell" @ $750

Subject: General Tech | June 5, 2013 - 01:23 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: deals

If you want to be one of the first kids with a Haswell machine on your block then you can pick up the Dell XPS 8700 at a great price.  Not only do you get a quad core i7-4770 the system also comes with an HD7570 for light gaming duties.  This is a Win8 machine so you might want to consider personalizing the system with one of the multi-touch screens for the best possible user experience.

Top Deal

• Dell XPS 8700 Core i7-4770 3.4GHz "Haswell" Quad-core Desktop w/8GB RAM, 1TB SATA III Hard Drive & Radeon HD 7570 for $749.99 with free shipping (normally $874.99 - use coupon code 0H9Q3PQ6L3744C ).

Additional Deals

• Ending tonight! 17.3" Dell Inspiron 17R Special Edition Core i7 1080p 3D Laptop w/ Blu-ray, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD + 32GB SSD, 2GB GeForce GT 650M Graphics, Backlit Keyboard & 3D Glasses for $1,219.99 with free shipping (normally $1,538.99 - use coupon code ?SWK4RL9BTX1MD ).
• Alienware M18x Core i7 Quad-core 1080p Gaming Laptop w/ Dual 2GB GDDR5 GeForce GTX 680M SLI for $3,004 with free shipping (normally $3,554 - use coupon code NLZ5145HLZF?FL ).
• 39" Sharp Aquos LC-39LE440U 1080p LED HDTV + $50 Gift Card for $399.99 with free shipping (normally $499.99).
• Dell PowerEdge T110 II Intel Xeon E3 Quad-core Server for $489 with free shipping (normally $912 - use coupon code HF9X1212V3TKTK ).
• Realspace Lundey Mid-Back Mesh Chair for $129.99 with free shipping (normally $189.99 - use coupon code 15894765 ).

Computex 2013: Sony Unveils New Haswell-Powered VAIO Duo 13 Tablet and VAIO Pro 11" and 13" Ultrabooks

Subject: Systems, Mobile | June 5, 2013 - 09:53 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: vaio pro, vaio duo 13, vaio, tablet, sony, computex 2013, computex

Tablets and ultrabooks are proving popular devices at Computex, and Sony recently joined the release party with three new Haswell-powered VAIO notebooks. The VAIO Pro 11 and VAIO Pro 13 are thin and light laptops while the VAIO Duo 13 is the company's first Haswell-powered convertible tablet (slider style).

All three new mobile devices share Full HD 1920 x 1080 Bravia Triluminos touchscreen displays, ClearAudio+ sound, Haswell processors, and respectable battery life.

The VAIO Duo 13 is a 13" notebook that can be converted into a slate tablet by sliding the screen forward and having it lay on top of the keyboard. The keyboard is back-lit and sits above a tiny trackpad that is much wider than it is tall. Other features include a stylus, 8MP camera with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software called CamScanner, and a claimed 15 hour battery life according to Sony and as tested by MobileMark 2007.

Internal specifications match those of the VAIO Pro series, with a dual core 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-4200U processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 128GB SSD, and a beefy 6,320 mAh battery.
Aside from the small trackpad, this looks like a solid device that matches Intel's "It's a laptop when you need it; it's a tablet when you want it” mantra. At the very least, it looks like a worthy (and improved) successor to the company's existing VAIO Duo 11 convertible tablet.

The VAIO Duo 13 will be available for purchase in Carbon Black or Carbon White later this month for $1,399.

Sony has also announced two new thin-and-light ultraportable VAIO Pro notebooks. As the product names suggest, they are 11” and 13” ultrabooks.

The VAIO Pro 11 weighs in at an ultra-light 1.92 pounds (0.87kg) and offers up a 1920 x 1080 display, backlight keyboard, trackpad (again, rather tiny), and decent internals.
Specifically, the base model Pro 11 notebook is powered by an Intel 4th Generation Core i5-4200U (dual core at 1.6GHz) processor, 4GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. For a bit more, you can upgrade to a Core i7-4500U and a 256GB SSD. The base model has an MSRP of $1,150.00 USD.

Sony's VAIO Pro 13 steps up to a larger 13” display (albeit still 1080p). The larger form factor is still only 2.33 pounds (1.06kg), however which is nice to see. The base model contains a Core i5-4200U processor, 4GB RAM, and a 128GB PCIe SSD. Users can upgrade to 8GB of RAM and a 512GB PCIe SSD, however. The MSRP for the base model is $1,250.00 USD.

For only $100 over the base VAIO Pro 11, you can get a larger screen and faster storage drive which is pretty good. Judging by the reviews,  such as this one by The Verge, the Pro 13 is the one to get as the Pro 11 is almost too small with a hard-to-read screen and cramped keyboard. On the other hand, if you need portability however, it is hard to beat the Haswell-powered Pro 11.

Both the VAIO Pro 11 and VAIO Pro 13 will be available later this month for $1,150 and $1,250 respectively.

What do you think about Sony's new offerings? Any Duo 11 users out there wishing for a larger form factor?

Fractal Design Launches ARC XL and ARC Mini R2

Subject: Cases and Cooling | June 5, 2013 - 07:47 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: XL-ATX, fractal design, computex 2013, computex, case, arc xl, arc mini r2

Fractal Design is using Computex 2013 to launch two new cases, called the ARC XL and ARC Mini R2. As their names suggest, the ARC XL is a massive brushed aluminum case capable of supporting motherboards up to XL-ATX in size while the ARC Mini R2 is a Micro ATX case that is compatible with Micro ATX and Mini ITX motherboards.

Fractal Design ARC XL

The ARC XL chassis measures 232 x 572 x 552mm and weighs 13.8kg. The full tower case features a texturized aluminum exterior with a clear side window and top-mounted IO panel. The front of the case holds a large mesh grill with white Fractal Design logo. Above the front intake are four 5.25" drive bays. The front IO panel is mounted on the top of the case and includes two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, audio in/out jacks, and power/reset buttons.

Internally, the ARC XL chassis supports motherboards up to XL-ATX in size, up to eight 3.5" hard drives, and space for two 2.5" solid state drives behind the motherboard tray. In total, the case supports seven 140mm fan positions. Fractal design includes three Silent Series R2 case fans with the chassis. Dust filters in the front, top, and bottom fan vents. Water cooling enthusiasts will be pleased to know that they can install 360mm radiators on top and 240mm radiators in the front of the case (with the hard drive cages removed). Other features include 9 PCI expansion slots, space for a bottom mounted PSU, integrated 3-fan 3-speed fan controller, and space for cable routing behind the motherboard tray.

Fractal Design's ARC XL case will be available in July or early August with an MSRP of $129.95 USD (119.95 EURO).

Fractal Design ARC Mini R2

The ARC Mini R2 is a miniature version of the ARC XL suitable for smaller systems using Micro ATX or Mini ITX motherboards and either water or air cooling.

The Mini R2 has a large mesh grill on the front panel as well as two optical drive bays. The front IO includes two USB 3.0 ports, audio in/out, power and reset buttons, and the fan controller switch. The case measures 210 x 405 x 484mm and weighs 9kg.

Internally, the ARC Mini R2 supports Micro ATX or Mini ITX motherboards, up to six 3.5" hard drives, two 2.5" SSDs (behind motherboard tray), and 4 PCI expansion slots. Graphics cards up to 260mm are supported with the hard drive cage installed, or 400mm with it removed. There is space for cable routing behind the motherboard and water cooling grommets on the back of the case to support external radiators.

Cooling is handled by three bundled Silent Series R2 fans controlled by an included fan controller. The case can support a total of seven fans, including:

• Front: 2 x 120mm (1 included)
• Rear: 1 x 120mm (1 included)
• Top: 1 x 120mm plus 2 x 140mm (1 included)
• Bottom: 1 x 120mm

Watercooling support includes the ability to mount a thin 360mm radiator on top as well as a 240mm radiator over the front intake (with the optical drive and hard drive bays removed respectively). Fractal Design includes removable dust filters over the front, top, and bottom vents.

The Micro ATX ARC Mini R2 will be available for $89.95 (79.95 EURO) in August or early September.

In all, they look like decent cases, though I would have loved to see some additional color options on the ARC Mini R2! (heh).

Computex 2013: Cooler Master NotePal U2 Plus Available Now

Subject: General Tech | June 5, 2013 - 02:48 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: computex, notepal u2 plus, mobile, laptop cooler, laptop, cooler master, computex 2013

Cooler Master has released a new notebook cooler called the NotePal U2 Plus that is the latest model in the NotePal U-series. This cooler supports up to 17" laptops and allows you to move the two included fans for optimal cooling (ie, actually put the fans over the vents).

Other features of the NotePal U2 Plus include raised feet that lift up your laptop at a slight angle to make long typing or gaming sessions more comfortable, according to Cooler Master. The cooler feet also aid in cable management by allowing you to loop your long cords around the included hooks. Finally, the NotePal U2 Plus can attach to your laptop and be carried with along using an elastic strap and the cooler feet to hold your notebook in place.

The new Cooler Master notebook cooler is available now with an MSRP of $29.99.

Computex 2013: MSI Launches New Gaming and Overclock Series Motherboards

Subject: Motherboards | June 5, 2013 - 02:17 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: Z87-GD65 GAMING, uefi, overclocking, msi, haswell, computex 2013, computex

MSI announced new Z87 motherboards today, ready to accept Intel's new 4 Generation Core "Haswell" processors. The new Z87 boards are broken up into the company's "GAMING" series and a new "Overclock" series. Both boards use Military Class IV components that are MIL-STD-810G rated.

The MSI Z87-GD65-GAMING is the company's latest motherboard aimed at PC gamers. It incorporates a Killer NIC and the company's Audio Boost technology. It also supports MSI technology such as V-Check points (to get voltage readings with multi meter), Super RAID, Multi-BIOS II, and Go2BIOS.

On its face, the Z87-GD65-GAMING features an Intel LGA 1150 CPU socket, four DDR3 DIMM slots, eight SATA 6Gbps ports, three PCI-E 3.0 x16 slots, and four PCI-E 3.0 x1 slots. Rear IO includes a PS/2 port, two USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, coaxial and optical S/PDIF audio outputs, one DVI port, one VGA port, one HDMI output, one Kill NIC-backed Gigabit LAN port, and six analog audio jacks.

The MSI Z87-GD65-GAMING motherboard is currently selling for around $189 at various online retailers. It has earned a Computex 2013 Best Choice Gold award as well as a positive review from PC Perspective's resident motherboard guru Morry Teitelman. You can find our full review of the gaming motherboard here.

MSI also announced three new motherboards under its Overclock series. These boards are intended for PC enthusiasts who like to tinker with hardware and push their chips (CPU and GPU) as far as possible. The new boards include the Z87 MPOWER, Z87 MPOWER MAX, and Z87 XPOWER.

The Overclock series motherboards also use Military Class components. They also feature MSI's latest Click BIOS 4 UEFI and Control Center software that allows monitory, tuning, and remote controlling of your PC. The MSI Overclock boards also have a tool that allows for automatic overclocking called OC Genie 4 that reportedly operates in two stages. The Z87 MPOWER has a 32-phase digital power system, supports DDR3-3000 memory, and supports 4-way SLI or Crossfire. The MPOWER MAX and XPOWER motherboards are OC (Overclock) Certified and supports MSI's Extreme Tuning Utility for overclocking within Windows.

Rear port layout is similar to the Z87-GD65-Gaming motherboard, except that the new MPOWER boards add a removable Intel Wi-Fi + Bluetooth card that adds 802.11g/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and Intel WiDi (Wireless Display) technology. The highest-end Z87 MPOWER, the XPOWER board, also has additional USB 3.0 ports on the back panel.

You can find more information on the Z87 MPOWER motherboards on this MSI product page.

Also read: MSI Launches 17" GS70 Gaming Notebook @ PC Perspective.

Computex 2013: MiTAC Announces High Density 7-Star ARMv8-Powered Server

Subject: General Tech, Systems | June 4, 2013 - 11:44 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: computex 2013, computex, X-Gene, mitac, ARMv8, appliedmicro, 7-star, 64-bit

During Computex, MiTAC announced a new high density "7-Star" ARMv8 server. Aimed at the enterprise market, the 7-Star platform is a 4U server that holds up to 18 compute cards. Each compute card contains an eight-core ARMv8-based X-Gene processor from AppliedMicro, two DDR3 DIMM slots, and space for two 2.5"/3.5" internal storage drives (SSD or HDD). The compute cards use a 10G SFP+ and a single Gigabit Ethernet port for networking purposes.

Of course, the interesting bit about the 7-Star is that it is one of the first server to use processors based on ARM's 64-bit ARMv8 architecture. MiTAC worked with ARM and AppliedMicro on the project, and it should be available later this year. It is currently being shown off at the ARM Holdings demo suite in Taipei, Taiwan. I'm intested to see how well these 64-bit ARM servers do, especially with new low power chips from Intel and AMD on the way!

Read more about ARMv8 at PC Perspective.

The full press release is below:

Corsair Adding Gold Vengeance Pro DDR3 Modules To Lineup

Subject: Memory | June 4, 2013 - 10:15 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: vengeance pro, ddr3, corsair, computex 2013, computex

PC Perspective motherboard reviewer Morry Teitelman posted a review of Corsair's latest Vengeance Pro DDR3 modules yesterday, and the memory did well enough in his testing to earn a PC Perspective Editor's Choice award. The 16GB DDR3-1866MHz Vengeance Pro DIMMS he reviewed are available now for $144. 8GB Vengeance Pro 1866MHz kits are around $80, and 32GB DDR3-1866  memory kits are $295. There are also other SKUs with even higher clockspeeds for bit more money. On the other hand, going with the 1600MHz kits that are available will save you about $20 versus 1866MHz if you will be using these in a systerm where you don't plan to overclock much (if at all). 

In addition to the blue, red, and silver colored Vengeance Pro kits mentioned in our review, Corsair is also making an additional gold colored SKU available. Note that the underlying memory hardware is not changing, just the aesthetics. The gold version was just added into the mix today, so while current reviews may not note a black and gold module option, one is coming.

The new black and gold Vengeance Pro DDR3 DIMMs.

Therefore, if you were waiting for the Vengeance Pro to go on sale, but wishing that it better matched your gold-laden ECS or ASUS Gryphon motherboard, it might be worth holding off until the gold SKU hits the market (which should be very soon).

Also in Corsair news, the company teased an 8GB Vengeance Pro DDR3 memory kit clocked at an impressive 3200MHz (CAS11, 11-14-14-36 timings) at Computex for Haswell-based machines, but it is unclear exactly when this particular 2x4GB kit will be available.

The full press release is available below for reference.

Also read:

• Corsair Adds New Gaming Peripherals To Its Vengeance and Raptor Brands
• Corsair Launches Two New Carbide-Series Mid Tower Cases @ PC Perspective
• Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR3 1866 MHz Memory Review @ PC Perspective

Dell UltraSharp U2711 @ $600

Subject: General Tech | June 4, 2013 - 02:43 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: deals

If last Friday's deal was a little too rich for your blood try today's deal for a slightly smaller and much less expensive Dell display.  The 2,560 x 1,400 resolution IPS panel is not quite 4k in quality but certainly tops 1080p and the USB 2.0 ports might not be as quick but at least they will work with Haswell.  Check out this deal as well as deals on several other sizes of Dell display here.

Top Deal

27-inch Dell UltraSharp U2711 2560x1440 LCD Monitor for $599 with free shipping (normally $999 - use coupon code, ends 6/5)

Additional Deals

• Dell Inspiron 15R Special Edition 15.6" Core i5 1080p Laptop w/ 2GB Radeon HD 7730M, Backlit Keyboard for $599.99 with free shipping (normally $899.99 - use coupon code 0R98V3CQ7RPQ40 ).
• 14" Dell Inspiron 14z Core i5 Ultrabook for $519.99 with free shipping (normally $888.99 - use coupon code 30FMBN5VQ4S920 ).
• Pinnacle MB6000 Microburst Home Theater System for $224.99 with free shipping (normally $599.99).
• Dell XPS 8500 Core i7 Desktop + 23" UltraSharp IPS Monitor for $849.99 with free shipping (normally $1,174.98 - use coupon code 0H9Q3PQ6L3744C ).
• 15.6" HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Core i7 Quad-core Laptop w/8GB RAM, 1TB Hard Drive, GeForce GT 630M & Windows 7 for $638.49 with $9.99 shipping (normally $779.99 - use coupon code SVD8492 ).
• 4TB Seagate Expansion USB 3.0 External Hard Drive for $159.99 with free shipping (normally $199.99).
• HP Officejet 6700 Premium E-All-In-One Printer for $119.99 with free shipping (normally $169.99 - use coupon code LOGICBUY20 ).

Windows 8.1 for Enterprise? Most companies don't approve of working blue.

Subject: General Tech | June 4, 2013 - 02:08 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: win8, win 8.1, microsoft

Microsoft has moved from promoting Win 8.1 for consumers and is now trying to convince Enterprise users that the coming upgrade makes Win8 business friendly.  From The Register we heard about improvements to BYOD support, something that many Enterprise sized businesses are fighting tooth and nail to resist.  Near Field Communication, and Wi-Fi Direct sharing are touted as something that Enterprise should want, thus making internet enabled printers even more of a security risk and while Miracast offers a way to connect to displays wirelessly it is unlikely that many users will have hardware which supports WiDi or the upcoming HSA standard.  Workplace Join will allow limited access to the corporate network for machines that are not actually members of the domain but at least Biometric authentication support is improved which could make that less of a risk.  The automatic launching of VPN when a network resource is requested while the user is outside of the corporate network could be useful with automatic authentication, something not commonly implemented in Enterprise level VPNs.

The Inquirer tells of a few other features, from the boot straight to desktop that has cheered many consumers and a confirmation of the date of June 26th being the initial preview release.  They do mention native device encryption being bundled in Win8, perhaps the only feature in this list that Enterprises might see as advantageous as it would mean they would not need additional software to encrypt machines; Endpoint Encryption is a common solution and as Microsoft now owns the security vendor the migration to native encryption could theoretically be quick and easy.

"Much of Microsoft's marketing push for Windows 8 has focused on consumers, but Redmond took time at its annual TechEd conference in New Orleans to explain that its forthcoming Windows 8.1 update will include lots of new enhancements for enterprises, as well."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

• PowerShell daddy on Windows Server 2012 R2: Cloudy cloud cloud @ The Register
• Dead simple jamming gripper design @ Hack a Day
• Foxconn signs on to build Firefox OS devices for clients @ The Register
• Garmin Nuvi 3597LMTHD Review @ TechReviewSource
• Hardware Canucks Tours Lian Li’s Factory in Taipei @ Hardware Canucks

PCPer Live! ASUS Z87 Motherboard and Intel Haswell Live Event!

Subject: Editorial, General Tech, Motherboards, Processors | June 4, 2013 - 10:40 AM | Ryan Shrout
Tagged: z87, video, overclocking, live, i7-4770k, haswell, ASUS ROG, asus

While we run around with our hair on fire trying to get ready for the Intel Haswell and Z87 product launch this weekend, I wanted to let everyone know about a live stream event we will be holding on Tuesday, June 4th.  JJ from ASUS, a crowd favorite for sure, will be joining us LIVE in studio to talk all about the new lineup of ASUS Z87 motherboards.  We'll also discuss performance and overclocking capabilities of the new processor and platform.

ASUS Z87 and Haswell Live Stream

10am PT / 1pm ET - June 4th

PC Perspective Live! Page

Be sure you stop by and join in the show!  Questions will be answered, prizes will be given out and fun will be had!  Who knows, maybe we can break some stuff live as well??  On hand to give away to those of you joining the live stream, we'll have these prizes:

• 2 x ASUS Z87 Motherboards
• 1 x ASUS Graphics card

Methods for winning will be decided closer to the event, but if you are watching live, you'll be included.  And we'll ship anywhere in the world!

ASUS and I also want the event to be interactive, so we want your questions.  We'll of course being paying attention to the chat room on our live page but you'll have better luck if you submit your questions about the ASUS Z87 products and Haswell processors before hand, in the comments section below.  You don't have to register to ask and we'll have the ability to read them beforehand! 

I'll update this post with more information after the reviews and stories start to hit, so keep an eye here for more details!!