ASUS unveiled its first socket FM1 motherboard in the mini-ITX form-factor, catering to the premium HTPC and small form-factor (SFF) markets. Like with similar mini-ITX boards, the F1A75-I Deluxe crams in all the connectivity features it can on its tiny PCB, outdoing even large ATX boards. It is based on the AMD A75 chipset. The FM1 socket supports AMD's A-Series "Llano" APUs, and is powered by a 4+1 phase VRM. It is wired to two full-length DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory. The board draws power from standard 24-pin ATX with 4-pin CPU power.

The lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, letting you plug in just about any PCIe addon card. Storage connectivity includes four SATA 6 Gb/s ports with RAID support, and one eSATA 6 Gb/s. Other connectivity features include 6-channel HD audio with optical SPDIF (our only gripe), four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by header), WiFi b/g/n, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. Display connectivity includes one each of DVI, HDMI 1.4a, and DisplayPort 1.2. The HDMI 1.4a output includes 8-channel HD audio of the GPU, so the 6 analog audio channels is sort of compensated. The board features ASUS TPU performance control chip, EPU energy-efficiency chip, and a UEFI firmware with ASUS EZ-mode GUI setup program. There's no word on pricing.

Biostar released a new, improved variant of its TZ68A+ socket LGA1155 motherboard, the TZ68K+. The new board looks almost exactly the same as its predecessor except for the stronger CPU VRM. The CPU is now powered by an 8-phase VRM, compared to the 4-phase VRM on the previous version. The VRM cluster north of the CPU socket has its own little heatsink as well. Apart from that, it's the same budget Z68 chipset based motherboard in the ATX form-factor that TZ68A+ was.

Expansion slots include one PCI-Express 2.0 x16, one PCI-E x16 (electrical 2.0 x4), a PCI-E 2.0 x1, and two PCI. The board builds entirely on the chipset's and the LPCIO chip's feature-sets. In the storage department, we have two SATA 6 Gb/s, four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, all internal. Connectivity includes legacy ports such as LPT and COM given out as headers, wired to the LPCIO chip, a number of USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel, 6-channel HD audio, and PS/2 keyboard connector. Display outputs include HDMI 1.4, DVI, and D-Sub. Being Z68 based, it features Intel Smart Response technology. Like the TZ68A+, it uses UEFI firmware. We don't expect much of a price-difference between this board and the TZ68A+.

ZOTAC entered the motherboard scene as yet another vendor of reference NVIDIA nForce motherboards, which the like of EVGA, XFX, and BFG also sold. After the fall of nForce, ZOTAC attempted a LGA1366 motherboard, and went dormant with motherboards. Later, it picked up interest in the mini-ITX form-factor as it gained popularity in Asian markets like China and India, manufacturing motherboards based on Intel Atom, Atom with NVIDIA ION, and eventually socketed mini-ITX motherboards as it became a 2-chip affair with Intel's Ibex Peak platform (LGA1156). It looks like Zotac is making a comeback into full-size ATX motherboards that target the very top tier of the market, to woo gamers, professional overclockers, and enthusiasts.

Seen here is what the Chinese press is referring to as "ZT-Z68 Crown Edition-U1DU3", we may have lost the correct name in translation, but let's call it ZT-Z68-U1DU3 for now. It is a full-size ATX motherboard that takes socket LGA1155 Intel Sandy Bridge and future Ivy Bridge processors, and is based on the Intel Z68 Express chipset. It combines a strong VRM to support extreme overclocking, with graphics expansion, adding 4-way NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX capabilities using an NVIDIA BR-03 bridge-chip that sits on the processor's PCI-E x16 link, to give out two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 links, which are then spread between four slots in x16/NC/x16/NC, x16/NC/x8/x8, or x8/x8/x8/x8 lane configurations.

ASRock unveiled the first Fatal1ty-branded AMD platform product, a premium motherboard based on the AMD 990FX chipset, ready for AMD FX series processors in the AM3+ package. The board sports the signature Fatal1ty color scheme of black and red, and is geared for high-end gaming PCs. The AM3+ socket is powered by a 14-phase digital PWM power design, which is ready for even 140W chips. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3 with speeds of over 2000 MHz by overclocking.

Two of the unique selling points here is ASRock Fatal1ty XFast USB, a pair of low-latency and high-polling USB ports to plug in your gaming mouse and keyboard; and XFast LAN, which is a software layer that works to lower latency and prioritize internet bandwidth to applications. To top it off, there's a Fatal1ty-themed UEFI setup program that features some extra advanced settings.

MSI, the world-renowned mainboard and graphics card manufacturer, officially launches the Z68A-GD80 (G3), featuring world's first large bandwidth PCI Express Gen 3 mainboard, and the latest UEFI technology: Click BIOS II which features a homogenous interface both under Windows and the UEFI interface. Conforming to Intel's latest design standard, the MSI Z68A-GD80 (G3) with PCI Express Gen 3 provides a data transfer rate that is 200% faster than PCI Express Gen 2, enhancing the performance of graphics cards without bandwidth limitations.

Click BIOS II, allows simple and intuitive system adjustments in both Windows and the UEFI interface! In addition, Z68A-GD80 (G3) utilizes MIL-810STD Certified Military Class II components and are equipped with OC Genie II technology which increases the performance of hard drive up to 457%. The MSI Z68A-GD80 (G3) enables next generation superior performance with PCI Express Gen 3 and OC Genie II, ultimate stability with certified Military Class II components and an extreme user-friendly Click BIOS II interface both in Windows and in the UEFI BIOS.

World famous mainboard and graphic card manufacturer MSI today officially announces their brand new AMD A75-Series mainboard A75MA-G55 with Military Class II components to equip the mainboard with the best quality and highest stability. The amazing graphical performance of the A-Series APUs is complimented by the implementation of USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s ports to give the fastest performance when you're playing games, video editing, transferring files from mobile devices. With support for HDMI, DVI and 7.1 channel audio, the A75MA-G55 in its small MicroATX form factor is the perfect choice whether it is as a complete and powerful desktop PC or a versatile and efficient HTPC. MSI's A75MA-G55 is truly the best choice in high quality, high performance and high convenience.

ASUS today announced the launch of their new AMD A75 chipset-based F1A75 Series motherboards. Designed specially to optimize performance for the AMD Llano APUs, the F1A75 Series motherboards have exceptional overclocking capability for the versatile APU with a variety of integrated graphics built directly on the same die. This new series is also equipped with the latest ASUS-exclusive technologies and features, including the Dual Intelligent Processors 2 (DIP2) with DIGI+ VRM for precise power control, a graphical and mouse-controlled UEFI BIOS and the easy-to-use auto tuning for better performance.

AMD's latest AM3+ processors are a shot in the arm for PCs, delivering start of the art processing at unmatched performance. ASRock superior AMD 9 series motherboards have been designed to support the new-gen AM3+ processors, while still retaining backward compatible with AM3 processors and unprecedentedly implementing support for SLI technology. To bring the best kit to users, ASRock has thrown everything you could want from the new-gen AMD 9 series motherboards. The innovative features include the ASRock signature XFast USB, On/Off Play Technology, Graphical UEFI, All-in-one AXTU program, and so on.

ASUS displayed its new mini-ITX motherboard for IPC (industrial PC) market, the D27NM10-I IPC. As an IPC-ready board, it is designed for rugged industrial environments that have minimal cooling and require high uptime. The D27NM10-I IPC uses next-generation 32 nm Intel Atom "Cedar View" D2700 dual-core processor clocked at 2.13 GHz, featuring HyperTreading to yield 4 logical CPUs for the OS to deal with. The processor is wired to two DDR3 SO-DIMM slots supporting single-channel DDR3 memory. Intel NM10 is the chipset employed, it's also found on previous-generation Pine Trail platform.

A large heatsink covers both the processor and chipset, there are three 4-pin PWM fan headers on board in case a fan has to be latched on to it. The board draws power from an external DC power source over standard 2-pin DC input connector. It can also be powered by any switching power supply with a 4-pin Molex power connector. Storage connectivity includes two SATA 3 Gb/s ports. The only expansion here is an open-ended PCI-E x1, and a mini-PCI-E. There's plenty of serial connectivity, including two serial DE-9 ports on the read panel, and 3 via headers. Other connectivity includes 2-channel HD audio, dual gigabit Ethernet, display outputs that include DVI and D-Sub, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. The board uses UEFI with graphical EZ-Mode setup program.

AMD today launched its 9-Series chipset line-up today, helping PC builders to develop next generation high performance desktop platforms. The company also unveiled its 2011 HD Tablet Platform, based on the AMD Z-Series Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), enabling vivid media display and content creation capabilities for the fast-growing market of Microsoft Windows-based tablets. These new AMD products are designed to enable more immersive digital experiences for the PC and tablet markets.

"As consumer appetites for more compelling, lifelike visual experiences increase, there is greater need for high performance, smooth, vibrant graphics as well as unparalleled computing power," said John Taylor, product marketing director, AMD. "From tablets to desktops, AMD is making powerful computing accessible to everyone."

Here you are, the MSI A75MA-G55, the kind of motherboard that's dressed for both office and living rooms, or even a sweet family desktop. This micro-ATX motherboard runs AMD Fusion A-series APUs in the socket FM1 package. It uses a 4-phase Military Class II VRM that balances solid-state chokes with regular solid capacitors, instead of expensive high-C ones. The VRM area is cooled by a chunky heatsink of a design we're used to seeing on high-end MSI motherboards, lately.

Expansion slots include one each of PCI-Express 2.0 x16, PCI-E x16 running at x4 speed, PCI-E x1, and legacy PCI. All six of its SATA 6 Gb/s ports are internal. The board features four USB 3.0 including two ports provided via internal header. The rear panel is a crowded place with 8-channel HD audio, USB 3.0, display connectivity including DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI, gigabit Ethernet, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. The board features UEFI with ClickBIOS GUI setup program. Expect mid-range pricing.

The A75A-G35 caught our attention at the MSI booth, a slim ATX socket FM1 motherboard based on the AMD A75 chipset. Supporting the AMD A-series accelerated processing units, the A75A-G35 uses a simple 3+1 phase VRM to power the APU, the board features just two DDR3 DIMM slots, but supports dual-channel DDR3-1600 MHz memory. Expansion slots include one PCI-Express 2.0 x16, a PCI-Express x16 running at x4 speed, three PCI-E x1, and two legacy PCI.

Display connectivity includes DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. All six SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the A75 FCH are assigned as internal ports. Other connectivity includes 8-channel HD audio, gigabit Ethernet, and USB 3.0. The A75A-G35 uses UEFI and ClickBIOS GUI-driven setup program, and Winki 3 desktop manager.

Recently, ASUS released the Maximus IV Extreme-Z, a variant of the Maximus IV Extreme motherboard, based on Intel Z68 chipset. The original is based on Intel P67. ASUS' premium micro-ATX motherboard, the Maximus IV Gene got the same treatment, with Gene-Z. Back when ASUS was designing its Republic of Gamers lineup for socket LGA1155, P67 was the premium discrete-graphics chipset, which was later dethroned by Z68, which gives you everything P67 does, plus access to the processor's integrated graphics (letting you use Intel QuickSync), and Intel Smart Response SSD caching technology.

The Maximus IV Gene-Z uses a design very similar to its predecessor. The LGA1155 socket is powered by an impressive 12-phase Digi+ Extreme Engine VRM, 2-phase VRM for the dual-channel DDR3 memory, supporting speeds as high as DDR3-2000 MHz. Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (x16/NC or x8/x8), supporting NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFire; and an open-ended PCI-E x4. ASUS managed to pack in two SATA 6 Gb/s ports, four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, and connectivity that includes SupremeFX X-Fi 8-channel audio, eSATA, gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0, and HDMI 1.4a (the lone display connector). ASUS nearly all ROG-exclusive features such as consolidated voltage measurement points, iROG, ROG UEFI, etc.

MSI is approaching the socket AM3+ performance platform with two motherboards based on the AMD 990FX chipset, at the very top is the 990FXA-GD80 detailed earlier. Next to it, is the 990FXA-GD65, which is designed to occupy a sub-$200 price point. The GD65 depends entirely on the chipset for its features, with very little 3rd-party features. It uses a full-fledged 10-phase VRM to power the CPU. To add electrical stability, a 6-pin PCI-E power connector is in place, if discrete graphics cards that rely on slot power, are used. The 990FX northbridge gives out two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 ports, which are wired to two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots that run at full-bandwidth all the time. Other expansion slots include four PCI-E x1 and a legacy PCI.

All six SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the SB950 southbridge are assigned as internal ports, while there are no eSATA ports on the rear panel, MSI might bundle an eSATA bracket that extends two of the six internal ports as eSATA. This way, MSI saved the cost of using an additional third-party SATA controller. Other connectivity includes 8-channel HD audio driven by Realtek ALC892 CODEC that supports optical and coaxial SPDIF output; and two USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel driven by an NEC/Renesas-made controller. There's little more to this board than that, for overclockers. There is a rear-panel CMOS reset button, and "Military-grade" components. Instead of using UEFI firmware with its GUI-driven setup program ClickBIOS, MSI used conventional BIOS with a hack that allows it to boot from volumes greater than 2.2 TB in size. MSI also includes BIOS Code Unlocked Technology, which lets users unlock disabled cores on certain CPUs.

Earlier referred to as "Big Bang Conqueror", MSI's next top-end AMD platform motherboard has emerged under its final name, 990FXA-GD80. The socket AM3+ motherboard that supports AMD's upcoming FX series processors, is based on the AMD 990FX + SB950 chipset. The CPU is powered by a 10-phase VRM that makes use of tantalum-core capacitors, and SFC chokes (that don't whine), driver-MOSFETs (DrMOS). Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 2.0 x16, supporting NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX; two PCI-E x1, and a PCI.

Storage is mostly care of the southbridge, all its six SATA 6 Gb/s ports are assigned as internal ports; a third-party SATA 3 Gb/s controller handles rear-panel eSATA. There are two USB 3.0 controllers, driving two ports on the rear panel, and two via an angled internal header. Other connectivity includes 8+2 channel HD audio with THX TruStudio Pro support, gigabit Ethernet, and FireWire. A number of MSI-exclusives are bundled, including MSI-designed graphical UEFI setup program (click BIOS), and OC Genie II that is overclocking with side-wheels. Expect the MSI 990FXA-GD80 to be out in mid-June, at a US $175~$250 price range.

With the socket AM3+ platform, ASUS wants to rally around its top motherboard brands, including Republic of Gamers (ROG), with the ASUS Crosshair V Formula, and the The Ultimate Force (TUF) Sabertooth 990FX, for AMD's next top of the line 990FX chipset that is designed to run up to four discrete graphics cards. The 990FX Sabertooth keeps up with the color scheme of the other TUF-series members. It boasts of highly durable components. The AM3+ socket is powered by a 10-phase Digi+ VRM. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory, and connects to the 990FX chipset over a HyperTransport 3.1 link.

Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (configurable as x16/x4/x8/x8, x16/x4/x16/NC, depending on how they're populated); The electrical x4 slot is wired to the SB950 southbridge, and is placed there to hold PCI-Express SSDs. One each of PCI-E x1 and PCI make for the rest of the expansion. Storage connectivity includes six internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports supporting RAID, two internal SATA 3 Gb/s from a third-party controller, one power-eSATA/USB combo, and one normal eSATA on the rear panel.

Continuing its legacy of leadership, ASUS offers consumers a range of new motherboards based on the Intel Z68 Express chipset. The ASUS P8Z68 Series and ROG Maximus IV GENE-Z motherboards all have numerous powerful features that fully exploit the performance benefits of Sandy Bridge technology without compromise, packing more features and new innovations onto the Z68 platform while maintaining unmitigated performance and reliability.

ASUS is the only motherboard manufacturer able to integrate diverse new technologies in tandem on its Z68-based motherboards on launch. These include the universal implementation of LucidLogix Virtu switchable graphics to harness the capabilities of Intel Quick Sync Video for faster video transcoding and the extreme performance of the latest NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards, along with Intel Smart Response Technology to accelerate hard drive performance and reduce energy consumption.

Here is the first picture of the M5A99X EVO, an upcoming socket AM3+ motherboard by ASUS based on the AMD 990X + SB950 chipset designed AMD's FX-Series "Zambezi" 8-core, 6-core, and 4-core procesors. The AMD 990X is designed for discrete graphics with up to two graphics cards in CrossFireX. It is likely that the final iteration has NVIDIA SLI support out of the box. The AM3+ Black socket is powered by 8-phase Digi+ VRM, cooled by a large heatsink that sits next to the northbridge heatsink. ASUS came up with a new heatsink design theme. While the P8P67 series uses heatsinks with curvy/wavy fins, the M5A series uses sharp edges.

The AMD 990X northbridge gives out 16 PCI-Express 2.1 lanes split between two x16 slots. When both slots are populated, the graphics cards run on x8 bandwidth. The third black x16 slot is wired to the SB950 southbridge, and is likely x4. Other slots include two PCI-Express x1 and a PCI. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports from the SB950 southbridge that support RAID 0, 1, 0+1, 5, 10 modes; a third-party controller drives two additional SATA 6 Gb/s internal ports. We don't know if there's another such controller handling eSATA.

Expanding their relationship beyond hardware, LucidLogix today announced that its' Virtu GPU virtualization software will be integrated into various SKUs of ASUS motherboards based on the Intel Z68 chipsets. Virtu allows the systems to simultaneously take full advantage of both the low-power best-in-class media processing features of the 2nd generation Intel Core processor graphics and the 3D gaming performance of add-in cards with graphics processing units (GPUs) from AMD and NVIDIA.

"Since ASUS supplies a third of the world's motherboards, their knowledge and expertise in the market magnifies the importance of a seamless media experience only provided by Lucid," said Offir Remez, president and founder of Lucid. "The Virtu solution is rapidly becoming a standard, must-have feature and its expanding market acceptance creates a runway for further innovation in both desktop and notebook PC graphics."

Apart from a brand new CPU architecture, Intel's Sandy Bridge LGA1155 platform saw the mass introduction of EFI (extensible firmware interface) to the PC, a new BIOS-replacement component that can eliminate several limitations of BIOS, most notably, the ability to boot from volumes bigger than 3 TB in size. While most motherboard manufacturers have given their LGA1155 models support for UEFI, not everyone has a graphical user interface (GUI) based UEFI setup program that uses mouse as a pointing device, and presents users with UI elements such as radio buttons, drop-lists, and checkboxes to make changes. Gigabyte has been one such manufacturer with its first wave of P67 and H67 based motherboards.

With its newest B3-revision motherboards that include the upcoming Z68 chipset based motherboards, Gigabyte wants to make amends. It has to, being the number two motherboard vendor in terms of volumes. Gigabyte wants to go a step ahead of other vendors, and design a UEFI setup program that not only supports mouse, but also touchscreens, and present a user interface with large icons and design elements that resemble tablets, which are designed to make configuration easier than on mouse-driven UEFI setup programs. The TouchBIOS ("BIOS" here is just used as a verb) from Gigabyte should be available on Gigabyte's upcoming motherboards, as well as in the future, on Gigabyte's all-in-one PCs, tablets, and notebooks.UPDATE: It turns out that TouchBIOS isn't a firmware application, but rather a Windows-based utility that makes BIOS management easily for the people less acquainted with it. Let's hope the "less acquainted" don't touch the wrong colorful button in their "ooh what does this button do? " moments.

Seagate today began shipments of the industry's most elegant, easy-to-install 3TB desktop drive - the Barracuda XT hard drive - a product that eliminates the need to purchase extra hardware or software to overcome the 2TB barrier. The Barracuda XT hard drive delivers the highest available capacity for home servers and workstations, high-definition video editing and production systems, high-performance PC gaming systems and desktop PCs.

Legacy PC BIOS designs and device drivers and older operating systems such as Windows XP are incapable of using hard drive capacities beyond 2.1TB. The upshot is that existing desktop drives with more than 2.1TB of storage capacity must be deployed with additional software or hardware and may also require extra device drivers to overcome this limitation.

Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) is delighted to introduce the latest Intel based mini-ITX motherboard - ECS H67H2-I motherboard, designing to support the 2nd generation Intel Core processors and redefining home theater PC of the new era.

ECS has been very experienced and professional at Research & Development of small form factors motherboards, and we have envisioned that there will be a growing trend for HTPC. At both CeBIT & Computex exhibitions in 2010, ECS H55H-I was the first HTPC platform of mini-ITX form factor; it definitely caught visitors' attention among all similar categories. ECS H55H-I motherboard has successfully fulfilled product differentiation from the origins and ECS H67H2-I motherboard definitely will break the record in 2011. ECS H67H2-I motherboard continues carrying the advantages of space-saving, power-efficiency and surely brings much more vivid 3D visual experience as it supports amazing GPU O.C capability along with features of blu-ray HD playback and 3D gaming experience.

System BIOS vendor Phoenix Technology, the company behind the popular Award BIOS software found on several PC motherboards, has come up with a new highly-optimized implementation of UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), that can boot the OS in under one second. This cuts time of the arbitrary 5~15 second (typical) POST process. With this time saved, system startup times are significantly reduced. Startup times are further reduced by the optimized startup procedure on Windows 7.

To put this to test, a Dell Adamo notebook with the technology, was able to reach the Windows Desktop in 20 seconds from the push of the power button, while Lenovo T400 notebooks with faster SSDs reached the Desktop in under 10 seconds. The technology should be out pretty soon.