BIOSTAR has released an AMD socket AM3+ motherboard, the TA970 Plus with AMD OverDrive and the ACC (Advanced Clock Calibration) feature. This AMD 970 chipset board supports AMD multi-Core (x8, x6) and Socket AM3 processors including the AMD FX/ Phenom II and Athlon II versions. This is a powerful platform for gamers and enthusiasts.

The TA970 Plus is a full sized ATX board with 4 DDR3 DIMM slots and mSATA/Mini PCI-E combo connector. It supports SATA 6Gb/s speeds, which are two times the speed of current SATA 3G. Of course there is USB 3.0 support as well. Powerful graphics are supported with AMD's CrossfireX capability. To get every power advantage the TA970 Plus features the AMD OverDrive and the ACC (Advanced Clock Calibration) function. This allows power users to overclock their system by precisely calibrating the clock timings between the processor and RAM chips. These timings are critical in maintaining system stability when overclocking, otherwise you will end up with a system that crashes often. As they say, "Timing is Everything" and the TA970 Plus allows you to get it right.

EK Water Blocks, Ljubljana based premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is proud to introduce EK-Supremacy MX - a brand new cost-reduced variant of EK-Supremacy EVO flagship performance water block, introduced in 2014. It has been designed to lower the production costs yet still offer premium hydraulic- and thermal performance at the best price.

EK-Supremacy MX is a reduced cost CPU water block, available in both AMD as well as Intel variants, which comes with pre-assembled, error-preventing mounting mechanism. The result is a perfect installation which results in optimal performance every time. "Since the release of EK-Supremacy EVO our main task was to bring the same performance level to the entry class", said Niko Tivadar, Chief Technology Officer at EK Water Blocks.

Xigmatek announced the TYR-SD962, its latest entry-level CPU cooler. Featuring a conventional tower-type heatsink design, the cooler is made of a base that doubles up as a tiny heatsink, from which two 6 mm thick copper heat pipes pass, making direct contact with the CPU. The heat pipes convey heat to an aluminium fin-stack, which is ventilated by a 92 mm fan. Xigmatek bundles a 9225 fluid-dynamic bearing fan, which takes in PWM control, spins between 1,200 and 2,800 RPM, with a noise output of up to 28 dBA. Measuring 65 mm x 85 mm x 121 mm (excluding the fan), the heatsink weighs 310 g. It's game for thermal loads of up to 100W, and is compatible with LGA1150, FM2+, and AM3+ (95W TDP or below only).

DeepCool launched the Captain series of liquid AIO CPU Coolers, under its GamerStorm brand. The series debuts with the Captain 120, featuring a 120 x 120 mm radiator; and the Captain 240, featuring a 240 x 120 mm one. The cooler is characterized by a unique pump-block design that lets you visualize the coolant flow. The pump-block's design appears to be in-line with that of DeepCool's SteamCastle series of cases. Its block features a copper 0.2 mm micro-fin lattice. A 120 mm FDB fan with PWM control, is included, and ventilates the radiator. The cooler supports all modern CPU socket types, including LGA2011v3, LGA1150, AM3+, and FM2+. The company didn't reveal pricing.

AMD made three additions to its FX-8300 series eight-core socket AM3+ processors, along with adjustments to the series' overall pricing. The company launched a new performance-segment part, the FX-8370, along with two energy-efficient eight-core chips, the FX-8370E, and the FX-8320E. The FX-8370 features the same 4.00 GHz nominal clock speed as the FX-8350, but a tiny bit higher TurboCore frequency of 4.30 GHz, compared to the latter's 4.20 GHz. This chip is priced at US $199.

The FX-8370E, on the other hand, features the same maximum TurboCore frequency of 4.30, but its nominal clock speed is much lower, at 3.30 GHz. Not all cores run at TurboCore frequency simultaneously. The FX-8320E features a maximum TurboCore frequency of 4.00 GHz, same as that of the FX-8320, but a lower nominal clock speed, of 3.20 GHz. Both these two parts feature rated TDP of 95W, compared to 125W of the other parts in the series.

AMD is planning to launch its next performance-segment CPUs alongside its Radeon R9 285 graphics card; the FX-8370 and its energy-efficient variant, the FX-8370E. Based on the 32 nm "Vishera" silicon, the FX-8370 is an eight-core socket AM3+ processor, featuring out of the box clock speeds of 4.10 GHz, with TurboCore frequencies of 4.30 GHz. The standard variant features 125W TDP, while the FX-8370E features 95W. The two will sell at the same price-points as the FX-8350. The FX-8370E will sell at a slight premium.

AMD is preparing to expand its performance-segment socket AM3+ processor lineup, steering clear of the 220W TDP of its FX-9000 series. The two chips are the FX-8370, and the FX-8370E. The FX-8370 will likely replace the FX-8350 around the $180 mark; while the FX-8370E will be its energy-efficient variant. Both chips offer clock speeds of 4.10 GHz, with 4.30 GHz TurboCore frequencies. While the FX-8370 has a rated TDP of 125W, the FX-8370E features 95W, without a reduction in clock speeds. The FX-8370E could hence come at a slight premium.

Both the FX-8370 and FX-8370E are eight-core processors based on the 32 nm "Vishera" silicon, featuring four "Piledriver" CPU modules that have 2 MB of L2 cache each, and 8 MB of L3 cache shared between the four modules. The chips feature dual-channel DDR3 integrated memory controllers, with native support for DDR3-1866 MHz, and 5.2 GT/s HyperTransport 3.1 system bus. Instruction-sets include AVX, AES, SSE4.2, FMA3, and XOP. The chips will run on all existing socket AM3+ motherboards, with some needing BIOS updates.

In addition to its new A-series APUs, AMD announced two new CPUs, the Athlon 860K, and the FX-8300. Built in the FM2+ package, the Athlon 860K is a quad-core CPU based on the 28 nm "Kaveri" silicon, with its integrated graphics disabled. It features four "Steamroller" CPU cores clocked at 3.70 GHz, with an unlocked base-clock multiplier that enables overclocking. The two modules that make up the four cores feature half their normal L2 cache amounts, and so the total L2 cache is just 2 MB. The chip will run on socket FM2+ motherboards based on the A88X, A85, A75, and A55 chipsets. The FX-8300, on the other hand, is a budget eight-core processor in the AM3+ package. It's based on the 32 nm "Vishera" silicon, featuring eight CPU cores spread across four "Piledriver" modules; clocked at 3.20 GHz, with 3.50 GHz of Turbo Core frequencies. The chips feature 2 MB of L2 cache per module, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. Its TDP is rated at 95W.

MSI, world leading in motherboards, debuts its first AMD AM3+ socket based GAMING motherboard, the MSI 970 GAMING. Inherited with the outstanding DNA of MSI's award winning GAMING family, the new MSI AM3+ 970 GAMING motherboard features Killer LAN for the best online GAMING experience, Audio Boost 2 powered by Creative Sound Blaster Cinema2 for astonishing sound quality that gives you the upper hand on the battlefield, USB Audio Power and a whole new hardware and software design for enhanced gaming performance. Get ready for high end AMD GAMING with MSI.

Whether you are a casual or pro-gamer, network lag kills. MSI GAMING motherboards feature Killer high-performance networking and provide the highest level of control and networking speed for video streaming and gaming. A Smooth, stutter-free network is a must in today's world of on-line gaming, where a single packet of network data can make the difference between a win or a loss, Killer makes sure that it arrives.

ASRock updated its Fatal1ty branded socket AM3+ motherboard. The new ASRock 990FX Fatal1ty Killer gives AMD platform gamers most advancements in onboard connectivity. To begin with, the board is based on the AMD 990FX chipset, with SB950 southbridge. It draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and conditions it for the CPU with a 10-phase VRM. The CPU is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-2400 memory.

Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 wired to the AMD 990FX northbridge, a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4) wired to the southbridge; and two PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slots. Storage connectivity includes five SATA 6 Gb/s, and one M.2, with a combination of PCIe 2.0 x2 and SATA 6 Gb/s link layers. The board features Realtek's latest ALC1150 HDA CODEC, which boasts of 115 dBA SNR; equipped with ground-layer isolation, and a headphones amp. Wired networking is care of a Broadcom Killer E2200 controller. Four USB 3.0 ports, and gaming peripheral-optimized USB 2.0 ports (stabilized power); make for the rest of it. The board is driven by AMI Aptio UEFI BIOS, supporting Windows 8 Secure Boot.

Sapphire's Atomic brand often sprung up some surprising products in the VGA space, including some of the very first graphics cards with factory-fitted liquid-cooling solutions. Its latest creation is the Atomic 990FX, a socket AM3+ motherboard in the ATX form-factor, with a full-coverage water-block. "Full coverage and motherboards?" you ask? Yes! This board features a full-coverage block that features coolant channels that pass through not just the CPU, but also CPU VRM, and the chipset. It features three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots, four DDR3 DIMM slots, six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, gigabit Ethernet, and 8-channel audio.

MSI unveiled its first socket AM3+ motherboard bearing its coveted Gaming Series badge, the 970 Gaming. Based on AMD 970 chipset with SB950 southbridge, the board offers most modern gaming features for the AM3+ platform. It supports FX "Vishera" eight-core processors. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, and features a strong 8-phase CPU VRM that's cooled by a massive heatsink. The AM3+ socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-2400 MHz memory.

Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (x8/x8 when both are populated), and two each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. There are four USB 3.0 ports on offer. Things get interesting with its Qualcomm Killer E2200 gaming-optimized wired NIC, the same one featured on its flagship Z97 Gaming 9 AC; and Audio Boost HD audio, which features a 115 dBA SNR CODEC, ground-layer isolation, a 600Ω headphones amp, electrolytic capacitors, and gold-plated jacks. MSI didn't disclose pricing.

Look ma, no chipset! The first wave of AMD socket FS1b motherboards, for the company's A-Series "Kabini" APUs were displayed at the 2014 International CES, where they pulled good-eyed visitors that spotted motherboards that have CPU sockets but lack any form of core logic. That's because "Kabini" completely integrates the chipset. It turns out that AMD has decided to brand the socket - so far referred to as FS1b - as socket AM1. The socket is in no way compatible (even pin-compatible, or similarly sized) as AM2, AM3, and AM3+, on which AMD's processors have been sold for the bulk of the last 8-odd years.

With the chipset completely integrated into the APU silicon, the socket is left with pins for the memory, PCI-Express, display, SATA, power, and other legacy I/O interfaces. Among the first "Kabini" APUs that AMD plans to launch are the quad-core A4-5350, with 1.60 GHz clock speed, 2 MB of cache, and 25W TDP; the A4-3850, with slightly lower 1.30 GHz clocks; and E1-2650, with its dual-core 1.45 GHz CPU, 1 MB cache, and 15W TDP.

AMD released developer documentation for a new processor it's working on, and the way it's worded describes a chip with 8 modules, working out to 16 cores, on a single piece of silicon, referred to as Family 15h Models 30h - 3fh. This is not to be confused with the company's Opteron 6300-series "Abu Dhabi" chips, which are multi-chip modules of two 8-core dies, in the G34 package.

What's more, unlike the current "Abu Dhabi" and "Seoul" chips, the new silicon features a full-fledged uncore, complete with a PCI-Express gen 3.0 root complex that's integrated into the processor die. In what's more proof that it's a single die with 8 modules and not an MCM of two dies with 4 modules each, the document describes the die as featuring four HyperTransport links; letting it pair with four other processors in 4P multi-socket configurations. Such systems would feature a total core count of 64. There's no clarity on which exact micro-architecture the CPU modules are based on. Without doubt, AMD is designing this chip for its Opteron enterprise product stack, but it should also give us a glimmer of hope that AMD could continue to serve up high-performance client CPU, only ones that can't be based on socket AM3+.

MSI rolled out the 760GMA-P34FX, a cost-effective socket AM3+ motherboard in the micro-ATX form-factor, designed with out of the box support for AMD FX "Vishera" processors. Based on the dated AMD 760 chipset with SB710 southbridge, the motherboard still offers modern connectivity, such as SATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0, but using third-party controllers.

Drawing power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power connectors, the 760GMA-P34FX offers two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory. A PCI-Express 2.0 x16, a PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and a legacy PCI slot make up its expansion area. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 3 Gb/s ports (from the SB710 southbridge), and two SATA 6 Gb/s ports (from an ASMedia ASM1061 controller). Display connectivity includes one each of DVI and D-Sub. The board offers four USB 3.0 ports, two on the rear panel, two by headers. 6-channel HD audio, and gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of the connectivity. Expect this one to be light on your wallet. Really light.

AMD is inching toward a possible post-x86 future for itself, beginning with its enterprise product stack. In a blog-post, the company outlined a landmark product bearing its enterprise Opteron branding, codenamed "Seattle," which will be designed for scalar data-centers. Based on the 64-bit ARMv8 architecture by ARM, the chip will feature either four or eight cores based on AMD's own implementation of ARMv8, and a high-bandwidth integrated memory controller with support for up to 128 GB of system memory with ECC.

Since ARM-based processors are traditionally part of heavily integrated systems on chips (SoCs), "Seattle" will be an SoC, and among other things, will integrate a 10 Gb/s Ethernet controller, with support for AMD's FreedomFabric technology. Linux kernel 3.7 and above will come with ARMv8 architecture support, and Microsoft is already developing a Windows kernel with ARMv8 support that will be implemented on both its client (Windows RT, Windows Phone) product lines, and a future version of Windows Server. That said, AMD won't give up on x86. As the only active x86 licensee apart from VIA, AMD will continue to make APUs with 64-bit x86 cores for as far as the eye can see (in other words 2015). Future of its client CPU (non-APU) lineup based on the AM3+ socket, however, appears bleak.

We'd feared something like this would happen for some time now, but leaked AMD product roadmaps confirmed it that AMD FX "Vishera" is the last line of CPUs from AMD. The company will only focus on APUs from here onward, and at the very most, one could expect CPU core counts to go up from their current quad-core stale-meat since A-series "Llano," which will continue into the 2014 A-Series "Kaveri," too.

The alleged AMD roadmap slide leaked to the web by ProHardver.hu points out that socket AM3+ "Vishera" will exist on AMD's product stack for as far as AMD's eye can see - looking deep into even 2015. Unless AMD is planning on hanging its towel with AM3+, it wouldn't mark its roadmap slide out in this way. 2015 will see the introduction of "Carrizo," an APU that succeeds "Kaveri," which will be based on future-generation "Excavator" CPU micro-architecture, and a future-generation GPU architecture, along with full HSA programming model implementation. "Kabini" will have its spell running into mid-2014, at which point "Beema" will succeed it.

DeepCool has just added a new CPU cooler to its product portfolio, a model known as IceEdge 400 E (Elite Edition) that supports Intel LGA1156/LGA1155/LGA1150/LGA775 and AMD FM2/FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2/940/939/754 processors with a TDP of up to 130 W.

Pictured below, DeepCool's creation measures 100 x 86 x 125.5 mm, it weighs 475 grams and features an aluminum heatsink, four direct touch copper heatpipes, and a 92 mm Hydro Bearing fan that operates at 2200 RPM and has a sound output of 26.3 dBA. The IceEdge 400 E's price tag was not announced.

Performance CPU cooler by X2. Following the award winning TherMax series CPU Coolers by our parent company Spire, the enthusiasts at X2 have further developed and improved the product's performance. Introducing the successor; Eclipse IV universal compatible performance CPU cooler.

Starting with the heat-sink, 45 aluminum stacked fins provide a larger surface area. The front and rear sides of the fins are patterned with shark-teeth for better outflow of air which helps to a more silent solution. Six (6) all copper heat-pipes of 6mm in diameter which are bend into the tower u-shape to achieve unrestricted air-flow and best cooling performance. All six (6) heat-pipes are soldered onto the heat spreader-base and cooling fins. Following the complete heat-sink is anodized and coated with pure nickel which fills any tiny imperfections and preserves the copper heat-pipes from oxidation.

ASUS today announced that its existing 990FX-based motherboards all support the new flagship AMD FX-9000 Series processors at memory speeds up to 2400 MHz, without the need for a BIOS update.

The ASUS Crosshair V Formula-Z, Sabertooth 990FX R2.0 and M5A99FX Pro R2.0 motherboards all feature AM3+ Socket with full support for AMD's extreme-performance FX-9370 and FX-9590 processors. With eight-cores and unlocked clock speeds up to 5 GHz, the FX-9000 Series requires incredible amounts of power and generates considerable heat - AMD recommends a 1200 W power supply and liquid processor cooling.

Xigmatek rolled out second generations of two of its iconic mainstream CPU coolers, Gaia II and Loki II (pictured in that order). With its 120 mm PWM fan detached, the Gaia II measures 120(W) x 50(D) x 159(H) mm, and is a conventional aluminum fin tower heatsink, with three 8 mm-thick exposed copper heat-pipes tasked with drawing heat directly from the CPU, and transporting it to the aluminum fin stack. Weighin 460 g, the Gaia II is a mid-range heatsink. Its included 120 mm spinner can push up to 56.3 CFM of air, spinning at 800 to 1,500 RPM. Gaia II is designed to handle thermal loads as high as 150W.

Moving on, Loki II is a compact tower-type CPU cooler for light thermal loads, as high as 130W. It features a dense aluminum fin stack to which heat directly drawn from the CPU is conducted by three 6 mm-thick exposed copper heat pipes. The heatsink is ventilated by a rare 92 mm PWM-controlled fan, which can push up to 52 CFM of air, spinning at speeds between 1,200 and 2,800 RPM. Measuring 92(W)x134(H)x50(D) mm without the fan, Loki II weighs about 330 g. Both coolers are designed to support the latest CPU socket types, including Intel LGA1150/LGA1155/LGA1156, LGA1366, AM3+/AM3, and FM2/FM1. Xigmatek didn't announce pricing, but we imagine the two Asgardians to replace their current-generation counterparts, at $30 and $25, respectively.

Only a select club of high-end socket AM3+ motherboards come with support for AMD's FX-9590 5.00 GHz eight-core processor, with a gargantuan 220W TDP, and even among some of them, support is 'unofficial,' and through use of beta BIOS (use of which is generally not covered by motherboard warranties). GIGABYTE plans to change that, with a new cost-effective motherboard with out of the box support for high-TDP AMD CPUs, such as the FX-9590, FX-9370, and FX-8770. Called GIGABYTE 970A-UD3P, the motherboard is built in the standard ATX (244 x 305 mm) form-factor.

The 970A-UD3P features an AM3+ CPU socket, with a 10-phase VRM tuned for high-TDP CPUs. It is based on AMD 970 + SB950 chipset. The CPU socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-2133 MHz memory; and the AMD 970 northbridge. The northbridge gives out the board's sole PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, and three other PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slots; the other physical x16 slot is electrical x4, and wired to the southbridge. Two legacy PCI slots take seats. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. The board provides four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by header). 8-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF output, gigabit Ethernet, and a PS/2 combo port make for the rest of connectivity. The board is driven by AMI Aptio UEFI BIOS, backed by dual-UEFI. It wouldn't surprise us if GIGABYTE prices this board under $100.

Despite its $900-ish retail presence, AMD's 5 GHz eight-core processor, the FX-9590, was designed to be an OEM part, where OEMs could deploy the right motherboard and cooling solution for the 220W TDP chip. One of the first OEMs to [dare to] come out with one such contraption is Japan's Mouse Computer. The company's G-Tune Masterpiece a1500BA1 desktop includes an AMD FX-9590 processor, and Radeon HD 8990 (re-branded HD 7990 "Malta") graphics card as standard equipment.

The Masterpiece a1500BA1 uses a Cooler Master Seidon 120XL to tame the 220W AMD FX-9590, and an unannounced MSI 990FXA-GD80 V2 motherboard to seat it. Other components include Kingston HyperX DDR3-1866 MHz 16 GB dual-channel memory, Samsung 840 Pro 256 GB SSD, an additional 3 TB HDD, a Blu-ray writer, and an unknown 1200W 80 Plus Gold-certified PSU. Windows 8 64-bit comes pre-installed. Based on the 32 nm "Vishera" silicon, AMD FX-9590 is an eight-core processor in the AM3+ package, with 4.80 GHz nominal and 5.00 GHz TurboCore frequency. The 5.00 GHz Turbo state spools up for all eight cores. Backed by a 1-year warranty (besides individual component warranties), the Masterpiece a1500BA1 is priced at a staggering 449,800 JPY (US $4,500).

Gigabyte rolled out the fifth revision to its 990FXA-UD3 socket AM3+ motherboard, which possibly heralds a series of upgrades to the company's existing socket AM3+ motherboard SKUs. The 990FXA-UD3 Rev. 4 features a host of changes over its UEFI-equipped predecessor, beginning with a refreshed 10-phase CPU VRM (Digital Power Engine), a different selection of chokes, capacitors, and MOSFETs, newer VRM and chipset heatsinks capable of handling higher thermal loads, and Gigabyte's newest UEFI setup program. The board is otherwise identical to the 990FXA-UD3 Rev 3.

Designed with support for AMD FX "Vishera" processors out of the box, the 990FXA-UD3 Rev. 4 features a split power-plane 10-phase CPU VRM, with chokes that don't whine under load, and lower footprint MOSFETs. The CPU socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-2133 MHz memory, and the AMD 990FX northbridge. This chip gives out two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots, and two PCI-Express 2.0 x4 slots (physical x16). Two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and a legacy PCI make for the rest of its expansion. All six SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the SB950 southbridge are assigned as internal ports, while a Marvell 9172 controller handles two eSATA 6 Gb/s. The board offers a total of four USB 3.0 ports, driven by EJ168 controllers by Etron. 8-channel HD audio driven by Realtek ALC889 CODEC, and a gigabit Ethernet interface driven by Realtek 8111F, cover the rest of its connectivity. Since it's a revision to an existing SKU, we expect it to be priced the same, around $140.

FX-9590, AMD's FX "Vishera" based limited edition processor targeting overclockers, which also stakes claim to being the first commercially-available CPU with 5.00 GHz clock speed, is available with certain retailers. The final pricing of the chip is no different from its pre-order pricing. PC Connection has the chip listed under "Call for Availability," it's priced at a staggering $964.71 a piece. Next up, is eCost, where it's priced at $878.99. AntaresPro has the chip priced at $910.99. FX-9590 is an eight-core processor in the AM3+ package, with CPU clock speeds of 5.00 GHz, 16 MB of total cache (L2 + L3), and a staggering 220W rated TDP.