Global leading motherboard brand ASRock announced today to organize ASRock FM2 OC Competition with HWBOT, the top organization hosting the world's only 24/7 overclocking competition to bring together 35,000 participants and feature competitions in thousands of categories. The participants will be competing for the highest CPU-Z or 3DMark Vantage score which is submitted to HWBOT.org.

The contest, sponsored by several prestigious brands including AMD, Kingston and Cooler Master, starts from January 7 and runs until February 4. It is opened to all overclockers with ASRock brand motherboards and AMD Socket FM2 CPUs. The total prize is worth up to 6,740 dollars and the final champions of the CPU-Z and 3DMark Vantage event will be awarded with a top prize worth of 2,170 dollars respectively. The grand prize makes it one of the most eye-catching online OC competitions on FM2 platforms, which is estimated to attract enthusiastic overclockers worldwide.

After a long sabbatical, MSI unveiled a new socket LGA2011 motherboard, the X79A-GD45 Gaming. Over-simplistic naming aside, the board is practically identical to the X79A-GD45 (8D), albeit with a more dull yet intuitive color scheme. Black and bright blue make way for black and gray, with fancy die-cast covers over the MOSFET and chipset heatsinks. The only other feature that makes it stand apart from its older twin is Creative Sound Blaster Cinema audio driver for existing HD audio CODEC, which enhances sound quality over Realtek's driver, and adds a few DSPs of its own.

In addition to the AP2021 all-in-one desktop, earlier today, MSI rolled out the A85XMA-P33 socket FM2 motherboard. Nearly identical to the recently-launched A75MA-P33, the A85XMA-P33 is proof that AMD overproduced the chipset, and it's up to board makers like MSI to somehow get rid of it. Even as the AMD A85X chipset features eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, the board only features six, there aren't even eSATA ports to make up. Supporting AMD A-Series APUs in the socket FM2 package, the board features a 5-phase VRM, one each of PCI-Express 2.0 x16, PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and legacy PCI; four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by header), DVI and D-Sub display outputs, 6-channel HD audio, and gigabit Ethernet. It is driven by UEFI BIOS. We see no reason why the board should be priced any differently from the A75MA-P33.

ASUS did a back-room unveiling of its E2KM1I-Deluxe feature-packed mini-ITX motherboard for HTPCs. The board leverages AMD's recently-launched E2-2000 dual-core APU, combining it with a desktop-grade FCH chipset that lends it six SATA 6 Gb/s ports (of which one is eSATA). The board features two standard DDR3 DIMM slots, expansion area includes a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, and an mPCIe (which is populated with an 802.11 b/g/n WLAN card). Boosting its HTPC credentials are the HDMI display output (with an in-built 7.1-channel HD audio stream), and a TOSLINK digital audio output. Other connectivity includes DVI, USB 3.0, gigabit Ethernet, and a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced support for 4k display resolutions using multiple standard 1080p displays with Intel Collage display technology. The new collage feature is available from an Intel graphics driver update that needs to be individually implemented by motherboard companies before it is available to the user.

Using only the Intel HD4000 Graphics of any 3rd generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, GIGABYTE dual Thunderbolt motherboards with the new 4K Collage Graphics driver can power an Ultra HD 4k resolution video stream across four regular displays. Intel Collage display technology is simple to setup, using dual Thunderbolt ports that can be split into a total of four digital streams giving an incredible combined Ultra HD resolution of 3840 x 2400 pixels.

ASRock joined the likes of ASUS, Gigabyte, and others, in missing its motherboard sales target for 2012. According to the latest figures with DigiTimes, the company shipped 7.5 million motherboards in 2012, which is quite a bit short of its modest target of 9 million, given its 2011 shipments of 8 million.

According to industry analysts, the Pegatron subsidiary is expected to see a flat performance at best, in 2013, despite the fact that Intel is launching a brand new socket (LGA1150), prompting higher motherboard sales. In 2012, Intel retained its LGA1155 socket from the 2011-launched "Sandy Brige" platform, and inter-compatibility between its 2nd and 3rd generation Core processors may have stunted sales of its 7-series chipset products.

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.

MSI unveiled a new entry-level socket FM2 motherboard, the FM2-A75MA-P33. Based on the AMD A75 FCH chipset, the board supports newer A-series "Trinity" APUs. The board uses a 5-phase VRM to power the APU, which is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slot. PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and legacy PCI make for the rest of the expansion.

Storage connectivity on the FM2-A75MA-P33 includes six internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports, supporting RAID 0/1/10. The A75 FCH gives out four USB 3.0 SuperSpeed ports, which are wired out as two type-A ports on the rear-panel, and two ports by header. The board features headers for legacy connectivity such as LPT (parallel) and COM (serial). Display connectivity includes one each of dual-link DVI and D-Sub. 6-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports, and PS/2, make for the rest of the connectivity. The FM2-A75MA-P33 is expected to be priced around $70.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announces its latest overclocking competition, the 'GIGABYTE Winter OC Whiteout', an open overclocking competition hosted at HWBOT. The 'GIGABYTE Winter OC Whiteout' also features a special bonus prize for the snowiest and most festive submission photo.

The 'GIGABYTE Winter OC Whiteout' starts today, running until January 20th 2013 and is open to all overclockers using any Intel processor on any compatible GIGABYTE motherboard. The competition centers around three key stages, each containing a 3D benchmark with specific limitations imposed to level the playing field. A GIGABYTE Z77X-UD4H motherboard plus, a Cooler Master Seidon 120M liquid cooler will be awarded for the winner of each stage.

EK Water Blocks, Ljubljana based premium water cooling gear manufacturer, is working on a new water block for ASRock premium Z77 based motherboard Z77 Extreme11.

This water block will directly cool Intel Z77 PCH, PLX PEX series PCI-express lane splitter and the power regulation (VRM / MOSFETs) module. Base of the water block will be made of nickel plated electrolytic copper while the top will be made of quality satin finish acrylic or POM Acetal material. More details will be disclosed through our social media websites during the upcoming month.

The water block will be available for purchase through EK Webshop & Partner Reseller Network by the end of January 2013.

EK Water Blocks, Ljubljana based premium water cooling gear provider, is proud to announce the arrival of two new water blocks - EK-FC660 GTX for GK106 based GeForce GTX 660 graphics cards and EK-FB ASUS C5F-Z for ASUS flagship AM3+ Crosshair V Formula-Z motherboard. Both product are readily available for puchase through EK Webshop as well as our Partner Reseller Network.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced the 'Ultimate OverClockers Dream Xmas Giveaway', a competition hosted on Facebook in conjunction with KINGPIN Cooling and G.SKILL memory.

Running from December 13th to 27th 2012, the 'Ultimate OverClockers Dream Xmas Giveaway' is a prize draw open to all Facebook users. Participation couldn't be easier; simply 'Like' the GIGABYTE, KINGPIN and G.SKILL Facebook fanpages, share the event with your friends, and you could win a range of prizes including a GIGABYTE Z77X-UD4H motherboard.

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.

MSI expanded its entry-level socket LGA1155 motherboard lineup with the B75MA-G43, featuring Intel Small Business Advantage. The micro-ATX board is positioned to be a notch below the B75MA-G45. It features a simpler 5-phase CPU VRM. The CPU socket, which supports 32 nm "Sandy Bridge" and 22 nm "Ivy Bridge" processors, is wired to four DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory, and a PCI-Express 3.0 x16. Other expansion slots include a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4, wired to PCH), and two legacy PCI.

Storage connectivity on the B75MA-G43 includes one SATA 6 Gb/s, and five SATA 3 Gb/s ports. The chipset gives out four USB 3.0 ports, two of which are given out by a standard header, and two at the rear panel. Display connectivity includes DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. 8-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, PS/2 combo, LPT and COM (by headers), and a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports make for the rest of it. The B75MA-G43 is expected to be priced under $60.

Jetway is now prepping its second motherboard powered by the AMD A85X chipset, the HA21-85X. This ATX board supports AMD's Socket FM2 APUs and features a 4+2 phase power design, four DDR3-1866 memory slots, an mSATA connector, five SATA 3.0 Gbps ports, one PCIe 2.0 x16 slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1 channel audio, two USB 3.0 ports, and D-Sub, DVI and HDMI outputs.

The HA21-85X's price tag has not been revealed.

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.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today launched its latest HD series motherboards, bringing unprecedented dual digital display support, including HDMI and DVI, to a range of value segment motherboard models.

The new GIGABYTE HD motherboard series defies the current ethos that means true digital display outputs are reserved for upper mainstream models, adding both HDMI and DVI ports to a range of motherboard models at attractive and affordable price points. All DIY enthusiasts can now enjoy true HD display capability using the most commonly integrated digital output technologies on today's HD displays and TVs.

Taiwan-based Biostar Microtech has now announced a new motherboard supporting AMD's FM2 APUs, the Hi-Fi A85W. Powered by the A85X chipset, this board comes with a bunch of audiophile-friendly features like a noise-blocking multi-layer PCB design (isolates analog audio signals from digital sources), a built-in amplifier, Non-Polarized Electrolysis Electric audio capacitors for each audio channel circuit, 'Hi-Fi' resistors, and the Hi-Fi Power technology (audio components have an independent power design).

Biostar's motherboard also has four DDR3-2400 memory slots, eight SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, two PCIe x16, two PCIe x1 and two PCI slots, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel audio (Realtek ALC892 codec), a debug LED, two USB 3.0 ports, and D-Sub, DVI and HDMI outputs. The Hi-Fi A85W has a recommended price tag of €124.90.

MSI is bundling limited stocks of Z77 MPower motherboards with a fan heatsink a toolkit something useful RC cars! The car, which complements the board's racy black and yellow color scheme is bundled with the motherboard package, which likely bloats it. The size and features of the car aren't known, but in all likelihood it's a $10-ish toy, and not something you can go to your friendly neighborhood RC racing league with. The other part of the bundle (the Z77 MPower), though, can form the backbone of a world-conquering gaming PC.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced the record highest clock speed 7.86GHz on AMD's A10 5800K APU using the GIGABYTE F2A85X-UP4 motherboard.

Attending an AMD Extreme OC show on 20th Nov. in Taipei Taiwan, GIGABYTE's overclocking team, The Killers (featuring HiCookie, S.Dougal and John Lam), took part in an overclocking demonstration achieving two new records on AMD's new Vishera and Trinity platforms. The GIGABYTE F2A85X-UP4 motherboard was able to push the AMD 5800K to an incredible 7.86GHz, more than twice the 3.8GHz stock clock. The AMD FX8350 processor was pushed to 8.47GHz using a GIGABYTE 990FXA-UD3 board.

ASUS performance brand ROG continues to empower overclocking champions worldwide. On motherboards designed for Intel and AMD processors, multiple fresh records have been clocked in CPU frequencies, SuperPi 32M, and wPrime 32M/1024M, proving ROG is at the forefront of delivering highly tunable and extra-stable motherboards.

Best platform for dedicated overclockers and new records
The superior quality of ROG boards serves as a launching point for their performance mastery. Smart engineering, the finest components, and durable materials all contribute to motherboards that can handle the duress of dedicated overclocking experimentation. Built to sustain peak performance at all times, ROG motherboard offerings further ship with numerous overclocking and tuning-focused features, making them the most favored destination for enthusiasts aiming to push the PC performance envelope. The emphasis on catering to the overclocking community extends across product ranges, and covers Intel and AMD-based models.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced that their dual Thunderbolt series of motherboards support 4K resolution monitors in configurations derived from two Mini DisplayPort connectors, each capable of 2K resolution output. Testing was successfully carried out at GIGABYTE's regional facility in Tokyo, Japan with the EIZO FDH3601 high resolution color monitor that is designed for air traffic control and geophysical services.

"Desktop PC motherboards are all about cutting edge features, performance, and upgradeability, and this is why GIGABYTE was the first motherboard company to adopt dual Thunderbolt ports instead of the single port option," commented Tim Handley, Deputy Director of Motherboard Marketing at GIGABYTE. "When combined with other innovative products, such as EIZO's 4K resolution FDH3601 monitor, GIGABYTE Thunderbolt motherboard users can enjoy next generation display options with their existing platform, without having to wait for future 4K resolution standards."

ECS has less than stable RSS and media channels (to our advantage). It may have accidentally blurted out model names of at least three upcoming Intel 8-series chipset based motherboards, for socket LGA1150 Core "Haswell" processors. Among the three are Z87H3-AX Extreme, Z87H3-AX Golden, and H87H3-M4. The two Z87H3-AX motherboards, going by the company's current 7-series chipset motherboard lineup, appear to be identical, with the Z87H3-AX Golden pimping out with gold-colored components and heatsinks. The boards will likely max out the feature-set of Intel's "Lynx Point" chipset family. The Z87 PCH succeeds the current Z77, in supporting overclocking, in addition to all features of the platform, including Small Business Advantage. The H87H3-M4 sounds like the name typically given by ECS to a micro-ATX motherboard based on the H87 chipset. H87 supports nearly every feature the Z87 does, except CPU overclocking.

Announced back in September, EVGA's Z77 Stinger motherboard has now (finally) become available, in the US (Europe will get it very soon). This mini-ITX offers support for Intel LGA1155 processors and features a 7+1 power design, two DDR3-2133 memory slots, two SATA 6.0 Gbps and two SATA 3.0 Gbps ports, one PCIex 16 and one Mini PCIe slot, Gigabit Ethernet, 7.1-channel audio, four USB 3.0 ports, two eSATA connectors, and both HDMI and mini DisplayPort outputs.

The Z77 Stinger costs $199.99 and can be found here.

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.