Remember ASRock's Beebox? The original Mini PC was originally reviewed here on TechPowerUp to a glowing score and wholehearted recommendation, and now, the company has announced an upgrade to its innards that is sure to give a new lease of life to the device's appeal. The upgraded systems are powered by either Intel's Core i5-7100U (2C/4T, 2.5 GHz base and 3.1 GHz Boost clocks) or i3-7200U (2C/4T, 2.4 GHz base clock) CPUs, featuring the Kaby Lake micro-architecture, but are, apart from that, identical to their predecessors. The system can also be equipped with up to 32 GB of DDR4-2133 memory (two SO-DIMM slots), an M.2-2280 NVMe SSD and a 2.5" SSD/HDD depending on your particular demands. Meanwhile, Intel's 802.11ac Wi-Fi + BT 4.0 wireless module is pre-installed.

Business. Business never changes. Whether you're for Keynes or Hayek, some truths just can't be escaped: and the one based on the market tending to equilibrium between the forces of supply and demand is oft times almost akin to a law of physics - other times, not so much. This time, it appears as if the market forces are steering NAND prices through the roof. The causes? Varied, though you probably carry one of them in your pocket most of the time. We earlier reported surging prices in the DRAM market, spurred by the Note 7 fiasco and increased production of that smartphone's competitors (and Samsung's own products) to fill the gaping hole left by its forcible market removal. But not only by DRAM are smartphones powered - they also make use of NAND flash.

MSI unveiled a unique new feature it is introducing with its next-generation socket LGA1151 motherboards, called the M.2 Shield. This is an aluminium heatspreader that acts as a full-length cover over the motherboard's M.2-2280 slots, hinged near the M.2 interface. The heatspreader has non-conductive thermal padding on the inside, letting it make contact with the drive's hot components (controller, NAND-flash chips, etc), and pushing heat over to the heatspreader. MSI claims that this lowers temperatures, and reduces throttling on some of the high-performance M.2 PCIe SSDs. Some of the faster M.2 SSDs such as the Samsung 950 Pro have indeed earned the notoriety of heating up to levels that reduce performance. It remains to be seen how much a thin sheet of aluminium changes that.

Synology today launched FlashStation FS3017, the company's pioneer product within an entirely new all-flash series. Capable of handling over 200,000 IOPS in 4k random writing with RDMA technology enabled, the FS3017 is perfect for big data analysis, video post-production, virtualization, and handling any demanding database application that requires high IOPS and low latency at the same time.

FS3017 features dual Intel Xeon 6-core processors, 64GB DDR4 ECC RDIMM (expandable up to 512GB), dual built-in 10GBase-T ports, and supports optional 10GbE / 25GbE / 40GbE NICs, guaranteeing stable performance in multitasking and data throughput. FS3017 is also compatible with various SATA/SAS SSD brands, offering users more flexibility with their budgets.

Plextor today announced that it revised the warranty policy of its recently announced EX1 portable solid-state drive to be effective for 5 years, from its existing 3 years. This change is applicable to all products already sold and with retailers as unsold inventory. The EX1 is a series of portable SSDs with 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 host interface, with a single cable handling both power and host connectivity. The drives combine Silicon Motion-made controllers with SK Hynix 16 nm TLC NAND flash memory, and come in capacities of 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, priced at 79€, 119€, and 213€, respectively.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of highperformance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today unveiled the SD700 durable external hard drive. The SD700 represents the first time 3D NAND SSD has achieved IP68 dust and water proof specifications in addition to military-grade shock proofing, all thanks to a tough protective enclosure and meticulous testing. The SD700 uses USB 3.1 Gen 1 to connect with Windows, Mac OS, and Android devices at up to 440MB/s read/write. In addition to being widely compatible, the SD700 is also very light, weighing just 100g for easy mobility.

The SD700 has been designed and tested to IEC IP68 standards. That means it is completely dust-tight to prevent particulate ingress and can operate normally even after submersion in 1.5m of water for 60 minutes. ADATA has also tested the SD700 to the popular US Army MIL-STD-810G516.6 shock and drop resistance standard, ensuring a high degree of shock proofing. With its multi-layered protective enclosure and obvious lack of moving parts as an SSD, the SD700 offers extremely survivable storage for extreme activities.

The specialist for high-performance digital memory technology and Solid State Drive products (SSD), Plextor, presents its new generation of ultra-light, small form factor, high-speed external SSD with OTG support and only 30g in weight: the Plextor EX1. The Plextor EX1 specifications are designed for high speeds, with the USB Type-C interface supporting USB 3.1 Gen2 standard, and delivering a 10x higher speed compared to the USB 2.0 interface, delivering continuous read/write speeds of 550 and 500 MB/s respectively.

The strength of the EX1 series is based on the core components used, including high-quality TLC NAND flash memory manufactured using Hynix's 16nm process, as well as the latest generation of controller ICs from SMI. Plextor has also developed an advanced firmware, and includes the PlexNitro application for increased user control. The Plextor EX1 will be available in stores from the end of November in three different storage capacities with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. The EX1 complies with Plextor's stringent quality requirements, including a 3-year warrant. Pricing will be announced at a later date.

The Ballistix sub-brand of Crucial, Micron Technology's consumer products subsidiary, is now its own brand, and no longer labeled next to Crucial. The Ballistix Gaming brand will now include PC gaming hardware, including memory (RAM), and perhaps even SSDs and gaming peripherals in the future. Ballistix products will be targeted at DIY gaming PC builders and enthusiasts.

Commenting on the story, Crucial stated: "Ballistix is now it's own defined brand, becoming a sibling to Crucial (previously a sub-brand). For more than a decade, Ballistix has injected speed and style into PC gaming in a way that can't be imitated. As the only major brand of gaming memory that builds and tests products from start to finish, Ballistix brings you the proven performance and reliability that pro gamers build with. Ballistix performance memory (RAM) is designed to give the upper hand to gamers, performance enthusiasts, and overclockers."

ASUS has now begun selling their high-end ROG GT51 desktop. The system comes equipped with a factory-overclocked Intel Core i7 -6700K (@ 4.6 GHz) processor, The system comes equipped with two ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 graphics cards running in SLI mode, 64 GB of DDR4-2800 memory (4×16 GB), two Samsung SM951 512 GB M.2 SSDs operating in RAID 0 mode and with a 1 TB HDD (7200 RPM). The system is configurable, with the end user being able to opt for faster memory, up to five 3.5"/2.5" HDDs or SSDs, different M.2 drives and so on. The fully configured ROG GT51 system costs $4999 and marks ASUS' entry on the market of high-performance desktop PCs.

Intel is readying a follow-on to its 600P series performance-segment PCIe solid-state drive (SSD) series, with the 610P series. Built in the M.2-2280 form-factor, with PCIe gen 3.0 x4 bus interface, and support for the NVMe protocol, the SSD 610P will be based on TLC 3D NAND flash by IMFlash Technology, the company's joint-venture with Micron Technology. The SSD 610P series will come in capacities of 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB.

The company is also working on a smaller M.2-1620 variant for notebooks and SFF desktops, which will feature a BGA version of the SSD. These are multi-chip modules of NAND flash stacks and SSD controllers bundled into single packages. The BGA variants will come in sizes of 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB. Not much else (performance figures) are known about these drives, except that Intel plans to release these towards Q4 2017 (after September).

The air cargo hub at Hyderabad International Airport in India, is where interesting hardware prototypes make a connection between long-haul cargo planes coming from the far-east, to Europe, and North America. Zauba sniffed out transit records of two AMD prototypes earlier this month; beginning with "Dracarys." You probably remember that as the fictional command given by "Game of Thrones" characters to make dragons breathe fire.

This is further described as having a "Fiji" ASIC and "SSD," indicating that this could be one of AMD's Radeon Pro SSG, graphics cards which use onboard SSDs as additional frame-buffer. Next up, is an "Ellesmere XT MXM." This is a mobile graphics MXM board with a full-fledged Polaris 10 "Ellesmere" ASIC. It could have all 2,304 stream processors enabled, even if not having the same clocks as the desktop Radeon RX 480.

ADATA Technology, a leading manufacturer of highperformance DRAM modules, NAND Flash products, and mobile accessories today launched the M.2 2280 version of the Ultimate SU800 3D NAND SSD. With higher density, faster performance, and longer lifespan than 2D NAND SSDs, the new SU800 fits on a compact card while still available in 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB and offered at very attractive price points. It supports a DRAM Buffer and SLC Caching mode to boost performance up to 560 MB/s read and 520 MB/s write, with LDPC error correction, Data Shaping, and a RAID Engine to bolster data integrity. For users that want a simple, cable-free, and low energy draw SSD upgrade, the SU800 M.2 2280 has much to offer.

The SU800 M.2 2280 fits on a compact PCB and slots directly into M.2 ports, which are increasingly common on desktop PCs and the standard on notebooks. It uses 3D NAND with an SMI controller and fits up to 1TB. Unlike 2.5" SSDs, it does not require cables and only needs very minimal power, supplied straight from the motherboard. The direct motherboard link also helps reduce latency and increase performance by roughly 10% compared to 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s drives. The SU800 M.2 2280 reaches 560 MB/s read and 520MB/s write. It also lasts longer than 2D NAND drives, with an MTBF (mean time between failures) of 2,000,000 hours versus 1,500,000.

SMART High Reliability Solutions ("SMART HRS"), a provider of current and next-generation solid-state storage solutions specializing in ruggedized, high-performance and high-capacity solid-state drives ("SSDs") for defense, aerospace and industrial markets, today announced its HRS-M1 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s SSD. The M1 has been successfully sampled with key customers and is now available in volume quantities to qualified customers.

Emphasizing the company's exclusive focus on highly ruggedized, reliable and secure solid-state storage solutions, the HRS-M1 is packaged in a high strength, industrial designed enclosure to protect it from harsh elements. The M1 is designed and tested per MIL-STD-810 to operate in high shock and vibration applications at industrial operating temperatures of -40°C to +85°C. The HRS-M1 is also certified for operation at altitudes up to 80,000 ft.
"Our engineering teams have worked closely with our customers to identify their application requirements. We've then pushed the limits of design with solutions that exceed expectations. Whether it is performance, security or environmental based requirements, our products must always function at the highest level," said Michael Guzzo, General Manager of SMART HRS.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced an exclusive collaboration with Ubisoft, offering a free PC download of Watch_Dogs 2 with the purchase of qualifying Samsung solid state drives (SSDs) and its newest Curved Gaming Monitors. The partnership delivers gamers an incredible package for high-level gameplay.

"Samsung is dedicated to providing best-in-class technology to gamers, so we're excited to offer Ubisoft's highly anticipated Watch_Dogs 2 as an added value with our industry-leading SSDs and monitors," said Andrew Sivori, Vice President of CE-IT Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "Our high-performance SSDs and stunning new monitors deliver an enhanced gaming experience, providing exceptional visuals and lag-free gameplay."

Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend ), a leading manufacturer of storage and multimedia products, is proud to announce the launch of a brand new SSD with built-in 3D NAND flash. With the growing needs for high-capacity and high-performance storage, Transcend has adopted 3D NAND flash technology for its 2.5" SSD230 solid state drives, boosting storage capacity, transfer rates, and reliability all at once.

To achieve higher densities, 2D planar NAND flash technology shrinks each memory cell onto a single layer of cells. However, this technology increases cell-to-cell interference and hence reduces reliability as it approaches its physical scaling limit. 3D NAND flash was developed to resolve this bottleneck, as it features multiple layers of memory cells stacked vertically. 3D NAND flash not only resolves the density limitations of 2D horizontal NAND, but also boosts read and write performance, as it does not require the invocation of algorithms to prevent data corruption. Free from cell-to-cell interference, state-of-the art 3D NAND flash technology also features higher endurance and lower power consumption.

Seagate Technology plc, a world leader in storage solutions, today announced the new Game Drive for Xbox SSD, offering elite gamers fast boot and load performance. Designed exclusively for Xbox, it's an ultra-portable way to store this holiday season's most popular AAA titles. The Seagate Game Drive for Xbox SSD uses flash storage to improve the gaming experience. Helping gamers get into the action quicker, the Seagate Game Drive reduces waiting at welcome screens and enables quicker transitions between levels in top titles like Forza Horizon 3 and Gears of War 4.

With limited console internal drive capacity and game install sizes continuing to increase, users are looking for ways to expand storage. With 512GB of capacity, the Seagate Game Drive lets gamers store approximately 15 of their favorite titles and downloadable content. Users can archive less frequently played games on their console and keep a huge library of games at their fingertips on the Seagate Game Drive.

GIGABYTE has announced the newly updated AERO 14 professional laptop, now equipped with the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 VR Ready graphics. The original light and thin professional workstation has just gotten even better. The new graphics is not the only thing worth mentioning, the AERO 14 comes with QHD IPS display, up to 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD plus 32GB DDR4-2400 memory, and a 94.24 Wh large capacity battery to further extend mobile usage. All this is packed within an ultra-slim 19.9 mm chassis.

Powered by the most advanced NVIDIA Pascal architecture, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 dilivers unparelleled graphics performance and exceeds VR Ready specifications. The AERO 14 is a mobile powerhouse when it comes to gaming and professional work. Not everything is only focused on performance, GIGABYTE has also put emphasis on the aesthetics. With three colors to choose from, each color is finished with "Nano-Imprint Lithography" (NIL) top aluminum cover, showcasing fine details and textures that screams unique qualities.

G-Technology, a trusted premium storage brand by Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC), today announced the expansion of its G-DRIVE portfolio, with its first solid state portable drive, the G-DRIVE slim SSD USB-C. The new drive brings faster interface speeds with USB-C connectivity and expanded external storage for next-generation computers such as MacBook and the all-new MacBook Pro, perfect for consumers and creative professionals across the world.

Available in 1TB and 500GB capacities, the G-DRIVE slim SSD USB-C delivers super-fast solid state drive performance of up to 540 MB/s. It features the speedy 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface, taking full advantage of the SSD performance. The included high-quality Type-C to Type-C cable and Type-C to Type-A cable, allows this drive to operate with any computer featuring Thunderbolt 3, USB-C or USB 3.0 ports. Requiring no external power source, the G-DRIVE slim SSD USB-C will ensure that high-quality videos, photos and music will be readily available whether traveling in the field, back at home or in the office.

In the world of gaming, time is literally a matter of win or loss. In less than a second, a game's performance is determined. Boost your PC with Apacer's AS682 ARMOR+ solid state drive and get ahead of your opponent in every move! Equipped with SATA III interface, AS682 ARMOR+ operates read/write speed at 540/475MB per second with 95,000 IOPs. Available in 250GB and 500GB, this SSD is advantaged in many ways, including high performance, low power consumption, high durability, excellent value for money, and multiprocessing architecture.

The first generation of ARMOR was born out of Apacer's dedication in perfecting SSD for better gaming experience. The latest release, AS682 ARMOR+ is even more advanced in processing speeds, with 540 MB/s (read) and 475 MB/s (write). The 95,000 IOPS makes one thing clear: from scene changes, battles, to fast moves, the smooth fluidity is unparalleled even with most complicated in-game actions. Compatible with most of the PCs and motherboards, the SATA III interface delivers a blazing fast performance, making it an ideal must for enhancement.

LiteOn unveiled the CV5 line of entry-level SATA SSD in the 2.5-inch form-factor. Available in 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB capacities, the drives offer performance suitable for "everyday usage," according to their makers. The drives feature TLC NAND flash with limited SLC cache capabilities for burst performance. All three variants offer up to 520 MB/s of sequential reads; while the three variants churn up sequential write speeds of up to 160 MB/s for the 128 GB variant, up to 320 MB/s for 256 GB, and up to 450 MB/s for the 512 GB variant. Most common SSD features are offered, including gen 3.0 low-density parity check (LDPC Gen 3) ECC.

Cashing in on the popularity of its "EVO" brand extension in the client SSD space, Samsung this September announced the 960 EVO family of PCI-Express SSDs in the M.2 form-factor, supporting the NVMe protocol. The drives are up for pre-order on the company's US online store. The series is topped with the 1 TB variant, priced at USD $479.99, followed by the 500 GB variant priced at $249.99, and the 250 GB variant priced at $129.99.

All three variants target a price-per-GB value around the $0.50/GB mark, however, one has to note that these are PCI-Express drives. The cheapest 250 GB variant serves up sequential transfer speeds of up to 3200 MB/s reads, with up to 1500 MB/s writes; the 500 GB variant up to 1800 MB/s writes; and the 1 TB variant up to 1900 MB/s writes. All three drives feature 3D V-NAND flash memory by Samsung, while the controller takes advantage of PCI-Express gen 3.0 x4 interface over the M.2-2280 form-factor, taking advantage of the NVMe protocol.

The Intel-Micron joint collaboration in the development of what is promised to be the next step in storage technology is inching ever closer to reality. According to Bench Life, which published a leaked specifications list for the upcoming Intel Optane Memory products, the first application for consumer-grade 3D XPoint technology straddles the line between an SSD and system RAM. Intel calls it a "System Accelerator" solution, and it's meant to operate as an intermediate caching solution between a system's RAM and storage. Codenamed "Stony Beach", Intel's 8000p (and entire 3D XPoint-based products) support is still up in the air, but it's expected that only Kaby Lake and subsequent platforms will be compatible with the technology - which, if true, is sure to limit the product's market penetration.

The consumer products will initially sport capacities of either 16GB or 32GB, leveraging the NVMe protocol at PCIe Gen 3.0 x2 bandwidth in the M.2 form-factor. Mirroring NAND technology, the greater capacity solution will sport the highest performance: with the 16GB part coming in at 1400 MB/s read and 300 MB/s write speeds, against the 32 GB's 1600 MB/s and 400 MB/s, respectively. We see similar results in regards to IOPS, with the 16GB solution offering up to 285,000 read and 70,000 write operations per second, against the 32 GB's solution respective 300,000 read and 120,000 write. As usual with new technologies, expect all these metrics to only go up in time.

MSI proudly announces its latest and smallest mini-PC to date: the MSI Cubi 2. This tiny desktop is built on a concept of nifty technology and a brilliant design to suit the needs of both consumers and businesses. MSI upgraded the Cubi with the latest Intel Kabylake-U power saving processors. Users can benefit from a powerful handheld-size PC capable of carrying multiple modular hard disks that provide a large base for data storage. MSI Cubi 2 is mountable to a wall by VESA standards or can be combined with an HDTV, so the user can enjoy Ultra High-Definition and high quality media entertainment at home. With plenty of ports to connect to external devices, Cubi 2 is the essence of small, smart computing. A black and a white version of the MSI Cubi are globally available by end of September 2016.

Smaller than a lunchbox or an XL soda can, MSI Cubi 2 is the smallest mini PC in its kind, with a 0.45 liter case that still provides all the elements of a desktop-worthy PC. With curved edges, a smooth surface, a subtle ventilation frame and conveniently positioned I/O ports, the MSI Cubi 2 is not only the smallest, but also the smartest in its kind.

HP Inc. today unveiled its latest generation premium consumer PC line-up for the 2016 holidays. The next generation portfolio features a thinner and lighter convertible with better battery life for portability and a beautifully designed all-in-one to bring amazing sound experiences into the home.

"Premium customers have high expectations around device performance and quality for consuming media and productivity whether at home, work or on the go," said Kevin Frost, vice president and general manager, consumer personal systems, HP Inc. "We are strengthening our leadership in premium with our redesigned PC portfolio to deliver big power in thin and light designs to be even more portable and revolutionize our all-in-one to bring amazing sound into the home."

Western Digital Corporation today announced WD Blue and WD Green solid state drives (SSDs), the first WD-branded SATA client SSDs. The new SSDs complement the company's industry leading family of hard drives for PCs and workstations, providing a full portfolio of WD storage devices for virtually any application.

The ultimate solution for building DIY PCs, extending the life of current PCs or upgrading existing storage, the WD Blue and WD Green SSDs boast near-maximum speed of SATA drives, best-in-class endurance and MTBF and WD Functional Integrity Testing (F.I.T.) Lab certification, resulting in quick boot times and increased program responsiveness. Consumers benefit from the combination of reliable storage with an industry-leading 1.75M hours MTTF, coupled with reduced power and less heat when compared to HDDs. Both include free, downloadable, WD SSD Dashboard software, which allows continuous performance and capacity monitoring. For consumers who are looking for instant-on responsiveness, durability, low power consumption, and ultra-thin, ultramobile form factors, the WD Blue and WD Green SSDs are the perfect options.