AMD is eyeing a slice of the Windows 8 tablet pie with its Z-Series "Hondo" dual-core x86-64 APU, which was launched earlier this week. According to sources among Taiwan-based notebook makers, the first devices based on the chips will arrive as early as this November. The company, however, did not disclose design wins or the companies working on products around its chip. AMD Z-60 will face off with Intel's recently-launched Atom Z2760 dual-core chip, designed for the same class of devices. Built on the 40 nm "Brazos 2.0" silicon, the Z-60 packs two x86-64 cores, and Radeon HD 6250 DirectX 11 graphics. Its TDP is just 4.5W.

The Club 3D GeForce GTX 650Ti delivers exceptional performance at 35% faster than the GeForce GTX 560Ti reference board and 40% faster than the standard GeForce GTX 650 at only 29% higher price, offering excellent value. Featuring a non-reference design, the 80mm fan keeps the GPU temperature low at 31⁰C under idle and operate stable at 53⁰C under load (3DMARK 11 under Extreme preset settings). The aerofoil turboblades and dust repelling bearings designed to operate under extreme load conditions, provide a consistent 31.3dBA under load or idle.

With the short 146mm PCB size, this graphic card is designed for smaller system chassis, making it ideal for users who do not want to replace their computer case and convenient for HTPC users and boosting up the performance by up to 35% compared to previous generation GeForce graphics card*. The GeForce GTX 650Ti embodies the maturity of the 28nm NVIDIA Kepler architecture and offers support for the the PCI Express 3.0 bus interface allowing for the highest data transfer speeds.

A member of the Kepler GK106 family, the SPARKLE GTX650Ti features a 768 CUDA cores packed GPU and 128Bit 2048MB GDDR5 memory. The SPARKLE GTX650Ti offers all the advantages which Kepler offers, such as, lower power consumption, lower temperature, power efficient and an excellently designed. Furthermore, the SPARKLE GTX650Ti delivers high quality graphic experience which is competitive against anything else in its price segment. SPARKLE GTX650Ti supports all the latest graphic technology - Microsoft DirectX 11, NVIDIA PhysX, NVIDIA CUDA, NVIDIA Surround, Adaptive V-Sync is a smarter way to render frames. At high frame rates, V-sync is enabled to eliminate tearing, at low frame rates it's disabled to minimize stuttering.

Eurocom, is launching two new NVIDIA GeForce based graphics cards in its High Performance Notebooks, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and 670MX. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and 670MX are kepler based cards and have 4 GB and 3GB GDDR5 memory respectively. Eurocom is launching the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and 670MX in the EUROCOM Scorpius, Panther Series, Neptune 2.0 and Racer 2.0 high performance, fully upgradeable and customizable notebooks.

NVIDIA GeFore GTX 675MX and 670MX graphics are manufactured on the newest 28nm kepler based GPU architecture from NVIDIA. This technology allows for improved performance, power efficiency and manageability. Featuring a long list of technologies such as PhysX, CUDA, DirectX 11 and OpenCL, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and 670MX will offer next generation graphics performance for Eurocom notebooks.

AMD today announced retail and distribution channel availability of its second generation AMD A-Series Accelerated Processing Units (APUs) for desktop, small form-factor and home theater PCs. These new APUs target do-it-yourself (DIY) PC builders, mainstream gamers and value-added resellers who want to upgrade their PC infrastructure with affordable performance, discrete-level graphics, multiple cores and fast processing for outstanding responsiveness.

The second generation desktop AMD A-Series APU is available at prices ranging from $53 to $122 USD. Compared to similarly priced competitive offerings, the new APUs offer more cores, more speed, best-in-class entertainment experiences and an easy upgrade path based on a stable socket infrastructure. AMD APU users also gain access to the AMD AppZone and a comprehensive list of accelerated applications that leverage the full compute power of the APU. With hardware-accelerated support for DirectX 11 on AMD Radeon graphics and AMD Eyefinity technology delivering a more immersive experience, the AMD A-Series APUs are the ideal solution for systems running the highly-anticipated Microsoft Windows 8 and today's Microsoft Windows 7 operating systems.

ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today pushes the ZOTAC GeForce GTX 660 Ti to extremes with the new limited edition ZOTAC GeForce GTX 660 Ti AMP! Extreme Edition. The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 660 Ti AMP! Extreme Edition goes beyond the AMP! Edition and raises the engine clocks an extra six-percent higher for a greater performance boost in the latest games and applications.

"We wanted to build the ultimate GeForce GTX 660 Ti based graphics card. The ZOTAC GeForce GTX 660 Ti AMP! Extreme Edition is the result with its 13-percent performance boost from standard versions," said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

The incredible tropical-paradise visuals we were treated to in trailers of FarCry 3 called for some serious hardware muscle. The studio released minimum, recommended, and high-performance system requirements lists for the upcoming AAA title. The lists are quite accommodating of today's mid-range hardware, but can be quite demanding of PCs more than 2 years old. It was also announced that the game will implement a revised Uplay DRM scheme that needs a one-time activation, and doesn't require you to stay logged-in when playing the single-player campaign.The system requirements lists follow.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient computing platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-M920 Mini-ITX board, the first VIA Mini-ITX board to feature the latest VIA VX11H media system processor (MSP) enabling DirectX 11 and 3D stereoscopic display capabilities for immersive environments. Providing superior performance with the latest in connectivity technology in a low power envelope, the VIA EPIA-M920 Mini-ITX provides the ideal platform for a wide array of next-generation compact devices for applications in healthcare, gaming, digital signage, and other vertical market segments.

With the choice of a 1.2GHz VIA QuadCore-E processor for high-end performance or a 1.0GHz VIA Eden X2 dual core processor for fanless system design, the VIA EPIA-M920 is a highly flexible platform for compact, low power systems with today's latest connectivity options including HDMI and USB 3.0. In combination with the VIA VX11H MSP, the VIA EPIA-M920 Mini-ITX provides the latest in graphic capabilities, for richer textures and more life-like images in even the most demanding multi-display environments.

SPARKLE, one of the leading manufacturers of graphics solutions launches two new products - SPARKLE GTX650 OC Dragon Cyclone & SPARKLE GTX650 OC. The latest series features a 384 CUDA cores packed GPU, 128Bit 1024MB GDDR5 memory, and both tweaked with above reference core clocks for OC Dragon Cyclone & OC edition to meet all user requirements.

A member of the Kepler GK107 family, the SPARKLE GTX 650 OC Dragon Cyclone & SPARKLE GTX 650 OC provides the BEST performance to price ratio in its category. SPARKLE R&D team have utilized the new SPARKLE GTX650 GPU to allow for maximum performance, allowing it too boost graphics system performance. The latest series allows support for the latest technology to improve multimedia performance and HD entertainment like Microsoft DirectX 11, NVIDIA PhysX, NVIDIA CUDA. Utilizing NVIDIA surround gamers can easily build a three monitors system without Display Port output.

EVGA is proud to introduce the weapon of choice for gamers - the EVGA GeForce GTX 660. It takes NVIDIA Kepler-powered graphics cards to new levels of affordability while retaining class-leading performance and power efficiency, making it a must-have upgrade for today's hottest games. The EVGA GeForce GTX 660 graphics card represents the Kepler "sweet spot" for gamers - the ultimate combination of performance, power efficiency, and affordability.

EVGA is also announcing the EVGA GeForce GTX 650. This card will offer amazing gaming performance at an even more amazing price. Play your favorite games with full DirectX 11 support that blows away your old DirectX 10 card's performance by up to 8x*. Plus, count on the EVGA GeForce GTX 650's revolutionary next-gen NVIDIA Kepler architecture for stunning graphics, 1080p HD brilliance, and rock-solid performance that will make your console-loving friends envious.

VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient computing platforms, today announced the VIA EPIA-P910 Pico-ITX board, the first VIA board to feature the latest VIA VX11H MSP in combination with a VIA QuadCore E-Series processor. Providing superior performance and outstanding display capabilities, the VIA EPIA-P910 Pico-ITX provides the ideal platform for a wide array of next-generation ultra compact devices for applications in health-care, logistics, fleet management and other vertical market segments.

The VIA EPIA-P910 Pico-ITX is the first VIA board to include the VIA VX11H MSP which provides the latest in graphic capabilities, including DirectX 11 support, for richer textures as well as 3D stereoscopic display. In combination with a 1.0GHz VIA QuadCore E-Series processor, the VIA EPIA-P910 offers high performance computing in an ultra compact, low power design with today's latest connectivity options including HDMI and USB 3.0.

Over the weekend, Activision released the minimum system requirements (MSR) list of its upcoming AAA title, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, for the PC platform. The publisher maintains that with the new engine being designed for DirectX 11, the game will no longer support Windows XP, yet it can make do with DirectX 10 hardware running on newer operating systems (Windows Vista and above). All you need to run Black Ops 2 is:

• Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 (2.66 GHz) or AMD Phenom X3 8750 (2.40 GHz), processor
• 2 GB for 32-bit, 4 GB for 64-bit environments, memory
• NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT 512 MB or ATI Radeon HD 3870 512 MB, video card
• Windows Vista SP2 or Windows 7 or above, operating system

PNY Technologies, Inc. ("PNY") today announced the XLR8 GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2048MB GDDR5 graphics card. The GeForce GTX 660 Ti adds a new dimension to the game-changing NVIDIA Kepler-powered family of graphics cards by delivering the ideal fusion of performance, power efficiency, and affordability. Get the weapon of choice for gamers - the GeForce GTX 660 Ti. Designed to deliver faster, more power-efficient graphics performance for a smoother, richer gaming experience, PNY's latest graphics card is bursting with innovative NVIDIA gaming technologies.

Club 3D GeForce GTX graphic cards are the standard for amazing graphics, introducing today the latest addition to its GeForce 600 series. The GeForce GTX 660Ti adds a new dimension to the game-changing Kepler-power family of graphic cards by delivering the ideal combination of performance, power efficiency, and affordability. It's a must-have upgrade for today's hottest and most demanding games.

Get game-changing DirectX 11 performance with the GeForce GTX 660Ti, featuring the next-gen Kepler architecture for a fast, more realistic gaming experience, highly detailed, lifelike characters and environments with full DirectX 11 support. Upgrade from your old DirectX 10 graphic card and boost performance by up to 6x* and get twice the power efficiency as previous generation** GeForce graphic cards.

AMD released the first WHQL-signed Catalyst drivers since June. Catalyst 12.8 WHQL is the first unified Catalyst driver certified for Windows 8, its release follows the RTM version of the operating system being available to enterprise and industry customers, ahead of the October 26 consumer retail launch. The driver introduces target-independent rasterization (TIR), an efficient new Direct3D rendering path. The driver also works to improve GPU power consumption. A suite of Windows 8-exclusive features, including native stereo 3D support and unified video API are included. Catalyst 12.8 WHQL also introduces performance-improvements specific to games, including up to 25% performance increase in Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, 10% in Dirt 3, 6% in Batman: Arkham City, and 3% in Battlefield 3. Several game-specific bugs were patched.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst 12.8 WHQL for Windows Vista, 7 and 8 (64-bit), Windows Vista, 7 and 8 (32-bit), Windows XP (32-bit), Windows XP (64-bit)

The change-log follows.

Ahead of Microsoft Windows 8 general availability, Intel has updated two toolkits for application developers - Intel Media SDK 2012 R3 and Intel SDK for OpenCL Applications 2013 Beta. In addition to Windows 8, Intel Media SDK also supports DirectX 11 with optimized access to hardware accelerated video encoding, decoding and transcoding for applications on 3rd Generation Intel Core processors.

The Intel SDK for OpenCL Applications Beta now supports OpenCL 1.2 API previews on CPU and other features such as a new kernel builder and GNU project debugger, which ease the creation of parallel and visual computing apps. Both kits support the new Intel HD Graphics Driver for Windows 8 and are available now as free downloads.

HIS announced the Radeon HD 7750 iCooler low-profile graphics card. The card is designed to provide mid-range DirectX 11 performance to slim form-factor (SFF) PCs, and HTPCs. The card is designed with a half-height PCB, but its active air cooler spans across two expansion slots in your system. To keep its temperatures in check, HIS opted for the older AMD reference GPU clock speed of 800 MHz. AMD recently updated that to 900 MHz. The memory is clocked at 1125 MHz (4.50 GHz GDDR5-effective).

The cooler uses a monolithic aluminum heatsink which cools the GPU, VRM, and memory chips on the obverse side of the PCB. The heatsink is ventilated by two 40 mm fans. HIS claims that the cooling solution has its noise output under 28 dBA. Display connectors include dual-link DVI, HDMI 1.4a, and D-Sub. HIS includes low-profile brackets with the card.

Eurocom Corporation (www.eurocom.com), a developer of long lifespan, high performance, fully upgradable Notebooks and Mobile Workstations has been testing and benchmarking and is now launching the NVIDIA Quadro K5000M GPU with 1344 CUDA cores and 4GB GDDR5 graphics memory in its Panther 3.0 Mobile Workstation.

NVIDIA Quadro K5000M graphics are manufactured on the newest 28nm kepler based GPU architecture from NVIDIA. Featuring a long list of technologies such as PhysX, CUDA, DirectX 11 and OpenCL, the NVIDIA Quadro K5000M will offer next generation graphics performance for the EUROCOM Panther 3.0 Mobile Workstation.

MSI has received high marks from all quarters for its high-end gaming laptops, including being selected for Innovations Honorees at the CES 2012 and being named as the only winner of three awards at Computex 2012. Now, MSI is introducing the GT70 and GT60-the ultimate in next-generation gaming notebooks. They feature Intel's third gen quad core processor and new generation Nvidia GeForce GTX 680M discrete graphics card-the fastest one of its kind on the planet. Specially designed to meet the extreme demands of extreme gamers around the world. These killer notebooks also boast awesome peripherals.

Today, Intel released their WHQL-certified graphics driver for the Microsoft's upcoming Windows 8 operating system. The driver runs on Windows 8 Release Preview with support for 3rd generation Intel Core processors with HD Graphics 4000/2500 and 2nd generation Intel Core processors with Intel HD Graphics 3000/2000.

The driver also provides support for OpenGL 4.0 and Windows Display Driver Model Version 1.2 (WDDM1.2) features such as native stereoscopic 3D support, optimized screen rotation detection and integrated DirectX 11 video playback. Intel encourages users to try the latest driver and provide feedback for future releases.

DOWNLOAD: Intel HD Graphics Driver for Windows 8 WHQL

A leading brand of graphics card maker - VTX3D, today adds three new models, HD7870/7850/7770 into X-Edition series, which make this series more completed for OC enthusiast to choose. Being self-designed of VTX3D, these three models are designed to provide gamers the most extreme performance at its same class, also bring unbeatable HD gaming experience with DirectX 11 support.

Equipped with 2GB of GDDR5 memory, the HD7870 X-Edition clocks at 1100MHz for core and 1225MHz of memory speed. There are two types of memory size, 1GB and 2GB of GDDR5 for HD7850 X-Edition, and both with 860MHz/1200MHz for core and memory respectively. HD7770 X-Edition is fitted with 1GB of DDR5 memory clocked at 1150MHz of core and 1250MHz of memory speed.

Giada, a brand of Shenzhen Jiehe Technology Development, Co., Ltd, is pleased to announce its top of the line mini PC - D2305. Available with Intel Ivy Bridge i3, i5, or i7 processors and Intel HM77 Express Chipset as well as NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 GPU, the D2305 offers enhanced performance and power management, a promising solution for your DIY home theater PC.

The Giada D2305 mini PC incorporates premium features such as slot-in HDMI 1.3-complaint Blu-ray drive, DirectX 11 3D graphics support, and 7.1 channel HD audio. The built-in mSATA SSD drive can be used in parallel with the normal hard drive, so you have the operating system running on the SSD and the hard drive to store the media files. There's full Windows 7 support out-of-the-box, and a 500 GB of hard drive space to store thousands of hours of music and movies. Additionally, a wireless remote control is included not just for comfortable viewing and listening but allows you to turn the D2305 mini PC on and off.

Futuremark today released its first trailer for the next version of 3DMark. Designed for measuring the gaming performance of everything from tablets and notebooks to high-end desktop gaming systems, the next 3DMark for Windows will be the world's first unified graphics benchmark allowing testing of DirectX 9, DirectX 10 and DirectX 11 capable hardware through the DirectX 11 API. Expected to be released after the launch of Windows 8, this new 3DMark will also be compatible with Windows 7 and Windows Vista. The new trailer provides a preview of the DirectX 11 test and is now available online and in high definition for the first time at 3DMark.com.

NVIDIA released the GeForce 304.48 Beta software suite, which include game-specific performance improvements, and fixes for bugs related to recently launched hardware. To begin with, GeForce 304.48 Beta claims performance improvements as high as 18%. The improvements are tested on GeForce GTX 680 and GeForce GTX 560, and are specific to game titles such as Batman Arkham City, Dragon Age 2, Lost Planet 2, STALKER: Call of Pripyat; SLI profiles were improved for games such as Battlefield 3 and The Witcher 2. The exact performance improvement numbers claimed by NVIDIA are charted below.

In addition to performance improvements, NVIDIA released fixes for outstanding issues, such as micro-stutter noted by some GeForce GTX 600 "Kepler" users in games with v-sync enabled; under-clocking of factory-overclocked graphics cards by certain manufacturers; and a performance issue with Total War: Shogun 2, with its latest patch enabled. NVIDIA also added and improved SLI profiles for a large selection of games.DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce 304.48 Beta

The complete change-log follows.

Intel released a new beta driver for processors with integrated graphics, for the Windows 8 Release Preview. Carrying the version number 15.28.0.64.2770, the driver supports Windows Display Driver Model Version 1.2 (WDDM 1.2), and enables features such as stereoscopic 3D, optimized screen rotation detection, and DirectX 11 (on select graphics controller models). It supports Intel HD Graphics 4000/3000/2500/2000 (Core "Sandy Bridge" and Core "Ivy Bridge"). Intel recommends use of its Windows 7 driver for reliability with OpenGL 3.3 applications.

DOWNLOAD: Intel HD Graphics Beta Driver for Windows 8 Release Preview