Axiomtek's MANO861 industrial-grade Mini ITX motherboard based on the Intel H61 Express chipset is designed for the 3rd Generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3 processors in LGA1155 socket. The high performance MANO861 comes with two DDR3 1333/1600 MHz SO-DIMM slots with up to 16 GB memory capacity. This cost-effective motherboard supports dual-view capability through DVI-D, VGA, and LVDS interface. It also reserved one PCI Express Mini Card slot and one PCIe x4 slot to provide for flexible applications. With a small footprint of only 170 x 170 mm, the embedded board offers a full feature set of I/O which allows system integrators to deploy their solution with this platform easily. The MANO861 is designed for customers in the industrial automation, gaming, kiosk, POS and signage markets, who are looking for advanced performance in both computing and graphics and cost optimized solution.

With its 4th generation Core "Haswell" processor lineup not too far away, Intel is making efforts to clear inventories of its 2nd generation Core "Sandy Bridge" one. Usually, OEMs on the receiving end of such a move stand to score truckloads of chips at discounted prices. Samsung is one such OEM, which may have bagged a ton of "Sandy Bridge" Core i5-2450M dual-core chips clocked at 2.50 GHz, to deploy in its new premium Chromeboxes, which normally use entry-level Celeron B840 chips, because you can't exactly use Chrome OS to play Crysis, and so you don't need a faster CPU. The new, faster Chromebox is listed on Amazon for $423, bearing the SKU "Samsung Chromebox XE300M22-A01US."

Intel's spring cleaning began early, with the company discontinuing twelve processor models spanning across the Core and Celeron lines, based on the 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" silicon. The company issued a PDN (product discontinuation notice) to that effect. A majority of these are mobile parts, whose market lifetime is stretched to keep up with OEM orders. Among the chips are the Core i7-2960XM, i7-2860QM, i5-2557M, i7-2637M, and Celeron B710, and 857. According to the PDN, Intel will stop accepting orders for the chips from July 11, 2013, and the last orders will have shipped out by January 14, 2014.

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) will be showcasing its new line products at the 2013 International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas at the Mirage Hotel from January 8 to January 11. ECS invites all interested parties to get hands-on experience with its latest product offerings, including two next generation All-in-one (AIO) touch based PCs, notebooks, a tablet, and the latest in ATX and Thin Mini-ITX motherboards.

With 10-finger touch capability, the G24 and G18 Series are a new line of AIO PCs using ECS' own Thin Mini-ITX motherboards. The G24 series in particular fully supports the touch interface of Windows 8. These two edge-to-edge 23.6"/18.5" AIOs featuring full HDMI capability, a TV tuner card and a remote not only act as your personal computer but also your 2nd TV.

It's no secret that nearly all Intel Core processors are carved out of essentially one or two physical dies, be it the "2M" die that physically features four cores and 8 MB of L3 cache, or the "1M" die, which physically features two cores and 4 MB of L3 cache. The two silicons are further graded for energy-efficiency and performance before being assigned a package most suited to them: desktop LGA, mobile PGA, mobile BGA, and with the introduction of the 4th generation Core "Haswell," SoC (system on chip, a package that's going to be a multi-chip module of the CPU and PCH dies). The SoC package will be designed to conserve PCB real-estate, and will be suited for extremely size-sensitive devices such as Ultrabooks.

The third kind of grading for the two silicons relates to its on-die graphics processor, which makes up over a third of the die area. Depending on the number of programmable shaders and ROPs unlocked, there are two grades: GT2, and GT3, with GT3 being the most powerful. On the desktop front (identified by silicon extension "-DT,") Intel very much will retain dual-core processors, which will make up its Core i3, Pentium, and Celeron processor lines. It will be lead by quad-core parts. All desktop processors feature the GT2 graphics core.

MSI is working on a new micro-ATX motherboard with Celeron 847 BGA processor hard-wired onto it, the C847MS-E33. The Celero 847 is a dual-core processor based on the 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" architecture, clocked at 1.10 GHz, featuring 2 MB of L2 cache, and a dual-channel DDR3 IMC. Its 17-Watt TDP is low enough for MSI to use a passive heatsink to cool it with. Aiding the CPU is an Intel NM70 chipset, which provides one each of SATA 6 Gb/s and SATA 3 Gb/s ports.

The C847MS-E33 features two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 16 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1333 MHz memory. Its processor is wired to a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, two legacy PCI and a PCIe 2.0 x1 make for the rest of its expansion. Connectivity includes 6-channel HD audio with optical and coaxial SPDIF outputs, gigabit Ethernet, a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports on the rear panel and by headers, and display outputs that include HDMI and D-Sub. We expect the board to be priced around $70-80, providing a decent entry-level PC solution.

Intel's 22 nanometer tri-gate technology, which goes into building today's 3rd Generation Core desktop and notebook processors, and soon the entry-level Pentium and Celeron ones, will make it to mobile SoCs (systems on chips), which will drive battery life-sensitive devices such as smartphones and tablets. Intel announced that development of such chips is in progress, speaking at the 2012 International Electron Devices Meeting. The new 22 nm SoCs could feature anywhere between 20 to 65 percent higher performance than today's 32 nm low-power chips. The new chips will allow Intel to take on mid- and high-grade ARM SoCs. Intel didn't go into the specifics.

Japanese PC maker Mouse Computer announced the LuvMachines Mini (Lm) series VESA-mount compatible nettops. It includes three models, the Lm-mini40B (base), Lm-mini40S (SSD-equipped), and Lm-mini40X (hybrid HDD-equipped, top). The three are based on a common design, which measures 5.2 x 153.6 x 172.6 mm (HxWxD), which can either latch on to your monitor via VESA wall-mount, or sit around on your desk with its stand. The base configuration includes an Intel Celeron 847 processor clocked at 1.10 GHz, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD, Intel NM70 chipset, USB 3.0, 802.11 b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, and Windows 8. It is priced at 29,820¥. The Lm-mini40S tops that with a 120 GB SSD, and is priced at 34,650¥. The Lm-mini40X leads the pack with 750 GB hybrid HDD, and is priced at 39,900¥.

With the dawn of 2013, and no catastrophes in sight, Intel is going ahead with its usual business of phasing out old processor models, and making way for new ones. By the end of 2012, Intel will stop taking orders for several processor models mostly based on the older 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" silicon. These include chips such as the Core i7-2700K, Core i5-2310, Core i3-2105, Pentium G440, and surprisingly, an early demise of the 22 nm Core i5-3450, which is cannibalized by the Core i5-3470 at the same price point. Pentium G870, G645 and G645T as well as Celeron G555, G550 and G550T are the other chips on the chopping block.

Come 2013, Intel will release Pentium and Celeron series processors based on its 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" micro-architecture. These include the Pentium G2130, G2020 and G2020T and Celeron G1620, G1610 and G1610T. In the mobile (notebook) CPU sphere, Intel will launch dual-core "Ivy Bridge" chips to layer out its Ultrabook product segment. These include the Core i7-3687, Core i5-3437U, Celeron 1037U, 1007U, 1020M and 1000M. In March, the company is expected to launch its 4th generation Core "Haswell" line of processors.

Gigabyte Technology is currently putting the finishing touches on two new mini-ITX motherboards powered by the Intel NM70 chipset, the GA-C807N (equipped with a 1.5 GHz Celeron 807 single-core processor) and the GA-C847N (coming with a 1.1 GHz Celeron 847 dual-core CPU). The boards have an Ultra Durable 4 Classic design and feature two DDR3-1333 memory slots, three (GA-C847N) or four (GA-C807N) SATA ports (one is SATA 6.0 Gbps), one PCI slot, Gigabit Ethernet (dual Gigabit for the GA-C847N), UEFI DualBIOS, and 5.1-channel audio.

The GA-C807N also packs a D-Sub output, while the GA-C847N has D-Sub and HDMI connectors, and an eSATA port. The boards' prices have not been revealed.

Today MSI introduces the new 20 inch entertainment model, the Wind Top AE2031 comes with the world's advanced PC OS: Windows 8 is a totally new version of Windows. AE2031 creates entry level All-in-One PC value through completed mechanism design and value-added software allow you to connect social networks and embrace the colorful life. The MSI Wind Top AE2031 will be available in channel before the end of November.

ECS unveiled the NM70-TI, a slim Mini-ITX variant of the NM70-I, which was launched in October. The board is designed for extremely compact chassis, perhaps even those meant for nettops that latch onto monitors using VESA wall mounts. The board stays low profile thanks to a dense aluminum fin fan-heatsink, half-height connectors, and SO-DIMM memory slots that are arranged almost along the plane of the motherboard.

The NM70-TI integrates an Intel Celeron 807 single-core 1.50 GHz processor (Celeron 847 dual-core option available), wired to its low board-footprint NM70 PCH. In addition to two SATA 6 Gb/s ports, the board features a SATA 3 Gb/s, and an mSATA 3 Gb/s slot. The lone bus expansion slot is an mPCIe. D-Sub and HDMI make up display outputs. Gigabit Ethernet, and a few USB 2.0/1.1 ports on the rear panel, and by headers, make for the rest of it. The board is driven by UEFI BIOS. More details are awaited.

Acer America today debuts its new Acer C7 Chromebook, its next-generation mobile computer that runs Google's Chrome operating system and is priced at a low $199. The new Acer C7 Chromebook is the ideal additional laptop for families, students and business people that need a fast, easy and secure way to get online to do their computing in the cloud, such as using Gmail, keeping up on social networks, shopping, and paying bills.

"Today's computer users are doing more online heightening the need for enhanced security, quicker online access and an easy-to-use interface," Jim Wong, corporate president, Acer Inc. "The Acer C7 Chromebook provides all this at an affordable price, making it the right choice for families and students on a budget as well as anyone who wants a new or second mobile PC for web-based computing."

Acer has just announced a new addition to its REVO line of mini PCs, the REVO RL80 which measures 8.26 x 2.13 x 8.26 inches and runs Microsoft's Windows 8. This model features a Celeron or Core i3 processor, Intel HD graphics, up to 8 GB of RAM, up to a 1 TB hard drive, a DVD writer or Blu-ray combo drive, Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, a multi-in-1 card reader, two USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports, and DVI and HDMI outputs.

The REVO RL80 is backed by a two-year warranty and starts at €279.

HP today announced a new mobile thin client that combines PC-like performance with the security needed to protect data in enterprise, financial, healthcare and government settings.

The HP mt40 Mobile Thin Client is aimed at telecommuters and on-campus mobile workers who need to connect securely to a network to access files. With the HP mt40, an employee or contractor simply turns on the device and logs in to the secure network at the business, roaming the campus or at home. The worker can then begin working on even the most sensitive files, saving his or her work to the server -- nothing resides on the device itself.

MSI unveiled a new all-integrated mini-ITX motherboard that steps above the Intel Atom and AMD E-Series crowd, being based on Intel Celeron 847 dual-core processor (1.10 GHz, 32 nm "Westmere" micro-architecture, 2 MB L3 cache, SSE4.2, EM64T). MSI used a small fan-heatsink to cool the chip, which has 17W TDP. The processor is backed by Intel NM70 chipset. It is based on the compact 1023-pin BGA package, and is hardwired to the motherboard. One of the features that give the processor its edge over Atom and E-Series is its dual-channel DDR3 integrated memory controller with maximum memory support of up to 16 GB. The chip is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots.

The only expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x1. Storage connectivity includes one each of SATA 6 Gb/s and SATA 3 Gb/s. Display outputs include DVI and D-Sub. A missed opportunity here is the lack of HDMI. 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, legacy PS/2, and a number of USB 2.0/1.1 connectors make for the rest of it. Surprisingly, MSI designed the board with modern UEFI BIOS, which lets you take advantage of Windows 8 Secure Boot feature. There is no word on availability and pricing of the C847IS-P33.

Gigabyte unveiled the S1082, a 10.1-inch tablet PC powered by Windows 8 (and optionally, Windows 8 Pro). Based on the x86 platform, the tablet is driven by Intel Celeron 847 dual-core processor clocked at 1.10 GHz, with up to 8 GB of DDR3 memory, and Intel HD 2000 graphics. Its 10.1-inch multi touchscreen packs 1366 x 768 pixels native resolution. Storage options include 320/500 GB HDD; or 64/128/256 GB SSD. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0, and 3.5G WWAN; with HDMI and D-Sub display outputs; two USB 2.0 ports, 5-in-1 card reader, and 1.3 megapixel web-cam. Measuring 270(W) x 173(D) x 14.94(H) mm, it weighs 790~850 g (SSD/HDD). Its dedicated docking station includes additional battery and DVD SuperMulti drive. Expect this one to go for anywhere between $599 to $799.

NEC's Celron-driven VersaPro VZ 12.5-inch tablet and UltraLite VG 13.3-inch Ultrabook received a specifications update, with Windows 8 Pro being the standard OS. Originally launched in March and July 2012, respectively, the two originally featured Windows 7 Professional. Driven by dual-core Celeron ULV CPU, the VersaPro VZ packs 4 GB memory and 128 GB SSD storage. The UltraLite VG, on the other hand, is driven by Core i7-3517U "Ivy Bridge" dual-core processor, with 4 GB dual-channel memory, and 128 GB SSD storage. The the two refreshed NEC products could hit the racks after October 26.

Next week ASUS will be rekindling the netbook flame with the release of the F201E trio. The F201E models feature a 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display, a 1.1 GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor, 2/4 GB of RAM, a 320/500 GB hard drive, a 0.3-megapixel webcam, a 3-in-1 card reader, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, one USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, and a 5,200 mAh battery enabling up to 5 hours of operation.

The cheapest of the F201E lot, priced at €299, runs Ubuntu and has 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB HDD. The same specs, paired up with Windows 8, cost €359. Last but not least, there's a €329 model with 2 GB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive.

In an effort to please customers craving for compact computing solutions Biostar has released a new mini ITX motherboard, a model called NM70I-847 which is powered by Intel's NM70 chipset and comes equipped with a 1.1 GHz Celeron 847 CPU.

Biostar's board includes two DDR3-1333 slots (supporting up to 16 GB of memory), one SATA 6.0 Gbps and three SATA 3.0 Gbps ports, one PCI-Express x16 slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 5.1-channel audio, four USB 2.0 ports, and D-Sub and HDMI outputs. The NM70I-847 is selling for about €75.

Acer is now preparing its next generation of mini PCs, the new Veriton N Series. Set to be available in two versions - with or without an optical drive, these incoming SFF PCs feature an Intel Celeron or Core i3 processor, up to 8 GB of RAM, integrated graphics, and up to a 1 TB hard drive (or an SSD topping 128 GB).

Acer's compact creations also have Gigabit Ethernet (WiFi is optional), a multi-in-one card reader, two USB 3.0 and four USB 2.0 ports, plus DVI and HDMI outputs. The updated Veriton N Series PCs start at 356 Euro and will become available in November.

By early 2013, Intel's "Ivy Bridge" micro-architecture will have finally trickled down to the most-affordable (and one of the largest) market-segments. The company is planning to launch three new Celeron socket LGA1155 processor models based on the 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" silicon. The three include the class-leading Celeron G1620, affordable Celeron G1610, and its energy-efficient variant, the Celeron G1610T. The three are dual-core chips that lack HyperThreading, and are configured with 2 MB of L3 cache, DDR3-1333 MHz memory clock limit, and 650 MHz iGPU clock.

The Celeron G1610 is the most affordable of the three, it is clocked at 2.60 GHz, with a TDP of 55W. The Celeron G1620 is the fastest among the three, with 2.70 GHz clock speed, and the same 55W TDP. The Celeron G1610T achieves a TDP of just 35W, with a significantly lower clock speed of 2.30 GHz. The three will occupy sub-$100 price-points. The three will by compatible with current 6-series and 7-series chipset-based socket LGA1155 motherboards.

MSI announced the WindTop AP1612 series compact all-in-one (AIO) PC. Built for basic personal computing such as internet access and office applications, the WindTop AP1612 is a 15.6-inch AIO PC driven by Intel Celeron B830 processor ("Sandy Bridge" architecture, dual-core, 1.80 GHz, 2 MB L3 cache). The processor is backed by Intel HM65 Express chipset, 2 GB of DDR3-1333 MHz memory (expandable to 4 GB), and Intel HD graphics. The 15.6-inch LED-backlit LCD screen features 1366 x 768 pixels resolution. It features a resistive touchscreen layer. A 250 GB SATA 3 Gb/s HDD is the only storage device.

The WindTop AP1612 has plenty of network and legacy connectivity. It features two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, an 802.11 b/g/n WLAN interface, 4 in 1 Card Reader (SD+MS+MMC+XD), and a smartcard reader. Legacy connectivity includes a pair of serial COM and parallel LPT interfaces. Its body embeds a 320p web-camera, and 3W stereo speakers. Wired keyboard and mouse come included. Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit comes pre-installed. The company did not give out pricing information.

Intel has this week revealed the discontinuance schedule for a lot of its older, 32 nm processors, including the Celeron G440 and the Core i5-2310, i5-2320, i5-2400, i5-2400S, i5-2405S, i5-2500, i5-2500K, i5-2500S, i5-2500T, i7-2600, i7-2600K, i7-2600S and i7-2700K. Interestingly enough, there's also a 22 nm chip on the black list, the 3.1 GHz Core i5-3450 which was released just last quarter.

All the CPUs listed are set to be available for orders until March 29, 2013, and will continue to ship while supplies last (for the boxed versions) or until September 27, 2013 (for the tray versions).

Intel Corp. has yesterday expanded its CPU offer, adding to it both desktop and mobile models built on 22 nm and 32 nm technology. On the desktop side, the company launched several Core i5 and i3 chips, including the GPU-less Core i5-3350P, plus one Celeron and six Pentium CPUs based on the Sandy Bridge architecture (see the SB mention in the chart). These mid- to low-end desktop parts are priced between $177 and $37.

While Intel had nothing high-end for desktops, the company did introduce a new mobile flagship, the 22 nm Core i7-3940XM which costs a whopping $1,096 and packs four cores clocked at 3.0 GHz. Other releases include two more quad-core models - the 2.8 GHz i7-3840QM and the 2.7 GHz i7-3740QM, and a couple of low-end Celerons (B830 & 887).

Besides rolling out new chips Intel has also lower the price tag of three processors, the 3.40 GHz Core i3-2130 (from $138 to $117), the Pentium G2120 (from $86 to $75) and the Pentium G550 (from $52 to $42).