Imagination Technologies, a leading multimedia technologies company, is now shipping its Caustic Series2 PC boards, the R2500 and R2100, which accelerate PowerVR OpenRL applications including the Caustic Visualizer viewport plug-ins for Autodesk Maya and 3ds Max and the Neon viewport in Rhinoceros 5 from Robert McNeel and Associates.

The Caustic Series2 is the first family of high performance ray tracing accelerator PC boards using Imagination's unique ray tracing technologies in the world's first chipset dedicated to high performance, fully interactive ray tracing in a workstation environment.

Advanced gesture recognition and sensing technology is coming to the 2013 CES! Etron Technology, Inc. launches its innovative Cougar Platform, a hardware-based USB3.0 Depth-Map Controller Platform with two cameras that enables gesture/skeleton control and 3D-video/image capture and works with various middleware and application software. Since the data size of captured images is too large to be managed by motherboard CPUs, Etron developed this platform for intensive data computation immediately post-sensing with a hardware-based depth-map engine.

As a result, Etron's Cougar Platform works smoothly with X86-based systems and ARM-based systems. It also provides synchronized dual HD (High Definition) video/image capture through a USB3.0 (uncompressed) or USB2.0 (compressed) interface. Etron will demonstrate its Cougar Platform at Booth No. 35114 in South Hall 4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) from January 8th to 11th.

Intel's Core i7 "Haswell" line of high-performance mobile processors will launch around roughly the same time as its first desktop counterparts, in April 2013. The April launch will consist of three models, which occupy conventional TDP ratings, making them fit for performance/gaming classes of notebooks, they're not quite Ultrabook-material.

Leading the pack is the Core i7-4930MX Extreme Edition, which enables nearly every component on the silicon. The quad-core chip features HyperThreading, which enables 8 logical CPUs, 3.00 GHz clock speed with 3.90 GHz maximum Turbo and 3.70 GHz all-core Turbo, new Intel HD 4600 Graphics clocked at 400 MHz with 1350 MHz maximum boost, 8 MB L3 cache, and 57W TDP.

Phanteks launches PH-TC12DX, a U-Type dual tower heat-sink with four 6mm heat-pipes allows for optimal airflow and cooling. PH-TC12DX's 6mm heat-pipes are linearly aligned and developed to have the least amount of air and thermal resistance. Incorporating P.A.T.S and C.P.S.C Technologies, PH-TC12DX delivers better heat dissipation and heat transfers. PH-TC12DX includes dual PH-F120HP PWM Premium fans to allow for higher performance and/or silent operation.

Here is the first picture of Zalman's upcoming silent CPU cooler, the FX100-Cube. Classified in the large category of coolers, the FX100-Cube trades off its large size for silence. It appears to make use of multiple aluminum fin stacks intersecting each other, to which heat from the base is conveyed by four 8 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes. More details on this beast are awaited, the cooler is expected to be released in the weeks to come.

Cooler Master launched the Eisberg 240L Prestige liquid CPU cooler. What sets it apart from the Graham's number other closed-loop CPU coolers in the market is its exposed copper-fin radiator, micro-channel matrix in the business end of the block, and pressure-enhancing jetstream technology. The cooler consists of a block+pump component, and a 280 x 124 x 30 mm radiator that can hold up to four 120 mm fans in push-pull configuration, although Cooler Master includes two. The two components are joined by pre-fitted flexible coolant tubing. The block features a port that allows you to change the coolant. Slated for market release soon, the Eisberg 240L Prestige is priced over 150€. Find a review at the source.

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.

AMD's FX "Vishera" socket AM3+ processors are in for a long haul. According to a DonanimHaber report based on a leaked company roadmap slide, the company plans no new processor architecture to succeed it in 2013. The company recently launched its FX "Vishera" line of eight-, six-, and four-core chips just an year following FX "Zambezi," leading analysts to believe the company would launch a new micro-architecture each year to keep up with Intel's "tick-tock" product development strategy.

The roadmap slide, pictured below, shows AMD FX "Vishera" continuing through 2013 as the flagship desktop platform, followed by "Richland" third-generation desktop APU, which combines "Piledriver" CPU components with "Radeon 2.0 cores" (we're guessing those are Graphics CoreNext stream processors), which maintains socket FM2 platform; and low-power "Kabini" APU, which carries the mantle from "Brazos."

AMD announced the 2012 FX "Vishera" line of eight-core, six-core, and quad-core desktop processors. Based on the new "Piledriver" CPU micro-architecture, the new processors feature increased performance and an updated instruction set, over the previous generation. To begin with, the processors are based around the "Vishera" silicon, built on the 32 nm HKMG process at Global Foundries. With a transistor count of 1.2 billion and a die area of 315 mm², Vishera packs four Piledriver modules, with two cores each, 2 MB L2 cache per module (8 MB total), and 8 MB of L3 cache. Eight-, six-, and four-core models are carved out by toggling the number of modules between four, three, and two.

The Vishera silicon also features an updated CPU instruction set, which includes SSE/2/3/S3/4.1/4.2/4A, AVX, AES-NI, FMA/FMA2/FMA3, XOP, and F16C. An x86 processor by design, Vishera features the AMD64 x86-64 instruction set. Its updated integrated memory controller supports up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory, with a standard speed of DDR3-1866 MHz, and more possible with overclocking. The memory interface is single, monolithic 128-bit, unlike the dual 64-bit IMC approach of the "Stars" micro-architecture. Built in the same socket AM3+ package as the previous generation FX, the new chips are compatible with existing AM3+ motherboards with a BIOS update. The 2012 FX processor lineup includes a total of four models, the FX-8350 flagship eight-core, FX-8320 performance eight-core, FX-6300 mainstream six-core, and FX-4300 value quad-core. All models feature unlocked base-clock multipliers, making each of them fit for overclocking. Their specifications and target SEP pricing are tabled below. Market prices could be about 5~10% above the SEP prices.

3rd Generation Intel Core i3 desktop processors are now available providing value-priced CPU horsepower for those wanting to take advantage of features such as Intel HD Graphics with Intel Quick Sync Video, Intel Wireless display, and more. They will be offered in standard and low wattage models, designated by an "s" or a "t" in the processor name, with frequencies ranging from 2.8 GHz to 3.4 GHz. More information is available here.

AMD announced today that the visionary behind Gustafson's Law, John Gustafson, has joined the company as senior fellow and chief product architect, Graphics Business Unit. In this role, Gustafson will set the technical vision for the AMD graphics business unit, driving the technology roadmap and platform for the AMD Radeon and AMD FirePro product lines as well as new technology planning and execution of business objectives. Gustafson will be based in Sunnyvale and will help evangelize AMD graphics leadership internally and externally.

"Our industry-leading graphics technology predicates that we consistently deliver the most differentiated and superior graphics processor unit (GPU) architectures and products -- without compromise," said Matt Skynner, corporate vice president and general manager, AMD Graphics. "With the growing importance of parallel compute in defining the computing experience, John brings the full package of industry experience and knowledge needed to help us expand and execute our AMD Radeon and AMD FirePro graphics technology programs, and will help forge an aggressive long-term roadmap that allows AMD to continue to lead and win with our gaming and virtualization technologies."

Zalman's newest high-end CPU air cooler, the CNPS9900DF, has been on our radar since May. It was launched in select markets earlier this week. The Computer Noise Prevention System (CNPS) model 9900 heatsink has been leading Zalman's product line for years now, with several variations being launched from time to time. The newest one, the CNPS9900DF, in which "DF" stands for dual-fan, builds on the concept by using two fans in push-pull configuration. The "push" fan is nested in the first copper fin stack, while the "pull" fan is located between the two fin stacks. The design is otherwise similar to every other 9900 series cooler.

The design of the CNPS9900DF consists of a nickel-plated copper base, from which four nickel-plated copper heat pipes pass, making a capital-omega (Ω) shape, along which nickel-plated copper fins are arranged, which appear to project radially. The surface area for heat dissipation is 6,800 cm². Measuring 140 (L) x 100 (W) x 154 (H) mm, the CNPS9900DF weighs in at 850 g. The 120 mm "push" fan spins at 1000 RPM, while the 140 mm "pull" fan spins at speeds between 900 to 1400 RPM. Both fans use fluid-dynamic bearings, and the total noise output of the cooler is said to stay within 27 dBA, according to Zalman. The Zalman CNPS9900DF is priced at an estimated US $89.90 a pop.

MSI, the most popular overclocking brand is excited to introduce an all-new standard for overclocking stability. MSI's OC Certified standard is the new baseline for overclocking mainboards. the new MSI Z77 MPOWER, which is OC Certified, is submitted to a Military Class stress-test for overclocking. Where other motherboard manufacturers only test for a limited duration, MSI Z77 MPOWER is submitted to a 24 hour OC stress-test. Only mainboards surviving 24 hours of Prime95 while heavily overclocked. The conditions of the OC Certified test are rigorous high temperature, no airflow testing.

Today AMD launched the AMD FirePro A300 Series Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) for entry-level and mainstream desktop workstations. Featuring AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology, the new AMD FirePro A300 Series APUs are designed for users who demand a high-performance computing platform to power their computer-aided design, and media and entertainment (M&E) workflows. The new AMD FirePro A300 Series APUs combine industry-certified performance and reliability for professional applications with world-class 24-hour customer support, delivering highly-tuned performance and robust feature support across a range of professional applications and tools.

Akasa's Euler fanless PC case, which was first pictured at Computex 2012, is inching towards a September 2012 launch. Some of its first press-shots were leaked to the web. The pictures reveal its interiors, including the CPU block that conducts heat to the metallic body, where it is dissipated. This passive CPU cooling mechanism, according to a new report, can handle thermal loads of up to 35W, making it fit for low-power dual-core processors. Akasa Euler will be sold at an affordable price, according to the report.

Lian-Li Industrial Co. Ltd, today announces a tall, slim brushed aluminum EATX supported chassis - PC-X2000FN. The PC-X2000FN keeps DIY builder's hardware neat and organized in the interior with its three separate compartments, while having a sleek, elegant feel on the outside thanks to the one-piece front panel with no visible vents on holes.

693mm (27.3") tall and 240mm (9.4") wide, the PC-X2000FN lets DIY builders install the hardware they desire in a neat, organized and compartmentalized fashion. The top section holds 5.25", 3.5" and 2.5" drives. The middle section is for motherboards up to the EATX form factor, and has plenty of room for cable management thanks to the rubber grommets and generous space behind the motherboard tray. The bottom compartment holds the power supply as well as an additional 3.5" HDD cage.

Thermaltake, being the industry pioneer brand with expertise in PC chassis, power supply and thermal solution, is launching the new reinvent CPU cooler - the "BigTyp Revo", the COMPUTEX 2012 d&i award winner, an award recognises Thermaltake being the pacemaker of CPU cooler, which also made the debut during CeBIT 2012 this March, to users and gamers who favor the down draft rather than the tower cooler.

Thermaltake BigTyp Revo is the next substantial down draft CPU air cooler after the introduction of the Orb Series and the Typhoon Series that marked a brand-new new CPU cooler era for Thermaltake.

Spire is proud to introduce our new fan series with Nano-ceramic precision bearing. Spire fans with Nanobearing offer a more silent, reliable and durable solution for the most demanding situations.

Traditional fans with oil seal bearings have serious wear with a relatively short service life as the bearings can easily overheat which results the impeller jamming and the PCB melting. Fans with nano-ceramic bearings are made from namo-zirconia powder as main material and a collocating special nano-particles lubricant to guarantee an exponentially longer life. The average service life is more than 70,000 hours.

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 limited edition Prolimatech Black Series Genesis. Besides the immaculate quality - which is present across their entire product line-up - the Black Genesis sets new standards in cooling capability and cool looks.

Prolimatech continues the trend set by the Megahalems and Super Mega by utilising 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.

NVIDIA today announced that NVIDIA Tesla GPUs are now available in Fujitsu's PRIMERGY CX400 S1 servers, offering high-performance GPU-accelerated computing to Fujitsu's large installed base of customers in Japan and Europe.

Fujitsu designed the PRIMERGY CX400 S1 server for high performance in a compact form factor by using half-wide, two-socket server nodes -- doubling the number of cores per unit height. The system houses either four 1U hot-plug PRIMERGY CX250 S1 server nodes with two CPUs per node, or two 2U hot-plug CX270 S1 server nodes with two CPUs and one NVIDIA Tesla GPU per node.

Today at the AMD Fusion Developer Summit (AFDS), global technology leaders came together to announce the formation of the Heterogeneous System Architecture (HSA) Foundation. The HSA Foundation is a non-profit consortium established to define and promote an open, standards-based approach to heterogeneous computing that will provide a common hardware specification and broad support ecosystem to make it easier for software developers to deliver innovative applications that can take greater advantage of today's modern processors.

AMD, ARM, Imagination Technologies, MediaTek Inc., and Texas Instruments (TI) are the initial founding members of the HSA Foundation. The companies will work together to drive a single architecture specification and simplify the programming model to help software developers take greater advantage of the capabilities found in modern central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs), and unlock the performance and power efficiency of the parallel computing engines found in heterogeneous processors.

The next big heatsink design at Warm Tek is called Pangolin C1-6. Its design stays true to the design principle of the Hedgehog series, in which each individual heat dissipation surface makes direct contact with the CPU, eliminating the need for heat-pipes (Warm Tek calls this seamless direct conduction). While the Hedgehog series heatsinks uses copper rods, the Pangolin C1-6 uses copper sheets which are tightly stacked up at the base, and fan-out upwards. The exposed copper sheets are treated with anti-oxidants at the factory. Like with the Hedgehog, it's purely pressure holding the sheets together, and the heatsink is weld-free. Although designed primarily for fan-less setups, a fan-clip is being worked on.

SilverStone also displayed its own take on asymmetric dual-tower heatsinks, with the SST-NT08 (not to be confused with another heatsink of the same model, first unveiled at Computex 2008). While most other asymmetric dual-tower heatsinks have variations in aluminum fin count or positions of the fin towers, the NT08 has two completely dissimilar fin towers. The thicker fin tower is close to double the thickness of the slimmer one, although the heatsink still has U-shaped heat pipes that pass through both fin towers, with the base in between. The NT08 uses six 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes, and deploys a 120 mm fan between the two fin stacks to ventilate it. The fan pulls air through the slimmer tower, and pushes it through the thicker one.

The next in our series on "aluminum oddities" is SilverStone's SST-NT01 Pro, an unconventional aluminum fin heatsink. The design idea is similar in a way, to that of the Antec Kuhler Flow. The aluminum fin stack doesn't propagate directly above the base, but besides it. While the Kuhler Flow has a square fin stack, the NT01 Pro has a rectangular one, with its longer side along the plane of the motherboard, rather than perpendicular to it. As many as six 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes transport heat from the base to the fin stack, which is then ventilated by two 80 mm fans.

LEPA is working on a closed-loop liquid CPU cooler, which features an "ultra slim" CPU block. Called the HDB120, this closed-loop cooler appears to have its pump located with the radiator, rather than with the block. As a result, its block is no different in form and function, than a DIY CPU water block. It is just 12 mm-thick, with its coolant tubes factory-fitted on its side, rather than on its top. LEPA plans to unveil (and probably demonstrate) the HDB120 at the upcoming Computex 2012 event.