Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, said today that it has begun mass producing the industry's first high-performance, three-bit-NAND-based SSD for servers and data centers. The new SSD will allow data centers to better manage workloads related to social networking, web browsing and email, and enhance operation efficiency. Installations of the 3-bit MLC (multi-level-cell) NAND SSDs, initially in large-scale data centers, are expected to begin later this quarter.

"Following the last year's introduction of 3-bit NAND-based SSDs for PC markets, our new 3-bit SSD for data centers will help considerably in expanding the market base for SSDs," said Young-Hyun Jun, executive vice president, memory sales and marketing, Samsung Electronics. "We expect SSD market growth will gain momentum as this new SSD delivers significant improvements in data center investment efficiency, leading to full-fledged commercialization of SSDs in IT systems later this year."

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and GLOBALFOUNDRIES today announced a new strategic collaboration to deliver global capacity for 14 nanometer (nm) FinFET process technology. For the first time, the industry's most advanced 14 nm FinFET technology will be available at both Samsung and GLOBALFOUNDRIES, giving customers the assurance of supply that can only come from true design compatibility at multiple sources across the globe.

The new collaboration will leverage the companies' worldwide leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, with volume production at Samsung's fabs in Hwaseong, Korea and Austin, Texas, as well as GLOBALFOUNDRIES' fab in Saratoga, New York.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, said today that it is accelerating its production ramp up of DDR4 memory modules to accommodate an anticipated strong market demand along with the approaching introduction of the new Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v3 product family. DDR4 is the most advanced memory for server and high-performance computing applications.

"At Samsung, we are taking the lead in readying the DDR4 market to coincide with the introduction of the next-generation Intel Xeon processor E5-2600 v3 product family, and plan to contribute to creating a bigger market for DRAM in the second half of 2014," said Jim Elliott, corporate vice president, Memory Marketing, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. "We will continue to introduce high-density DDR4 modules for global OEMs that will facilitate the launch of next-generation enterprise servers and will maximize IT investment efficiency."

Samsung Electronics, a market leader in advanced memory technology and an innovator in consumer electronics, announced today that it is now shipping a new line of advanced SD and microSD cards that are ideal for digital imaging and mobile devices. The products will be available in PRO, EVO and Standard categories, suited for various use cases and performance levels for consumers and professionals.

Samsung's extensive memory card lineup offers SD cards and microSD cards for use in many different consumer electronic devices. The PRO, EVO and Standard lineups are available in a wide range of capacities from 4 gigabyte (GB) to 64 GB. While SD cards are most often used in digital cameras, DSLR cameras and camcorders, microSD cards are mainly used in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as certain cameras and camcorders with microSD card slots.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced the launch of the UD590 monitor, featuring Samsung's revolutionary UHD 4K display technology. The monitor's stunning screen offers the ultimate viewing experience for photo enthusiasts and visual professionals, such as graphic designers, architects and more.

"Samsung is a worldwide leader in display technology renowned for our UHD 4K TVs. The UD590 brings that UHD 4K technology to our monitor line up, offering unparalleled imagery right at your desk," said Ron Gazzola, Vice President of Consumer IT Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "It offers a viewing experience unlike any other, perfect for consumers looking to enjoy premium display quality in their homes. We're also introducing several other consumer monitors this year to offer a wide range of high performing options to meet the needs of any user."

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced today that its 1.6 terabyte (TB) NVMe (non-volatile memory express) solid state drive is featured in the new Dell PowerEdge R920 server. Together, Samsung and Dell are the first in the world to ship PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) SSDs using an NVMe protocol, enabling customers to get results faster.

"We have been working closely with Dell to optimize the storage capabilities of the PowerEdge R920, and believe that our NVMe PCIe SSD provides the best enterprise storage solution, offering ultra-low latency and surpassing the IOPS (input/output operations per second) performance of currently available SSDs," said Jim Elliott, corporate vice president, memory and SSD marketing, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. "Samsung will continue to take the initiative in accelerating growth of the NVMe PCIe SSD market for green IT investment by providing NVMe PCIe solutions with high performance, density and scalability."

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in advanced semiconductor solutions, announced that its Exynos 5 Octa mobile application processor is the power behind the new Samsung Chromebook 2*. The Exynos 5 Octa family features an eight-core ARM big.LITTLE processor configuration built for efficient handling of multiple tasks in high-end mobile devices today.

"Maximizing performance in tight power and thermal budgets is critical in today's mobile devices," said Dr. Kyushik Hong, vice president of System LSI marketing, Samsung Electronics. "Compared to Exynos 5 Dual, our new Exynos 5 Octa application processors deliver up to 125 percent increase in computing and two times the multimedia performance. This enables designers to develop leading-edge products with significantly improved battery life."

Total worldwide PC monitor shipments were slightly below 35.0 million units in the fourth quarter of 2013 (4Q13), a decrease of -0.4% compared to the previous quarter yet 2.9% more than forecast, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Monitor Tracker. The -3.8% year-over-year growth in 4Q13 was largely due to declining PC desktop sales.

"Dell and HP both saw increases in unit shipments for the worldwide PC monitor market for the second time in a down year," said Jennifer Song, Research Analyst, Worldwide Trackers at IDC. "At a regional level, EMEA experienced the largest positive growth during the fourth quarter, with Italy and Spain posting the biggest gains."

An NPD DisplaySearch boldly claiming that the industry will ship as many as 2 million Ultra HD (3840 x 2160-pixel) monitors by the end of 2014, is beginning to sound a little more plausible, with display makers pushing for "affordable" Ultra HD monitors in the 28-inch size segment, by mid-2014. By these, we're not referring to cheap, borderline gray market monitors from lesser known Korean manufacturers; but display majors from the same country, such as Samsung and LG. According to Hardware.info, which recently published a review of the Samsung LU28D590D, a 28-inch monitor based on a cheap TN-film panel by Chimei (CMO), that offers Ultra HD resolution; prices of the display could be as low as 600€ or £500, by mid-2014. So if you're planning to ditch the full HD (1920 x 1080) or WUXGA (1920 x 1200) monitor you've been holding on to for the past 5 or so years, wait just a little longer.

ZiiLabs Inc., Ltd. ("ZiiLabs") today announced that it filed a patent infringement lawsuit ("the lawsuit") in the United States against Samsung and Apple. The lawsuit alleges that certain products of Samsung (including various Galaxy phones and tablets, and laptops) and Apple (including various ranges of the iPhone and iPad, iMac and MacBook Pro) infringe a number of ZiiLabs patents.

ZiiLabs owns over 100 US patents in the graphics, processor and 3D spaces. Ten of these patents have been asserted in the lawsuit, in which ZiiLabs is claiming past and future damages for patent infringement, and injunctions against Samsung and Apple.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in memory technology, today announced that it is mass producing the most advanced DDR3 memory, based on a new 20 nanometer process technology, for use in a wide range of computing applications. Samsung has pushed the envelope of DRAM scaling, while utilizing currently available immersion ArF lithography, in its roll-out of the industry's most advanced 20-nanometer (nm) 4-gigabit (Gb) DDR3 DRAM.

With DRAM memory, where each cell consists of a capacitor and a transistor linked to one another, scaling is more difficult than with NAND Flash memory in which a cell only needs a transistor. To continue scaling for more advanced DRAM, Samsung refined its design and manufacturing technologies and came up with a modified double patterning and atomic layer deposition.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced the launch of the Chromebook 2 Series. The new models, available in 11.6- and 13.3-inch configurations, improve on the popular Samsung Chromebook line with faster performance, longer battery life and a slim, light build enhanced by a durable textured lid and elegant stitched design. The 13.3-inch model also features a Full HD (1920x1080) resolution screen, enabling users to enjoy vibrant visuals for work, teaching and learning, and entertainment. Samsung was the leading Chromebook brand in the U.S. in 2013, accounting for more than 60 percent of overall market share, according to NPD.

"Since we introduced our first Chromebook in 2011, Samsung has been committed to continually developing our designs and features to meet our users' ever-changing needs, while staying true to the core Chromebook attributes of simplicity, speed and security," said Mike Abary, senior vice president of consumer IT product marketing at Samsung Electronics America. "Samsung has been the top selling consumer Chromebook brand for the past three years and we'll continue to grow our leadership position in this space with the launch of the Chromebook 2 Series."

Thanks to falling production costs leading to declines in average selling prices (ASPs), shipments of ultra-high-definition (UHD) 4K desktop monitor displays are expected to increase steadily. According to the NPD DisplaySearch Quarterly Desktop Monitor Shipment and Forecast Report, even as overall desktop monitor demand falls to 133 million units in 2014, 4K UHD monitor shipments will reach two million units, and by 2017 shipments are forecast to reach approximately 8% of the market. The ASP for 4K monitors is forecast to decline from $1,347 in 2014 to $927 in 2017.

"Increased 4K-class monitor shipment volume will depend on how far and how fast ASPs decline," said Hidetoshi Himuro, director of PC and IT research at NPD DisplaySearch. "Although manufacturers hope toraise prices for 4K-enabled monitors, price competition has already begun."

Earlier available only through the OEM channel, Samsung 840 EVO mSATA 1 TB, the highest capacity mSATA SSD, is beginning to show up in retail channels, stateside. B&H Photo Video has the drive listed on pre-order for US $615. The drive is sought after in the production industry, particularly by users of digital video cameras that feature mSATA SSD slots, as it allows you to film lossless high-resolution video longer. It's also a potential favorite among Ultrabook users. The 840 EVO mSATA features Samsung's MEX controller, which embeds a triple-core ARM processor; and TLC NAND flash memory. It offers impressive sequential speeds of up to 540 MB/s reads, and up to 520 MB/s writes. The controller uses no over-provisioning, and relies on a 1 GB LPDDR3 DRAM as scratchpad. The other sizes the 840 EVO mSATA is available in, include 120 GB, 250 GB, and 500 GB.

Eurocom is now offering 2 TB of storage in its new Armadillo Ultrabook. The 1 TB mSATA SSD Samsung 840 EVO storage drive allows Eurocom customers to configure their Armadillo Ultrabook with up to 2 TB of SSD storage by combining a standard 7 mm storage drive with an mSATA Solid State Drive for massive amounts of high quality storage in an ultraportable package.

"This is the largest and fastest and smallest removable storage device available on the market and we are happy to offer it to our customers in their new, custom built Eurocom system" Mark Bialic, Eurocom President. With the convenience of a tablet and the capability of a laptop, the 14" EUROOCM Armadillo is built for the new age of power user. Weighing just two kilograms and being 22 mm thin makes the EUROCOM Armadillo extremely easy to carry anywhere, with no need for a power cord due to 9 hours of battery life.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., today announced the introduction of the ATIV Book 9 2014 Edition, the newest device in the popular ATIV line. The new Windows notebook builds on the flagship Book 9 notebook to offer enhanced portability and functionality, while continuing to deliver on the promise of the ATIV series by providing a no compromise PC experience for any environment.

The PC offers an eye-catching design with a slim, light body for convenient mobility, along with long-lasting battery life and a large, sharp display enabling seamless productivity.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today introduced the ATIV One7 2014 Edition, an all-in-one PC providing an immersive multimedia experience in a sleek new design. This evolution of the ATIV One series brings enhanced connectivity with mobile devicesand performance upgrades including a premium Full HD display, superior speakersand greater storage space.

The ATIV One7 2014 Edition offers seamless PC-Mobile convergence with Galaxy smartphones. With a large storage capacity of 1 TB, the ATIV One7 2014 Edition acts as a secure cloud service, allowing users to access and save photos, movies, music and documents anytime, anywhere through Samsung Link.

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. today announced a new advanced security solution for the 840 EVO SSD, Samsung's SSD Self-Encrypting Drive (SED), compatible with professional security software.

The new data security enhancements are now shipping on the recently announced Samsung 840 EVO mSATA drive and can be enabled through a firmware update for the 840 EVO SSD SATA drive, launched last August. The new features are designed to meet security requirements for enterprise applications and are compliant with TCG Opal and IEEE 1667 standards.

Samsung Electronics and Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS), the innovative technology solutions company that brings invention to market, today announced the companies have signed a comprehensive 10-year license agreement. The agreement extends the existing relationship between the companies, providing Samsung with access to Rambus' innovative technologies for inclusion in Samsung ICs. The agreement requires quarterly royalty payments to Rambus of $15 million per quarter for the first five years, with an initial payment of $22 million for the fourth quarter of 2013. Payments in the second five-year period are variable and subject to market-related factors. The agreement further provides Samsung access to Rambus' security technologies in system devices such as smart phones, tablets, and set-top boxes. The agreement is set to terminate in 2023. Other terms and details are confidential.

"This new 10-year agreement symbolizes our ability to add value to Samsung through our core memory and security technologies," said Dr. Ron Black, president and chief executive officer at Rambus. "Extending this relationship for a longer term gives us the ability to work with the broader industry on a variety of exciting technology initiatives."

PowerColor may have been the first AMD add-in board vendor to launch a custom-design Radeon R9 290X graphics card with its R9 290X LCS, which is basically an AMD reference PCB with a factory-fitted EKWB FC-R9-290X water-block; but its air-cooled non-reference cards have been nowhere in sight, until now. PowerColor posted these pictures of the Radeon R9 290X PCS+, its premium factory-overclocked and air-cooled graphics card based on AMD's flagship GPU. The company's Radeon R9 290 (non-X) PCS+ is expected to look identical.

Pictures reveal the card's PCB to be largely based on AMD's reference design, perhaps with variations on the choice of components. PowerColor has a knack of splurging on expensive, high-quality components on its PCBs (think International Rectifier and Coilworks VRM components, Samsung and SK Hynix memory chips, etc.), and we expect a similar treatment for the R9 290X PCS+. The two-slot cooling solution featured on this card is making its debut with it. It features a network of aluminium fin stacks to which heat is fed by copper heat pipes, and which are ventilated by a trio of 80 mm fans. PowerColor didn't reveal clock speeds, launch date, or pricing.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., the world leader in advanced memory technology, announced today that it has developed the industry's first eight gigabit (Gb), low power double data rate 4 (LPDDR4), mobile DRAM.

"This next-generation LPDDR4 DRAM will contribute significantly to faster growth of the global mobile DRAM market, which will soon comprise the largest share of the entire DRAM market," said Young-Hyun Jun, executive vice president, memory sales & marketing, Samsung Electronics. "We will continue introducing the most advanced mobile DRAM one step ahead of the rest of the industry so that global OEMs can launch innovative mobile devices with exceptional user convenience in the timeliest manner."

Samsung's new high-speed 8Gb LPDDR4 mobile DRAM will provide the highest level of density, performance and energy efficiency for mobile memory applications, enabling end users to have faster, more responsive applications, more advanced features, and higher resolution displays while maximizing battery life.

Total worldwide PC monitor shipments were more than 35.0 million units in the third quarter of 2013 (3Q13), an increase of 4.5% compared to the previous quarter and 1.2 million units more than forecast, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Monitor Tracker. Year-over-year growth was -8.6% in 3Q13, largely due to the ongoing decline in PC sales.

"Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan)(APeJ), Western Europe, and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) outperformed the overall market in the third quarter and increased their regional market shares," said Jennifer Song, Research Analyst, Worldwide Trackers at IDC. "China and India were the top growth drivers within APeJ, while Germany and Russia were the leading country markets in Europe."

Futuremark is proud to announce that Quanta Computer has joined its Benchmark Development Program. Quanta will work with Futuremark to create new benchmarks for PC and mobile platforms. Futuremark creates the world's most widely used benchmarks, software that helps people compare the performance of the devices they depend on every day. 3DMark and PCMark are used throughout industry, business and government, by more than a thousand specialist press publications, and millions of people worldwide.

Quanta Computer is the world's largest notebook computer ODM company. Quanta manufacturers one out of every three laptops sold globally and is an ODM partner for every one of the top ten PC companies. In recent years, Quanta has extended its businesses into enterprise network systems, home entertainment, mobile communication, automotive electronics and digital home markets.

Samsung extended RAPID mode, a burst performance enhancing feature enabled through its Magician software, to its 840 Pro series SSD. The mode was exclusive to its recently launched 840 EVO series. RAPID mode is known to exploit various sub-systems of the machine and time transfers through SATA 6 Gb/s in a way that produces throughputs as high as 1.1 GB/s on the 840 EVO. TheSSDReview put the mode to test on the 840 Pro, and found it to offer throughputs nearing 1 GB/s, again, in short bursts. To get RAPID mode, simply update your Samsung Magician software to the latest version available, and the mode should show up on the side-pane.

Samsung Electronics today unveiled a new, compact storage solution, the 840 EVO mSATA solid state drive. Pictured below, this SSD makes use of 128 gigabit (Gb) 1x-nm NAND flash memory, it has a Samsung controller with TurboWrite technology, and is capable of 98,000 random read and 90,000 random write IOPS, as well as sequential read/write speeds of up to 540/520 MB/s.

The 840 EVO mSATA will be available this month globally in 120 GB, 250 GB, 500 GB and 1 TB capacities.