MSI, the world-leading manufacturer of Gaming motherboards, graphics-cards and All-in-Ones PCs storms CeBIT with a new line-up of Gaming products. Hardware enthusiasts and gamers will flock to MSI's new Z77 GAMING motherboards with their new distinctive looks. To complement MSI's new Gaming motherboards MSI will also display a new concept of graphics cards that match the striking looks of the new gaming motherboards. CeBIT 2013 will also be the first opportunity to touch MSI's new AG2712, world's first Gaming All-in-One. 2013 is an exciting year in the computer industry and MSI has reserved a spot in the driver's seat, as can be seen on CeBIT 2013.

MSI launched the X79A-GD45 PLUS socket LGA2011 motherboard, targeting the US $200~250 price-range. The board uses a 9-phase DrMOS VRM to power the CPU socket, which is wired to eight DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting up to 128 GB of quad-channel DDR3-2400 MHz memory; and three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (gray). The other two PCI-Express x16 slots (black) are electrical gen 2.0 x4, and wired to the X79 PCH. A lone PCI-Express 2.0 x1 finds some room in there.

The X79A-GD45 PLUS sticks to the chipset's feature-set, with very little third-party controller functionality. Storage connectivity includes two SATA 6 Gb/s and three SATA 3 Gb/s, all of which are internal ports. The board features four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by headers), 8-channel HD audio with optical and coaxial SPDIF outputs, gigabit Ethernet, PS/2 mouse/keyboard, and a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports making up the rest of the connectivity. It is driven by an AMI UEFI BIOS, with a few overclocker-friendly features such as diagnostic LEDs, POST state display, accessible CMOS reset button, etc.

AVADirect, a leading custom notebook provider, is now offering the world's first X79 gaming notebook. Almost one year ago, AVADirect began to accept pre-orders on what was to be the world's first X79 desktop replacement, the Clevo P270WM. After many complications, production was halted and release delayed. One year later, Clevo has scrapped the design of what was to be the first X79-based gaming notebook and is now ready to release the true X79 desktop replacement, the Clevo P570WM. The result is nothing short of spectacular, and AVADirect is embracing its availability with open, anxious arms to upgrade their arsenal of custom gaming notebook.

The specifications packed tactfully in the AVADirect Clevo X79 P570WM is nothing to trifle with. Being the first desktop replacement available, since the two-year old X7201, extreme desktop-replacement performance has returned with a vengeance. Offering socket 2011 Extreme Core i7 processors, GTX 680M graphics cards in 2-way SLI, NVIDIA's Quadro K5000, three 2.5" drive bays (including a separate optical drive bay. that can be converted to support a fourth 2.5" drive), RAID 0/1/5 support, and 54/34 express card slot. The Quadro K5000 mobile GPU deserves an article on its own. Never before have video, audio, and CAD professionals had the ability to harness such focused graphics power in a mobile platform, without having to consider a Mini PC option. With improved CUDA core technology, the K5000 mobile graphics unit promises to deliver a new and exciting experience to hard-working professionals. New to Clevo's latest line of custom notebooks, the X79 P570WM offers a back-lit, color-integrated keyboard that offers color-changing zones programmed to any end-user's preference. Many would easily say AVADirect's Clevo P570WM is fully loaded with bells and whistles.

It looks like the void left by lack of socket LGA1150 motherboards is being filled by new LGA2011 HEDT ones, with ASUS joining in with the P9X79-E WS. The board is so big and feature-packed that its designers labeled it a workstation board that's built in the SSI-CEB form-factor (should fit in full-ATX cases that have room for EATX). The board features a 10-phase CPU VRM, seven PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, which are wired to the CPU through a couple of 48-lane PCI-Express bridge chips, support for 128 GB quad-channel DDR3 memory, six SATA 6 Gb/s ports (two from the X79 PCH, four from third-party controllers), four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, a couple of eSATA 6 Gb/s ports, four USB 3.0 ports, FireWire, 8-channel HD audio, and two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, which are each backed by Intel-made PHYs.

With Ivy Bridge-E expected to make its debut this year (Q3 according to roadmap leaks) EVGA has decided to take another look at the LGA2011 platform. This in turn led to the making of a new motherboard based on the Intel X79 chipset, the X79 Dark.

Seen at CES 2013, EVGA's new LGA2011 board bears a black and red color theme and features an E-ATX form factor, 12+1 phase PWM, eight DDR3 memory slots (supporting up to 64 GB of RAM), ten SATA ports (six are SATA 6.0 Gbps), five PCI-Express x16 slots (accompanied by switches that disable/enable them), dual Intel Gigabit Ethernet, four USB 3.0 connectors, Bluetooth, two eSATA ports, and 7.1-channel audio.

The X79 Dark also has an angled 24-pin power connector, a debug LED, EVBot support, plus Power, Reset and Clear CMOS buttons. The motherboard is expected to arrive towards the end of Q1, or in early Q2.

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.

Armed and dangerous is the only way to describe the new series of desktop gaming systems from CyberPower Inc., which will feature Intel's latest Extreme Edition Core i7-3970X CPU. The Intel Core i7- 3970X Extreme Edition gets world's fastest bragging rights with its base clock speed of 3.5 GHz and a Turbo Boost 2.0 performance of 4.0 GHz. It will be the featured CPU in CyberPowerPC's top-of-the-line Fang III Black Mamba which is also equipped with a pair of the "world's fastest" single GPU GTX 680 graphics card in SLI mode.

The combination of the Intel X79 Express chipset with the unlocked Intel Core i7- 3970X Extreme Edition processor lets you customize the system by changing the processor core multipliers and DDR3 memory ratios to give extreme gamers and demanding enthusiasts the performance they seek. CyberPowerPC customers will be assured of blistering gaming performance and great versatility and speed in video transcoding for all the multi-threaded supported power-hungry applications.

Have you ever wondered why Intel Smart Response Technology is missing from the X79 chipset feature support list? It could have been fate, a conspiracy, a sacrifice for world peace, or merely an accident? At the headquarters of ASRock Inc., instead of screaming why through gritted teeth, we said why not and decided to fix this against all odds! Now ASRock is proud to announce that our X79 Extreme11 is the world's first X79 platform to support Intel Smart Response Technology. By downloading the new driver and upgrading to the latest BIOS, ASRock X79 Extreme11 users may reunite with Intel Smart Response Technology.

Just to refresh your memory in case you forgot, Intel Smart Response Technology makes your solid state drive function as the cache for your hard disk drives, so that you may possess the speed of solid state drives and the capacity of hard disk drives simultaneously. Users can update the latest Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver (ver. 3.5.0.1101 or 11.6) and P1.60 BIOS to witness the speed boost by Intel Smart Response Technology right now.

The fastest client computing platform, Sandy Bridge-E, won't be seeing successors for a long time now, according to a Bright Side of News report. The next-generation "Ivy Bridge-E" lineup, which will carry processor model number series Core i7-49xx, aren't due until the third quarter of 2013. Ivy Bridge-E will build on the existing Sandy Bridge-E HEDT platform with Intel X79 Express chipset. Existing LGA2011 motherboards will be able to run the i7-4900 series chips with BIOS updates.

Meanwhile, the closest addition to Intel's socket LGA2011 Core i7-3900 series is the Core i7-3970X, which displaces the Core i7-3960X from the top spot. This chip will hit the shelves in a few weeks' time. According to a leaked specs sheet, the i7-3970X ships with a nominal clock speed of 3.50 GHz, with maximum Turbo Boost speed of 4.00 GHz. The specs sheet also confirms that i7-3970X will be a six-core chip, with HyperThreading enabling 12 logical CPUs, allaying rumors that Intel will unlock two additional cores and the full 20 MB L3 cache on the Sandy Bridge-E silicon, making it an eight-core chip.

While the PC enthusiast community at large welcomed news of SSD TRIM command being made possible in RAID 0 setups, provided Intel 7-series chipset RAID controllers are used, users of Sandy Bridge-E HEDT platform, running Intel X79 chipset, didn't. The feature was advertised to be initially available only to users of 7-series client chipset (such as Z77, H77), with Rapid Storage Technology (RST) driver version 11.0 and above. Intel made amends by announcing that users of Intel X79 chipset will be able to take advantage of TRIM command in RAID 0 setups, with a future version of RSTe (Rapid Storage Technology Enterprise) driver, without being specific about the version or its release date.

Said Intel in its note, "Current RSTe drivers specific to X79 do NOT support TRIM on RAID 0, but an updated RST driver version coming soon will add support for X79 based systems, including the TRIM on RAID 0 feature. Note that on client 7-series chipsets (non X79), RST driver version 11.0 and beyond supports TRIM on RAID 0."

ECS is working on the X79R-AX Stealth, a high-end socket LGA2011 motherboard that borrows a design concept from ASUS TUF Sabertooth series, on which the jury is still out - a shroud covering most of the non-critical areas of the motherboard, which ASUS refers to as "Thermal Armor." The X79R-AX Stealth uses a similar shroud, except it isn't as perforated on the surface, and instead uses vents along its edges for ventilation and connections.

The shroud appears to borrow its design from some of the earliest 5th generation (stealth) fighter aircraft, such as the F-117 Nighthawk. Only key components such as the CPU socket, expansion/memory slots, and power connectors protrude from cutouts in the shroud, most other connections such as on-board headers appear to be arranged perpendicularly, and open out along the edges of the board. Most other features of the board appear to be consistent with that of the X79R-AX Black Series. According to ECS, the board should be out very soon.

Intel's next high-end desktop (HEDT) platform, codenamed "Ivy Bridge-E," is slated for Q3-2013, according to the latest platform road-map slide sourced by VR-Zone. According to the leaked slide, launch of Ivy Bridge-E Core i7 processors follows that of Core "Haswell" socket LGA1150 processors (Q2-2013). What's more, the upcoming Ivy Bridge-E chips will be compatible with existing socket LGA2011 motherboards, based on Intel X79 Express chipset.

Intel's next-generation Ivy Bridge-E chips are up-scaled versions of today's Core "Ivy Bridge" chips, built on the same 22 nm process, with more processing cores, memory channels, cache, and PCI-Express 3.0 certified system interfaces. It remains to be seen if Intel launches a new chipset to go with the new processor, or retains the X79 chipset with a few minor updates in the form of steppings. The company retained its X58 Express chipset over the first two HEDT processor generations (45 nm Core i7 "Bloomfield" and 32 nm Core i7 "Westmere").

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today announced the GIGABYTE Classic Challenge, its latest overclocking competition hosted on HWBOT.org. Open until August 15th 2012, the GIGABYTE Classic Contest combines two classic stages, great prizes and a small twist.

Overclockers are asked to compete on two classic benchmarks 3DMark 01 and Super Pi 32M with a GIGABYTE X79S-UP5 motherboard and a GIGABYTE X79-UP4 up for grabs. The twist? Simple. If one entrant has the raw talent to claim both stages, GIGABYTE will also award a bonus prize of a forthcoming GIGABYTE F2A85X-UP4.

Although pre-launch drivers of the GeForce GTX 680 let the GPU run in PCI-Express Gen 3.0 mode on Intel's Sandy Bridge-E HEDT (X79) platforms, the release drivers limited the GPU to PCI-Express Gen 2.0 on the platform. The issue carried on with GeForce GTX 670, and other graphics cards with "Kepler" family of GPUs. NVIDIA cited reasons such as the platform not being PCI-Expres Gen 3.0 "certified" although it supports the 8 GT/s mode. The company assured users that it was working on getting its hardware to work on the Sandy Bridge-E HEDT platform in Gen 3.0 mode, and until it's absolutely certain about reliability, it is forcing PCI-Express Gen 2.0 mode.

NVIDIA released a patch that enables PCI-Express Gen 3.0 mode on Intel Sandy Bridge-E HEDT (X79) platforms, which lets graphics cards based on GeForce Kepler GPUs, such as GeForce GTX 680, GTX 670, etc., take advantage of 8 GT/s per lane system interface bandwidth. The mode could come particularly handy for graphics cards that are installed on electrical PCI-Express 3.0 x8 slots, as they could end up with bandwidth comparable to that of PCI-Express 2.0 x16. The patch should be installed along with the latest stable drivers. To enable the patch, run the executable and reboot the system. To undo the patch later, run the same executable with "-revert" argument in Command Prompt. Use only if stability is not absolutely paramount, or if the hardware is not operating in a mission-critical environment.

DOWNLOAD: NVIDIA GeForce Kepler PCIe 3.0 mode-enabling patch for Sandy Bridge-E systems

EVGA's GeForce GTX 680 4GB, in the skilled hands of Vince "k|ngp|n" Lucido, smashed the 2 GHz barrier for GPU clock, setting a new clock speed world record for the GTX 680. The card achieved a GPU clock speed of 2,002 MHz, with a core voltage of 1.212V; and memory clock speed of 7.406 GHz. The card went on to score P16472 in 3DMark 11 (performance preset). The rest of the test-bench included Intel Core i7-3960X six-core processor clocked at 5.53 GHz, EVGA X79 Classified motherboard, 16 GB of quad-channel DDR3-2400 MHz G.Skill RipjawsZ memory, and EVGA NEX 1500W PSU. The GPU was cooled by k|ngp|n Tek-9 FAT 6.0 LN2 evaporator, while the CPU was cooled by k|ngp|n Dragon F1 Dark LN2 evaporator. Find the ORB page here.

A star attraction at the motherboard section of ASUS booth was its ZEUS Dual-GPU X79 concept motherboard. We got a chance to talk at lengths with people at ASUS about the exhibit, and learned a few details beyond what we already know. To begin with, ASUS is likely using a pair of "Southern Islands" family discrete mobile GPUs, not desktop ones. Further, it's likely that the GPUs are 28 nm "Pitcairn" based. The two GPUs are installed in CrossFire configuration. The next big detail is that the design focus on [evidently] isn't the integrated dual-GPU, but to demonstrate the first Thunderbolt-equipped X79 motherboard. The ZEUS has not one, but two Thunderbolt ports. The third (and most depressing) detail is that it's "highly unlikely" that the ZEUS will ever make it to the market. Think of it as yet another tradeshow concept by a big company. Perhaps ASUS doesn't want the ZEUS to end up like the ROG GSurf-365, its first off-beat ROG motherboard, which went beyond the show-floor but didn't have market-success.

ASUS displayed a nerdtastic motherboard design concept, at Computex. Called the Republic of Gamers ZEUS, ASUS' creation is a socket LGA2011 motherboard with a dual-GPU graphics hardware soldered onto the board, in the place otherwise assigned for expansion slots. The top half of the ZEUS resembles that of a conventional LGA2011 motherboard, with the processor being powered by a 10-phase Digi+ VRM, and eight DDR3 DIMM slots. ASUS somehow made the platform support up to 128 GB of unregistered DIMM DDR3 memory (double the 64 GB limit of the Sandy Bridge-E HEDT platform).

The second half of the motherboard has the X79 PCH, and two PCI-Express 3.0 GPUs in dual-GPU configuration. ASUS hasn't revealed which GPUs these are, but sources predict it's a pair of AMD Radeon HD 7970 (Tahiti XT) or HD 7870 (Pitcairn XT). Each GPU system has its own set of memory, and a set of 8-pin + 6-pin PCIe power connectors. The display outputs of this dual-GPU setup are given out on the rear panel, as two mini-DP + Thunderbolt ports, and one each of HDMI and standard DP. The ZEUS even has as many as 8 SATA 6 Gb/s ports, four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, and 12 USB 3.0 ports, besides two Thunderbolt 10 Gb/s ports. For now, ASUS' monstrosity is a design concept, and the company is undecided about launching it to the market. If nothing, the ZEUS serves as a testament of ASUS' mammoth engineering potential.

Late last week, we came across teaser pictures of a certain new Big Bang series motherboard. Our source didn't reveal its name, but mentioned that we were close in guessing its name to be "ZPower", which we admitted we could go wrong with. It turns out that the new line is named "MPower", and includes not just a new socket LGA1155 motherboard, the Z77 MPower, but also a new LGA2011 one, the X79 MPower. The two are beefed-up versions of the Z77A-GD65 and X79A-GD65 (8D), respectively, with stronger CPU VRM, relaxed warranties that are overclocker-friendly, and a new black+yellow color-scheme, which is consistent with that of its Lightning series graphics cards (such as the R7970 Lightning).

GIGABYTE did not leave out the Sandy Bridge-E HEDT platform when designing its new Ultra Durable 5 line of motherboards, the company showed of two new socket LGA2011 parts, the X79S-UP5 WIFI, and the X79-UP4.

The X79-UP4 is designed to be a sub-$300 offering, being a notch above the X79-UD3 (and perhaps even the X79-UD5). It uses a 6+1 phase CPU VRM, which consists of high-current ferrite core chokes, and PowIRstage IR3550 driver-MOSFETs. GIGABYTE added eight DDR3 DIMM slots, four on either side of the socket, supporting up to 64 GB of quad-channel DDR3 memory. Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x16/x8), two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and one legacy PCI. The X79-UP4 otherwise has a similar connectivity load-out as the X79-UD3.

GIGABYTE TECHNOLGY Co. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, today introduced their latest Ultra Durable 5 technology, featuring a range of high current capable components including the industry's highest rated 60A IR3550 PowIRstage ICs that provide the best quality power delivery to the CPU for record-breaking performance, cool and efficient operation and extended motherboard lifespan.

GIGABYTE is yet again raising the bar of motherboard quality and durability with their Ultra Durable 5 technology, which includes high current capable components for the CPU power zone including the highest rated and awarded IR3550 PowIRstage ICs from International Rectifier, 2X Copper PCB and high current Ferrite Core Chokes rated up to 60A which together are able to deliver up to 60°C* cooler temperatures than traditional motherboards. Featured on a range of new motherboards based the Intel X79 and Z77 Express Chipsets, GIGABYTE Ultra Durable 5 technology is the next evolution in quality motherboard design.

Taiwanese proverclocker TIN set a new 3DMark 11 record by scoring P20962 points using a single GeForce GTX 690 graphics card. The score included 25179 graphics, 15213 physics, and 12412 combined scores. The feat was achieved by overclocking an EVGA GeForce GTX 690 to clock speeds of 1509 MHz (base), 1639 MHz (GPU Boost), and 7336 MHz (memory, effective); and sustaining it using liquid nitrogen cooling. The double-headed eagle on steroids was supported by an Intel Core i7-3960X processor clocked at 4.50 GHz, 16 GB of quad-channel DDR3-2133 MHz memory, and EVGA X79 Classified motherboard. Find more information on the feat here.

Intel unveiled its third socket LGA2011 Desktop Board driven by its X79 Express chipset, the DX79SR. This model is positioned a notch above the DX79SI, and a couple of notches above the DX79TO. It was first unsuspectingly revealed to the world not by Intel, but NVIDIA, in its GeForce GTX 690 press-shots. The DX79SR covers up a few design shortfalls of the DX79SI. It adds two additional SATA 6 Gb/s ports, driven by a Marvell SE9128 2-port controller, and two additional USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel. The total of four USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel are driven by an unknown 4-port USB 3.0 controller.

Apart from the two onboard connectivity additions, Intel will also include a USB add-on module which packs 802.11 b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth 3.0 interfaces. The package of the board itself will be beefed up a little, with the inclusion of a stylish mouse pad and a thermal probe. To accommodate these features, Intel made a few subtle changes to the board layout, the first and second PCI-Express x16 slots no longer have switches between them, and some capacitors appear changed. With all these, Intel believes it has a shot at capturing the US $299 price-point, which gives it a nice spread from the $249 DX79SI and the $199 DX79TO.

Barebones mini PCs expert Shuttle Computer launched its first barebones featuring Intel Z77 Express chipset, ready for 3rd generation "Ivy Bridge" Core processors in the LGA1155 package, while retaining support for every LGA1155 "Sandy Bridge" processor launched till date. Shuttle also launched an Intel X79-based mini PC barebone, which supports Core i7 "Sandy Bridge-E" processors.

Called the SZ77R5, the Z77 barebone features four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting 32 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1600 MHz memory, expansion slots that include one PCI-Express 3.0 x16, one PCI-Express 2.0 x4 and one mPCIe; two SATA 6 Gb/s, two SATA 3 Gb/s ports, one eSATA 3 Gb/s, and one mSATA; four USB 3.0 ports, gigabit Ethernet, and 8-channel HD audio. Its chassis features two 5.25" and one 3.5" drive bays, front-panel that includes two of the four USB 3.0 ports, a USB 2.0 port with "fast charging" (high current), and front-panel HD audio. To power the machine, a 500W 80 Plus-compliant PSU is included. The SZ77R5 measures 332 x 216 x 198 mm (WxDxH). It will be priced around 32,800 JPY (US $404).

ASRock is readying its second Fatal1ty-branded socket LGA2011 motherboard, the X79 Fatal1ty Champion. The company's first LGA2011 Fatal1ty motherboard is the X79 Fatal1ty Professional, which was launched in February. The new X79 Fatal1ty Champion will be launched on April 27. Those familiar with Creative Sound Blaster Fatal1ty line of sound cards will note Fatal1ty Champion as being a more feature-rich version of Fatal1ty Professional. In this case, the X79 Fatal1ty Champion is based on a completely new PCB, with the design idea of more expansion, and the latest Creative Sound Core3D audio solution.

The X79 Fatal1ty Champion features eight DDR3 DIMM slots (X79 Fatal1ty Professional has four), and a PCIe-only expansion slot layout. The LGA2011 socket is powered by a 12-phase DigiPower VRM, similar to the one on the Professional. The VRM heatsink is assisted by two other secondary heatsinks, to which heat is conveyed by a heat-pipe. One of these is connected to the PCH heatsink. Power is drawn by 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and one 4-pin Molex (angled, optional). The board features consolidated voltage measurement points, which are socketed to hold your multimeter's leads in place. The board will be augmented by a feature-rich UEFI BIOS setup program, and ASRock-exclusive features such as XFastLAN, XFastUSB, and XFastRAM will be included.

World's top 3 motherboard manufacturer, ASRock Inc, unveils its latest Intel 7-series motherboard at 2012 Annual Global Tour. The latest 7-Series motherboard supports 2nd and 3rd Generation Intel Core i7 / i5 / i3 Processors. Featuring unique XFast 555 technology (XFast RAM, XFast LAN, XFast USB), ASRock 7-Series motherboard allows users to experience "REAL" performance boost (up to 5X better) in terms of PC's overall performance, LAN speed and USB transfer speed. ASRock has built up a reputation for building bulletproof mobos with very competitive price tag. In 2012 Global Tour, ASRock will be showcasing the long-awaited motherboards based on Intel 7-series chipsets.