BIOSTAR, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, and storage devices, introduces the A68N-2100E SoC Motherboard featuring a compact mini-ITX form-factor powered by the energy efficient AMD E1-2150 Processor and AMD Radeon HD8210 graphics. The BIOSTAR A68N-2100E is designed for homes and businesses that need a capable but energy efficient desktop PC for basic tasks such as browsing the internet, running office applications, and other essentials that most students and professionals use in computers today.

The BIOSTAR A68N-2100E is powered by the AMD Kabini architecture-based E1-2150 dual-core processor with an energy efficient thermal design power (TDP) of 9 watts. It supports the low-cost DDR3 memory with maximum support of up to 16GB memory, which is well suited for home and business use. Its flexible mini-ITX form factor makes it compatible to a wide selection desktop cases, HTPCs, and small-form-factor cases.

Biostar introduced the A6N-5100 mini-ITX motherboard. A slight upgrade over the company's A6N-5000 from two years ago, the new board integrates AMD A4-5100 APU based on the "Kabini" silicon, which has the chops to outperform Intel's Celeron "Braswell" processors. The A4-5100 integrates a quad-core CPU ticking at 1.60 GHz, and AMD Radeon GCN graphics. The board features two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots, supporting up to 16 GB of memory, one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, two USB 3.0 ports, HDMI display output, and storage connectivity that includes two SATA 6 Gb/s ports. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASRock unveiled a pair of motherboards based on AMD A4-5000 "Kabini" quad-core SoCs, to compete with Intel Celeron "Braswell" based solutions. These include the mini-ITX QC5000M-ITX/PH, and the micro-ATX QC5000M. Both boards use passive metal heatsinks to cool the SoC, and are largely identical in their feature-sets, with the only exception being the QC5000M offers two additional PCI-Express 2.0 x1 slots. The boards draw power from 24-pin ATX power connectors. The SoC is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots. Display outputs include D-Sub and HDMI. Among its modern connectivity options are 6-channel HD audio with ELNA capacitors, gigabit Ethernet, and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. The company didn't reveal pricing.

MSI is excited to announce the launch of three new All-in-One PC's equipped with AMD's latest energy efficient Beema APU platform. The Adora20 5M and AE200 5M include a 19.5" anti-glare display featuring MSI Anti-Flicker & Less Blue Light Technology, to effectively reduce eyestrain and eye fatigue during long working hours. The new AE220 5M features a similar display with a 21.5" size and a compact design which blends seamlessly into modern interiors. With an ultra-slim casing (only 23mm at its thinnest point), the MSI Adora20 5M brings a new level of perfect home PC experience.

The new All-in-One PC's feature the latest E2-6110 and A4-6210 Quad Core APUs of AMD's Beema platform with a 28nm production process and SoC (System on Chip) APU processor technology. Evolved from AMD's previous Kabini platform design, the latest AMD Beema platform provides higher performance while power consumption is reduced up to 20%. The AMD Beema APUs are fitted with new AMD Radeon R2 and R3 built-in graphics, increasing exceptional rendering performance by 10% for a big boost in multimedia and 3D performance compared to previous generations. Users can now enjoy high performance and quality from a discrete graphics card without the need for a dedicated graphics solution.

Cogent Computer Systems, a USA based provider of embedded ARM and x86 SOMs (System on Modules), introduces a new addition to the popular CSB17xx Product Family. The CSB1790 is a tiny System-on-Module built around AMD GX-420CA 2.0GHz quad-core SoC with a built in high-performance Radeon HD8400E GPU. Dual-Core and true Extended Temperature offerings provide unparalleled flexibility for all types of embedded x86 applications.

The CSB1790 uses Cogent's own MXM-2 based form factor which allows for full access to all of the CPU's functionality with no restrictions.The on-board SODIMM Memory socket allows up to 16GB DDR3L-1600 with ECC. With an on-board SSD socket the CSB1790 is highly optimized for SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) sensitive requirements.

Only the third active licencee of Intel's x86 machine architecture, VIA Technology, is readying its first x86 processor in years, codenamed Isaiah II. This chip is based on a brand new 64-bit x86 core design by VIA and the engineering team it acquired from Centaur Technology, another erstwhile x86 licencee, and features modern instruction sets such as AVX 2.0. VIA began sampling a quad-core processor based on Isaiah II, which was put to live test by the company, at its InfoComm 2014 booth. It was compared to Intel's "Bay Trail" Atom and AMD's "Kabini" Athlon chips. It turns out that the Isaiah II is pretty good, if it comes out soon enough.

The Isaiah II based quad-core chip, featuring 2.00 GHz clock speeds, and 2 MB of L2 cache, was put through SANDRA. The BGA chip was running on a VIA-made motherboard, with its own VIA VX11H chipset. It was compared to AMD Athlon 5350 (quad-core "Jaguar" with 2.05 GHz clocks), and Intel Atom Z3770 (quad-core "Silvermont" with 2.40 GHz clocks). The results are tabulated below. At 2.00 GHz, armed with the latest multimedia and cryptography instruction-sets, VIA's chip is faster than Intel's in most tests, despite lower clocks. It trades blows - and wins - against AMD's chip, in most tests. VIA is expected to launch the first chips based on Isaiah II in late-August, 2014. VIA is hedging its bets with efficient compact PCs, kiosks, and digital signage, with its new chip.

CyberPower Inc., a manufacturer of custom gaming machines, notebook systems, and high performance workstations, has teamed with leading online retail partner Newegg to offer the Everyman Quad Core (EQ100) - an AMD Sempron 3850 Kabini powered desktop system that makes quad core computing practical for everyday use. The CYBERPOWERPC EQ100 arrives just in time for Father's Day and will be available June 13-15 fully-loaded at $299.99 at www.newegg.com.

Pre-built with AMD's Sempron 3850 Kabini APU, the Everyman Quad Core delivers quad-core performance to consumers with two SATA 6 Gbps ports, two USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, a PCIe x16 2.0 slot for graphic card upgrades, and a pair of video outputs (HDMI, and VGA). The AMD system-in-a-socket platform provides up to 3x more computing performance than its competitors.

MSI has recently announced a new Adora20 All-in-One desktop PC, a model that comes equipped with AMD's E2-3800 SoC featuring four Jaguar cores clocked at 1.3 GHz and Radeon HD 8280 integrated graphics. The Adora20 3M also has a 19.5-inch multi-touch screen with a 1600 x 900 resolution that is both flicker-free and backed by the Less Blue Light technology (reduces blue light intensity by up to 75%), support for up to 16 GB of DDR3L memory, one 2.5-inch drive slot, a DVD writer, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 2 audio via two 3 W speakers, a one megapixel webcam, a 3-in-1 card reader, an HDMI output, plus two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports.

No word yet on pricing or a release date.

AMD today announced global availability of its new AM1 platform featuring quad-core and dual-core variants of the AMD APU codenamed "Kabini" into the component channel for system builders. The AM1 platform, branded with the AMD Athlon and AMD Sempron APU brands, will deliver award-winning Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture and "Jaguar" CPU cores on motherboards from the leading manufacturers. AMD Athlon 5150/5350 and AMD Sempron 2650/3850 APUs provide consumers a balanced computing experience on a socketed upgradable platform.

"AMD consistently builds on its industry leading technology by continuing to offer a diversified product stack which is proven today with the availability of the AM1 platform with 'socketed' AMD Sempron and AMD Athlon APUs designed for the mainstream market," said Bernd Lienhard, corporate vice president and general manager, Client Business Unit, AMD. "With quad-core performance and AMD Radeon graphics the AM1 platform is an affordable solution that provides great flexibility due to an infrastructure built to deliver a multitude of options to our end users and system builders."

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced official support for next generation AMD Athlon and Sempron APUs based on the highly anticipated 'Kabini' SOC architecture. GIGABYTE 'Kabini' support includes the all new GA-AM1M-S2P and GA-AM1M-S2H motherboards based on the AM1 motherboard platform. GIGABYTE AM1 Series motherboards showcase a number of features and technologies that separate them from the competition, including GIGABYTE RTC Clock IC and Ultra Durable 4 Plus.

The all new 'Kabini' APU's CMOS functions have been integrated into the APU; this means that when the user removes the APU, all CMOS settings revert to factory defaults. Even with the battery in place, users will lose settings such as the current time. GIGABYTE's AM1 motherboards solve this issue by including a secondary RTC Clock IC onboard, so that even when the APU is removed, the CMOS settings are retained.

Biostar introduced a trio of socket AM1 (FS1b) motherboards for AMD "Kabini" SoCs, the micro-ATX AM1MHP, AM1MH and AM1ML (pictured in that order). The AM1MHP features a narrow micro-ATX PCB, which draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power connectors, and uses a 2+1 phase VRM to condition power. The AM1 socket is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot, a PCIe 2.0 x1 slot, and a legacy PCI. A couple of SATA 6 Gb/s ports make for the storage connectivity. Display outputs include D-Sub and HDMI. Also included are legacy ports, such as COM and LPT, through headers.

Next up, are the AM1MH and AM1ML. The two are based on an identical PCB that's a variation of the the mini-ITX standard, in that it features a second add-on card slot, and differ only with the AM1ML lacking an HDMI port. Drawing power from 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power connectors, the two offer PCI-Express 2.0 x16 and PCIe 2.0 x1 slots, and an otherwise identical feature-set to that of the AM1MHP.

AMD today announced the introduction of its AM1 platform featuring the AMD quad-core and dual-core "Kabini" APU into the component channel for system builders. Combined with motherboards from leading manufacturers, the new AM1 platform will deliver award-winning Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture and AMD "Jaguar" CPU cores, and bear the AMD Athlon and AMD Sempron APU brands. This will create an ecosystem of flexible and upgradable platforms at compelling price points that also feature USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s support, and microATX and miniITX motherboards for sleek and power-efficient small form factor PCs.

Availability of "Kabini" desktops and components are slated to be on-shelf in select regions beginning early April, with global availability expected on April 9.

ASRock announced a trio of socket AM1 motherboards for AMD's "Kabini" series APUs, Athlon and Sempron-branded CPUs, in the FS1b (AM1) package. The lineup includes the AM1B-M, a compact micro-ATX model; and two mini-ITX ones, the AM1H-ITX, and the AM1B-ITX. The AM1B-M draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 4-pin ATX connectors, and uses a 3-phase VRM to power the APU. A PCI-Express 2.0 x16, and a PCIe 2.0 x1 make for its expansion slots. Connectivity includes two SATA 6 Gb/s ports, two USB 3.0 ports (rear), D-Sub display output, gigabit Ethernet, and 6-channel HD audio.

The AM1H-ITX, and the AM1B-ITX appear to be based on a common PCB design, but differ with connectivity. The former is gear towards modern connectivity options. It draws power from either a 24-pin ATX, or a 2-pin external DC input. The board is loaded with features, including HDMI and DVI display outputs, four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, four USB 3.0 ports, PCI-Express 2.0 x16 and mPCIe slots, and 8-channel HD audio. The latter is geared more towards essential/legacy connectivity. It features the same display outputs, but chucks out 2-pin power input, and 8-channel HD audio to make room for a parallel LPT port.

Gigabyte unveiled a pair of socket AM1 (FS1b) motherboards for AMD A-Series and E-Series "Kabini" APUs, and upcoming Athlon and Sempron-branded CPUs based on the same silicon. The lineup begins with the AM1M-S2H, which offers a basic mix of modern and legacy connectivity; including a combination of HDMI and D-Sub display outputs. The AM1M-S2P is based on a similar board design, but offers a lot more legacy connectivity options, including LPT and COM. Both boards offer a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, PCIe x1, and legacy PCI expansion slots, a pair of DDR3 DIMM slots, each; and are built in the narrow micro-ATX form-factor. Prices are expected to be around the $50 mark.

AMD's upcoming low-power APU lineup, based on a common silicon code-named "Kabini," will launch with no less than five models. These could include chips built in both the socketed AM1 FCPGA and BGA packages, to cater to different target form-factors. The series starts off at the bottom with the dual-core E1-2100 and E1-2150. The two feature CPU clock speeds of 1.00 and 1.05 GHz, respectively, 1 MB of L2 cache, and Radeon HD 8210 graphics. The HD 8210 features 128 stream processors based on the Graphics CoreNext architecture. The CPU cores, on the other hand, are based on the "Jaguar" micro-architecture.

Moving on, there's the E2-3800. It tucks in a quad-core CPU clocked at 1.30 GHz, 2 MB of L2 cache, and Radeon HD 8280 graphics. The features the same stream processor count of 128 as the HD 8210, but higher clock speeds. Going beyond the E-Series, we enter AMD's more popularized A-Series, with the A4-5000, A4-5050, and the A6-5200. The three are built in the AM1 package, and are not compatible with platforms that drive the bigger A-Series "Kaveri" chips. The A4-5000 and A4-5500 feature CPU clock speeds of 1.50 GHz and 1.55 GHz, respectively, and Radeon HD 8330 graphics, featuring 128 stream processors, but 500 MHz GPU clock - the highest in its class. The list also points to an A6-5200. We're not sure which silicon it's based on, but it's outfitted with a quad-core CPU clocked at 2.00 GHz, and Radeon HD 8400 graphics.

Look ma, no chipset! The first wave of AMD socket FS1b motherboards, for the company's A-Series "Kabini" APUs were displayed at the 2014 International CES, where they pulled good-eyed visitors that spotted motherboards that have CPU sockets but lack any form of core logic. That's because "Kabini" completely integrates the chipset. It turns out that AMD has decided to brand the socket - so far referred to as FS1b - as socket AM1. The socket is in no way compatible (even pin-compatible, or similarly sized) as AM2, AM3, and AM3+, on which AMD's processors have been sold for the bulk of the last 8-odd years.

With the chipset completely integrated into the APU silicon, the socket is left with pins for the memory, PCI-Express, display, SATA, power, and other legacy I/O interfaces. Among the first "Kabini" APUs that AMD plans to launch are the quad-core A4-5350, with 1.60 GHz clock speed, 2 MB of cache, and 25W TDP; the A4-3850, with slightly lower 1.30 GHz clocks; and E1-2650, with its dual-core 1.45 GHz CPU, 1 MB cache, and 15W TDP.

MSI Computer Corp, leading manufacturer of computer hardware products and solutions, unveils its 2014 lineup during CES in Las Vegas. On display at the MGM Skyline Marquee Suites will be MSI's next-generation GT, GE and GX gaming notebooks, Quadro workstations for mobile professionals, tablets, touchscreen laptops, a brand new 24-inch All-In-One Gaming PC and the recently released 3K GT60.

MSI's 3K GT60 features a WQHD+ 3K display and is the world's first model to utilize a high resolution display on a true gaming laptop/workstation. MSI will also be displaying their AMD Kabini based W20 tablet and the AMD configured S12T touchscreen laptop.

The unique design, record-shattering performance, and innovative user experience of MSI's laptops are steadily winning over users around the world. This quarter, MSI rolled out its latest S12/S12T laptop featuring AMD's Kabini APU, Windows 8 and 10 point touch screen. With the ultra-light design, USB3.0, HDMI and HD webcam support, the users can move the fingers between different APPs and enjoy the full functions. It truly meets all the needs of multimedia entertainment and delivers best mobile computing ability to the market.

Eric Kuo, vice president for global sales& marketing, MSI Notebook, points out, "As a result of the booming competition laptop market, there has been an increasing number of light-designed machines, so users are demanding more in terms of hardware, functions, and other design features specifically for daily work purpose and casual life. MSI has heard their desire and has responded with numerous breakthroughs and innovations. The result has been in slim and light laptops with the latest processor and touch panel on the market, most advanced and rich array of helpful features, and better user-friendly experience."

ZOTAC International, a global innovator and manufacturer of graphics cards, mainboards and mini-PCs, today elevates the ZBOX nano form factor with quad-core processing power. The new ZOTAC ZBOX nano AQ01 series harnesses the latest AMD A4-5000 Kabini APU to deliver outstanding CPU and GPU processing while maintaining excellent energy-efficiency.

"Our ZBOX nano form factor is well-regarded for its compact size and energy-efficiency. With the latest AMD A4-5000 APU, we're able to boost performance all around while reducing maximum energy consumption compared to our previous generation with the ZOTAC ZBOX nano AQ01 series," said Carsten Berger, senior director, ZOTAC International.

MSI is excited to announce that it has just launched the all-new AE200 19.5" touch control entertainment system equipped with AMD's latest Kabini APU platform. The design seeks to use the MSI 19.5" All-in-One PC as the spearhead of a new classic in AIO PC design that retains the best traditional features while continuing to set the trend in high-tech innovation.

The MSI AE200 has a transparent bezel that helps the computer's appearance aside the conventional cold and sterile feeling about high-tech. The compact design blends seamlessly into designer interiors and enhances the overall look of style and sophistication. Furthermore, the AE200 is equipped with AMD's Kabini platform, providing high performance with a low power consumption.

AMD (NYSE: AMD) today announced a new addition to its 2013 Elite Mobility processor family, expanding the options available for anyone seeking crystal-clear HD entertainment, power efficiency, and accelerated performance in small screen touch notebooks, tablets, and hybrids. The AMD Elite Quad-Core A4-1350 accelerated processor is the second quad-core accelerated processing pnit (APU) in this category, with an estimated average power at or below 3 watts for many common use cases. The new APU is expected to begin shipping to customers in October, 2013. Other AMD Elite Mobility APUs are available in systems today, including the HP Pavilion11 TouchSmart and the Acer Aspire V5.

"Following the tremendous reception from customers to the launch of our 2013 Elite Mobility APUs, we are excited to strengthen our portfolio with the addition of the A4-1350," said Bernd Lienhard, corporate vice president, AMD Client Business Unit. "With quad-core performance, AMD Radeon HD graphics and long battery life, the A4-1350 is an ideal solution for new form factors like hybrid and convertible PCs."

MSI is excited to announce that it has just launched the all-new AE220 21.5" touch control entertainment system equipped with AMD's latest Kabini APU platform. The design seeks to use the MSI 21.5" All-in-One PC as the spearhead of a new classic in AIO PC design that retains the best traditional features while continuing to set the trend in high-tech innovation. The MSI AE220 has a transparent bezel that helps the computer's appearance aside the conventional cold and sterile feeling about high-tech. The compact design blends seamlessly into designer interiors and enhances the overall look of style and sophistication.

The MSI AE220 is the first to feature the E2-3000/A4-5000 APU of AMD's Kabini platform. Based on a 28nm producing process, the new APU delivers high performance with a low power consumption of just 15W. AMD Kabini does more than just integrate the GPU and CPU into the same chip; the chipset functions are also integrated to create the industry's first System-on-Chip (SOC) APU processor. The AMD Kabini platform delivers exceptional rendering performance and packs massive power into a 15W processor. The MSI AE220 features the E2-3000/A4-5000 integrated with AMD Radeon HD 8280/8330 Graphics for a big boost in multimedia and 3D performance compared to previous generation. Users can now enjoy the performance and quality of a discrete graphics card without having to purchase one.

AMD reportedly updated its consumer products roadmap for 2014 thru 2015 to account for changes in the industry. The company is expected to unveil its next-generation "Volcanic Islands" GPU family by late-September, 2013. In the first quarter of 2014, the company is expected to unveil its 4th generation entry-level APUs, codenamed "Kabini." Built in ST3 socket for notebooks, and FS1B for desktops, this product family will include dual- and quad-core parts, with TDPs under 25W. Among the quad-core parts are the A4-5350 and A4-5150, and among the dual-core ones is the E1-2650.

"Kabini" will enter mass-production in February 2014, and will be formally announced in the following month. Kabini's early-2014 launch, delayed from late-2013, will have a cascading effect on its successor's launch. "Beema," its successor, will now launch in either late-2014, or early-2015. "Beema" will be based on the same socket types as "Kabini," but will incorporate more HSA technologies.

According to a couple of new listings in Austria and Germany, Lenovo is preparing to launch a refresh of the ThinkPad Edge. This time round, the internals will pack AMD hardware. More specifically, the CPU will be based on AMD's Jaguar architecture, part of the company's Kabini platform. The listing reveals a Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E145 powered by a 1.4GHz dual-core E1-2500 AMD APU, which is a 15W TDP part and packs AMD's Radeon HD 8240 IGP (128 compute units) clocked at 400MHz. You get a 11.6" 1366 x 768 display, 4 GB of RAM and 500 gigs of storage. The display is said to have a matte finish, doing away with any glare issues whatsoever. Connectivity is covered by two USB 3.0 ports, WiFi 802.11n and Bluetooth 4.0. There's no info regarding weight, battery rating or expected battery life yet. We do know the expected final price, to lie between the range of ?460 to ?505 as per retailer listings. According to the report, stocks will land in a couple of weeks.

With Microsoft readying a Release Preview of its upcoming Windows 8.1 operating system; AMD jumped in with a specialized Catalyst driver. Windows 8.1 features an upgraded display driver model, WDDM 1.3, which lets users take advantage of a few new features. GPUs based on AMD's Graphics CoreNext architecture will be supported by Windows 8.1 over WDDM 1.3, while older VLIW4 and VLIW5-based GPUs (Radeon HD 6000 series and older), will be supported over older WDDM 1.2 based drivers.

Windows 8.1 brings some enhancements to PC graphics, with support for Microsoft's own standardized wireless display technology; 48 Hz dynamic refresh rates for video playback, V-sync interrupt optimization, video conferencing acceleration, and a new instruction to the DirectX 11.1 API, named "tiled resources." Like the operating system itself, AMD's Windows 8.1 Preview Catalyst driver is a beta, and its use comes with no warranties. Microsoft expects to launch Windows 8.1 later this year, reportedly available as a free upgrade for current Windows 8 users.

DOWNLOAD: AMD Catalyst Windows 8.1 Preview Driver

Lists of AMD GPUs supported by WDDM 1.3 and WDDM 1.2 follow.