Computex 2013: ASRock Teams Up With BMW To Create New SFF M8 Chassis

Subject: General Tech | June 3, 2013 - 01:28 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: SFF, m8, Lan Box, computex 2013, case, bmw, asrock

New PC cases seem to be popular at Computex this year, and ASRock may have just blown away the small form factor competition with its compact BMW Group-designed “M8” chassis.

The new “M8” case was designed by a BMW Group consultancy firm called DesignworksUSA. They have created a compact metal case that will be right at home at a LAN party or on many enthusiasts' desks. The case is a large square with cut-off corners and indented side panels. It is designed to show off the PC internals with a large octagonal side window, and can be stood upright or laid out horizontally. Carrying handles are integrated into the corners as well, making it easier to carry to LAN parties. The front of the case includes the “A-Command” button which is basically a large home theater-style volume control dial with an integrated OLED screen. The dial can adjust audio volume and fan speeds while the OLED display reports on system temperature, time,  and usage (presumably HDD or CPU activity indicators).

The case has a rather clean and sharp look that shows a bare metal side and a glossy black front panel. The BMW Group has added red accents to the front panel and side windows. In an interesting twist, according to the press release, the side panels are magnetic which enables easy access to the internals.

The small form factor (SFF) M8 case will be used by ASRock to create a custom gaming PC. The internal specifications have not yet been announced, however.

This is definitely a unique design that is likely to be popular among the enthusiast and gamer crowd. You can find more photos of the M8 case on the BMW Group website.

What do you think of this BMW-inspired PC chassis?

Computex 2013: ASUS Hosting Computex Livestream Tonight

Subject: General Tech | June 2, 2013 - 11:55 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: livestream, gaming, computex 2013, asus

ASUS will be kicking off Computex 2013 with a livestream where the company will likely announce new products. The theme for the event is "We transform". The press conference will be held at 38 Songren Road Xinyi District, Taipei, 101 Taiwan, but for those not in attendance the livestream is in approximately 3 hours and allow enthusaists and press to cover the event from afar.

If you are a 'night owl,' insomniac, or just plain excited about new ASUS gear feel free to tune into the livestream at this link (or via the embedded stream below the break) and discuss any announcements in the comments below!

The livestream and press conference starts at 3:00am ET (3:00pm local Computex time).

I am expecting to see some new motherboards, graphics cards, and PCs from ASUS to complement the launch of Intel and NVIDIA's new CPU and GPU components. Perhaps we will finally see the launch of the rumored RAIDR PCI-E SSDs. It should make for a good show, so tune in if you can!

While you are waiting for the live stream to start, feel fee to check out Morry's review of the ASUS ROG Maximus VI Extreme Motherboard, a new Z87 motherboard!

New Silvermont Atom Chips Will Use Pentium and Celeron Branding

Subject: Processors | June 2, 2013 - 11:32 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: silvermont, pentium, Intel, haswell, celeron, atom, 22nm

In addition to the impending launch of Intel's desktop Haswell processors, the company is also working on new Atom-series chips based on Intel's Silvermont architecture. Ryan Shrout wrote about the upcoming Atom architecture a few weeks ago, and you can read up on it here. However, in short, Atoms using the Silvermont architecture are 22nm SoCs with a Hyper Threaded, dual-module quad core design that comes with burst-able clockspeeds and up to 2.5x the performance of chips using the previous generation Saltwell architecture. Intel is promising up to a 50% IPC (instructions per clock) increase, and 4.7x lower power versus previous generation Atom CPUs.

A block diagram of Intel's upcoming Silvermont architecture.

With that said, over the weekend I read an interesting article over at PC World that hinted at these new Silvermont-based Atom processors taking up the Pentium and Celeron branded CPU mantle. In speaking with Intel employee Kathy Gill, the site learned that Intel will be using the Silvermont architecture in code-named Bay Trail-M and Bay Trail-D processors for notebooks and desktops respectively. The Bay Trail code name isn't new, but Intel's use of the Pentium and Celeron branding for these Atom chips is. For the past few generations, Intel has re-purposed lower-tier or lower binned Core processors as Pentiums or Celerons by disabling features and/or clocking them lower. It seems that Intel finally believes that its Atom lineup is good enough to serve those low-end desktop and notebook CPU purposes under the budget brand families.

Kathy Gill further stated that "we aren't ready to disclose additional details on Haswell plans at this time,” which does not rule out Haswell-based Celeron and Pentium chips. It does not confirm them either, however.

After a chat with PC Perspective's Josh Walrath on the issue, I'm not certain which direction Intel will take, but I do believe that Intel will (at least) favor the Atom chips for the Pentium and Celeron brands/lines because the company will see much better profit margins with the Silvermont-based chips compared to Haswell-based ones. On the other hand, Intel would lose out on the ability to re-brand low binning Core i3s as Pentium or Celeron CPUs. Further, going with both architectures would complicate matters and invite a good amount of brand confusion for many consumers in spite of allowing a mix of better profit margins and re-purposing chips that otherwise wouldn't make the cut (admittedly, Intel probably has to artificially limit some number of chips to keep up with the volume of Pentium and Celerons needed, it's difficult to say to what extent though).

Hopefully we will know more about Intel's Bay Trail CPUs and branding plans at Computex later this week.

What do you think of this move by Intel, and will the Silvermont-based Bay Trail chips be up to the task?

AIDA64 Version 3.00 Released

Subject: Processors | June 2, 2013 - 10:43 PM | Morry Teitelman
Tagged: Kabini, haswell, FinalWire, aida64

Courtesy of FinalWire

Today, FinalWire Ltd. announced the release of version 3.00 of their diagnostic and benchmarking tool, AIDA64. This new version updates their Extreme Edition and Business Edition of the software.

Courtesy of FinalWire

Origin PC Integrating Haswell CPUs and GTX 700M Hardware Into New PCs

Subject: Systems, Mobile | June 2, 2013 - 07:18 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: quadro k1000m, origin pc, nvidia, kepler, Intel, haswell, gtx 700M, gaming, eon17-s, eon15-s

Origin PC has announced that it will be integrating Haswell CPUs and GTX700M GPUs into its line of gaming notebooks and desktops. Specifically, Origin PC will add Haswell CPUs to its Genesis, Millennium, and Chronos desktop PCs. Origin PC is also outfitting its EON gaming laptops with both Haswell CPU and GTX700M GPU upgrades. And to sweeten the pot (if only slightly), Origin is bundling a voucher for Grid 2 with each Haswell-equipped Origin PC order.

Both the EON15-S and EON17-S gaming laptops feature Intel Haswell processors, NVIDIA GTX700M or Quadro K1000M mobile graphics cards, and up to five storage drives when the optical drive is removed. The laptops are even able to have an independent RAID of two mSATA SSDs and two hard drives or SSDs along with a non-RAID storage drive in the optical bay—that's a lot of storage for a laptop!

The laptops come with customizable display lids available in red, black, silver, or a custom air brush as well as back-lit keyboards and touchpads. As the SKU names suggest, the EON15-S has a 15.6” display while the EON17-S has a 13.3” display. Origin PC is further offering factory overclocking for the Haswell processors and GTX700M graphics cards. The company claims up to a 20-times power reduction during idle thanks to the more power-efficient hardware.

Unfortunately, all this new tech comes at a premium, and the EON15-S and EON17-S gaming notebooks start at $1,722 and $1,784 respectively. As far as the desktops go, there is also a slight bump in price depending on the Haswell chip you select during the customization process. Upgrading to an Intel Core i7-4770K on the GENESIS desktop costs an extra $193, for example.

You can find more information on the Origin PC website.

Galaxy's Factory Overclocked GTX 770 Graphics Card Is Now Available for $400

Subject: Graphics Cards | June 2, 2013 - 12:43 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: nvidia, gtx 770, graphics card, gk-104, galaxy

Galaxy recently made its custom factory overclocked GTX 770 graphics card available. The new card is not the fastest GTX 770, and doesn't quite embrace the supa-pipe as much (as Josh would say), but it looks to be a good deal all the same, giving you a quieter HSF and a decently-overclocked Geforce GTX 770 GPU for $399.99.

The Galaxy GeForce GTX 770 2GB (77XPH6DV6KXZ) takes NVIDIA's GTX 770 GPU with 1,536 GK-104 based CUDA cores and overclocks it to 1110 MHz base and 1163 MHz boost clockspeeds. The 2GB of GDDR5 memory is only clocked at the reference 7010 MHz, however.

The card has the same video outputs as other GTX 770 cards: two DL-DVI, one HDMI, and one DisplayPort output. The card with its dual slot, dual fan cooler is 10” in length and requires a 600W PSU at minimum (not solely for the GPU). It needs one 8-pin and one 6-pin PCI-E power connector.

Galaxy provides a two year warranty for the card. It is available now for around $400 at various retailers.

Read more about other factory overclocked GTX 770 graphics cards at PC Perspective!

Computex 2013: NZXT Launches Silent, Tool-less H230 Mid Tower Case

Subject: Cases and Cooling | June 2, 2013 - 12:07 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: nzxt, mid tower, h230, computex 2013, case

NZXT has kicked off the Computex 2013 coverage with the announcement of a new H230 mid-tower ATX case. Continuing the tradition of the H-series, the H230 is a minimalistic white or black design that incorporates sound dampening material and tool-free internal bays.
The outside of the case is simplistic, with vents and three 5.25” bays  on the front. In keeping with the silent intentions, there is no case window here. Brushed aluminum case feet lift the case off of the floor. Two USB 3.0 ports and a single microphone audio jack are available as front IO.

The H230 is constructed of steel with some plastic parts. It measures 195mm x 447mm x 502mm and weighs 7.25kg (approximately 16 lbs.). There are two SKUs, CA-H230I-W1 in white and CA-H230I-B1 in black.

Internally, the H230 mid tower case features tool free drive bays that can accommodate up to 6 3.5” drives and 3 5.25” drives. It can fit GPUs up to 290mm in length with the hard drive cage installed or up to 400mm with the drive cage removed. Heatsinks up to 158mm in height are supported as are motherboards up to full ATX in size (with 7 PCI expansion slots). A bottom mounted PSU slot and cable management routed behind the motherboard tray are also features. Cooling options include up to two 120mm front intake fans, a single 120mm bottom intake fan, and a single 120mm rear exhaust fan. NZXT provides the 120mm exhaust fan with the case. In the press release, NZXT states that “Our designers had one goal in mind while crafting the H230: create an affordable, silent chassis with all of the necessary essentials for a clean, functional build. ”

The new H230 case comes with a 2-year warranty and has an MSRP of $69.99. More information is available on the H230 product page.

The full press release is below:

Zotac Announces Factory Overclocked GTX 770 Cards, AMP! Edition Is Fastest So Far

Subject: General Tech | June 1, 2013 - 10:50 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: zotac, gtx 770, gk-104, gaming

Not to be left out, GPU partner Zotac has announced its own set of graphics cards based on NVIDIA's GK-104 GTX 770 GPU called the GTX 770 and GTX 770 AMP! Edition. Both cards come with Zotac's custom dual fan cooler and have some impressive factory overclocks. In fact, the GTX 770 AMP! Edition is the fastest factory clocked GTX 770 so far, and is the only card to feature overclocked memory.

The Zotac Geforce GTX 770 features a GPU base clock of 1059 MHz and a GPU boost clock of 1098 MHz. It will be available with either 2GB or 4GB of GDDR5 memory. In either memory configuration, Zotac is keeping the GDDR5 at the stock clockspeed of 7010 MHz.

Meanwhile, the GTX 770 AMP! Edition has GPU clockspeeds of 1150 MHz base and an impressive 1202 MHz boost. However, the GTX 770 AMP! does not only feature an overclocked GPU, but overclocked memory at 7200 MHz.

The chart below compares the two Zotac graphics cards.

Both of the Zotac graphics cards also come with a Splinter Cell game bundle that includes three (digital download) games:

• Splinter Cell: Double Agent
• Splinter Cell: Conviction
• Splinter Cell: Blacklist (will be release later this summer)

As far as pricing and availability, the GTX 770 (ZT-70301-10P) is on sale now at Newegg for $400, but the 4GB GTX 770 and GTX 770 AMP! have not yet been released by the looks of it, and Zotac has not announced official pricing or ship dates yet. More information can be found here. The AMP! Edition has some impressive factory overclocks, and the benchmarks should be interesting.

EVGA GTX 770 and GTX 770 Superclocked Graphics Cards Will Use New ACX HSF

Subject: General Tech | June 1, 2013 - 08:58 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: gtx 770, evga, acx

Now that NVIDIA's GTX 770 reference graphics card is official, the various partners have begun unleashing their own spins on the hardware. Unlike the TITAN, NVIDIA is allowing custom PCBs and coolers, making the selection of GTX 770 cards much more diverse and unique.

In fact, EVGA has a slew of GTX 770-based graphics cards planned for 2014. Out of the gate, there will be two graphics cards available to consumers: The GTX 770 and the GTX 770 Superclocked. Both cards will come equipped with the company's new ACX cooler. In addition, the GTX 770 FTW, GTX 770 4GB, GTX 770 FTW 4GB, and the GTX 770 Classified 4GB cards will also come with the ACX cooler and will be available later this year. Details on those last four cards are still unknown, but EVGA has provided specifications on the first two, which will be available soon.

The EVGA GTX 770 w/ ACX

The EVGA GTX 770 w/ ACX is a GK-104 “Kepler” GPU clocked at 1046 MHz base and 1085 MHz boost. The card also features 2GB of GDDR5 memory clocked at 7010 MHz.

EVGA is also introducing a Superclocked edition of the GTX 770 that will use the new ACX cooler. This GTX 770 ACX Superclocked has factory overclocked speeds of 1111 MHz base and 1163 MHz boost. The 2GB of GDDR5 memory remains at the reference clockspeed of 7010 MHz.

Both of these cards use EVGA's new ACX cooler which uses a new heatsink design paired with two fans (dual ball bearing) and a back-plate that is reportedly lighter, quieter, and cooler-running than the reference cooler.

The EVGA GTX 770 4GB Classified GPU with ACX cooler. It is listed on the site, but not available yet.

The EVGA GTX 770 ACX and GTX 770 Superclocked ACX will be available soon for an as-yet-unannounced price. The Superclocked edition has some impressive factory overclock numbers, though it will likely come at a premium. The other interesting takeaway from the EVGA announcement is the confirmation of 4GB GTX 770 cards coming in the future. More information can be found on the EVGA product page.

ASUS Launches GTX 770 DirectCU II OC Graphics Card

Subject: Graphics Cards | June 1, 2013 - 06:00 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: nvidia, kepler, gtx 770, graphics card

NVIDIA recently unveiled its GTX 770 GPU. Sitting between the GTX 680 and GTX 780, the Geforce GTX 770 is a refined GK104 with higher clockspeeds and improved GPU boost. It features 1536 CUDA cores and a 256-bit memory bus.

While the stock GTX 770 comes clocked at 1046 MHz base and 1085 MHz boost, ASUS is factory overclocking its DirectCU II OC card with a maximum boost GPU clockspeed of 1110 MHz. The 2GB of GDDR5 memory on the card will come clocked at 7010 MHz.

The differentiating factor here (aside from the overclock) is the custom DirectCU II cooler. ASUS has fitted the overclocked GTX 770 with a DirectCU cooler that uses copper heatpipes that directly contact the GPU and attach to an aluminum fin stack. The heatsink is, in turn, cooled by two 80mm fans. ASUS claims that the GTX 770 DirectCU II OC is up to 20% cooler and three-times quieter than the referrence NVIDIA cooler. Other features include a 10-phase DIGI+ VRM, and “Super Alloy Power” capacitors, chokes, and MOSFETs. The dual slot card is 10.7” long and includes two DL-DVI, one HDMI, and one DisplayPort video ouptut. ASUS' GPU Tweak software will allow users to adjust core and memory clockspeeds, voltage, fan speeds, and the power control target.

The ASUS GTX 770 DirectCU II OC is shipping now and will be available at retailers soon. In fact, the card is avaiable at Newegg right now for just under $410.

Read more about NVIDIA's GTX 770 GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 Review - GK104 Speed Bump @ PC Perspective!

NVIDIA Launches New High-Performance 700M Graphics Cards

Subject: Graphics Cards | June 1, 2013 - 05:11 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: gtx 700M, nvidia, mobile gpu, kepler, 780m, 700m

Earlier this year (beginning of April), NVIDIA introduced the first set of mobile graphics cards in its 700M series. These were relatively low-end cards that features at most 384 CUDA cores and were based on NVIDIA's 600-series Kepler architecture.

NVIDIA is now adding higher-end mobile GPUs to the 700M family with the GTX 760M, GTX 765M, GTX 770M, and GTX 780M. These chips are still based on Kepler (600-series), but feature more CUDA cores, more memory, a wider memory bus, and faster clockspeeds. The GTX 780M is not quite the mobile equivalent to the desktop GTX 680, but NVIDIA is matching it up against AMD's 8970M GPU and claims that it can run games like Sleeping Dogs, Assassins Creed 3, and Borderlands 2 at Ultra settings (1080p). The GTX 770M is also capable of running modern games, though some detail setitng may need to be turned down.

The chart below details the various specifications and compares the new GTX 700M cards to the existing GT 700M GPUs. At the high end, NVIDIA has the GTX 780M with 1,536 CUDA cores, a base clock of 823 MHz, and 4GB of GDDR5 memory (1250 MHz) on a 256-bit bus. The GTX 770M occupies the mid-range mobile gaming slot with 960 CUDA cores, a base clock of 811 MHz, and a memory clock of 1GHz. The GTX 760M and GTX 765M have similar hardware specifications, but the GTX 765M has a higher GPU base clock of 850 MHz versus the GTX 760M's 657 MHz base clock. The low end GTX 700M GPUs (760M and 765M) feature 768 CUDA cores, a 128-bit memory bus, and memory clockspeeds of 1GHz.

Further, GPU Boost 2.0, Geforce Experience software, and NVIDIA Optimus support are features of the new GTX 700M graphics cards. You can read more about these NVIDIA technologies in this article by motherboard reviewer Morry Teitelman.

These cards are based on NVIDIA's 600-series despite the 700M moniker. They should provide OEMs with some good gaming options on the NVIDIA side of things and allow for some more competition in the gaming notebook hardware space against the existing AMD cards.

ASUS Announces New PCs With Intel Haswell Processors

Subject: General Tech | June 1, 2013 - 03:55 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: tower, Intel, haswell, desktop, asus, all in one

ASUS recently launched three new PCs that are powered by Intel's new “Haswell” fourth generation Core processors. Specifically, ASUS will be launching a new desktop called the M51 as well as two all-in-one PCs: the ET2702 and ET2301.

Details on the new computers are still unknown, but ASUS has provided some basic specifications that users will able to build off off with a bit of customization during ordering. All three PCs will use Intel's latest Haswell processors and can be outfitted with discrete graphics cards from AMD or NVIDIA. ASUS is also including its SonicMaster audio technology in each computer.

The M51 desktop is fitted into a tower-style chassis. In addition to the Haswell CPU and AMD/NV add-in cards, the desktop PC features a removable UPS, an externally-accessible SATA hot swap drive bay, wireless charging for Qi devices, USB ports with Ai Charger II technology (for charging tablets faster than the standard USB power output), and automatic fan speed control.

The ET2301 is an all-in-one PC with a 23” display. The display allows up to 5-point multi-touch as is a 23” IPS 1080p display with 178-degree viewing angles. The PC also comes with three free years of 32GB Asus cloud storage and an optional subwoofer.

Alternatively, the ET2702 is a larger 27” all-in-one PC. It features a 27” IPS display with 10-point multi-touch and a resolution of 2560 x 1440. This AIO can be configured with Thunderbolt ports and a subwoofter (optional).

Beyond that details on the pricing and configuration options is still unknown. Stay tuned to PC Perspective for more Haswell PC news.

You can find the full press release after the break.

EVGA Outfits GTX 780 With Hydro Copper Water Block

Subject: Graphics Cards | June 1, 2013 - 01:38 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: watercooling, nvidia, hydro copper, gtx 780, gpu, gk110, evga

EVGA GTX 780 Hydro Copper GPUs

While NVIDIA restricted partners from going with aftermarket coolers on the company's GTX TITAN graphics card, the recently released NVIDIA GTX 780 does not appear to have the same limits placed upon it. As such, many manufacturers will be releasing GTX 780 graphics cards with custom coolers. One such design that caught my attention was the Hydro Copper full cover waterblock from EVGA.

This new cooler will be used on at least two upcoming EVGA graphics cards, the GTX 780 and GTX 780 Classified. EVGA has not yet announced clockspeeds or pricing for the Classified edition, but the GTX 780 Hydro Copper will be a GTX 780 GPU clocked at 980 MHz base and 1033 MHz boost. The 3GB of GDDR5 memory is stock clocked at 6008 MHz, however. It uses a single 8-pin and a single 6-pin PCI-E power connector. This card is selling for around $799 at retailers such as Newegg.

The GTX 780 Classified Hydro Copper will have a factory overclocked GTX 780 GPU and 3GB of GDDR5 memory at 6008 MHz, but beyond that details are scarce. The 8+8-pin PCI-E power connectors do suggest a healthy overclock (or at least that users will be able to push the cards after they get them).

Both the GTX 780 and GTX 780 Classified Hydro Copper graphics cards feature two DL-DVI, one HDMI, and one DisplayPort video outputs.

The Hydro Copper cooler itself is the really interesting bit about these cards though. It is a single slot, full cover waterblock that will cool the entire graphics card (GPU, VRM, Memory, ect). It has two inlet/outlet ports that can be swapped around to accommodate SLI setups or other custom water tube routing. A configurable LED-backlit EVGA logo adorns the side of the card and can be controlled in software. A 0.25 x 0.35 pin matrix is used in the portion of the block above the GPU to increase the surface area and aid in cooling. Unfortunately, while the card and cooler are single slot, you will actually need two case PCI expansion slots due to the two DL-DVI connectors.

It looks like a neat card, and it should perform well. I'm looking forward to seeing reviews of the card and how the cooler holds up to overclocking. Buying an overclocked card with a pre-installed waterblock is not for everyone but having a water cooled GPU with a warranty will be worth it more than pairing a stock card with a custom block.

Smaller than a breadbox; building mini-ITX systems

Subject: Systems | May 31, 2013 - 07:01 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: htpc, mini-itx

Building a mini-ITX system that is small enough to be attached to the back of a monitor or hidden with your stereo components takes a bit more thought than assembling a full ATX system.  It is not just about the size of the components you are purchasing, heat dissipation is much more important in a small system especially if it will be located somewhere that does not have great air circulation.  TechSpot has put together a guide for those thinking of building such a system, using the Akasa Euler Case as the housing and powered with a Core i5-3470T.  As you can see from the picture below, the final system is smaller than an HD7970.

"The idea behind the Thin Mini-ITX form factor, besides the obvious which is to create seriously compact computers, is also to allow for DIY all-in-ones (think of little PCs you can attach to the back of your monitor). Having that said, we don't fully intend to go the all-in-one route in this article, but are aiming to build a powerful Thin Mini-ITX system that can be used in the office or at home as a media PC.

This is what our finished system should look like: extremely compact, powerful, and near silent operation, as in no-moving-parts silent. For less than $700 including a 256GB SSD, we believe you'll love what the final product will look like."

Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:

Systems

• Sapphire Edge HD4 @ Bjorn3D
• Streacom F7C EVO HTPC Chassis @ eTeknix
• Fractal Design Node 605 Silent HTPC Case Review @ Legit Reviews
• Leawo Total Media Converter Ultimate @ Benchmark Reviews
• Samsung BD-F7500 Review @ TechReviewSource
• Analogix Semiconductor SlimPort Cable (HDMI Adapter) @ Tweaktown

Can't get enough Z87 previews!

Subject: Motherboards | May 31, 2013 - 05:41 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: z87, asus, preview, Maximus VI Hero, Sabertooth Z87, TUF Gryphon

Previews of the upcoming Z87 boards from all the major manufacturers are appearing everywhere as the release date draws nigh, to the joy of tech enthusiasts everywhere.  ASUS was kind enough to give The Tech Report a breakdown of their upcoming boards, both full sized and mATX.  One of the more intriguing is the TUF Gryphon which has the same heatshield as the previous TUF series but is in an mATX form for those who want a powerful SFF system.  Pictured below is the new Deluxe model, The Tech Report finds the colour scheme reminiscent of a "1978 Firebird Trans Am"; perhaps you can mod a blower into your case if this is the board you chose?

"A few weeks ago, we got an early preview of Asus' upcoming Haswell motherboards. We can now tell you what's in store for the next generation."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

• MSI Z87 MPOWER @ eTeknix
• Intel DZ87KLT-75K @ eTeknix
• Asus Z87 Motherboard Line-up: Debutant Models Within @ Kitguru
• ASRock Z77E-ITX Motherboard Review @ Madshrimps
• Gigabyte G1.Sniper 5 @ eTeknix
• MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming Series @ Tweaktown
• Gigabyte G1.Sniper M5 @ eTeknix
• Asus Maximus V Formula @ LanOC Reviews
• MSI Z77A-GD65 Gaming Series Motherboard Review @ Legit Reviews
• Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H @ X-bit Labs
• Asus P8Z77-V LK @ X-bit Labs
• Gigabyte C847N Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets
• ASUS M5A97 R2.0 Motherboard @ Hardware Secrets

Antec fully supports Haswell

Subject: General Tech, Cases and Cooling | May 31, 2013 - 05:27 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: antec, haswell, PSU

Antec released two lists today covering the compatibility of both their PSUs and their notebook chargers.  If you are worried that your current hardware will not support the new low power states implemented in Haswell check through the list and if your product is listed you are good to go.  If not you can treat these as shopping lists for your next PSU or notebook adapter.

PSUs

Notebook Adapters

Dell U3014 30" UltraSharp 2560 x 1600 @ $1250

Subject: General Tech | May 31, 2013 - 03:01 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: deals

Continuing this weeks theme of monitor deals is the Dell U3014 30" IPS display, an updated version of their long running Ultrasharp 30" series.  The specs remain similar to the old U3011 with new connectivity options, a 4-port USB 3.0 hub, DisplayPort 1.2 and mini-DisplayPort 1.2 along with legacy connections.  With a $250 instant rebate now is a good time to jump on this deal if you were planning on moving your display up to the big leagues.

Dell U3014 30" UltraSharp 2560 x 1600 LED-backlit IPS LCD Monitor
Dell Home is offering flagship 30" UltraSharp - the U3014 (successor to the existing U3011 model) for $1,249.99 with FREE shipping. Backed by 3-Year Advanced Exchange Service and Premium Panel Guarantee. Use $250 instant savings to get final price.

Computex 2013: ASUS PQ321 is a 31.5" 4K monitor

Subject: General Tech, Displays, Shows and Expos | May 31, 2013 - 02:12 AM | Scott Michaud
Tagged: PQ321, computex, asus, 4k

Computex, the second largest expo for computer hardware, is less than a week away but its influence tends to bleed over a little bit. And, since we know our readers love 4K displays, we thought we might pass along a leak we found for a new ASUS monitor.

Image source, ASUS via TechPowerUP

And yes, that is a 32"

The Asus PQ321 is both a relatively easy-to-remember model number and a 31.5" computer monitor with 4K2K resolution. Connect it to your computer with DisplayPort or, for at least some US models, dual HDMI to have the same resolution as IMAX Digital as well as have a legitimate reason to pick up multiple GeForce Titan graphics cards.

The raw specifications are:

• 31.5 inch display size (16:9 aspect ratio)
• Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) panel, LED backlit
• 3840x2160 resolution (140ppi)
• 1.07 billion colors (10-bit RGB)
• 176 / 176 (H / V) degree viewing angle
• 350 cd/m² brightness
• 8ms (gtg) response time
• Color temperature and gamma adjustments
• I/O: DisplayPort, 2x HDMI ("optional"), RS-232C, 3.5mm audio in and out
• 2W stereo speakers
• Tilt, swivel, height adjustments; VESA mount (no landscape/portrait pivot)
• 750mm x 489mm x 256mm with stand, 13kg net weight
• Comes with DisplayPort 1.2 cable and an RS-232C conversion cable (???)

Looking at these specifications, it certainly feels like an IPS-equivalent technology with some very telltale characteristics: the relatively slow response time for seemingly no reason, the 1.07 billion colors, the very wide viewing angle, and the relatively high pixel density per inch. This prompted me to look over at the ASUS website for some tea leaf reading. It looks as though all P- or M-series monitors utilize some form of IPS technology, the M-series referring to thin-bezel options and the P-series to relatively image quality-focused products.

So as best as I can tell, the PQ321 is a 31.5" 4K IPS monitor.

ASUS is expected to display this at Computex 2013 in Taipei along with a 39" 4K monitor. No word on pricing or availability, at least not yet.