On the eve of a big development in the GPU industry, TechPowerUp introduced the latest version of GPU-Z, the popular graphics subsystem diagnostic utility that provides you with detailed tech-specs of your installed graphics processors, and lets you monitor clock speeds, voltages, temperatures and fan speeds. Version 0.4.8 features support for new GPUs, most notably, full support for the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, support for some upcoming GF104-based consumer SKUs, and some handy stability updates.

Apart from the GeForce GTX 580, GPU-Z 0.4.8 supports GeForce GT 420 and GT 440 (which are currently OEM-only products). It also features an updated TMU and texture fill-rate calculation method, and updated reliability on ATI cards using certain unsupported kinds of voltage controllers.DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.4.8

A complete list of changes by the developer follows.

Acer America today announced its new lineup of entertainment-driven notebooks, offering advanced performance features including the latest in 3D viewing technology, Blu-ray and branded discrete graphics. Geared for consumers who want to enjoy multimedia and mobility, the updated Aspire AS5742G, AS5745 and Aspire AS7745 notebooks series are available for U.S. customers at retail and e-tail outlets with prices beginning at MSRP $749.99 for the 15.6-inch Aspire 5742G, $649.99 for the Aspire AS5745 and $799.99 for the 17.3-inch AS7745.

"Consumers desire the best of both worlds when buying a new notebook PC, including advanced productivity and outstanding entertainment capabilities that may be enjoyed anywhere, anytime," said Preeta Anil, senior manager of product marketing for Acer America. "The new Aspire AS5742G, AS5745 and AS7745 notebook series upholds Acer's strong tradition of combining innovation with value by delivering leading-edge technology at a price that's accessible to many consumers."

Without making any public announcement (because it's not meant for retail sale), NVIDIA listed its GeForce GT 420 graphics card. This product is available to OEMs only. The GT 420 is derived from the Fermi architecture, and is fully compliant with the latest PC graphics technologies, including DirectX 11 and OpenGL 4. NVIDIA's reference design is low-profile and single-slot, it draws all its power from the PCI-Express slot.

Under the hood is a 40 nm graphics core (perhaps GF108), it has 48 CUDA cores, and connects to 2 GB of memory across a 128-bit wide DDR3 memory interface, with 28.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The core is clocked at 700 MHz, CUDA cores at 1400 MHz, and memory at 900 MHz (1800 MHz effective). Display outputs include DVI, HDMI (full-size), and a detachable D-Sub connector. The card has a maximum power draw of 50W. Later down the line, one can expect NVIDIA to make a consumer GeForce SKU with the same specifications.