Keeping up with schedule, Microsoft has reportedly finalized the build of Windows 8, with which the company will launch the operating system to the public. After releasing several internal and some public pre-launch builds (such as Beta, Release Preview), the company is ready with the RTM (release to market) build, which is fit for commercial release. Windows 8 RTM, in its various variants, will be available first to enterprise customers and industry partners starting August 15. The commercial launch is on course for October 26, 2012.

In related news, the threat of trademark litigation by German retail giant Metro Group has forced Microsoft to trash the codename "Metro" to refer to its new tiled user-interface (UI), which makes the OS optimized for touchscreens, but is also the primary UI for non-touch computing platforms (such as desktop PCs). According to reports, Microsoft will merely stop referring to Metro UI as such. Metro UI invited criticism from some evaluators of pre-launch Windows 8 builds, particularly from the desktop PC and non-touch notebook platforms.

Akasa's Euler fanless PC case, which was first pictured at Computex 2012, is inching towards a September 2012 launch. Some of its first press-shots were leaked to the web. The pictures reveal its interiors, including the CPU block that conducts heat to the metallic body, where it is dissipated. This passive CPU cooling mechanism, according to a new report, can handle thermal loads of up to 35W, making it fit for low-power dual-core processors. Akasa Euler will be sold at an affordable price, according to the report.

AMD (NYSE:AMD) today announced revenue for the second quarter of 2012 of $1.41 billion, net income of $37 million, or $0.05 per share, and operating income of $77 million. The company reported non-GAAP net income of $46 million, or $0.06 per share, and non-GAAP operating income of $86 million.

"Overall weakness in the global economy, softer consumer spending and lower channel demand for our desktop processors in China and Europe made the closing weeks of the quarter challenging," said Rory Read, AMD president and CEO. "We are taking definitive steps to improve our performance and correct the issues within our control as we expect headwinds will continue in the third quarter as the industry sets a new baseline. We remain optimistic about our core businesses as well as future opportunities with our competitively differentiated next-generation Accelerated Processor Units (APUs). Our recently launched Trinity APU continues to gain traction with customers. We are committed to driving profitable growth."

After a brief sighting at Computex 2012, we come across the Aeolus Big Frost dual-tower CPU cooler again. This time, the cooler appears polished and ready for market launch. The cooler is a simplified version of DeepCool's Assassin, retaining its dual aluminum fin tower design. The design consists of two symmetric aluminum fin stacks, through which six 6 mm-thick copper heat pipes pass, drawing heat from a copper CPU base. The fin-stack is then ventilated by two 120 mm fans in push-pull configuration.

The heatsink measures 126 x 136 x 159 mm, weighing 1,109 g (including fans). The fan pushing "fresh" air through the first fin stack is configured to spin at speeds of up to 1,300 RPM, with noise levels as high as 22.6 dBA, while the fan pulling air and conveying it to the second fin stack spins at speeds ranging in 900-1,500 RPM, with 21.4 to 32.1 dBA noise levels. The Big Frost supports a full range of CPU socket types available in the market today, including Intel LGA2011, LGA1155/LGA1156, LGA1366, LGA775, AMD AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2, and FM2/FM1. In China, the cooler is expected to sell for 200 RMB (US $32).

Colorful's AMD Radeon-centric graphics card brand, ColorFire, is out with a new graphics card which keeps in tune with the design principle of backing a performance-segment GPU with preposterous amounts of features (VRM, cooling, OC features, etc.) The company showed off its Radeon HD 7870 XStorm graphics card at this year's Computex event in Taipei, though it is only now that we're seeing pictures of the card taken apart. Pictured below is the card of the hour. This Radeon HD 7870 graphics card is so long, that it comes with a support brace for workstation cases and Apple Mac Pro.

The card powers the otherwise cool and quiet "Pitcairn" GPU with an 8+1+1 onboard VRM, which can be expanded by a 4-phase VRM card that supports higher power draw. The card draws power from two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. Despite a VRM design that's fit to condition power for the HD 7970 GHz Edition (or jump-start an SUV), the ColorFire HD 7870 XStorm ships with mildly-overclocked speeds of 1050 MHz core and 1250 MHz (5.00 GHz effective) memory. It packs 2 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 256-bit wide memory interface.

The latest product from HIS Digital, HIS 7970 X, set a new overclock world record. 4 x HIS 7970 X at 1480/1910MHz achieved 84669 marks on 3Dmark Vantage record. The 4 HIS 7970 X cards performed to its best with HKEPC OC Lab's sophisticated "Tin Shui Wai" System. According to John Lam, the Team Captain as well as a renowned overclocker, "Tin Shui Wai" is a LN2 Chilled Water Cooling System, modified from "Kingpin F1" to provide the most stable Subzero Cooling for 4 Way HIS 7970 X Crossfire".

Besides the sophisticated overclocking equipment, it was the sleek and sophisticated design and vivid LED lighting of the system that captured the attention of industry experts. The System uses green as its main colour, spiced with blue LED light giving it a perfect blend of Extreme OC and Lan Party elements. The unbeatable OC performance and the flashy design of "Tin Shui Wai" System gained much attention from visitors and media during the demonstration at Computex, Taipei. For more information, visit this page.

During the week of Computex 2012, five overclocking records have been achieved with G.SKILL high performance DDR3 memory by several renowned extreme overclockers.Read on for details of the five records.

Noctua's booth at last week's Computex Taipei not only hosted world's first public demonstration of a PC fan with integrated Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) but also gave a stage to upcoming Noctua products such as the new A-series fans, third generation NF-S12 fan and 37mm low profile CPU coolers. In addition to these upcoming products, Noctua also gave an exclusive insight on some of its current development projects for its D-, U-, C- and L-series heatsinks.

Firstly, Noctua has displayed its completely new A-series fans that feature a novel aerodynamic design measure called Flow Acceleration Channels to reduce boundary layer separation as well as Noctua's AAO (Advanced Acoustic Optimisation) frames. The new A-series fans are scheduled for launch in September/October and will come in square 140mm, round 140mm, slim 92mm plus 60 and 40mm sizes.

An increasing number of high-end graphics cards and motherboards are relying on PCI-Express bridge chips to expand the PCI-Express lane budgets, no thanks to the puny number of PCI-Express lanes today's mainstream computing platforms come with. Following the transition to PCI-Express Gen 3.0, with Intel's new platforms (Ivy Bridge and Sandy Bridge-E HEDT), there is a demand for Gen 3.0-compliant PCIe switching hardware, especially x48 bridge chips (which take in a PCI-Express x16 link, giving out two x16 links or four x8 links). Such chips are used on high-end motherboards to expand the number of PCIe slots, and on dual-GPU graphics cards.

It appears like NVIDIA does not have a PCIe Gen 3.0-compliant bridge chip of its own, and so the only company with one, is PLX Technology, with its PEX8747. The chip has been used on a variety of high-end motherboards, and NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 690 dual-GPU graphics card. PLX reportedly saw high demand, which resulted in several companies bagging initial allocations of the chip, leaving others out to dry, with the part being listed as out-of-stock by its maker. Newer clients of the chip will have to wait until PLX undertakes the next big production cycle, to get their allocations of the chip.

Strontium expanded its Python performance SATA 6 Gb/s SSD series with a new high-capacity 480 GB variant, which was displayed at Computex. Built in the 2.5-inch 7 mm-thick form-factor, the Python 480 GB is driven by SandForce SF-2281 processor, and uses MLC NAND flash. It offers sequential speeds as high as 550 MB/s reads, with 520 MB/s writes; and 4K random access performance of 60,000 IOPS. The company assures 1.5 million hours MTBF, and backed the product with 3 years warranty. The new 480 GB variant will reach stores soon, priced around US $450-500.

Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC) 4-inch mini-PC concept is taking shape as more of a premium mini-PC, than an affordable mainstream PC. According to sources, the NUC will arrive some time in Q3 2012, priced at US $400. The base system will be powered by a Core i3 dual-core processor paired with HM65 chipset, about 4 GB of dual-channel DDR3 memory, 40 GB mSATA SSD, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, WiFi, and Bluetooth. The first-generation NUC hence sticks to mature previous-generation components, while 7-series chipset, and 22 nm processors could be part of its specifications a little later. The demo system at Computex was driven by a Core i5 "Ivy Bridge" processor, with a Turbo Boost speed of 2.70 GHz. A cheaper Celeron-powered version of the NUC is also on the cards.

Computex 2012 (6/5~6/9) has just ended, world renowned memory manufacturer KINGMAX not only launched a series of industrial products and SSD, but also exhibited the world 1st transparent COB(Chip-on-Board) type USB flash drive. Different from other USB flash drives, the transparent flash drive, UI-05, has chip packaged by clear glass above; the inner flash die and wire-bonding structure is clear to see, and the blue LED light also makes convenient to indicate working status while using it.

KINGMAX UI-05 transparent USB flash drive includes capacity of 4GB/8GB/16GB/32GB. By adopting KINGMAX's owned IMLCC package technology, UI-05 is the world 1st transparent USB flash drive and owns qualities such as tiny size, high reliability, and high yield rate and so on. UI-05's revealing circuit structure gives consumer a whole new experience, and expresses an extraordinary appearance of fashion, stylishness and high-tech touch. The streamlined look is futuristic, and the metal housing gives secured protection; the end of product equipped with LED, emitting blue light to make it even cooler.

TRENDnet, a best-in-class wired and wireless networking hardware brand, today announces from Computex Taipei, the launch of three new PoE+ switches. Power over Ethernet (PoE) combines power and data over Ethernet cables. PoE facilitates the installation of devices in remote locations, without having to provide an electrical outlet near the device. PoE's popularity is driven by significant installation time and cost savings.

The PoE standard is based on the IEEE 802.11af specification. It provides up to 15.4 Watts of power per switch port. The new PoE+ standard doubles the power provided by PoE ports. PoE+ is based on the IEEE 802.11at specification which provides up to 30 Watts of power per port. PoE+ is designed to support power hungry devices such as outdoor access points and pan / tilt / zoom IP cameras.

We knew back in May, that PowerColor isn't the only AMD AIB partner with a custom-design dual-HD 7970 graphics card (≠ HD 7990) in the works, and that other partners are also attempting high-end dual-GPU designs. We got to see one of those at Computex, courtesy of HIS. Called the HIS HD 7970 X2 IceQ X2, is a 100% custom-design (cooler and PCB) dual-GPU graphics card, which makes use of two 28 nm "Tahiti" GPUs in an internal CrossFire configuration.

Like the PowerColor HD 7970 X2 Devil 13, the HIS HD 7970 X2 IceQ X2 draws power from three 8-pin PCIe power connectors, and packs two "Tahiti" GPUs with all components enabled. The two GPUs could have clock speeds higher than even single-GPU HD 7970, although HIS did not finalize them. HIS implemented a super-sized triple-slot variation of its otherwise dual-slot IceQ X2 cooler. Its card has a different display output configuration from PowerColor's, with one dual-link DVI, and four mini-DisplayPorts. Earlier today, we confirmed that PowerColor's card will reach the market only by late-July. HIS, on the other hand, wants to beat PowerColor to it, and is confident of launching the industry's first HD 7970 X2.

We've been hearing about PowerColor's Radeon HD 7970 X2 Devil 13 dual-GPU graphics card since late-May. A little earlier at Computex, we got to see the card taken apart. We spoke at lengths to reliable sources about the card. To begin with, PowerColor plans to clock the two "Tahiti" GPUs in excess of 1050 MHz (above even the single-GPU HD 7970, and its 925 MHz core clock). Next up, PowerColor will manufacture the card in limited quantities, and will release it to market towards the end of July. Lastly, the PowerColor HD 7970 X2 Devil 13 will be priced around €1,200 (including VAT), its US pricing will be around $1,200. You've heard it first on TechPowerUp!

In February, Sapphire launched its HD 7750 Ultimate fan-less, silent graphics card. At Computex, the AMD Radeon major unveiled the model of this kind, based on the faster Radeon HD 7770 GPU. Called the Sapphire HD 7770 Ultimate, the card relies on a much larger aluminum fin heatsink than the one featured on the HD 7750 Ultimate, to cool the GPU. The heatsink makes the card about as long as an HD 7900 series model, although its PCB isn't as long. This allows a large portion of the heatsink to passively (by convection) vent its hot air above, without being interrupted by the PCB.

Despite its large heatsink, the Sapphire HD 7770 Ultimate does not need more than two expansion card slots in your system. Sapphire did not compromise on the clock speeds, although the card sticks to AMD reference speeds of 1000 MHz core, 1125 MHz (4.50 GHz effective) memory. It holds 1 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 128-bit wide memory interface. Based on the 28 nm "Cape Verde" silicon, the HD 7770 packs 640 Graphics CoreNext stream processors. Sapphire will launch the HD 7770 Ultimate a little later this year.

Apacer is presenting their entire product line of state-of-the-art storage solutions for consumer and industrial usages at Computex Taipei 2012, June 5 to 9, at booth T202A on the 2nd floor of Taipei International Convention Center. Apart from their very comprehensive USB 3.0 line-up including SuperSpeed flash drives, external hard drives as well as card readers, this year Apacer will also be showing their leading overclocking memory modules in live demonstrations.

This bunch of neatly arranged copper rods caught our eyes at Computex. Called the "Blonde Hedgehog," the exhibit below is a new heatsink design concept, in which numerous copper rods bunch up inside a ring, which makes up the base, where they make direct contact with the CPU, and fan-out towards the top. A fan then ventilates the bunch. The copper rod design ensures extremely high surface area for dissipation, the down-flow of the air cools other components surrounding the CPU socket, as well. The rods are held together by pressure, and not welding. In fact, the designers are bragging about the design being weld-free.

G.SKILL - manufacturer of world leading high performance memory and SSD, debuts the largest memory computer system that runs a total of 96GB (8GBx 12) RipjawsZ DDR3 1600MHz kit on the latest EVGA SR-X motherboard at Computex 2012.

G.SKILL also displays the fastest memory of G.SKILL's TridentX which achieved the amazing speed over DDR3 3000MHz CL11 16GB (4GBx4) on both ASUS Z77 MAXIMUS V FORMULA and GIGABYTE Z77A-UD5 motherboards.

The second new factory-overclocked graphics card to be shown by VTX3D at Computex, is the HD 7870 X-Edition. Unlike the HD 7770 X-Edition detailed earlier, the HD 7870 X-Edition comes with true non-reference PCB and cooler designs. The cooler appears similar to the one PowerColor (a sibling brand of VTX3D) used on the HD 7870 Eyefinity6. The card comes with out of the box clock speeds of 1100 MHz core, and 1225 MHz (4.90 GHz effective) memory, against reference clock speeds of 1000 MHz core, and 1200 MHz (4.80 GHz effective) memory. Based on the 28 nm "Pitcairn" silicon, the HD 7870 packs 1280 stream processors, and holds 2 GB of GDDR5 memory across a 256-bit wide memory interface.

According to Broadcom vice-president Michael Hurlston, the upcoming ASUS Republic of Gamers G75VW will be the world's first notebook PC with an integrated 802.11ac WLAN adapter. It will be the "world's first 5G Wi-Fi laptop," according to Hurlston. Yet to be released to the market, the G75VW will be equipped with a Broadcom-made 802.11ac adapter, although its product page currently only mentions 802.11n support. The notebook will pack dual-antennae MIMO support, and will be capable of theoretical network speeds in the 800 to 850 Mbps range. Hurlston made this statement at the Computex 2012 company booth.

The ROG MATRIX 7970 wasn't the only new Republic of Gamers graphics card on display at Computex, it was sitting next to the MARS III. This monstrosity is a dual-GeForce GTX 680 graphics card, it packs two 28 nm GK104 GPUs with clock speeds that match or exceed those of the GeForce GTX 680. ASUS stopped short of revealing the clock speeds. The card draws power from three 8-pin PCI-Express power connectors, next to it is an instant fan-override button that revs up the card's fans to 100%. The card gives out three dual-link DVI display outputs, and is capable of driving 3D Vision Surround using three >1920x1200 pixels displays. Unlike the MATRIX 7970 and countless recent examples of ASUS' ugly fixation with triple-slot cooling solutions, it's a pleasant surprise seeing that the triple-fan cooling solution of the MARS III needs just two expansion card slots. The MARS III will be manufactured in limited quantities, and will probably cost more than a GeForce GTX 690.

TRENDnet, a best-in-class wired and wireless networking hardware brand, announces today from Computex Taipei, the launch of the 500 Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter with Built in Outlet, model TPL-407E, and the 500 Mbps Compact Powerline AV Adapter Kit with Built in Outlet, model TPL-407E2K, which comes with two TPL-407E adapters.

TRENDnet's innovative TPL-407E connects Internet televisions, media players, game consoles, and computers to the Internet using existing electrical lines. The TPL-407E is about half the size of comparable solutions available today, saving valuable space around crowded electrical outlets.

Toshiba's Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced its roadmap of new computing devices designed for Microsoft Windows 8. Toshiba's new mobile solutions showcase the advanced functionality and capabilities Toshiba plans to bring to market while enhancing the experience of the new operating system.

"These inspiring new PC and tablet designs will allow consumers and business users to interact with Windows in amazing new ways," said Carl Pinto, vice president of marketing, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. "These products reflect Toshiba's long history of engineering breakthrough computing hardware in thin and light form factors and our close relationships with Microsoft and our silicon partners to bring them to market."

SilverStone also displayed its own take on asymmetric dual-tower heatsinks, with the SST-NT08 (not to be confused with another heatsink of the same model, first unveiled at Computex 2008). While most other asymmetric dual-tower heatsinks have variations in aluminum fin count or positions of the fin towers, the NT08 has two completely dissimilar fin towers. The thicker fin tower is close to double the thickness of the slimmer one, although the heatsink still has U-shaped heat pipes that pass through both fin towers, with the base in between. The NT08 uses six 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes, and deploys a 120 mm fan between the two fin stacks to ventilate it. The fan pulls air through the slimmer tower, and pushes it through the thicker one.