For some users, it's been a long time coming. For others, it just meant that Apple had given up entirely on the desktop ecosystem, choosing to focus on its "mainstream luxury" approach towards selling phones with a BOM of $219 for $1000. Most others, though, will probably look at this update as more of a passing shot than an actually thought-out product development.

For now, Apple is going to update the innards of its Mac Pro line with some pretty interesting (if expectable) hardware: the $2,999 model sees a two-core bump from the quad-core Intel Xeon E5 3.7 GHz processor towards a six-core Intel Xeon E5 3.5 GHz. The same path will be followed by the $3,999 model, bumping towards an eight-core Intel Xeon E5 3 GHz processor from the six-core Intel Xeon E5 3.7 GHz processor that just kept on giving since 2013. Both models have also been updated with dual AMD FirePro D500 and D700 GPUs. The $2,999 model also sees an increase in its available memory, from 12GB of DDR3-1866 memory to 16GB.

At CES 2017, ECS showcased a number of ultra-compact form-factor PCs. basically building upon their previous LIVA family releases, the new LIVA feature either Intel's Apollo Lake SoCs (with Celeron Processors N3350 / N3450 / N4200 and 6 W TDP) on the Z and ZE, or Intel's Kaby Lake-U processors (Intel Core i3-7100U / i5-7200U / i7-7500U and 15W TDP) on the Z Plus.

The Z Plus is obviously the most powerful of the lot, supporting DDR4 memory (the Z and ZE support only DDR3), having better integrated graphics (Intel's HD 620 versus the Intel HD 500/500 on the Z and ZE models), and having an expected extra energy consumption (an external 65 W adapter on the Z Plus versus a 40 W external adapter on the other two models).

Thecus today announced the release of the N4810, an expanded 4-bay version of the N2810PRO that will come equipped with 4 GB of DDR3 RAM (expandable to 8GB) and the Intel Celeron N3160 Quad-Core processor. This new attractively priced 4-bay NAS server is capable of up to 40TB of storage space, making it the ideal choice for home and small office users seeking solid data protection with their own personal cloud, in conjunction with an optimized Multimedia centre.

With the N4810 built on the hardware of its little brother, the N2810PRO, users are equipped with the same immersive multimedia experience. Delivering superb sharpness and colour contrasts in 4K resolution playback, accessed through the HDMI output or DisplayPort output, guaranteeing that the picture quality from movies is just as the director envisioned. Connection to your digital sound system via a SPDIF output is available, providing crystal clear audio for music and movies. A new USB 3.0 Type-C port has been added to the three already equipped USB 3.0 ports. This Type-C connector is the size of a microUSB and has a reversible plug allowing cables to be conveniently plugged in either direction.

Patriot Memory unveiled its flagship Hellfire line of SSDs, which take advantage of 32 Gb/s PCIe host interface, and the NVMe protocol, to belt out transfer rates that are 5-6 times those of SATA 6 Gb/s drives. The drives come in M.2-2280 and PCIe add-on card form-factors. Both drives combine Phison 5007 PCIe SSD processors with MLC NAND flash memory. The drives take advantage of the latest NVMe 1.2 protocol.

The add-on card variant comes in capacities of 480 GB and 960 GB, while the M.2-2280 variant comes in 240 GB, 480 GB, and 960 GB. Both drives feature 512 MB DDR3 DRAM caches. The add-on card variant offers sequential speeds of up to 3,000 MB/s reads with up to 2,200 MB/s writes, with up to 150,000 IOPS 4K random-reads, with up to 230,000 IOPS 4K random writes. The M.2-2280 variant offers the same sequential speeds, but with up to 116,000 IOPS 4K random reads, and up to 210,000 IOPS 4K random writes.

Thecus today announced the release of the N2810PLUS, an upgraded version of the N2810 that will come equipped with 4 GB of DDR3 RAM and the next generation Intel Celeron N3150 Quad Core processor, allowing users to access improved speed and processing power. This high-performance 2-bay NAS server fulfills the demand for home and small office users who are eager for impregnable protection of their data, while enjoying enhanced Multimedia Playback with 4K video resolution.

Designed with effortless hard drive installation and a focus on reliability, the N2810PLUS features a HDMI port to enjoy 4K UHD media playback, providing users with their own multimedia centre, which supports Air Play. Possessing two LAN ports that provide 7 modes of link aggregation, it also has three USB 3.0 ports for higher data transmission. Furthermore, the N2810 supports an extensive variety of apps for modern digital lifestyles.

Plextor announced the M7V, a new line of cost-effective consumer SSDs, which succeed the M6V Series launched last July. Available in 2.5-inch and M.2 form-factors, the drives take advantage of the SATA 6 Gb/s interface. Available in capacities of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB, the M7V is driven by a Marvell 88SS1074B1 processor, wired to Toshiba 15 nm TLC NAND flash memory, and DDR3 DRAM caches of 256 MB, 512 MB, and 768 MB, respectively. The 512 GB M.2 variant features higher 1 GB DRAM cache. The drives offer sequential transfer rates of up to 560 MB/s reads on all three variants, with up to 500 MB/s, 530 MB/s, and 530 MB/s, respectively. Depending on the capacity, you get a manufacturer rated TBW tolerance of 80 TB, 160 TB, or 320 TB. Plextor didn't announce pricing.

As the 2016 Game Developer Conference kicks off, virtual and augmented reality continues to be top of mind for today's developers and consumers. And it should be. It represents the future of communication and computing, and the promise virtual reality has held for so long finally seems within grasp of today's technologies. Today, Sulon Technologies gets one step closer to that promise, unveiling a neak peek of the Sulon Q, the world's first and only all-in-one, tether-free, "wear and play" headset for virtual reality, augmented reality, and spatial computing.

On stage in front of more than 650 press and developers at the inaugural AMD Radeon "Capsaicin" event, I took the stage to give the world a glimpse of what we've been working on, showing off the forthcoming Sulon Q headset, and the intuitive experiences you can expect, including seamlessly transitioning from the real world to virtual worlds.

ZOTAC International, a global manufacturer of innovation, is pleased to introduce the flagship solution for data and gaming, SONIX PCIE SSD, a brand new addition to the growing arsenal of fast SSDs. SONIX is aimed at enthusiasts, introducing top-of-the-line high performance SSD product for serious gaming, productivity, and enterprise. Each SONIX product undergoes rigorous testing and is fine tuned to ensure that it meets the highest performance standards.

The first foray into the PCI Express based storage, SONIX is the first consumer level NVMe 1.2 PCIE SSD from ZOTAC where it significantly improves performance over SATA based SSDs. With read and write speeds up to four times that of a 2.5-inch SATA SSD, SONIX includes 512MB DDR3 of high-speed cache for tasks that demand next generation speeds.

Expanding its new PRO series line of motherboards, BIOSTAR is proud to announce the availability of its latest addition to the PRO family of motherboards with the announcement of the BIOSTAR H110MD PRO. As part of the PRO series motherboard range, the BIOSTAR H110MD PRO boasts improved stability and durability for improved reliability.

The BIOSTAR H110MD PRO supports the latest 6th-generation Intel Core processors and uses the H110 chip and acepts up to DDR3L 1600 memory of up to 16GB capacity. The board integrates the core features of the BIOSTAR PRO series featuring Tough Power Enhanced power design for improved stability and AudioArt capacitors guaranteeing a whole different listening experience versus similar motherboards.

Manli Technology Group Limited, the major Graphics Cards, Mini-PCs and other components manufacturer, today announced the latest entry level of graphics solution, Manli GeForce GT 710 including Heatsink and Heatsink with Fan versions.

Manli GeForce GT 710 delivers a perfect DirectX 12 API gaming experience, support 3D Vision and high-definition resolution. It is equipped with 1GB & 2GB of GDDR3 memory, 64bit memory controller, memory clock is at 1600MHz, and the default GPU clock appears to be 954 MHz.

Thecus Technology Corp. today announced the launch of its newest 2-bay NAS, the N2810, a NAS server designed to optimize multitasking and provide seamless 4K multimedia playback. The N2810 is equipped with the newest generation Intel Braswell N3050 1.6 GHz dual-core processors (burst to 2.16 GHz) and 2 GB DDR3 RAM. Furthermore the N2810 supports AES-NI encryption engine for increased performance and enhanced security.

"The N2810 steps up to the challenges that 4K playback creates and provides a robust hardware platform that is able to handle multiple tasks with ease," said Florence Shih, CEO at Thecus Technology Corp. "With the recent development of our newest operating system, ThecusOS 7.0, we are elated to announce that the N2810 will be the first Thecus NAS to be released with the new software."

The brand new 5-bay TS-531P business NAS is now available. A tower form factor NAS with an Annapurna Labs Alpine AL-314 quad-core 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex-A15 processor and 2GB/8GB DDR3 RAM (upgradable to 8GB), the TS-531P features RAID 5/6 support, hardware-accelerated encryption and SSD cache support. With four Gigabit LAN ports, the TS-531P can deliver up to 418 MB/s read & write speeds and allows users to install a 10GbE SFP+ or 10GBASE-T network expansion card to connect to 10GbE networks. The TS-531P also supports Container Station for LXC and Docker lightweight virtualisation technologies, offering businesses an ideal cost-efficient and high-performance NAS solution.

"Business' demands for IT virtualisation have increased dramatically, but 10GbE storage solutions available on the market are still out of reach for most SMB budgets", said Jason Hsu, Product Manager of QNAP, adding "The quad-core TS-531P is energy efficient, features a full spectrum of business applications and provides an ideal storage base and 10GbE readiness for SMBs at budget-friendly prices."

AMD fleshed out its sub-$150 desktop CPU lineup with the new FX-6330, a socket AM3+ six-core chip based on the 32 nm "Vishera" silicon, which is priced at $109. At this price, it will take on the entry-level Core i3 and Pentium dual-core chips from Intel. This chip offers out of the box clocks of 3.60 GHz, and a maximum TurboCore frequency of 4.20 GHz. Its six cores are spread across three "Piledriver" modules. It features a total of 6 MB of L2, and 8 MB of L3 caches. The integrated memory controller supports dual-channel DDR3-1866 memory. Its TDP is rated at 95W.

Thecus Technology Corp. today announced the launch of the latest addition to its Windows Storage Server 2012 R2 Essentials NAS series, the enhanced W5810 equipped with the quad core Intel Celeron 2.0 GHz processor and 4 GB DDR3 RAM. Designed for small and medium businesses of up to 50 employees, the W5810 provides a robust, centralized storage solution for businesses to access, share, and manage files securely within a network while simultaneously hosting PC backups in one central location.

Continuing on the success of the original Windows Storage server 2012 solutions from Thecus, the W5810 provides increased power allowing users enhanced multi-tasking abilities, said Florence Shih, CEO of Thecus Technology Corp. "The new Thecus Windows Storage Server provides an ideal solution for individuals and organizations with Windows infrastructure to securely manage and backup their data."

Team Group Inc., the world's leading memory brand, today launched the gaming laptop upgrade memory-Neptune. The global PC market is experiencing a stagnation at this point of time. Gaming has become the essential key to push forward the sustainable development of PC/NB. In this vigorously growing market, Team Group has built the gaming memory Neptune specifically for gamers. With two frequencies DDR3 2133/1600, it ensures both performance and compatibility, providing gamers laptop upgrade and excellent solutions for customized Steam Machine.

Instead of using traditional JEDEC standard, Team Group's all new Neptune gaming laptop memory will go further into the area of gaming with previous experience in developing overclocking memory. DDR3 2133/1600 SO-DIMM is not only created for gaming laptops, but also making it possible to minimize high performance PC. No matter you want to play an epic time traveling adventure game, or battle in the thrilling frontline of a war game, Neptune is able to offer infinite possibilities for upgrading gaming performance under the existing platform.

BIOSTAR's latest Intel based motherboard features a DDR4 + DDR3 combo solution, Super Durable Solid Capacitors, and the BIOSTAR 6+ Experience. With BIOSTAR's enhancements users will enjoy mainboards that have enhancements in these areas of BIOSTAR expertise: Audio+, Video+, Speed+, Protection+, Durability+ and DIY+.

BIOSTAR's latest mainboard, the Hi-Fi Z170Z5 is based on Intel's H170 chipset which is a single-chip design that supports Intel 6th generation socket 1151 Intel Core processors. The Biostar Hi-Fi H170Z5 features support of either DDR3 or DDR4 memory modules with 2-DIMM DDR3L-1866(OC)/1600/1333 for up to a 16G maximum capacity and 2-DIMM DDR4-2133/1866 for up to a 32G maximum capacity.

QNAP, Inc. has sprung another surprise on the enterprise storage marketplace with the announcement of the new TVS-ECx80U-SAS-RP unified NAS-SAS storage solution. This new system bridges the gap between all three different types of drives: speedy all-SSD storage, large capacity SATA drives and cost-effective SAS HDD systems.

The new TVS-ECx80U-SAS-RP series marries high-performance 12 Gbps SAS drives with built-in ultra-high performance 256 GB SSD caching. Powered by QNAP's new QTS 4.2 management software along with the new Qtier automated data-tiering technology, the system keeps frequently accessed data readily accessible and infrequently accessed data close at hand in less-costly HDD storage, significantly improving the overall performance while reducing data warehousing costs.

MSI, world leading in motherboard technology, announces its H110 based motherboards are ready to join the PRO Series product line. With new microATX sized models, available in both DDR4 or DDR3 low voltage DRAM solutions, the new MSI PRO Series motherboards completely fulfill small business needs and help to increase productivity greatly. The Windows 10 WHQL certified PRO Series motherboards offer the best in stability, security and reliability and present a plethora of new features and improvements as well as technical ingenuity.

Unique DDR4 Boost technology is designed with optimized traces and fully isolated memory circuitry. This design ensures the memory signals stay pure for optimal performance and stability. MSI M-Cloud is a convenient and secure way of saving personal files in the cloud which simplifies complicated settings with a user friendly interface and is easy to learn. Supports the new Intel Small Business Advantage and Small Business Basics solutions which are unique, customizable solutions that helps improve small businesses data security, maximizes employee productivity and boosts overall office computers' performance.

Arbor Solution introduces its FPC-7800 series of powerful, rugged fanless box computers. The FPC-7800 inherits the features of model FPC-7700, while updating the previous platform with a newer, more efficient Intel chipset. The new series offers a variety of configurations to cater to different expansion requirements, may be used in a variety of environmental conditions, and provides multiple storage options. The unit may also be mounted in a variety of ways.

"With its tremendous flexibility, the FPC-7800 is undoubtedly the flagship of our popular line of box PCs," noted Brian Yurkiw, Arbor Solution vice president. "Including the Intel Q87 chipset and a 4th generation Intel Core processor enhances the unit's manageability and security for the most demanding needs. Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, model FCP-7700, the FCP-7800 is an ideal fanless box computer for applications such as a controller on oil rigs; a control box on an assembly line; a vehicle computer, especially in cold conditions; and a machine vision component, where it excels due to its capability of housing a powerful i7 processor."

ASRock announced the B150M Combo-G, a micro-ATX motherboard that should make your upgrade to the 6th generation Core "Skylake" platform as painless as possible, letting you keep your current DDR3 memory, and upgrade to DDR4 later down the line. The board features two each of DDR3 and DDR4 DIMM slots, letting you use up to 16 GB of DDR3 or up to 32 GB of DDR4 memory. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, conditioning it for the CPU with a simple 7-phase VRM.

Expansion slots on the B150M Combo-G include one each of PCI-Express 3.0 x16, PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (electrical gen 3.0 x4), and PCIe gen 3.0 x1. Storage connectivity includes one SATA-Express 16 Gb/s connector, and six SATA 6 Gb/s. The onboard 6-channel audio solution features ground-layer isolation and electrolytic capacitors. Display outputs include one each of DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub. Six USB 3.0 ports, gigabit Ethernet, and PS/2 combo port make for the rest of it. Expect an $80-ish price point.

Biostar's latest Intel H170 chipset board is ready for duty for any scenario and comes with combination support for either DDR3 or DDR4 memory modules to allow for maximum flexibility. The Hi-Fi H170Z3 is the first ever Motherboard to support both DDR3 and DDR4 showing its commitment to innovation and development.

The Hi-Fi H170Z3 is based on Intel's H170 chipset which is a single chip design that supports Intel 6th generation socket 1151 Intel Core processors. With the Intel H170 chipset, the Hi-Fi H170Z3 also has the iGPU function enabled, letting users enjoy the latest in Intel integrated graphics performance.

HyperX, a division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the addition of HyperX FURY DDR3L high-performance, low-voltage DIMMs, as well as brand-new HyperX Impact DDR4 SO-DIMMs.

HyperX FURY DDR3L runs at a low 1.35V, meaning less power consumption and less heat. It is available in 1600MHz and 1866MHz frequencies, and comes in 8GB or 16GB dual-channel kits of two as well as 4GB and 8GB modules featuring a stylish asymmetrical heatspreader in black with black PCB for a stand-out system. HyperX FURY DDR3L is fully Plug-and-Play (PnP) enabled for automatic overclocking out of the box and is perfect for entry-level gamers and enthusiasts who want a cost-efficient upgrade for the 6th Generation Intel Core Processors (former codename Skylake-S) and 100 Series Chipset.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced the world's first Thunderbolt 2 Turbo vNAS TVS-871T that features 20Gbps bandwidth, 4K video capable Thunderbolt 2, and compatibility with the Thunderbolt-ready storage expansion enclosures TX-500P and TX-800P. With the high transfer speed of DAS and the convenient accessibility of NAS, the TVS-871T is an extremely flexible and efficient storage solution for creative media professionals looking to streamline large 4K video and design workflows.

"The TVS-871T tackles the most common bottleneck for 4K workflows: I/O speed and storage." said David Tsao, product manager of QNAP. "It provides unmatched performance for high-resolution file storage and I/O-intensive tasks to increase working productivity focusing more on 4K or 3D workflows."

Thecus Technology Corp. today announced the launch of the next generation 7-bay, N7770-10G and 8-bay, N8880U-10G NAS. The newest additions to Thecus' line of SMB/Enterprise NAS deliver high-performance, resilience, and a wide range of industry-class solutions that are able to handle the rigorous mission critical storage needs of businesses.

"Innovation has been and continues to be at the very pinnacle of our success at Thecus," said Florence Shih, CEO at Thecus Technology Corp. "Today's growing businesses require a complete storage solution that can fulfill day to day operations and adapt to unforeseen circumstances and new innovations. With cutting-edge hardware, a comprehensive set of data management features, and attractive price points, these next generation NAS provide an ideal business storage solution."

Giada USA, a provider of Micro Servers, Mini-PCs, and embedded motherboards, announces the MG-5200SL Thin M-ini ITX motherboard for digital signage, powered with the latest 14nm sized Broadwell processors. The MG-5200SL boasts a powerful Core i5 CPU with 3MB Cache and speeds up to 2.7GHz for better performance and lower power consumption. A dedicated Nvidia GT730 GPUenables powerful graphics performance, supporting 4K Ultra HD resolution and multiple displays. With rich connectivity and JAHC technology for unmanned operation, the MG-5200SL is ready for the most demanding digital signage applications.

Rather than relying on integrated graphics solutions, the MG-5200SL uses a dedicated Geforce GT730 GPU with 384 CUDA cores for 4K Ultra HD and multi-display capability. 2GB of DDR3 dedicated VRAM ensures memory-complex signage displays run smoothly even when the CPU is busy with data processing. Based on the Intel Thin Mini-ITX standard for All-In-One(AIO) PCs, the MG-5200SL fits the same 6.7"x6.7" footprint as a standard Mini-ITX motherboard yet measures just 0.95"(24mm) tall. This slim form factor allows the MG-5200SL motherboard to not only fit into standard Mini-ITX chassis but also Thin Mini-ITX chassis for a very slim profile. Meeting Intel's AIO standard the MG-5200SL can also be used to power all-in-one PCs with high resolution displays.