The "Skylake" CPU microarchitecture is as much important to Intel as "Sandy Bridge" was, a few years ago. It allows Intel to facilitate mainstream adoption of the DDR4 memory standard (with DDR3 backwards compatibility encouraging cheap upgrades), and gives users IPC increases over older architectures. While users of Core "Haswell" processors and reasonably fast DDR3 memory will find "Skylake" a hard-sell, it should look appealing to users of much older chips, such as "Lynnfield," and perhaps even "Sandy Bridge."

The "Skylake" core is bigger than "Haswell," owing to wider pipelines, prefetcher improvements, more execution units, a bigger front-end with a higher-capacity branch predictor, cache optimizations, and an update to the way HyperThreading works. The instruction window is nearly 1.5x the size of Sandy Bridge, with an out-of-order execution window size of 224 (vs. 168 on Sandy Bridge), load/store sizes of 72/56 (vs. 64/36 on Sandy Bridge), 97 scheduler entries (vs. 56 on Sandy Bridge), and an allocation queue size of 64/thread (vs. 28/thread). The platform of "Skylake" is similar to that of its predecessor, with four notable changes - an integrated camera ISP with the chipset, DDR4 memory support, double the chipset bus bandwidth (64 Gb/s), and eDRAM support on certain CPU SKUs.

VIA Technologies, Inc, today announced the VIA AMOS-3005, the latest addition to its market-leading range of rugged and reliable VIA AMOS Series industrial fanless PCs. Combining a sleek ultra-ruggedized chassis with rich internal I/O and wireless connectivity options, the VIA AMOS-3005 is ideally suited for a wide variety of IoT, machine-to-machine, and HMI applications including industrial automation and transportation. The system supports wide operating temperature ranges from -10°C to 60°C as well as a flexible input voltage range of 9V-36V, creating a versatile and highly-reliable solution for even the harshest environments.

"The VIA AMOS 3005 provides the total package of high performance, low power, and rich I/O connectivity required for the most demanding industrial computing usage scenarios," said Richard Brown, VP of International Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "With its support for wide operating temperature and voltage ranges it delivers rock-solid reliability in a highly-robust ultra-compact form factor that had been engineered to withstand the toughest operating conditions."

Thecus Technology Corp. today announced the expansion of its rackmount NAS line up with the addition of the N8900PRO. Embedded with the Intel Xeon E3-1275 Quad Core 3.4GHz processor, 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM (offered up to 32 GB), and an AES-NI hardware encryption engine, the N8900PRO offers business users with a powerful, full-featured solution for file management, data back-up and protection, along with a comprehensive set of business applications to ensure a highly efficient working environment.

"For businesses in need of a powerful, all-purpose NAS server, the N8900PRO provides a robust hardware platform to handle the rigorous day-to-day operations in the workplace," said Florence Shih, CEO of Thecus Technology Corp. "With the 8-bay, N8900PRO, users are able to deploy a high capacity, cost effective storage solution with ensured data protection and security."

BIOSTAR a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards is proud to announce the release of its top-end Gaming Z170 series, the Gaming Z170X. Based on Intel's next-gen Skylake processors, this ATX form factor sports a 2GbE LAN capability. The Z170X features onboard USB 3.0with dual front and back connectors forconvenient use. The backward compatible USB 3.1 doubles the data transfer rate from 5Gbps to 10Gbps, making transferring your favorite games, music and movies even faster.

The Gaming Z170X features the Touch OC, exclusively developed by BIOSTAR allowing overclockers to enjoy the best performance from their system with a touch of a finger. Featuring Super Hi-Fi Audio with 30uF 'Golden' plated audio connectors providing excellent signal conductivity and less oxidation giving a crisp and clear sound, perfect for those looking for a studio-grade music experience.

Mushkin introduced the ECO2, a DDR3L-1600 MHz (PC3L-12800) memory module. Available in 4 GB and 8 GB densities, and coming in single-module, dual-channel, and quad-channel kits, the module ticks at 800 MHz (1600 MHz DDR3-effective), with timings of 9-9-9-24 CR1, and module voltage of 1.35V. DDR3L could play an important role in the transition of mainstream memory standard from DDR3 to DDR4, with the upcoming Intel Core "Skylake" processors, which feature integrated memory controllers that natively support DDR3L-1600 and DDR4-2400 (or DDR4-2666 as some reports suggest). Expect mainstream pricing for these modules.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash products, today launches thePremier SP600NS34 M.2 2242SATA 6Gb/s SSD for Ultrabooks and desktop PCs. To meet the latest platform and users' expectations, "slimmer, faster, and power-saving", ADATA's Premier SP600NS34 features multiple functions to enhance efficiency, such as DEVSLP, BCH ECC technology, and Intel Smart Response Technology. If you are seeking a new solution to upgrade your Ultrabook, the Premier SP600NS34 will be a great choice with the best cost-performance ratio.

The Premier SP600NS34 comes in capacities of 128GB and 256GB, and adopts the smallest SSD form factor - M.2 2242, with measurements of only 22 x 42 x 3.5mm. However, the compact size does not sacrifice performance - with the JMicron controller, the sequential read speed of SP600NS34 is up to 550MB/s, and the maximum 4K random read/write performance is up to 75K/77K IOPS. The Premier SP600NS34 supports DEVSLP (Device Sleep) technology, helping to consume less power than traditional idle and prolonging the battery life at the same time.

Intel is expected to debut its 6th generation Core "Skylake" desktop processor family at Gamescom 2015, which will be held in Cologne, Germany, between 5th and 9th August. PC enthusiasts should look forward to two parts in particular, the Core i7-6700K, and the Core i5-6600K. The two quad-core chips will be built in the LGA1151 package, compatible with upcoming motherboards based on Intel's 100-series chipset. Motherboards based on the Intel Z170 Express chipset will allow CPU overclocking. The integrated memory controller of "Skylake" CPUs support both DDR3 and DDR4 memory standards, and should prove to be a transition point between the two.

Following the i7-6700K and i5-6600K with Z170 chipset motherboards, at Gamescom; Intel will launch other parts in the 6th gen. Core processor family between late-August and early-September. Those launches will include i7-6700/6700T, Core i5-6600, 6500, 6400, 6600T, 6500T and 6400T, and H170 and B150 chipsets. Then in late-September, the company will launch the entry-level H110 chipset.

QNAP Systems, Inc. today announced a new 4-bay TS-431U Turbo NAS that offers optimal price/performance in a 1U network storage server chassis for file sharing, backup, synchronization, and more. Featuring an advanced Freescale dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 1GB DDR3 RAM, the TS-431U delivers exceptional multi-tasking performance as a business NAS, enhancing productivity and providing a private cloud for easily and securely accessing data.

"The TS-431U provides an ideal solution for small businesses and workgroups who want high-performance networked storage with low acquisition costs but without compromising reliability and features," said Jason Hsu, product manager of QNAP. The TS-431U is a reliable and affordable yet high-performance network storage solution, providing up to 148 MB/s read and 119 MB/s write throughput with dual Gigabit LAN ports. The TS-431U supports dual IP settings, port-trunking modes and enables users to set up fault tolerance or link aggregation for increased data throughput.

In addition to the Hi-Fi B150Z5, BIOSTAR unveiled the micro-ATX Hi-Fi H170Z3. Based on the H170 Express chipset, which has the same feature-set as the Z170, minus CPU overclocking and multi-GPU; the Hi-Fi H170Z3 offers a 7-phase CPU VRM, two each of DDR3 and DDR4 memory slots (you can use any one type at a given time), supporting up to 16 GB of dual-DDR3-1600 and up to 32 GB of dual-DDR4-2133; a single PCI-Express 3.0 x16 and PCIe 2.0 x1; two legacy PCI slots; and storage options that include SATA-Express, two SATA 6 Gb/s, and M.2 (10 Gb/s). An 8-channel Hi-Fi onboard audio, gigabit Ethernet, and six USB 3.0 ports, make for the rest of its modern connectivity.

AMD today introduced the latest addition to its line of desktop A-Series processors, the A10-7870K APU, a refresh to the existing line of processors codenamed "Kaveri". The A10-7870K delivers a best-in-class experience for eSports and online gaming with superior performance, best-in-class efficiency in DirectX 12, and unique features. The new processor also delivers exceptional performance in modern workloads and is designed for the future with Microsoft Windows 10.

The latest iteration of the popular and powerful AMD A-Series APU family provides premium performance and multitasking powered by up to 12 compute cores (4 CPU + 8 GPU). The responsiveness and processing power of the A10-7870K APU enables an immersive user experience on Windows 10 PCs while offering an easy path for PC builders looking to upgrade to discrete-level graphics and faster processing at an afforadable price. The A10-7870K APU is available at e-tail now at a suggested price (SEP) of US $137, and through participating system builders.

Here is the first picture of Colorful's premium socket LGA1151 motherboard, the iGame-Z170. The company plans to carve out at lease three unique SKUs out of this PCB (second picture below), the iGame-Z170 being the base model. As its name suggests, the board is based on Intel's upcoming Z170 Express chipset, and is designed for 6th generation Core "Skylake" processors. Some variants of this board, such as the iGame-Z170U, will feature DDR4 DIMM slots (up to 64 GB), while others will feature DDR3 (up to 32 GB).

The board offers a pretty decent feature-set, including a 14-phase CPU VRM, two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (electrical x8/x8 when both are populated) wired to the CPU, a third PCI-Express x4 slot wired to the PCH, three other PCI-Express x1 slots; storage connectivity that includes six SATA 6 Gb/s, one SATA-Express, and one M.2 10 Gb/s; two USB 3.1 ports, six USB 3.0 ports, gigabit Ethernet, and a modern onboard audio solution with ground-layer isolation, and audio-grade capacitors. The iGame-Z170 series will launch some time in Q3, 2015. The three will likely be exhibited at Computex 2015, this June.

Major pre-built desktop manufacturers began listing products driven by 5th generation Core "Broadwell" processors, which are having a brief stint at the markets before being replaced by 6th generation Core "Skylake" processors in Q3-2015. The 5th Generation Core family is led by two parts, the Core i5-5675C, and the Core i7-5775C, both of which come with unlocked base-clock multipliers, are based on Intel's new 14 nanometer silicon fab process, and built in the LGA1150 package, compatible with existing Intel 9-series chipset based motherboards, with BIOS updates.

The Core i5-5675C and i7-5775C aren't exactly successors of the i5-4690K and i7-4790K. The i7-5775C is placed in a product tier Intel calls "P1+," while the i5-5675C is placed in one called "MS2+." The two aren't exactly in the same plane as P1K (eg: i7-4790K) or MS2K (eg: i5-4690K), respectively, and don't qualify as P1 (eg: i7-4790 non-K) or MS2 (eg: i5-4690 non-K). The two still feature unlocked multipliers. This places them somewhere between P1K/MS2K and P1/MS2. Both the i5-5675C and i7-5775C are quad-core chips, and physically feature just 6 MB of L3 cache. The i7-5775C has access to all 6 MB of it, while the i5-5675K features just 4 MB.

In what is a confirmation that AMD has killed socket AM3+ and its 3-chip platform, a leaked slide that's part of a larger press-deck addressing investors, tells us that the company is planning to launch a high-performance desktop processor targeting enthusiasts, based on its next-generation "Zen" architecture, in 2016. Our older articles detail the Zen CPU core design, and the way in which AMD will build multi-core CPUs with it. This processor will be codenamed "Summit Ridge," and will be a CPU, and not an APU as previously reported. In AMD-speak, what sets a CPU apart from an APU is its lack of integrated graphics.

AMD "Summit Ridge" will be an 8-core CPU built on the 14 nanometer silicon fab process. It will feature eight "Zen" cores, with 512 KB of L2 cache per core, 16 MB of L3 cache, with 8 MB shared between two sets of four cores, each; a dual-channel integrated memory controller that likely supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory types; and an integrated PCI-Express gen 3.0 root complex, with a total of 22 lanes. We can deduce this from the fact that "Summit Ridge" will be built in the same upcoming socket FM3 package, which the company's "Bristol Ridge" Zen-based APU will be built on. "Summit Ridge" will hence be more competitive with Intel's 6th generation Core "Skylake" processors, such as the i7-6700K and i5-6600K, than the company's "Broadwell-E" HEDT platform.

Intel's next major CPU architecture, codenamed "Skylake," could be classified as the company's 6th generation Core processor family. It will succeed the brief stint Core "Broadwell" will have at the market, with no major chips for PC enthusiasts to look forward to. The Core i7-6700K appears to be the flagship product based on the Skylake-D silicon, succeeding the i7-4770K and i7-4790K. The Core i5-6600K will succeed the i5-4670K and i5-4690K.

The i7-6700K is a quad-core chip, with HyperThreading enabling 8 logical CPUs. Its nominal clock will be 4.00 GHz, with a rather shallow 4.20 GHz Turbo Boost frequency. It will feature an 8 MB L3 cache, and an integrated memory controller that supports both DDR4 and DDR3 memory types. This makes Skylake a transition point for the mainstream PC market to gradually upgrade to DDR4. You'll have some motherboards with DDR3 memory slots, some with DDR4 slots, and some with both kinds of slots. The resulting large uncore component, and perhaps a bigger integrated GPU, will result in quad-core Skylake parts having TDP rated as high as 95W, higher than current Haswell quad-core parts, with their 88W TDP.

AMD is readying its next-gen APUs, codenamed "Godavari" for launch in May 2015, according to industry sources in Taiwan. A successor to "Kaveri," Godavari will feature updated "Excavator" architecture based CPU cores, and the latest Graphics CoreNext 1.2 based stream processors on the integrated GPU. The APU will feature PCI-Express gen 3.0 and high-speed DDR3 integrated memory controllers, just like its predecessor "Kaveri," and could be based on the existing FM2+ platform. These chips will compete against some of the entry/mainstream variants of Intel's Core "Broadwell" processors. It's likely that these chips could be built on existing 28 nm process.

It's also being reported that AMD will launch its first APUs based on the 14 nanometer fab process, codenamed "Summit Ridge," in 2016. These will be succeeded by "Raven Ridge" APUs in 2017. AMD could use Samsung and GlobalFoundries to make its 14 nm chips. Lastly, AMD is reportedly in talks with ASMedia to integrate its USB 3.1 controller logic into its new motherboard chipset, which it plans to launch in September 2015.

HyperX, a division of Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced HyperX Savage, its next-generation SATA Rev. 3 (6Gb/s) SSD. HyperX Savage is powered by the Phison S10 quad-core, eight-channel controller delivering incredible read/write speeds for both compressible and incompressible data, as well as high IOPS. It replaces the highly successful HyperX 3K SSD.

HyperX Savage is the fastest SATA-based SSD in the HyperX family. With sequential speeds of up to 560MB/s read and 530MB/s write, and IOPS of up to 100,000 read and 89,000 write, HyperX Savage offers higher performance, ultra-responsive multitasking and an overall faster system. It features an eye-catching red steel and aluminum case with a low profile to fit most notebooks, desktops and small-form factor PC builds. This new design continues the HyperX trend as a leader in stylish gaming products.

CyberPower Inc., a global manufacturer of custom gaming PCs, gaming laptops, and performance workstations, today announced it is taking orders for its Trinity gaming PC, a striking new concept in gaming PC design that splits the common hulking tower enclosure into three distinct "blades."

The CYPOWERPC Trinity is both an exercise in radical case design and a case study on the benefits of component compartmentalization. While the case defies imagination, there is a method to the madness of segregating certain components from others in order to dissipate heat while not sacrificing performance.

ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics card and mini-PCs, today brings greater efficiency in the same small package with the new M-series. Integrating the new Intel Broadwell processors into the latest models, the new ZBOX MI522 nano and ZBOX MI542 nano are leading the way to small, more power efficient mini-PCs.

"We are always forward looking and pleased to introduce the latest technology into our mini-PCs so our users can enjoy all the innovations that come with the times. By integrating the new Intel Broadwell CPUs into our new M-series, we are enabling users to get the best of both worlds in terms of speed and power efficiency," reveals Jacky Huang, Director of Product Management, ZOTAC International.

Thecus today announced its new zero-crash 5-bay NAS, the N5810PRO. Embedded with an Intel Celeron processor J1900 Quad Core 2.0 GHz SoC and Mini-UPS battery, the Thecus N5810PRO empowers users with lightning fast performance while providing impenetrable data integrity.

"In today's ever-evolving digital environment, businesses require robust storage solutions that provide premium performance with piece of mind that their data will always be secure," said Florence Shih, CEO of Thecus Technology. "The N5810PRO is designed to equip users with a comprehensive set of applications that will optimize their business environment while addressing the needs for performance and security."

The newest motherboard based on Intel B85 single chip architecture by BIOSTAR is ready to work hard and play hard. The Hi-Fi B85Z5 supports Intel's 4th generation Core i7 and Core i5 processors in the 1150 package and is ready for a work out with 4 channel DDR3 slots for maximum memory support of up to 32GB.

BIOSTAR's Hi-Fi B85Z5 delivers a business-rich option at a value price compared to the other companies. The Hi-Fi B85Z5 features BIOSTAR innovative Hi-Fi technology, a built-in powerful headphone amplifier and Super LAN Surge Protection which enhances Ethernet protections. Being an Intel B85 chipset based system, it comes with features like Intel Rapid Storage Technology (Intel RST), for faster system boot and shorter application load time, and Intel Small Business Advantage (Intel SBA), which delivers business-centric security protection, such as after-hours virus scans and data backup, and blocks recognition of unwanted USB drives and Intel's Smart Connect Technology.

Boutique memory modules designer Avexir unveiled its flagship DDR3 memory module, the RAIDEN. This double-height module features a plasma tube on its top, which lights up with a blue lightning-effect, which could look awesome in cyberpunk case-mods. The module could pair particularly well with ASUS Z97 Sabertooth Mark S, ASUS X99 series, and MSI Krait series motherboards.

Form aside, the module has some pretty formidable specs - an 8-layer main PCB, XMP profiles of up to DDR3-2400 MHz, a machined aluminium heatsink drawing heat away from the DRAM chips, and hand-binned DRAM chips for the best overclocked performance. The RAIDEN comes in speeds of DDR3-1866 and DDR3-2400, densities of 4 GB and 8 GB, and in dual- and quad-channel kits that are combinations of the two top-level specs. Avexir didn't reveal pricing or availability.

A fusion between PC hardware giant ASUS' Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand, and Valve's Steam Machines, was bound to happen. With the new ROG GR8S, ASUS has taken a plunge into the exciting new gaming platform that bridges living room gaming consoles, and full-blown gaming PCs, backed by Steam. The ROG GR8S is roughly as big as a modern console such as Xbox One, but features ASUS' signature red and black ROG product design.

The ROG GR8S is peppered with a lot more wired connectivity than a console, offering two USB 2.0 (for controllers, keyboards, mice), four USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports, DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0 - both of support 4K Ultra HD at 60 Hz; gigabit Ethernet (Intel controller), digital and analog multi-channel audio connectivity. Under the hood, ASUS offers Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processors (options), GeForce GTX 900 "Maxwell" graphics (options), between 4 GB and 16 GB of DDR3 system RAM (options), either 500 GB to 1 TB HDD or 128 GB to 512 GB SSD storage, and an 802.11 ac WLAN controller with Miracast receiver.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced today that it is now mass producing the industry's first ePoP (embedded package on package) memory - a single memory package consisting of 3GB LPDDR3 DRAM, 32GB eMMC (embedded multi-media card) and a controller. For use in high-end smartphones, the extremely thin ePoP combines all essential memory components into a single package that can be stacked directly on top of the mobile processor, without taking any additional space - a distinct improvement over existing two-package eMCP memory solutions.

"By offering our new high-density ePoP memory for flagship smartphones, Samsung expects to provide its customers with significant design benefits, while enabling faster and longer operation of multi-tasking features," Jeeho Baek, Senior Vice President of Memory Marketing at Samsung Electronics. "We plan to expand our line-up of ePoP memory with packages involving enhancements in performance and density over the next few years, to further add to the growth of premium mobile market."

HyperX, a division of Kingston Technology, the independent world leader in memory products, today announced its HyperX Predator DDR4 memory was overclocked at 4351 MHz, the highest frequency among all DDR4 memory in the world. The mark was set by overclocker "Toppc" of MSI using one 4GB HyperX Predator 3333MHz DDR4 module on the new MSI X99S XPOWER AC motherboard. The valid CPU-Z screenshot can be found here. The video of the overclocking record can be found here.

In addition to having the highest frequency, 10 out of the top 20 memory clock records were achieved using HyperX Predator DDR4 memory. Eight of those records were set at the recent HyperX OC Takeover (HOT) World Finals event during 2015 International CES, where the world's top overclocker's gathered to compete for $15,000 (USD) in prize money. HyperX DDR4 memory currently also has the top scores in two other benchmarks recognized by HWBOT, MaxxMEM and MaxxMEM Read Bandwidth, respectively.

SMART Modular Technologies, Inc., a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of specialty memory and storage solutions, including memory modules, flash memory cards and other memory and solid state storage products, has announced today the launch of its DDR4 Mini-DIMM, one of the industry's first Mini-DIMM form factor utilizing next generation DDR4 technology.

SMART's initial lineup of DDR4-2133 Mini-DIMMs includes 8GB and 16GB VLP Mini-UDIMM along with 8GB and 16GB standard height Mini-RDIMMs, all of which comply with JEDEC 288-pin form factor and pin-out standards. Today, Mini-DIMMs are widely used across many application segments including networking, telecom, industrial, computing and storage by OEMs who are looking to save board space or source as an alternative to SO-DIMMs. The attractiveness of Mini-DIMMs is that they are versatile; it's a small form factor offered in high densities operating at high data transfer rates. For OEMs currently using DDR3 Mini-DIMMs, SMART is pleased to offer a migration path to DDR4.