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!!

Computex 2013: Toshiba Unveils Tegra 4 Powered 10.1" Excite Write Tablet

Subject: Mobile | June 4, 2013 - 07:19 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: toshiba excite write, toshiba, tegra 4, computex 2013, computex, Android

Computex Taipei is not only about gaming notebooks, desktops, and PC components; it is also about tablets!

One such tablet to make its debut at Computex 2013 is the Excite Write from Toshiba. It is a 10.1" dockable tablet with a touchscreen, 8MP rear camera, Harmon Kardon audio, and best of all, an active Wacom digitizer with 1024 pressure sensitivity levels. The 10.1" Gorilla Glass 2 touchscreen has an impressive resolution of 2560 x 1600, which is the same resolution as Google's Nexus 10 tablet. The Write tablet can be docked with the same keyboard case/dock that the Toshiba Excite Pro uses. The Excite Write runs Android 4.2 and comes pre-loaded with Toshiba's TruNote and TruCapture note taking applications.

Internally, the Excite is powered by a quad core NVIDIA Tegra 4 SoC and 32GB of internal storage (can be expanded with a microSD card),

Toshiba will begin selling the 10.1" Excite Write for $600 next month. Providing the build quality is up to par, it looks like a decent option for students wanting something lightweight but capable, especially with more class material moving online or to eBook formats.

Read more about Tegra 4 at PC Perspective!

Computex 2013: Gigabyte Launches New GB-XM1 SFF Brix PCs With Haswell and Kabini CPU Options

Subject: General Tech, Systems | June 4, 2013 - 05:40 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: Kabini, Intel, haswell, gigabyte, computex 2013, computex, brix, amd

Earlier this year, Gigabyte showed off a new small form factor (SFF) mini PC called the Brix during its New Idea Tech Tour. Those initial models came equipped with Intel Ivy Bridge processors, two SO-DIMM slots (a maximum of 16GB of DDR3 1600MHz memory), one mSATA slot, and one mPCI-E connector for storage and wireless networking respectively. The Brix hardware is housed in an aluminum chassis that doubles as a heatsink. However, since the Brix's debut, both Intel and AMD have come out with new more power efficient processors. In light of this, Gigabyte is not only showing off the original Brix PC at Computex 2013, but a new SKU called the GB-XM1 that comes equipped with your choice of Intel Haswell or AMD Kabini processors.

The new 4.5 x 4.2 x 1.2" Gigabyte Brix XM1 PC supports mSATA, mPCI-E, dual display outputs, USB 3.0, and is VESA mountable. The Haswell variant's processor options range from a Core i3-4010U to a Core i7-4500U. On the AMD side of things, the GB-XM1 is available with options ranging from the E1-2100 to the A4-5000. All of the AMD "Kabini" chips are outfitted with 12 Radeon cores, but they differ from there. The highest-end chip, the A4-5000, is a quad core with 2MB of L2 cache while the lower tier chips are dual cores with only 1MB of L2 cache. The following chart outlines all of the Haswell and Kabini CPU choices.

For more information on Kabini, check out our review of the AMD A4-5000 Kabini processor. If you need a refresher on Intel's Haswell architecture, you can also find a review of the Core i7-4770K here.

Gigabyte has not released pricing or availability information on the GB-XM1, but expect the Kabini models to be noticeably cheaper than the Haswell counterparts. Thankfully, it is not all bad news for Kabini users, as the Radeon cores help the low power processor accomplish 3D and media playback tasks, as noted in Josh's review.

For those interested in the mini Brix PC as a media center box or low-power desktop PC, Engadget reports that Gigabyte is also experimenting with specialized Brix SKUs, including a wireless charging pad for mobile devices and another Brix with a Pico projector. These accessories are merely prototypes at this point and may not go into mass production.

I'm glad to see Gigabyte moving forward with its Brix lineup to provide a useful alternative to Intel's NUC.

Computex 2013: ASUS Reveals New ROG Gaming and Overclocking Hardware

Subject: General Tech, Motherboards, Systems, Shows and Expos | June 4, 2013 - 04:36 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: z87, ROG, Maximus VI Formula, maximus vi, Intel, haswell, gaming, g30, crosschill, computex 2013, computex, asus

During an ASUS ROG press conference at Computex 2013 in Taipei, Taiwan, ASUS launched a number of new bits of hardware aimed at PC gamers and overclocking enthusiasts. In addition to the mini ITX Maximus VI Impact launch, ASUS showed off the ASUS Maximus VI Formula motherboard, OC Panel accessory, and ROG G30 desktop. The available details on each piece of hardware is as follows:

ASUS Maximus VI Formula Motherboard

While ASUS hinted at several of its Z87 motherboards last month by allowing us to post teaser photos ahead of the launch, until today enthusiasts have not seen the latest "Formula" motherboard. However, now that the board is official, you can see the new Z87 motherboard in high resolution photos below!

The board comes in red and black colors, and surprisingly, comes equipped with ASUS' thermal armor accessory which includes a plastic shroud for the front of the motherboard and a SECC back-plate with thermal pads to aid in cooling and supporting the motherboard (even with heavy CPU HSFs). In addition to the thermal armor, the board has finned heatsinks on the PCH and VRM hardware. The VRM heatsink in particular uses the company's CrossChill technology which allows user to integrate the VRM heatsink into their water cooling loop or leave it as air-cooled. The board also features a diagnostic display and start/reset buttons.

The ASUS Maximus VI Formula features a LGA 1150 CPU socket, four dual channel DDR3 DIMM slots, three PCI-E 3.0 x16 slots, three PCI-E 3.0 x1 slots and a total of 10 SATA 3 6Gbps ports.

The rear IO panel includes a mPCI-E Combo II card that supports 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless radios along with a M.2 NGFF (Next Generation Form Factor) SSD slot at the top. Other IO includes:

• 4 x USB 2.0 ports (one used for BIOS flashing)
• 6 x USB 3.0 ports
• 2 x HDMI video outputs
• 1 x S/PDIF connector
• 1 x RJ45 Gigabit LAN
• 6 x analog audio jacks

Overclocking technology includes ASUS' Extreme Engine DIGI+ III power delivery that incorporates 60A BlackWing chokes, (90% efficient) NexFET MOSFETs, and 10K Black Metallic capacitors.

Finally, ASUS has also added a SupremeFX chipset for quality onboard audio. This audio chip is capable of 120dB SNR, a headphone amplifier for 600 ohm cans, EMI shielding, and quality OpAMPs.

ASUS OC Panel Overclocking Accessory

The ASUS OC Panel is a hardware accessory for the company's ROG Maximus VI Extreme motherboard. It allows you to adjust the BCLK and other settings related to overclocking your processor in real time. It also provides CPU temperature feedback on the top of the LED display.

According to the press release, overclockers Andre Yang and Shamino managed to push a system with a Maximus VI Extreme motherboard, 32GB RAM, and a Core-i7 Haswell processor to 7GHz CPU and 4200MHz clockspeed using liquid nitrogen cooling. It looks like a cool accessory that will allow you to easily adjust the overclocking settings without rebooting into the UEFI BIOS. Pricing and availability have not been announced, but expect it soon.

ASUS ROG G30 Gaming Desktop

The ROG TYTAN G30 desktop PC features a stylized case with red LEDs and a front door with ROG and ASUS logos. Internals include an Intel Core i7 4770K "Haswell" processor and a NVIDIA GTX 780 graphics card. Even better, ASUS is using liquid cooling for the CPU, and offers a 1-button overclock of all four CPU cores to 4.1GHz. The PC also integrates ASUS' SonicMaster and AudioWizard technology which reportedly enhances in-game audio.

Again, pricing and availability for the haswell gaming PC are still unknown.

What do you think of ASUS' recent ROG product announcements? Stay tuned to PC Perspective for more Computex 2013 news throughout the week!

Also read:

• ASUS Maximus VI Impact ROG Mini-ITX Motherboard @ PC Perspective
• ASUS Z87 Motherboard Lineup Preview @ PC Perspective
• ASUS "We Transform" Press Conference: Mobile devices, tablets, VivoPC, and more! @ PC Perspective
• ASUS VivoPC and VivoMouse Details @ PC Perspective
• ASUS Working On GTX 770 Poseidon With Hybrid Air/Water Cooler @ PC Perspective
• ASUS G750 Gaming Notebook With Haswell and GTX 700M Hardware @ PC Perspective

2013 StarCraft II World Championship Series Season 1 -- Finals (... of Season 1... ) this Weekend!

Subject: Editorial, General Tech | June 4, 2013 - 03:44 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: WCS, starcraft 2, HoTS

A little eye-rest before another barrage of Computex news...

Blizzard took over the canon StarCraft II tournament scene as of last year. The goal was to create a unified ranking system between every tournament and help participants deal with scheduling, a problem in recent years. Throughout the entire year, Blizzard is hosting the 2013 StarCraft II World Championship Series. They seem to like breaking rankings into seasons and the 2013 series, alone, will incorporate three of them leading to the year's grand finals in November.

One year per series; three seasons and a grand finals per year; three regional tournaments and a finale per season. This season's finals will take place this weekend, June 8th and 9th, in South Korea.

Tournaments in Europe, Korea, and North America chose the 16 competitors for the 2013 Season 1 Finals this weekend in Korea. The top five competitors in each tournament (top six for Korea) earned their invite. In all: 3 Protoss, 5 Terrans, and 8 Zerg will be participating. I guess their hearts are only half of the swarm.

If the regional matches were any indication, the seasonal finals should be a very entertaining bridge between Computex coverage and E3 2013. Players are getting much better at the game mechanics while still being able to surprise their opponents and even the audience with unusual strategies. Players exploit windows of weakness in their opponents with a moment of strength; the entertainment mostly comes from seeing each player attempt to delay or lengthen those windows all while hiding their own weak periods into times where the opponent is unable to reasonably exploit it.

What are your opinions of "eSports"? Good concept, bad name?

Computex 2013: ASUS Unveils First Mini-ITX ROG Motherboard: The Z87 Maximus VI Impact

Subject: Motherboards | June 4, 2013 - 03:12 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: ROG, mini-itx, mini ITX, maximus vi impact, maximus vi, computex 2013, computex, asus

ASUS held a Republic of Gamers press conference earlier today that focused on new product announcements for its ROG brand. Among the new ROG gear was the company's first Mini-ITX ROG motherboard with the ASUS Maximus VI Impact motherboard.

This board may be tiny, but it is packed with features and overclocking-friendly hardware! This Mini-ITX motherboard is clad in the red and black ROG color scheme and features ASUS' Impact Power add on card that takes the VRMs and other electrical regulation hardware up off of the mainboard and into a separate add in card above the CPU. This Impact Power riser card includes a 8+2 digital power phase for both the CPU and memory. The board also includes a SupremeFX Impact sound card and a mPCIe Combo II card. The SupremeFX Impact module uses ELNA audio capacitors and features a headphone amplifier and 115dB SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio). Further, the mPCIe Combo II card provides a NGFF (think of this as next-generation mSATA) slot as well as 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 wireless radios.

Apart from the bundled ASUS cards, the board provides a single PCI-E 3.0 x16 slot, two DDR3 memory slots, four SATA 3 ports, and (of course) the LGA 1150 CPU socket ready to accept an Intel Haswell processor. The board comes with a standard 24-pin ATX and 8-pin CPU power connectors.

The rear IO panel includes:

• 2 x HDMI
• 1 x S/PDIF
• Impact Control and BIOS reset buttons
• 4 x USB 2.0
• 1 x eSATA
• 4 x USB 3.0
• 1 x RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet
• 3 x Audio jacks (via SupremeFX sound card)

ASUS has not yet announced pricing or availability for this Mini-ITX Maximus VI Impact motherboard, but it looks like a solid board and I am anxious to see how well it overclocks!

Also read: ASUS Z87 Motherboard Lineup Preview @ PC Perspective.

Computex 2013: ASUS G750 Gaming Notebook Uses Haswell, GTX 700M Hardware

Subject: Systems, Mobile | June 4, 2013 - 01:30 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: asus, g750, gaming notebook, haswell, gtx 700M, nvidia, Intel, computex, computex 2013

With the launch of new processors and mobile graphics cards, many vendors are announcing gaming systems at the Computex 2013 trade show. One such product which was announced a couple of hours ago is the ASUS G750 17" gaming notebook. This portable powerhouse utilizes Intel's 4th Generation Core "Haswell" chips as well as NVIDIA's GTX 700M mobile GPU series in a sleek aluminum chassis to offer up decent gaming and compute performance on the go.

Much like MSI's GS70, the ASUS G750 is monster of a laptop at 17". The aluminum chassis has a brushed metal texture and the large display lifts up and exends forward towards the keyboard slightly to angle the display without stressing the hinge (presumably). The backlit keyboard is full QWERTY with a number pad to the right and isolated arrow keys. A large touchpad occupies the area under the keyboard and has multi-touch support and hardware mouse buttons. The chassis itself has a highly angular design that does its best not to look boxy despite the large form factor. The most eye catching feature is actually on the back, however, where the two large stylized Battlestar Galactica-esque vents reside.

External connectivity options include a Kensington lock, two USB 3.0 ports, and a DVD multi drive on the left side of the G750. The right side of the gaming notebook hosts the power jack, and VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort video outputs as well as two USB 3.0 and two 3.5mm audio jacks. The headphone jack doubles as a S/PDIF output and also features a built-in headphone amplifier. ASUS Sonic Master audio and AudioWizard software offers 5 genre audio equalization modes.

As mentioned above, the system will use Core i7 Intel Haswell CPUs and the new NVIDIA GTX 700M graphics cards, which you can read about here. The exact CPU and GPU you get will depend on your configuration choices at checkout, though expect at least the GTX765M to be available.

ASUS has not yet announced pricing or availability for the G750. You can find the full release linked below.

Computex 2013: ASUS Working On GTX 770 Poseidon With Hybrid Waterblock and Air Cooler HSF

Subject: Graphics Cards | June 4, 2013 - 12:04 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: poseidon, nvidia, kepler, gtx 770, gk-104, computex 2013, computex, ASUS ROG, asus

NVIDIA took the wraps off of its latest-generation Geforce GTX 770 GPU last week, and manufacturers have begun announcing not only reference designs but custom and factory overclocked versions of this GK-104 "Kepler" GPU refresh. One card in particular that caught my attention was the ASUS GTX 770 Poseidon graphics card, which combines NVIDIA's GK-104 GPU with a hybrid heatsink and fan combo that allows the simultaneous use of water and air cooling!

According to the branding, and a hands-on report by Tech Power Up at Computex in Taipei, Taiwan, the GTX 770 Poseidon graphics card is part of the company's Republic of Gamers (ROG) line and likely sports beefy VRM hardware and factory GPU overclocks. Of course, the GTX 770 GPU uses NVIDIA's Kepler architecture and is essentially the GTX 680 with some seriously overclocked memory and refined GPU Boost technology. That means 1,536 CUDA cores, 128 texture units, and 32 ROPs (raster operation units) within 4 GPCs (Graphics Processing Clusters). This is the full GK-104 chip, desite the x70 name. For more information on the GTX 770 GPU, check out our recent review of the NVIDIA GTX 770 card.

Update: ASUS has just launched the new ROG graphics cards at a Computex press conference. According to the ASUS press release:

"ROG Poseidon graphics card with hybrid DirectCU H2O cooling
The new ROG Poseidon graphics card features an NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 700 Series GPU and a hybrid DirectCU H2O thermal design that supports both air and liquid cooling. Developed by ASUS, its CoolTech fan combines blower and axial fans in one design, forcing air in multiple directions over the heatsink to maximize heat dissipation. Liquid cooling reduces operating temperatures by up to 31 degrees Celsius for cooler running with even greater overclocking potential. ROG Poseidon also features a red pulsing ROG logo for a distinctive dash of style."

(end update)

Back on the Poseidon specifcally, the card is a short GTX 770 with a distinctive cooler that uses a full cover water block that covers the entire card and includes the GPU, memory, and VRM areas. ASUS further added a more-traditional air cooler to the area above the GPU itself to help dissapate heat. The air cooler is a circular aluminum fin array with a fan that sits in the middle. The air entire hybrid cooler is then covered by a ROG-themed shroud with a configurable LED-backlit Republic of Gamers logo on the side that can be controlled via software.

The water cooling portion acts as any other full cover water block, allowing cool water to move heat away from the metal contact (the bottom of the block) touching the various components. The inlet and outlets poke out from the side of the card, which is a bit odd but the shroud prevents them coming out at 90-degrees like typical blocks. If your case width is tight, you may need to get creative to fit a 90-degree barb extender (I apologize if that's not the technical term) on to the existing tubing connectors (heh). The cooler can be operated with the air cooler's fan running with or without being connected to a water loop. When water cooling is used, the fan can be turned off to reduce noise or left on to allow for higher overclocks and/or lower temperatures.

Unfortunately, that is all of the information that is currently available  as ASUS has not yet officially launched on the custom GTX 770 graphics card. Pricing, availability, and clockspeed details are still unknown.

For more information, stay tuned to the press.asus.com/events livestream page as it might be announced at a Computex press conference this week since the company is showing off the hardware at the show!

Computex 2013: MSI Launches GS70 17" Gaming Notebook With GTX765M Graphics

Subject: Systems, Mobile, Shows and Expos | June 3, 2013 - 10:59 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: computex 2013, computex, nvidia, msi, kepler, Intel, haswell, gtx 700M, gs70, gaming notebook

A couple of weeks ago, MSI revealed the GX70 and GX60 gaming notebooks powered by AMD's latest Richland APUs and 8970M (and 7970M) discrete graphics cards. Today, the company added the GS70 notebook to its lineup, and it is the opposite in terms of underlying technology. Specifically, the GS70 is a 17" gaming notebook with an Intel Haswell processor and a NVIDIA GTX765M. The portable gaming machine is 22mm thick and weighs in at less than 5.7 pounds (2.6kg), which is a noticeably weight reduction versus the Richland-powered models.

Expert Reviews UK goes hands-on with a prototype of the MSI GS70 at Computex 2013.

The GS70 comes clad in glossy black and is constructed of aluminum. External features include a large 17" (likely TN) display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, a SteelSeries-engineered multicolor backlit keyboard, and a large trackpad. Connectivity options include:

• 4 x USB 3.0
• 1 x RJ45 LAN jack
• 3 x audio jacks (with surround sound support)
• 1 x SD card slot
• 1 x HDMI
• 2 x mini DisplayPort

Internal specifications include a not-yet-named Intel 4th Generation Core "Haswell" CPU, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a NVIDIA GTX 765M. The discrete GPU is based on NVIDIA's Kepler architecture and features 768 CUDA cores clocked at 850 MHz and up to 2GB of graphics memory clocked at 1 GHz on a 128-bit bus. The system also uses a Killer NIC networking card and MSI's own SuperRAID technology that pairs two solid state drives in a RAID configuration for pure performance. The system should be able to play all modern PC games, though some details will need to be turned down. Multi-display output is supported for up to three external displays as well.

Unfortunately, MSI has not yet announced pricing or availability for this notebook. I would expect it to (paradoxically, despite the naming conventions) cost more than the existing GX70 (due to the newer, and faster, technology used) which starts at $1,399.99 MSRP. Keep an eye out for reviews later this year if you are interested in a mobile gaming PC, as this one looks interesting. Until then, Expert Reviews UK has some initial impressions and additional photos in this article.

Super Talent Launches UltraDrive MX3 SSD In Both MLC and SLC Flavors

Subject: Storage | June 3, 2013 - 09:59 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: super talent, ssd, mx3, computex 2013, computex

San Jose-based storage manufacturer Super Talent has announced its new UltraDrive MX3 SSD. This new drive is the successor to the existing UltraDrive MX2, and is allegedly twice as fast. In an interesting twist, Super Talent is releasing the MX3 in both MLC and SLC flavors, to serve the consumer and enterprise markets simultaneously with the same branded drive and controller.

The MX3 is a SATA 3 6Gbps drive that is rated at 500MB/s reads and 400MB/s writes. The MLC version will come in capacities ranging from 64GB to 512GB while the SLC flash SKUs top out at 256GB. The chart below details the model numbers at each capacity point for both the MLC and SLC SKUs, depending on what you need.

In the press release, Super Talent CEO Abraham Ma stated the following:

“We are excited to introduce the MX3.  Not only does it offer a considerable upgrade in speed from its predecessor, the MX2, it is also an extremely reliable device that we believe fits the needs of our OEM and consumer customers.”

Pricing and availability have not been announced, however.

Stay tuned to PC Perspective throughout the week for more Computex 2013 news.

Inspur Readies Tianhe-2 Supercomputer With 54 Petaflop Theoretical Peak Performance

Subject: Systems | June 3, 2013 - 09:27 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: Xeon Phi, tianhe-2, supercomputer, Ivy Bridge, HPC, China

A powerful new supercomputer constructed by Chinese company Inspur is currently in testing at the National University of Defense Technology. Called the Tianhe-2, the new supercomputer has 16,000 compute nodes and approximately 54 Petaflops of peak theoretical compute performance.
Destined for the National Supercomputer Center in Guangzhou, China, the open HPC platform will be used for education and research projects. The Tianhe-2 is composed of 125 racks with 128 compute nodes in each rack.

The compute nodes are broken down into two types: CPM and APU modules. One of each node type makes up a single compute board. The CPM module hosts four Intel Ivy Bridge processors, 128GB system memory, and a single Intel Xeon Phi accelerator card with 8GB of its own memory. Each APU module adds five Xeon Phi cards to every compute board. The compute boards (a CPM module + a APU module) contain two NICs that connect the various compute boards with Inspur's custom THExpress2 high bandwidth interconnects. Finally, the Tianhe-2 supercomputer will have access to 12.4 Petabytes of storage that is shared across all of the compute boards.

In all, the Tianhe-2 is powered by 32,000 Intel Ivy Bridge processors, 1.024 Petabytes of system memory (not counting Phi dedicated memory--which would make the total 1.404 PB), and 48,000 Intel Xeon Phi MIC (Many Integrated Cores) cards. That is a total of 3,120,000 processor cores (though keep in mind that number is primarily made up of the relatively simple individual Phi cores as there are 57 cores to each Phi card).

Inspur claims up to 3.432 TFlops of peak compute performance per compute node (which, for simplicity they break down as one node is 2 Ivy Bridge chips, 64GB memory, and 3 Xeon Phi cards although the two compute modules that make up a node are not physically laid out that way) for a total theoretical potential compute power of 54,912 TFlops (or 54.912 Petaflops) across the entire supercomputer. In the latest Linpack benchmark run, researchers saw up to 63% efficiency in attaining peak performance -- 30.65 PFlops out of 49.19 PFlops peak/theoretical performance -- when only using 14,336 nodes with 50GB RAM each. Further testing and optimization should improve that number, and when all nodes are brought online the real world performance will naturally be higher than the current benchmarks. With that said, the Tianhe-2 is already besting Cray's TITAN, which is promising (though I hope Cray comes back next year and takes the crown again, heh).

In order to keep all of this hardware cool, Inspur is planning a custom liquid cooling system using chilled water. The Tianhe-2 will draw up to 17.6 MW of power under load. Once the liquid cooling system is implemented the supercomputer will draw 24MW while under load.
This is an impressive system, and an interesting take on a supercomputer architecture considering the rise in popularity of heterogeneous architectures that pair massive numbers of CPUs with graphics processing units (GPUs).

The Tianhe-2 supercomputer will be reconstructed at its permanent home at the National Supercomputer Center in Guangzhou, China once the testing phase is finished. It will be one of the top supercomputers in the world once it is fully online! HPC Wire has a nice article with slides an further details on the upcoming processing powerhouse that is worth a read if you are into this sort of HPC stuff.

Also read: Cray unveils the TITAN supercomputer.

Computex 2013: Corsair Adds New Gaming Peripherals To Its Vengeance and Raptor Brands

Subject: General Tech | June 3, 2013 - 09:09 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: Vengeance K70, vengeance, raptor, corsair, computex 2013, computex

In addition to its new mid tower cases, Corsair is launching four new mechanical keyboards and two new gaming mice to the Vengeance and Raptor gaming lineups. The new gear includes Vengeance K70, Vengeance K65, and Raptor K50 gaming keyboards and the Raptor M40 and M30 mice. All of the new gaming hardware will be available later this summer.

Corsair Vengeance K70

Earlier this year, Corsair released a new K70 mechanical gaming keyboard using Cherry MX Red switches to complement its existing K60 and K90 keyboards (which Scott reviewed last year). At Computex, Corsair announced two new models that use different Cherry MX switches. Instead of the reds, the new models will use either Cherry MX Brown or Cherry MX Blue switches.

The K70 features a gun-metal anodized aluminum case with adjustable blue backlighting on a key-by-key basis. The keyboard features an anti-ghosting matrix with full key rollover and a 1000Hz polling rate. It will be available for purchase in July with a MSRP of $129.99.

Corsair Vengeance K65

The Vengeance K65 is a new, more compact, mechanical keyboard that utilizes Cherry MX Red switches. It has a full-size key layout, but the palm rest and extra horizontal space has been cut down to enable the K65 to fit on smaller desks. It retains the anti-ghosting, full key rollover and 1000Hz polling rate of the K70 mechanical keyboard along with a brushed metal aesthetic.

This mechanical gaming keyboard will be available in July for $89.99.

Corsair Raptor K50

Whie Corsair's previous keyboard products ahve been mechanical in nature, the new Raptor K50 uses membrane keys rather than the more expensive mechanical variety. In keeping with the gaming nature, the Raptor K50 features 18 programmable keys with 3 banks allowing for up to 54 total macros. It also has a Windows lock key that prevents accidental presses of the Windows key from interrupting your game session as well as six multimedia playback control keys.

Additionally, the Raptor K50 has customizable backlighting that can be adjusted to any number of RGB colors. It supports full key rollover and will be for sale starting in July for $99.99.

Corsair Raptor M40

Corsair is also releasing two new gaming mice to complement the new gaming keyboards. The Raptor M40 is a right-handed optical mouse with seven programmable buttons. It features adjustable weight, an Avago ADNS-3090 4000 DPI optical sensor, and DPI switching buttons.

The new gaming mouse will be available later this month for $59.99.

Corsair Raptor M30

Finally, Corsair is also launching a low-cost gaming mouse called the Raptor M30. This mouse is a less complex design, but it still packs a 4000 DPI optical sensor, six buttons, DPI switching, and red LEDs. It ergonomically favors right handed gamers.

The Raptor M30 will go on sale sometime this month for $49.99.

Corsair is taking full advantage of Computex to launch new products, with new gaming peripherals, cases, and memory coming out of Day 1 of the show! You can read more about the company's other product releases in the articles below.

Stay tuned to PC Perspective for more information as it develops!

Also read:

• Corsair Launches Two New Carbide-Series Mid Tower Cases @ PC Perspective
• Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR3 1866 MHz Memory Review @ PC Perspective

Computex 2013: Corsair Launches Carbide Air 540 and 330R Mid Tower Cases

Subject: Cases and Cooling | June 3, 2013 - 09:08 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: corsair, computex 2013, computex, carbide air 540, carbide 330r

Corsair is in attendance at Computex 2013 in Taipei, Taiwan this week to show off a number of new products. The latest product announcement is the release and availability of two new Carbide-series cases: the Carbide Air 540 and Carbide 330R.

Corsair Carbide Air 540 Mid Tower Chassis

The Corsair Carbide Air 540 is a dual chamber mid-tower ATX case that is optimized for maximum air cooling performance. The outside of the case is a boxy brushed aluminum affair with a stylized mesh grill running from the top panel to the front panel. The front panel IO ports sit below the two vertically-mounted 5.25” drives, and includes two USB 3.0 ports, two audio jacks, and power/reset buttons.

The case is split up into two chambers and uses the company's “Direct Airflow Path” techniques. The main (left) chamber hosts motherboards up to E-ATX in size along with PCI-E cards and two hot-swap 3.5” (2.5” drive compatible) drive bays. The second (right) chamber holds the ATX power supply, 5.25” drives, and SSD drive bay (which can hold up to four SSDs). The motherboard tray separates the two chambers, but Corsair has added a number of rubber cable routing grommets to aid in cable management and connecting devices  in the main chamber to power.

A magnetic (removable) front filter protects the case from dust. Cooling options include up to six 120mm or five 1400mm fans. Water cooling enthusiasts can instead opt for up to a 240 or 280mm radiator on top and a 360mm radiator in the front of the case.

In all, the case measures 16.5” x 17” x 18” (407 x 432 x 457mm). It is available now with a MSRP of $139.99.

Corsair Carbide 330R Mid Tower Case

The other case that Corsair is launching today is the Carbide 330R. This case focuses on quiet operation and utilizes Direct Airflow Path techniques and sound dampening material throughout.

The Carbide 330R is a compact mid tower case clad in brushed aluminum with tapered edges and sharp corners. The front panel has a brushed aluminum front door, two USB 3.0 ports, two audio jacks, and power and reset buttons. Corsair is optimizing this case for low-noise operation by adding sound dampening material on the top, side, and front panels as well as using rubber case feet to reduce noise caused by vibration.

The Carbide 330R supports motherboards up to E-ATX in size, ATX power supplies, four 3.5” (or 2.5”) drives (in tool free trays), and a single 5.25” tool-less drive bay.
Cooling options include:

• 2 x 120mm or 140mm front panel mounts
• 2 x 120mm or 140mm top panel fan mounts
• 1 x 120mm rear fan mount

Users can remove the top panel cover to reveal the two 140mm fan mounts to add a 240mm watercooling radiator though you do lose out on some of the sound dampening potential when you remove that top panel.

The Carbide 330R measures 19.5” x 8.3” x 19” (495 x 210 x 482mm). It is available now with a MSRP of $89.99.

An avalanche of Haswell motherboards

Subject: Motherboards | June 3, 2013 - 07:15 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: z87, socket 1150, Q87, Q85, haswell, H87, B85

Somehow the gang at Hardware.Info made it through 33 different Socket 1150 boards in time for the release date, not just Z87 but also H87, Q87, Q85 and B85 based boards from the five major motherboard suppliers.  They also tested 22 different USB 3.0 devices on the boards and saw errors generated in over half of the devices, something you should take note of if you plan to upgrade immediately.  The benchmark charts are something to behold, though the performance holds relatively stable on all of the boards showing that once again it is the features which make a board stand out against the competition.  There was one measure that separated the boards, power consumption varies greatly between these motherboards, attributable in no small part to the aforementioned features.

"Today Intel introduced the fourth generation of its Core processors, also known as Haswell. The desktop processors in the Haswell generation use a different type of processor socket, called Socket 1150. That means if you want to use one of the new processors, you will have to buy a new motherboard as well. Intel also created a new chipset series, the 8 series or Lynx Point, for desktop motherboards: the Z87, H87, Q87, Q85 and B85. Hardware.Info tested 33 of these new Socket 1150 Haswell motherboards, 26 with the Z87 chipset, four with H87 and three with B85. ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, Intel and MSI participated."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

• ASUS Crosshair V Formula Z Motherboard Review @ OCC
• Gigabyte's 8-Series Haswell Motherboard Tour @ AnandTech
• Asus Z87 Maximus VI Extreme @ Kitguru
• Gigabyte Z87X-UD3H Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
• MSI Z87 MPower MAX Motherboard Review @ Benchmark Reviews
• HiTechLegion Z87 Motherboard Round-Up @ HiTech Legion
• Asus Z87 Pro and Asus Z87 Plus @ LanOC Reviews
• MSI Z87-G45 Gaming @ LanOC Reviews
• MSI Z87-GD65 GAMING (LGA 1150) @ techPowerUp
• Gigabyte GA-Z87X-OC @ Kitguru
• GIGABYTE Z87X-UD3H Intel Z87 'Haswell' Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews
• Asus Z87 Sabertooth @ Kitguru