ZOTAC International, a leading innovator and channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today launches the latest addition to the ZBOX nano product lineup with the new ZBOX nano VD01 series - an affordable palm-sized mini-PC powered by a VIA Nano X2 processor.

The ZOTAC ZBOX nano VD01 series combines the latest VIA Nano X2 U4025 CPU and VX900H media system processor for outstanding energy-efficiency and performance. VIA Chrome9 graphics with ChromotionHD 2.0 processing enables the ZOTAC ZBOX nano VD01 series to deliver silky-smooth playback of popular high-definition video formats, including Blu-ray, MPEG2, H.264, VC-1 and streaming Internet video.

BIOSTAR Group, a world famous manufacturer of motherboards, graphics cards, industrial computing systems and computer peripherals, proudly announces the TA990FXE motherboard aimed at the most demanding overclockers and gamers.

The TA990FXE is made in the ATX form-factor on the flagship AMD 990FX chipset in combination with the most advanced SB950 Southbridge which guarantees the support of the latest technologies and ensures the unprecedented performance. The board supports all Socket AM3+ based Phenom II X6, Phenom II X4, Phenom II X3, Phenom II X2, Athlon II X4, Athlon II X3, Athlon II X2 and Sempron CPUs including top 6-core and 8-core AMD FX, AMD Phenom II and AMD Athlon II chips with the maximum thermal design up to 140W.

Nox Xtreme released the Hummer 3.0 ATX full-tower chassis in Europe. The Hummer 3.0 is a USB 3.0 front-panel enabled variant of the original. Its front-panel features two USB 3.0 ports, which are wired using specifications-compliant headers to the motherboard. Apart from the two USB 3.0 ports, the front-panel houses two USB 2.0 ports, two eSATA ports, front-panel audio, and controls for an in-built 2-channel fan controller.

Measuring 610 (H) x 232 (W) x 520 (D) mm, this monstrosity supports most ATX motherboard form-factors, including micro ATX, ATX, E-ATX, XL-ATX and Flex-ATX. Its tray features an opening around the CPU socket area, to help handling coolers with backplates, several valved openings to pass cables behind the tray, and a total of 10 expansion slot bays. The lower drive cage holds six 3.5"/2.5" drives, there are six exposed 5.25" bays. Fans included with the case are one 230 mm white LED-lit front intake, one 140 mm rear exhaust, and two 140 mm top exhaust. The side panel features a grille with mount holes for a 230 mm fan. The Nox Xtreme Hummer 3.0 is priced at €109.90.

For the ladies! NZXT proudly presents the Phantom Big-Tower in pink, which is intended for the female gamer base. All new Phantoms, including this variant also come equipped with USB 3.0 connectivity. Additional features of these enclosures are a five channel fan controller with 20W load capacity on each circuit, spacious interior, lighting which may be turned off, elaborate cable management, numerous anti-vibration measures and a water cooling ready design.

The futuristic design of the NZXT Phantom makes it the perfect basis for an extravagant gaming PC as the case specialist has included unique shapes and lines which resembles that of modern high performance sports cars. A front door covers the drive bays, so that the chassis looks perfect, regardless of what type of drives you have installed. Besides the pink color option, NZXT also offers a white, black, red and red/white variant with more special editions in the works.

BIOSTAR is ready with its new performance-segment socket AM3+ motherboard based on the AMD 990FX + SB950 chipset, the TA990FXE. It carries on with the design elements and component choices for some of BIOSTAR's recent Intel Z68 motherboards, it's likely that the board will carry a sweet-spot price. The CPU is powered by a 5-phase VRM, it is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-2000 MHz memory.

Expansion slots include three PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (x16/x16/x4), a PCIe x1, and two PCI. Five of the six SATA 6 Gb/s port from the southbridge are internal ports, with the sixth one being assigned as an eSATA. The connectivity loadout covers essentials: 8-channel HD audio, USB 3.0, gigabit Ethernet, and FireWire, apart from USB 2.0 and PS/2. The board is driven by AMI UEFI firmware, with BIOSTAR's own GUI setup program.

ASUS unveiled a trio of socket LGA1155 motherboards based on the Intel Z68 chipset, which feature PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (electrical x8/x8 when both are populated). The new motherboards are PCI-Express Gen 3.0 specifications compliant, complete with switches and electrical components. Leading the pack is the P8Z68 DELUXE/Gen3 in the $250-segement, followed by the P8Z68-V PRO/Gen3 in the $200-segment, and the P8Z68-V/Gen3 in the sub-$200 segment.

All three feature 16-phase Digi+ CPU VRM, an Intel-made gigabit Ethernet controller, and Lucid Virtu support. All three feature the same expansion slot loadout, with two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (x16/NC or x8/x8), one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical 2.0 x4), and two each of PCI-Express 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI wired to an ASMedia-made bridge chip.

Intel released two new Desktop Board Extreme Series motherboards based on the Z68 chipset, supporting Core processors in the LGA1155 package, the DZ68ZV and DZ68BC. The DZ68ZV uses the same exact PCB as the DP67BG, replacing the P67 PCH with Z68 (they're pin-compatible). It lacks display connectivity. The only plus here is support for Intel Smart Response Technology. It uses a 8-phase active-swiching/load-balancing digital PWM power circuitry for the CPU, and quite a few overclocking features. Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x16, three PCIe x1, and two PCI. Storage connectivity includes two SATA 6 Gb/s four SATA 3 Gb/s and one eSATA 3 Gb/s. Then there's 8-channel HD audio, USB 3.0, and Intel GbE controller.

The DZ68BC is a completely new design that is tailored for the Z68 chipset, complete with overclocking features, as well as display connectivity. The CPU is powered by an 8-phase digital PWM VRM, makes use of improved VRM cooling, expansion slots include two PCI-Express 2.0 x16, three PCI and two PCIe x1, storage connectors consist of four SATA 6 Gb/s, four SATA 3 Gb/s, and two eSATA. There's 8-channel HD audio, Intel GbE connections, display IO that includes DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI, USB 3.0, and possibly FireWire. Lucid Virtu comes bundled, that provides active switching between the integrated and discrete GPUs.

Gigabyte unveiled a new socket AM3+ motherboard targeting a price-point sweetspot, the 990FXA-UD3 1.2. The board is based on the AMD 990FX + SB950 chipset, and supports the upcoming AMD FX processors apart from socket AM3 processors in the Phenom II and Athlon II series. As a new revision, the board supports AMD FX processors out of the box. The AM3+ socket is powered by an 8+2 phase VRM. The board is constructed according to the UltraDurable 3 Classic specifications, with 2 oz copper-layer PCB, 50,000+ hours capacitor durability, and DualBIOS. The socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3-2000 MHz memory with overclocking.

There are four PCI-Express x16 slots on this board, however, only two of them are wired to the AMD 990FX northbridge, both run at full PCI-Express 2.0 x16 bandwidth at all times. The other two are electrical PCI-Express x4, wired to the SB950 southbridge. The board supports both NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX, though it's likely that it will ship with just the 2-way SLI bridge cable.

ASRock's frontline mini PC product, Vision 3D, is set to get a hardware specifications update, to the second generation Intel Core processor "Sandy Bridge" family, from its current Core "Westmere" family. The new model will be available with your choice of Core i3, i5, or i7 processor, and will come with an updated connectivity. Aiding the Sandy Bridge processor will be NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M GPU. Using NVIDIA Optimus technology, users will be able to switch between the GeForce discrete GPU and the Intel integrated GPU. The desktop supports NVIDIA's stereo 3D technologies.

In its tiny dimensions of 200mm(W) x 70mm(H) x 200mm(L), the Vision 3D packs 4 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1333 MHz memory, several storage options, a slot-in Blu-ray drive and connectivity that includes four USB 3.0 ports, gigabit Ethernet, eSATA, 8 channel THX-compliant audio with optical SPDIF output, and display outputs that include HDMI 1.4 and DVI. A Windows Media Center Remote comes bundled, completing the package of what will be a great mate for your HDTV.

Sharkoon is expanding their collection of PC cases: The Sharkoon Tarea comes with nine 5.25" bays and a straightforward, simple mesh front design as a follow-up to the successful Sharkoon Rebel9 Economy.

The ATX case, to include the interior, maintains a completely black lacquer finish. The front presents itself with nine different mesh faceplates, while mesh inserts in the rounded, vertical frame edges complete the design. The nine 5.25 inch bays and seven card slots offer more than enough room for hard drives, optical drives, function panels and expansion cards of your choice.

ASRock released a new mini-ITX form factor motherboard that runs socket FM1 AMD A-Series "Llano" APUs, the A75M-ITX. As the name suggests, it's based on the AMD A75 chipset. Like most other decent mini-ITX motherboards from reputed manufacturers, the A75M-ITX puts much larger motherboards to shame when it comes to connectivity and features it provides in its tiny board-space. The board draws power from standard 24-pin ATX with 4-pin CPU power. The FM1 socket is powered by a 4-phase VRM, it is wired to two full-length DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory, and the lone expansion slot, a PCI-Express 2.0 x16.

Storage options include four internal SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and one eSATA 6 Gb/s. There are four USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel, two USB 2.0 ports, and six USB 2.0 ports by internal header. Display outputs include HDMI 1.4a and D-Sub. There's gigabit Ethernet, and 8-channel HD audio, which includes optical SPDIF output. ASRock's new motherboard is priced in Japan at the equivalent of US $115.

Gigabyte launched a new socket LGA1155 motherboard in the mini-ITX form-factor, the GA-H61N-USB3. It is targeted at HTPCs and compact desktops, and is based on the Intel H61 Express (B3) chipset. In its tiny board area of 289 cm², Gigabyte manages to cram in the essentials that the board's consumers will need. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 6-phase VRM design. The board draws power from a standard 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power connectors. The CPU is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots for dual-channel DDR3-1333 MHz memory. The lone expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x16.

In the area of connectivity, we're a little baffled by Gigabyte's choices. There are two SATA 3 Gb/s ports, but that's next to a TPM header, which could have easily made room for two more SATA ports. The board uses high-quality Realtek ALC889 HD audio CODEC, but instead of wiring it to an 8-channel audio jack cluster, it's wired to a 6-channel one, and space is wasted on an optical/coaxial SPDIF out cluster. Instead, Gigabyte could have used the hybrid cluster that has 8-channel analog outputs as well as a TOSLINK output, like this one. Nevertheless, there's plenty of display connectivity, including DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI 1.4a. There are four USB 2.0 ports, and two USB 3.0 ports driven by Fresco FL1009 controller. There is one power-eSATA port wired to the PCH. A gigabit Ethernet connection makes for the only networking option. The Gigabyte GA-H61N-USB3 is priced at around $105.

Addonics Technologies today announced the 5-port HPM-XU, a feature-rich hardware port multiplier (HPM), which connects up to five SATA hard drives to high speed eSATA or the latest SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports on any system via a single eSATA or USB cable. Addonics also unveiled a family of RAID storage solutions that integrate with its HPM. The new port multiplier comes with built-in RAID accelerator and supports sustained transfer exceeding 240 MB/sec with 5 drives in RAID 5 configuration.

The 5-port HPM-XU will benefit anyone wanting to attach numerous hard drives to desktops or servers as individual drives or as high performance RAID volumes with redundancy. You can also connect five SATA optical drives, such as DVD-RRW or Blu-ray drives, to your system and do simultaneous data copying. The device supports all current versions of Windows, Mac OS X and above, Linux kernel 2.4 and above, and Mac OS X 10.4.x.
The 5-Port HPM-XU fits perfectly inside the Addonics family of tower and rack storage products, plus many standard multi-bay enclosures with a standard SCSI-1 connector cut out.

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.

Verbatim's Store 'n' Go USB 3.0 portable hard drive has been released in two new liveries to keep up with the summer shopping season. The 500 GB hard drive is now available in Hot Pink and Caribbean Blue, two metallic (non-chrome, matte) color options. The new generation Store 'n' Go eliminates interface bottleneck of USB 2.0, and can run its hard drive as if it were running over eSATA or fixed internally, when used with USB 3.0 compatible PCs. It is, however, backwards-compatible with older versions of the USB interface. The Green Button software allows you to save energy by spinning down the drive when it's idle. The bundled Nero BackItUp and Nero Burn Essentials software allow you to schedule backups, keep data synced, or burn data to optical media using an installed optical disk burner. Backed by a huge 7-year warranty, Verbatim's Store 'n' Go USB 3.0 Hot Pink and Caribbean Blue portable hard drives are priced at US $99.

Fujitsu introduces a new notebook that tackles the trade-off between functionality and price, combining both in a package starting at under EUR 500. An ideal "back to school" notebook, the 33.8 cm (13.3-inch) Fujitsu LIFEBOOK SH531 notebook weighs only 1.9 kg, yet does not compromise on features, performance or energy efficiency.

Available across the CEMEA&I region via Fujitsu resellers, the slimline LIFEBOOK SH531 checks all the "must have" boxes for students choosing a studying companion, with features such as anti-glare display for outside working, a Computrace-enabled BIOS allowing the notebook to be tracked remotely if lost or stolen, software and hard drive locks, and even a spill-proof keyboard.

Other World Computing (OWC), a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, announced today it has expanded the new Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini bus powered (no AC adapter needed) portable hardware RAID storage solution with two new hard drive and three new OWC SSD based models. Now offering 10 pre-configured choices with hardware RAID-1 "mirrored" redundancy for "live activity" data protection; or RAID-0 "stripe" for maximum performance capacity, the Mercury Elite Pro Dual mini contains two 2.5" hard drives or OWC Mercury Electra 6G SSDs for up to 2.0TB of capacity and a "Quad Interface" of FireWire 800, FireWire 400, USB 2.0, & eSATA connections for Plug and Play data transfer speeds up to 300MB/s with Mac and PC computers.

SilverStone introduced the SD01 Hard Drive stackable "pad", with is an open "enclosure with just a pad to place the drive, an arm to hold it in place, and power/data connection to the host. The SD01 supports SATA and SAS, both with up to 6 Gb/s data-rate. It can hold 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch drives. Measuring 195 (L) x 121.5 (W) x 31.5 (H) mm, and weighing in at 180 g, the SD01 connects to the host over eSATA and SAS, but data-rate is subject to the host supporting it. In essence, the device is merely a dumb relay between the host and the drive, it's just that it has its own 12V DC power input, which it conditions to power the drive. The SilverStone SD01 is priced at €29.90.

ASRock launched its newest motherboard, the Z68M-ITX. As the name suggests, it is a socket LGA1155 motherboard based on the Intel Z68 Express chipset, in the mini-ITX form factor. ASRock's new board is aimed squarely at HTPCs or premium home desktops. It uses a standard ATX power supply, drawing power from a 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power headers. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 4-phase VRM, it is wired to two DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3-1600 MHz memory, the lone expansion slot: a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, and the Z68 PCH. Z68 provides overclocking capabilities, as well as Intel Flexible Display Interface (FDI) letting you use the integrated graphics, and Intel Smart Response Technology that lets you use SSD for caching HDDs

Connectivity includes 8 channel HD audio with optical SPDIF output, driven by Realtek ALC892 CODEC, two USB 3.0 ports driven by ASMedia ASM1042 controller, gigabit Ethernet, and a number of USB 2.0 ports. Storage connectivity consists of two each of SATA 6 Gb/s and SATA 3 Gb/s internal ports, and an eSATA 3 Gb/s port. Display connectivity includes HDMI, DVI, and D-Sub. The board is driven by UEFI firmware, with a graphical setup program. ASRock bundles a specially-designed Windows Media Center remote control, which comes with a multi-sensor CIR USB dongle that can receive infrared signal from a number of angles. ASRock did not give out pricing.

SAPPHIRE Technology, a leading manufacturer and global supplier of graphics, mainboard and multimedia solutions has just introduced a new mainboard developed to support the latest A-series Fusion APU family from AMD.

AMD's A-series APUs combine - on a single chip - a Quad core CPU, interface circuitry equivalent to a Northbridge and a DX11 graphics core equivalent to a desktop level graphics card, and also incorporating a 3rd-generation UVD (universal video decoder) for the accelerated decoding of HD and Blu-ray content, including stereoscopic 3D support. This APU series together with the A75 chipset, which has native support for the latest interface standards, such as SATA 6G and USB 3.0 as well as USB 2.0 and PCI-Express Gen2, makes a powerful combination that delivers all the features required in a state-of-the-art PC.

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.

Here are the first pictures of the Cooler Master Cosmos II, the next major version of the iconic PC case that solidified its maker's brand in the premium casing segment. The Cosmos II retains its trademark rail-suspended box shape of the original, and combines it with a wealth of features that became industry standards towards the end of the last decade. The Cosmos II is mostly black in color, and is curvier than the original. It's about the same size as Cosmos 1000. From the pictures, we can see that the case is airier, with gill-shaped intakes on the side panels.

The front features a feature-rich utility panel on the top, that includes USB 3.0 ports with standard headers, eSATA, and feather-touch buttons and LEDs. A sliding visor covers the external drive bays, once slided down, three 5.25" and two 3.5" bays are exposed, the bays have tool-free covers. Don't let the fact that there are just five exposed bays for a full-ATX case disappoint you, inside the case you will find no less than 11 internal drive bays arraged along two groups. Each of the bays take 3.5" drives, the tool-free drive trays can accommodate 2.5" drives such as SSDs, too. The lower group of bays is compartmentalized with a lid that can hold two 120 mm fans, while the upper group relies on the front-intake fans.

Japanese cooling expert Scythe is expanding the product portfolio by new Kama Rack Series. Kama Rack Multi-Functional Panel allows the useful utilization of available 5,25 and 3,5 inch bays of the PC Chassis by adding many helpful new features to the front panel.

The idea behind the product is the hassle of frequent data-transfers as well as backups in the digital life. Saving, securing and moving of corporate and private data usually requiring several different devices to move or secure data from source A to media drive B. These media could be flash drives, memory cards, USB Drives as well as Hard Drives and Solid State Disks.

ASRock gave its premium LGA1155 motherboard lineup a boost with the new Z68 Fatal1ty. Apart from being a Z68 chipset based motherboard modeled along the lines of its predecessor, the ASRock P67 Fatal1ty, the new motherboard features PCI-Express 3.0 graphics slots, that work on Sandy Bridge and future Ivy Bridge processors. The new third generation PCI-E interconnect can drive 1 GB/s of data per link, per direction. You'll need PCI-E 3.0 compliant add-on cards to make use of that bandwidth, current graphics cards will run at Gen. 2 speeds. One advantage here could be that AMD Radeon HD 5000 and HD 6000 series single-GPU graphics cards will run on Gen 2.1 mode, which has slightly higher bandwidth at its disposal thanks to its lower-overhead data coding scheme.

The ASRock Z68 Fatal1ty is designed for both gamers and overclockers, using high-grade components. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 18-phase VRM, wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3-2133 MHz (Ivy Bridge IMC's optimal memory speed). Featuring Intel Flexible Display Interface (FDI), the board allows you to use the integrated graphics. With the Lucid Virtu technology, you can switch between the integrated graphics, and discrete graphics cards. Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (electrical x8/x8 when both are populated), one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4, wired to Z68 PCH), and two each of PCI-E 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI.

Did you know what lies behind the USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt controller? It's of course the bus that connects it to the rest of the system, PCI-Express. It is the 500 MB/s per lane interconnect that is indirectly responsible for the awesome bandwidth that today's plug and play interfaces such as eSATA 6 Gb/s, USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt 10 Gb/s enjoy. What if you could eliminate the protocol overhead that comes with any of those protocols, and make PCI-Express directly an interconnect? So thought the PCI Special Interest Group (SIG), the body that decides the fate of PCI. The SIG is planning to create a cabled version of PCI-Express Gen 3, that has no secondary protocol overhead, not even of the kind Infiniband has.

A single PCI-Express 3.0 lane can provide 8 Gbps (1 GB/s) of bandwidth in each direction, the new cabled interconnect can supply bandwidth of four Gen 3 lanes, totaling 32 Gbps, over three times that of the current version of Thunderbolt. Apart from that bandwidth, cabled PCI-E will be designed to supply 20W of power to its devices, plenty of power for even a small 3-bay HDD rack. The connector itself will be designed to be very compact and flat, so it can be fitted into notebooks and tablets. PCI SIG plans to have the first specifications of cabled PCI-Express ready before June 2013. By 2013, Intel will be about 2 years away from releasing its proposed 50 Gbps version of Thunderbolt, but even then, Thunderbolt is an additional protocol that sits over the system bus (again, PCI-Express), unless Intel designs Thunderbolt controllers to somehow talk to CPU over QPI.