ASRock's PCI Express 3.0 motherboards unveiled

Details of several new motherboards with support for PCI Express 3.0 from ASRock have turned up, including specs of a couple of upcoming models. The most exciting model is the feature packed Z68 Extreme7 which has been given quite a makeover since Computex, not in terms of features, but in terms of looks.

Although four new models have shown up, only two are actually new, as all four models have the Gen3 moniker tacked on the end. The two boards that dont appear to have changed much is the P67 Extrem4 Gen3 which has been given an overhaul with regards to the choice of colours and of course PCI Express 3.0 switches for the x16 PCI Express slots has otherwise not changed at all from what we can tell. The same goes for the Z68 Extreme4 Gen3, which got the same treatment as the P67 Extreme4 Gen3.

The Z68 Etreme3 Gen3 is a brand new model though that slots in between the Z68 Pro3 and the Z68 Extreme4. Unlike the previous two models, this one has been given a set of new chipset heatsinks as well which look rather quite stylish. Its quite hard to see any details from the tiny picture though, but the specs give us an idea of whats on offer. The board has a pair of x16 PCI Express slots that operate in dual x8 mode when both are in use, two x1 PCI Express slots and two PCI slots. Around the back the board has what we think is four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, an eSATA port, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel audio and a D-Sub, HDMI and DVI port. The board also features power, reset and clear CMOS buttons, but for everything else were going to have to wait until it launches.

Finally we have ASRocks new flagship board, the Z68 Extreme7 Gen3 and although there was a version on display at Computex, the revised version doesnt look anything like it. ASRock has gone for a design that has ended up somewhere between Gigabytes UD7 and Asus ROG series of boards, although there are a few things that couldve been better in our opinion. The new heatsinks and gold capacitors look very modern and high-tech though, even though they are unlikely to offer any extra benefits over more regular looking components.

The slot-layout is far from ideal and ASRock has kitted out the board with an nForce 200 chip which enables 3-way SLI and according to the spec sheet the top slot is the only x16 PCI Express 3.0 slot, whereas the other four x16 slots are stuck at PCI Express 2.0. Theres also a single PCI Express x1 and a single PCI slot on the board. A very strange setup, but at least its something unique to this board.

ASRock has gone feature crazy on the Z68 Extreme7 with no less than four additional SATA 6Gbps ports, an eSATA controller, three USB 3.0 host controllers and a pair of Gigabit Ethernet controllers. Due to lack of PCI Express lanes from the chipset, ASRock has as such had to add a PLX bridge chip to handle all the peripheral controllers. The board also has headers for eight USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports and a FireWire port.

Around the back, unless ASRock has changed things around since Computex, there are two USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.0 ports, two Ethernet ports, a FireWire port, an eSATA port, 7.1-channel audio with optical S/PDIF and a full set of display connectivity options which consist of a DisplayPort, HDMI, DVI and D-Sub connectors. Finally we have power, reset and clear CMOS buttons alongside a POST 80 debug LED. The real question is how much this board will cost, as we expect this to be the most expensive motherboard ASRock has ever launched to date.

Source: TweakTown, VR-Zone Forums

Android web browsers tested

Android users are definitely spoilt for choice when it comes to phone browsers - Opera Mini, Dolphin HD, Skyfire 2.0, or Mozilla Fennec? Or perhaps the stock Android browser? PCWorld has pitted a total of six Android browsers against each other.

Opera Mini and Skyfire 2.0 are arguably the fastest phone browsers here. However, the somewhat slower Dolphin HD browser allows users to extend functionality by installing add-ons. Mozilla's Fennecmight bethe slowest of the pack butit is still a work in theearly stages of development.

Check out PCWorld's full article for a detailed analysis on each of the browsers, including optimizations, Flash compatibility and page rendering.

Sources: Engadget and PCWorld

ASUS Expects Mobo Shipments Rise

ASUS expects a sharp rise in shipments of its motherboards and laptop computers this year due to robust demand. ASUS which has factories in Taiwan, China, Mexico and the Czech Republic, makes notebook computers for several multinational companies, including Apple and Sony. This year, Asustek sees its shipments of motherboards rise to 52 million, up from 42 million last year. ASUS expects to ship 5 million motherboards this month, exceeding its monthly production capacity of 4 million units. Shipments of laptop computers are also rising, likely to reach 4 million units for 2005 from the 2.8 million units last year. ASUS's notebook computer production capacity is 500,000 units a month and Asustek's own brand of notebook computers account for about 45 to 47 percent of total shipments, up from less than 40 percent last year, and the contract orders make up the rest.

ATi R480 GPU Info

ChipMicron ProcessPipelinesCore clockMemory clockMemory SizeR480XT PE0.1116540 MHz1180 MHz256MBR480XT0.1116520 MHz1080 MHz256MBR480PRO0.1112520 MHz1080 MHz256MB

ASUS Radeon X1000 Series Cards Pics

Introduction

ASUS has gotten their full X1000 series lineup for some ATi onslaught into theretail market particularly the X1600 XT and X1600 Pro cards. Not forgetting,their X1800XT card development is also currently underway. The GPUs of the X1600series are into the final revision and cards are now entering mass production atthis moment. VR-Zone has taken some close-up pictures of their X1800XL, X1600XT,X1600Pro and X1300Pro cards.

ASUS Extreme AX1800XL

ASUS Extreme AX1800XL is equipped with exclusive ASUS innovations and ATI RadeonX1800XL VPU. Manufactured through 90nm technology and incorporated a newperformance architecture, new card and graphics engine enhanced Shader Model 3.0and delivered fast memory speeds and Dynamic Range Rendering. Of course, toprovide a complete gaming platform, the card included unique ASUS technologiesthat allow users to record gaming actions (ASUS Game Replay) and share themonline (ASUS Game LiveShow), as well as provide video quality comparable to thebest TVs (ASUS Splendid Video Intelligence Technology). ASUS Extreme AX1800XL isa complete solution for the enthusiast market.

For more information :http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=2&l2=8&l3=0&model=785&modelmenu=1

X1800 XTX1800 XLX1600 XTX1600 ProX1300 ProProcess90nm90nm90nmCore Clock625MHz500MHz590MHz500MHz600MHzMemory Clock(DDR)750MHz500MHz690MHz390MHz400MHzPixel ShaderUnits1612124Peak PixelFill Rate (Gpixels/s)1082.362.02.4Peak VertexThroughput1250100011801000600GeometryPipelines884MemoryInterface256-bit128-bit128-bitPrice$ 549 - 512MB
$ 499 - 256MB$ 499 - 256MB$ 249 - 256MB
$ 199 - 128MB$ 199 - 256MB
$ 149 - 128MB$ 149 - 256MB

Asus Announces New External Blu-ray Writer

ASUS continues its lead in high performance optical storage devices forhome/ high-end professional storage environments with the release of its SBW-06C1S-U Blu-ray writer.



The sleek and compact writer features a USB 2.0 interface, 8Mb of buffermemory, and supports burning speeds up to “6x for BD-R, 4x for BD-RDL, 2x for 2x for BD-RE (DL), 8x for DVD-R/+R/+RW, 6x for DVD-RW, 24xfor CD-R, and 16x for CD-RW”. Available in piano black finish, theSBW-06C1S-U is bundled with CyberLink's Power2Go 6.0 and PowerDVD 9software. It is covered by a two year warranty and can be purchased fromauthorized resellers and e-tailers at a MSRP of 167 Euros.

News via [Techconnect]

Apple to move some Mac production to US in 2013

Apple is planning to bring back some Mac production to the US next year in what could signal a major shift from its reliance on cheap Chinese manufacturers.

The companys CEO, Tim Cook, announced the change in policy in an interview with Bloomberg, which will see over $100 million being spent to put everything in place.Apple will not be doing the production itself, but rather will outsource it to another company in the US, much like it currently does with Chinese firms. The costs are likely to be higher, but the good PR from the move will be significant.Apple has been the subject of much criticism in recent years over poor working conditions at the facilities of manufacturers and suppliers it uses in China. It has also been condemned for shipping jobs overseas, a general issue that featured prominently in the recent US presidential election.The production shift will include manufacturing of components and final assembly, so there will likely be several lucrative contracts up for grabs. However, only one of the Mac product lines will be made exclusively in the US.While some have praised the move as a positive first step to restoring the US manufacturing industry, the sheer difference in costs between production in the US and production in China will make it a difficult move to follow up on. However, it might just be enough to encourage other companies to make similar changes.Source: Reuters

ASUS Commando Board For Overclockers

Asus Technology Pte Ltd. (ASUS), the worldwide leader of motherboards isproud to introduce the Commando, a new addition to its R.O.G (Republic ofGamers) family of gaming motherboards. The Commando provides extremeoverclockability for enhanced performance, and unique features to jazz up thegaming features and simplify the DIY process.

Overclock system bus up to 2,280MHz

Supporting the Intel® P965 Express Chipset, maximum 8GB dual-channel DDR2architecture, PCI Express x16 graphics and multi-core CPU, the Commando is readyfor the latest computing hardware and software specifications. With superiorengineering, the Commando provides unmatched overclockability, taking FSB andmemory up to 2,280MHz and 1,300MHz, respectively.

Extreme Tweaker – One stop performance tune-up

Extreme Tweaker is a one stop solution for fine-tuning system performance.Frequency adjustment, over-voltage options, memory settings etc. can all betweaked with this feature, which is found exclusively in ASUS motherboards.

8-phase cap-less power – Reliable power supply and longer component life

The 8-phase cap-less power design demonstrates two hardcore commitments of R.O.G.:ultimate overclocking capability, and trustworthy stability. 8-phase cap-lesspower yields unparalleled superiority in the overclocking arena, while the ELcap-less design removes any worries of capacitor problems once and for all.

Onboard Switch – Turn system on/off, reset and clear CMOS with one push of abutton

Overclockers and power users typically build systems outside of the case, andhence they need to short the front panel pins to power up or restart the system,switch jumpers, and pop the battery to clear CMOS. With the Commando, doing allthat is now just a push of a button.

LCD Poster – Easy System Tweaking with Style

Most hardcore users and engineers install a debug card, which displays atwo-digit code that enables them to recognize which part of the system isresponsible for hanging the system during boot-up. LCD Poster, located at theback I/O, displays the names of each boot-process instead of using codes. Whensystem hangs due to faulty connection or configuration, the LCD Poster willfreeze on the displayed process name that caused the hang up, allowing users toknow exactly what needs to be fixed.

Specification summary

CPU: LGA 775 Core2Duo, Quad-Core CPU
DDR2: 800/667/533
FSB: 1066/800
Chipsets: Intel P965 + ICH8R
6 SATA II 3Gb/s
Supports ATI Crossfire Graphics
SupremeFX Featuring ADI 1988b
Extreme Tweaker
LCD Poster
8 phase capless power design
Onboard switches

For more information on the Commando and other R.O.G motherboards, please visitthe company website at sg.asus.com.

Apple planning to axe iPhone dock connector

Apple is planning to axe its proprietary iPhone dock connector in order to make room for more important things, like a larger battery, in its popular smartphone device.

In its quest to launch new and improved versions of the iPhone the Cupertino, California-based company will axe the large dock connector and replace it with something considerably smaller.Apple previously agreed to a plan by the European Union for all phone manufacturers to adopt the micro-USB connector as standard for charging phones. This will eliminate the need to buy specific chargers for phones and will have a beneficial effect upon the environment as well, given how many useless chargers are thrown out each year.However, it does not appear that Apple is going to use this opportunity to switch to micro-USB, despite most of its rivals having already done so. It still makes a lot of money from its proprietary connectors and is likely unwilling to give them up without a fight.Employing a micro-dock will make Apples new line of products incompatible with older devices, a problem that could be solved with an adaptor, but this will cause some customer confusion and disgruntlement, since it will force the purchase of additional unnecessary hardware.We cannot help but think that Apple is missing out on a major opportunity to become a market leader in terms of a universal connector standard for smartphones. That should be micro-USB, not a new Apple micro-dock.Source: The Telegraph

AMD To Launch RV770 On June 18th

AMD has just confirmed the marketing name for RV770 yesterday which is no surprise to anyone, the Radeon HD 4800 series. RV770PRO is Radeon HD 4850, RV770XT is Radeon HD 4870 and R700 is Radeon HD 4870 X2. AMD will be shipping RV770 GPUs to AIB by end of this month and you can expect different card designs from the manufacturers at launch. AMD is set to launch the Radeon HD 4850 on June 18th and it is definitely a hard one with retail availability on the same day. Radeon HD 4870, however, will be launched a week later on June 25th with retail availability in July due to GDDR5 availability. Radeon HD 4870 X2 will come later in Q3. As for the clocks, we won't be revealing them yet but the RV770XT core clock is not going anywhere above 800MHz.

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[Rumour] Nvidia preparing dual-GF104

As expected, there will be no dual-GF100 card, as it is simplyimpractical, given the single GF100 pushes the barriers of PCI-ethermals. While the "TDP" is specified as 250W, reviews have seen actual"peak power" is approx. 300W, which is the limit for PCI SIG certifiedcards. However, Fudzilla is now reporting that Nvidia is preparing adual GPU iteration of its upcoming GF104 chip.

While GF104 was long expected to be a derivative of GF100, recentrumours suggest it might be a reworked Fermi 2 card.

The single GF104 card will be branded as Geforce GTX 460 and will ship with a TDP of 150W. Performance is a complete unknown, though the nomenclature suggests it will end up slower than the GTX 465. A guess would suggest GTX 460's performance somewhere in the HD 5770 / HD 5830 bracket then. However, Nvidia have a history with confusing branding. (The 8800GT being faster than a 8800 GTS, for example)

Unless GF104 turns out to be a major improvement over GF100, the HD 5970 will continue to be the performance champion, though it could be a close call, depending on the nature of GF104.

The release date of GF104 remains unknown, but August/September is a time-frame suggested in the past. We might see ATI's next generation Southern Islands releasing around the same time, or right after, which might put further pressure on Nvidia.

Reference: Fudzilla