Gigabyte unveiled a new socket AM3+ motherboard targeting a price-point sweetspot, the 990FXA-UD3 1.2. The board is based on the AMD 990FX + SB950 chipset, and supports the upcoming AMD FX processors apart from socket AM3 processors in the Phenom II and Athlon II series. As a new revision, the board supports AMD FX processors out of the box. The AM3+ socket is powered by an 8+2 phase VRM. The board is constructed according to the UltraDurable 3 Classic specifications, with 2 oz copper-layer PCB, 50,000+ hours capacitor durability, and DualBIOS. The socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3-2000 MHz memory with overclocking.

There are four PCI-Express x16 slots on this board, however, only two of them are wired to the AMD 990FX northbridge, both run at full PCI-Express 2.0 x16 bandwidth at all times. The other two are electrical PCI-Express x4, wired to the SB950 southbridge. The board supports both NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX, though it's likely that it will ship with just the 2-way SLI bridge cable.

BIOSTAR, a world famous manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and computer peripherals, expanded the T Series with the TZ68K+ motherboard based on the latest single-chip Intel Z68 chipset. The new board features the ATX form-factor (305 x 230 mm) and is aimed at system integrators and individual builders of high-performance desktop systems.

The BIOSTAR TZ68K+ motherboard fully supports all functional capabilities embedded into the latest version of the Intel Z68 chipset. They are a support for second-generation multi-core Intel Core i7, Core i5 and Core i3 CPUs (Sandy Bridge) with TDP up to 95W for the LGA 1155 Socket, integrated SATA 3.0 ports (SATA600) and speedy PCI Express 2.0 interfaces for peripherals. One can also arrange RAID 0, 1, 5 and 10 arrays with the Matrix RAID function and make use of the Smart Response technology that allows caching storage devices with additional flash memory.

ASRock unveiled the first Fatal1ty-branded AMD platform product, a premium motherboard based on the AMD 990FX chipset, ready for AMD FX series processors in the AM3+ package. The board sports the signature Fatal1ty color scheme of black and red, and is geared for high-end gaming PCs. The AM3+ socket is powered by a 14-phase digital PWM power design, which is ready for even 140W chips. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3 with speeds of over 2000 MHz by overclocking.

Two of the unique selling points here is ASRock Fatal1ty XFast USB, a pair of low-latency and high-polling USB ports to plug in your gaming mouse and keyboard; and XFast LAN, which is a software layer that works to lower latency and prioritize internet bandwidth to applications. To top it off, there's a Fatal1ty-themed UEFI setup program that features some extra advanced settings.

Better late than never, MSI is ready with its first socket FM1 motherboard in the ATX form factor. The A75A-G35 is designed for those who can use up to 7 expansion slots, and is a textbook implementation of the AMD Lynx platform. Designed for AMD A-series APUs, the FM1 socket is powered by a simple 4-phase VRM, it is wired to just two DDR3 DIMM slots that can take in dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory. Expansion slots include one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 wired to the APU, three PCI-E x1, one PCI-E x16 that runs at x4 speeds, wired to the A75 chipset, and two legacy PCI.

In terms of connectivity, there's DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI on the display front, with the HDMI port having its own 7.1 channel HD audio with various digital audio formats support; 8-channel HD audio driven by a Realtek codec, gigabit Ethernet, four USB 3.0 ports (two via header), and a number of USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel, and via headers. There are no eSATA ports, as all six SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the chipset as assigned as internal ports. MSI will price this board at €71.50.

MSI is approaching the socket AM3+ performance platform with two motherboards based on the AMD 990FX chipset, at the very top is the 990FXA-GD80 detailed earlier. Next to it, is the 990FXA-GD65, which is designed to occupy a sub-$200 price point. The GD65 depends entirely on the chipset for its features, with very little 3rd-party features. It uses a full-fledged 10-phase VRM to power the CPU. To add electrical stability, a 6-pin PCI-E power connector is in place, if discrete graphics cards that rely on slot power, are used. The 990FX northbridge gives out two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 ports, which are wired to two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots that run at full-bandwidth all the time. Other expansion slots include four PCI-E x1 and a legacy PCI.

All six SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the SB950 southbridge are assigned as internal ports, while there are no eSATA ports on the rear panel, MSI might bundle an eSATA bracket that extends two of the six internal ports as eSATA. This way, MSI saved the cost of using an additional third-party SATA controller. Other connectivity includes 8-channel HD audio driven by Realtek ALC892 CODEC that supports optical and coaxial SPDIF output; and two USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel driven by an NEC/Renesas-made controller. There's little more to this board than that, for overclockers. There is a rear-panel CMOS reset button, and "Military-grade" components. Instead of using UEFI firmware with its GUI-driven setup program ClickBIOS, MSI used conventional BIOS with a hack that allows it to boot from volumes greater than 2.2 TB in size. MSI also includes BIOS Code Unlocked Technology, which lets users unlock disabled cores on certain CPUs.

Gigabyte's top-tier socket AM3+ motherboard lineup is shaping up in a big way, with a bleeding-edge GA-990FXA-UD7 at the top of the pile. Gigabyte has yet another motherboard to cater to fans of the AM3+ platform, the GA-990FXA-UD5. The UD5 features a more conventional-looking component layout, with the northbridge located where it usually is. You still get the 10-phase VRM from the UD7, the black Ultra Durable 3 PCB, but this board is designed for multi-GPU setups with up to 3 graphics cards: supporting 3-way SLI and CrossFireX.

Expansion slots include five PCI-Express 2.0 x16, of which three (slots 1,3,5) are PCI-Express 2.0 wired to the AMD 990FX northbridge, with electrical configurations of x16/x16/NC or x16/x8/x8. Slots 2 and 4 are electrical x4, wired to the SB950 southbridge. Other slots include a PCI-E x1, and a legacy PCI. Storage connectivity is similar to that of the UD7, with eight SATA 6 Gb/s internal ports, a power-eSATA, and a normal eSATA.

AMD's new Fusion A-Series "Llano" accelerated processing unit (APU) is shaping up to be a credible home and entertainment platform, but it is also carrying the responsibility of making it to office spaces. Part of that initiative would rest with the motherboard manufacturers to come up with inexpensive and durable sub-$100 motherboards that can be bought and deployed in bulk. Enter the Gigabyte A75M-UD2H. This micro-ATX form-factor motherboard relies entirely on the platform's feature-set.

The FM1 APU socket is powered by a simple 4+1 phase VRM, it is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3-1600 MHz memory. Of the four expansion slots, there's one PCI-Express 2.0 x16, a PCI-E x16 that's electrical x4, and one each of PCI-E x1 and legacy PCI. To further make for its business PC outlook, there are headers for legacy ports such as LPT and COM (for dot-matrix printers in banks, etc.).

After displays of socket AM3+ motherboards based on AMD 990FX chipset, by ASUS, and MSI were pictured by various tech sites, it's quite expected of Gigabyte's offering to somehow make it to the web. Gigabyte is going full guns with its top AM3+ motherboard, with the GA-990FXA-UD7. Based on the same Black+Graphite+Gold color scheme as the socket LGA1155 "UD7" models based on Intel P67 and Z68, the GA-990FXA-UD7 comes with zesty dimensions that almost make it an EATX form-factor board, although it's not. The AM3+ socket is powered by a 10-phase VRM that is cooled by a long heatsink that appears to be contiguous with the northbridge heatsink, which in turn shares heat with the southbridge over a heat pipe. The socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting DDR3 frequencies in excess of 1866 MHz.

Gigabyte utilized each of the seven expansion slots, packing in six PCI-Express 2.0 x16 neatly spaced out to support NVIDIA 4-way SLI and AMD 4-way CrossFireX; two out of six slots two are electrical x4, wired to the southbridge. A legacy PCI slot is thrown in, just in case you hate to throw away that expensive PCI sound card that still sounds great. Storage connectivity includes eight internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports, six from the SB850 southbridge, and two from a third-party controller. There are two eSATA ports, of which one appears to be power-eSATA.

It is becoming increasingly clear now, that Gigabyte will have two parallel lines of socket LGA1155 motherboards based on the same Intel Z68 B3 chipset, one that does away with display connectivity to make room for other ports and is geared for discrete graphics, while the other has display connectivity at the expense of additional ports on the rear panel, and also gives you everything you'd expect from Z68, including overclocking. In mid-April, pictures of GA-Z68-UD3P-B3 surfaced, which is a motherboard of the first kind explained above. Now, there's deck of pictures of the GA-Z68-UD3H-B3, its counterpart of the second kind.

The GA-Z68-UD3H-B3 features a much lighter CPU VRM, consisting of 7 phases, against 14 on the UD3P. It gives you the same expansion slot layout consisting of two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (x8/x8 when both are populated), supporting ATI CrossFire and NVIDIA SLI, three PCI-E x1, and two PCI. Gigabyte made full use of the display connectivity options that come with Sandy Bridge, there is one each of DVI, D-Sub, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Audio is at the helm of Realtek ALC889 8+2 channel HD audio CODEC, with optical SPDIF output.

Here is the first picture of the M5A99X EVO, an upcoming socket AM3+ motherboard by ASUS based on the AMD 990X + SB950 chipset designed AMD's FX-Series "Zambezi" 8-core, 6-core, and 4-core procesors. The AMD 990X is designed for discrete graphics with up to two graphics cards in CrossFireX. It is likely that the final iteration has NVIDIA SLI support out of the box. The AM3+ Black socket is powered by 8-phase Digi+ VRM, cooled by a large heatsink that sits next to the northbridge heatsink. ASUS came up with a new heatsink design theme. While the P8P67 series uses heatsinks with curvy/wavy fins, the M5A series uses sharp edges.

The AMD 990X northbridge gives out 16 PCI-Express 2.1 lanes split between two x16 slots. When both slots are populated, the graphics cards run on x8 bandwidth. The third black x16 slot is wired to the SB950 southbridge, and is likely x4. Other slots include two PCI-Express x1 and a PCI. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the SB950 southbridge that support RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5, 10 modes; a third-party controller drives two additional SATA 6 Gb/s internal ports. We don't know if there's another such controller handling eSATA.

During keynote presentations today at the Intel Developer Forum, Intel Corporation executives outlined several software- and hardware-related efforts as the company intensifies its System-on-a-Chip (SoC) product plans based on the Intel Atom processor family.

Amid predictions of billions of additional Internet-connected devices going online, Renée James, senior vice president and general manager, Intel Software and Services Group, and Doug Davis, vice president and general manager, Embedded and Communications Group, discussed the expansion of these processors into high-growth areas including netbooks, tablets, CE, embedded, and smart phones.

DFI LANParty today introduces its new motherboard, the Blood Iron BI P43-T34, after the launch of the high-end P55 motherboard. BI P43-T34 makes LANParty Blood Iron series a more complete product line. For those who like LANParty products, it is the best value motherboard.

To provide consumers with better value platform, BI P43-T34 is equipped with exclusive LANParty ABS II, CPU auto upgrade technology. CPU performance can be automatically promoted!! As long as users choose ABS II started while boosting system at the first time, the system's performance can be upgraded immediately. Therefore, users do not have to spend a lot of time and effort to set up for better performance. That is, even with limited budget, consumers still can obtain higher performance easily and fast.

The competition heats up with compact-computing. MSI has released a special motherboard which could compete with the VIA Pico-ITX board. This compact motherboard has a hardwired Intel Atom N230 processor clocked at 1.60 GHz that is passively cooled by an aluminum heatsink, it shares this heatsink with a Intel 945GC northbridge that's the core-logic used accompnied with a ICH7 southbridge. It features an integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 and Realtek ALC 888HD audio.

While the board doesn't feature an onboard PSU unlike the offering from VIA, it features two DDR2 slots for DDR2 667/533 MHz, two SATA II ports, an IDE connector, ports arranged in the standard ATX fashion. A PCI slot is provided. The board features onboard ethernet along with 6-channel audio. This board has started selling in Japan, where it's priced at approx. US $95 and measures 19cm x 17cm.

Realtek will demonstrate its RTU7105 Wireless USB device with Intel Wireless UWB Link 3480 Single-Chip CMOS Wireless USB host solution at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, January 7~10, 2008, providing the industry's first public multi-vendor demonstration of interoperability based entirely on single-chip solutions. Wireless USB has been developed to extend the convenience and widespread market penetration of wired USB to wireless operation, enabling wireless connection of PCs and PC peripherals, CE, and mobile devices. The demonstration will take place in the Intel booth in WiMedia Techzone South Hall #31642. For more information please be sure to check the full press release here.

This driver supports all ALC series audio chipsets from ALC101 up to ALC861. It is used as onboard sound on many motherboards. Chips covered include ALC101/201/202/203/250/650/653/655/658/861.

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