It's not retirement time for AMD's 45 nm "Regor" silicon just yet, with the company announcing the Athlon II X2 280 value dual-core processor. Built in the socket AM3 package (compatible with AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+ motherboards), and based on the company's K10.5 micro-architecture, the chip features two x86-64 cores clocked at 3.60 GHz, 1 MB of L2 cache per core (2 MB total), an instruction set that includes SSE3 and SSE4A, and a dual-channel integrated memory controller that supports both DDR2 and DDR3 memory types. The chip can take advantage of HyperTransport 3.0 interface, with a maximum data-rate of 4.0 GT/s. It features a rated TDP of 65W, and is designed for entry-level desktops. It is priced at US $49.99.

AMD implemented a new round of price cuts for seventeen of its socket FM1 A-series APUs, FM1 and AM3 Athlon II series CPUs, which has been in the works since mid-October. The cuts cover dual-, triple-, and quad-core Athlon II X2, X3, and X4 series processors; and A4, A6, and A8 series APUs. Popular APU models such as the A8-3870K, A8-3850, A6-3670K, and Athlon II X4 651 see price-cuts ranging anywhere between 3.7 to 17.4 percent. Dual-core Athlon II X2 265 got the biggest price-cut, nearly a third down by 30 percent. Prices of the dual-core A4-5300 socket FM2 was also cut significantly. The complete list of price-cuts is tabled below.

Even as launch of the next-generation A-Series "Trinity" desktop APUs remains elusive, there is already talk of what AMD will do with the 32 nm Trinity silicon, apart from using them in the A-Series. Some theories point out that the best performing parts could be sold in certain "high margin" products, while the others, could be branded as Athlon II FM2. AMD is planning a trio of quad-core Athlon II X4 processors in the socket FM2 package. The company currently has a line of Athlon II series processors carved out of the "Llano" silicon, built in the socket FM1 package.

The trio of socket FM2 Athlon II X4 processors include:

• Athlon II X4-730: quad-core, 2.80 GHz, 4 MB total cache, 65W TDP
• Athlon II X4-740: quad-core, 3.20 GHz, 4 MB total cache, 65W TDP
• Athlon II X4-750K: quad-core, unlocked BClk multiplier, 3.40 GHz, 4 MB total cache, 100W TDP

AMD reportedly deferred the launch of its next-generation "Trinity" A-series accelerated processing units (APUs) for desktops, to October, 2012. The products were originally slated for August. The delay affects launches of most APUs in the socket FM2 package, including the A10-5800K, a top-performing part in the series.

Launches of the A-Series "Trinity" APUs appear to have been clubbed with those of the FX-Series "Volan" (Vishera silicon, Piledriver micro-architecture) processors, including the FX-8350 and FX-6300. Meanwhile, AMD is in the process of phasing out its low-cost socket AM3 processors (such as Athlon II AM3, and Phenom II AM3), replacing them with Athlon II FM2, Phenom II AM3+, and mid-range FX-Series AM3+.

AMD today announced an agreement with GameFly, Inc., to give gamers who leverage the quality and performance of AMD CPUs and APUs easier access to GameFly's leading online video game rental and PC download services for a limited time. Gamers purchasing select AMD A-Series APUs, AMD Athlon II CPUs, AMD Phenom II CPUs or AMD FX Series CPUs in regions where GameFly is accessible receive a free, 30-day GameFly membership as well as a 20 percent discount on a new PC game purchase via the new GameFly PC store.

"AMD draws inspiration from gamers, game developers and the PC gaming industry," said John Taylor, director of Global Product and Technology Marketing at AMD. "Hand-in-hand with the AMD Gaming Evolved program, we continue to listen to gamers and fulfill our 'Gamers Come First!' pledge. AMD's close affiliation with GameFly shows our gratitude to gamers and to GameFly for recognizing how AMD represents best-in-class PC gaming experiences."

Sapphire released the new Pure Platinum A55V motherboard to the market. The board offers a value socket FM1 platform based on AMD A55 FCH chipset, in the ATX form-factor. The motherboard supports AMD A4, A6, A8, and Athlon II "Llano" APU/CPUs in the FM1 package. This model is not exactly designed to be "no-frills", as it does pack an interesting mix of features that could help it grab a comfy price-point in the market.

The FM1 socket is powered by a 6-phase VRM, which uses a simple whine-free choke + DPAK MOSFET design, but throws in a heatsink to cool the MOSFETs. The socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory, with speeds of over DDR3-1600 MHz with overclocking. The APU is also wired to a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, and two PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slots. Apart from these, you get three legacy PCI slots, wired to the FCH.

Sapphire is working on two new entry-level motherboards for AMD FM1 and Intel LGA1155 platforms. The FM1 board, called the Pure White A55, is a budget micro-ATX board based on the AMD A55 FCH; while the LGA1155 board is the Pure Platinum H61P, an ATX board based on the Intel H61 chipset. The Pure White A55 uses a simple 5+1 phase VRM to power the AMD A-Series APU or Athlon II FM1 CPU. The FM1 socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3 memory. The "Memory Free" feature stabilizes memory clock speeds, voltages, and timings if wrong settings make the system fail POST, at the push of a button.

Expansion slots of the Pure White A55 include one PCI-Express 2.0 x16, two PCIe 2.0 x1, and a legacy PCI. All six SATA 3 Gb/s ports of the A55 FCH are assigned as internal ports. Display outputs include HDMI, DVI, and D-Sub. Other connectivity features include 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, two USB 3.0 ports, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. The board uses redundant BIOS on separate ROM chips, that protect it against bad BIOS updates. The Pure Platinum H61P uses a 6 phase VRM to power the LGA1155 processor. The socket is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory.

AMD's new Bulldozer "FX" series of processors may be very lacklustre performers in reviewer's benchmarks and have garnered considerable scorn in enthusiast circles, but they're a very good performer for AMD's bottom line. Incredibly, they are selling out as soon as shops get them in stock - and they are not even priced very competitively against Intel's offerings, so perhaps the "It's an 8 core CPU!!" marketing is working well on the uninformed "enthusiast" after all? Mind you, what enthusiast, however uninformed, wouldn't know exactly how these products perform? Every tech website and computer magazine has covered these chips by now. The mind boggles.

AMD, along with launching several new Opteron processors, retouched prices of its socket FM1 accelerated processing units (APUs), across its A-Series. These include tiny price hikes for its lower-end APUs, A4-3300 and A4-3400; a minor price cut for the A6-3500; a price-cut for the FX-6100; and introduction of the new Athlon II X4 651. To begin with, the dual-core A4-3300 and A4-3400 got hiked by $2, sending their prices from $64 and $69, respectively, to $66 and $71, respectively.

On the other hand, the price of A6-3500 is cut from $89 to $85. The six-core FX-6100 socket AM3+ processor saw a $10 price-cut, sending its price down from $165 to $155. Lastly, AMD introduced a new Athlon II processor in the FM1 package, the Athlon II X4 651, AMD's second, after Athlon II X4 631. This quad-core chip has 1 MB L2 cache per core, and is clocked at 3.00 GHz, 400 MHz higher than the Athlon II X4 631.

BIOSTAR Group, a world famous manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and computer peripherals, proudly announces the TA990FXE motherboard aimed at the most demanding overclockers and gamers.

The TA990FXE is made in the ATX form-factor on the flagship AMD 990FX chipset in combination with the most advanced SB950 Southbridge which guarantees the support of the latest technologies and ensures the unprecedented performance. The board supports all Socket AM3+ based Phenom II X6, Phenom II X4, Phenom II X3, Phenom II X2, Athlon II X4, Athlon II X3, Athlon II X2 and Sempron CPUs including top 6-core and 8-core AMD FX, AMD Phenom II and AMD Athlon II chips with the maximum thermal design up to 140W.

Acer America Corp. announced today that the slim and stylish Acer Revo RL100 media center is now available at leading technology retailers in the United States. A digital hub for a den or living room, it connects to a flat-screen TV and comes with a dual-mode wireless touchpad/keyboard for smooth navigation from the comfort of the couch. There are two models available, including one with Blu-ray.

Outfitted with Acer clear.fi, the Acer RL100 automatically interconnects all Acer home-based and mobile devices, including smartphones, making it easy to consolidate and share HD multimedia throughout the household. This means users can access HD movies and personal content from any Acer device in the house for enjoying on a big screen TV.

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.

AMD rolled out three new processors today, the six-core Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition, Athlon II X3 455, and the Phenom II X2 565 Black Edition. The new flagship of AMD's processor lineup, the Phenom II X6 1100T, is based on the AM3 socket, supporting DDR3 and DDR2 memory on older AM2+ motherboards. It carries a nominal clock speed of 3.30 GHz, is based on the 45 nm "Thuban" silicon, features 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and 6 MB of L3 between all six cores. It features the TurboCore technology, which bumps clock speed by a few hundred MHz when it senses high load. As a Black Edition chip, it features an unlocked bus multiplier. Despite its increased clock speed, the 1100T has a TDP of 125W. This chip goes for US $265.

Next up, is the Phenom II X2 565 Black Edition. Clocked at 3.40 GHz, the X2 565 is based on the Callisto silicon (which is Deneb with two cores locked), featuring 512 KB of cache per core, and 6 MB shared L3 cache. This one has a TDP of 80W, and is priced at US $115. Lastly, there's the Athlon II X3 455, a triple-core chip based on the "Rana" silicon (which is Propus with one core locked), it lacks an L3 cache, but features 512 KB L2 per core. With a TDP of 95W, this one goes for $87.

iBUYPOWER, a leading innovator in gaming PCs, is excited to announce three systems featuring the powerful new AMD 6800 series graphic cards - Gamer Mage D295, Gamer Mage D355, and Gamer Paladin F820. The new DirectX11 compatible cards help create a truly immersive gaming experience by supporting up to 6 monitors with an external display-port hub and 3D video.

"We take pride in always being able to offer our customers the latest in graphics technology," said Darren Su, Vice President of iBUYPOWER. "That's why we are excited to be among the first to offer the gamer-friendly AMD Radeon 6000 series graphics cards."

Toshiba Computer Systems, a division of Toshiba Europe GmbH, today announced the Satellite C660. The new laptop is ideal for users looking for a machine with adequate computing performance to handle their everyday computing needs - e.g. e-mailing, web-browsing, standard office applications and basic multimedia entertainment - in a really affordable package. Toshiba also unveiled the new Satellite Pro C660 that is targeted at professional users. Both, the Satellite C660 and the Satellite Pro C660 will be available early in the fourth quarter of 2010 throughout Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Acer is aiming to top holiday wish lists with the expansion of its sleek and stylish all-in-one desktop line. Its newest model, the Acer Aspire Z3100 features a 21.5-inch HD display and contemporary aesthetics. Acer has also pumped up the performance on its stylish, state-of-the-art Aspire AZ5700 with an intuitive 23-inch HD multi-touch display.

The new all-in-one desktops flaunt a refined design and the speed needed for efficient multitasking, social networking and high-def entertainment, including the enjoyment of HD movies and immersive audio. Both models are designed for users who appreciate clean aesthetics and want a PC that will eliminate clutter and maximize limited desktop real estate.

AMD released six new desktop processor models to the market, these include new SKUs in both Phenom II and Athlon II lines. Older SKUs may have been displaced from their price-points by some of the new models. To begin with, AMD introduced a new value dual-core model, the Athlon II X2 265 (3.30 GHz); triple-core Athlon II X3 450 (3.20 GHz); quad-core Athlon II X4 645 (3.10 GHz). The X2 265 is based on the 45 nm Regor die, it features 2 MB of L2 cache, rated TDP of 65W, and is priced at US $76. The X3 450 is based on the 45 nm Rana die, and is essentially a Propus die with one core disabled. It has TDP rated at 95W, this one goes for $87. The X4 645 makes use of the full Propus die, rated TDP at 95W, priced at $122.

Next up, AMD introduced a new "high-end" six-core model, probably in response to lowering of prices on some Intel Core i7 models such as the i7-860. The new Phenom II X6 1075T Black Edition is essentially the same as the Phenom II X6 1090T, except that it's clocked at 3.00 GHz (200 MHz lower). It is priced at $245. Next, a quad-core model that seems to be in response to Intel's release of the Core i5 760. The Phenom II X4 970 Black Edition is clocked at 3.50 GHz (highest AMD default clock speed till date), and is based on the older Deneb die instead of derivation from Thuban. So there's no Turbo Core feature, but thanks to its Black Edition marker, it has an upwards unlocked BClk multiplier. This SKU displaces the X4 965 BE, and is priced at $185. The speed-bump didn't affect the TDP, which is still at 125W.

MSI recently rolled out the CX413, the newest member of its Classic series of laptop computers. Under the hood, the 14-inch CX413 comes packed with AMD's all-new Vision (Danube) platform with AMD's most advanced Athlon II dual core processor which supports DDR3 system memory as well as the high performance ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 discrete graphics card (DDR3 512MB display memory) for multimedia for superior image capabilities and processing speeds. Your multimedia life was never so good.

MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern explains that the CX413 features MSI's own 45-degree beveled construction, a cinema-class 16:9 ratio, power-sipping LED display, and MSI's ECO engine power saving technology. This machine has it all-an aesthetically pleasing exterior, outstanding multimedia performance, and exceptionally long battery life. It's your best choice for reasonably priced mobile multimedia entertainment.

The 14" CR410, the newest addition to MSI's new Classic series of notebook computers, is designed and crafted with MSI's craftsmanship. It features AMD's latest Vision (Danube) platform with AMD Athlon II Dual-Core processor and DDR3 system memory with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4270 for a smooth multimedia experience.

MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern points out that the CR410 boasts MSI's exclusive 45-degree beveled construction, power-saving, cinema-class 16:9 ratio LED display, as well as MSI's own ECO Engine power saving technology. The sophisticated exterior, superior multimedia performance, and extended battery power life make it the best choice for affordable mobile entertainment.

Dell today announced the latest in compact computing - the ultra-portable and ultra-stylish Inspiron M101z laptop. The perfect combination of size, weight, performance and contemporary lux looks, the Inspiron M101z is the ideal on-the-go, easy-to-use laptop PC for today's mobile population.

Whether a student running between classes or a mom trying to keep the kids entertained, carrying this ultrathin sub-4-pound laptop that fits easily in a handbag or backpack helps lighten the load. Despite its diminutive size, the Inspiron M101z laptop packs performance punch, nimbly stepping through everyday tasks quickly and delivering impressive playback of streaming movies and HD videos.

Dell released a netbook based on the AMD-platform this time around, the Inspiron M101z. This one sports a 11.6 inch screen with 1366 x 768 pixel display, driven by ATI Radeon integrated graphics, and comes with bezel colors that include Clear Black, Peacock Blue, Tomato Red and Lotus Pink. Under the hood is an AMD Athlon II Neo processor, 4 GB of memory, up to 320 GB of storage, and connectivity features that include 10/100 Ethernet, and optional Bluetooth 3.0, 3-in-1 card reader, 1.3 MP webcam, and a 6-cell battery. It comes with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit pre-installed, and sells for £379 in the UK.

Gateway today introduced the new Gateway LT32 Series netbook line that provides great performance and HD entertainment capabilities for consumers that want to take their fun to go in a compact, highly-functional device. The new line uses amd Athlon II Neo processors and ATI graphics for enhanced responsiveness and smooth video playback.

The Gateway LT32 has an 11.6-inch HD LED-backlit display, so HD video and other digital media content is stunning and vibrant. Additionally, the new Gateway LT32 line has HDMI 1080p output, which lets customers use a convenient single cable connection to deliver HD video and audio to an external source such as a home entertainment system or lcd display.

MSI announced the slender and stylish CR630 features a large screen and high performance multimedia. The CR630 comes with MSI's own 45-degree beveled construction and new lustrous starlight design color film print which changes with shifts in lighting, underscoring the stylish yet unpretentious exterior for which MSI's Classic series is known.

MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern points out, The 15.6" CR630 features chic starlight design color film print and powerful multimedia performance. Under the hood, it has AMD's latest Danube platform for NBs with the AMD Athlon II processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4270 integrate graphics for high performance, low power consumption, and exceptional graphics processing capabilities."

The 14" CX410, the newest addition to MSI's new Classic series of notebook computers, is designed and crafted with MSI's craftsmanship. It features AMD's latest Vision (Danube) platform with AMD Athlon II Dual-Core processor and DDR3 system memory with ATI Mobility Radeon HD 545v (512MB GDDR3 display memory) for a smooth multimedia experience.

MSI Marketing Director Sam Chern points out that the CX410 boasts MSI's exclusive 45-degree beveled construction, power-saving, cinema-class 16:9 ratio LED display, as well as MSI's own ECO Engine power saving technology. The sophisticated exterior, superior multimedia performance, and extended battery power life make it the best choice for affordable mobile entertainment.

Fujitsu Japan developed an AMD-powered variant of its LifeBook PH520, marked with /1A in the model name. The 11.6-inch notebook features an LED-backlit display with 1366x768 pixels resolution, weighing 1.4 kg, and powered with 6.2 hours of juice on a full charge. Under the hood is where all the changes lie, with an AMD Athlon II Neo K125 1.70 GHz dual-core processor, and ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4225 graphics. The system is aided by 2 GB of DDR3 memory, 320 GB storage, and includes connectivity and utilities that include 1.3 MP webcam, 801.11 b/g/n wireless network, Bluetooth, and gigabit Ethernet. Windows 7 Home Premium comes pre-installed. The LifeBook PH520/1A will be priced at US $870 in Japan.