Greenliant Systems, a leader in energy-efficient, highly secure and reliable solid-state storage products, is now sampling the industrial-grade version of its SATA interface NANDrive GLS85LS embedded solid-state drive (SSD) product family to select customers. Available in 2, 4 and 8 GB, the new NANDrive devices operate at temperatures between -40 and +85 degrees Celsius, giving customers long operating life and high reliability storage that can endure harsh environments.

The industrial-grade Greenliant NANDrive combines a SATA NAND controller with single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash die for a fully-integrated SSD in a multi-chip package. For applications requiring the durability and speed of solid-state storage in very small form factors, SATA NANDrive devices are one of the industry's smallest SSDs at 14mm x 24mm x 1.85mm. NANDrive is offered in a 145 ball grid array (BGA), 1mm ball pitch package for easy, space-saving and cost-effective mounting to a system motherboard.

Valve, creator of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Left 4 Dead, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today disclosed its plans for a new "big picture" mode of Steam which will offer controller support and navigation designed for television interaction. Big picture mode will enable gamers to enjoy Steam and their library of Steam games on more screens throughout the house.

"Our partners and customers have asked us to make Steam available in more places. With the introduction of Steam on the Mac, and soon in Portal 2 on the PS3T, we've done just that," said Doug Lombardi, VP of marketing for Valve. "With big picture mode, gaming opportunities for Steam partners and customers become possible via PCs and Macs on any TV or computer display in the house."

Matrox Graphics Inc. today unveiled the new Matrox Extio F2208 KVM extender, a remote graphics solution that separates the operator console (two displays plus five USB 2.0 ports for keyboard, mouse, and other HIDs) from the host system by up to 1 kilometer of fiber-optic cable. The dual-monitor Extio F2208 leverages its unique bus extension technology using a proprietary PCIe bus interface card to deliver raw, uncompressed data over the single- or multi-mode cable, enabling users to run applications at up to 2560x1600 per remote monitor with uncompromised workstation performance. Designed specifically for process control rooms, dispatch centers, and other mission-critical environments, the Extio F2208 is a stable and reliable I/O extension solution that allows the critical parts of the computer be kept in a separate, secure location.

Intel Corporation announced today the next in a line of new solid-state drives (SSD), the Intel Solid-State Drive 510 Series. The new Intel SSD 510 features fast SATA 6 Gigabits per second (Gbps) performance to take full advantage of Intel's transition to higher speed SATA bus interfaces on the recently introduced 2nd Generation Intel Core processor-based platforms. Supporting data transfers of up to 500 megabytes per second (MB/s), the Intel SSD 510 doubles the sequential read speeds, and at up to 315 MB/s more than triples the sequential write speeds of Intel's current 3 Gbps SSDs, to transfer more data in less time. This makes it ideal for demanding gamers, media creators, performance-intensive workstation users and any technology enthusiast.

The Intel SSD 510 offers the fastest sequential read and write speeds of any consumer SATA SSD available today, providing industry leading performance that beats a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) by more than 50 percent. In addition to better overall system responsiveness when compared to a mechanical hard drive, SSDs have no moving parts so are more rugged, consume less power and run quieter and cooler than HDDs. SSDs reduce boot times, launch applications and files faster and recover from sleep mode quicker, resulting in noticeable improvement. Conventional HDDs are also unable to effectively take advantage of 6 Gbps platform technology, since HDDs fail to maximize even the current 3Gbps SATA interface.

NVIDIA today announced the latest version of the NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit for developing parallel applications using NVIDIA GPUs. The NVIDIA CUDA 4.0 Toolkit was designed to make parallel programming easier, and enable more developers to port their applications to GPUs. This has resulted in three main features:

• NVIDIA GPUDirect 2.0 Technology -- Offers support for peer-to-peer communication among GPUs within a single server or workstation. This enables easier and faster multi-GPU programming and application performance.
• Unified Virtual Addressing (UVA) -- Provides a single merged-memory address space for the main system memory and the GPU memories, enabling quicker and easier parallel programming.
• Thrust C++ Template Performance Primitives Libraries -- Provides a collection of powerful open source C++ parallel algorithms and data structures that ease programming for C++ developers. With Thrust, routines such as parallel sorting are 5X to 100X faster than with Standard Template Library (STL) and Threading Building Blocks (TBB).

One of the first partner-branded NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti graphics cards surfaced, listed on a European online store, priced at a little over €159. It is carrying PNY's part number GMGX55TN2H1IZPB, and doesn't carry the XLR8 branding. Based on the 40 nm GF116 silicon, the PNY GeForce GTX 550 Ti packs 192 CUDA cores, and clock speeds of 900/1800/1025 MHz (core/CUDA cores/memory actual). It packs 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface. €159 does look like a steep price, but there's a lot of uncertainity surrounding it.

Japanese company Green-House introduced a new line of capacious, moderately-fast USB 2.0 flash drives under the PicoDrive Dual Pro series. Available in capacities of 8 GB, 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB; the drives offer transfer speeds of 30 MB/s read and 24 MB/s write. Measuring 61 x 20 x 5.9 mm (W x D x H), the drives weigh around 9 grams. Backed by a 1 year warranty, the 8, 16, 32, and 64 gigabyte variants are priced at ¥3,280 (US $40), ¥5,479 ($67), ¥9,980 ($122), and ¥19,800 ($242), respectively.

MSI is ready with a new Radeon HD 6950 2 GB graphics card that makes use of the company's new Twin Frozr III cooling assembly. The R6950 Twin Frozr III Power Edition from MSI makes use of a custom-design PCB with strong, overclocker-friendly VRM circuitry, out of the box overclock speeds of 850 MHz core and 1300 MHz (5200 MHz effective) GDDR5 memory speeds, against reference speeds of 800/1250 MHz. The Twin Frozr III cooler makes use of a dense aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by a number of nickel-plated copper heat pipes, and is ventilated by two 80 mm fans that use "propeller-design" fan blades that deliver higher air-flow at lower noise outputs.

Based on the 40 nm Cayman silicon, Radeon HD 6950 packs 1408 VLIW4 stream processors, is DirectX 11 compliant, and makes use of a high-speed GDDR5 memory controller with 256-bit bus width. Display output connectors include two DVI, two mini-DisplayPort 1.2, and one HDMI 1.4a. AMD-exclusive technologies such as Eyefinity and HydraVision are supported. The card can pair with up to three more Radeon HD 6900 series GPUs for 4-way CrossFireX multi-GPU operation. MSI's new Radeon HD 6950 2 GB Twin Frozr III Power Edition graphics card is priced at around 300€.

Gigabyte is releasing a new wireless gaming mouse, part of its Aivia series of gaming peripherals. The Aivia M8600 from Gigabyte lets you game on for 100 hours on full battery, and lets you hotswap it in as low as 2 seconds, thanks to its quick swap battery changing system. The M8600 sports an ambidextrous design with 7 buttons, a two-axis scroll-wheel, high-precision laser-based optical tracking (resolution not known), 32 KB of memory for storing button macro maps, and a dock for charging the battery. Gigabyte will unveil the Aivia M8600 and all other technical details at the upcoming CeBIT event, a little later this week.

Gigabyte released a new GeForce GTX 560 Ti Super Overclock graphics card model. The GV-N560SO-1GI-950 from Gigabyte features an out of the box core clock speed of 950 MHz, 1900 MHz CUDA core speed, and 1145 MHz (4580 MHz effective) GDDR5 memory speed. The new model is slightly slower than the GV-N560SO-1GI the company released last month, which has clock speeds of 1000/2000/1145 MHz. The GTX 560 Ti SOC from Gigabyte is based on a custom design PCB that uses Ultra Durable VGA+ high grade components, and WindForce 2X cooler.

The WindForce 2X cooler makes use of a large aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by a number of copper heat pipes that make direct contact with the GPU. The heatsink is ventilated by two 80 fans. Like every other GeForce GTX 560 Ti, the DirectX 11 compliant GPU packs 384 CUDA cores, and makes use of 1 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 256-bit wide memory interface. Display outputs include two DVI and one mini-HDMI. Gigabyte did not give out pricing, but one can expect it to be lower than that of the 1000 MHz SOC variant.

Active Media Products, a world leading manufacturer of DOMs and small form factor SSDs, today launched a server class 2.5" SATA-III SSD that delivers transfer speeds up to 410MB/sec. This SSD is fully downward compatible with SATA-II and SATA-I standards, and is a drop-in replacement for virtually any SATA HDD or SSD.

The Predator V3 is a SATA-III (SATA-3) SSD supporting the lightning fast new 6Gbps host interface. Based on the new Marvell "Van Gogh" 88SS9174 SATA-III controller, the Predator V3 also supports very impressive random read and write speeds, reaching up to 20,000 IOPS. This combination of both sequential and random read and write performance means that boot up, application load, database, video rendering, shutdown, and other disk intensive events will occur substantially faster than with a SATA-II drive.

The the consumer graphics industry is about to see yet another round of competition between top market players AMD and NVIDIA in March, with reports suggesting that the red team (AMD) has chosen March 8 as the launch date of its Radeon HD 6990 graphics card. NVIDIA's response, the GeForce GTX 590 is slated for sometime later in March, as well. AMD is said to be finalizing the SKU, and it should be launched by partners on the 8th of next month. The Radeon HD 6990 is a dual-GPU "CrossFire on a stick" solution, in which two AMD Cayman GPUs with 2 GB of memory each, work in tandem.

Zalman is pleased to introduce its brand new USB3.0 External H.D.D. enclosure series. New ZM-HE250 U3, ZM-HE350 U3 and ZM-HE350 U3E will make even largest files transfer possible with Ultra fast speed of 5Gbps. As long as Motherboard supports USB3.0, then you can enjoy the cutting edge USB3.0 Speed with these new External H.D.D. Enclosures. In addition, elegant design looks would differentiate them from existing products in the market. Apart from these new models, we will also release ZM-PC302 U3 PCI-e card to sever many users without USB3.0 port on their system. Regardless of any system you have, once it has PCI-e 1X slot, you just install our ZM-PC302 U3 on to your system to boost up your file transfer rate with ZM-HE250 U3/ HE350 U3/ HE350 U3E.

GIGABYTE, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, introduces a powerful new addition to its Super Overclock Series: GTX 580 SOC (GV-N580SO-15I). To qualify for Super Overclock Series, a GPU must go through GIGABYTE's innovative GPU Gauntlet Sorting process and it must be equipped with Ultra Durable VGA or VGA+ boards. Designed specifically for overclocking competition and gaming battle, GIGABYTE's secret weapon GTX 580 Super Overclock Edition is built with NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 GPU.

Based on 40nm processor and advanced GDDR5 memory technology, the powerful new GPU consists of ground-breaking features including Microsoft DirectX 11 and NVIDIA PhysX which lead to incredibly immersive HD gaming experience and unrivaled performance. To satisfy hardcore gamers and extreme overclockers, GV-N580SO-15I is especially designed with GIGABYTE Extreme Dual BIOS technology. GV-N580SO-15I also features WINDFORCE 3X, 14 phase PWM design, OC Guru graphic card smart tuner and voltage read point.

Based on new information from Intel, ASUS is happy to announce that updated Sandy Bridge-based products will begin shipping this week, immediately after the revised design is released by Intel. This fast response aims to prevent any further inconvenience and interruption to customers. For notebook products, ASUS will begin by rolling out revised G73SW, N53SV and N53SN models, followed by N43SL, N43SN and N73SV notebooks.

Customers who already own potentially affected models: please go to this page to verify whether your notebook is affected, and simply follow the swap procedure to get a replacement notebook. For customers planning to buy new notebooks with Intel Sandy Bridge technology, ASUS has clearly marked all packaging, including shipping cartons and gift boxes, to indicate the use of revised hardware. Just look for a sticker displaying "New Revision Certified Design" to rest assured the products have been fully updated. There are two versions of this sticker, both verifying the product is a revised version:

World-renowned mainboard and graphics card manufacturer MSI has released the latest board to support Inte's Sandy Bridge processors and aimed towards enthusiasts: the P67A-GD80 (B3) mainboard. Utilizing MSI's various P67's exclusive specifications and technologies, such as the Military Class II Components standard which symbolizes high quality and stability, the comprehensive OC Genie II one-touch overclocking system, the uEFI-based ClickBIOS technology, and the SuperCharger function that provide mobile devices with the optimal charging. It also has a built in 12 phase DrMOS power supply and 3 sets of PCI-E x16 2.0 expansion slots, providing a more stable power supply for overclocking and for support up to a maximum of three-way multi-GPU computing.

SPARKLE Computer Co., Ltd., the professional VGA card manufacturer and supplier, today announced the SPARKLE GTX580 Thermal Guru Graphics Card with Effective Own Design Cooler, the ultimate DX11 3D monster from SPARKLE, which delivers intense performance and premium cooling effect for gamers who demand the best.

The SPARKLE GTX580 Thermal Guru Graphics Card is the latest new addition to SPARKLE's GTX 580 Series. Its core and memory clock are 772 and 4008 MHz respectively. Designed specifically for gamers who demand the best, the SPARKLE GTX580 Thermal Guru Graphics Card is built with NVDIA GeForce GTX 580 GPU. Based on 40nm processor and advanced GDDR5 memory technology, it consists of ground-breaking features including Microsoft DirectX 11 and NVIDIA PhysX which lead to incredibly immersive HD gaming experience and unrivaled performance.

Enermax is ready with a high-wattage power supply unit (PSU) model that boasts of 80 Plus Platinum efficiency rating, which the company will launch at the CeBIT event. Known as EXX900, the 900W modular PSU will be able to deliver at least 91.07% efficiency at 20% load; 92.51% at 50% load; and 90.12% at 100% load, qualifying for the coveted Platinum rating, making it ideal for high-end PCs with 2~3 graphics cards. Following CeBIT, Enermax' new EXX900 should reach stores.

Exceleram, the Highend Memory Blacksmith from Landau, Germany informs, that from today on everyone can get custom made memory. "We offer Exceleram memory custom made now - every customer has his own wishes and we are listening and responding to them now more than ever. The customer can build his dream-memory by selecting the memory, the heatsinks (even each side could be different) and the packing. Like I would do it with my new car" said Torsten Düker, CEO Exceleram. Many new colors are in process. The test run starts only in Germany, but later we can provide custom memory worldwide.

Scythe Co. Ltd. extends the popular Gentle Typhoon fan series by three powerful high RPM models. The new Gentle Typhoon High RPM fans are available with 3.000, 4.250 and 5.400 rpm. These high fan speeds generate an incredible airflow of 141, 197 and 255 m³ per hour (83.0 / 116.5 / 150.1 CFM).

In direct comparison to fans with similar specs, the Gentle Typhoon High RPM series scores with a significant lower noise. Like the normal GT models, a perfectly balanced Nidec Servo bearing is used, ensuring an average MTBF of 100.000 hours. The reliable motor operates with an almost fluctuation-free rotational torque. Vibrations transferred from the motor to the venturi (fan case) are reduced to a minimum.

PROMISE Technology today announced Pegasus, the industry's first-high performance hardware RAID solution designed to unleash the raw speed of the all-new Thunderbolt technology. Designed from the ground up for media and entertainment customers, Pegasus offers superior speed and throughput in a form factor small enough for a desktop, and is available in 4-bay and 6-bay aluminum enclosures with up to 12TB of raw storage.

"Intel is excited about the superior performance and simplicity Thunderbolt technology and PROMISE's Pegasus family of products will bring to consumers and media professionals trying to keep up with the explosion of digital media," said Jason Ziller, Director, Thunderbolt Planning and Marketing, Intel Corporation.

LaCie today announced the LaCie Little Big Disk featuring the all-new Thunderbolt technology, developed by Intel and brought to market with collaboration from Apple. Designed to store large audio and video files, the LaCie Little Big Disk will bring a new level of performance to creative workflows with ultra-fast data transfer, complete system backup in minutes, and faster content editing than ever before.

"Thunderbolt technology is a breakthrough in I/O technology and represents the future of mobile computing. Soon you will be able to carry workstation-class power and functionality in compact devices," said Philippe Spruch, Chairman and General Manager, LaCie. "LaCie is excited to be one of the first to deliver Thunderbolt technology with the LaCie Little Big Disk."

Apple today introduced its 2011 Macbook Pro, the company's premium line portable computers. Available in 13.3-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch sizes, the Macbook Pro binds the latest notebook hardware with the Apple Mac platform. The 2011 version makes use of Intel's second-generation Core "Sandy Bridge" processors, AMD Radeon HD 6000 series graphics, a minimum of 4 GB of DDR3 memory, and Intel's newly introduced Thunderbolt 10 Gb/s "Light Peak" interface. The new Macbook Pro also features a new Facetime HD camera that allows Facetime conversations with three times the video resolution, and a revamped glass-based multi-touch surface trackpad that gives pointing with the precision of an iPhone 4. Mac OSX "Snow Leopard" is the OS of choice.

The lineup, with available hardware configurations is split according to screen size. The 13.3-inch are the entry-level, starting at US $1,199. The base model features dual-core 2.3 GHz Core i5 with 320 GB HDD, topped by a dual-core 2.7 GHz Core i7 driven model with 500 GB HDD at $1,499. The 15-inch pair includes a quad-core 2.0 GHz Core i7 powered model with AMD Radeon HD 6490M graphics and 500 GB HDD priced at $1,799, followed by a quad-core 2.2 GHz Core i7 model with Radeon HD 6750M graphics, and 750 GB HDD at $2,199. The series is topped by a 17-inch model with quad-core 2.2 GHz Core i7 processor, Radeon HD 6750M graphics, and 750 GB HDD, priced at $2,499. They are available right away from the Apple Store.

Intel Corporation today announced the availability of Thunderbolt technology, a new high-speed PC connection technology that brings together high-speed data transfer and high-definition (HD) display on to a single cable. Running at 10 Gbps, Thunderbolt technology can transfer a full-length HD movie in less than 30 seconds. This Intel-developed technology is coming to market through a technical collaboration with Apple, and is available first on Apple's new line of MacBook Pro laptop computers.

The vision for Thunderbolt technology (formerly codenamed "Light Peak") is to move media faster, simplify connections between devices, and foster new and exciting ways to build and use PCs. Combining high-speed data and HD video connections together onto a single cable is instrumental to achieving that vision. Thunderbolt technology delivers this via two communications methods, or protocols -- PCI Express for data transfer and DisplayPort for displays.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today unveiled its next generation Vertex 3 SATA III SSD product family, a lineup that caters to both client and enterprise applications. Harnessing the 6Gbps speed of the SATA III interface, the new series delivers double the performance of the previous generation.

The Vertex 3 is the first solution to feature the new SandForce SF-2200 SSD processor, and raises the bar in performance with up to 550MB/s read and 500 MB/s write transfer rates and up to 60,000 IOPS (4k random write). This maximized speed significantly improves gaming, multimedia, and the overall computing experience over traditional mechanical hard drives, as well as other competing SSDs.

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in the development of standards for the microelectronics industry, today announced the publication of its next-generation storage system standard, Universal Flash Storage (UFS). UFS is designed to be the most advanced specification for both embedded and removable flash memory-based storage in mobile devices such as smart phones and tablet computers.

The UFS standard represents an evolutionary progression of JEDEC standards in this field, and has been specifically tailored for mobile applications and computing systems requiring high performance and low power consumption. The initial data throughput for UFS will be 300 megabytes per second (MB/s), and the standard also supports command queuing features to raise random read/write speeds. JESD220 Universal Flash Storage may be downloaded free of charge from the JEDEC website here.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced it will preview its new Force Series GT line of solid-state drives at its booth at CeBIT.

The new Force GT SSDs will use the new SandForce SF-2000 SSD Processor with native support for SATA 6Gb/s (SATA 3) to deliver incredible performance, with up to 60K Random Write IOPS, read speeds of up to 520 MB/s, and writes speeds of up to 500 MB/s. The new SSD line is designed for enthusiasts who demand the fastest performance available.

Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash, storage and enthusiast computer products, today announces the new Wildfire series solid-state drives powered by a new SandForce SSD processor. The Patriot Wildfire series obliterates expectations of storage devices and delivers enterprise-class performance to consumer desktops and notebooks.

Storage bottlenecks are a thing of the past with the Patriot Wildfire series SSD. The new SandForce SF-2200 SSD processor enables the Patriot Wildfire series to shatter previous performance records with up to breathtakingly-fast 500 MB/s sequential read and write speeds backed by a SATA 6.0 Gb/s interface.

Fujitsu today announces the STYLISTIC Q550, a business class slate PC designed for the high-security requirements of mobile enterprise computing. Unveiled at a media briefing in Tokyo today, the STYLISTIC Q550 will be launched at CeBIT 2011, which takes place in Hanover, Germany, from March 1-5, 2011.

Building on Fujitsu's long heritage of creating tablet PCs for professional and business users, the Fujitsu STYLISTIC Q550 Slate PC is a keyboard-less tablet PC that builds in security from the ground up, so that it meets the most stringent IT security requirements of governments and businesses. The Fujitsu STYLISTIC Q550 is developed to meet enterprise mobile computing demands and integrate seamlessly into existing IT infrastructures.

A-Data introduced its USB 3.0 SuperSpeed supporting Classic CH11 series portable hard drives. Available in chic pearl white, hot pink, and matte black, CH11 comes with labels to help identify the type of stored data. Maybe they want us to buy many of them for the purpose. The 5 Gb/s interface allows its 2.5-inch HDD to deliver transfer speeds of up to 90 MB/s. Available in 500 GB, 750 GB, and 1 TB capacities, A-Data's Classic CH11 portable hard drives are priced at €52.73, €70.22, and €84.72, respectively.

TYAN, an industry-leading server platform manufacturer, and a subsidiary of MiTAC International Corp., will showcase its latest HPC and GPU Computing platforms at the AMD Server Summit. TYAN will also introduce the S8010 motherboard, which supports a single AMD Opteron 4100 series processor, and is ideal for cost-effective virtualization and cloud computing applications.

TYAN has an extensive line-up of motherboards and systems that support the AMD Opteron 6100 series processors that are specifically designed for High-Performance and General Purpose GPU Computing. The S8232 motherboard supports twelve DDR3 memory modules per processor and four PCI-E 2.0 x16 slots to provide the highest performance for memory-intensive HPC and GPU computing environments. TYAN's S8812 motherboard supports four AMD Opteron 6100 series processors to provide 48 processing cores for the most demanding applications.

Eurocom Corporation announces support for Intel's new high performance i7-990X Extreme Edition Processor inside the EUROCOM Panther 2.0 performance notebook. The addition of the Intel Core i7-990X to the long list of processor options gives Eurocom customers even greater choice when customizing their unique systems.

The Intel Core i7-990X comes unlocked and runs at 3.46GHz, with a 3.73GHz Turbo Boost. "The i7-990X gives our clients a super powerful, unlocked processor that is built for unmatched performance" said Mark Bialic, President of Eurocom "Customers can now match the Intel i7-990X extreme processor with AMD Radeon HD6970M or NVIDIA GTX 485M video cards in single or dual configuration for a super computer experience inside a notebook form factor."

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) as the pioneer in the motherboard industry with the best quality and the leading position introduces the latest Intel○R H61 series express chipset motherboards. With ECS H61 series motherboards, ECS presents the complete motherboard options powered by P67, H67 and H61 express chipsets supporting the 2nd generation Intel Core processor family. The complete series family provides plentiful choices for users from heavy-gaming need to entry-level requirement. At the same time, Intel also releases the new Sandy Bridge Dual-core processors for users to have more solution plans with less price.

With the newest B3 stepping chipset, users can fully enjoy the SATA 3 Gb/s performance without worrying about degrade performance due to previous B2 stepping chipset. ECS introduces a series of H61 motherboards - H61H2-M, H61H2-M2, H61H2-M3, H61H2-M5, H61H2-I2 and H61H2-A with affordable price and great performance. H61 series integrated with Intel HD Graphics support users to enjoy entertainment moment without a discrete graphic card; meanwhile, it helps to lower power consumption and heat production with adopting the latest dual-core processors. ECS H61 series all equip with smart and useful applications- eJIFFY / eBLU / eDLU / eSF to provide users more convenient computer-using experience.

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) releases the latest motherboard HDC-I with built-in the newest AMD E-350 dual-core APU and E-240 single-core APU powered by AMD Hudson M-1 chipset; also, E-350/E-240 APU combining the Radeon HD 6310 graphics inside enable users to experience more breathtaking home theater moment with less power consumed which would only be under 22watts (TDP). ECS HDC-I uses all solid capacitor for better quality and longer durability. So that ECS HDC-I is the best choice to "green" your Home Theater Personal Computer (HTPC) power for less price.

ECS HDC-I motherboard with AMD E-350/E-240 provides the impressive graphics performance for users who want to try the latest AMD Fusion (APU) technology. ECS HDC-I also supports UVD 3 and DirectX○R 11 without a discrete graphic card. No matter users want to fully indulge in home theater moment or require thrilling gaming power, ECS HDC-I motherboard not only provides up to 3 VGA output choices- HDMI, DVI, and VGA to give users the unbelievable time for multimedia aims but also equips 8 channel HD audio and S/PDIF output to inspire users' senses.

AOC, the world's largest manufacturer of LCD/LED Monitors and HDTVs, reveals the Aire Black LED, a glossy piano-black monitor featuring one of the world's slimmest display panels. This new all-black addition to the popular AireLED Series offers bonus features like embedded Screen+ software that allows the user to divide the screen into four self-contained work areas. The Aire Black LED monitor comes in 20-inch (e2043Fk, $129), 22-inch (e2243Fwk, $149) and 23-inch (e2343Fk, $179) screen sizes, and is now available at national retailers including Best Buy, Radio Shack, Office Max, Fry's, TigerDirect/CompUSA and PC Richards, among others.

The sleek widescreen Aire Black LED Monitor is one of the slimmest display panels on the market at 12.7 cm throughout. The monitor also offers impressive image quality with a 50,000,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, 5ms response time, and a DVI-D with HDCP input for the ultimate HD viewing experience. Along with being EPEAT Gold Certified for its green packaging and production, the Aire Black LED Monitor on average consumes only 15 watts of energy and includes an eSaver feature that lets the user preset power conservation modes for the display when the PC is not in use. The monitor's Power Saving Mode uses 50 percent less power, and Standby Mode uses only 0.1W.

PowerColor is reportedly working on a new Radeon HD 6870 graphics card that uses Eyefinity6 display output configuration. Eyefinity6 allows users to connect up to six full-HD monitors over each of the GPU's six TMDS links, which can then be virtually merged to create a large display head spanning the six physical displays. You can also create multiple Eyefinity display heads among the six physical displays, or use HydraVision to create multiple virtual display heads to occupy each physical display. The graphics card uses six mini DisplayPort 1.2 connectors to connect to its display, a variety of connector dongles should be bundled as well.

Eyefinity aside, PowerColor's card sports 2 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 256-bit wide memory interface. Clock speeds are not known. The card uses the same GPU cooler found on the HD 6870 PCS models, and a red-colored PCB. The DirectX 11 compliant GPU features 1120 stream processors, and can pair with any other Radeon HD 6800 series graphics card in CrossFire configuration. PowerColor is likely to unveil this card at the upcoming CeBIT event.

Mach Xtreme Technology Inc., a worldwide leader in top performance, high reliability and user-friendly designed PC components, announces that MX-FX Series gets "Optimized For ASUS USB 3.0 Mainboards" certification and adds 128GB model to expanding FX USB3.0 flash drives series today.

MX has announced its successful certification of MX-FX USB 3.0 series flash drives, confirming close cooperation with ASUS. Only devices rigorously tested with ASUS USB3.0 motherboards feature a prominent logo. Customers can recognize this logo and purchase ASUS certified USB 3.0 devices with peace of mind. The extensive compatibility testing ensures complete compatibility with ASUS mainboards, offering consumers full USB 3.0 usability.

AMD today announced the introduction of the OpenCL University Kit, a set of materials that can be leveraged by any university to assist them in teaching a semester course in OpenCL programming. This effort underscores AMD's commitment to the educational community, which currently includes a number of strategic research initiatives, to enable the next generation of software developers and programmers with the knowledge needed to lead the era of heterogeneous computing. OpenCL, the only non-proprietary industry standard available today for true heterogeneous computing, helps developers to harness the full compute power of both the CPU and GPU to create innovative applications for vivid computing experiences.

"As a former professor at Washington University in St. Louis, I firmly believe that the university setting is a vital environment to cultivate the best and brightest minds and set them on a path to succeed," said Manju Hegde, corporate vice president, AMD Fusion Experience Program. "By ensuring that an industry standard like OpenCL is a central element of the education process, we are helping to put the PC application ecosystem in good hands to take full advantage of a heterogeneous computing future."

The new GlacialTech Cooling Pad is the best way to keep your laptop cool. In order to achieve the best cooling performance, GlacialTech redesigned three types of V-Shield Series Cooling Pad in the title of V3, V5R / V5B & V7 which fit laptop of 15.6" and below to include a patent-pending Air Flow Wing which deliver huge air flow and smooth flow path and LED silent fan and metal grids. This combination of features optimizes circulation to let hot air flow up and away from your laptop. The USB-powered Cooling Pad can be used comfortably on a desk or in your lap.

The V series have high quality brushed aluminum, plastic and metal mesh design that looks good in any home or office. Its brushed plastic body features a mesh pattern, can help it work more efficiently and smoothly while its back props the pad (and your notebook) up at about a perfect-degree angle, both to increase airflow and to give users a better typing position. The Anti-slip design ensures the note book safety and four rubber feet prevent scratches on any desk.

Buffalo's hard drives finished their long walk from the desktop to the living room, with a new series of drives carrying the capability to connect to most new HDTVs over USB, and acting as both a video recorder, and a media library, with up to 2 TB of voluminous storage. The HD-LBU2/V drives from Buffalo use USB 2.0 to connect to various kinds of USB-ready HDTVs such as Regza from Toshiba, Viera from Panasonic, Sony's Bravia , Sharp's Aquos, as well as LG's Infinia. Measuring 39 x 123 x 189 mm, and weighing about 1 kg, Buffalo's drives are available in 1 TB and 2 TB capacities. Buffalo will initially launch the drives in the Japanese market, and thereafter US and Europe.

HP today revamped its corporate and enterprise (C&E) and small and medium business (SMB) notebook PC lineup with new technology aimed at boosting performance and productivity, while offering an enriched and sophisticated industrial design that improves notebook quality and reliability.

The company's new FORGE design framework ensures HP business notebooks embody a timeless construction, with precision-engineered durability features that are designed for maximum reliability and with the environment in mind. Precision aluminum-alloy hinges, cast titanium-alloy display latches and the HP DisplaySafe frame are a few of the design highlights behind the FORGE approach.

Lenovo made its AMD Brazos platform-based ThinkPad X120e available to buyers. One of the first ThinkPad laptops using AMD processors, the X120e uses a 11.6-inch form-factor, and is driven by either an AMD E-240 Fusion single-core, or E-350 dual-core accelerated processing unit, AMD Radeon HD 6310 graphics, 2, 3, or 4 GB of DDR3 memory, WiFi a/b/g/n, and optional 3G HSDPA, Bluetooth 3.0. Storage options include 5400 or 7200 RPM hard drives, while battery options include 3-cell standard, or 6-cell. Windows 7 Home Premium is standard, but Windows 7 Professional can be opted for. Available in a variety of configurations, the ThinkPad X120e base models start at US $399 and $449.

Microsoft today released Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2, to all users. A Service Pack is a periodical cumulative of updates released between a period of time, that also introduces new features to the OS. For both operating systems based on the Windows 6.1 kernel, Service Pack 1 will provide all product and security updates released to date. A couple of new features that will benefit Windows 2008 R2 are also bundled. These include Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX.

Dynamic Memory lets Hyper-V administrators pool available memory on a physical host and dynamically distribute it to any virtual machine(s) running on that host, while RemoteFX lets Windows Server 2008 R2 administrators provide a rich end user desktop virtualization experience by delivering vivid content, independent of any graphics stack, to server-hosted virtual and session-based desktops. We put Windows 7 Service Pack 1 to test, to see how the updated OS benefits gamers, or if it does in the first place. Our performance analysis can be read here. A list of notable changes with SP1 can be read here.

Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today the OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 hardware RAID storage drive with massive 12TB of storage/backup in a desktop-sized brushed aluminum enclosure. Featuring four 3TB high performance hard drives in four hot swappable drive bays, the Mercury Elite-AL Pro Qx2 12TB RAID storage drive offers the flexibility of a "Quad Interface" of FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, and eSATA; four selectable Hardware RAID settings of 0, 1, 5, 10; and 300 MB/s data transfer rates for high speed, Plug & Play storage and redundancy for Macs and PCs.

Lenovo today announced six new ThinkPad laptops - the T420s, T420, T520, L420, L520 and W520 - that maximize performance and offer a higher level of productivity for today's mobile business professionals. These laptops are built upon a platform of new Lenovo innovations that respond to key business needs including: video and voice calling, smart PC features for power and performance management, all-day battery life, enterprise management and an intuitive, easy-to-use computing experience.

The ultra-thin, sub four pound ThinkPad T420s speeds up boot time 30 percent1 with Lenovo Enhanced Experience 2.0; the T420 reaches new battery life benchmarks of up to 30 hours with an extended battery; the W520 mobile workstation offers twice the performance of previous models; and the L Series gives customers recognized ThinkPad durable design at an exceptional value.

The pioneer of multi-vendor/multi-GPU graphic solutions, LucidLogix today announced it has released Virtu GPU virtualization software for 2nd Generation Intel Core processor platforms to global motherboard manufacturers.

With this technology, next-generation PCs will dynamically balance the advanced power-efficient, built-in media features of Intel Core processor graphics with the high-end, DirectX 11 3D, anti-aliasing and performance features of discrete GPUs, while significantly reducing the power drain of traditional entertainment desktops. Ultimately, the consumer is assured optimal simultaneous performance in 3D gaming and video functions like transcoding and HD playback without the need to swap video cable connections between GPUs.

Power, design and mobility come together beautifully with the new VAIO S Series of 13.3" (33.7cm) slim notebook PCs from Sony. The slim, light VAIO S Series features a stylish new 'full flat' design that's crafted in magnesium with a wide aluminium palmrest for strength, lightness, usability and looks. There's also a cleverly concealed hinge mechanism that doesn't distract your view of what's on screen. Overall thickness shrinks to less than 24mm, while weight is a travel-friendly 1.75kg (approx.)

VAIO S Series introduces a smart new battery concept that lets you keep working day and night without a pause. The internal lithium polymer battery provides power for up to 7 hours on-the-go computing (in Stamina mode). It's partnered by a second thin, flat optional lithium polymer extended battery that can be charged separately from the PC and added without removing the internal battery. The second battery attaches without having to switch off the PC, boosting stamina to up to 14 hours if you're far from mains power.

Seeing really is believing. With eye-grabbing looks that demand attention, the colourful new 14" VAIO C Series from Sony makes a dramatic lifestyle statement. It's also a fully-featured notebook PC, with ample power to handle your day-to-day computing needs. The latest VAIO C Series showcases a radical style direction by Sony that stands out from run-of-the-mill notebook PCs. A choice of fashion colours include two special orange and green 'light emitting' options. This audacious design scatters light along edges of the translucent PC lid and other key surfaces to create a dramatic glow effect.

Aside from ground-breaking looks, new VAIO C Series balances portability and performance to make light of everyday tasks - from emailing to editing presentations. The high contrast 14" (35.5cm) real-wide VAIO Display with LED backlighting provides plenty of screen space for web browsing, photo viewing and document editing.

Everyone in the family can enjoy a beautiful view of their favourite videos, photos, games and more with the stylish new VAIO L series multimedia PC from Sony. The all-in-one VAIO L Series makes an elegant focal point for your home multimedia collection. Ideal for any living space, the slim, space-saving design features a glossy black finish, with the tilt-adjustable 'floating' display resting on a sleek V-shape stand.

The stunning design of new VAIO L Series is accented by a 24" (61cm) Full HD VAIO Display Plus screen with LED backlight. This super-size display brings all your movies, photos, music and games vividly to life with superb clarity and contrast. It's beautifully easy to interact with your media collection using the full-frame multi-touch screen. Open and scroll through files, zoom and rotate images with intuitive fingertip gestures... and no mouse or menus needed.

Apple's next-generation MacBook Pro computers are around the corner, with the company planning a Spring-Summer launch of new products. The new MacBook Pro models are said to use the latest generation of processors, chipsets, graphics, and an interesting storage solution. On all models, the MacBook Pro will feature an 8~16 GB internal SSD to boot from, and store the operating system. The rest of the storage will be handled by the hard drive. This ensures that at least the OS and vital OS programs will be snappy, benefiting from the SSD. Users can also opt for an all-SSD configuration, in which the data storage will be handled by a larger SSD. The next generation MacBook Pro will also feature a larger trackpad that gives users surface area nearly on par with iPhone 4 for multi-touch UI gestures.

MSI has unveiled the beautiful 10.1-inch Wind U160MX netbook which packs Intel's dual-thread architecture-supporting Atom N455 CPU, DDR3 memory, and MSI TDE technology. The U160MX is powerful and its battery runs up to 8.5 hours on just one charge.

Eric Kuo, associate vice president for global sales, MSI Notebook, explains that the U160MX netbook is less than one inch thin and tips the scales at just one kilogram including the battery. The U160MX has a unique circular display axle and is sheathed in a brush finish black coating that protects against smudging. This elegant netbook also comes with a Chicklet keyboard, MSI's ECO Engine power-saving technology, Easy Face biometric software, the Easy Viewer photo manager, and the S-Bar tool bar. Stunningly beautiful and equipped with powerful MSI applications, you'll fall in love with it.

Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced their CoreStore line of SSD solutions designed to bring a new level of performance to the SSD market.

By combining the very latest Marvell controller (88NV9143), new DDR ONFi 2 flash and plugging directly to the PCIe bus, Super Talent is now able to create two solutions that deliver unforeseen performance.

Zalman rolled out the ZM-F4, a 135 mm case fan that features a 120 mm compatible frame that lets it fit into most 120 mm case fan mounts and CPU heatsinks. Capable of 900 to 1,300 RPM rotational speeds, the ZM-F4 has rated noise levels of 18 to 26 dBA. The advanced sleeve bearing is said to ensure a life-span of 50,000 hours. The fan uses standard 3-pin power input, a bundled resistor cable keeps the fan down to its minimum speed ensuring low noise output. Zalman also opted for rubber pins instead of metal screws to bundle with its fan. Pricing and availability is not known.

After Microsoft's evolved game controller the Kinect for Xbox 360 came to the fore, speculation among tech circles saw a future for the device in the PC platform right away, beyond being just a game controller. It looks like Redmond is taking steps in that direction, with the groundwork for Kinect's arrival on the Windows PC platform underway. Microsoft will release the Kinect for Windows software development kit (SDK) this spring, so developers can start work on it right away. This could include giving Games for Windows applications Kinect support which they enjoy on the Xbox 360 platform.

The possibilities are endless for non-game applications to make use of Kinect as a gesture-recognizing, and face-recognizing device. Gesture recognition UI and face-recognition are pitched to be some of the defining features of Microsoft's next version of Windows. Kinect for Windows SDK will be released on a non-commercial basis. "The hope is that the SDK will unleash a wave of creativity to add to the already exciting developments we've seen on top of Kinect. The SDK will provide access to Kinect's sensor as well audio and system API's," the company commented.

Spire Corp announced the Juno. The Juno is an ergonomic laptop base stand and cooler, it is the perfect travel companion when often working on the road or at different locations. The Juno is a great product to make working on your laptop more comfortable. The gentle slope, made by foldable rubber pads reduce the neck strain and comfort screen viewing. The Juno accommodates small mini- and larger 15.4 inch laptops by extending the side bars. When folded in the total size is only 22x9x2cm, easily fitting your laptop or carryon bag. Equipped with a 7cm cooling fan your laptop is silently cooled whilst working. The Juno is the perfect portable choice for mobile computing from Spire - Powered by Innovation.

Exceleram - the Highend MemoryBlacksmith in Landau / Germany announces the availability of 3 new parts of the EP-Series, and expanded its product range. "The EP series includes memory(kits) based on timing latencies of (currently) 1333mhz, but with "air" up to the top, so that overclockers have their fun." says Steffen Eisenstein, Product Manager at Exceleram.

We start with 3 models: the EP3001A, a 2GB 1333MHz CL9 single module. Followed by a 4GB (2x 2GB) 1333MHz CL9 Memorykit and a 6GB (3x 2GB) 1333MHz CL9 kit, both with the known "Rippler" heatsink. The voltage is 1.5 volts and all are exclusively equipped with the famous Power Chip Rev. D 128 x 8 chips.

QNAP Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of world class award-winning Turbo NAS servers, VioStor NVR Video Surveillance Systems, and Network-based Media Players today announced the availability of the new V3.4 NAS management software. The V3.4 NAS management software is embedded into the NAS as V3.4 firmware, which enhances several key aspects of the QNAP Turbo NAS units allowing owners to maximize their investments in a QNAP NAS. New enhancements in V3.4 include:

Colorful, one of the biggest NVIDIA graphics card suppliers in Asian market, announces two GeForce GT 440 models - iGame440 1G Ymir-U and iGame440 1G Buri-Slim. Both of these two cards are based on the same PCB solution, but with different coolers and clocks.

iGame440 1G Ymir-U has better performance, it uses the "shark" design on the cooler, which with pure cooper base and nickel plated heat-pipe, providing better thermal and 3D performance. The clock is setting at 850/3800MHz (core/memory), comparing to the reference edition 810/3600MHz, iGame440 has about 5% improvement.

Sony launched 17-inch and 24-inch Trimaster EL professional-grade monitors, which are based on the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology. OLED is not to be confused with LED-backlit LCD, which is merely LCD with LED illumination instead of CCFL. OLED is a kind of a flat-panel display technology in which electroluminescent organic compounds spread across a film generate images. Hence, OLED provides far greater picture clarity, and eliminates pixellation, a problem encountered with low pixel-density LCD displays. OLED-generated images are more CRT-like in terms of fidelity. Sony's new Trimaster OLED monitors are targeted at the broadcasting industry and professional studios that seek bleeding-edge image quality.

Both Trimaster OLED monitors feature resolutions of 1920 x 1080 (full-HD), with 10-bit drivers, 100 cd/m² brightness, and 178° viewing angles. Display inputs include HDMI, DisplayPort, and SDI, which is used in professional development houses. Carrying the model numbers BVM-E250 and BVM-E170, they will cost $28,900 and $15,710, respectively.

The Solid State Drive (SSD) market is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing segments in computer components today, and for good reason. SSDs offer a host of advantages over traditional platter-based Hard Disk Drives, with many of these advantages already known to seasoned computer enthusiasts.

Mushkin, Inc. has been very eager to release SSDs with the best specifications and quality control standards that exist. Our "Io" and "Callisto deluxe" SSD series have been enjoyed and recognized the world over by end users and enthusiasts alike. However, as the SSD segment continues to grow and manufacturers adapt to the latest technologies, some irregularities and performance issues have arisen.

Renowned overclockers elmor and Kinc did the unthinkable, breaching the 1500 MHz barrier for the core (geometry domain) clock speed of GeForce GTX 580. Using ASUS EN580GTX DirectCu graphics card, the duo managed to achieve 1504 MHz core, 3008 MHz CUDA cores, and 1253 MHz (5012 MHz GDDR5 effective) memory, churning out 240.6 GB/s memory bandwidth. With this in single-card configuration, the testbed consisting of Intel Core i7-990X clocked at 6.14 GHz and 6 GB of DDR3 memory clocked at 1750 MHz, and ASUS Rampage III Extreme motherboard, the duo achieved a 3DMark Vantage score of P45819 (performance preset), setting a new record.

The bench was powered by a 1200W Antec HCP PSU, the graphics card ran with a whopping 1.62V vGPU, and 1.86V vMem, it is estimated that the graphics card drew 600W (12V, 50A) of power in itself. The CPU and graphics card were cooled using liquid nitrogen evaporators, the GPU VRM was directly air-cooled, using a high-flow fan. A number of hard volt-mods were employed to achieve those voltages.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced its plans for the upcoming transition from 34 nanometer to 25 nanometer flash chips used on its solid-state drives.

"There is a lot of confusion in the market about the impact the move from 34 to 25nm flash will have on both the price and the performance of solid-state drives," said John Beekley, VP of Technical Marketing at Corsair. "We've been working closely with SandForce to ensure the smoothest possible transition and we're sharing the details today."

TechPowerUp today launched its new and improved online review database after a couple of days of community testing, an expansive record of over 36,000 PC enthusiast product reviews compiled, from every "Today's Reviews" entry added so far. We transitioned from an archaic "tree" based review browser to a robust in-house product review search engine. This is accompanied by an easy to navigate category browser. "We found the idea of a highly functional review browser essential to PC enthusiasts as they reach for their wallets to buy something," said W1zzard, editor-in-chief, TechPowerUp.

The TechPowerUp Review Database (or /reviewdb/), begins with the main search page. Here, you'll find a large search box, which searches instantly as you type, listing out products, categories of products, and their publishers below. You can also select what kinds of results you're looking for, to streamline your search. The second component, is the category browser, that lets you manually browse through the various categories and subcategories to find what you're looking for, and also discover things in the process. Reviews are sorted in a variety of ways, including based on popularity. This database couldn't have been possible without friendly cooperation between members of the PC hardware review industry, and coordial exchange of review information between us. Our readers are encouraged to make use of the wealth of information contained in the database for more informed purchases. We'd like to hear any comments or suggestions that you may have.Visit: TechPowerUp Review Database
You can also get there by clicking on "Review Database" in the Databases menu on the site.

Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, today announced the launch of its new JetFlash 560 USB flash drive. The new JetFlash 560 features a simple yet exquisite design with easy-to-use retractable USB connector, offering a touch of urban sophistication as well as ultimate convenience.

The JetFlash 560 is the newest member of Transcend's JetFlash series that boasts an excellent combination of style and performance. Its silver-tone metallic case is embellished with a classic checkerboard pattern, which adds a chic urban touch to an otherwise dull portable storage device. Thanks to its use of ultrasonic welding technology, the sleek and trendy JetFlash 560 USB flash drive is rugged enough to withstand a few bumps and falls.

One of consumer SSD's pioneers, Intel, is expected to launch its next-generation 510 series solid state drive (SSD) in the 2.5-inch SATA form factor on March 1, 2011. The Intel 510 series is targeted at PC enthusiasts, workstations, and high-end notebooks. It uses the latest 6 Gb/s SATA specification, and make use of 34 nm MLC NAND flash chips. The drives can dole out transfer rates of up to 470 MB/s read, and 315 MB/s write. It delivers 20,000 IOPS random 4K read, and 5,000 IOPS random 4K write performance. At least initially, it will be available in only two capacities, 120 GB and 250 GB, priced at around US $366 and $767, respectively.

FinalWire released the latest update to AIDA64, a comprehensive system information, diagnostic, and benchmarking suite for engineers and enthusiasts alike. Version 1.60 introduces a host of changes. To begin with support for AMD's Fusion "Ontario" and "Zacate" APUs was added, it was improved for Intel's "SandyBridge" processors. Tests in the benchmark suite which became 64-bit optimized since AIDA64's first release, is now optimized for the AVX SIMD instruction set. PCI-Express 3.0 controllers and devices are now supported. Support for new AMD Radeon HD 6000 series and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti GPUs was added. Lastly, support for AMD and JMicron storage controllers was improved.DOWNLOAD: FinalWire AIDA64 1.60 EXE Installer, ZIP Package

Toshiba Computer Systems, a division of Toshiba Europe GmbH, today unveiled the new STOR.E ART 4 external hard disk drives featuring SuperSpeed USB technology (USB 3.0) for super-fast data transfers with a transmission rate of up to 5 Gigabit per second. The sleekly designed external hard disk drives will be available during the first quarter of 2011 throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.

"USB 3.0 will become a standard feature in the computing market of the future. Toshiba anticipated this trend, and launches not only new hard disk drives but also notebooks featuring the SuperSpeed data transmission technology," said Marco Perino, General Manager Digital Products EMEA Toshiba Computer Systems. As users are increasingly storing large files such as videos, music tracks and photos, they demand a fast data connection between the backup medium and the computer. USB 3.0 offers data rates of up to 5 Gigabit per second. Compatibility to the widespread USB 2.0 ensures that computers supporting only USB 2.0 can also be used with STOR.E ART 4.

NVIDIA is reportedly working on a new mainstream GPU for a mid-March launch. The graphics giant is planning to name it GeForce GTX 550 Ti, that's right, "GTX" prefix and "Ti" suffix monikers being extended to the core mainstream, in place of the typical "GTS". The new GPU will be based on the 40 nanometer GF116 silicon. Its exact specifications are not known, except that the GPU will use a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface, and will be pin-compatible with GF106, on which is based the GeForce GTS 450. Its performance is estimated to be up to 35% higher than ATI Radeon HD 5770. Due to an electrical redesign over GF106, the GTX 550 Ti is expected to have a TDP of just 110W, nearly the same as that of the GTS 450, except having higher performance. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti is slated for release on 15 March, 2011.

Flash memory expert PhotoFast expanded its line of ultra-high performance SSDs with the GMonster3 XV2 series, which are based on the 2.5-inch SATA form-factor, making use of SATA 6 Gb/s interface. The drives use a Marvell-made controller, which combined with MLC NAND flash chips, churns out transfer rates of up to 500 MB/s read and 450 MB/s write. The drive supports the TRIM garbage-collection feature that keeps write performance up to the mark at all times. Available in capacities of 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB; the GMonster3 XV2 drives will be priced at $110, $200, $400 and $800, respectively, when initially released in Japan, later this year in April.

SPARKLE Computer Co., Ltd., the professional VGA card manufacturer and supplier, today proudly introduced the Calibre X570 graphics card , delivering intense cooling performance and the broadest set of features for gamers who demand the best. With the excellent cooling solution from Accelero Xtreme, the Calibre X570 Graphics Card brings ultimate DX11 performance with OC function. This offers opportunities for enthusiasts and anyone intent on more hardcore applications to tap their full, powerful potential. Compared to reference GeForce GTX 570 graphics cards on market, the the Calibre X570 Graphics Card is overclocked out of box, it boosts the core, shader and memory clocks significantly to 772MHz, 1544MHz and 4212MHz, bringing better performance in the latest DX11 games.

PC cooling, power, casing and accessories company Enermax is set to unveil a new cooler and fans among other things at the upcoming CeBIT event. The company is preparing a high-performance, tower-type, dual-fan CPU cooler. The unnamed cooler uses a "Vortex Generator Flow", design to improve heat dissipation. The heatsink is ventilated by two Enermax twister-bearing fans in push-pull configuration. Enermax is also readying a series of T.B.Silence fans that will be available in several speed and size configurations. The fans will use 4-pin headers that give users PWM-based speed control.

HEC/Compucase brand Cougar's showcase for CeBIT 2011 will include two premium products, the Cougar Platinum series 80 Plus Platinum compliant PSUs, and Cougar Evolution ATX Mid-Tower case. The sporty-looking Cougar Platinuim can deliver at least 90% efficiency on all loads. The first model in the series delivers 700W of continuous power, and probably features modular cabling. The Cougar Evolution is an all-black mid-tower featuring numerous gamer-friendly features. It includes USB 3.0 front-panel ports, a vast drive rack featuring six 5.25" bays, and a side-window. Not much more is known about these two products, but are worth looking out for at CeBIT.

NVIDIA today reported revenue of $886.4 million for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 ended Jan. 30, 2011, up 5.0 percent from the prior quarter and down 9.8 percent from $982.5 million from the same period a year earlier.

On a GAAP basis, the company recorded net income of $171.7 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, compared with $84.9 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, in the previous quarter and GAAP net income of $131.1 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, in the same period a year earlier. GAAP gross margin was a record 48.1 percent compared with 46.5 percent in the previous quarter and 44.7 percent in the same period a year earlier.

Toshiba Computer Systems, a division of Toshiba Europe GmbH, today announced the Satellite R800 series, a new range of slim, light and high-spec notebooks targeted at consumers. The series includes the 33.8cm (13.3") Satellite R830, the 35.6cm (14.0'') Satellite R840 and the 39.6cm (15.6'') Satellite R850. Thanks to a sophisticated heat management system Toshiba has managed to integrate Intel's latest full-performance CPUs into the slim casings. The Satellite R800 series models are estimated to be available during the second quarter 2011 throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.

"The new Satellite R800 series include slim, lightweight and fully-featured high-quality notebooks that are affordable for the masses," said Marco Perino, General Manager Digital Products Division, Toshiba Europe. "It offers an unparalleled blend of innovative technologies, the latest connectivity tools, high quality, durability, comprehensive configuration and a remarkable price performance ratio."

Sharkoon rolled out a nifty little gadget that gives you quick and fast access to HDDs, SSDs, or pretty much any SATA device. The DriveLink USB 3.0 from Sharkoon is quick to snap on to any SATA device with its standard SATA link/power connector, and gives fast access to it over USB 3.0. The device supports HDDs with capacities up to 2 TB. Measuring 58 (L) x 56 (W) x 21 (H) mm, the device connects to its host using a USB 3.0 cable (backwards compatible with USB 2.0, as well), and powers the drive and itself using a 12V DC input. It also includes a one-touch backup feature. Using the bundled backup software, users can quickly sync/backup data between the host and the drive at the press of a button. The DriveLink USB 3.0 from Sharkoon is priced at €21.

Employing rock-solid R&D capabilities, MSI rolled out a complete array of new notebook computers packing the new generation of CPU platforms introduced in 2011. It will be parading them March 1-5 at CeBIT, the international computer electronics exhibition in Hanover, Germany. MSI's wares will be displayed in Booth C38, Hall 17. Come to MSI's booth to see world gaming champions Fnatic.MSI as well as the MSI GT680-the world's fastest notebook computer. There'll be plenty of exciting things at the MSI booth to wow the crowds.

Eric Kuo, associate vice president for global sales, MSI Notebook, noted that the 20+ additions to be shown will include the awesome G Series gaming laptops, the high performance F Series, the deluxe multimedia C Series, the gorgeously slender X Series, and the highly mobile U netbook series. These stylish machines all pack the newest generation of either Intel or AMD's CPUs and advanced visual-display units. Most models also come with MSI Premium Sound-the best wrap around sound out there. Like supercar-class Dynaudio, cinema-grade THX TruStudio Pro, and premium multimedia SRS PC Sound for the home, programs designed to satisfy the audio-visual entertainment needs of users from around the world, will be on display in Hanover.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the Enthusiast Series TX V2 power supplies. The Enthusiast Series TX V2 is the successor to the award-winning Enthusiast Series TX power supplies, which have won dozens of awards worldwide and received widespread critical and customer acclaim. The TX V2 PSUs offer improved energy efficiency, with 80 PLUS Bronze certification and European Commission Energy-Related Product (ErP) directive compliance.

The improved efficiency results in lower noise levels than the original TX PSUs under typical usage conditions, and a new DC-to-DC converter design provides tighter voltage regulation, with measurably lower ripple and noise. Features carried over from the acclaimed TX PSUs include the use of Japanese capacitors, enthusiast-grade performance, and a comprehensive fixed cable set that accomodates tall PC chassis and multiple-GPU installations.

BitFenix and TechPowerUp bring to you the "I'm a Shinobi" contest. We are giving away BitFenix Shinobi PC cases to two winners who come up with the catchiest, wittiest, completion to the phrase "I'm a Shinobi because...". The submissions for this competition are open from February 15th to March 1st, 2011, and winners announced at a later date. For more details, and to participate, visit this page. Catch an early preview of the BitFenix Shinobi here.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) for computing devices and systems, today announces it is the first SSD manufacturer to successfully complete the transition to 2Xnm NAND flash-based storage solutions with the goal of significantly driving down the cost of client SSDs.

"OCZ is constantly exploring ways to not just advance solid state drive design but also make the technology more affordable, while maintaining high performance and reliability standards" said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology Group. "We are excited to complete the transition to the next generation 2Xnm NAND components which reiterates our strategy of producing high performance SSDs at the most attractive price point available for consumer applications."

TYAN, an industry-leading server platform manufacturer, and a subsidiary of MiTAC International Corp., today launched a new 4U server system designed for CPU-intensive and HPC applications that supports four AMD Opteron 6100 series processors. TYAN offers both the 4-way S8812WGM3NR motherboard, as well as the B8821F48W8R server platform.

Shuttle Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of multi-form-factor solutions such as the world-famous XPC Mini-PC Barebones, showcases two models for Intel's new 32 nm-technology processor generation (code name: Sandy Bridge) at CeBIT 2011.

Shuttle, as the Mini-PC pioneer, is set to launch the XPC Barebone SH67H3 and SH67H7 at the end of March 2011. Both are based on the Intel H67 Express chipset and boast extremely impressive technical features to support all Intel Core 2nd generation i3, i5 and i7 processors with LGA1155. There are four DIMM slots that enable DDR3 memory support with a maximum capacity of 16 GB.

Prolimatech, the master of cooling is going a step further after the success of the Prolimatech Megahalems by presenting another revolution in CPU cooling with the Prolimatech Genesis. Besides the immaculate quality - which is present across their entire product line-up - the Genesis sets new standards in cooling capability.

Prolimatech continues the trend set forth by the Megahalems and Super Mega by utilizing two separate towers, but instead of placing them next to each other, they have been rearranged for maximum performance. The large array of cooling fins can hold up to three 120 or 140 mm fans, two of which can be installed right out of the box with the included mounting materials. Besides keeping the CPU cool, the construction allows for direct air flow across critical areas like the memory and power phases of the system.

AMD today released version 11.2 of its Catalyst software suite. AMD's latest release has come a little early for this time of the month. With this release, AMD focused on improving features, and introducing new ones. To begin with, tessellation controls that were first introduced with Catalyst 11.1a Hotfix, has been finalized, including a fully-functional "AMD Optimized" setting, which sets the best tessellation level while maintaining optimal frame-rates. The setting is per-application, and relies on AMD profiling applications. Next, Catalyst AI Texture Filtering received updates including a new method to improve image quality with minimal performance impact. Last of the big three feature updates is the official extension of the morphological anti-aliasing (MLAA) to AMD Radeon HD 5000 series GPUs. Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Batman Arkham Asylum got some GPU-specific performance improvements.

DOWNLOAD:AMD Catalyst 11.2 for Windows 7/Vista 64-bit, Windows 7/Vista 32-bit, Windows XP 32-bit, Windows XP 64-bit

World leading flash memory manufacturer Silicon Power today announces the new 2.5" SATA Velox V20 series Solid State Drive (SSD). Instantly boosting PC performances, it uses the latest SandForce controller, featuring a maximum read-speed of 285MB/s and write-speed of 275MB/s so enthusiasts can sit back and enjoy the speedy transfer rates!

Silicon Power's V20 SSD uses the latest SandForce controller, it boasts a continuous read / write speed up to 285MB/ 275MB per second, respectively. An actual test using a 40GB V20 required only 13 seconds to boot into Windows and open up a program. It is the perfect enterprise office PC storage solution or the ideal boot-up disk in any PC! In addition, V20 SSD also supports TRIM Command and Garbage Collection technology to counter performance drop issues due to long period of use and continuous write actions.

Cooling specialist EKL unveiled the Alpenfohn Peter, a high-end VGA cooler which the company plans to release at this year's CeBIT event, in March. Visualized in CGI drawings below, Alpenfohn Peter is a large GPU heatsink which could span across the length of most high-end graphics cards. It makes use of two high-density aluminum fin arrays that use a zig-zag fin design to add turbulence and improve heat dissipation. Heat is conveyed to the two fin arrays by six nickel-plated copper heat-pipes that pass through the GPU block. For ventilation, Alpenfohn Peter will be the first VGA heatsink to use two massive 140 mm fans that latch on to it using a PCI bracket with a rail fastening system. The Alpenfohn Peter should be compatible with most square GPUs. More info and pictures at CeBIT.

German computer major Wortmann introduced Terra LED 2450W, which is a 24-inch, LED-backlit LCD display with full-HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. The LED 2450W makes use of a thin bezel and overall thickness. It also uses a flat, passive base, with the display inputs located at the back of the panel, against a trend of LED-backlit monitors with display inputs located at the base. The panel uses a piano-black bezel finish, while the panel is non-reflective matte.

Resolution aside, the panel features maximum brightness of 250 cd/m², "stellar" dynamic contrast ratio of 15,000,000:1; and response time of 5 ms. The display takes input from DVI and D-Sub, and audio from 3.5 mm stereo jack for its tiny stereo speakers. To keep the display thin, Wortmann decided to use an external power brick instead of internal SMPS. Backed by a 3-year warranty, the Wortmann Terra LED 2450W is priced at €209.

SAPPHIRE Technology - the world leading manufacturer and supplier of PC graphics cards and mainboards has just introduced the first in a new line of lifestyle computer products - the SAPPHIRE Edge-HD Mini PC. The Sapphire EDGE-HD Mini PC is believed to be the smallest PC in the world with its slim, stylish outline. At less than half a litre in volume, it is slimmer and smaller than most wireless access points - in fact around the size of a paperback book! Its stylish design and simple pedestal mount make it equally at home next to a TV or business monitor whilst unobtrusively occupying the minimum of desk or shelf space.

But don't let its size fool you - it is a fully featured PC for home, education or business use. Specifications include a second generation 1.66GHz dual core processor, 2GB of memory, a 250GB hard drive and built in wireless connectivity as well as high speed LAN port and four USB ports. It provides high resolution graphics output with a full HD (1920x1080) HDMI interface (HDMI cable and HDMI-DVI adaptors supplied) as well as a VGA monitor output and it has built-in audio with mic-in and line-out sockets. All of this makes it more than capable of handling day to day Office tasks as well as streaming video or browsing the Internet.

The first product to be released from the partnership between Kingston Digital, Inc., and BlockMaster is presented today at the opening of the annual RSA conference in San Francisco. The SafeConsole Ready hardware-encrypted secure USB drive DataTraveler Vault - Privacy Managed (DTVPM) from Kingston is mandatory managed by the central management server SafeConsole from BlockMaster.

Kingston, the independent world leader in memory products, is making the secure USB flash drive hardware highly available in its strong distribution channels globally. The high quality DTVPM device is mandatory managed by the leading SafeConsole management server from BlockMaster. The solution will let enterprise customers avoid data loss and get them on the fast track to more productive use of secure USB flash drives.

Roccat Studios unveiled its latest in audio gear for gamers, the Kulo stereo gaming headset. Roccat Kulo is a lightweight (under 180 g) on-ear headset that uses a sturdy (metal band) but comfortable (cushioned) headband. It can churn out high-quality stereo sound using 40 mm drivers with neodymium magnets. A noise-filtering microphone backed by auto-mute function takes care of voice input. The volume control module is in-line with the 2.5 meter long cable. Slated for April, the Roccat Kulo will be priced at €59.99.

AMD today announced the immediate availability of five new members of the AMD Opteron 6100 Series processor family that specifically address rising demand for low-power, balanced systems for SMBs and increased performance-per-dollar-per-watt for enterprise and public sector environments. Key partners including Acer, Dell and HP are launching new or refreshed AMD Opteron 6000 Series platform-based systems this quarter, powered by these new 12- and 8-core AMD Opteron processors.

"These new server CPUs deliver greater performance than we've ever had before," said Patrick Patla, vice president and general manager, Server Business, AMD. "When we launched the AMD Opteron 6000 Series platforms last year, we eliminated the '4P tax' and met market demands for higher performance-per-dollar-per-watt. Our customers' benchmarks and testimonials bear out these improvements, and these five new parts-and the rave reviews-prove that we continue to deliver on our vision."

Intel today restructured its high-end LGA1366 Core i7 processor lineup for the better. To begin with, it "released the Kraken" with Core i7-990X Extreme Edition, a new high-end six-core processor based on the 32 nm Westmere silicon. The 990X comes with an unlocked BClk multiplier, and carries nominal clock speed of 3.46 GHz. The Core i7-990X Extreme Edition displaces the existing i7-980X Extreme Edition from its US $999 price-point, which will be gradually phased out.

The non-XE Core i7-970 six-core chip received a welcome price-cut, it will soon be priced at $583 from its current $880. Apart from the six-core leviathans, the quad-core Core i7-960, which is clocked at 3.20 GHz, is now priced at $294, displacing i7-950, and providing an alternative to Core i7-2600K, which is effectively MIA till the LGA1155 chipset issue is resolved.

European PC components retailer Caseking.de posted an early video preview of BitFenix' next case, the Shinobi. This is an ATX Mid-Tower that looks to be positioned to hit a price sweetspot, and focuses on squeezing in the most in terms of features. Shinobi sports an all-black design (interior and exterior), with a "Soft Touch" coating the company toyed with on the Survivor (it's basically a thin rubberized layer). The case can accommodate three 5.25" drives, as many as eight 3.5" drives with a 2.5" adaptor; a standard sized ATX motherboard with holes at the right spots to ease cable and CPU cooler management.

Ventilation includes two 120 mm intakes in the front, a 120 mm side-panel intake, a 120 mm rear exhaust, and two 120 mm on top. Of these, fans are included for one front intake and one on the rear. Dust filters are in place for the front intakes and the PSU's intake at the bottom. The side panel sports a triangular window, while the rear features holes for water tubing. The utility panel is located on the top, and includes four USB 2.0 ports next to audio. Its price isn't out yet.

ASRock seems to be in a hurry to be out with the first socket AM3+ motherboard that supports AMD's next-generation "Zambezi" Fusion Black processors, and so again put its creativity to use. The company designing a new motherboard based on the AMD 890FX + SB850 chipset instead, called the ASRock 890FX Deluxe5. The selling point with this board is the ability to have an AM3+ as early as possible, with capability to accommodate AM3+ processors as they come. For now, ASRock's idea in the public domain is only in the form of a layout drawing.

The typically-sized ATX motherboard from ASRock makes use of AMD's 890FX + SB850 chipset. The CPU socket is compatible with existing socket AM3 Phenom II and Athlon II processors, and future Fusion Black processors. This isn't particularly an advantage, because every AM3+ motherboard in the future based on 990FX will retain support for AM3 processors. On the other hand, 990FX motherboards could also embrace UEFI, something this board seems to lack prima facie.

ARCTIC's Freezer series is undoubtedly a reference mark in the world of CPU coolers. Today, ARCTIC proudly presents the new flagship in the Freezer 13 series - Freezer 13 PRO. The new CPU cooler incorporates an innovative Cross-Blow technology to provide unmatched cooling performance for professional systems. The Cross-Blow technology is cooling down the Northbridge and voltage regulators on the main board specifically. Equipped with an additional 50 mm PWM-controlled fan at the base of the CPU cooler, this extra downward blowing fan would help generating airflow to other chipset parts. This, thus, dramatically lowers the temperature of the surrounding components near the CPU.

Superior in its ground-breaking engineering design, the Freezer 13 PRO overpowers its competitors by generating up to 300W of cooling capacity. Featuring an ultra-quiet 120 mm PWM-controlled fan with four U-shaped 8mm copper heatpipes, the Freezer 13 PRO is all set for inaudible and massive heat dissipation. The mega-sized CPU cooling fan guarantees adequate airflow through the aluminum fins in the heatsink. Such meticulously engineered mechanism effectively and efficiently transfers the emitted heat away from the core of the CPU.

Thermaltake, leading DIY thermal solutions brand, launch their newest and up to date most powerful CPU cooler, the Frio OCK. Continuing the legacy of the award winning original Frio cooler, the Frio OCK is yet once again setting new standards in the industry. With a whooping heat dissipation capacity of 240W this powerful cooler is clearly leading the pack. Targeting particularly power users and ambitioned overlcockers, the Frio OCK comes with six 6 mm high-efficiency heatpipes that effectively transport heat from the base into two separate cooling towers. By adopting this dual-tower design the gap between both towers increases airflow and ventilation created by the dual fans.

Frio OCK's design approach captures and embodies currently prevailing computer game elements, in particular the shape and color scheme is resembling a firm and powerful bunker as inspired by the popular PC game StarCraft II. In doing so, Thermaltake is trying to bring virtual game visuals into every-day life, resembling a manifestation of the fictional within the real.

Intel seems to have fast-tracked its Cougar Point chipset flaw rectification. The silicon giant claims that it will be in a position to start shipping B3 stepping of Cougar Point chipsets (Intel P67, H67, etc,) from 14 February, to OEM partners. According to the latest PCN (product change notification), number 110456-00 dated 2/9/2011, Cougar Point B3 will carry the following changes/features:

• Revision ID will change from 04h to 05h
• BIOS Update (Revision 1.1.4 of the BIOS Specification Update and Reference Code)
• B3 stepping package is pin compatible with B2 stepping package
• Minor metal layer change from B2 to B3 improving lifetime wear out with no changes to functionality or design specifications

Of the above, the last bullet point affirms that the SATA 3 Gb/s port defect issue, which caused physical parts of the chipset to wear out abnormally fast, degrading performance, is resolved.

ASRock released a nifty little software utility that steps up USB transfer rates. The ASRock XFast USB utility is also able to speed up USB 3.0 flash drives, which are well within the 5 Gb/s theoritical maximum of the interface. OCWorkbench did a "before and after" test of the utility as part of its Kingston HyperX Max 3.0 review. The portable SSD managed transfer rates of 156 MB/s before using the utility, which then jumped up to 241.32 MB/s after using it. SiSoft SANDRA was used for measurements. More tests can be found here.

Super Talent Technology, a leading manufacturer of Flash storage solutions and DRAM memory modules, today announced the DataGuardian, a password protected USB flash drive that makes data security easy, affordable and usable.

By now almost everyone who owns a PC is familiar with USB flash drives. They are incredibly useful and have become an indispensible part of our computing environments. We all know that we should be using a secure solution, but the fact is security solutions are expensive, cumbersome and limit the usefulness of a flash drive. Most security solutions require the installation of a program, managing public/private partitions and administrative rights. These limitations often create more problems then they solve and have dramatically slowed the adoption of secure USB devices.

NVIDIA today announced that the third annual GPU Technology Conference (GTC) will return to San Jose's McEnery Convention Center from Oct. 11-14, 2011. In addition, Los Alamos National Laboratory will co-locate its Accelerated High Performance Computing (HPC) Symposium at the conference.

Last year's GTC offered more than 280 hours of content intended primarily for computational scientists, engineers and developers who want to better understand how the GPU is transforming scientific, visual and technical computing. Attendance at the 2010 event grew more than 50 percent, and further growth is anticipated this year. With increased global awareness surrounding supercomputing, and its importance to the advancement of science, visualization and innovation, this year's GTC promises to be an event not to be missed.

JEDEC Solid State Technology Association, the global leader in standards development for the microelectronics industry, today announced that its JC-45 Committee for DRAM Modules intends to form a new Subcommittee focused on the standardisation of hybrid memory modules. To be chaired by PNY Technologies, Inc. and Cypress Semiconductor, the JC-45.6 Hybrid Modules Subcommittee will hold its first meeting in Munich, Germany on February 28, 2011.

Hybrid memory modules are comprised of different types of memory technologies and leverage some of the beneficial characteristics of each, operating as a system instead of as individual components. "I am optimistic about the potential benefits of hybrid modules," said Chris Socci, Chairman of the new JC-45.6 Subcommittee. "For example, modules with a DRAM interface that also incorporate the non-volatile characteristics of NAND flash could provide new options for data security in a variety of storage and backup systems in the event of power loss. This new family of modules has the potential to help entire segments of the market 'go green' by reducing the need for batteries, and may one day extend to all applications that demand memory."

Acer, always at the forefront in offering technologically advanced solutions, now presents the GN245HQ, the first 3D monitor in the world to support the HDMI 3D solution from NVIDIA, enabling users to fully appreciate the array of possibilities brought by the stereoscopic technology.

Offering powerful and exciting graphics as well as top-notch technology, the GN245HQ 3D monitor is particularly well suited for gaming and enjoying movies: the perfect solution for tech-savvy users and gaming enthusiasts.

Sharkoon has expanded their PC tower product line: The new ATX, called the "Scorpio", offers diverse and practical mounting options for hard drives of various formats. With the Scorpio, Sharkoon presents their first tower in which SSDs as well as hard drives with 2.5 inch Form Factor can be used without any special adapter frames needing to be installed: Behind the mesh drive faceplates on the completely black SECC tower are four drive bays for suitable smaller data mediums.

In addition, there is space for a total of six 3.5 inch drives. Two of the six 3.5 inch mounting bays are equipped with a Fast Swap Mechanism directly on the housing front which enables the easy installation of SATA hard drives: Installed on the backside of the mounting cage is a panel with two internal SATA ports. The user only needs to open the faceplate panel, remove one of the two secured mounting frames using the locking lever, screw the hard drive to the frame and re-secure into the bay. The tower panel provides a 4-pin power supply adapter and two unregulated fan connectors beside the two SATA connectors.

EcoMaster launched the LEPA series high efficiency modular PSUs. The series includes 500W, 700W, and 900W models, all boasting of 80 Plus Gold efficiency certification. The PSUs bear sleeved modular cables, with only the bare essential cables (such as ATX, EPS) being fixed to the unit. The PSUs use a multi 12V rail design, with the top model featuring as many as four 12V rails. Active Power-Factor Correction (PFC), and 140 mm temperature-controlled fan make for the rest of the offer. The 500W, 700W, and 900W models of the EcoMaster LEPA are priced at $119, $159 and $189, respectively. Parallel to this, EcoMaster also launched a LEPA 80 Plus Bronze 850W model that costs $139.

MSI will be showing off an array of brand new, powerful display performance notebook computers, including the 15.6-inch CR650, the 12-inch Wind U270, and the 13.4-inch X-Slim X370. Eric Kuo, associate vice president for global sales, MSI Notebook, explains that these lean, mean machines are the ideal choice for active individuals. They include the Wind U270 ,X-Slim X370 ,and CR650 laptops, which pack AMD's landmark dual core E-350 processor which incorporates the AMD Radeon HD 6310 Discrete-Class Graphics chip which supports DirectX 11, greatly enhancing processing performance and battery life. With these portable laptops, you can enjoy multimedia entertainment outside all day.

Thermaltake Technology, leading DIY computer components and power supply brand, today announced the latest addition to the popular and award winning Toughpower Grand line of high-end PC power supply units, the Toughpower Grand in 850W, 1050W and 1200W versions. With this expansion into higher wattage segments, Thermaltake's flagship power supplies are now also catering to power-users and demanding eSports athletes whose gaming rigs are typically equipped with multiple graphics cards and multi-core CPUs.

To run even up to quadruple-SLI/CrossFireX setups, the Toughpower Grand 1050W and 1200W units utilize two massive +12V rails, thereby effectively avoiding any potential voltage fluctuation and maximizing overall system stability in a mission-critical environment. Being 80 PLUS Gold certified users don't just get a guaranteed eco-friendly PSU with more than 93% efficiency at 50% load and a 0.95 active power factor correction (PFC), but the electricity bill will noticeably drop as well.

As organizations experience higher costs of energy, companies are looking into energy efficient solutions. Energy conservation has become not only part of global environmental conservation efforts, but also a social and economic issue. The recent initiatives of various levels of governments and public organizations related to green projects and green purchasing to help implement the objectives of environmental conservation has brought a heightened awareness of green computing issues to the general public.

There is growing evidence that 40-60% of total energy consumption in large size organizations is coming from data centres and IT equipment. After lighting, computers and monitors have the highest energy consumption in office environments. Studies have shown that reducing energy requirements along with the power management of computers and monitors can significantly reduce their energy consumption, saving hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on electricity costs.

Club3D announced its Radeon HD 6950 1 GB graphics card (model no.: CGAX-69524F). Making use of a completely in-house design by Club3D, the card uses a red PCB that is 10.5 inches long, and a custom-design cooling assembly that uses a large aluminum fin heatsink to cool the GPU, ventilated by two 80 mm spinners. The card uses 1 GB of memory over a 256-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. It uses AMD-reference clock speeds of 800 MHz core and 1250 MHz (5.00 GHz effective) memory. Like every other HD 6950, it features 1408 stream processors. Display outputs are standard, two each of DVI and mini-DisplayPort 1.2, one HDMI 1.4a. Club3D did not give out pricing information.

Japanese cooling specialist Scythe announces the availability of the new Gouriki 3 power supply series. These power supplies are now available with an output of 500 W, 600 W and 700 W both as a plug-in version with cable management for comfort, as well as a standard version with sleeved mesh cables.

The Gouriki 3 power supplies meet the 80Plus Bronze certification and reaches an efficiency of 82 to 89% at 20/50/100% load. As usual for Scythe, all components are designed for long life in accordance with Japanese standards. In addition, the Gouriki 3 series was equipped with an improved dual 12V rail, which ensures stable and interference-free operation. The 45 to 55 cm long cable strands of the plug-in, as well as the standard version are completely encased in durable, black mesh tube.

RunCore developed a unique kind of device, the Pro IV USB 3.0 ExpressCard SSD. This device is both a USB 3.0 hub and SSD, which connects to an ExpressCard/34 slot as well as USB 3.0. As an SSD, it provides 64 GB of responsive storage for laptops, with transfer rates of 110 MB/s read and 80 MB/s write. When connected as ExpressCard, it also gives out two USB 3.0 ports. The device itself can be used as a standalone external SSD, by connecting the bundled USB 3.0 male-male cable to the "host" port on the device, and the other end to a PC/laptop with a USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 port. RunCore did not give out pricing information.

Thermaltake, the market's most trusted brand in D.I.Y. computer cases and max-performance power supplies, announced today the immediate availability of the highly anticipated Level 10 GT super gaming full-tower computer case. The Level 10 GT case was introduced during 2011 Consumer Electronic Show (CES) held at Las Vegas, Nevada. Level 10 GT is the successor to the original Level 10, the design collaboration between Thermaltake and BMW Group DesignworksUSA.

The case's announcement during 2010 CES attracted high-volume of media coverage and quickly trickled down to the PC enthusiasts and gaming communities with approvals of the Level 10 GT's breakthrough in design and innovative features.

Packard Bell unveiled its latest sleek and swanky display, the 23-inch Maestro 230 LED. As the name might suggest, it's an LED-illuminated LCD display. With a full-HD resolution (1920 x 1080 px), the display boasts of 12,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, 250 cd/m², and response time of 5 ms. It takes input from D-Sub, DVI, and HDMI. Slated for market release in April, the Packard Bell Maestro 230 LED is expected to be priced at €199.

Overclocker Roger "splmann" Tanner from OCaholic.ch community, with help from Matthias "Mat" Zronek from Overclockers.at, set a new MAXXMEM² memory bandwidth world-record. The challenger broke a record previously set by SF3D. The new record stands at 30,514 MB/s memory-copy; 30,114 MB/s memory-read; and 27,497 MB/s memory write; with a latency of 32.5 ns, leading to a cumulative HWbot.org score of 2711.5 MAXXMEM² marks.

The record was achieved using an Intel Core i7-2600K processor, Corsair XMS3 Dominator GTX2 4 GB kit, and ASUS P8P67 WS Revolution motherboard. The CPU was clocked at 5489 MHz (107.6 MHz x 51), memory at 1148 MHz (2296 MHz DDR), with latencies of 7-7-6-21, and 1T command-rate.

Sharkoon announced the Flexi-Drive Accelerate Duo line of value USB 3.0 flash drives. Available in capacities of 32 GB and 64 GB, the drives are rated to deliver transfer rates of 110 MB/s read and 70 MB/s, internal testing by the company yielded sequential speeds of up to 130.5 MB/s read and 83.7 MB/s write. The drive measures 72 x 19 x 8 mm (L x W x H), weighing around 16 g. The drive uses a sturdy brushed aluminum body. The 32 GB and 64 GB variants are priced at around €70 and €125, respectively.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today takes the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 560 Ti series to new performance heights with the supercharged GeForce GTX 560 Ti AMP! Edition. The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 560 Ti AMP! Edition aims to maximize performance without sacrificing visual quality or stability for an unbridled gaming experience.

"ZOTAC strives to deliver a quality gaming experience with all of our products. With the GeForce GTX 560 Ti AMP! Edition we wanted to maximize performance without sacrificing visual quality or stability for our end users," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International. "After carefully tuning the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 580 AMP! Edition, we are able to deliver the highest clock speeds capable of passing our rigorous DirectX 11 testing procedure without a single graphical artifact."

Intel is preparing to unveil its next-generation processors based on the Ivy Bridge architecture as early as by Computex 2011 (May 30 to June 4), according to Commercial Times, a Chinese language business newspaper. Ivy Bridge is an optical shrink of the Sandy Bridge architecture, processors based on it will be manufactured on the 22 nanometer silicon fabrication process. Intel launched its Sandy Bridge 32 nm processors at CES 2011, in January. In related news from the same source, AMD has also accelerated the production of its Llano APUs and is expected to begin shipping the APUs to ODM/OEM makers in May at the earliest instead of the original schedule set in the third quarter.

After having swept through the global market with the dominating N460GTX Hawk, world-renowned graphics card and mainboard manufacturer MSI announces the next-generation Hawk series, the R6870 Hawk graphics card. Equipped with the advanced Twin Frozr III thermal design, the all new R6870 Hawk is the world's first graphics card to use propeller blade technology. When compared to traditional fans, the air flow is increased by 20%, allowing the GPU temperature to be up to 21 degrees lower. Furthermore, it uses the 8+2 phase PWM design to provide the GPU with 2 times the power supply, along with triple overvoltage functions that allow further evolution of R6870 Hawk's overclocking capability. The R6870 Hawk has the most perfect performance blend of cooling, power components, stability, and high performance found on a graphics card today.

Leading graphics card supplier, SAPPHIRE Technology has just launched a new TV tuner card with a difference - the SAPPHIRE HD 5570 XtendTV card. The SAPPHIRE HD 5570 XtendTV card is a single slot PCI-Express graphics card with 1GB of GDDR5 memory and HDMI and DVI outputs - and a built in programmable TV tuner. Connected to a standard TV antenna signal, it will receive and decode all of the local free to air TV and radio stations*. Just as with a regular TV tuner, the user can watch TV on the host PC using Media Center - record, save and playback programs at will.

But XtendTV does more. Installing the FlexiStream software on the PC in which the card is installed enables the PC as a streaming server and users can watch all of their home TV programmes anywhere in the world using the XtendTV client on a remote PC or laptop.

HP today revealed a redesigned consumer notebook PC portfolio that enhances the user experience with sleek looks and the latest technologies. With updates across the HP Pavilion line, the new notebooks draw inspiration from culture, art and fashion, and build on HP's MUSE (materials, usability, sensory appeal and experience) design philosophy. Introduced last May, MUSE includes a mix of materials such as metals, alloys and plastics; easy-to-use features for improved usability; a blend of artisan elements for sensory appeal; and intuitive features for simple experiences.

The new notebooks also can be personalized with a choice of 17 exclusive wallpapers designed by six artists from around the world. These wallpapers and more are now available to download from HP's Facebook page. "HP's new Pavilion notebooks provide world-class audio, stylish metal and gloss finishes, and advanced cooling technology", said Stacy Wolff, director, Notebook Design, Personal Systems Group, HP. -The result is a line of notebooks that provide the best combination of power, entertainment and style available.

Cubitek unveiled its third PC case for high-end/gaming PCs, the XL Tank. Although "XL" in name, it's an ATX mid-tower measuring 230 (W) x 490 (H) x 525 (D) mm. It makes use of thicker sheets of steel to fabricate the frame, while the panels are made of aluminum. The case features a standard interior with a motherboard tray that has holes at the right spots to manage certain kinds of CPU coolers and cables. An expansion card retention beam ensures long graphics cards don't suffer PCB bending over time. Drive bays include four 5.25", one of which can turn into an exposed 3.5". There are six internal 3.5" bays.

Ventilation is care of a large 230 mm front intake fan, a 140 mm rear exhaust, and provision for two 140 mm fans at the top. The front-panel is positioned on the top, and includes two USB 3.0, apart from eSATA and audio. Two holes at the rear let you pass water cooling tubing through. Cubitek did not give out pricing or availability information.

On January 31, 2011, Intel disclosed a design issue with a support chip, the Intel 6 Series Chipset that has the potential to impact certain PC system configurations. Intel subsequently initiated extensive discussions with computer makers about this topic. Both Intel and its customers are focused on delivering the highest quality PC systems based on Intel 2nd Generation Core Processors. As a result of these discussions and specific requests from computer makers, Intel is resuming shipments of the Intel 6 Series Chipset for use only in PC system configurations that are not impacted by the design issue.

Only computer makers who have committed to shipping the Intel 6 Series Chipset in PC system configurations that are not impacted by the design issue will be receiving these shipments. This resumption of shipments of the Intel 6 Series Chipset is not changing the company's updated first quarter 2011 and full-year financial Outlook published on January 31st. In parallel, Intel has started manufacturing on a new version of this support chip. Intel now expects to begin shipping the new parts in mid February.

HP today unveiled its first touchscreen desktop PCs to feature a 60-degree reclining display, enabling users to adjust the display's position for a comfortable user experience. With a sleek, clean appearance, the new HP TouchSmart610 Consumer PC and HP TouchSmart 9300 Elite Business PC recline from upright to almost flat, providing consumers and business users increased comfort for longer-term use and making it easier for businesses to engage customers.

"As a leader in touch computing, HP has made each iteration of the TouchSmart PC more intuitive, resourceful and fun for users," said James Mouton, senior vice president, Desktop Organization, Personal Systems Group, HP. "The latest generation is no exception with a new design that makes it easier and more comfortable to use, and it allows businesses to integrate the TouchSmart where convenience, space constraints and appearance matter."

Plextor is excited to reveal they will be launching their first solid state drive (SSD) in the UK next month - the world-class 2nd generation M2S Series. Plextor has a deserved, solid reputation for high performance, high quality products, especially in the storage sector. This leap into the SSD sector in the UK and Europe is a new move for the ever-expanding manufacturer, and a demonstration of their continued position as pioneers in a market likely to grow rapidly in future years. SSDs are increasing in popularity as a complement alongside traditional HDDs and the technology may eventually replace the HDD entirely for the OS and working environment.

Available in 3 capacities (64GB, 128GB and 256GB), the perfectly engineered 2.5" internal M2S Series SSD is one of the first of its kind to support the new SATA III 6B/s interface and boasts exclusive technologies to increase speed, stability and lifespan - offering up to 10 years of performance which doesn't degrade over time as other SSDs might. With read speeds of up to 480 MB/s, write speeds of up to 330 MB/s and performing significantly highly in benchmark tests, the M2S is currently the fastest SSD available on the market.

Japanese cooling specialist Scythe hereby officially announces the launch the new high-end CPU Cooler Mine 2. The Mine 2 CPU Cooler is based on a twin cooler Layout. Eight copper heatpipes transport heat to two generously dimensioned cooling blocks. By placing the fan in between the 2 heatsink towers, intake as well as exhale airflows are optimized to provide high performance. Furthermore, the lower part of the installed fan is designed to cool the devices around the CPU socket, such as voltage regulators and RAM. The structure of the heat sink makes it possible to use a total of up to three fans by purchasing separately sold fan clips. In this manner, the air flow and thus the cooling capacity of the Mine 2 will be significantly increased by using the push / pull principle.

By default, the Mine 2 will be delivered with a centrally placed, adjustable 140 mm Slip Stream PWM & VR fan. Although the fan supports the PWM feature, the user can manually adjust the PWM bandwidth between 470 to 1,370 rpm and 740 to 1,900 rpm. Despite the changed bandwidth, the fan is still controlled by the PWM signal from the motherboard, allowing an individual but also dynamic fan control. Alternatively it is possible to disable the PWM function. Instead the fan can be controlled manually in a range of 500 to 1,700 rpm. This gives every user the option to optimize the Mine 2 CPU cooler for performance or low noise according to own preferences.

Enermax introduced its NAXN series of mainstream PSUs for gaming PCs. Available in a wide range of capacities including NAXN 80+ 350W, 450W, 500W, and 600W non-modular 80 Plus certified models; and NAXN 82+ 750W, 850W modular 80 Plus Bronze certified ones. Depending on the models, these PSUs come with a variety of cable configurations. Higher-wattage models make use of a dual 12V rail design. Efficiency certification aside, NAXN PSUs feature PFC (power factor correction), and a variety of over/under-voltage protection mechanisms. The HeatGuard feature keeps the 120 mm fan spinning for up to a minute even after system shutdown. The NAXN 80+ 350W, 450W, 500W, and 600W are priced at US $44, $49, $64, $74, respectively; the NAXN 82+ 750W is priced at $134, the 850W model is yet to be priced.

AMD released the entire entry-mid portion of the Radeon HD 6000 series overnight, for OEMs only. The cards won't be available to consumers (retail) as yet, but does give away specifications of two new GPUs that AMD is carving these SKUs out of, Turks and Caicos. Built on the 40 nm process, Turks packs 480 VLIW5 stream processors, is DirectX 11 compliant, and sports a 128-bit wide GDDR5 memory controller that supports GDDR3 on lower SKUs. Radeon HD 6670 and HD 6570 are based on Turks. Both have all 480 stream processors enabled, differ in memory type/amount and clock speeds. The HD 6670 carries clock speeds of 800 MHz core, 1000 MHz (4.00 GHz GDDR5 effective) memory, and is available with memory amounts of 512 MB or 1 GB. The 128-bit wide memory interface churns out bandwidth of 64 GB/s.

The HD 6570 is also based on Turks, but features clock speeds of 650 MHz core, and two different memory clock speed specifications based on the memory type opted for by the manufacturers. If a manufacturer chooses GDDR3, it's clocked at 900 MHz (1.80 GHz GDDR3 effective), with a memory bandwidth of 28.8 GB/s. If it's GDDR5, it's clocked at 1000 MHz (4.00 GHz effective), 64 GB/s bandwidth. Up to 2 GB of memory can be opted for GDDR3 designs, while up to 1 GB can be opted for GDDR5-based ones. While the HD 6670 reference board uses a full-height design with a single-slot fan-heatsink, HD 6570 is designed for low-profile cards, best suited for HTPCs or SFF PCs.

Buffalo introduced a new slim external DVD writer, the DVSM-PC58U2V, which is available in black, white, and silver. It gives you two ways to power it - using a AC adapter if you don't mind carrying it around, or using USB, if you have two ports to spare. In USB power input mode, the drive dedicates a USB connection to drawing power, while another provides data connectivity as well as drawing power. The drive uses USB 2.0 to transfer data. Measuring 145 x 19 x 153 mm, it weights 340 g. The drive can burn discs at 8x for DVD-R/+R and DVD+RW, 6x for DVD-R/+R DL and DVD-RW, 5x for DVD-RAM, and 24x for CD-R/RW. CyberLink Power2Go 7 and InstantBurn 5 software come bundled. Available some time this month, it will be priced at US $77.

Gigabyte released a free software utility that works on any motherboard (of any brand) that uses Intel's defect-prone 6-series chipsets (such as P67, H67), and checks if the installed hard drives are connected to defective SATA ports, or whether the board is prone to defects at all. According to Intel, it's not that every 6-series motherboard out there carries defective ports, and that whatever defects there may be, would only surface over time. Some users, however, are beginning to see signs of defects right away. The 6 Series SATA Check utility from Gigabyte is the company's contribution to resolving what is a chronic market-wide error affecting all motherboard vendors selling socket LGA1155 motherboards. You can grab the tool from here.

Active Media Products, a leading manufacturer of SSDs, DOMs and USB drives, today announced the new FLIP pivot USB 2.0 flash drive, an ultra-slim pivot style drive. "The FLIP drive is designed in fire orange and white racing colors, giving it a unique look, and the drive is extremely small and ultra-slim, making it a highly portable storage device", stated Active Media Products VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson.

The pivot style lid protects the drive when not in use - and you'll never have to worry about losing the lid because it conveniently flips open, giving instant access to your data. Pack 4GB or 8GB of data securely onto the FLIP drive. It is designed to fit easily on a keychain or in a pocket or clipped to a backpack. Load up to 2000 MP3 songs or up to 2400 six megapixel photos onto your FLIP drive to take with you anywhere.

In its 25th anniversary year, Antec, Inc., the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets, today introduced the next-generation of the popular P183, P193, Nine Hundred Two and Twelve Hundred models, expanding the Performance One and Gaming Case series' portfolios, respectively, by adding new convenience options and performance features for PC enthusiasts, gamers and high-performance users.

Antec has taken the fundamentals of its previous P183, P193, Nine Hundred Two and Twelve Hundred enclosures and enhanced them to accommodate the newest component standards with the new P183 V3, P193 V3, Nine Hundred Two V3 and Twelve Hundred V3 models.

Apparently there's a "slim" chance of users actually being affected by the recently-discovered chipset design error plaguing Intel's Cougar Point 6-series chipsets that drive the SandyBridge processors. Intel pegs this at 5% performance degradation caused due to data transfer errors over a period of 3 years. Users of Romanian tech community Lab 501 found out a way of detecting if your hard drives connected to the damage-prone SATA ports are already showing signs of errors.

To do so, you need the HD Tune Pro software, you can try out the Pro version. Select a hard drive connected to the damage-prone SATA 3 Gb/s port, click on the "Health" tab. HD Tune checks out various self-diagnostic parameters of the drive, including SMART values. A drive connected to an affected port should fail a number of tests as shown in the screenshot below. As a stopgap solution, you can connect the drive to one of the SATA 6 Gb/s ports available. Most motherboards should have 2 internal 6 Gb/s ports, some have additional 6 Gb/s ports driven by 3rd party controllers. It's advisable to use ports of those controllers. This stopgap fix should pull you through till April-May, when motherboard vendors are expected to have motherboards with B3 revision of the Cougar Point chipset. You can then claim replacement of your board under warranty.

ECS ELITEGROUP USA branch office has worked with Intel and has been made aware of a design flaw in its newest generation Intel 6 Series Express Chipsets (codenamed Cougar Point, B2 Stepping) which could, under normal operation, experience an issue with SATA ports 2-5 that may result in these SATA ports experiencing a functional issue over time.

ECS USA, along with all motherboard manufacturers, is working closely with Intel (who has identified the problem) on containing the distribution of the B2 Stepping of this product on its motherboards. ECS USA takes pride in its products' quality and is passionate about offering the best possible customer experience. ECS USA stands by its products and is committed to its customers by offering the following:

Plextor have expanded their high-performance optical storage portfolio with the addition of the PX-LB950UE - their first external Blu-ray Writer. The PX-LB950UE boasts a combination of an incredibly fast 12x writing speed with USB 3.0 technology, advanced software applications and a stylish external chassis designed to offer reliability, accuracy and low noise.

Every facet of the PX-B950UE has been designed to provide home and business users with a high performance, easy to use and versatile solution for backing-up large quantities of data or enjoying their favourite Blu-ray movies. The PX-LB950UE is available across the UK and Europe from February at an RRP of approximately £179.

Pro gamers are often faced with the awkward choice between a mousepad the offers speed, and that which offers control, which makes them carry both kinds of them to tournaments, and swap based on the usage. Roccat attempted to solve this with the Alumic. This double-sided mousepad offers a surface that's optimized for speed, and the other side that's all about control. So, switching between a sniper and a grunt in a match would just need you to flip the mousepad to suit the role.

The two surfaces sandwich an anodized aluminum core that maintains its shape and flatness. On both sides, the corners are decked up by rubber feet that prevent slipping. A gel-based attachable wrist-rest is also bundled. The Alumic mousepad measures around 331 x 272 mm, with 3 mm thickness. Slated for market release by the end of this month, the Roccat Alumic double-sided mousepad will be priced at €39.99.

MSI's high-end GeForce GTX 580 graphics card that's ready for water-cooling out of the box, the MSI N580GTX HydroGen OC, released in the European retail market, priced at €563. The N580GTX HydroGen uses the same full-coverage water-block as the N480GTX HydroGen, probably sourced from Heatkiller. The block uses a full copper base and composite metal top. It is ready for G 1/4" threads. The card comes slightly overclocked out of the box, but with the kind of cooling at its disposal, it leaves the fun part to you. The GPU is clocked at 823 MHz, CUDA cores at 1645 MHz, and memory at 4276 MHz, against reference speeds of 772/1544/4008 MHz.

Buffalo Technology rolled out the HDS-PXVU2 line of portable hard drives. Available in 320 GB, 500 GB, and 1 TB capacities, the HDS-PXVU2 offers built-in Trend Micro antivirus protection that keeps viruses and malware off its file-system. It also features a data-encryption software to protect confidential data. To protect the drive itself, a 16-point shock-absorbing mechanism is in place. The drive measures 90 x 20 x 134 mm, weighing 300g. It connects to the PC over USB 2.0, the cable is wound around the drive. An automatic data sync/backup software, along with the ecoManager power-saving software is also bundled. The 320 GB, 500 GB, and 1 TB variants are priced at ¥15,700 (US $192); ¥20,000 ($245); and ¥28,500 ($349), respectively.

TSMC reiterated that it will be ready with a 28 nanometer manufacturing process by Q4 2011. The semiconductor company handles manufacturing of graphics processors for both AMD and NVIDIA. After the current 40 nm process, 32 nm, the next milestone process, was canceled for GPU makers to leap to 28 nm, this caused the foundry transition to the next process to take longer than usual. The current 40 nm process already seems to be saturated by GPUs with over 3 billion transistors, which are barely able to maintain acceptable thermal specs without using some sort of power-load throttling mechanism.

TSMC Chairman and CEO, Morris Chang, confirmed that tape-outs will be starting as early as in Q3, and production of 28 nm chips will start in Q4. Chang expects that up to 3% of TSMC's revenues will be made from 28 nm chips by the end of the year. "We plan to have around 2% or 3% of our total revenue in the fourth quarter [to] be 28nm. The tape-outs of the 28-nanaometer will start to ramp in the second half, starting in the third quarter and then more in the fourth quarter. But the real momentum [for 28nm], we believe, will be next year," Chang said. Apart from GPUs, the 28 nm process will also benefit ARM processors, with multi-core ARM chips clocked at 3 GHz being on cards. The 28 nm bulk process will also dish out AMD's next generation accelerated processing units (APUs).

MSI has been informed by Intel about the design issues in the Intel 6 series chipsets. According to Intel the performance of some of the Intel SATA ports on Intel 6 series products can degrade over time. MSI takes the quality of our products very serious, so at this moment we are investigating product batches that may be affected and, meanwhile, have stopped all shipments to our distributors and resellers. Additionally, we asked resellers to hold sales of the Intel 6 series based MSI products to customers until the issue can be resolved.

As of the 31st of January MSI informed all our distributors, retails and reseller to stop directly the sales of Intel 6 series based products of MSI and to hold any products pending shipments to customers. No need to worry in the case that you purchased an Intel 6 series based product form MSI after the 31st of January because we will take care for you. Consumers can check the section "How to get serviced".

Enthusiast PC cooling expert Koolance introduced its latest product, a 120 mm high-flow fan for cases, air-coolers, and radiators, but we're inclined to think it's designed to let users make the most out of smaller 2-fan radiators. The FAN-12038HBK-184 from Koolance measures 120 x 120 x 38 mm, it draws power from a 3-pin fan header and includes speed monitoring. With a top-speed of 4,000 RPM, the fan can push 184 CFM of air with a rated maximum noise output of 59 dBA. Since it spins at tremendously high speeds and uses a high amperage motor (2.0A), Koolance cautions its users to use a grill along with it, as its blades pose a safety hazard. At $11.99, the Koolance FAN-12038HBK-184 is relatively affordable compared to similar fans from Sanyo-Denki/San-Ace, Delta, PanaFlo, or Yate Loon.

GIGABYTE Technology Co. LTD., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, is pleased to launch the latest GeForce GT 440 series graphics cards, GV-N440TC-1GI and GV-N440D3-1GI.

Compared to the previous generation, the latest NVIDIA GT 440 GPU has up to 30% better performance. It also supports DirectX 11 tessellation. GIGABYTE GT 440 series graphics cards also have higher default GPU working frequency, offering users amazing gaming experience.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards and other computing hardware solutions, today announced that GIGABYTE has been alerted by Intel about a 6 series chipset design error. GIGABYTE is working closely with Intel to minimize the inconvenience to customers and retail stores with regard to related issues.

A recent statement from Intel indicates that they expect full 6 series chipset volume recovery in April, 2011. GIGABYTE will produce and deliver new motherboards with the updated Intel 6 series chipset when the new chipsets become available. GIGABYTE prides itself in having the highest service quality in the industry, and as such we will resolve this issue with minimal impact on our customers.

Notebook major Toshiba announced a recall-drive of all notebook PCs it sold that are based on Intel's Huron River platform, consisting of processors based on Sandy Bridge architecture and Cougar Point chipset, after Intel announced a critical design flaw with the chipset. In a consumer notice, Toshiba advised current owners of affected notebooks to return the notebooks for a full refund. It also asked users to backup data and remove all personal, confidential, or proprietary information before returning the units.

Affected models include variants of Satellite A660, Satellite A665, Satellite A665 3D Edition, Satellite E305, Satellite L655, Satellite M645, Portege R835, Qosmio X500, Qosmio X505. Details of which exact model numbers are affected, are tabled below. This Monday (1/31), Intel announced the discovery of a critical design error of the chipset that drives Intel's Sandy Bridge processors. In some cases, the SATA ports of the chipset will degrade in both performance and functionality. Intel had announced a massive component recall drive to pull out affected components from manufacturers.

Apacer Technology, a global innovator in memory module, takes advantage of its technical superiority again to step up the SSD read and write speed as well as its durability. The memory giant debuts today the Turbo II AS602 SSD series, which features top-of-the-line and high-speed SandForce SF-1222 controller that helps optimize sequential read/write performance to a blazing fast of 285/275MB and delivers more IOPS (30,000 input/ 13,000 output per second). Apacer also improves SSD's capability to transfer data involving small files and increases overall transfer rate. Plus, the built-in Duraclass technology delivers best-in-class reliability tantamount to enterprise-level SLC drives and edges over previous generations

"With its technical superiority in consumer and enterprise SSD as well as the use of SandForce SF-1222 controller, Apacer has managed to create the nearly impeccable AS602 SSD," said Apacer. "Compared with its SSD counterparts, Apacer's AS602 SSD has not only the fastest sequential transfer speed but fastest random read and write speed as well. It features incredible reliability and makes up all the SSD shortcomings so as to address the speed needs for users," Apacer added.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and power supplies for computing devices and systems, has launched the ZX Series power supply series to answer consumer demand for a robust high-wattage solution that is also highly-efficient. The ZX Series is designed for best-in-class performance, reliability and also features 100% modular design for the ultimate customization for today's high-end gaming systems and professional workstations.

"The new OCZ ZX Series delivers on all levels with exceptional performance and efficiency as well as a sleek modular cable design that allows customers quick and easy configuration with just the cables they need," said Charlie McMenomey , PSU Product Manager at OCZ Technology. "The fully modular design makes installation a breeze as well as helps improve airflow in systems loaded up with high performance components, and for the ultimate stability this premium PSU comes with a large diameter ultra-quiet fan design so consumers can focus on their games and applications without the distraction of fan noise."

EIZO announced its latest display for professionals, the FlexScan SX2762W-HX. This 27-inch LCD display bears a 16:9 aspect ratio, with a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. The display uses an IPS panel that gives 97 percent Adobe RGB palette coverage, with 850:1 static contrast ratio and 270 cd/m² brightness. Panel response time is rated at 6 ms. An ambient light sensor adjusts settings optimized to the lighting conditions, while a proximity sensor lets the display know if the user is away from keyboard, which then sends the display into a power-saving mode.

The FlexScan SX2762W-HX takes input from dual-link DVI, DisplayPort, and mini-DisplayPort. It packs a USB 2.0 hub that gives users easy access to a couple of ports. The stand allows height, tilt, and pivot adjustments. Slated for release in the second week of February, the EIZO FlexScan SX2762W-HX comes backed by a 5-year warranty, priced at US $1533.

Buffalo Technology released its latest portable hard drive, the MiniStation 3 series. Available in 500 GB and 1 TB capacities, the MiniStation 3 measures 77 x 14/17 x 114 mm, weighing 165 g (500 GB) or 220 g (1 TB). The drives use USB 3.0 SuperSpeed interface for data and power. The drives are available in two color options: piano-black and pearl-white. Software for data backup and encryption comes bundled. The Eco Manager software powers the drive down when idling to save power. The 500 GB and 1 TB models are priced at US $141 and $206, respectively, and come with 1 year product warranties.

ASUS has launched an entire range of DirectCU II-enhanced graphics cards that include the latest technologies from both AMD and NVIDIA GPU rosters. On the AMD side, ASUS offers the HD 6970 and HD 6950 graphics cards with DirectCU II while for NVIDIA, the GTX 580, GTX 570 and new GTX 560 Ti all ship with the advanced cooling technology.

Based on ASUS DirectCU, which uses copper heat pipes in direct contact with the GPU core for up to 20% cooler performance, DirectCU II adds a custom cooler that uses twin 100mm fans for a massive 600% increase in airflow on HD 6970, HD 6950, GTX 580, and GTX 570 DirectCU II cards. ASUS has also launched the GTX 560 Ti DirectCU II TOP graphics card with dual 80mm fans for the best performance in its segment through doubled air power.

An instant upgrade over integrated graphics, the new ASUS GT 440 graphics card is ideal for driving multimedia center PCs while enabling smooth gaming. It features ASUS exclusive technology Super Alloy Power, which delivers a 15% performance boost, 35°C cooler operation and 2.5 times longer lifespan. The GT 440 further ships factory-overclocked at 822MHz, or 12 MHz more than reference cards, and comes with ASUS' Voltage Tweak for easy overvolting for up to 50% faster clock speeds. The proprietary ASUS Dust-proof Fan contributes additional protection against heat and wear and tear, while GPU Guard strengthens the card for an extended product lifespan.

Intel on January 31, 2011 announced the detection of a design error in the new Sandy Bridge-based Intel 6 Series support chip, also known as Cougar Point. The shipment of existing Sandy Bridge products has been suspended by Intel, and the production of an updated support chip has commenced. The design error affects only the support chip, and not 2nd generation Intel Core processors such as the i5 and i7.

Acting on our philosophy and promise of inspiring innovation and persistent perfection, we've created a comprehensive response to this development to safeguard the best interest of ASUS customers around the world. We will provide total warranty services to maximize computing and usability, as each ASUS product is delivered with an uncompromising quality pledge. This includes the hassle-free return and/or replacement of all affected ASUS products. We're doing all this effective immediately - and as a first step, shipments of current ASUS Sandy Bridge-based products have been halted. The suspension covers all distribution and retail channels - ASUS only sells quality-assured products, at all times and across all product segments.

EVGA rolled out a new custom-design GeForce GTX 570 graphics card that makes use of a shorter PCB and a cooler design inspired from that of the GeForce GTX 560 Ti, which offers better high-definition display connectivity compared to the standard model. Called the EVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD (model: 012-P3-1571-AR), the card makes use of a shorter GTX 570 PCB the company earlier displayed at CES with a yet unreleased dual-fan GTX 570. Display connectivity on this card includes two DVI, a full-sized (standard) HDMI 1.4, and a full-sized DisplayPort.

The cooler design is largely borrowed from NVIDIA's reference GeForce GTX 560 Ti, consisting of a circular heatsink with spirally-projecting aluminum fins, spreading heat to additional aluminum fin blocks on its either sides. It is ventilated by a large centrally-located fan. The card sticks to NVIDIA reference clock speeds of 732 MHz core, 1464 MHz CUDA cores, and 950 MHz (3800 GDDR5 effective) memory. Based on the 40 nm GF110 core, the GPU packs 480 CUDA cores, and connects to 1280 MB of memory over a 320-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. EVGA's GeForce GTX 570 HD is priced at $349.99, on par with the reference base model.

SPARKLE Computer Co., Ltd., the professional VGA card manufacturer and supplier, today announced The SPARKLE GeForce GT 440 Graphics Cards for home theater enthusiasts and casual gamers, which have everything users need to spoil users senses. The SPARKLE GeForce GT 440 Graphics Cards adopt the Fermi architecture which accelerate your digital life. Designed with unparalleled levels of price/performance, the SPARKLE GeForce GT 440 Graphics Cards are the perfect GPU for LAN party pwning.The SPARKLE GeForce GT 440 Graphics Cards dominates the competition and offers amazing game realism on the latest DirectX 11 titles like Civilization V. Equipped with the latest industry leading technologies including NVIDIA 3D Vision, NVIDIA PhysX, high performance NVIDIA GeForce drivers, and more, the SPARKLE GeForce GT 440 Graphics Cards have everything you need to spoil your senses.

MSI kicked off its GeForce GT 440 offer with two models, the low-profile N440GT-MD1GD3/LP, and the base-model N440GT-MD512D5. The former uses 1 GB of GDDR3 memory, and the latter uses 512 MB faster GDDR5. The low-profile card uses a miniaturized version of MSI's Twin Frozr II heatsink, which uses two 40 mm fans. The N440GT-MD512D5 uses a full-height PCB and a standard-looking GPU-heatsink with MSI's own cooler shroud design. The GPU features 96 CUDA cores, and a 128-bit wide GDDR3/GDDR5 memory interface. The GPU is clocked at 810 MHz, 1620 MHz CUDA cores, and 900 MHz memory. Display outputs include one each of DVI, HDMI, and VGA. Expect sub $100 price points.

ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and the world's largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today introduces a new graphics card for mainstream users seeking a performance kick - the new ZOTAC GeForce GT 440 series graphics cards with 512MB and 1GB DDR5 memory.

Powered by the high-performance NVIDIA Fermi architecture, the ZOTAC GeForce GT 440 series pack 96 customizable unified shaders capable of rendering beautiful DirectX 11 graphics or accelerate NVIDIA CUDA-enabled video transcoding and image editing applications. The customizable shaders enable the ZOTAC GeForce GT 440 series to accelerate streaming high-definition Internet video powered by Adobe Flash technology for flawless playback free of dropped frames and stuttering.

Announcing the winners of the second and final month of PowerColor and TechPowerUp GPU-Z giveaway (January 2011). We picked up three lucky winners from a pool of 20,000 entries, from all over the world. Spanning across December 2010 and January 2011, the contest gives six lucky winners some rad graphics hardware from PowerColor. Here are the winners:

• Danny from Israel, wins PowerColor Radeon HD 6970
• Steve from United Kingdom wins PowerColor Radeon HD 6870 PCS+
• Grant from United States wins PowerColor Radeon HD 6850 PCS+

Huge congrats, guys! PowerColor will contact the winners directly and arrange for shipping of the prizes. This concludes the giveaway. We would like to thank PowerColor for making the giveaway possible. TechPowerUp will return with more interesting contests such as this.

Market research firm Jon Peddie Research gave out PC graphics shipments figures for Q4 2010. PC and related products sales overall were lower than usual in 2010 as the industry saw propagation of ULPCs, netbooks, and tablets propagate, hence PC graphics sales, too, were lower by as much as 7.8% down compared to the same period in 2009. Sales of GPUs and processor-embedded GPUs in Q4 stood at 113 million units, 432.2 million in all of 2010. Intel continues to be the dominant player, though its market share was lowered by competitors AMD and NVIDIA. Intel's market share was lowered in 2010, to 52.5%, from 55.2% in Q3 2010. AMD/ATI is at the second spot with a market share of 24.2% (up, from 23% in Q3); and NVIDIA at the third spot at 22.5% (21% in Q3). Other smaller GPU vendors, VIA and Matrox, stood at 0.8%, and 0.1%, respectively.

Gigabyte introduced its fastest graphics card based on the AMD Radeon HD 6870 GPU, bearing the SuperOverclock (SOC) badge. SOC graphics cards make use of top quality components and a copper-rich PCB as prescribed by the company's own Ultra Durable VGA+ specifications, and use high-end cooling. The GV-R687SO-1GD, as it's formally known, carries clock speeds of 950/1150 (core/memory), against reference speeds of 900/1050 MHz. The card uses a 10-inch long PCB that uses a stronger VRM to leave room for some overclocking. The GPU itself is hand-picked by performance binning.

The card is cooled by Gigabyte's WindForce 3X GPU cooler, which makes use of a large aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by copper heat pipes, ventilated by three 80 mm fans. As with every other HD 6870, there are 1120 stream processors 1 GB of 256-bit GDDR5 memory, and display connectivity that includes two each of DVI and mini-DP, and one HDMI. Gigabyte's HD 6870 SOC is expected to be priced closer to the $250 mark.

After the launch of NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 560 Ti, AMD made it easier for partners to release overclocked and custom-design Radeon HD 6870 graphics cards. Partners seem to be responding to this. HIS released two new custom-design Radeon HD 6870 graphics card models, based on the Barts IceQ X board design the company implemented on its HD 6850 IceQ X series. Like with the HD 6850, there's the base model that sticks to AMD reference clock speeds of 900/1050 MHz (core/memory), and a Turbo-X model that uses overclocked speeds of 975/1150 MHz. The "X" in Turbo-X denotes that it's faster than the Turbo model based on AMD's reference design board, by HIS. The cooler makes use of a slightly large aluminum fin array to which heat is conveyed by 8 mm thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes, which is centrally ventilated by a 92 mm fan. The cooler is covered by a frosty-looking shroud. Like with every other HD 6870, the card features 1120 stream processors, and connects to 1 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 256-bit wide memory interface. HIS did not give out pricing details.

HighPoint Technologies, Inc. launches its Smart Hybrid HBA's product line. These ground-breaking PCI-E 2.0, SATA 6Gb/s HBA's combine solid state disks (SSD) with hard disk drives (HDD), into single, high-speed storage solutions, optimized for performance hungry workstations and applications. Smart Hybrid HBA's allow users to take advantage of the gigabyte-unit cost savings of a HDD's combined with the performance of SSD, without sacrificing capacity.

HighPoint's RocketHybrid HBA's are powered by Marvell's cutting-edge SATA 6Gb/s 88SE9130 IC and revolutionary HyperDuo technology. This technology was designed to aid SSD's acceptance into the mass-market by addressing the cost and capacity issues associated current SSD storage. Current hybrid approaches of combining SSD's and HDD's for use as boot drives, do not provide the consistent, high-speed file access required by high-performance applications, such as gaming or media editing.